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    Hogwarts Express

    4.3 (115 reviews)

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    At King's Cross Station
    Anton F.

    The magical locomotive that transports passengers from London King's Cross Station at Universal Studios Florida to Hogsmeade Station at Universal Island of Adventure side to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Take a 5 minute ride to see the countryside of the Wizarding World and get from one side of the part to the other.

    Amy S.

    I for real though this was going to be like the Disney train at Magic Kingdom that just took you to one place to another with not much to see. Boy, was I wrong!! This was a for real adventure. It was so cool. I literally felt like I was in my own private train car and we were passing all the Harry Potter stuff along the way. Now I've never read the books or saw the movies, so I certainly don't know much when it comes to Harry Potter, but I know this was one awesome experience and I can only imagine how off the charts awesome it is for Harry Potter fans. We went from Universal to Islands and I've heard the ride is different going from Islands to Universal. I intend on finding out about that very soon! It is wonderful they put this in place to go park-to-park. It use to be such a pain to have to go to the front of the Park and walk through CityWalk just to get to Islands or vice versa. This is so very convenient. We did wait about 25 minutes, but it would have probably taken longer than that to walk to Islands and then have to go through the front gates again with our tickets. So I'm all for this! Yay Universal!

    Alexis B.

    The Hogwarts Express was definitely our longest wait when I visited Universal Florida with my mom and stepdad last month (1-1.5 hours). But it's a must do, right? How fun (and a dream!!!) to wait for a train to take you to Hogwarts?! The line was slow and very long, so I'd watch the app and try to pick the best timing based on waits. We rode it from Diagon Alley to Hogsmeade (I know some people ride it both ways since it's different), and it was fun. You sit in your cabin and there are screens on both sides of the cabin (the window and the door to the hall of the train). Just FYI you have to have a dual park pass (Universal + Islands of Adventure) to take the Hogwarts Express; to save money, we paid for one day with the dual park and one day for a single park. Worth it, but be prepared for a wait!

    Hogwarts Express at the station!
    Amanda L.

    Loved the Hogwarts Express! I like that it's a little journey kind of ride in and of itself in addition to transporting you from one side of Harry Potter World to the other! It truly gives you the feel of riding the train and is a mini adventure in and of itself. I actually wish the journey was longer so you could just enjoy it all a bit more! My favorite thing about the Hogwarts Express is that it doesn't "turn around," it just goes forward (facing Hogsmeade) and then basically backs up its booty into King's Cross Station at Diagon Alley. Since we were getting on the train at Diagon Alley, this was probably the most hilarious sight to see as the train came back to our station to pick us up. Loved everything about the Hogwarts Express!

    Hogwarts Express train
    Winny L.

    Quick ride to get from one side of Universal to the other - however, one must have their own park 2 park pass (part of the ticket if you plan to visit both parks in a day) to ride the Hogwarts Express train. Tickets are scanned upon entry. Lines can be long to wait for the train but the ride itself is only 5 minutes and passengers must remain seated in their car and watch the animation. Saves the 15-20 minute walk from side of Universal to the other side. This is for all the Harry Potter fans but anyone can enjoy... if the wait is too long, just save yourself the time and just walk.

    07.18.19 Board the Hogwarts Express from King's Cross Station in London to Hogsmeade Station in Universal's Islands of Adventure
    May A.

    Universal Studios (Florida) THE WIZARDING WORLD OF HARRY POTTER - Diagon Alley When we walked through the brick wall at King's Cross Station in London to Platform 9-3/4 to queue up for the train ride we didn't know that there was another part of the resort that it will drop us off to, which is another park!It dropped us off at Hogsmeade Station in Universal's Islands of Adventure. The resort is a 2-park resort and one must have a Park-to-Park admission ticket, it's the only way a guest can ride the Hogwarts Express between parks. Inside the train was cool. Each compartment held 8 people. This is an actual train that moves but we can't see the outside. Instead the windows had some type of a video monitor showing rolling scenes from the movie. The trip was about 4-mins long. Sorry, I cannot relate to the movie as I am ashamed to say that I do not follow the Potter World but my daughter is a big fan. There were some odd moments aboard the slowly moving train where the lights flickered, and somewhat scary events can be heard taking place. Did that happen in the movie? Didn't expect all that but it was a nice touch. The Hogwarts Express takes guests on two very different journeys, so this is one ride that Potter fans will definitely want to board twice. Unfortunately for us though we only went one way and our interests took us to a different path inside the park. Cool experience... Review #1584

    Kim V.

