Harry Potter Heaven.

If you have ever met me, seen my Facebook, spoken to me, or known someone who knows me, you already know this; if you have been living under a rock for the last fifteen years, you may not already know this (but really, you should!): I am a huge Harry Potter fan. Seriously. Ginormous. 

I cannot count the number of times I have each book. I have gone to almost all the movie premieres and midnight book releases. I have been dressed up in my own robes or Quidditch jersey for a few of them. Heck, I decorated my graduation cap with HP references! I could go on, but I think I have made my point. I'm a woman obsessed... And I am 1000% comfortable with this fact. 

Anyway, it probably goes without saying that I was beside myself with pure elation when it was announced years back that there would be a HP section of Universal Studios. I couldn't wait to finally go. I'm fortunate to have (awesome) family in Orlando and get to go see them most summers. But I was really bummed at how expensive admission was, so never got to go... Until just last month! Drew surprised me with a trip to HP at Universal for our third anniversary (which was in January). 

So after the chaos of graduation, we set off for Florida to see my family and FINALLY go to HP--it's practically Mecca for potterheads such as myself. Let me tell you, it was definitely an experience! 

This is from Zonko's, which features a lot of the Weasleys' products. It's not accurate to the books, but it's still cool to see real-life versions of things like U-No-Poo and Extendable Ears. Right next door is Honeydukes, which sells a million different kinds of sweets, including pumpkin juice (which tastes like liquid pumpkin pie).

The Three Broomsticks! Where we had our lunch and got...

BUTTERBEER! We got the frozen and regular versions, each in the souvenir mug. I was so stoked about it, but I'm not going to lie--I really hated both drinks. They both just tasted like milk to me (which I hate). I ended up dumping the warm one and Drew drank up the frozen one.

The Hog's Head. Not in it's proper place, but whatev. 

HOGWARTS! We did the walking tour of Hogwarts, which was too short, but still really neat! It's full of hallways with moving and talking portraits. You pass through Dumbledore's office, where there's a hologram of him talking to you.

We also went to Ollivander's (which doesn't belong in Hogsmeade, but what are you gonna do?). I got Hermione's wand (which was a bit of a bummer as I thought I would get to pick a unique wand, not just a character's wand). We hit up the shops and were able to nab some really neat souvenirs (like a blanket!). They have a bunch of really cool things, from clothes to trinkets to stuffed animals. They even have the Marauders Map! Woo! 

Overall, it was really cool and I'm so so glad we went! It isn't really accurate with the books and it is definitely crowded, but it's a must for any HP fan. I think if you're insane about HP (like me), it can be a bummer to see things that are wrong, especially since it's totally full of Muggles (I don't think that most people had even cracked open book 1). 

They are set to add on a Diagon Alley that will open sometime next year! It's supposed to have Gringotts! I'm hoping there'll be an underground ride similar to the ones described in books one and seven, but we'll see! 

Have you gone yet? What were your thoughts?
:)