Harry Potter, Universal Studios, FL

We won't spend a lot of time reviewing the great and powerful Universal Studios as there are literally hundreds of sites that have done that. Instead we will just give the tips that made our trip to this amazing park so much more special.

Rating:

2 full six-packs! This is the most immersive experience and you don't feel like you are in the movie, but rather that you have traveled to a real magical place.

Get the 2 park pass - this gets you the trip on the Hogwarts Express.

Use the calendar on the Universal Studios site to plan your trip. It shows when they are busy and when they aren't. It is so much better when you aren't waiting in line all day.

Before going to the park, download the Universal Orlando Wait Times app so you know how long each line is for the rides.

Purchase tickets ahead of time online and then you can use a super-secret side-entrance near the Blue Man Group Theater, whose little-to-no wait time will have you feeling anything but blue.

All you have to do is ask. At the Men in Black, Alien Attack ride, you can get a special tour of the immigration room if the ride isn't super busy. Just speak to one of the team members inside, and they will escort you around the ground floor, where you can peek through alien transport papers, old tabloids, and hobnob with a few legal aliens. And if you're really lucky, the team member may just escort you all the way to the front of the line.

You don't need a Marauder's Map to navigate the halls of Hogwarts Castle at Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. If it's your first visit, hop in the Castle Tour Line, which also doubles as the Single Rider Line. The regular ride line often rushes guests through the castle rooms in order to get as many people on the attraction as possible, but the Castle Tour Line gives Muggle visitors a little more time to pore over every nook, cranny, moving portrait, and enchanted object in Hogwarts. At the end of the tour, simply go back to the entrance, put your belongings in a locker, and head back in line to hop on the ride.

Do real magic in Diagon Alley & Hogsmeade thanks to some pretty high-tech Muggle engineering throughout Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade, at the Universal Orlando parks. Just walking around the two park sections can make even the most casual Potter fan squeal like a potted mandrake, but park engineers wanted to give guests an even more immersive experience. Universal installed motion sensors around the two Potter parks that produce "magic" effects when guests stand in certain spots and perform the accompanying spells with a specially-designed interactive wand.

Spell locations are marked by brass engravings in the pavement, which tell witches and wizards which direction to face, the spell command, and its wand movement. Some spells are more difficult than others, so just remember that, as Hermione would tell you, practice makes perfect. If you don't get it to work right away, just keep trying.

Interactive wands can obviously be purchased at Ollivander's in both parks (and at the Hollywood location) and also Wands by Gregorovitch in Diagon Alley, but the lines are long to get in, avoid this by getting yours at any giftshop in the park. The wand chooses the wizard, so make sure you've got the right one, and you'll be conjuring up fun in no time.

Be sure to use your maps in the Diagon Alley black lights.

At King's Cross station, you'll notice an advertisement for perfume — which is a nod to a scene in the Half-Blood Prince movie.

In the phone booth at the entrance of Diagon Alley, you can dial MAGIC (62442) and it will connect you to the Ministry of Magic.

If you stop by 12 Grimmauld Place and you are patient, you'll see Kreacher make an appearance in the window.

When in line for the Forbidden Journey ride, listen closely by the potions classroom and you can hear a teacher lecturing behind the Potions classroom door.

In the bathrooms at Hogsmeade, you’ll hear Moaning Myrtle’s complaints and cries.

At the Magical Menagerie, there's a Crumple-Horned Snorkack, which is one of Luna's favorite creatures. Also at the Magical Menagerie shop is a snake. If you stand outside the window, it will speak to you in Parseltongue, and then English.

When you stop by Gladrags Wizardwear, you'll see a cat made out of measuring tape. Its tail also moves! Stand in front of the mirror and hear the mirror critique your outfit.

Go to the Money Exchange, you can ask the Goblin any question and he'll respond.

With the interactive wands available, you can cast your own spells throughout Diagon Alley. One of our favorites was to make the umbrella rain on unsuspecting people in front of Droobles shop. If you yell, "Metelojinx!" and move your wand the correct way, water will pour down from the umbrella above.

Simpsons fun

Outside the Kwik-E-Mart in Springfield at Universal Studios, pick up the phone when it rings and you'll hear Simpsons characters on the other line.

And at Moe's Tavern, you can buy a "Flaming Moe" drink — This is not on the menu but when you ask for it they make you an orange soda with dry ice.

On the Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit roller coaster, you can hold down the logo on the screen and access a secret playlist.

Barbra Jean Jo Barbara and Randy Randerson going for an unsanctioned spin on the movie used rickshaw from Indiana Jones.

Tip:

Soak it all in and be sure to look around for the details, this is an amazing park and they have done a wonderful job to make it special for all movie lovers.