Magic in Orlando

Hogsmead
 

Hogwarts Castle


 

I know that Disney is supposed to be the Magic Kingdom, but we found it at Universal Studios.  Truly,  magic is the wonder on a little girl's face at seeing everything from simple things like the hotel room to amazing things like the first glimpse of Hogwarts Castle and disappearing at 9 3/4 King's Cross. 


Casting spells on Hagrid's bike

During our days at Universal, we kept asking Bella what the best part was.  She always knew what wasn't the best part - the walking, the heat, the lines, a few of the rides that were a little too much; she had more trouble with the best part.  Was it Diagon Alley and Hogsmead themselves, with their quirky shops and butterbeer?  Perhaps from a half block away, feeling the heat from the dragon atop Gringotts?  Buying a wand? The rides?  She said it was all the best.

 For me, it was the attention to detail in  the recreation of everything from the buildings  and merchandise and shop window displays tothe staff's absolute immersion into their characters - It was stepping into the pages of the books.  It was definitely not the rides - one ride that I endured was enough.  I was the official bag holder, chatting with people  
from all over while waiting on my adventurers. 



DJ booth at Margaritaville
 

I know Bell and Jack enjoyed other aspects of Universal besides Harry Potter - they shot aliens and became minions and jumped around with Spider Man while I looked and looked at people and things, but after Harry Potter, Bell's highlight was going to Margaritaville.  We have got to stop letting her listen to so much Jimmy Buffet.  I cringe to think what drinking related comments she is going to utter at school next year.  After a particularly frustrating time of trying to placate a tired child and   find food we all agreed upon, she commented that we all needed "something tall and strong."  We managed to get a table in front of the DJ booth while JD Spradlin was on the air.  While he had songs playing, he visited with Bell and let her come up in his booth for some pictures - he even played Fruitcakes for her.  I know it is part of his job to be nice tourists, but he really made her day.   It was surely a kind gesture that we appreciated - the look on her face when he put his headphones on her was worth the trip.

Actually, the best part of the trip was all those looks of wonder on a little girl's face.  Glimpsing the  hotel as we crossed a wooden bridge over a lagoon, seeing our hotel room that looked like it fell out of Casa Blanca, rounding a corner and stepping into snow capped Hogsmead with the castle in the distance.  Later the looks of delight were just as profound as she stepped into King's Cross and onto the train.  There were the gasps as the dragon roared from Gringotts.  There was even look of glee in  killing more aliens than Jack in Men in Black. All those chuckles and gasps and wide eyes were worth the trip.  I think everyone from 9 to 49 shared that bit of magic.