The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Back in October, Christina and her coworker Amy,Matt,and I got a year ticket to Universal. We were able to show mail sent to our Vista Way address and get the FL resident discounted price. This is the first time that I went to Universal so I was pretty excited. We started our day at Universal Studios. The Mummy roller coaster was really unique. I didn't expect the fire inside which helped with the effect. I definitely recommend this. We went on a few more rides including Men in Black. We also saw a monster song and dance show which was well done. The San Francisco harbor front area was really pretty. Overall though I felt that the streets of the park were lacking in show compared to Disney World. It felt rather weird in a way NOT being Disney. Same goes for the employees. They were not as welcoming as my fellow cast members. Before leaving we met Dr. Brown from Back to the Future and he was just as crazy as the movie. 

Next we headed over to Islands of Adventure. The entrance area was really cool with an exotic travel feel. We quickly made our way to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter which was the highlight of the day. Our whole way there we were freaking out over the view of Hogwarts castle. After growing up with Harry Potter it was a dream come true to have the world of my favorite series come to life. We walked down the cobblestone street of Hogsmeade looking at each of the shop window displays. 

Zonko's was  a crowded little store full of tricks, joke toys, pygmy puffs, and the like. 

Honeydukes was very colorful inside filled with all sorts of wizard treats: chocolate frogs, lemon drops, Bertie Botts, candy quills, and many more. The Three Broomsticks had a cozy tavern feel inside. You could definitely understand why Harry and his friends would flock there during the winter.  
The other shops such selling wands, robes, books, and other merchandise were just as great. There was even a mandrake in one of the windows.

Our visit to Hogsmeade would not be complete without getting a mug of Butterbeer from one of the large red barrel carts. This comes in two varieties, regular and frozen, and comes with a type of butterscotch whipped cream on top. The frozen one was very delicious! They also sold Pumpkin juice which I plan on trying another visit.

Walking up to Hogwarts castle was unreal. The detail put into it was incredible. Unfortunately the ride was broken down and most likely would be for the rest of the day. Thankfully they let us walk through the fast past portion of the queue. The rounded staircase full of talking photos on the wall felt straight from the books. Next, we passed through a room with Dumbledore talking about a new Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher, and then a room with Harry, Ron, and Hermione talking about their plan to sneak us out of the castle to the quidditch pitch so we don't have to sit through the boring lecture. I definitely planned on coming back to experience the ride. Instead we rode the little Hippogryph roller coaster through the grounds of Hagrid's hut. 

Spending the afternoon at Hogsmeade was absolutely incredible!