The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is set to open here in Hollywood, California on April 7th and California geeks have been freaking out. Within the last week, my Facebook feed has been filled with nothing but photos from the soft opening of the park. Friends shamelessly posing with their wands out, mugs of butterbeer poised for the first sweet sip, and I am sitting here behind my screen silently judging.
Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Harry Potter and the franchise. I admit with pride I have read the series from start to finish well over eight times (I know, I need to branch out). I fell in love with the books in the Spring of 2000 after I picked up a copy of The Chamber of Secrets in a Ross! Yes, that's right, I bought a copy of Harry Potter from Ross! Tells you where it stood in popularity then! Anyways, I fell in love with the book and had to trace back to The Sorcerers Stone and continued to The Prisoner of Azkaban were I became sad to find out there weren't more books published! I counted down the release to The Goblet of Fire, and realized then what a legion of fans were out there.
I have obviously not outgrown my love of the books and was fairly satisfied with the movie franchise. I have never had the chance to make it to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando, Florida, so the Hollywood version may be the only park I experience for a very long time. However, even though I love the books and movies, here are the reasons why I won't be flocking to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter anytime within the next year:
1. Overcrowding: How much can you truly enjoy when there are so many people pressing in around you? I have heard that there are so many amazing details to observe and take in, there is no way you can do that with much pleasure when the crowds around you are trying to do the same thing. For those of you with Disneyland experience, how much fun do you have on a crowded day at the park? When the wait time for a ride is well over an hour and it lasts maybe five minutes (and that is a generous estimate!). There also isn't as much space here as in Florida, so I am sure that things are going to feel a little more cramped than they might at the other park.
2. Parking: Parking has always been pretty bad when you visit Universal or The City Walk, but now with record numbers of people flocking to the new attraction, I am willing to say it will be even harder to get a spot! Also, for those of you who are local drivers, I can tell you that the freeway off-ramp has been backing up for the exit of Universal Studios since people have found out that they can go and see The Wizarding World of Harry Potter before the official opening! I mean, who doesn't love sitting in traffic on the 101 followed by increased waiting to exit the freeway?
3. Getting it Perfect: Like anything new, there are bound to be a few kinks and bugs. Why rush to go so close to the opening when you know that there are going to be things that can only be tested with real attendance numbers. It is hard to tell when/if a ride is going to break down, or how fast you can get people in and out of an attraction when you are just guessing at the volume of visitors. Nothing is every truly known until it is done. I would much rather wait-it-out to see how the shows, rides, and shops deal with the large number of people entering the gates.
4. Florida has more: Another point is that with the opening of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Hollywood, the one if Florida is bound to have a slight slowing in attendance. All of those people who have traveled from the Western side of the United States, now have a closer and slightly comparable option. Florida also recently expanded to include Diagon Alley at their park! Not only do you now get to visit Hogsmeade but also Diagon Alley! Every HP lovers dream! 
5. Faux Fans: Nothing is more irritating to me than going someplace I love and having to be exposed to people who clearly do not share the same level of love or enthusiasm as me. Oh, you've read the series once and saw the movies? Oh, you've seen the movies when they were on a FreeForm marathon? Good for you. I have been Harry Potter strong since Spring 2000, ya'll need to back away. I don't want to have to listen to that when I have waited so long to experience this!
Sure, I get it, I sound a little bitter. Maybe I am. But I really don't feel like I need to drop everything, take a day off, and go visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. They have spent this long building it, I doubt it will be gone in a year if I wait. So please, do yourself a favor and wait. No one needs to deal with all the masses for a butterbeer and overpriced wand.
