Harry Potter World was the center of our visit so we headed to Hogsmeade when we first arrived at IOA. It was a Monday so the park wasn't too crowded but it was definitely busier in the HPW sections of both parks. We went to the Three Broomsticks to eat and of course to try a Butter Beer! The Butter Beer reminded me a lot of cream soda. It was good but not something I wanted more than one of.
Next stop was Olivanders, my boyfriend wanted to get one of the interactive wands that could be used to perform spells throughout HPW. They only let a small number of people into the shop at a time, about 15-20. They go through a small skit and then you are taken to the shop to choose from souvenirs and of course wands. A non interactive wand cost about $40 while an interactive one cost $50.How do you tell the difference in the shop? Wands with the gold label (see below) are interactive wands. You can select from a variety of characters wands, each coming in interactive and non interactive. Each interactive wand comes with a map showing the spell locations throughout both Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley.
Follow the map to areas on the ground (mostly in front of shop windows) with gold letters and numbers as seen below. You wave your wand following the spell and usually something in the window moves. For what it is worth, some (read most) of the spell areas were congested. It takes more than once and sometimes about 10 times before the spell you "cast" works. You have to be in just the right spot and follow the spell to the T. There were HPW cast members at most of these areas to help out with your technique but it was somewhat frustrating getting it exactly right. None of the spots do anything spectacular except for one in Diagon Alley in which your spell makes rain come out of an umbrella.
Wanting to get in line for the rides before the lines got really long we headed to the Forbidden Journey ride. Once you enter the castle there is an area for you to rent a locker for free until an extended period of time(these can be found throughout the park and were extremely beneficial). Once all bags and loose belongings are locked up you can proceed to the line area which weaves around the back of the castle and then into the castle. Once inside the castle, the line moves throughout different areas which are sections you would recognize from the book, including the famous moving/ talking portraits in the hallways. The way Universal does their themes for both parks is very well thought out and makes standing in line much more enjoyable.
The Forbidden Journey is a 4D experience which starts as soon as you hop on the moving sidewalk of sorts to hurriedly get to your seat (4 people per car). The ride whisks you along inside and along the outside of the castle as you follow the characters through different adventures. I do have to mention that some portions of the ride had me a little jumpy so keep that in mind if you have younger kids and maybe consider an alternative ride if you think it may freak them out. If alternate reality is hard for you to enjoy, I would also recommend skipping the ride. With that being said, it was one of my favorite rides in both parks as I prefer these type of rides to actual roller coasters.
After walking around the stores and doing some spells, we headed to the Dragon Challenge. This ride is not new to the park and used to be called the Dueling Dragons. I had rode this on my last visit and enjoyed it so we rode it again. The ride no longer races the red and blue dragon against each other. The ride was still fun, a little fast and a little high for me but I am no roller coaster fanatic.
We moved on throughout IOA later coming back to take the Hogswarts Express over to Diagon Alley. Overall I liked Hogsmeade but it is very congested. There are some areas with carts, lots of people practicing their spells in front of shops and a lot of people stopping to take plenty of photos (like me). The decor is amazing and as mentioned early Universal does a great job of making the different park themes come to life.