    A realistic red train that brings you from and to Islands of Adventures and Universal Studios. The steam bellows out of the train, the employees were dressed like train conductors. I really felt like I was going to Hogwarts. Once you're in the train station, you wait in a line that looks like you're in an actual train station. You get up to platform 9 3/4 and wait to get on the magical train. The cabin seats about 6 grown adults. I've never been in a train with cabins but I feel like this was realistic. The window is a screen of the train riding through the countryside. You'll see an owl and Hagrid fly by. The doors illuminates with the shadows of Harry, Hermione, and Ron. (And a dementor). It's truly a fun and peaceful ride and you should ride both directions.

    Ariel W.

    The last time I was at the park they only had the Islands of Adventure Hogsmeade side open. There was a replica of the train that you could take pictures with but it was not on a track. With the expansion of the Wizarding World into the Universal side of the park, this became one of the rides I was most interested in experiencing. You can ride Hogwarts Express as long as you have purchased a two park pass. On the night we visited our after hours ticket for the Orlando Informer Meetup provided access to the Wizarding World in both parks so we were able to ride the train. You enter the train station at Kings Cross Station which is a quarter scale replica of the real station in London. On the wall are colorful posters for tourist destinations in London. Luggage is artfully stacked waiting to be loaded on the train for the students trip to Hogwarts. At the platform for 9 3/4 it looks like the people ahead of you are walking through a wall as described in the books. It uses the same Pepper's Ghost illusion that makes the ghosts dance in the banquet hall in the haunted mansion in Disney world. On the night we visited we rode the train both ways. You sit in a railway car that looks like the one in movies. On one side you have a screen that shows scenes and characters as you travel. On the hallway side of the car shadows of characters and the dementors pass by your closed door. At one point chocolate frogs escaped from their trolley cart and adhered themselves to our door. You can hear characters speak as they go past. Most of them sounded great except for Hermione whose voice sounded nothing like Emma Watson. The scenes and shadows were very entertaining. There is always something to look at at during the duration of the short ride. What you see and hear depends on which direction you are traveling. It changes depending on whether you are leaving Kings Cross station for Hogsmeade or going from Hogsmeade back to Kings Cross Station. If you are a Harry Potter fan you will love this ride. Like so much in the Wizarding World, great attention was paid to the details. It was quite brilliant of Universal to place the Wizarding World between the two parks in order to push people into purchasing the more expensive multi park pass. This ride allows you to stay immersed in the Wizarding world while connecting between the two parks.

    Sarah S.

    The Hogwarts Express is pretty much the coolest way ever invented to get from one park to another. You can take this train from Diagon Alley (Kings Cross Station) in Universal Studios over to Hogsmeade (Hogsmeade Station) in Islands of Adventure & vice versa. While on the train, you get an amazing little show! Be sure to watch both sides while you're in your compartment. And also be sure to take it in both directions from park to park as the show is slightly different. You have to have park to park admission at Universal to get into the train stations. The ride itself is less than 5 minutes but sometimes the wait can get very long...2 hours while I was there! The earlier you ride this train, the better. I found riding right at 9am when the park opens is best, as with most rides at Universal. So...get to Diagon Alley during the first hour the park is open for early admission, then ride the train as soon as it opens one hour later with the rest of the parks. As with most rides, I don't want to ruin it for you but just know you must make this a "Must Do" while at Universal.

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    It's obvious that you're looking at screens, but the ride is awesome. The experience is different both ways. I'm not gonna spoil it.

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    Review Highlights - Hogwarts Express

    I would make sure to take it both ways from kings cross to Hogsmeade and then from Hogsmeade to kings cross...

