Aiden’s fantastic journey into the Wizarding World of Harry Potter
This post about our visit to Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Orlando contains affiliate links. That means I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on the appropriate links. You can learn more in my Disclosure Policy. As always, thank you for your support.
Mihret may have been given the star treatment at Universal Studios Orlando (and rightfully so), but our visit to this theme park was like a dream come true for Aiden. While he might not quite be a full-blown a Potterhead, he’s pretty close. And walking through the world of Harry Potter was like a dream come true for him.
I’m not anywhere close to a Potterhead and I was blown away by our adventure. It was full of wizardry and magical creatures. And costumed visitors, which made the whole experience even more real.
And magical.
Our magical journey to Wizarding World of Harry Potter’s Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade
Our collective breath was taken away when we rounded the corner and entered the world of Harry Potter. Seriously. It’s an amazing experience to turn the corner and have this entire world open up before you. You see the sights, smell the smells, and hear the sounds. You are literally immersed in the world of Harry Potter.
Hogwarts Castle
We toured Hogwarts Castle and experienced all the sights and sounds that makes this place so memorable. We hung out with Dumbledore for a few minutes…
…before Aiden and I hopped on a ride that sent us flying alongside Harry Potter himself! It was a blast.
That poor guy on the right. I hope his arm didn’t burn too badly.
A midday snack
While we were there, we had to eat. After all, what’s an immersive experience without enjoying some “local” dining fare? And Aiden needed to store himself some energy because he had some magic to attend to. But more on that in a second.
We visited the Leaky Cauldron. And we were impressed. Especially with dessert.
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And here’s the aforementioned sticky toffee pudding (along with some chocolate potted cream).
Aiden and his wand
The big highlight of our visit to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter was the moment Aiden had been looking forward to since we began planning this trip – choosing a wand from Ollivander’s Wand Shop. Or…it might be more accurate to say that the wand chose Aiden…
There were so.many.wands. It’s no wonder the wand has to choose you. Picking your own is an overwhelming task.
It felt like an eternity. But that’s OK. This wand thing is serious business. And finally, after much searching, an Oak wand. Wood from an oak tree is associated with truth and wisdom. Oak people are optimistic and have great inner strength. Sounds like a perfect match to me!
After leaving Ollivander’s with his new tool, it was time to learn how to cast spells. Aiden found many opportunities in the streets of Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade to perfect his craft.
He eventually came upon a nice lady who could see that Aiden knew his stuff. She presented Aiden with a challenged. After a few minutes, he found the answer and returned to his challenger. Upon successfully completing his challenge she presented him with his trophy.
She told him it was the only one she had given out that day. So he should be proud. As you can see, it’s invisible. It’s also shrinkable. She told him he could carry it in his pocket until he got home, then un-shrink it and display it proudly in his room for all…I mean, nobody…to see.
Hogwarts at night
When the sun goes down and the lights come on, something pretty spectacular happens to Hogwarts Castle. Here’s a brief time lapse of just a few seconds of what we saw.
A magical journey, indeed
We’re still talking about the sights and sounds of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The reality of the experience was so overwhelming that it might have brought a few of us to tears when we first stepped into the world. It was just so…magical.
Of course, we know this journey could not have happened without Indiana Children’s Wish Fund. We will always be grateful for this memory-making wish.
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