Harry Potter Land!

Tuesday and Friday, April 15 & 18

Wonderful Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Islands of Adventure

Orlando, Florida

So the main reason for our trip to Orlando was to visit the Wonderful Wizarding World of Harry Potter, located in Universal's Islands of Adventure park.  You could almost spend a whole day just in the Harry Potter section.  We had three days between the two parks, so we spent 2 at Islands and 1 at Universal.  Here are all the HP pics and I'll do another post with everything else picture-worthy that wasn't Harry Potter.

THE ADVENTURE BEGINS!

so magical

THE FORBIDDEN JOURNEY

In line for the tour of the Hogwart's castle and the Forbidden Journey ride.

The Gariety's at HOGWARTS!

The Hogwart's Greenhouse

All of us entering the Hogwarts Castle!

Having a little Butter Beer Break:

(mmm, sooo delicous!)

FLIGHT OF THE HIPPOGRIFF

Sydney and Gavin LOVED this Flight of the Hippogriff coaster.  They rode it three times each on Friday morning while the bigger kids were going through the single rider line on the Forbidden Journey ride.  (Tuesday we spent LOTS of time in lines, but by Friday we were pros!  We were way more efficient by the time Friday rolled around.) 

This a cappella group was pretty fun to listen to.  They sang/scatted a bunch of Harry Potter songs.  

THE DRAGON CHALLENGE!

Here we are with the lovely ladies of Beauxbaton Academy of Magic 

and the Strong Sons of Durmstrang.  

HONEYDUKES

If you ever find yourself in Honeydukes Sweet shop, be forewarned:  The only thing in there less than $10 is the lollipop that Hayden is holding.  I think that was $5.  Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Chocolate Frogs, and Fizzing Wisbies are all $10+ each.  

(p.s. Sydney was pretty much done by the time we took this picture.)

OLIVANDER'S WAND SHOP

One of my favorite memories was the night we waited in line for "Olivander's Interactive Wand Experience where the Wand Chooses the Wizard."  You'd think that with all the kids we had in our group, we'd have a good chance of one of them being picked.  But nope.  They picked someone else.  It was fine, though, because she was from the UK and had a cool british accent which made it seem that much more real.  

Anyway, that wasn't my favorite part.  My favorite part was when we were at the front of the line waiting to go in, and the worker admitting groups into Olivander's was playing a Harry Potter trivia game with our kids and they were wasting him!  He would ask them a question and they would nail it.  Then they would ask him a question and he would get it sometimes and sometimes they would stump him.  One of the best questions he asked was:  Name three of the Weasley Brothers, but not Ron, Fred or George.  Immediately, Dallin and Daphne shouted, "Bill, Charlie, Percy!!!!"  Classic.  

Don't mess with  us.  

We know Harry Potter backward and forward.

The kids each worked really hard in the months following Christmas to save up enough money to buy their own wands.  It was so cute when they each went up to the counter and pulled out their wallets and started counting out $37 in ones and quarters.  The cool thing is there were no repeat wands in our group, even with the cousins.  Everyone of them chose something different.  We now have the following wands at our house: Ginny's, Draco's, Dumbledore's, Voldemort's,  and Fleur's.  Dallin also got a wand that doesn't belong to a character (so I guess it's Dallin's wand) and already had Harry's wand from a previous online purchase.  We could open our OWN Olivander's Wand Shop.

(If only they WORKED!!!)  

THE THREE BROOMSTICKS

Dinner at the Three Broomsticks.  This was a steal of a deal.  Kids meals were only $5.  And the fish and chips were pretty tasty!  Besides it looks just like the movie inside.

 We had a completely delightful time at the magical Wizarding World of Harry Potter!  Can't wait to go back when the kids are all tall enough to ride everything and check out the new Harry Potter attractions opening this summer!!!  (We just missed them!)