We woke up early and ate a small breakfast before heading out to Universal Studios on our free hotel shuttle. I’ve been to Universal before but don’t remember it super clearly so it felt like the first time for me. We spent Day 1 in the main Universal Studios (aka the park with Diagon Alley). We crossed through the gates, walking through a fake New York City, San Fransisco and eventually, London. The fake cities are actually so realistic and it is wild to walk through them. Everything was lit up for Christmas and it felt funny to be getting into the holiday spirit while it was 80 degrees out. At first, we missed the entrance to Diagon Alley, but we got to see 12 Grimmauld Place where Kreacher surprised us.
Eventually, we found the entrance to Diagon Alley and started exploring. All of the shops were so meticulously created. It was fun to explore the Weasley’s shop, Ollivanders and the Quill shop. We had watched the first Harry Potter movie the night before and it was a perfect pregame for Diagon Alley. The first movie has pretty much all of the important Diagon Alley scenes so it was very cool to see them all “in person”. My friends got wands which are a fun little experience. They have spots throughout Diagon Alley where you can wave your wand and practice magic.
Diagon Alley got pretty packed throughout the day. My favorite little section was Knockturn alley which was off the beaten path and a lot less crowded. It was cool to see Borgin & Burkes. We wandered back into Diagon Alley at some point. There was even a dragon on top of Gringotts bank that blew fire every 20 minutes or so. The ride inside of the bank was very fun and interactive. At some point, we needed some food and stepped out of Diagon Alley back into San Fransisco to enjoy a very long meal at one of the piers. We were so exhausted and ended up having one of the longest meals of our lives. We decided to check out some other rides in the park including transformers, and ET. I have a new obsession with ET and thought that ride was very fun.
At some point, the sun started to set and the Christmas parade began. This was kind of a surprise but there were so many massive floats. Shrek, Madagascar and Minions were the most represented in this parade. It was really nice to watch the parade and sip a beer.
After the parade ended, we went back to see Diagon Alley in the nighttime which was so pretty. Everything was lit up with a holiday spirit. It was also very neat to see the dragon blow fire in the darkness. Soon, it was time for the park to close and we headed back to our hotel. At night, we watched Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire in preparation for Day 2.
Day 2 — Islands of Adventure in Orlando, FL
For Day 2 we seemed to have more of a “plan”. Islands of Adventure has a lot more rides and we went on pretty much ALL of them. We started off the day in Hogsmeade which I kind of liked more than Diagon Alley. There were a lot fewer shops but it felt a little bit more quaint even though there were still lots of people in the park. The first ride we went on was the Forbidden Journey, inside of the castle. The castle itself is so beautiful and an exhibit in and of itself. The line for the ride takes you through the castle which was my favorite part. I have been on this ride before and it left me with the same queasy feeling afterwards.
After recovering from the ride, we stood in line for the newest Hagrid’s Motorbike ride through the Forbidden Forest. This was the coolest ride ever. There were so many impressive plot twists throughout the ride. The line for the ride was the longest out of all the coasters, but totally worth it! After this ride, we headed out for lunch and had a speedier meal than the day before. We made a plan to continue through the park, exploring Marvel Island, Kong and Jurassic Park before making our way back to Hogsmeade.
Marvel Island was pretty neat. My friends rode Spiderman & Hulk which I sat out for. Next, we went on the Kong ride which was a little traumatic. I don’t think this ride was that great but it made for a funny experience. Afterwards, my friends went on the Velocicoaster ride which was their favorite rollercoaster in the whole park.
We ended up back at Hogsmeade and somehow got a picture with the ladies of Beaubaxton and the men of Durmstrang. Right before the sun started to set, we rode the Flight of the Hippogriff which was a little underwhelming but still fun. We ended the day with a drink at Hog’s Head. I would highly recommend sitting here and enjoying a drink on their back patio. I really liked their Hog’s Head Brew. We somehow timed it perfectly so that we could see the castle light show. The light show itself was incredible and we even waited to see it from a different angle a second time.
As we were leaving the park, we stopped at a fun Seuss carousel. This concluded our time at Universal. We exited the park and decided to eat dinner at Universal City Walk. The Margaritaville provided a wonderful setting for dinner. There was a live band and the food was pretty good. The nachos were quite large, beware. We headed back to our hotel room after another wonderful day at Universal.
Day 3 — Orlando, FL
This was a recovery day as well as a travel day. We spent most of the day lounging around the hotel and surrounding areas. We got to explore Icon park which has one of the tallest swings in the world. My friends rode it and said it was a bit scary. We ate lunch at Sloppy Joe’s and spent the rest of the day sitting by the hotel pool. A very relaxing day that ended with a flight back to New York.
Some reflections
This trip to Florida was genuinely so fun and I really liked the amount of time we spent there. The weather was beautiful and it was neat to see some of my favorite fictional worlds built out in person. It has been really cool to see how people’s love for Harry Potter has transcended generations. A lot of the roller coasters were really fun, although I think my body can no longer handle a ton of roller coasters anymore.
It felt good to spend quality time with friends along with a relaxing day towards the end. 2 days felt like the perfect amount of time to spend at these parks. To be honest, I don’t think I could handle any more than that.
These parks are very artificial and are kind of weird when you think about them in general. However, I think it is important to visit at least once in your life. They have a way of creating a sense of magic that is so exciting, no matter your age.
