Hogsmeade (WWoHP Part 6)

Welcome to Hogsmeade!

When we arrived in Hogsmeade via the Hogwarts Express, we checked the Universal Studios App and noticed that the line for The Forbidden Journey ride was really short. We decided to head straight for Hogwarts and do the ride before it got really busy. Going into the Hogwarts castle was one of my very favorite things because it is such an iconic part of the books and movies. The cool thing about The Forbidden Journey is that the first half of the experience is just exploring the Hogwarts castle.

The castle was so well done! All of the features that I would expect to see were there: The Fat Lady, the entrance to Dumbledore's office, the House Cup scoring jewels, statues of the Hogwarts founders, moving staircases, the enchanted ceiling, and on and on. You get to see the pictures on the wall talking and moving (and arguing with each other :) Then you get to listen to Dumbledore talking about the school, see the sorting hat, and get a visit from Harry, Ron, and Hermione. They help you "sneak" out of Professor Binns lecture by enchanting a school bench, and that is where the actual ride starts. Once again, we did the child swap because Andrew was not tall enough to go on the ride. He was too scared anyway, so he was more than happy to stay in the side room and watch HP movies.

You sit on a 4 person "bench" and then pull the safety bars down over your shoulders until it locks. Then the fun begins. It is a really amazing ride, but it is hard to describe. Wikipedia describes it this way:

"Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey uses KUKA robocoaster technology, which allows the seats to pivot while being held above the track by a robotic arm. However, the ride is not a roller coaster but a scenic dark ride. The experience includes a flight around Hogwarts castle, an encounter with the Whomping Willow and a horde of Dementors, and a Quidditch match. The ride drops, spins around, twists and turns, but does not turn upside down, though passengers sometimes lie flat on their backs. Over-the-shoulder bars are used to secure guests in their seats, and a single parabolic metal bar is used as a hand grip."

However you describe it, the ride was really fun. Even Christian was excited to ride it again. We ended up riding it twice over the course of the two days. After we were done at Hogwarts, we rode The Flight of the Hippogriff, which is a small family roller coaster. The whole ride only lasts about a minute, and it is the perfect beginner roller coaster. Andrew was brave enough to ride it, and ended up having a great time. The line was only 5 minutes, so we rode it 3 or 4 times. It was nice that Andrew had a ride that he felt comfortable on. Hannah, Ben, and Jonathon rode The Dragon Challenge, which is a set of two, intense "chasing" roller coasters. They did corkscrews and full loops, and were really fast. I was more than happy to stay with the boys and watch.

Waving from the Flight of the Hippogriff roller coaster 

Right as we finished with the rides, there were some performances starting on the stage. We got to watch the Tri-wizard Spirit Rally with dancers from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons Academy. They performed choreographed dances to music from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Later, we watched the Frog Choir sing some songs with frogs from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Both were fun to watch, and we got front row seats.

We decided to eat lunch at The Three Broomsticks. We ate every other meal in our hotel suite, so we knew we could splurge once. They served traditional British food that was fast, but definitely a step above regular fast food. We each got something different to sample. Ben got ribs, Jonathon had fish and chips, the boys split some roasted chicken, and I had Cornish pasties. And, of course, we got some more butterbeers to share.

When lunch was over, we took time to explore all of the little shops in Hogsmeade. We drooled over all of the candy in Honeydukes. The whole shop was so bright and colorful. The candy was a bit expensive, but where else can you buy chocolate wands, peppermint toads, and cockroach clusters.

We also found Ron's flying car and Hagrid's Hut, and bought postcards and had them postmarked from "Hogsmeade." When we had done everything there was to do at Hogsmeade (most things more than once!) we decided we would use our remaining time to explore the rest of Universal Studios. It was sad to leave behind the magical world of Harry Potter, knowing that we might never have a chance to go back, but hopefully, we made enough great memories to last a lifetime.