More Views of Harry Potter Land

Here's the last batch of pictures from our recent trip to Harry Potter land at Universal Orlando, Florida. Enjoy, Potterphiles!

The Hogwarts Express Train:

A few views of the castle:

Dumbledore's office, part of the castle ride's queue area:

The dragon skeleton hanging from the ceiling of the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, also part of the queue area inside the castle ride:

Mandrakes in the greenhouses outside the castle (securely locked up for visitor protection):

The Sorting Hat, the last feature seen in the queue area before arriving at the ride in the castle (it moves, talks, and gives you instructions on how to board the ride vehicle):

A street sign pointing the way to Hogsmeade:

 A view of Hogsmeade from Hogwarts' gates. (Note the boar statues at the entrance to the castle):

A close-up view of one of the buildings in Hogsmeade:

Back of the Three Broomsticks and Boar's Head Pub, with a good view of the crazy, crooked chimneys that dot the buildings in Hogsmeade:

This concludes our tour of Harry Potter land. There was SO much more that didn't make it into these pictures...but it'll have to wait for another trip!

Harry Potter Souvenirs

This, the latest of my posts about our recent trip to Harry Potter land at the Universal Orlando theme park, is devoted to my souvenir haul. The amount of amazing things for sale in the Potter shops was astounding; believe it or not, what's shown below is only a small sample:

These tiny bottles of Skele-Gro measure just 3 1/4 inches tall. (They were actually keychains.)

 The Monster Book of Monsters was tops on my Need-to-Get souvenir list, and it didn't disappoint. It rolls around, growls, bites, and snaps, just like the "real thing"!

There was a single-page edition of the Quibbler, complete with Spectrespecs, for sale in one of the shops:

Prefects and Department of Magical Law Enforcement officials could get new badges from a display at the end of the castle ride:

Soft and cuddly Pygmy Puffs are as irresistable in real life as they are in the books:

Much less cuddly was Mr. Filch's nemesis, the Fanged Flyer, complete with a Handler's Glove, on sale at Zonkos!

Of course, if you're using a Fanged Flyer, it's good to have an Extendable Ear nearby, in order to hear the outraged shouts of your intended victims, teachers, or mother:

The ear actually works; it has a microphone inside:









Another good item to have handy at all times is a Sneakoscope, which spins and flashes brilliantly at any nearby nefarious activity (or, when you install the batteries and give it a twirl):

No trip to Ollivander's would be complete without a beautifully boxed wand:

All that shopping tends to leave one famished. Good thing Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Chocolate Frogs, and bottles of Pumpkin Juice were readily obtainable:

More Pics From Harry Potter Land

As promised, here are some more pics from our vacation to Harry Potter Land (at Universal's theme park in Orlando, Florida):

The Owl Post storefront:

A Quidditch trunk (the Bludgers actually jump and strain at their chains, making a thumping sound that can be heard from across the street):

Flourish & Blotts bookshop window (the photographs of Gilderoy Lockhart move):

Chocolate Frogs in one of Honeydukes shop windows (the large box opens and the frog moves):

Puking Pastilles in another of Honeydukes windows (an animated display, the stream of purple "puke" continually flows):

 Clippy, the magical licorice dispenser inside Honeydukes:

 Extendable Ears on display in Zonko's window:

The scene inside Zonkos joke shop:

Harry Potter Land

Last week, we went on vacation, and our destination was the brand-new Harry Potter land at Universal Studios Florida. My family had to literally pull me out of there at the end of our visit as I cried, "Noooooooo....I don't wanna leeeeeeave!" Small children were looking at me askance, clearly shocked by my bad behavior. I didn't care: it was a spectacular place, quite literally looking and feeling as if we were in the Harry Potter movie world. (Just much hotter and more humid than I imagine Hogwarts' rumored Scottish location to be...)

We've got hundreds of photos to sort through still, but here's a few quick shots to start with:

Hogwarts Castle, with a signpost pointing the way to Hogsmeade. The castle was enormous, and the ride inside (not to mention the queue area for the ride, which winds through the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, Gryffindor Tower, and Dumbledore's office) was breathtaking.

Inside the castle, this was the main portrait gallery. It stretched for several floors overhead, and the paintings talked, moved, and conversed with each other just like in the films. It was amazing.

Outside the cauldron shop in the adjoining village of Hogsmeade.

The sign for Olivander's wand shop, with Hogsmeade buildings in the background. We waited an hour to get in the wand shop, where I gleefully bought a ridiculously overpriced souvenir wand (more on my souvenir haul in a bit), but it was still a fabulous experience.

Inside Olivander's wand shop: towering shelves jam-packed with teetering boxes.

Behind the bar at the Boar's Head, with Butterbeer on tap.  The boar periodically came to "life." Note the shrunken heads in the top left corner!

Naturally, I had to buy a lot of souvenirs at Harry Potter land. I need them for my job, of course. We throw huge HP parties at my library. Hmmm...maybe I can write off my purchases on my taxes???

What I Bought on My Vacation at Harry Potter Land:

a Monster Book of Monsters (it really works: snaps and bites and rolls around and growls!)

a wand (it doesn't really work, unfortunately...)

a Sneakoscope (lights up!)

Extendable Ears (they really work! they have a tiny microphone inside!)

a Fanged Flyer (came with a "handler's glove")

an edition of the Quibbler, complete with SpectreSpecs

a deluxe Chocolate Frog

a box of Bertie Botts' Every Flavor Beans (unopened)

a tiny bottle of Skelegro (empty)

two bars of Honeydukes chocolate

5 postcards

a sheet of actual Owl Post postage stamps

a stuffed Pygmy Puff (doesn't do anything; it's just cute)

a bottle of Pumpkin Juice

a box of Honeydukes salt water taffy (for everyone back at work)

We had to use an extra suitcase to get it all home.

More pictures to come: Honeydukes shop windows and interiors, more inside-the-castle views, and the Hogwarts Express train!