My heart had been broken terribly when the owl carrying my Hogwarts acceptance letter lost its way (must have been held up in Customs 😂). I thought I would never know my magical powers. But here I am, saved from eternal despair. For those who are still waiting for that letter, here is your salvation.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (WWoHP) will get you completely swept up in magic. I was and I cannot get enough of it! The moment we started walking into the woods with the familiar music playing in the background, nostalgia washed over me and I knew we were no longer in Universal Studios.
We first stumbled upon the Weasley's Ford Anglia (also known by the muggles as the flying car) crashed into a tree inside the Forbidden Forest. I gave a muffled shriek when I saw this—one I do not usually do, not even to celebrity idols nor a flying cockroach I come face-to-face with (I kid you not).
I giggled, squeezed Jan's arms repeatedly, and unintentionally acted like an asshole. I didn't notice there was a queue and I just jumped right in front of the car for photos only to realize my unforgivable action when people in line gave me those serious, unbelieving glare. I could only hope nobody took a photo of me and labeled me as such on social media. I am deeply sorry, folks.
I almost went crazy. More so when I entered Hogsmeade. From the cobblestone paths to the aged buildings capped with snow to the magical items and creatures aplenty, everything felt so real.
Plus, the weather could not get any better. 14°C with a hint of sun was just right for a magical stroll.
I am really not surprise that this place is teeming with wizards and muggles alike (this was not even a weekend). And it was fun to see a lot of them dressed in robes with scarves carrying the colors of their respective houses. If I had the money, I would have gotten myself a robe (¥ 14000) and a Slytherin scarf (¥ 4800). But alas! All I can afford is a mug of Butterbeer.
I walked around after chugging this utterly delicious butterscotch-y, caramel-ish but disappointingly non-alcoholic beer (haha). Every shop has everything you see in the movies coming to life. Chocolate frogs. Nimbus 2000. Mandragoras. Pumpkin juice. Name it. You could easily get lost in wonder even without the spells and enchantments. I am pretty sure this is not the first time one would begin questioning reality.
Am I really in Japan?
Nope. Definitely not.
And what's a wizard without a wand? Let a wand choose you at Ollivanders. A magical wand (because there are regulars too) will get you to learn a few basic spells. Even Snape approves those foolish wand-waving or silly incantations in this class. So swish and flick away.
And remember, it's levi-oh-sa. Not levio-sar!
Of course, the fun does not end there. One cannot complete the magical journey without entering the Hogwarts Castle. Inside, you will discover the secrets kept within the walls and know what charms have been casted on people who walked out of the castle totally blown away.
But be warned. To enter the Great Hall, you must pass a test. And I am not talking about the O.W.L. here as Hermione would have loved.
There will be a test of patience for the queue can last as long as a Quidditch match with blind Seekers. Kidding! But you get the drift. Dementors could also be swarming around, draining all the happiness and energy in you. In our case, the temperature dropped to 10°C, it drizzled, and the wind was hostile while we were falling in line outside the castle for more than 2 hours. I bet, summers are worse.
But no matter, entering the castle takes you on a wild ride to a Forbidden Journey and it makes everything worth it.
Simply put, IT IS UNDENIABLY THE BESTEST RIDE EVER!
So I suggest, go there early and head straight to the WWoHP to avoid long lines, fill your tummies first (I tell you, hunger is a worse enemy than Voldemort), and bring anything to entertain you with.
As with any theme park that we truly enjoyed, this isn't well documented for we failed to take a lot of photos (the best view of the castle and the black lake is at the back of the Three Broomsticks 😉). But I would say that I was grinning from ear to ear the whole time I was inside the WWoHP. It is indeed a magical place where both Potterheads (waves hand frantically) and muggles will certainly enjoy. It felt so incredible to be there.
If given the chance to apparate back to the wizarding world, I would definitely still be that high-spirited, 33-year old child who happily, excitedly, and proudly walked the magical walls of Hogwarts the first time.
I do not think I will ever outgrow Harry Potter. It is, and will always, be part of my life.
Travel date: March 2019. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is located inside Universal Studios Japan. Entrance fee to USJ is P4163 (peak season), booked via Klook.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (WWoHP) will get you completely swept up in magic. I was and I cannot get enough of it! The moment we started walking into the woods with the familiar music playing in the background, nostalgia washed over me and I knew we were no longer in Universal Studios.
 |
| I introduced my world to this muggle. |
I giggled, squeezed Jan's arms repeatedly, and unintentionally acted like an asshole. I didn't notice there was a queue and I just jumped right in front of the car for photos only to realize my unforgivable action when people in line gave me those serious, unbelieving glare. I could only hope nobody took a photo of me and labeled me as such on social media. I am deeply sorry, folks.
I almost went crazy. More so when I entered Hogsmeade. From the cobblestone paths to the aged buildings capped with snow to the magical items and creatures aplenty, everything felt so real.
 |
| Hogsmeade |
Plus, the weather could not get any better. 14°C with a hint of sun was just right for a magical stroll.
 |
| It is so hard to get a decent photo. Haha |
 |
| Excited! |
 |
| They have cold and hot versions. I got the cold one for ¥ 1150. |
I walked around after chugging this utterly delicious butterscotch-y, caramel-ish but disappointingly non-alcoholic beer (haha). Every shop has everything you see in the movies coming to life. Chocolate frogs. Nimbus 2000. Mandragoras. Pumpkin juice. Name it. You could easily get lost in wonder even without the spells and enchantments. I am pretty sure this is not the first time one would begin questioning reality.
Am I really in Japan?
 |
| The picture's moving, by the way. |
And what's a wizard without a wand? Let a wand choose you at Ollivanders. A magical wand (because there are regulars too) will get you to learn a few basic spells. Even Snape approves those foolish wand-waving or silly incantations in this class. So swish and flick away.
 |
| Magical wands for ¥ 4900. Regular wands for ¥ 4500. |
Of course, the fun does not end there. One cannot complete the magical journey without entering the Hogwarts Castle. Inside, you will discover the secrets kept within the walls and know what charms have been casted on people who walked out of the castle totally blown away.
But be warned. To enter the Great Hall, you must pass a test. And I am not talking about the O.W.L. here as Hermione would have loved.
There will be a test of patience for the queue can last as long as a Quidditch match with blind Seekers. Kidding! But you get the drift. Dementors could also be swarming around, draining all the happiness and energy in you. In our case, the temperature dropped to 10°C, it drizzled, and the wind was hostile while we were falling in line outside the castle for more than 2 hours. I bet, summers are worse.
But no matter, entering the castle takes you on a wild ride to a Forbidden Journey and it makes everything worth it.
Simply put, IT IS UNDENIABLY THE BESTEST RIDE EVER!
So I suggest, go there early and head straight to the WWoHP to avoid long lines, fill your tummies first (I tell you, hunger is a worse enemy than Voldemort), and bring anything to entertain you with.
As with any theme park that we truly enjoyed, this isn't well documented for we failed to take a lot of photos (the best view of the castle and the black lake is at the back of the Three Broomsticks 😉). But I would say that I was grinning from ear to ear the whole time I was inside the WWoHP. It is indeed a magical place where both Potterheads (waves hand frantically) and muggles will certainly enjoy. It felt so incredible to be there.
If given the chance to apparate back to the wizarding world, I would definitely still be that high-spirited, 33-year old child who happily, excitedly, and proudly walked the magical walls of Hogwarts the first time.
I do not think I will ever outgrow Harry Potter. It is, and will always, be part of my life.
Travel date: March 2019. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is located inside Universal Studios Japan. Entrance fee to USJ is P4163 (peak season), booked via Klook.
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