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    Universal's Islands of Adventure - The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™

    Universal's Islands of Adventure

    4.0(1.5k reviews)
    0.3 miDr. Phillips, Horizons West / West Orlando

    When I consider the Universal park I'd like to visit again, this would be my first pick. There's so…read moremuch we didn't get to experience due to sharing the day between two parks. Jurrasic Park, Superheroes, Harry Potter, and classic cartoon characters are the standout themes here and the rides are made for older kids and adults. The park closed at 9p and I loved how you could get in line up until that time versus them closing entry early. Next visit we will consider the ride passes. It was an obvious difference in waiting time. SO expensive though, even without this add on. We'll be back Orlando!

    So let me start by saying the park itself is great, but the overall experience isn't anywhere close…read moreto what you get at Walt Disney World. First issue was early entry. We were told to go to Universal Studios Florida, but when we got there, we were redirected to Islands of Adventure. Once we got over there, the line was absolutely nuts. It took about 30 minutes just to get through entry, and the whole process felt disorganized compared to Disney, which runs this kind of thing way more smoothly. Second, the photo pass system was a big letdown. We bought it thinking it would be similar to Disney with lots of photo opportunities throughout the park. Not even close. I think we found maybe three spots total. Even when meeting characters, those photos weren't included; we had to use our own camera, which honestly made no sense. Total waste of money. Now, on the flip side, the Express Pass was hands down the best part of the trip. Since we stayed at one of the resorts, it was included, and it made a huge difference. In my opinion, this is actually better than anything Disney offers right now. That part you all absolutely nailed. The staff we interacted with were friendly and helpful, so no complaints there. The layout of the parks can be a little confusing at times, but that's not a dealbreaker, just something to be aware of. Overall, we did have a great time. The girls had an absolute blast, which is what matters most. We mainly went for the The Wizarding World of Harry Potter areas, and those definitely lived up to the hype. Would we go back? Honestly, not sure. Glad we went, but there are some things that would need to improve for us to choose it again over Disney.

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    Fun Spot America - Ride like the wind on our Liberty Swing,

    Fun Spot America

    4.1(391 reviews)
    1.0 miInternational Drive / I-Drive

    Fun Spot America is a long-established business here in Orlando, Florida that can appeal to both…read morethe tourists and those of us fortunate enough to call Orlando home. It is nostalgic coming here and a great place to bring kids. Think like an old-school carnival or fair that is here year-round and you are just scratching at the surface. I would definitely recommend here. Go check it out and indulge the inner child within you.

    I recently brought two students here for a field trip and we had a good time overall!…read moreWe purchased tickets through Groupon for $62 (regular price is $69 for unlimited rides), which I think is a great deal considering how much they were able to do. I also liked that there's no entry fee for non-riders and you can purchase rides à la carte. I ended up paying $12 for a go-kart ride and LOVED it We got there around 12 PM and it wasn't crowded at all. The lines were super short, so the students were able to ride things 3-4 times with no problem, which made it even more worth it. One of the best deals was the all day dining pass (you have to buy it online). For $24, you get 2 meals and a snack, which is a steal compared to the regular menu prices. Our first stop was Cluckees where we had tenders, wings, and fries. The portions were HUGE and everything was tasty, especially the fries. None of us could even finish our food! For our snack, we grabbed ice cream. The kids loved it, but it wasn't my favorite. Later, we went back to Cluckees for a chicken sandwich and fries for dinner. This time it wasn't as good as earlier. Maybe a different cook or just an off moment. We didn't spend time in the arcade and stayed mostly outside. The park is a pretty decent size with plenty to do. Even as the day went on and traffic picked up, it never felt overly packed. The staff was friendly and very laid back, which added to the relaxed vibe of the day. Overall, it was a good experience. The kids really enjoyed it. I'd give it a 3.5. Btw I think there is a bee problem there. I saw bees flying around often. Not enough to ruin the experience, but I definitely noticed them.

