Feel free to be aware of how much I say 'cool', 'neat' and 'awesome' in this blog.
I liked Harry Potter World. I liked walking under the gates into Hogsmeade, with the Hogwarts Express right there and the snow covered village all sparkly (and boiling hot and filled with Muggles). I liked seeing the Hog's Head and the Three Broomsticks and, best of all, the Hogwarts castle.
It was pretty freaking cool. Breaking it down...
Architecture and buildings: It looks really sweet. Apart from the fact that the fake snow (really? It's Florida.) and the fact that when you actually go up and touch it, it feels like plastic, it's completely believable. They put a lot of effort into the store displays and building decor and it turned out well. So as long as you don't physically touch it, you can keep up with the illusion that it's been around for hundreds of years.
Food: I didn't actually eat anything there because the line ups were ridiculous and they didn't actually have themed food* but I did get a butterbeer. How could I not, really? I can pretty much say that I didn't that beverage. It wasn't disgusting and it was kind of like a weird root beer float but I don't think I'll ever get another one. I'm glad I did, though. I also got a pumpkin juice, even though it was overpriced, but I haven't opened it yet because I plan to take it home to my family.**
Rides: The line ups were better on some than others, but, in general, I would say the rides were good. The main ride, which is called The Forbidden Journey, was an hour wait but mostly worth it. They have you walk through the castle and you get to see a bunch of cool replicas (like the door to Dumbledore's office! So sweet. Plus all the portraits that move.). Then for the actual ride, you sit in a seat with shoulder straps and they take you through a mixture of a 3D looking movie, freaky spiders than descend and spit on you and creepy Dementors/wind machines. It's actually kind of scary.
The other rides were nice. The Hippogriff one was a long wait for a short, somewhat boring ride. The dragon one was fast, loopy and scary. And that was basically it.
Shops: Unfortunately, I only went into Honeydukes and Zonko's. The line for Ollivander's was the longest and completely in the sun so we didn't go there, not that I really wanted a wand. As cool as it would be, I don't know if I want an expensive souvenir sitting around my room for the rest of my life. There was also the post office but again, that had a long line standing in the sun. I did buy some postcards from the cart outside. So we went into Honeydukes where there was all the candy, overpriced but neat. And then to Zonko's which was less cool and just had a couple of things from the books and then some yo-yos and slinkies.
All in all, it was nice. I wasn't dying to go when I heard about it, but I'm glad I got the chance. It wasn't exactly what I expected and I wish it was a whole lot bigger but it's good for what it is. And the idea is a nice one, but the money grabbing aspect will always bug me. Anyway, if you don't get to go, I will say that it's not a huge deal. I mean, it's cool being there but it didn't change anything for me and I wasn't exactly blown away. (Though maybe if I wasn't such a cynic I would have been.)
I gotta go. The cruise starts tomorrow. So we'll see if there's internet at all. If not, I'll see you next Sunday. Not literally see you, but... you know.
*It was basically the same things you find in the other restaurants, only you get to sit in The Three Broomsticks.
**Because I'm the awesomest, nicest sister/daughter in the world.
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