I Went to Hogwarts!

WARNING: This post is EXTREMELY picture heavy!

Hi Lovelies, I have two conferences down now and one more to go. Yesterday, I got back from the Renaissance conference I attended in Orlando, FL. Renaissance is an academic rewards program designed to reward students who do well in school with different incentives like t-shirts, classroom rewards, etc.

Being that I was going to be in Orlando, I had to make a trip to the Harry Potter park. I absolutely adore the series of books, and to actually have the chance to go to Hogwarts and Hogsmeade...I just couldn't pass it up.

So after the conference, I stayed an extra day. And I went to the park ALL BY MYSELF.


Here I am in front of Hogwarts. I speed walked all the way through the park and almost peed my pants when I saw the castle. Sweat was literally streaming down my face at this point. Just so you know, NEVER visit Florida without shorts in the summer.

I waited about half an hour to go into Dervish and Banges, where I bought my own wand (the line to get into Olivander's was an hour and a half!)




After making it out of the store, I decided to get a nice cup of butter beer, and it was dee-lish! Imagine a root beer with more of a vanilla taste. I highly recommend getting a frozen cup, in which they add a little bit of soft serve vanilla ice cream to the top.


After enjoying that cup of butter beer, I finally got in line to ride the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride. Waiting in line for this ride is fun in and of itself because you get to tour through Hogwarts first before you board the ride.

Waiting in line in Professor Sprout's herbology greenhouse.


Talking paintings inside the Hogwarts castle.

Dumbledore's Pensieve

The Sorting Hat

As for the ride itself, I really hadn't gone on anything like it before. It is a truly interactive ride that takes you through various scenes in the movie as you chase after Harry, trying to get to a quidditch game. You encounter a dragon, which breathes smoke in your face. You get spit on by the huge spiders in the forest. And you'll be terrified by the dementors who pop up and follow you. I waited in line for forty-five minutes the first time before a fire alarm went off, and I was evacuated along with all of the other tourists. I almost cried out of fear that I wouldn't get to ride this ride. Thankfully, they fixed everything. Trust me, the wait for this ride is well worth it. I went on it twice.

I then got in line to ride the Dragon's Challenge, an exciting roller coaster ride. You travel through one of the rally tents before you board the dragon of your choice.





The ride is insanely fun, and a must at the park. The wait for this ride was extremely short; I guess people are too afraid to ride roller coasters?

I then walked around Hogsmeade for a bit and had dinner at the Three Broomsticks.





And what visit to Hogsmeade and Hogwarts would be complete without taking a picture with the conductor of the Hogwarts Express?

Even though I was all by myself, this was one of the most exciting, fulfilling things I have ever got to do in my life. How many of us get to visit the places in our favorite books? If you love the books as much as I do, I highly recommend going if you have the opportunity. It is something I will never forget.

Hogsmeade at Night =)