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    Universal Studios Florida - The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™

    Universal Studios Florida

    3.5(2.9k reviews)
    0.3 miDr. Phillips, Horizons West / West Orlando

    Theme Park I had…read morebeen waiting for the kids to get old enough where it would make sense to hit these larger and more sophisticated theme parks and man, it was worth the wait! We took advantage of a package deal that was offered online and headed to Orlando. We booked accommodations at one of the newer hotels that are part of Universal (Terra Luna) and that was also a great experience. We got to the park the same day we arrived and after a few minutes getting the tickets scanned and validated, we were on our way. We opted for Universal park first and entered pretty much into minion land. From that point onward, the day was a blur of walking, riding the attractions and just marveling at the details that go into a place like this. Of all the attractions in this park, the one that the kids kept wanting to go back to was the entire Harry Potter area - they really do a spectacular job with the attractions and when the giant dragon on top of Gringotts decides to blow fire, you feel the heat wave pass you by. The park is pretty much set up in a large circle and we did a few laps that day we were here. There are plenty of food beverage options available in the park- and as you might expect, those are not going to be exactly cheap. We ate at Krusty burger over in Simpsons land and to be fair, while expensive, the food was actually better than expected for this type of venue. Definitely something for everyone at this park and sure to engage pretty much most of the age groups. I enjoyed the attractions as much as the kids did to be honest. Be prepared to walk - bring those extra comfy shoes and don't forget the sunscreen and sunglasses. A wonderful time and we are already planning another visit.

    So let me start by saying the park itself is great, but the overall experience isn't anywhere close…read moreto what you get at Walt Disney World. First issue was early entry. We were told to go to Universal Studios Florida, but when we got there, we were redirected to Islands of Adventure. Once we got over there, the line was absolutely nuts. It took about 30 minutes just to get through entry, and the whole process felt disorganized compared to Disney, which runs this kind of thing way more smoothly. Second, the photo pass system was a big letdown. We bought it thinking it would be similar to Disney with lots of photo opportunities throughout the park. Not even close. I think we found maybe three spots total. Even when meeting characters, those photos weren't included; we had to use our own camera, which honestly made no sense. Total waste of money. Now, on the flip side, the Express Pass was hands down the best part of the trip. Since we stayed at one of the resorts, it was included, and it made a huge difference. In my opinion, this is actually better than anything Disney offers right now. That part you all absolutely nailed. The staff we interacted with were friendly and helpful, so no complaints there. The layout of the parks can be a little confusing at times, but that's not a dealbreaker, just something to be aware of. Overall, we did have a great time. The girls had an absolute blast, which is what matters most. We mainly went for the The Wizarding World of Harry Potter areas, and those definitely lived up to the hype. Would we go back? Honestly, not sure. Glad we went, but there are some things that would need to improve for us to choose it again over Disney.

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    Marvel Super Hero Island

    Marvel Super Hero Island

    4.7(20 reviews)
    0.4 miDr. Phillips, Horizons West / West Orlando

    Old school (pre Disney) Marvel comics, ride, and stores in Islands of Adventure in Orlando…read more Lots of comic book themed colors and designs here, good for those who are historic comic fans and the meet & greets here looked like fun if busy lines. The Hulk coaster, Fearfall wasn't on when we were there, and the Spiderman 4D experience. End of the day could've used some cleaning, someone had thrown up or really lost a meal on the ground, no one out there cleaning it up...

    Marvel Super Hero Island is located at Universal's Islands of Adventure. It's off to the left side…read moreas soon as you enter the theme park. This area opened in 1999 and is themed from the comic books! All of the buildings in the area have the comic book style architecture and has features themed from iconic Marvel Characters. I really liked how the buildings have special chrome illusion paint. Depending on where you view the building or at a different angle, with specific lighting, it changes how the buildings look! It's pretty cool. There are variety of theme park rides in Marvel Super Hero Island. The Incredible Hulk Coaster: This is a super fast ride! It goes from 0 to 40 mph in just two seconds! The ride can reach up to 67 mph though and has a variety of inversions! The Amazing Spider-Man: This is a 3D dark ride. It's a slow ride though! It combines motion simulation and special effects to immerse you in the ride! You'll get to see Spider Man and a few villains from the series! Doctor Doom Fearfall: This ride is a drop ride. You'll be launched up to close to 200 feet in the air! I try to avoid this ride though. Drop rides are a little scary for me! Storm Force Accelatron: It's a spinning ride. It's based on the X-Men series. You're helping storm defeat Magneto! There are a lot of Meet and Greets in this area! Last time I was here, I saw Wolverine and Captain America! You can also see other superheroes like Spider-man or even villains such as Doctor Doom or the Green Goblin! If you're looking for dining options there is the Captain America Diner, and some other quick service options like Aunt Anne's! There are some stores you can shop in for Marvel merchandise which offers collectible, toys, apparel and so much more! My mom and I spent a few hours at Marvel Super Hero Island. It has a lot of attractions and stores!

