To say that we enjoyed ourselves at Universal Orlando would be an understatement. In fact, it took us by complete surprise. When planning our Florida visit, we assumed Disney World would be first on the list. But as it turns out, our Harry Potter-lovin’ heart couldn’t resist the realistic charm [pun intended] of Diagon Alley and Hogsmede Village; part of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando Resort, FL.
However, at $150 per person for the one day park-to-park pass, it packs a punch on the wallet. Especially since that doesn’t even include food or drinks! Even with eating conservatively by sharing meals, and limiting souvenirs, we barely managed to escape our visit under $500. But even with this outrageous investment for one day of thrills, Universal Orlando had us pining for a return visit as soon as our truck pulled out of the parking garage. Why? Well, let me tell you…
As soon as you enter through the gates, you’re senses are bombarded with the visuals, the smells, the sound of excitement, and the blast of memories as you recall so many of your favorite tv shows, cartoons, and movie characters.
For us, though, the visit was mainly about Harry Potter. Universal cleverly separates their two Wizarding World of Harry Potter attractions between their two parks (Universal Studios and Universal’s Islands of Adventure), which each require their own entrance fee. Hence, the reason we sprung for the one day park-to-park pass in order to take advantage of the discounted rate.
The two parks are connected by the Hogwarts Express. Which, to any Harry Potter fan, is the most obvious way to be transported between parks. But take note, the Hogwarts Express requires its own fee to ride if it’s not already included in your park entry ticket price. Again, this is why we chose the park-to-park pass for the day; that fee was included.
Diagon Alley is, in my opinion, a must-see. If, for some reason, you have to choose between the two parks, hands down, it would be Universal Studios. Save Universal’s Islands of Adventure for another day. Why? Diagon Alley is SO well done! From Gringotts Bank to purchasing your very own wand at Ollivanders, the experience is like none other. Add on the Harry Potter-themed music being constantly played in surround sound and tasting Butter Beer for the first time, and you’ve got yourself the perfect day.
Aside from the experience of purchasing a wand at Ollivanders (which, is obviously #1 on my list), I would have to say that a close second would be eating at the Leaky Cauldron. Truly unique foods and drinks to satisfy any craving for adults and kids, alike.
Have I talked enough about Harry Potter World? You get the point, right?
As if Diagon Alley, Hogsmede Village, and riding the Hogwarts Express weren’t enough to satisfy my nerdy self, we just so happened to also run into a cool dude named, Bumblebee. By far, my absolute favorite of the Autobots from the beloved classic, Transformers. Life performers are dressed as life-like versions of all your favorite characters. And by the way, TOTALLY conquered my fear of people dressed in costume just to get this shot. It MAY have taken a bit of persuading from Jon…okay, a lot of persuading.
After allowing my heart rate to come down a little bit, we enjoyed a live performance from the Blues Brothers. Amazingly talented actors, let me tell ya.
And because the two biggest attractions, for me, were Harry Potter and Transformers, we did feel somewhat cheated at the end of the day. The remaining attractions seem to be more aimed toward children with kids rides and cartoon characters. However, their outrageously gigantic remake of the town of Springfield from the Simpsons left me feeling that they could have used that space for more age-appropriate content being that it’s a family resort and all.
Aside from this, we still want to go back again someday! Jon, in particular, is itching to revisit Diagon Alley. And since leaving the park, we’ve made friends with people who know some employees there, so maybe we’ll have a little help with the costs the next go around. =)
Needless to say, Jon and I have been working on watching the entire Harry Potter, 8-movie series ever since we left. But when it takes four days to complete one movie because [someone] keeps falling asleep, it’s likely we won’t finish until the summer. HaHa!