The Wizarding World of Harry Potter: A Fantasy Trip No Fan Should Miss

I know what you're thinking:

"It's just another way for J. K. Rowling to make money. And let's face it, she really doesn't need any more."

Stop thinking that. Because I'm about to introduce you to the best thing to happen to literature since Edward George Bulwer-Lytton stopped writing.

Last weekend I had the thrill of visiting The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal's Islands of Adventure theme park for the first time (and second, and third). I'd heard the hype, and was very excited to experience it for myself—though I admit the high price for even a one-day ticket, not to mention a three-day park-to-park ticket, was daunting. Still, an avid Harry Potter fan, I kept telling myself it would be worth it.

And the park didn't disappoint.

To get there from the park entrance you must first pass through two other "islands": Seuss Landing and The Lost Continent. As I was visiting the park with some family, two of whom were eight-year-old girls, we were temporarily distracted by photo ops with the Cat in the Hat and the Grinch; but soon we left the Lorax and the primeval rock carvings behind and passed through a tall iron gate into The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

It's a trip.

The first thing we laid eyes on, other than the sea of people, was a life-size replica of the Hogwarts Express, pulled into the station at Hogsmeade. A smiling conductor was stationed in front for photos, and luggage was piled on the platform beside the train.

Past the train station, we entered Hogsmeade. The cobblestone streets wind between crooked stone buildings all built to look just like the old construction of centuries-old English towns. They're tall, narrow, and tilting slightly forward, their chimneys bent in places to look just like the eccentric village near Hogwarts.

Now, there is some mixing between locations that are supposed to be in London versus Hogsmeade, but overall the feel is the same.

As we picked our way through the mass of humanity thronging in the streets, the first shops we encountered were Zonko's and Honeydukes. Further down the road and around the corner were The Three Broomsticks, the Hog's Head, Dervish & Banges, Ollivander's, and Owl Post, plus many storefronts there "just for show." In the windows were displayed such wares as the shops offer, including wands, time-turners, chocolate frogs, items from Fred and George's "Skiving Snackbox," Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, house scarves and robes, parchment, quills, and all manner of things Harry Potter. Even the false storefronts contained objects of interest; the potions shop window's screaming mandrake, for example, or the tailor's windows' self-propelled measuring tapes fitting and re-fitting Harry's and Hermione's Yule Ball finery.

No detail was overlooked, no nuance missed. The design of the whole place was authentic, down to the moving owls in the rafters and "dripping" icicles off the eaves (in 80-degree weather, no less).

Inside the buildings, we quickly ran into the only real problem with the park: the buildings are realistically SMALL. If you've been in shops in England or other countries where much of the infrastructure predates modern architectural practices, you know how little elbow room there is. The shops in Hogsmeade follow that pattern exactly. While the crowded-ness was, for me, a big part of the thrill—after all, the wizarding village was no different from anywhere else in the UK—there were one or two in our party whose claustrophobia forced them back outside. If you can brave it, though, it's entirely worth it.

Of course, the big draw to the park is the rides. There are three in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Dragon Challenge, a high-speed, dual-track roller coaster; Flight of the Hippogriff, a family-friendly roller coaster with views of Hagrid's Hut and Buckbeak; and Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, a unique ride that combines virtual reality with actual movement to simulate flying through Hogwarts and around the castle grounds, evading dementors, giant spiders, dragons, and the usual dangers of a Quidditch match.

(That last one is, by far, the coolest theme-park ride I've ever had the privilege of experiencing.)

The beauty of the rides is that even the time spent in line waiting is an adventure, as the lines snake through Hogwarts castle and grounds and give you glimpses into Dumbledore's office, classrooms, halls of (moving!) portraits, the greenhouse, and more.

Oh! But I haven't even mentioned Hogwarts castle yet. Ironic, because it looms over everything in the park, and can be seen from quite a distance away. To put it lightly, Hogwarts is astounding in its size, accuracy, and presence. While the only way to get "inside" is to get on the Forbidden Journey ride, just looking at the outside you can't help but feel that at any moment Professor McGonagall is going to step out to see students off to Hogsmeade, or a flock of owls is suddenly going to fly in with the morning mail. It's truly amazing.

One of the experiences I most looked forward to was trying the butterbeer, which is sold from bright-red painted carts along the streets. Available cold or frozen, the sweet, frothy beverage was everything we hoped it would be. (I preferred frozen, but both were good.) One was certainly enough for two people, so we all shared; like anything else in the park, it's not cheap, but not unreasonable, especially if you split them.

• Unless you're dying to go through the wand-selection process, avoid Ollivander's. The line for that shop, which only admits a couple of people at a time, was longer than the lines for some of the rides—and as far as I could tell, moved more slowly. Wands are available at Owl Post and several other locations without any waiting necessary, if you really want one. But you don't have to waste time that could be spent in a ride line just to get a wand you can't put in your carry-on bag.
• Go with kids. As much as your observant grown-up eyes will appreciate the little details that make the whole experience authentic, you can't fully enjoy a visit without the wonder and excitement that kids bring.
• Make sure the people you go with are as all in as you are, ready to fully enter into the fantasy experience. If your companions are only halfway interested, they should probably be sent to other areas of the park so you can enjoy yourself fully. After all, you've spent all that money; if you want to spend a day living in a different world, you should.
• If possible, go for more than one day. You don't need a park-to-park ticket unless the Jaws and Twister rides (in Universal Studios, not Islands of Adventure) are something you're dead-set on doing; there's plenty to do in Islands of Adventure. Having multiple days, though, allows you to see everything, get on your favorite rides more than once, and spend some time thinking about whether you really need that particular souvenir or not. You can relax and enjoy more. Besides, you'll have that many more opportunities to enjoy the butterbeer!
• Wear comfortable shoes!

If you're a hard-core Harry Potter fan, Universal's The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Islands of Adventure is a don't-miss attraction. Take a break from real life and indulge in the fantasy of being a Hogwarts student, complete with every detail. Be ready to sample the fare, challenge the dragons, and come away with an unforgettable experience (and maybe a few wizardy souvenirs).

I admit—I bought a time-turner, and a very nice one at that. Now if I could only get it to work, I'd go back and do it all over again . . .