Not only have we entered 2012 this week, but it's also the last few days of winter break for schoolchildren. If we're talking about college-age kids, then they've got a little longer. Regardless, this is the last dash time for family vacations at the theme parks in Orlando, FL...specifically at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

We've been a few times now since it opened 1.5 years ago, and each time we return with photo galleries and tips aplenty. If you're about to jet down to hit the park or are contemplating a last-minute mini-vacay, here's everything you need to know:

· Changes to ticket prices & ride seating
· Our complete, first-hand survival guide to the Potter park
· Photos from November 2011
· Photos of the all the FOOD
· Inside the Forbidden Journey castle & ride
· The souvenirs! Oh man, the souvenirs.
· Photos & video of the Hippogriff and Dragons roller coasters
· Even more photos (from the night before opening)

[Photo: Jaunted] ]]> JetSetCD 2012-01-02T16:22:01-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/12/1/1212/20120

Not gonna lie—our June 2010 visit to the opening of Universal Studios Orlando's Wizarding World of Harry Potter is definitely a highlight of our travels from the last few years. To some that might sound perfectly stupid since we're adults and can just as easily jet off to Phuket as to Orlando, but to those who've been and also found themselves similarly taken in, the sentiment is shared.

That's why today's news that Universal Studios Hollywood will get a Wizarding World of its own in 2014 or 2015 is so thrilling. That means, if all goes according to plan, that in a span of five years the United States will have become home to two Harry Potterlands selling chocolate frogs, running roller coasters and otherwise thumbing their nose at the UK, which doesn't even have one to call its own.

]]> JetSetCD 2011-12-01T15:32:31-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/11/11/122450/24

As the final Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 makes its way to the DVD today, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando is hosting “A Celebration of the Harry Potter Films” this weekend.

Special vacation packages (which were sold out an hour after going on sale this summer) will give fans a chance to attend Q&A sessions and autograph signing events with Harry Potter cast members, including everyone's favorite ginger Rupert Grint. There will also be red carpet arrivals, galas and screenings of all eight movies at the AMC Universal Cineplex 20 at Universal CityWalk.]]> cmb 2011-11-11T12:24:50-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/10/18/13519/467

Universal Studios Orlando is in the midst of its annual spooky-fest, Halloween Horror Nights. Each fall crowds converge on the park to experience the transformation; during the day the park welcomes guests of all ages to experience Shrek 4D, ride ET's bike, and hug Curious George while at night—for 15 nights every fall—the park turns itself into a big screen-like horror movie.

Eight writers work year round to come up with the themes and schemes that inhabit Universal's annual Halloween Horror Nights. While the details, both cinematic and thematic, are incredible, you have to wonder if maybe the eight writers got a little too intricate with some of these ideas (Spanish fort run by a mutinous undead crew of Columbus' missing fourth ship—we are looking at you). After all this isn't Lost. However, despite some of the themes being a bit convoluted, some are just downright scary (Saws n' Steam), some are incredibly visually compelling (Nevermore), and some just might be the future of fright (The In Between house).

We toured all eight haunted houses and here's what we think, in order from scariest to not so scary:]]> markj 2011-10-19T10:08:53-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/9/9/81845/43119

The calendar just turned to September, but it’s already time to start thinking about the end of October and thus, Halloween. Stores already have bags of the sweet stuff lining the shelves in advance of trick-or-treat season, and the folks at Universal Studios are ready to scare us silly.

Out in Hollywood it’s only a few more weeks until the frightening bits move into the park, and as in past years there will be plenty of mazes, scare zones, and even a special "backlot experience." ]]> kjb 2011-09-09T09:48:46-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/6/19/235347/270

Has it already been a year then? Universal Studios' The Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park just celebrated its first anniversary, after opening last June to much fan fare and continuting right through the winter and spring with crazy crowds. We were there on opening day, and although we're adults who travel around the world all year, being in the midst of that excitement still counts as one of the coolest things we did in 2010. The Wizarding World absolutely has the Jaunted seal of approval.

So, if you're heading down this summer for an icey mug of Butterbeer, a ride on the Chinese Fireball Dragon and maybe even a chocolate frog, there's a few things you need to know one year in: ]]> JetSetCD 2011-06-20T17:27:50-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/5/19/10348/0843

It was almost this time last year that Universal Studios Orlando's Wizarding World of Harry Potter opened, and we're not ashamed to say our time at the park created some of our most memorable and fun moments from 2010.

Instead of resting on their laurels, Universal just announced more improvements and new things coming to their Orlando park, although these won't be ready until next year. The biggest deal is that the movie Despicable Me will become a 3D "experience" ride to replace the Jimmy Neutron one already in place. Here's the lowdown on that: ]]> JetSetCD 2011-05-19T11:22:51-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/