Fellow Potterheads, I know you’ve seen the ads all over social media as I have so for my birthday this year (Dec. 18) I had to check it out. It’s the Ravenclaw curiosity in me, what can I say?
The Harry Potter series (regardless of your opinions of J.K. Rowling) was instrumental in my life growing up and into adulthood. There’s something about those characters, those stories that all these years later still have a hold on an entire generation. We all know the house we belong in, we all have a favorite character and we all have an opinion on how the books ended. The minute I heard that there was going to be a Forbidden Forest experience, I knew I had to see it and live out some of my Harry Potter dreams.
To start, we had to wait in a long line of cars but it wasn’t too bad. We were there maybe 20-30mins and then directed which way to go to get to the parking lot. Once in the parking lot, we walked to a bus that took us to the experience.
You start in a bazaar section which is where you can get food, drinks, candy, etc. but don’t worry, you’ll end up there so you don’t have to get everything at once. When you’re ready to start, you begin the walk through the forest where you walk through familiar Harry Potter scenes like Hagrid and Fang, bowing to a hippogriff, a wand fight, fighting dementors and determining your Patronus, surprising Aragog and so much more!
Overall, Harry Potter fans will have a good time spotting parts of the books/movies they remember and immersing themselves in the experience. There isn’t a ton of interacting points but they’re spread out well enough. Also, adults, they served alcohol so in the beginning, and then again halfway through, treat yourself! Since you’re walking through a park, there aren’t many places to stop and sit or to even go to the bathroom. It’s not a long walk but you’re not going to want to miss anything so it’ll be more of a stroll with photos.
I had a great time and though it was a little expensive, it was a great moment to feel like a kid again and relive that love I had for Harry Potter originally.
