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11 Magical Harry Potter Walking Tours in London
In some ways, London is the epicenter for magical experiences in the Muggle world. In London, you can visit the Harry Potter studio tour from London, plus see other sights and sites from the books (like Platform 9¾) and films on Harry Potter walking tours. There are even a number of places in London that inspired J.K. Rowling as she created the magical world – though they never appeared on the page or silver screen. That’s why I have an entire Harry Potter Bucket List for London! There’s so much to do that you can spend a lifetime doing them all. You might remember that list includes “Go on a…
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The 10 Best Harry Potter Birthday Gifts for Witches, Wizards & Muggles
Once a year, we each get to wake up on the most magical day of our lives – our birthday! And on that day, we are often showered with gifts and love from family and friends. It’s actually my birthday this week – my birthday falls between Emma Watson’s (Hermione Granger) on April 15th and Horace Slughorn’s on April 28th. This seems pretty much fitting if you know me IRL ? Because every witch, wizard, and even muggle deserves to have a magical birthday, I’ve scoured my own wishlists and the rest of the muggle internet to find the most magical and best Harry Potter birthday gifts...
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The 7 Best Things to Do at the Wizarding World in Hollywood
“Sorry to interrupt, but where did you get your jacket?,” asked the young wizard at the Wizarding World at Universal Studios in Hollywood. “It’s just, I’ve seen the jacket before with Slytherin on the front, but never ‘Seeker’ on the back,” he explained.“This jacket is actually really old,” I replied. “I bought it about 15 years ago at Hot Topic. I had to dig it out of a storage bin for this trip!” After all – it was a special trip: to celebrate my 30th birthday. I was 19 years past when I should have received my Hogwarts acceptance letter, when I made my first trip to the Wizarding World…
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How to Make Butterbeer in 21 Recipes
If there’s any one drink – any one flavor – that truly represents the magical world, it has to be Butterbeer. Almost anywhere in the world that you can step for a second from the muggle world to the magic one, you can find Butterbeer. But do you have to visit the Wizarding World or Harry Potter studio tour to enjoy this delicious treat? Nope! You can make Butterbeer at home! All you need is a really good Butterbeer recipe… When I decided I wanted to make Butterbeer at home, I started researching all of the different ways other people have made it at home. I scoured 20 different recipes…
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9 Virtual Harry Potter Experiences – Anywhere in the World
Stay home. Shelter in place. Lockdown. These are words we might think describe a situation when Death Eaters are on the march – not our normal muggle lives! Yet as we face a massive public health crisis around the world, everyone has to do their part to help stop the dark forces of Coronavirus. To that end, we can’t hop on a plane or grab a Portkey to explore the magical world – we need to keep ourselves home and try virtual Harry Potter experiences instead. While we can’t all do social distancing like in the picture above – that’s a ‘forced perspective’ photo from several feet apart at the…
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How to Take a 360-degree Tour of the Wizarding World in Hollywood
Stuck at home and dreaming of the magical world? Me too – it would be a welcome break from the real world right now! But wait… we have muggle technology that helps us travel around the world: virtual reality! What if we took a virtual 360-degree tour of the Wizarding World? Before the Wizarding World of Hollywood opened to the public in early 2016, NBC Los Angeles chief photographer Sean Browning took his Ricoh Theta 360-camera into the park to give us a sneak peek. These 360-photos originally appeared on the NBCLA website; I’ve organized them here into a ‘walking’ VR 360° tour of the Wizarding World in Hollywood that…
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How to Take a Virtual Trip to the Wizarding World in Orlando
If only we could wave a magic wand and apparate to the wizarding world right now… It’s a tough time to try and plan travel, but that’s no reason to stay home in your imagination. (Unlike the Dursleys, I definitely approve of imagination.) Wait, I have an idea – let’s take a virtual trip to the Wizarding World! First, take a quick look at these maps of Diagon Alley (left) and Hogsmeade (right). Throughout the rest of this virtual trip to the Wizarding World, we’ll go to each of these 14 stops, which help you experience some of the best things to do at the Wizarding World in Orlando...
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The Ultimate Guide for Visiting Platform 9¾
All Aboard! If you want to ride the Hogwarts Express – even if it’s just in your imagination – you’re going to have to pass through the magical gateway at Platform 9¾! But how and where can you visit Platform 9¾? Turns out you’ve got choices! I’ve been lucky to visit all three of the “Platform 9¾” locations around the world where muggles can take non-moving photos. I have visited the one in London many times; I’ve snapped pics at the Harry Potter studio tour as recently as 2019; and I’ve last tried the different but equally magical Platform 9¾ in Orlando in 2019. If you want to get the…
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The 10 Best Things to Do at the Wizarding World in Orlando
You need to escape the real world, and the magical world is the perfect place. Where better to visit than the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando, Florida! Located in Universal Studios and Universal’s Islands of Adventure, the Wizarding World is made of two parts: Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade – that means it’s twice as much of the magical world to explore than other Wizarding Worlds (like Hollywood or Osaka). Despite living on the West Coast of the U.S., I’ve visited the Wizarding World in Orlando twice: once in 2014 and again in 2018. Both were insanely magical! To help you make the most of a day at the…
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The Ultimate Hogwarts Supply List for the Muggle World
Heading off on a magical journey somewhere in the muggle world? It’s always good to consult a packing list to make sure you’ll have everything you need in your undetectable extension charmed beaded bag. Inspired by Harry’s Hogwarts supply list, I’ve put together the ultimate list of Harry Potter swag and gear. These cool, nerdy, and magical items will fit right in whether you’re on a Harry Potter tour across the U.K., exploring Diagon Alley at Harry Potter World in Orlando, or discovering its real-life Harry Potter London inspiration, Leadenhall Market...
