So there's been a lot of hype about The Wizarding World of Harry Potter opening at Universal Studios in California, but how does it really compare to the original theme park in Florida? Similar to the difference between Disneyland and Disney World, the two parks have some major and minor differences. As someone who's been to both, I'll give my personal insights into the positives and negatives of both parks.
The main difference I noticed is the pricing. Now, part of that is affected by which side of the country you live on. West Coast residents are more likely to visit California and East Coast residents are more likely to visit Florida. While Florida is in general more expensive, you might be getting more for your dollars. Universal Studios in Florida has more to do and has a whole second park that you can spend extra for a park hopper ticket. California is limited by its one park, but don't get me wrong, there's still a ton to do.
Now looking past Universal Studios in general, Harry Potter World is much bigger in Florida than it is in California. You get the whole experience of both Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley in Florida while Cali only has Hogsmeade. There is talk of Universal California trying to buy more land to build the second park, but that is probably going to be a few years in the making. Having only half the park means only having half the rides and half the experience. Missing this whole second park pushes me toward rating the experience in Orlando better than in LA.
In the Florida park you can enjoy riding the Hogwarts Express between the two parks, which also adds so much to the experience. Riding the train was both my dad and brother's favorite part, and we rode it back and forth several times on our first day there. Riding that train adds to that childhood dream of being taken away to a magical world and leaving all of reality behind. I hope that they include the train with the new addition to the California park because it really set the whole scene.
Something that lands more in California's favor is the weather. While you'll still get rather pink in the sun, the heat in California is nothing compared to Florida's humidity. This would probably change if you visited at other times of the year, but the majority of tourists vacation in the summer, which is the time of year you would be absolutely boiled in Florida's mugginess. California provides a much more tolerant environment for the people (and their hair) who don't handle humidity very well.
So while one park currently offers more things to do than the other, they both still have the ability to transport you to the world we all know and love from the books and movies. If, and/or, when California adds the second park, I think it will be just as good as Orlando's and you'll be able to experience it all. In the mean time, you can indulge yourself in butterbeer, get chosen by your wand, have a bite to eat at the Three Broomsticks, and live out your wizarding adventures to your heart's content at both parks and that's really all that matters!
