Oh it's been a while! I have just started rereading the Harry Potter series and am so inspired to revisit and reflect on my incredible trip to Universal Studios in Florida this January. Major Bucket List item crossed off! It's every Harry Potter nerd's dream to make it to Hogwarts in Florida, and it did not disappoint.

Let me start by talking about the rides. There are three rides within the Harry Potter World and hands down, Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts is the best ride I've been on in my life. EVER.  The moment we got off the ride we ran back up the Single Rider queue faster than you can say Quidditch. The details put into both Gringotts and Hogwarts is next level. It was also astounding to see how much space is dedicated to the queue lines - thankfully we were visiting during off season and walked straight onto the rides, but it must get crazy busy during peak season! On our way through to the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride, we practically walked 5 miles through the castle to get to the ride. Imagine waiting in a queue that long? Not going to lie, for Harry I would do it.

The other Harry Potter ride was the Dragon Challenge Roller Coaster where you had a choice between riding the Hungarian Horntail or Chinese Fireball. Naturally we rode them both!

The Harry Potter Wizarding World is located within Universal Studios in Florida. There are two parts to the World; Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade. Universal is super cheeky and have built each part within the separate worlds of Universal Studios, meaning you have to pay to visit 2 parks to see all of the Harry Potter World. Cheeky bastards! They know us Harry Potter fans will part with our cold hard cash to see both.

My friend Mark recommended we start at Diagon Alley before taking the Hogwarts Express over to the other side of the park to Hogsmeade. It was the best recommendation ever, getting off the train and stepping out in front of Hogwarts is magical. The train is a ride within itself, featuring a screen in the window that moves like we're speeding past country side on the way to Hogwarts. So good!

So I spent a small fortune in Hogsmeade. I was determined to get myself a wand at Ollivanders and I have no regrets spending the equivalent of 5 hours of work on what is essentially a piece of wood in a box. (Pffft, I bought a wand! A real wand! With a skull on the end! Yes, it's a Death Eaters wand.)  I also spent extra on the more expensive wand so I could get an official Ollivanders bag. THAT'S WHAT A TRUE FAN WOULD DO.

I also picked up a Ravenclaw Quidditch Team badge, Bertie's Botts Every Flavored Beans, Butterbeer Fudge and a Chocolate Frog. I really wanted wizard robes but decided not to part with the $100USD for them. REGRET. That's what credit cards are for am I right??

We had lunch at the Leaky Cauldron and ended the day with Butterbeer slushies watching the sunset over Hogwarts. This was one of the most magical days of my life, and I cannot wait to go back!

As a full blown Potter nerd for the past 15 years I was counting down the days, hours then minutes until we got to the Warner Bros Studio for The Making Of Harry Potter tour. What an awesome experience to see complete movie sets, wigs, costumes and props from the filming of the Harry Potter movies. I won’t lie, I might have teared up a wee bit while in the Great Hall I WAS THAT EXCITED. It was like stepping into a Potter dream with all the Wizarding World around me!
I spent a good 3 hours wandering around the studios, taking in all the sets from the Cupboard Under the Stairs, to Potions Class and the Gryffindor Common Room and the incredible life-size Diagon Alley.
Going through the art department was a treat, seeing the technology behind the creatures and how the sets were planned. Some of my favourite pieces were the scale replicas of Hogwarts and Hogsmeade made of paper.
I was a little sad to leave the magical world behind and enter the real world but thankfully there is a massive gift shop at the end where I spent all my pounds on Ravenclaw goodies.

One of my first weekends in Edinburgh was spent on the Potter Trail, a free walking tour discovering J.K.Rowling’s inspirations for Harry Potter around the city. About 30 or so Potter fans were hanging outside Greyfriars Bobby, waiting for our guide to show up. A man in a cloak with spiky red hair and a bag full of wands approached and our tour began! We headed first to the Greyfriars Cemetery and discovered the graves for the inspiration behind Professor McGonagall and Tom Riddle. Someone asked around whether Sirius Black was in the cemetery as well, and our Wizard guide mentioned they had searched through the entire graveyard looking for this inspiration but came up with nothing.

We walked past the Elephant House where some of the book was written. They do claim to be the birthplace of Harry Potter and they MILKING IT for what it’s worth! There was a line out the door, people taking pics of themselves in front of the Harry Potter sign. Talk about a money maker.

We ended at Victoria Street, supposedly the real life Diagon Alley. I won’t lie, I was slightly disappointed as I was maybe, just a little, hoping for an Owl Emporium or Gringotts at the end of the street.  Nevertheless, this was a great way to spend an afternoon in Edinburgh!