3 words. Harry. Potter. World. Growing up on the west coast, it isn’t exactly simple to plan a trip to Florida to experience all the amusement parks and entertainment that Orlando has to offer. We were finally there! To say that we were excited, was an understatement. My childhood dream of being a wizard (Trace’s adult dream) was finally happening!
We got up early on October 27, 2019 and made the drive to Orlando. The 4 of us got settled into our cute, cottage-like Airbnb. We took the day to walk and play with our pups (Riley & Brutus) and get a breather before embarking on our hot, sticky journey to Hogwarts.
Pass out, sweat, wake up, sweat, head shot, sweat, breathe, sweat. That was my Florida themed remix of Kendrick Lamar’s song, Swimming Pools. Waking up at 6 AM and not being able to see out the windows from all the moisture was a new experience for us! Taking a shower and never feeling dry? That’s Florida.
On a happier note, we made our way to Universal Studios and the fun began. If I have any advice, when purchasing tickets, I highly recommend to treat yourself and upgrade to an express pass. Especially if you are only spending 1 day at the park, being able to get in the express line for rides saved us a TON of time. We were hesitant to purchase them, but so glad that we did! We were able to go on all the rides we wanted in roughly 10 hours. Also, if you plan on going to Platform 9 3/4 and taking the Hogwarts Express from Diagon Alley to Hogwarts, you want to get the 2-park pass.
Strolling through Universal Studios, searching for Diagon Alley, we were stopped by a driver who asked us if we knew how to get there. The gentleman waved us in and pointed us in the right direction, through the brick wall. “It’s gonna be a bumpy ride”.
Walking through that wall, onto the cobblestone road, we weren’t prepared for the immaculate detail and feeling of being on Diagon Alley. Giddy, for sure and just in time for our wand ceremony at Ollivanders! This experience is something that you do not want to miss. The gentleman conducting the wand ceremony selected a young boy out of the crowd to get matched with his perfect wand. The young boy flung the first wand and the wand boxes on the wall began to shake, another wand and flick of the wrist and bells began to ring. Finally, the young boy flung his wrist and nothing but perfect harmony, he had found his match.
Off into Ollivander’s shop, with wands stacked to the ceiling, you can find the perfect wand for yourself. There are custom wands that are designed to fit with your personality or if you would prefer a wand from one of the more famous wizards, those are available as well. We got the interactive hazel wand, which included a map that marks all the locations throughout the park where you can cast spells and watch the magic happen.
Around the corner, we grabbed some butter beer to accompany us while casting spells around the alley. This fluffy butterscotch beverage was surprisingly delicious! We needed to cash out some moolah so what better way than visiting the local bank, Gringotts. I cannot express enough how incredible the detail in the bank was, it felt like we were in a scene out of the movies. You can’t actually get money out, but it does have a rad 3D ride.
The part we were most excited for was seeing the Hogwarts castle. Going through the brick wall to board the Hogwarts Express was so exciting! The castle was massive and gorgeous on the outside. I was a little bummed to learn that we didn’t actually get to go inside. Other than that, the experience was incredible! Wizarding around definitely gave us that feeling of being a kid again. Both of us had the biggest smiles on our faces all day, our cheeks hurt. The 3D rides were a blast and our dreams of becoming wizards had finally come true.
Wrapping up the day, we Googled the best pizza near our Airbnb and came across a pizza joint called Hourglass Munchies (Google is my best friend when finding places to eat). This spot had a 5 star rating, we had to try it! We called in to place our order when the owner of the place suggested that we try some of their homemade hummus and of course, we did not hesitate. When we went to pick up the food, we thought we were in the wrong place. Ironically, the food was inside of a smoke shop! Pepperoni pizza with a side of pita bread and hummus… Wow, the crust was divine, the pita so soft and the hummus, creamy like no hummus we had ever tried. Nom nom nom. I wish that we had taken a picture, after 20K steps out in the humidity, we were a little busy inhaling the food. Everything was amazing! We cuddled up to our dogs and slipped into a food coma.
Outside is the right side. 