The sunshine state: My Harry Potter experience

Hearing the seatbelt sign click off was a relief. The journey to America had been a chore but we had finally landed in Florida and I was back in my favourite place in the world. Collecting our suitcases and after the long discussion of what the car of choice would be this holiday, we made our way to the hotel in the scorching October heat; it seemed that with every year we came the temperature for the month reached an all time high. 



Being an avid Harry Potter fan a trip to Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure and to the newly build Wizarding World of Harry Potter was top of my to-do list. Making our way through the park turnstiles I could see Hogwarts castle standing tall in the distance. Hardly being able to contain my excitement we headed straight to the back of the park to start to day, and as we reached the gates that separated the magical world of Harry Potter from reality I was instantly transported into chaos. Despite the park having only opened 10 minutes ago, the place was packed! However, refusing to let anything spoil out fun, we took a slow walk through Hogsmeade village, stopping to admire the Hogwarts Express in all it's glory, to the castle at the rear of the park. 

Joining the long line of people that had obviously had the same idea as us we waited anxiously, unaware of what wait before us in the famous castle. Luckily, the weather was gorgeous, and combined with excitement the hour-long wait seemed to pass by with ease. Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey was everything a Harry Potter fan would want and more. The queue to get onto the ride was an experience in itself. Entering through the towering castle gates and making our way through the familiar passageways and classrooms of Hogwarts, we visited iconic locations such as Dumbledore's office, the Room of Requirement, the Gryffindor common room (where we were greeted by the golden trio themselves) and more.

Once on the ride we soared above the castle grounds, played Quidditch with Harry and came face-to-face with an array of magical creatures including fire breathing dragons and a terrifying nest of Aragog and friends. Exiting the ride we passed through the gift shop where we browsed famous memorabilia such as Hermione's time turner necklace, the Marauders Map and robes, scarfs and uniform in a house colour of our choice.

Leaving the castle we made out way back through Hogsmeade and needing refreshments, headed to the Three Broomsticks (an exact replica of what's seen on screen) for a Butterbeer - the drink of choice for all the students who attend Hogwarts. 
Stopping next at Dervish and Banges to pick up some school supplies we admired the hundreds of journals, books, stationary and broomsticks before sending a letter home via the owlery and making a quick, albeit necessary, visit to Ollivanders to pick up a wand.

The final two stops down Hogsmeade were perhaps my favourite - Honeydukes sweet shop and Zonko's joke shop. Filled wall to wall with every magical sweet and chocolate you could image, Honeydukes is heaven for anyone with a sweet tooth. 

Limiting ourselves to a chocolate frog (complete with a famous witch or wizard card), some Bertie Botts every-flavour beans and Cauldron Cakes we left the shop satisfied, picking up another Butterbeer on the way.

Take a bite out 'The Big Apple'

As the bright lights from the towering buildings above shine down on Times Square, it’s easy to see why New York is called the city that never sleeps.

Touching down in JFK the buzz of the erratic city instantly hit me, however taking a coach out of the airport and through the streets of Queens, the New York we're all so used to seeing in American TV shows was not the one to greet me. No Statue of Liberty? No Central Park? No Empire State Building? However, traveling further down the highway and approaching Brooklyn Bridge, the sights before me were the ones that epitomised the famous city. 

Crossing the Hudson River, I was in awe of the twinkling skyline that shone in the distance before me. I couldn't wait to explore. 

However, after a long day of traveling and finally arriving at the hotel at 7:30pm (New York time), the jet lag was beginning to hit me. Easing into what was set out to be a frantic week, we finished the day with a relaxing meal at Hard Rock Café in Times Square, fully preparing ourselves for the days to come.

The first day in the city was kick started with a trip down the street to Dunkin' Donuts for a hot chocolate and three donut breakfast; very nutritious and also incredibly delicious! Heading straight for 5th avenue we started the day the best way we knew how, shopping. Stopping only briefly for a bite to eat, the whole day was spend down New York's most famous street and as daylight turned to dusk we headed up one of the state's most iconic landmarks, the Empire State Building. 

Watching the whole of New York turn from day to night from 84 stories high was an incredible experience and one that I won't forget in a hurry. 

Concluding a perfect first day, we returned back to the hotel in a more lavish way than the way we had left that morning. Managing to charm our way into a limousine we toured some of the city's most famous spots before getting chauffeured back to the hotel, all for the small price of $5.

Waking up at the crack of down, the second day brought a lot more shopping accompanied by a tour of NBC studios. Home to some of America's most famous TV shows including Saturday Night Live (SNL), a programme that sees a different celebrity play host each week, The Today Show and Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, the first stop on the tour was the NBC history theatre where the history of NBC radio and how the network transitioned into television was explained. This was followed by a tour through the studios that play host to SNL and the newsrooms of NBC Nightly News; a must for any media fan.

Of course any visit to NYC wouldn't be complete without boarding the ferry at Staten Island to visit Lady Liberty herself. Traveling slowly across the river and as the ice cold February winds pierced the face of every passenger on board I started to wonder whether the journey would be worth it at all. However, once we'd arrived at the island and were stood at the foot of The Statue of Liberty standing proud, I knew instantly that braving the cold was definitely worth it.  

The final afternoon of the trip was spent browsing the streets of SOHO after taking a walk around the infamous Central Park. Filled with snow, and saxophone and guitar players on every corner, it's easy to see why it's one of the world's most famous parks. Taking a calming walk through the park, the hustle and bustle of New York City is forgotten, and with the option of a horse and carriage to take you around all 843 acres, Central Park is one of my favourite things about the beautiful city. 

Hailing a cab back to the hotel (which is a lot harder in reality than is perceived on TV), it was time to collect our suitcases and catch a coach back to the airport. No Statue of Liberty. No Central Park. Definitely no Empire State Building. 

New York, New York, the city that really is so nice, they named it twice.