Snapshots of Hogsmeade
After reading all the books and watching all the films I anxiously awaited the opening of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios. Finally, the big day came and…I didn’t go. As much as I love me some Potter I really don’t like crowds. So I decided to wait until the furor died down and, last week, finally made my way to Hollywood…er…Hogsmeade.
Of course, I had to take my favorite Ravenclaw, my sister Shannon, and a couple of other friends came, too. Shannon and I arrived first and took a quick ride on Minion Mayhem (disappointing) and strolled through Springfield (fantastic). Soon our friends arrived and we eagerly made our way to Hogsmeade. They had visited before and were excited to see our reactions. Well…we were overjoyed! The Wizarding World of Harry Potter was everything I’d hoped it be and more. We skipped the rides but still ended up staying most of the day there just because it. is. so. cool.
As soon as we walked through the gates we came across the Hogwarts Express ready to transport the kids to school.
Across the way is Honeydukes filled with every sort of delight from Chocolate Frogs to Pumpkin Juice.
As much as I had a hankering for some Fudge Flies it was lunchtime so we made our way to the Three Broomsticks for a hearty lunch.
Three Broomsticks, wow! I felt like I was in one of the films.
The menu is standard British pub fare and I opted to try the Guinness Stew.
Used to mediocre amusement park food I was surprised to find it quite tasty. Of course, I couldn’t visit without getting a Butterbeer.
I opted for the frozen variety and was surprised at how much I liked it. So much so that I decided to have another later in the day. Well…maybe I was a bit too enthusiastic the first time around. It’s tasty but quite sweet and one is plenty.
After lunch we headed to Ollivanders to pick a wand. Or should I say “pick a wand” as I wasn’t about to spend $50 on one. Regardless, it was a delight to witness the wand ceremony and all the magic that went with it.
We spent the rest of the day wandering around Hogsmeade enjoying all the sites. We saw Harry and Ron’s car after its tangle with the Whomping Willow.
We came across the Monster Book of Monsters in Dervish and Bangs.
And we even caught a glimpse of the Owl Post.
Hogmeade was so wonderful and filled with such incredible detail that I couldn’t help but squeal with delight constantly. I’m sure I didn’t see everything which leaves me with a good excuse to return. I can’t wait!