1/7/19
It was time to head back to the Universal side, and to do this, we took Hogwarts Express. If you want to do this ride, you must have a Park-to-Park ticket! Otherwise, you will not be permitted to ride the train. IT IS SO COOL!
I seriously could not get enough of Diagon Alley! It was so realistic. I loved looking at every detail of the buildings. Here you can see The Hopping Pot, where you can buy some Butterbeer, or regular beer.
In this same area (Carkitt Market) is where you can see The Tales of Beedle the Bard or Celestina Warbeck and the Banshees do live performances throughout the day.
Eternelle’s Elixir of Refreshments is a small beverage kiosk also located in Carkitt Market. here you can find elixirs that you combine with water, and it transforms into a colorful beverage. 
This cute little shop is the Magical Menagerie. All kinds of stuffed animals and creatures can be found here. In the side window on the outside of the shop you can try out your Parseltongue and peek at the snake.
Possibly the most exciting part is the fire breathing dragon on top of Gringott’s Wizarding Bank. Hang around for a little bit because he usually breathes fire every 10-15 minutes or so.
Many thanks to my friend Jason for these close up amazing photos!
Some others in my group were talking about how good the ice cream was at Florean Forescue’s Ice Cream Parlour. Well….ice cream is one of my favorite things ever, so I knew I wanted to try it! And I had a snack credit left that I could use. Everyone was rattling off their favorite flavors and I honestly couldn’t decide.
I ended up with Strawberry Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chili. Both were SO GOOD! The Chocolate Chili had a little bit of a kick to it, but it was yummy! As soon as I was done eating it, I remembered that I forgot to take a picture of it. Boo!
I did actually ride Escape from Gringotts! I have really bad motion sickness. Especially with rides that are simulators. I knew this had some screen action, but I HAD to try it and just close my eyes at certain parts. It was really cool and I’m glad I did it!
Gringott’s Money Exchange is a neat little place where you can interact with a goblin and exchange Muggle money for Gringott’s Bank Notes to use at participating locations throughout Universal.
Knockturn Alley! Don’t miss this. It’s kind of hidden but definitely neat to walk through.
One last picture on my way out of Diagon Alley. This statue and fountain are located just outside of the secret entrance.
