The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

[H o r n C a l l s]

...was bangin' awesome. But before I gush about how great it was, let me b***h.

I got up at 4 in the morning. Four. In. The morning. Considering that school is out and I get up at noon, this was News.
So I get up at an ungodly hour, deny myself a second cup of coffee, wait in line for a half hour, wait in another line for two hours and sweat my balls off only to NOT SEE ANY OF THE MOVIE CAST THAT SPOKE THAT DAY.

First graders who won some competition sat right in front of the stage. They haven't read the books. THEY HAVEN'T BEEN TO EVERY MIDNIGHT SHOWING OF THE MOVIES SINCE THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN. Needless to say, I hate them. Behind them were the resort guests and behind them were my lot.
/b***h

Daniel Radcliffe spoke but was blocked from view by the Most Inconveniently Placed Tree on Earth. I saw the twins. For a good 45 seconds, I basked.

Then we were finally let in. My friend and I nearly fell at the sight of Ollivander's - nearly cried when we saw Hogwarts, but the castle fell short of expectations. It was just another ride. But the line to the ride was fun. You go through the castle, starting with the green houses.

I suspect I would have liked the shops if all of China hadn't been there with me. Zonko's and Honeydukes was a crowded mess.

But Ollivander's. Christ Jesus, Ollivander's.
By far, it was the closest thing to magic that the park had to offer.
They let in groups of ten or twelve into the shop at once, where you're greeted by an Ollivander's employee, not Ollivander himself, as the shop in Hogsmeade is only a branch office. He's walking around with a tattered clipboard, looking at the wands that line every wall up to the ceiling, when he looks down at the crowd and finally says, "Hello, welcome to Ollivander's." And from the crowd, he chooses one person.
"You there. Are you here for your wand?" And that was me. I got to experience going through wands, having things happen when I wave the wrong ones - it was very, very cool.

But just yesterday, I dropped my wand. It broke. There was no phoenix feather core, damn it.
That's just another excuse to buy Dunbledore's. wink  

[Meatloaf_Molester]

I went before it opened (:  

[H o r n C a l l s]

Yes, but you weren't within 50 yards of the stars. ;3  

[Primordial Nothing]

I was there! But not as dedicated as you. I got up at five, waited two hours in that first line, and gave up when I got to the second because they told me it was going to be nine hours. Screw that. My brother and I drove to Festival Bay for Fuddrucker's and a movie. xD  

[Bored4Life57]

I was so ******** pissed off. I planned my graduation trip to Disney in accordance with "spring" which was when it was supposed to open. I then found out that it was opening in late freaking June. You don't even know how pissed I was about that.  

[comfylove]

I'ma get married there. I don't care how much I have to pay.  

[Intoxikace]

Dude; that sounds so freaking epic.
I want to go there so badly. crying  

[baiisu]

you are so lucky! to even be able to go there in first place! what competition did the first graders win?? i can't think of any, except maybe a colouring contest.  

[Yaoinaut]

I went early. I though it was, okay, but really, thats it. It's just like any other universal park. Some shops and 3 rides. Not really worth 10 hour waits.

Plus, Universal are milking it at the moment. It has the most expensive stuff in the park me-thinks. Chocolate Frog, $10, although, it was solid chocolate, little more worth it. Butterbeer, in special mug, $10. One of those things you put round your neck to put your park pass in. Also $10. All roughly $10 that is, tax did put it up.

I will say, the simulator, was sweet though. I'm a sucker for things that use actual items, not just a movie screen. Was it 3D though? We never got glasses, but we've heard things.  

[H o r n C a l l s]

@Prim
I saw a few videos on YouTube on what the line had become later in the day. It stretched all the way to City Walk.

@Bored
Really? I've known the exact date since March.

@Comfy
Get married in house robes. Please. But do it in the winter.
I'm not sure what the heat index was on the 18th, but it was ******** hot. When you factored in humidity, over 100 degrees F, easy.

@Baiisu
I think it was raising money for Haiti. It's a good cause and all, but in the end, Universal raped true fans without lube because they thought it would look good.

@Yaoi
You also get a card with the frog.
I got the 3$ alternative, but I would have gladly paid 10 dollars for butterbeer. Essentially, its cream soda, but Greatness x8.

Pumpkin juice was a j**z-fest. And it is - literally - Juice of Pumpkin. You'd think it'd be nasty - but oh, no. Utterly awesome.

Most food was about 10 dollars, but paraphernalia was roughly 30, except for the 100$ robes and (I only heard this - I didn't actually see the price tag) 300$ brooms.  

[Primordial Nothing]

Bringer of Jollity

@Prim
I saw a few videos on YouTube on what the line had become later in the day. It stretched all the way to City Walk.

Oh, I saw the beginnings of that City Walk line when I got in at 9:30 and busloads of people arrived. And when I left at noon that place was a veritable ******** stampede. Like people were LITERALLY RUNNING to get in. Madness.  

[H o r n C a l l s]

At the gates to IOA - this must have been something like 5 in the morning - they started telling us not to run ten minutes before they opened them. But people still full on sprinted all through the park.  

[[ s e m p e r ]]

duuuudeeee, sounds awesome :]