Jaunted

On Flight of the Hippogriff, you'll be able to bow to the Buckbeak, Hagrid's pet Hippogriff, before climbing the first hill. Even while waiting in line, you can pass by Hagrid's hut and listen to the distant barking of his dog, Fang. It's all very cute and not scary in the least bit.

Meanwhile, Dragon Challenge brings out the heart-racing, oh-my-god-I'm-going-to-die chills of the Triwizard Tournament by first taking you through the champions' tent and giving you glimpses of both the Goblet of Fire and the Triwizard Cup. Then, you're descending into caves with a soundtrack of aggravated dragons all around, and you're abruptly faced with the decision: would you rather ride on the Chinese Fireball or the Hungarian Horntail? We did both, and although the Fireball felt like a longer ride, the Horntail was so fast that we could hear the wind whooshing past our ears. Of course the Horntail is already the favorite, since it's the one against which Harry fought in the third movie.

This brings us to the third "ride," Harry Potter and The Forbidden Journey. It is not a roller coaster, but an experience that incorporates a motion ride with cinematic effects and a specially-made film starring the big names from the movies. Because this is such a huge part of The Wizarding World experience (heck, it takes up all of Hogwarts Castle), we'll come back to it in a later story, so stay tuned!

Disclosure: We're at The Wizarding World as a guest of Universal Studios, but all views expressed here are completely our own.

[All photos & video: Jaunted]