Universal Orlando opened in 1990 under the name “Universal
Studios Florida.” It was developed to compete directly with Disney-MGM Studios –
now called Disney Hollywood Studios – which is only thirteen miles away. Nine
years later, an adjacent park, Islands of Adventure, opened. Both parks are
built around small lakes. The “islands” of Islands of Adventure are really just
waterfront zones. When we were here last, we were only interested in seeing the
Harry Potter-themed attractions, which were only in Islands of Adventure.
Everyone else seemed to have the same agenda. Flight of the Hippogriff,
Forbidden Journey and Hagrid’s Motorbike were slammed, as were Ollivander’s and
Honeydukes. The rest of the attractions were largely ignored. Today, there’s a
Harry Potter section in Universal Orlando as well, with an “Escape from
Gringotts” rollercoaster, Fortescue’s ice cream parlor, and Gregorovich’s wand
shop. There’s even a Hogwart’s Express to carry you from one park to the other.
How could we resist?
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