“For in dreams we enter a world that is entirely our own."

I crave to experience the real, the amazing, the thought provoking and the unbelievable but I think there is something truly magical about experiencing the fictional. I think getting lost in the world of a story is something a lot of us enjoy experiencing. It’s escapism. For a short while we can immerse ourselves in their world. It comes to life. I became spellbound by a series of books and films that were a large part of my childhood and I got the opportunity to visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando. We queued up in the Floridian winter sun listening to the families chatting, crowds swarming and laughter glowing. Unhappiness does not appear to be an emotion felt here. The tension was rising. We pushed our tickets through the revolving gate. We passed the stores, cinema, the smell of hotdogs alongside smoked turkey legs; tourists posing on a surfboard in a Bondi sized wave. Logos and shop signs all bursting off their buildings to capture our attention and the towering palm trees above us. The iconic Universal globe spinning on its axis and basking in its location. I looked ahead, there it was. Hogwarts Castle. I froze as my mind buzzed. This was the image I had imagined, I had seen on TV. It was in front of me. Across the water I could see the turrets and grey stone detail. Arriving at the Wizarding World we stepped off the concrete onto the cobbled street with the snow covered roofs and the magical theme tune residing through my ears. We were greeted by the conductor of The Hogwarts Express, wearing a London bus coloured vest under a brown suit. A vase smashed as a muggle swished their wand in Olivanders. Moaning Myrtle is wallowing in the bathrooms. Owls squark above in the barn. The creamy, spiced butter beer on my lips, chipping a tooth on a rock cake and avoiding the vomit flavoured Bertie Botts every flavour beans. Having the contents of my stomach swirl and churn as we ride the Hungarian Horntail rollercoaster. Everything from J.K Rowling’s imagination is alive. I met other flamboyant fans in The Three Broomsticks and I think this increases the zesty energy. It was like everything in the park was the mise en scene through my eyes and now in the words of Ronald Weasley it was ‘bloody brilliant’.