A Revival: The Wizarding World

My Birthday Celebration Vacation at the Wizarding World!
Dates: October 7-10, 2010

{Location: Universal Studios- Islands of Adventure in Orlando, Florida}
For my birthday back in 2010, my fellow muggles and I [and one who claims to be a wizard (ahem Charlene!)] flew across the country to celebrate! This trip was no easy task...we (me, Charlene, Enrique, my cousin Alee and my good friend Jen) all decided early on in the year to save up money for a trip out to Orlando- just for the Wizarding World at Islands of Adventure! In case you haven't noticed, I am an AVID Harry Potter fan! I love all the movies (I buy my movie tickets 2 months in advance for premieres). I love the books even more (been reading and following them since 2001). I love quoting Albus Dumbledore. I love using spells in my daily speech. I have a bookshelf especially for Harry Potter memorabilia. You get the idea!

So this trip was a total dream come true for me (and I'm sure it was for the others too)! Again, I took SO many pictures, and although I want to put all of them up on here...I won't. It would be too long of a post. I will however put up all the pictures that I feel showcase the awesomeness of my trip (which, probably will be most of them anyway)! Hahaha! Oh well...here we go!

Up bright and early, we were at the park entrance 15 minutes before it even opened. We heard that the Forbidden Journey ride was THE ride to go on first, because the line just gets longer and longer as the day goes on. So we ran (some of us briskly walked) to get there...but as we took that first step into the Wizarding World, we were just in awe of everything. Alee had to snap us out of it and physically pull our arms to keep going towards Hogwarts Castle where the Forbidden Journey ride was located in. I believe her words were, "You guys! Come on, we can come back and stare with our mouths open later after the ride!"

Best part of waiting in line to get on the ride? Everything! The line itself took you through Hogwarts Castle. It was SO beautiful and every detail from the book/movie was included. We took more pictures of the inside of the castle on the second day of our vacation, so I'll post those up later (I'm trying to go in chronological order here).

{Love}
The green house and of course, the potted Mandrakes! I only wish we saw Madame Pomfrey :)

Can I just say...Forbidden Journey was hands down THE BEST RIDE THERE! Well, it was my first ever 4D ride...but still! It had all the elements that generated pure fun, thrill and excitement! I want to add in scary too, because daaamn....those dementors ARE scary!

{Side Note}
Here we are after the Forbidden Journey ride, exhilarated and sweaty....because we ran to get in line and even though it was only 9 or 10 in the morning, Orlando weather was already at 78 degrees.

On our way out of the castle, we browsed inside Filch's Emporium (the ride exit into the store). Jen hung out with Faux...

...and I bought my very own Hedwig! 

Afterwards, we headed into Hogsmeade and got in line for some of that infamous BUTTERBEER!

{Love}
Jen & I standing in front of our dream school!

Yes, we are proud to wear our butterbeer 'staches!

{Love}
Butterscotchy-ness galore!

{Ollivanders}
After our butterbeer high, we headed over to get in line for Ollivanders. I was super excited to see the interactive show!

So...the show started and Ollivander came walking down the stairs searching for a volunteer. Whaddya know? He made a beeline straight for my sister (ahem, I guess the full Gryffindor gear scored brownie points here)! Hahaha! She was the lucky chosen one to be part of the interactive show! It was a short show, about 15 minutes long, but so cool! It was just like the scene in HP & the SS, where Harry got his wand for the very first time. At the end of the show, Ollivander gave Charlene THE wand. This was hers to purchase if she wanted to get it.

{Love}
Yay, a photo op! My only consolation was to take this souvenir photo with Mr. Ollivander himself...womp womp. Hahaha :)

Little did I know...Charlene gave me THE wand that was used in the show! Woohoo! I was a happy camper! When the show was done, we were directed into Dervish and Banges (the two buildings were connected). Each one of us bought our wands there!

{Love}
Gryffindor House! Of course!

{In the Owlery}

{Hogwarts Express}
The Train Conductor wanted in on our photo op. I forget why we posed that way with him...hmm...

{The Three Broomsticks}
Lunch? Well, where else other than at the Three Broomsticks!

Funny story...as we were in line giving our lunch orders, Charlene asked the cashier for a coke. The cashier replied in her impeccable English accent, "Sorry? What is coke?" Hahaha! They don't serve coke in the Wizarding World...or any other soda for that matter! It doesn't exist here. Charlene's face was priceless ;)

So...CHEERS to BUTTERBEER...again!

After lunch, we headed for the Triwizard Tournament Show. The ladies from Beauxbatons danced a lovely ribbon dance and the fellas from Durmstrang displayed some awesome acrobatic stunts...with their sticks or staffs or whatever they are.

{Love}
Our photo op with them! Hahaha...Charlene looks like she's one of the them :)

{Hogsmeade/Diagon Alley}
We went back down Hogsmeade/Diagon Alley to explore the other places there. I saw this display from Gladrags- and I found out that the dress/dress robes in the display were actually the ones that were used in the movie! Pretty cool :)

{Zonkos}

{Honeydukes}

{Hagrid's Hut}
We passed by Hagrid's Hut while we were in line for the Flight of the Hippogriff. It was a mini roller coaster ride- not scary at all, but still fun!

{Love}
We found Buckbeak!

After Flight of the Hippogriff, we went on the huge Dueling Dragons roller coaster. Now THIS was a roller coaster! It had two sets of coasters that "dueled" against each other in a race. Scariest moment? Well...at one point during the ride, we were forced to look downwards. At that moment, we could totally see the other set of people in the other coaster swish by right below us. It looked as if they were coming right at us, and we were about to face off and crash. Thrill ride to the extreme! Loved it. Afterwards, Charlene, Enrique and Alee needed a quick breather and took a rest in the Owlery. Jen and I went back to Filch's Emporium to buy another souvenir. On our way back to the Owlery, we saw the Frog Choir Show going on and stopped by to check it out. We caught the last 5 minutes of it, but we were first in line for photo ops! Woohoo!

We were nearing the end of our first day at the Wizarding World.

...and what a wonderful way to end the day with this photo op of Hogwarts Castle in the background :)

{Day 2}
Back for another awesome day! Of course, we HAD to ride Forbidden Journey again! This time we were ready with our cameras (it's required to put your stuff in lockers before entering the line, and on the first day we thought we couldn't bring in cameras...but you can!).

{Love}
Pensieve!

Apparently, this ride had a photo op in it...how funny that it took our picture right at the moment I closed my eyes with my hand...AND Charlene too! HAHAHA! I know exactly which part of the ride this was taken! I only covered my eyes once during this ride....it was when the Dementors were THISCLOSE to my face.

{Love}
Our wands.

{Side Note}
Next trip...Leavesden Studios in London to see the actual Harry Potter movie sets! Someday...

[I Don't Ever Want To Leave This Place Sigh]