Okay, I admit I didn’t exactly fly to Hogwarts; I took the Amtrak train to Universal Studios in Orlando, FL because I received the opportunity to attend the Grand Opening of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Yea, me! Personally, it was like a dream happening to someone else. Anyway…aside from the big day, I also received the opportunity to attend the Wednesday evening Red Carpet premiere which was covered by Dijares here (but she “stole” my photos of the Harry Potter cast and J.K. Rowling herself. Just kidding! I couldn’t wait to share them with her!)
I was lucky enough to stay at the Loews Royal Pacific Resort, one of the on-site resorts at Universal Studios. The staff was pleasant and willing to do anything they could to resolve any problems during my stay. And there had been a couple of minor ones which were beyond their control, but yet resolved without the slightest bit of irritation from anyone, including myself. I loved the view of the parks and the water taxi route in my room.
One of the greatest benefits of staying at the resort was access to the Express lines for some of the attractions in the parks. That really did save a lot of time for me, especially since I had a red carpet event to attend with a couple of our friends from Feltbeats.com who were gracious and hospitable during my stay by making sure I didn’t feel lonely while Dijares attended the events exclusively for the press which she shares here and here and here. Thanks, Feltbeats! I also had the privilege of meeting Melissa from The Leaky Cauldron, Andrew from MuggleNet, Jeffrey and Jeremy from HPANA who were also welcoming and tolerated my Harry Potter questions I had for them while they were trying to eat lunch. Lolol! Thanks, guys! But the best meeting was meeting Dijares herself face to face!
Now I admit my coverage of the red carpet event may not be as exciting and glamorous as the coverage here and here by Dijares or the rest of the media; but it was still just as exciting and sometimes funny for myself as well as the fans around me. For example, Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy) escorted his girlfriend Jade to the event. As he stopped to sign autographs, she continued to walk ahead with his security people. I took a picture of her; but it came out as a blur, although you could still see a hand on the bottom corner holding out a pen awaiting Tom Felton’s autograph. Now when I show the picture to friends, I tell them the blur is Jade. Then, there was the moment when Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) appeared. Everyone cheered and Grint’s responding smile seemed to light up the area better than the colored lights above us. Michael Gambon’s (Dumbledore) smile also seemed to brighten the area as he approached us. It made me wish he had time to tell us one of his funny stories. Warwick Davis (Flitwick, Griphook) was actually the first one to appear from the Harry Potter cast and generous enough to stop for autographs.
Yet when Dan Radcliffe (Harry Potter) appeared, the mood became intense with anticipation as everyone wanted his autograph and picture. Even the little girl in front of me persistently asked for his signature in her new Hogwarts journal while he was giving his autograph to someone else. But Radcliffe pleasantly assured her that he would sign her book. That seemed to calm everyone else, too which made the event fun and exciting again. It was wonderful to see how nice and gracious young men Felton, Grint, and Radcliffe have become in the past ten years.
As for the Grand Opening itself, stay tuned for Dijares’ coverage because I was too far back to see all the details. Lolol. But I was able to see the Hogsmeade sign, the Hogwarts train, and the tall Phelps’ twins. Lolol. And I was among one of the first groups to enter The Wizarding World of Harry Potter! It was a bit overwhelming because there were quite a few camera crews watching us enter. There were too many park employees and technical equipment for me to feel as if I were really in Hogsmeade. But I knew the magic was there in the details of the construction, so I fell out of the line which was heading for the Forbidden Journey ride at Hogwarts to look at the window displays and took these pictures. Click here to see them. My favorite one I took is the little boy with his wand looking at the Sirius Black wanted poster.
The line to Ollivander’s was second in length to the one for The Forbidden Journey ride. So, I managed to enter The Hog’s Head and order a frozen butterbeer–yes, frozen (recommended by the friendly staff at Universal)– before the place became busy. The taste reminded me of the butter rum hard candies I had when I was a little girl. Sitting in a booth and drinking my butterbeer (which you can see here) is when I really felt I was in Harry Potter’s world. It was cool and comfortable enough for me to feel I could sit there all day. But I had a train to catch to take me back home. I wasn’t sure I would have time for The Forbidden Journey ride, considering the length of the line, until I encountered one of my Feltbeat friends who told me the line moves quickly. I decided to give it a try since I didn’t know when I will have another chance to take the ride.
Although the line did move quickly, it still took awhile due to the amount of people in the line and the number of upward ramps I had to walk. There were fans closer to the inside entrance of the ride to make the wait more comfortable. My eyes adjusting from light to dark made a bit difficult to see details of the statue at the entrance. Comments from people in line made it hard to hear everything the people in the paintings were saying. The pace of the line caused me to miss parts of Dumbledore’s and the trio’s narratives.
But the ride itself was amazing! Talk about virtual reality! Dijares warned me how the ride moves, so it was easy to go with the flow. I was surprised to see Harry similar to the way he appears in the commercial for the theme park. To imagine that I really was riding high and low, watching out for spiders and dementors as well as playing in a Quidditch match, on a broom made the ride wonderful for me. It was another experience that made me feel like I really was in Harry’s world.
Thanks to Everyone who made that happen!
Though the new addition to 
While at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, we had asked on numerous occasions whether those who couldn’t make it to the Islands of Adventure at Universal Studios Orlando to visit the theme park would be able to purchase the merchandise online. Well, it looks like much of what is found in the shops is now on Universal’s website. The merchandise comes straight from Dervish and Banges, Filch’s Emporium, Ollivanders, and the Owl Post. Unfortunately they’re unable to send the butter beer or pumpkin juice, but you can definitely get your robes or wands! Check out all the goodies 
Before the release of the 
Wired magazine have a great article that shows photos of some of the great Easter eggs you’ll find at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The photos include explanations on what the item is, where it was found in the books, and where it is found in the park. To name just a few, the article includes the Monster Book of Monsters, Skele-gro, extendable ears, and more! Check out the article 
NBC’s Today Show 
