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Review of
Islands of Adventure
The Wizarding World of
Harry Potter
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
was very authentic looking and the entire area is extremely
impressive to see. You absolutely feel like you are in a Harry
Potter Movie. It is however small which gives in charm but also
makes it extremely crowded. We went right to this area as
soon as the park opened to try and avoid some of the crowds. It is
not really an area for toddlers and I would say you would be safe to
make a judgment call by if your child is old enough to read and
understand the books they will enjoy this area of the park. The attractions
include: Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, Dragon Challenge
and Flight of Hippogriff.
Harry
Potter and the Forbidden Journey
This is an
awesome, intense ride where you will find yourself on a Quidditch
match with Harry and friends above Hogwarts
where you encounter dangers
along the way. It is located in the Hogwarts castle. If it is a busy day at the park you may want
to consider making this your first stop. The line can get long but
it is filled with special features like talking portraits to keep you
amused.
The movement on this ride is fast and your seat
shifts forward and
backward so you will hang on for dear life. The ride switches
between high resolution film of the movies and characters to live scenes
full of spiders and dragons that get very close to you. It also
features some special effects like air blasts, smoke and and water.
For the most part it is an awesome ride that you will talk about when it
is over. It was one of our favorite rides in the park. Hopefully
you can keep your eyes open to
see some of it. The height
restriction is 48 inches. 
Dragon Challenge
Dragon Challenge is an awesome high
speed roller coaster where you will ride either and an aggressive
Chinese Fireball or a ferocious Hungarian Horntail as it twists, loops
and nearly collides in the sky three times. You must be at least
54 inches to ride this coaster. My kids waited in line to get the
front seat on this ride and they totally enjoyed it.
Flight
of Hippogriff
This is a family friendly roller coaster where you must be 36
inches to ride.
 The shops in Potter
World are unique and quite authentic
but they are small and crowded so expect lines
to get into them. Be sure to pay attention to all of the detail in
this area from the buildings to the items in the store windows as you
walk around.
Dervish and Banges is home to magical items such
as Sneakoscopes, Spectrespecs, Omnioculars, Golden Snitches and the
Nimbus 2001.
Stop by Honeydukes for your favorite sweets: Acid
Pops, Caudron Cakes, Chocolate Frogs or a bag of Bertie Bott's every
Flavour Beans.
Ollivanders Shop is another
place to see for a unique interactive experience.
The line will be long but if you wait you can participate in a fun
experience
where you will see a wand choose a wizard.
You can purchase a customized, pricey wand of your own if desired.
You will find the
Owlery, where owls roost and await their next delivery across from the
Three Broomsticks. You can get a letter
stamped with a Hogsmeade postmark and buy official Harry Potter World
stamps.
Most importantly be sure to get yourself a nice mug of Butterbeer.
There are vendors in the street that sell Butterbeer so it is a minimal
wait to get it. It is really amazing but quite sweet so I would
recommend that you share it.
If you plan to eat in this area then
visit The Three Broomsticks where you can enjoy English favorites like
fish and chips, turkey legs or Sheppard pie. A Kids menu is also
available. The staff is very entertaining and very much in character. At
the rear of The Three Broomsticks is Hogs Head pub where you can
purchase Butterbeer, Pumpkin juice or alcoholic beverages for the
adults.
Lastly, be sure to check out the
bathrooms for a ghostly experience. The one and only Moaning
Myrtle will be there to great you.
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