Thursday, August 25, 2016 – Believe it or not, we paid for passes to get into Universal Studios just to see the new Diagon Alley (from the Harry Potter movies) exhibit.

OMG it was worth it. They had all the streets, shops (at least the store fronts and real shops for some things) as they did in the movie. It was so very worth it. We couldn’t find the entrance at first and had to ask someone who worked there. He said, “Do you see that building that everyone seems to just disappear into the brick wall? I think you will find what you are looking for there.” You walk in and immediately see the Weasleys’ Wizard shop. It’s the Weasley twins magic shop from the movie. Here is a shot of the outside and one of the inside. On the inside you can purchase all sorts of goofy “wizard” tricks and toys. Wizard-born and Muggle-born Wizards are welcome.

Like I said, the shop was fun and filled with trick trinkets to play pranks on the unsuspecting.

In other shops that are not simply storefronts you can purchase snacks, drinks, toys, trinkets and the famous Butter Beer or Pumpkin Juice. We drank the Butter Beer (it sort of tasted like Cream Soda) and brought home the Pumpkin Juice.

The Gringotts Bank (remember from the movie where all the trolls were and Harry took that ride to get to his parent’s volt to get some money to pay for his school supplies?) was really a trip into Harry Potter world. Walking through the bank to the ride was exactly like the movie scene. When Harry asked, “Haggard, what are those things?” You totally feel like you are there.

It was really fun. The ride was a 3D – hologram – experience. Leading up to the ride is a blast, all the hallways, (fake) elevator rides, security checkpoints to get to the actual ride is an adventure in itself.  I won’t go into too much detail, but it is definitely worth waiting in line to get to and really there is entertainment all the way so even if it is an hour wait, it goes by really fast. In the photo below of an outside view of Diagon Alley, the building directly in front with the Dragon on the roof is Gringotts Bank.

The Wand Store had a waiting line, but like the Gingotts Bank it had some fun little rooms with scenes and performances to keep you entertained while you wait. I will not give you all the details of the wait, but it did involve some reenactment of scenes from the movie with tourist participation included. The guy below was awesome – he never spoke – sort of unnerving, but fun in a strange sort of way.

OK, yes I am a sap and I did purchase a (plastic) wand in the gift shop that I will never do anything with. Today I’m a tourist OK?!?

Remember the Knight Bus scene in the movie when Harry escaped from his muggle home and the Knight Bus, “emergency transport for stranded Witches and Wizards” picked him up? The driver was Ernie, Stan was the bell hop and I don’t know the name of the shrunken head with a Jamaican accent that did a lot of talking. Anyway I had my picture taken with Stan in front of the bus. This is outside of Diagon Alley (appropriately so).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FArmRa092H0 If you want to see the scene, this YouTube link will refresh your memory of the scene.

We ended our Universal tour with a trip to the Toothsome Chocolate Emporium. It is sort of a take-off of the Willy Wonka Chocolate Factory. Universal created a character, Professor Doctor Penelope Tibeaux-Tinker Toothsome of London, and her methods of infusing chocolate into extraordinary chocolate recipes. The Emporium is a chocolate shop, deli and restaurant and definitely a fun and literally “tasty” place to stop on your way out of the park. I didn’t buy any of them, but they did have Bacon and Beer flavored chocolate. (YUCK! I’ll stick with the chocolate flavor or maybe the coffee flavored chocolate.) Photo take from their website.

Professor Doctor Penelope Tibeaux-Tinker Toothsome must have lived in the industrial evolution era. The shop had merchandise for sale such as the normal t-shirts and all that, but also monocle eye pieces, top hats to match the era and chocolates in the shape of locks and keys. I did take a few photos of Tod modeling some of the merchandise.

This was the last stop at Universal. On to Port Charlotte, The Harbor House – Our Florida Home!

Not sure when or what the next post will be but until then, thanks for tagging along!