All those people, however, provide a vibe of reality that is both remarkable and unforgettable. Yes, you can expect a sensory experience that may at first be a little overwhelming, especially because of the crowd milling about. opens onto Diagon Alley, a place you can see, feel, hear, and even taste (think butter beer, cottage pie, Earl Grey and lavender ice cream). ![]() Wend your way in that maze until you walk through the wide rough opening of the brick wall that. Walk along the streets of London until your find yourself passing the Screed and Sons bookstore, pass by the red record store, its arched windows, and the scarlet-red telephone kiosk, then look past the rectangular Leiscester Square Station sign until you see the unassuming brick walls that, in actuality, make up a nice little maze. Getting there, of course, is half the fun. Remember what I wrote about the Universal Orlando Resort being two theme parks? Tip two, then, is to do what Harry did-introduce yourself to the world of wizardry by starting at Diagon Alley. The real magic in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is all in the details. Call it déjà vu-the thrill one feels at the moment of recognition is irrepressible. Yet, there is something magical the moment you spot a detail you clearly remember (the dark spiders scurrying across the window in Knockturn Alley, the house elf behind the curtain, Moaning Myrtle in the bathrooms). You have a wonderful time even if you haven’t seen the movies or read the books. Believe me, the creators of the Wizarding World are exacting in the details they have included throughout. The reason is simple: Remember the details (the devil is always in them) and you will have a devilishly wonderful time. If the mere thought of books raises unexplainable green boils, don’t worry the movie will do. At the very least, dust off or buy a copy of The Sorcerer's Stone. If it has been a while since you have seen the movies or have read the books, my inner Hermione recommends a re-viewing or re-reading. I encourage everyone to ride the Hogwarts Express at least once, sooner or later. Only two things will guarantee passage on it: an annual/seasonal pass or the park-to-park ticket mentioned above. The latter is important if you want to ride the Hogwarts Express train. I recommend that you visit for more detailed ticket information. If you are planning your visit as a single day experience, the single park ticket is $110 if you want to see both (the park-to-park), ticket price is $165, multi-day tickets are also available. Because the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is in two theme parks, you can visit either Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade, or you can visit both. ![]() The Universal Orlando Resort is really two theme parks: One is the Universal Studios Florida, where you will find Diagon Alley two is Islands of Adventure, where you will find Hogsmeade Village and Hogwarts Castle. Before I conjure tips, however, I am going to mention a few more things for those of you who may not know. ![]() Because the flying car was in the shop, we chose to fly with Virgin America, but that is another blog post. So, after channeling Hermione for a few days and making sure my local Gringotts had not been broken into, my Muggle husband and I finally made the trip to the Universal Orlando Resort in Florida in December. ![]() In my case, the price has always been planning: I do my best magic with a nice dollop of planning. All I needed was to work a little magic, and (borrowing shamelessly from a famous villain) to keep in mind that all magic, Dearie, comes with a price. I love the Harry Potter stories, have read all the books, have seen all the movies, but I never had the opportunity to visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
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