Harry Potter: Hogsmeade

After your adventure in Diagon Alley be sure to travel in style to Hogsmeade just as the average witch or wizard does on their way to school. Hop aboard the Hogwarts Express! Be sure you have your wand and all wizarding supplies before you head to school!

The Hogwarts Express ride is unique depending on which way you travel so be sure to ride it in both directions. Be sure to pay attention to both the windows and the doors as the adventure is shown on both directions. The train is built to look just like the Hogwarts Express and it is a very comfortable ride between parks. If you get on the train from King's Cross Station you will get to walk through Platform 9 and 10 to enter 9 3/4. Make sure someone in your party stays a few steps behind to capture your movement through the wall.

It does require a park to park ticket to ride so make sure you get one before you go!

Once you finish your ride on the train, head straight to the castle and get in line for this ride. Once again, we only waited about 45 minutes but the line can take several hours. This ride though, is incredibly worth the wait. There is SO much to see and take in throughout the ride. You get a full tour of the castle and the grounds. Take a peek into Dumbledore's office, the herbology classrooms and much, much more!

This ride is REALLY fun but also a bit more like a roller coaster. I feel a little queasy after riding this one, but it is SO. MUCH. FUN. This is another 3D ride and is a twirling, whirling, screaming and screeching kind of ride. Definitely brace your stomach and do the ride even if you don't have rock hard nerves. 

The Flight of the Hippogriff is also a really fun ride. Take a peek at Hagrid's Hunt and meet Buckbeak the Hippogriff on this low stress roller coaster. Fun for the whole family! 

Both parks have a lot of fun live performances, so be sure to check the schedule and take in a few of them! Diagon Alley has more live shows than Hogsmeade but take in the shows in both parks. Don't forget to grab another Butterbeer to enjoy with the show! 

Harry Potter: Diagon Alley

The newest park at Universal Studios is Diagon Alley. Diagon Alley is Harry Potter's first glimpse into the Wizarding World. It is where Hagrid brings him to buy his school books and where he finally deposits Harry at King's Cross Station.

The entrance to Diagon Alley isn't exactly visible from the road, but if you see the purple Knight Bus and look to the left you should see the entrance - or at least park of it. We can't let the Muggles in! And when you do and you walk through the brick entrance ... be prepared to be amazed! My breath caught in my throat and I barely held myself together as I felt as if I was truly walking into the magical marketplace where you can find your share of cauldrons, wands, robes, and other magical menageries.

The first thing you should do is high tail it back to Gringotts and hop in line for this ride. We got lucky and only had to wait about 45 minutes but the wait can be up to several hours. If you ride in the afternoon (think nap time) that is your best bet for short lines. They do a good job keeping you entertained in line with Gringott's advertisements and signs. Once you enter the bank itself, there is plenty to see. You will feel as if you are actually entering the Wizarding bank. The goblins are exceptionally real and look you in the eye as you walk deeper and deeper into the vault. The ride itself is amazing. (We did ride it twice since the first time it broke down on us. But they gave us a free express ticket to return.) It is 3D (4D maybe? You can feel the wind and the heat as you ride) and truly makes you feel as if you are on a cart escaping from Gringotts. 

After this, make sure to grab a Butterbeer (frozen or regular) and explore the many shops of Diagon Alley. Hop in line at Ollivander's and watch the Wand Chooses the Wizard ceremony. Then BUY YOUR WAND. 

I don't care how old you are. BUY A WAND. It is worth the money. The wands are interactive and all over both parks you can cast a spell and watch magic happen. Embrace your inner child and let the magic come alive. Trust me, you'll be glad that you did it. Plus - you have a really cool souvenir to bring home with you! 

End your day by eating at the Leaky Cauldron. The british pub fare is incredible. I enjoyed the Fish and Chips and they were probably the best french fries I've ever had. My mom had the pie sampler (cottage pie and meat pie I believe) and she said that was really good as well. The food is well worth the money and the atmosphere is spot on. It looks just like the Leaky Cauldron as described in the book and depicted in the movie. 

Tomorrow we explore the world of Hogsmeade! Potter on!