The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Over Christmas break, fellow Senior McConnell Scholar John Weber and I made a great pilgrimage. We took a dream to a reality and had an opportunity to see things from our literary imagination in person. Our imaginations and realities became blurred when we traveled into a fictional world that has become a popular destination for nearly all of our literary generation...

We traveled to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

The park, housed in Universal Studio’s Islands of Adventure, is a scene right out of the world of Harry Potter. Snow capped buildings greet you as you enter Hogsmeade and the Hogwarts Express billows smoke just to your right.

Many of the shops that have become a staple in Harry Potter lore are there as well. Even the iconic Three Broomsticks pub is present. While we were there, we even had the opportunity to try out “Butterbeer.”

As we were walking through the streets of Hogsmeade, we noticed a shop window adorned with “J. Pippin’s Potions.” I was caught off guard but certainly felt pretty cool as that is my name! Maybe it was coincidence, or maybe it was magic!


All in all, visiting this park was a great experience. Both John and I had a great time and would recommend any Harry Potter fan make the trip. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed!