Up to no good

Oh, how to put into words the experience that is The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. I mean, I can show you all the pictures and tell you about all the details down to Moaning Myrtle in the bathrooms and moving photos in The Daily Prophet. Pretty much it was like we were in Hogwarts. Just picture yourself there. And that's what it was like. And the Butterbeer! Oh, the Butterbeer! Creamy, foamy, bubbly, delicious, perfect Butterbeer. If I were the chemist who perfected that one, I would retire, because, seriously, what career move is going to top that one?

Heaven in a glass!

Okay, so I really could blog every detail and love it, but that would bore you (or maybe not, if you're a true Potter fan), but I'll settle for some highlights, and then I can get some real work done.

1. Hogwarts. If you're like me and have already read up all there is to read about the park, you know that the whole line for Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey (Ride #1) is an experience in itself. You walk through all the areas of Hogwarts, from the Herbology greenhouse to the Gryffindor Common Room, from the Great Hall to Dumbledore's office, and the details are just fantastic. The moving portraits are by far one of the greatest achievements of the designers, because they look like portraits, not screens, until they start moving. Because there was no line (not complaining) since we went first thing in the morning, we moved a little fast through everything, and probably could have gone through a second time and still not seen everything, but overall, awesomeness.

Welcome to Hogwarts

2. The storefronts. Again, the attention to detail was amazing. While waiting to go into Ollivander's, you walk past rumbling bludgers trying to get out of the Quidditch crate, stacks of Gilderoy Lockhart's books with him waving from the cover, screaming mandrakes, storefront dress robes on floating mannikins, etc.

3. The Dragon Challenge. A ride VERY well done. Again, the details while you go through line, through the Champion's Tent, past the crates with the dragons in them--awesome. Then you pick your dragon--Hungarian Horntail or Chinese Fireball (we went with the latter). You are suspended from the top with the track above you, which allows for a very unique ride, and then the dragons depart at the same time--released to fight each other--and spend the ride twisting, flipping, and flying straight at each other before veering upwards in a loop. I think I screamed the whole way. And maybe drooled on myself a little. At any rate, I couldn't even walk straight when we got off, had to grip the wall for several steps.

4. The FOOD. Okay, really the highlight of everything. I mean, see above for the Butterbeer description. But also, all the sweets at Honeydukes--treacle fudge (really unique taste), cauldron cakes (Mary said it was awesome), chocolate frogs, ton tongue toffee, pumpkin juice. Plus the Three Broomsticks fare of turkey legs, cornish pasties, roasted corn, Hog's Head Brew, chocolate trifle--holy cow, I'm full again just thinking about it. Yum.

All aboard!

So yeah, that was The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. I'll try to find time soon to fill you in on Day 2: Epcot (warning, more raving about delicious food).