I could not go to Los Angeles and skip a visit to Universal Studios Hollywood to see the Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park. It was number one on my to do list. Like so many Potter fans, I could not wait to taste Butterbeer and shop for Chocolate Frogs at Honey Dukes. Of course, I was secretly worried that I was going to be terribly disappointed…That the theme park would not live up to my incredibly high expectations. Spoiler alert: It exceeded it!
All aboard the Hogwarts Express
Arriving at the theme park there is the Hogwarts Express at the entrance and a trusty conductor with whom you can take a picture. After I managed to get over the excitement of physically being there, my first stop was Honey Dukes.
It was packed with frenzied visitors all equally awed and thrilled to find so many read-about sweets available for purchase. Bernie’s Every Flavour Jelly Beans, Chocolate Frogs, you name it, they had it.
Taking a ride over Hagrid’s Pumpkin Patch
From there I made my way down Diagon Alley to Hagrid’s pumpkin patch rollercoaster. I dislike rollercoasters, but it’s amazing what you will try when it’s dressed in a Harry Potter theme! The ride is hardly an impressive rollercoaster, and yet I managed to scream and keep my eyes closed the whole time (like when I thought it would be fun to do the New York New York rollercoaster in Las Vegas lol).
Walking through Hogwarts Castle
After that experience I was having significant second thoughts about doing the Hogwarts School ride. Knowing that you have the option to just walk inside of the castle without going on the ride, I asked one of the workers where to go since I was too chicken to actually do the ride. He was super nice and offered me an express pass in case I changed my mind once I got to the ride I could just skip the line and get right on!
The walk inside Hogwarts was probably one of the highlights. I mean, the paintings were moving just like the books and movies. Sadly the staircases did not, perhaps a future upgrade??? When I got to the ride, everyone getting off were like, “that was AMAZING!”, so I gathered my courage and hoped on. Boy was I glad I did. BEST THING EVER! It takes you directly into the movies with a moving chair.
Visiting the shops in Hogsmead Village
From the ride, I walked the many alleyways to discover the different shops like Ollivander’s where you can find your perfect wand. I also had to try two drinks: butterbeer and pumpkin juice. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I will say they tasted pretty good albeit a tad sweet. The butterbeer had a a malty caramel taste, while the pumpkin juice was a cross between pumpkin pie and the tartness of apple juice. Of course, I kept the adorable pumpkin join bottle for my next Harry Potter themed party.
Entertaining performances by Beauxbatons Academy and Durmstrang
In the centre of the town there is a platform where a show is put on by the lovely ladies of Beauxbatons Academy of Magic and the men of Durmstrang Institute. Of course I had no shame in lining up with the children to get my picture with the performers.
Visiting the Harry Potter theme park genuinely felt like stepping into the wizarding world. Quite frankly I was impressed by how much merchandise they produced off of a book series! Anything and everything you read about in the books, you can probably buy it here! It doesn’t come cheap though!
Overall the visit to the Harry Potter theme park was well worth the price of entry to Universal Studios, so everything I saw afterwards was just a bonus. I would recommend the Univeral Studios tour if you have the time because it’s really cool to see the different sets and there are some fun special effects along the way that makes for an entertaining ride.
For more ideas on how to spend your time in Los Angeles and California, check out my itinerary posted here!
