Harry Potter – what we’ve been waiting for :]
Words can’t describe the magic of this place. However, here’s five one-worders to try: Glorious. Enchanting. Detailed. Wonderful. Impressive. The three of us that went to the park were so so excited and nervous that it wouldn’t meet up to our fantastical expectations. Lucky for us, we were so not ready for the magic that awaited us.
We spent two and a half days in Harry’s world and truly it was not long enough for a fan. I expressed at the close of day two that I would be happy there always. “If someone ever asks me where I’d like to be right then or what my favorite place on earth is I will say here at Potter World.” Ha. It sounds dramatic, but it’s true. The way they captured the essence of the books and movies is amazing.
I loved walking through the London train station called Kings Cross station heading towards Hogsmead via Platform 9 and three-quarters. Watching friends and strangers go first was especially cool as they vanished out of sight as they marched through the brick wall towards the Hogswarts station.
It was funny, the first time we went from Hogsmead to Diagon Alley, we stepped off the train to the horrifying reality of the non-wizarding world. They made the platform very commercial and London-esque. We had to make our way out of the station and find the brick wall opening to the fantasticly decorated, and spot-on wizarding shops down Diagon Alley.
We went to Fred and George Weasley’s joke shop in Diagon Alley, escaped through Gringott’s, ate at both The Three Broomsticks and The Leaky Cauldron, took a stroll down the cool and dank Kncokturn Alley (this was actually incredibly refreshing and at one point we took off our shoes and strolled the dark underbelly), and explored the intricate halls of Hogwarts.
The food was fun, but especially getting a frozen, slushy butterbeer and gulping down the tasty pumpkin juice described in the books was delightful. We had different British dishes (ie: bangers and mash, fish and chips, and cottage pie) for dinner. The park (like most any you visit) was pricy. We chose to pack lunches and ate breakfast beforehand. If you’re pinching pennies, try this tactic. I recommend getting a butterbeer to share with your friends though. Harry would want you to after all.
The workers were courtious and did their job well. They had various outfits/costumes depending on their job. Some of workers went above and beyond the call of duty, making the time magical. One kind, young witch in Honeydukes (a candy shop at Hogsmead). She was enthusiastic and helped us get a Dumbledore card (rather, she transfigured our original Salazar Slytherin one) from the chocolate frog treat we purchased. She was really into her part and made sure we had a memorable time.
The other stellar character was one of Olivander’s wand keepers. He was walking past us in the wand shop, headed upstairs for a break. We stopped him before he ducked away and chatted. He not only took a picture with us, but took time to tell us what the cores of each of our wands were. (C: phoenix feather, mine and our hop-on: unicorn hair.)
One of our three wands was interactive. It could be used throughout the wizarding world. We had fun going to statues and window displays to wave the wand and see magic unfold before our eyes. Granted, we knew to look for the motion sensor to connect with the tip of the wand, but this didn’t make casting the spells any easier. C, we learned, however, is a real witch. She often got it on her first try. K and I were flabbergasted and tried to stay patient in our many attempts.
All in all, this place is for anyone with a great imagination. Any Harry Potter fan will be in Heaven, and even a person who can appreciate art and attention to detail will be amazed.