Having a Harry Potter based english class was an amazing way to explore a book series that I already loved. Here is an excerpt from my final paper about Harry Potter from book series to Universal Studios.
The world of Harry Potter has extended beyond the texts and the films. There are countless fan sites including one made by J.K. Rowling herself. Of all the extensions, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida is my favorite. The two separate occasions that I have been there have been an amazing experience. From the moment, you walk through the arch you are welcomed into the wizarding community with open arms.
After exploring all of the village of Hogsmede, you can then travel using the Hogwarts Express from the Hogsmede Station to King’s Cross Station and into Diagon Alley where you can then grab a drink and a bite to eat at the Leaky Cauldron then wander into Ollivander’s wand shop to watch how a wand chooses a wizard and have the opportunity to purchase a wand of your own! The wand selections are amazing; there are wands that are replicas of the ones described in the films and books and other wands as well. Some of the wands that are available for purchase include an interactive portion that works with some store fronts and other designated spots to wave the wand and produce magical effects. Diagon Alley is also the home to Gringott’s Bank. The attention to detail throughout the building itself and the ride it holds are incredible. Goblin figures move and talk and human workers inside the bank use the jargon wizards would when talking to muggles. Chandeliers hang from the ceiling in millions of shining crystals, each picture frame and notice on the walls are framed in intricate detail from the font to the molding. No expense was spared in creating this world for magic imagination.
I believe that The Wizarding World of Harry Potter creates a new story for the readers that visit it. I was able to explore the world and make memories of my own in a world that I had already grown to love through the book series. This world allows you to create experiences as a wizard with the interactive wand and the workers that stay in character for the duration of their shift aiding into the realness of the wizarding world. The interactive wand truly allows you to become a witch or wizard and cast spells during the time you spend in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and all the times that you go back. Ollivander’s allows you to choose a wand that is personalized for you, while Three Broomsticks and the Leaky Cauldron allow you to dine in the fashion of students at Hogwarts. This world makes you feel like J.K. Rowling’s wizarding world is a real that you can be a part of to whatever extreme your heart desires. Even just walking down the cobblestone walkways and taking in the sights makes you feel as though you are in Hogsmede or Diagon Alley. When you board the train the use simulation on the windows gives you the feeling that you are traveling from London into Hogsmede with scenery and other adventures from the book series that were produced in the movie. Every inch of the world is done with intricate attention to detail that makes the experience intense and believable.
The purpose of this text is to make the wizarding world a real place that readers can visit to become a part of the Harry Potter universe. This text reaches its purpose through the use of the description in the original seven novels to create a real-life place that any ordinary muggle can become obsessed with. It achieves this purpose by being an interactive world, the wands that connect to interactive points throughout Diagon Alley and Hogsmede allow fans to become witches and wizards and complete spells. The restaurants and stands that line the cobblestone walkway make you feel like you’re in a real town with the realistic feel of vendors, storefronts, and fans that are dressed up as well. No detail was left undone. Every square foot of the world encompasses the world that J.K. Rowling describes so vividly in the book series. Walking into either half of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter you’re immediately engulfed into the wizarding world whether you are familiar with the book series or not, which I feel is something amazing within itself. This is extension of the series is enough to turn anyone on to the books that inspired an entire world. I was immediately swept into up into the world, slowing down to take in every sight, sound, and smell of a book series that I had fallen in love with so many times already and then fell in love with a world that made my imagination a reality.
Persons of any age can enjoy this magical extension of the Harry Potter universe. The generation that grew up with series, the one that grew up watching the movies, or the ones that have been ushered into the series by older family members and friends. There are rides geared for the young adults, butter-beer that is virgin and alcoholic, and shops and paths to walk around and enjoy. Even those who have never read the series before can easily be swept up into this magical real world experience extending off of one of the most iconic book series of all time. I look back on my time spent at this magical place with nothing but fond memories of the magical world of Harry Potter.
A trip to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is a trip into the seven-book series of Harry Potter. Whether young, old, or somewhere in the middle this world has something for everyone. You can go on rides inspired by the series and go into the restaurants just like the characters from the books did. The realistic scenery, a train that transports you in style from Hogsmede to Diagon Alley, wands that allow you to interact with icons and make real magic happen aide into the extension of a world that is already loved by many.