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    Marvel Super Hero Island - Outside

    Outside

    Marvel Super Hero Island - Captain American, Iron Man and Thor

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    ICON Park - There are jumbo games like Connect 4 & these girls got Mickey and Minnie hats from The Secret Service Agency Entertainment Company !

    ICON Park

    3.7(553 reviews)
    2.2 miInternational Drive / I-Drive

    Another "go big or go home" Orlando destination spot for tourists, complete with its own eye (The…read moreWheel). The entertainment complex has a variety of restaurants ranging in price , including my beloved Shake Shack. There are shops, an aquarium, was museum, arcades, live music, illusion museum, and several other places on the twenty acre complex I'm not sure about parking other than knowing it's free. I usually walk over from my hotel when in town for conferences. It's something to do in evening after sitting all day listening to speakers.

    The Jacksonville Fun, Eats & Drinks crew recently took a midweek day off for a day trip to Orlando…read more Did we go to the house of Mouse? Nope. We wanted to so something a little different so I poked around online and ended up buying a combo deal for attractions in ICON Park which is in the center of I-Drive. You can find it on Google Maps by clicking HERE. The bundle I bought us had admission for The Orlando Eye which is the huge observation wheel, Madame Tussauds Wax Museum and the Sea Life Aquarium. There's a huge parking garage which is $20 for the first 3 floors but free for the 4th floor and up, so of course, we parked on the 4th floor. There's a ton of food options between walk up and sit down joints. We picked a Mexican joint called Uncle Julio's. It was good for the price and location. Nothing super special but again, good for the price. Our day hit a bump in the road when we walked over to the attractions entrance. A guy named Malcom met us, I showed him my email receipt and he immediately said "oh, the Eye (the observation wheel) is down today". At first, he said they'd have to refund the 3 attraction combo ticket I bought, then I'd have to go online and re-buy a 2 attraction ticket. I didn't get upset or anything. I just calmly said "wait. Y'all can't help me with that right here?" and he said "give me a minute, let me see what I can figure out". To his credit, he really did have to jump through some hoops. The system was trying to force "surge pricing" on the transaction because of how busy they were and he was just trying to take care of a customer. I feel bad for a lot of customer service workers these days because their hands are so tied by some of these point of sale systems. He kept at it though and found a way to get the price down to what I would've paid if I'd just bought the 2 attractions a few weeks ago instead of 3. So again, huge shout out to Malcom for going the extra mile and overcoming a system he shouldn't have had to. We ended up having a fantastic day around Icon Park and I will share a separate post about how much fun we had with a test run at Ripley's Crazy Golf. I just really thought the customer service we received from Malcom was worth a post of it's own. A version of this review originally appeared in the Jacksonville Fun, Eats & Drinks Facebook group.

    Photos
    ICON Park - There are Super cool balloon artists making balloon outfits in various places around the world the park this kid had a pirate sword and bird

    There are Super cool balloon artists making balloon outfits in various places around the world the park this kid had a pirate sword and bird

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    Diagon Alley - Diagon Alley entrance

    Diagon Alley

    4.8(276 reviews)
    0.4 miDr. Phillips, Horizons West / West Orlando

    Hearing about it or seeing pictures is one thing, but being there in the middle of the buildings…read moreand shops is spectacular. This is a section you can spend only a little of your time in or it might be where you spend the bulk of your time. That likely depends on how many of the shops and restaurants you want to visit in the area. You may also be fans of the magical wands and making things move in the windows. I really enjoyed seeing the pages of the book come alive as well as several visitors, dressed in robes and other Harry Potter themed clothing. This is a fantastic spot for picture taking as well. It does get quite crowded in certain areas so hold onto your patience and enjoy the experience.

