H. D. Dodson

Today, I am going to give you some Vacation/Theme Park tips from a Floridian who has been there and done all that. Me!

So, Florida is full of tourists on any given day of the week. We have beaches, Disney World, Universal, Miami, the rich and famous…let’s face it: Florida’s got it goin’ on.

I also never fail to notice that tourists don’t understand how to work the system around here. So, for my select lovelies, I’m gonna give you tips a la Harry Potter.First, just because it’s cool, here’s my quill and parchment I used to send letters home from Hogsmead!

Now, as most of us Florida residents know, when you get to a theme park (the minute it opens) you go straight to the attraction you most want to see. No lallygagging, girls! Hogsmead was amazing…beautiful…while the crowds were minimal. The later the day got, the more people showed up. Tourists — some from the states, most from England and Switzerland.

Then, first thing when you get to Hogsmead, go ahead and grab a butterbeer. There was no line when we got there, but later in the day it was miles long. By the way butterbeer tastes like you’re drinking butter cream frosting. Seriously. It’s delicious, but soooo sweet!

Then, if you are a purveyor of rides, you need to make your way to a line. The earlier in the day you ride, the shorter the line is going to be. As of about 10am the wait for the ride in Hogwarts was only 30 minutes. (All of the walkways and stores in Hogsmead are really small. That’s why they look so crowded. But trust me, the crowds weren’t bad at all until about 1pm)

After you’ve ridden your little hearts out, go find the Three Broomsticks and settle in for an early lunch. If you wait until noon to eat the lines will be ridiculous, and you may not get a table very quickly. We ate at about 11 and were seated immediately with our delicious fare.

After lunch, head over to Honeydukes for desert. The cauldron cake was phenomenal. Oh, and don’t leave without a box of salt water taffy…omg…best taffy EVER. Seriously. Get the taffy…and send me a box while you’re at it.

One thing Non-Floridians don’t realize is: while we are called the Sunshine State, it actually rains almost every day. During the summer it does rain every day. Every. Single. Day. Usually the rain will hold off until late afternoon when the clouds finally blow in from the coast — instant thunderstorm. So, another benefit of going early in the day. We left at about 1 or 1:30, had been through all the shops and bought WAY too much stuff. (see below for proof) So we were back at the hotel when the clouds let loose their fury.

Overall, everything was amazing. If you need anything just ask any worker you see. They’re all more than happy to snap a picture for you, or tell you where to find a broomstick.