Harry Potter's Magic Spell on Universal Studios

Outside Flourish & Blotts

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

Harry Potter first entered our lives in 2007.  My oldest son had just started second grade when my wife read him "Harry Potter & The Sorcerer's Stone."  I didn't pick up the books until the last one was released, but got hooked quickly.  We'd read the book and then see the movie.  We got caught up by the time Half Blood Prince was released in theaters and actually saw it on the big screen.

Butterbeer break

Four years ago, our family ventured to Universal Studios in Orlando, where we were in awe of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.  A portion of Islands of Adventure has been transformed into Hogsmeade and Hogwarts.  Rides like the Harry Potter & The Forbidden Journey, Flight of the Hippogriff, and Dragon Challenge add to the excitement of all the shops, including Honeydukes Sweetshop and Ollivander's Wand Shop.  There are places to get your fill of Pumpkin Juice, Butterbeer, and Gillywater.  It's the ultimate place for Harry Potter fans.

Waiting for the Hogwarts Express

Earlier this year, the Wizarding World expanded into the Universal Studios side of the part.  Now, you can hop aboard the Hogwarts Express and take it back and forth, assuming you have a ticket to both parks.  The train ride is reminiscent of the movies, it's by far the most relaxing of the five Potter themed rides at the park.

In the bank lobby 

Speaking of other rides, the only other new ride added with the addition is Escape from Gringotts.  Because it's a new attraction, the wait time was between 60 and 90 minutes (in October), although on our last day there, we went straight to that ride when the park opened.  Our wait time that morning was about 40 minutes.  It's a 3-D thrill ride with twists and turns, but not nearly as jostling as the Forbidden Journey ride.  But a little kid did barf on the way out and right in the path of where people were walking.

The dragon 

On top of Gringotts bank is a giant fire-breathing dragon.  Almost like clockwork every 10 minutes, a ball of fire shoots from his mouth.  There are plenty of stores along Diagon Alley, including Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour,  Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, and the Leaky Cauldron.  We ate lunch at the Cauldron, and although pricey, it was delicious.  I had the Bangers and Mash.  The one interesting thing is there are no basic drinks in the restaurant.  It's all Pumpkin Juice, Butterbeer, or Gillywater (which is a bottle of water with a $4.25 price tag).  You won't find a soda on the menu.  After we sat down and started eating, we were offered a complimentary cup of water.

Working her magic

One of the other really cool parts of the whole Wizarding World Experience now is the interactive wands they sell in addition to the usual collector's wands.  These interactive wands can be used at the various store fronts (that have a special marking in front of them) and the holder of the wand can perform some magical task.  A sensor in the window reacts to the sensor in the wand to make things happen.  There's a cake topper that dances around, a tape measurer that comes unrolled, among other things.  It's neat, but again, an added price of about $50 per wand.

Don't touch wands

Compared to most of the other attractions and experiences at Universal, it's obvious Harry Potter and his posse are breathing new life into the theme park.  They've managed to cast a spell on my family and millions of others.  While not on the same level of Disney's magic, the folks who built this portion of the park have done a great job.

Jaws: The One That Got Away

Being attacked by Jaws

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents

I have visited Universal Studios in Florida three times in my life.  The first was back in 1991, right after I graduated high school.  One of the rides that stuck out to me was Jaws.  When I went back in 2008 and 2010, I rode it again and of course posed by the giant shark hanging outside the entrance.

This is by no means new news, but I wasn't really aware the ride had closed more than a year ago.  It was taken out to make way for the expanding Wizarding World of Harry Potter.  The waters where the guided boat tour once cruised have been paved over for Diagon Alley.  Like I said before, I've only been there three times in the last 20 + years, but it makes me a little sad to see the classics getting bumped.

My kids in Harry Potter World

Don't get me wrong, I love Harry Potter.  I love the books and the movies much more than Jaws.  The area of the park we visited in 2010 that's dedicated to the boy wizard is amazing.  I also thought it was sufficient.  But I understand as things in popular culture get old, they have to fade off into the sunset.

Yabba Dabba Don't close this ride

Something similar happened about a decade ago when my favorite ride at the park, The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera was replaced with Jimmy Neutron's Nick Toon Blast.  I'm sorry, but the likes of Fred Flintstone, Yogi Bear, Scooby Doo, and George Jetson have and will stand the test of time compared to Jimmy Neutron.  But I get it.  The park is appealing to a much younger demographic.  And so Despicable Me has replaced Neutron.  As they say at the other theme park in Orlando, "it's the circle of life."

D'oh!

I do sing a different tune when it comes to the Simpsons ride.  I've loved the show since it started off as short sketches on the Tracy Ullman Show in the 80's.  The ride replaced the Back to the Future Ride.  A great movie, a fun ride, but my love for Springfield wins this battle.  Moe's Tavern and Krusty Burger have also been added since I was last there in 2010.  I don't know (and couldn't find after a brief search) what, if anything the new features are replacing.

While it's hard for me (not really hard, but you know what I mean) to see these blasts from the past become extinct, I know that new memories will be made for generations to come, including my own kids who loved the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.  It's a great experience, even for Muggles.