    This is in the London section of Universal Studios Florida. When you're coming out of the King's…read moreCross Station you can see the triple-decker purple night bus, and Stan and the shrunken head are there - turn around. The unremarkable brick wall where it looks almost like you're heading to the loo is where you'll want to enter (we walked right by it the first time). It's all wet on the grounds here... turns out that's key to something later. Yes, it's wider and bigger than the one in the movie, part of that for safety reasons, I'm sure. Diagon Alley has a loop around (particularly if you're getting in the early line for Escape from Gringotts) that loops you around and there are stores from the movies and books - colorful shops are selling wizarding souvenirs and toys, and the Gringotts bank at the end of one street with a full-sized dragon that breathes fire about every 10min (look for sounds that spell it starting to grumble and burst into flames) from the roof of Gringotts. That's probably why the area is wet - to keep flame from causing issues. Second gen wands in kid's and adult hands summon things from the windows and fountains, Leaky Cauldron eats, butter beer (frozen is better!), and the Weasley Wheezes shop and Honeydukes were both here and packed. Only one ride here - Escape from Gringotts (I don't count the train next door, I suppose from King's Cross to IoA), and there's a nice touch with the small alleyway beside Leaky Cauldron that leads you to Knockturn Alley with a mermaid skeleton, giant skulls and random movie paraphernalia and swag you can buy like t-shirts and skulls. Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour has excellent ice cream - probably the best in all of the park. Definitely a beautiful and true-to-the-movies representation (on an amusement park scale). Too bad only one ride here but there are multiple opportunities to immerse into the world with food, treats, shopping, the Knight bus, Olivanders, the money exchange, dragon, ice cream, Leaky Cauldron, and more treats.

    Photos
    Diagon Alley - Inside Leaky Cauldron at Universal Studios Florida. *The* Leaky Cauldron (I think).

    Inside Leaky Cauldron at Universal Studios Florida. *The* Leaky Cauldron (I think).

    Diagon Alley - 11.21.22 The Knight Bus where troubled wizards slept, ate, and traveled by in order to find their way

    11.21.22 The Knight Bus where troubled wizards slept, ate, and traveled by in order to find their way

    Diagon Alley

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    Super Nintendo World

    Super Nintendo World

    4.6(35 reviews)
    3.1 miInternational Drive / I-Drive

    Colorful, full of life and BUSY! This location is a Nintendo fan's dream, but be aware that…read moreeveryone wants to visit. There are interactive areas, 3 rides, 1 hidden attraction, lots of food and character experiences and tons of photo-ops. Shoutout to the amazing Team Members with the characters, they have some serious crowd control jobs and offer great moments with Mario, Luigi, Peach and Yoshi. I do miss Donkey Kong and TOAD and I hope they return soon.

    We definitely felt dropped into a Mario Bros / Super Nintendo game or movie. The space, while…read moresmall, is colorful and contain the elements you'd expect to see - Yoshi, boxes to hit for sounds and points, mushrooms, Bowser, etc. Even the gift shops are fun with their apparel and character accessories. (Did a Yoshi hat come home with us? Yes, yes it did.) This space will not be appreciated by everyone - not because we don't love Mario Bros but because it is small and full of people in every corner. It offers a few attractions and it is a huge commitment to stand in line for a short thrill. We did ride Bowser's ride. It allowed for single riders. It delays regularly though - in our case a cart had to be removed and replaced on the track. It involves a lot of technology the way the game is designed. Our family of 4 did not understand the game at all and how we even gathered points. Thankfully we didn't stand in line as long and wouldn't recommend anyone else does. Sadly the other rides were not part of our day due to the lengthy wait times and in the case of Donkey Kong, so backed up that the single rider line was closed. We witnessed a lot of happy kids running around and tapping question marked boxes. Even for my older teen / adult children they stood in the space and smiled while they took it in. It was the first place they wanted to see upon our arrival.

    Photos
    Super Nintendo World - Portal at night

    Portal at night

    Super Nintendo World
    Super Nintendo World - Super Nintendo World photo ops at Universal Epic Universe

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    Super Nintendo World photo ops at Universal Epic Universe

    Hogwarts Express - amusementparks - Updated May 2026

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