The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Trip Report 2010

    This trip report was taken before there was even a rumor about an expansion. I visited the Wizarding World, almost 2 months after it opened! Never again!!!
    I wanted to do a trip report from when the first part opened so if people are going to the new expansion, they kind of know what to expect.

   We walked towards Harry Potter and the first thing we saw was a huge line. You can see the heads of people in the picture below. We were told that this was for the Forbidden Journey ride inside Hogwarts. Of course, we all got in line. There is a single rider line, but we decided to wait as a family first for our first time riding it.


    Front of Hogwarts! Here is where you can split into the single rider line. First, you have to put all of your things in a locker. No exceptions! Everything must be put inside a locker or else when you get to the front, you will be sent back. Now, to avoid the huge line outside, you can go through the gift shop and into the locker bay. Once you come out of the locker bay, you can get into the single rider or regular line. We found out that we could get away with this and it cut the line in half! You didn't hear that from me though! ;)




     The first stop in your line journey is the greenhouse. This picture only shows the ramp portion of the line. There are a couple of zig-zags in the back that you have to go through before you get inside the castle.


     This ride is so worth the wait! It is nothing like you have ever been before because it is the first ride of it's kind. You really feel like you are in the movies. It blends seamlessly between movie screens and a dark-ride filled with scenery and props. There are some intense moments that may scare younger children, I screamed the first time! ;-) Overall, if you are a fan of the whole Harry Potter universe you will love it!



     We had to go back later in the day for Hogsmeade.  It was at capacity before noon! Once we finally did get over there, the lines were crazy! Lines for gift shops!! I waited 30 minutes to get inside one of them!



      Hogwarts Express back in 2010. This will all be changing soon!


      Next, we have some crowd pictures. This is outside of Honeydukes. It was packed and you could barely move, but the whole ambiance made you feel like you were in the movies.


       Outside of the Three Broomsticks. I don't remember what time of day this was but for the new expansion expect these types of crowds, it may even be a little worse!


       Somewhere in this mass of people is the line for Butterbeer. I know I waiting quite a long time for Butterbeer and Pumpkin Juice. Both are amazing but I like Butterbeer frozen better.



        Me: With the massive crowds in the back!


       I have a bunch more detailed pictures, but for this report I really wanted to focus on the crowds.
Going into the trip knowing that the crowds will be like this, if not worse, at the new area will help the trip. When i went back in 2012, I had no problem waiting in the lines because I knew what I experienced the first time around. It made the trip a little better because the lines seemed so much shorter even if I had to wait more than 30 minutes.

To anyone that might want to brave the opening day or months of the new expansion, good luck and have fun!