Wizarding World of Harry Poter Review Part 1
ShareOk, I want to start off this review by qualifying myself. I know a lot of you think of me as a Disney person through and through, and that is true to an extent, however, I see Disney and Universal as apples and oranges. They are both Theme Parks and are competing for that tourist dollar, but they are trying to attract different audiences and they have different mindset on how things should run. There are pluses and minus to each organization (Don’t even get me started on Universal’s parking system and how almost every restaurant at Disney seems to have a Character buffet.)
I will be going in to details and there will be spoilers. I will give a spoiler warning before I write about the actual Forbidden Journey ride, but otherwise than that consider yourself warned.
Atmosphere
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter shows the world that Universal Creative can work just as much magic as Imagineering.
It really feels like you are in the movie. Now, I don’t know if Universal made this point clear enough. They are replicating the movies, not the books. So if you think something doesn’t mention the description in the book, then you are right, because it matches the movies. But this isn’t really too much of a concern, because JKR had a large part in design of the movies and in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
I could have spent hours browsing the windows of the shop, because each window has a magical effect. Yes, the owls in the Owlry looked very fake, but do you really want real owls sitting over your head? The details are amazing and nothing should be overlooked. For example, you have to make sure you plan a trip to the bathroom, because Moaning Myrtle is in there. The ATM says Gringotts Bank. It is incredible.
The Shops
The shop like their exterior are highly detailed and if you don’t geek out in Honeyduke’s or Zonko’s something is wrong with you. However, they are very small, because they replicating the movie, which is great, but this is an theme park in Orlando not a movie set and you are expecting tens of thousands of people a day for the first year or more, it will become a claustrophobic nightmare. Get your merchandise early and utilize package pick-up, especially if you get a wand, because they do not fit in the lockers.
I will go into more detail about Honeyduke’s in the food section. I will tell you that you can purchase almost every food item you read about in the Potter universe and get a Wizard card!
Zonko’s was cute, but very small. Don’t forget to look up to find the extendable ears. It will be hard to resist buying a Pygmy Puff. I am still regretting my decision to walk away. It is super cute. They sell Zonko’s related merchandise in addition to all the sneakoscopes and shrunken heads.
In Dervish and Banges, you will find floating brooms and a snarling Book of Monsters in a cage. Here they sell a lot of quidditch merchandise, Quibbler glasses, and everything on your Hogwarts school supply list, including a cauldron.
In the Owl Post, you will find Hogwarts stationary and you can mail a letter from there, so you letter will have a Hogsmeade post mark. This is also were you can purchase your wand from Olivander’s or one of the hero wands.
Olivander’s
Olivander's is very small, but it is a perfect replica. It is magical. The show inside is very cute, but I think I expected more. The kids next to me, however, were eating it up.
This will be the second longest line after Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. The show is about 5 minutes long and then you exit into the Owl post, where you can buy your wand. However, it was so crowded in there and even with the assistant wand maker's help I couldn't find the right wand and it was too crowded for me to really look at the selection let alone move.
Tomorrow, I will talk about the food and the attractions. So stay tuned!!!
I will be going in to details and there will be spoilers. I will give a spoiler warning before I write about the actual Forbidden Journey ride, but otherwise than that consider yourself warned.
Atmosphere
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter shows the world that Universal Creative can work just as much magic as Imagineering.
It really feels like you are in the movie. Now, I don’t know if Universal made this point clear enough. They are replicating the movies, not the books. So if you think something doesn’t mention the description in the book, then you are right, because it matches the movies. But this isn’t really too much of a concern, because JKR had a large part in design of the movies and in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
I could have spent hours browsing the windows of the shop, because each window has a magical effect. Yes, the owls in the Owlry looked very fake, but do you really want real owls sitting over your head? The details are amazing and nothing should be overlooked. For example, you have to make sure you plan a trip to the bathroom, because Moaning Myrtle is in there. The ATM says Gringotts Bank. It is incredible.
The Shops
The shop like their exterior are highly detailed and if you don’t geek out in Honeyduke’s or Zonko’s something is wrong with you. However, they are very small, because they replicating the movie, which is great, but this is an theme park in Orlando not a movie set and you are expecting tens of thousands of people a day for the first year or more, it will become a claustrophobic nightmare. Get your merchandise early and utilize package pick-up, especially if you get a wand, because they do not fit in the lockers.
I will go into more detail about Honeyduke’s in the food section. I will tell you that you can purchase almost every food item you read about in the Potter universe and get a Wizard card!
Zonko’s was cute, but very small. Don’t forget to look up to find the extendable ears. It will be hard to resist buying a Pygmy Puff. I am still regretting my decision to walk away. It is super cute. They sell Zonko’s related merchandise in addition to all the sneakoscopes and shrunken heads.
In Dervish and Banges, you will find floating brooms and a snarling Book of Monsters in a cage. Here they sell a lot of quidditch merchandise, Quibbler glasses, and everything on your Hogwarts school supply list, including a cauldron.
In the Owl Post, you will find Hogwarts stationary and you can mail a letter from there, so you letter will have a Hogsmeade post mark. This is also were you can purchase your wand from Olivander’s or one of the hero wands.
Olivander’s
Olivander's is very small, but it is a perfect replica. It is magical. The show inside is very cute, but I think I expected more. The kids next to me, however, were eating it up.
This will be the second longest line after Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. The show is about 5 minutes long and then you exit into the Owl post, where you can buy your wand. However, it was so crowded in there and even with the assistant wand maker's help I couldn't find the right wand and it was too crowded for me to really look at the selection let alone move.
Tomorrow, I will talk about the food and the attractions. So stay tuned!!!
