Great holidays on offer
Potter fans spellbound
Harry Potter fans will be envious while families can discover some great holiday destinations.
SINCE the age of 17 I had been enchanted with the world created by author JK Rowling, about a boy who had no idea he was part of something so magical.
A chance invitation to a wedding in Texas last year led to a crazy Harry Potter adventure in America and the UK.
The best place to begin was the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, which opened at Universal Orlando Islands of Adventure in 2010.
Orlando is also home to Walt Disney World, Sea World and Wet and Wild, so it is basically the Gold Coast on steroids.
The Harry Potter section is understandably one of the busiest, but also one of the most beautiful locations, featuring Hogsmeade complete with shops such as Zonko’s and Honeyduke’s.
There are three rides in this section: Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, where you ride a broomstick over a Quidditch pitch and get chased by a dragon; the Dragon Challenge, which consists of twin rollercoasters; and Flight of the Hippogriff, a smaller family friendly rollercoaster.
The area is set for a redevelopment next year and Wizarding Worlds will be established at Universal Hollywood and Japan.
While the theme park is fun, the Warner Bros Studio Tour is the real Harry Potter experience.
Leavesden Studios was where all eight Harry Potter films were
All the props and costumes are authentic and show just how much detail has gone into the movies.
made, other than when shooting on location.
When the films finished, several major sets were maintained, plus other wonderful props, and the studio tour was born in 2012.
The magic starts when you step into the original Great Hall and continues with sets such as Dumbledore’s office, Diagon Alley, the Ministry of Magic, Gryffindor common room and the Weasley kitchen. All the props and costumes are authentic and show just how much detail has gone into the movies.
The Creature Lab features hundreds of intricate prosthetics, from the Basilisk and Buckbeak to goblins and Lord Voldermort’s snake-like face.
The back lot also features the Potter house, Privet Drive and the Hogwarts bridge. A true fan’s delight.
While you are in the UK, there are plenty of Harry Potter filming locations around London and even in Scotland.
The best way to see it is the walking tour.
It takes in the cinema where the Harry Potter films had their world premieres, the real thoroughfare on which Diagon Alley was based, Platform 9¾, the Millennium Bridge – which was destroyed by Lord Voldemort’s Death Eaters – the entrances to the Leaky Cauldron in movies one and three and the entrance to the Ministry of Magic.
So for anyone looking for a magical experience, from tiny tots, to more mature travellers, Harry Potter is certainly enchanting and the memories will last a lifetime.