“You’re a wizard, Harry.” Individuals everywhere can recall this incredible moment when Harry Potter discovered at just 11-years-old, he was a wizard. The birthday cake, with bubble-gum pink frosting and misspelled forest green letters, with the astounded Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon cowardly shaking in the corner in their pajamas holding their bent rifle, and Harry Potter in complete disbelief over what he had just heard. This was the moment that Harry Potter fans knew had created the beloved franchise. This was the moment that Harry Potter’s life was going to change forever.

Junior Kathryn Lynch is a nursing major at the Mansfield campus. She loves traveling and given as a gift from her mother, she had the opportunity to visit “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” theme park in Orlando, FL with her cousin for a total of four nights. She described how from a young age, her passion for the Harry Potter franchise continued to grow exponentially throughout the years.

“I am a very big fan. I read most of the Harry Potter books growing up and I remember talking about it in school,” said Lynch. “My mom and I would go to the midnight premiers not only for the movies, but as J.K. Rowling was still writing the books, we would go to the midnight release for the novels at the bookstore [as well].”

The popular attraction for adults and children of all ages opened on June 1, 2010 in Orlando. There is also a second park opening on April 7, 2016 in Hollywood, CA as well. For Lynch, it was her first time visiting The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, even though she had visited Universal Studios multiple times while in high school, and she could not have been more ecstatic. Just a few years ago, Lynch remembers when the theme park was undergoing construction.

For both Lynch and her cousin, this was not just any ordinary vacation- because at Universal Studios, thousands of overjoyed, screaming fans filled rows upon rows of plush theatre seats as some of the Harry Potter cast members came to honor the third annual “A Celebration of Harry Potter.” To give Harry Potter fans a treat, the cast did various question and answer panels as well as a film tribute. Lynch divulged that she and her cousin had the privilege of sitting closer to the stage, as it depended on the type of package one purchased for the theme park itself.

“Technically, we were supposed to go to only one of the Q&A panel discussions, but we ended up going to each one that was available so that we could see the stars every single time,” said Lynch. “There were five actors there- Bonnie Wright, Evanna Lynch, Katie Leung, Matthew Lewis, and Rupert Grint.”

While in the theme park, Lynch and her cousin definitely wanted to make their trip memorable and experience everything that they possibly could. From riding heart-pounding, adrenaline-inducing roller coasters such as the “Dragon Challenge” or “Escape From Gringotts,” boarding the Hogwarts Express, exploring Diagon Alley, indulging in yummy, yet mysterious, Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Jelly Beans, and eating chocolate frogs practically the size of Hagrid, there is one item in particular that kept the girls coming back for more; a frothy, sweet, icy beverage named “Butterbeer.”

“The Butterbeer is actually made for everybody, so it is non-alcoholic. It is more [of] a butterscotch flavor with some foam on the top. They make it right in front of you, and it is a little expensive,” said Lynch. “We got Butterbeer everyday because we knew we were never going to have it again.”

Along with expanding their colorful palettes, the girls both wanted to dress up according to the Hogwarts house that each belonged in. Lynch represented the Ravenclaw house, while her cousin was in Hufflepuff.

“We did dress up- I would wear certain things that corresponded to the house that I was in,” said Lynch. “My cousin is really into the “Death Eater” sort of thing; it was really funny because I would dress up as the good schoolgirl and she would dress in all black. We were like opposites walking around.”

Lynch did not leave the theme park empty-handed- as she not only brought home long-lasting memories, but she also purchased a Ravenclaw sweatshirt, a headband, a stuffed Hedwig owl backpack, various types of unique Hogwarts candy, along with an ink holder with a delicate feather quill pen, as used in the Harry Potter movies. Lynch acknowledged what she loved most about having her most cherished books become a reality.

“My favorite part was walking through the entire park itself,” said Lynch. “It felt like I was inside the movies or the books. It was as if everything was coming to life. I appreciated all of the hard work, craftsmenship, and the major detail that they put into [making] the castle and all of the buildings around it. I was very overwhelmed.”