kkHere’s the deal — if you have little — or big — Harry Potter freaks in your home, go to Universal Studios in Orlando for the new Potter world. Not right now. Insanely popular with Euros — August will be nuts. But by the fall, that is the sweet spot.

The actual Harry Potter ride is quite the technical achievement. So much so that it broke down a couple times, forcing the park to stay open a couple hours past its official close time. The delay wrecked quite a few tour groups, many it seemed from overseas. Much crying ensued and with the crush of bodies, we crossed briefly from theme park to near refugee camp.

Still, very much worth it. And here is a pro tip — spring for the extra VIP “Express Pass” for the rides. Saved us hours and made it possible to do both Universal parks in one day, cheaper than doing it across two days.