A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to travel with my daughter Liz, son-in-law Peter, and granddaughter Adeline to Universal Studios in Florida. This trip was a combination Christmas and birthday present for a delighted Adeline.

The main purpose of the trip was to revisit Harry Potter World at Universal. Adeline has read and reread the Potter books, and she is a steadfast fan of the boy wizard.

One year ago, Liz and Peter took her there, and she pronounced it, “the best four days of my life.” With such a glowing review, they were bound to return.

Universal has done Harry up right, with Diagon Alley and Kings Cross Station, complete with a train at Platform 9 ¾ that takes you to Hogsmeade Station near Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. It’s all quite amazing.

Liz is a pro at finding the best deals for travel, and she did not fail us here. She determined that if we stayed on-site at Universal (it was off-season), we would get our rooms along with Speed Passes for less than the cost of the Speed Passes alone. 

I well remember waiting in interminable lines at Disney World when taking my kids there in the late 1980’s.  We’d go in the summer, so it was hot and horrible. Speed passes didn’t exist back then, so all suffered together.

Now we were entertained by the incredible sets and special effects in Harry Potter World as we waited in shorter lines. 

Our first ride was Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, and it was a doozy. I was not a fan on my first time through, but remembering that I hadn’t been on a thrill ride for roughly 20 years, I decided to give it another try, and it quickly became my favorite.  You sit either on Hagrid’s motorbike or in the sidecar as you travel on this steel roller coaster, fall backward, down, and then speed through the magical neighborhoods near Hogwarts. It is a blast, and based on the lines waiting for it, is everyone’s best-loved ride. I’d give it 5 stars.

The Flight of the Hippogriff is a tamer roller coaster that I liked. It’s a short ride and perfect for the younger set. Remember to bow to the Hippogriff! 3 stars. 

The third ride we tried was Escape from Hogwarts and this was a real doozy. You are enclosed in what looks like a choir stall and then thrown around—left, right, up and down—as you zoom with Harry playing Quidditch all over God’s green earth.  I tried, but I got motion sickness from this one. If you can stomach it, it’s 4 stars. I, on the other hand, give it 1 green frownie face. 

We rode the Hogwart’s Express back to “London” where we found our way to Diagon Alley, the secret street where student wizards get their school supplies. A wand “selected” Adeline at the Wand Shop, and we had delicious English Pub fare at the Leaky Cauldron. Don’t miss Fortescue’s Ice Cream Parlor.  The lines are long, but the ice cream is exceptional.

Then it was on to the Escape from Gringotts ride, which was a blast. Goblins run Gringotts Bank and have a vast underground network that they travel in mine cars.  You are clamped into your seat on this ride, and once you start rocking and rolling to escape Bellatrix Lestrange and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, it’s a race to the finish and so much fun. This was another 5-star ride for me. Universal has done Harry proud.