Platform 9 3/4

We flew back yesterday from our trip to Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, and Diagon Alley. In preparation for the trip I reread Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire since the theme parks were based off of the 4th book. The parks did not disappoint! Hogwarts and Hogsmeade are at Universal Studios Islands of Adventure park and Diagon Alley is at Universal Studio. We rode the Hogwarts Express between the two parks.  This may sound like a dream come true and the truth is, it was!

Hogsmeade - Jenna was surprised at the fake snow

 We started off at Hogwarts and rode Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. Jenna, me, Joel, and Megan rode it. Sarah and Matthew were not tall enough, Erik gets motion sickness from watching rides, and Missy and Dave walked all around the entire park for fun. I LOVED this ride! Megan and I rode it twice. The line started to get longer (yes we were practically the first people in the park) so we didn't ride it more than twice. The ride told a story complete with whomping willow, dementors, floo powder, and quidditch.

Hogwarts castle

 We rode Flight of the Hippogriff next which was a family friendly roller coaster. Matthew loves roller coasters and later in the day when I asked him what his favorite ride was, he said the roller coaster. I foresee me, Sarah, and Matthew riding a lot of roller coasters in the future.
 Jenna, Megan, Joel and I split off from the rest of the group so we could stay at Hogsmeade and Hogwarts. Erik took Sarah and Matthew to Dr. Seuss world and the Spiderman adventure. Matthew actually posed with Spiderman too. Dr. Seuss world was brightly colored and had several characters from Dr. Seuss. Sarah loved it and wanted to stay there all day!

The Hogwarts Express

Outside the Owl Post

Joel and Megan

Another view of Hogsmeade

 After we split, Joel, Megan, Jenna and I went to Ollivander's wand shop. I had read all about the attractions here at Hogsmeade and knew they usually picked one kid to test for a wand. My plan was to keep going through the line until she was picked. However the first time through, Ollivander picked Jenna! He measured her for a wand then had her try three different wands. She was supposed to hold the wand up and make some flowers bloom but they wilted (obviously that wand was wrong). Next she was supposed to light something with the lumos spell and she ended up making it thunder. Finally he pulled out a wand made of a willow tree. When Jenna held the wand music started playing. This was the wand for her!

When we left the shop we were directed to the gift shop where we could purchase wands and other Harry Potter trinkets. The wand Jenna had was $47. Erik and I agreed that the max they could spend was $30. So she would owe us $17. She was willing to owe us money that's how bad she wanted the wand. Of course, we didn't realize how cool the wand actually was!

Ollivander's wand shop

Jenna performing magic with her wand!

 Jenna's wand was interactive. It came with a map and throughout the Wizarding World she could stand at different spots and move her wand and say magic words and something exciting would happen. She had so much fun with the wand that it was definitely worth it. In fact, she wanted to walk around to all of the magic spots several times. The best one was in Knockturn Alley off of Diagon alley. Here she could use her wand to make a skeleton dance. It wasn't just kids using the wands either. We saw many adults with their magic wands. Next time I might buy one....

Jenna and her wand made of willow

 After the wand shop we went to Honeydukes Sweet shop. We bought pumpkin juice, a chocolate cauldron cake, and a pumpkin tart. Yum! The pumpkin juice was delicious but too sweet to drink the entire bottle. After our snack we met Erik and the little ones at the Three Broomsticks for lunch. They had regular English food like fish and chips and shepherd's pie along with butterbeer! We tried both frozen and regular butterbeer. I liked the frozen butterbeer best.

Honeydukes Sweet shop

Joel and Megan drinking butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks

Butterbeer at Hogsmeade

The outside of Honeydukes

After lunch, Joel, Megan, Jenna and I ventured on the Hogwarts Express to Diagon Alley. The train ride was fantastic! Outside the window you could see Hagrid, Buckbeak, the Knight bus, and other fun sites. When we arrived at Kings Crossing, the area looked like London. Behind a wall (with a graying Leaky Cauldron sign) we traveled to Diagon Alley. Here were many shops straight out of the books including Gringotts with a fire breathing dragon on top. You could feel the heat from the dragon when you were standing near Gringotts.

Jenna and Joel on the Hogwarts Express - no she never let go of that wand, and she is holding a bottle of pumpkin juice

Diagon Alley

 Our favorite store was Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes. This is most likely exactly how Fred and George would have designed the joke shop. Megan, who is obviously in house Slytherin really liked Borgin and Burkes. Jenna and I decided we would most likely be in Ravenclaw (she is smart and I like blue).

Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes

The dragon on top of Gringotts

 We had butterbeer ice cream at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. Yum!

Butterbeer ice cream!

 We rode the Hogwarts Express back to Hogsmeade to finish our day. We walked through platform 9 and 10 and with tricks of mirrors you could see people disappearing right where platform 9 3/4 would be. Once we got to Hogsmeade, the line was short at Ollivander's wand shop so Jenna and I went back in for a second trip. Guess who was picked again!!?!! Jenna was picked twice at Ollivander's wand shop AND he picked the same wand for her. She was jumping for joy - that was certainly the best part of her day.

Erik sent me some pictures of the Spiderman adventure and Dr. Seuss world. They had a blast while we were in our magical land.

Matthew and Spiderman - Matthew wanted to pose too!

Sarah and Matthew with Thing 1 and Thing 2

Dr. Seuss World

Missy and Dave walked all through both parks and rode on many rides. Everyone was tired on the ride back home but only Erik fell asleep ;).

Orlando was sunny and beautiful. We flew back to gray and dreary Ohio. Why do we live here again? If it were up to Jenna we would live near Universal and go to the Wizarding World every day!