Originally published to kmph.com on March 11, 2016.

The world of Harry Potter has been thrilling both young and young-at-heart for almost 20 years. The children who originally began reading the books in 1998 when “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” was released have aged and matured with the series. Now — they’re not children anymore at all, and just in time for the grand opening of the new “Wizarding World of Harry Potter” at Universal Studios in Hollywood.

After five years of construction and patient (and not so patient) waiting from fans of the boy wizard, the new theme park is set to open on April 7, 2016. It doesn’t take long to realize that the minds behind the attraction were focused on bringing to life the details that would seamlessly invite visitors into the world of Hogwarts and Hogsmeade Village. After passing the gates into the village, we’re greeted with the Hogwarts Express, the steam locomotive that takes students from platform 9 3/4 to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It has a full steam engine, sound effects, and a friendly conductor who is pleased to greet us and take a picture with us.

Moving on, we’d be hard-pressed to NOT recognize a favorite locale from the Harry Potter universe. Whether it’s Honeydukes, a candy store where we won’t find any of your normal, everyday candies. Instead, we see Chocolate Frogs, Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans, Cauldron Cakes, and dozens of other wizarding world delights. Or the Three Broomsticks Inn, where we have our first taste of the legendary Butterbeer, a sweet, foamy, butterscotch-tasting beverage.

But the pièce de résistance when it comes to the shops is Ollivanders, “Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C.” Here, the wand chooses the wizard … and it chooses a lot of them. We’re hard-pressed to find a child or adult in the entirety of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter who isn’t carrying a wooden wand, and for good reason. There are several interactive storefronts where a tile on the ground signifies that if you perform a gesture with your wand and say the magic words, something will magically occur inside the store. In our case, we stood in front of a store with a locked cabinet inside a display window. We said the word “alohomora” and swiped our wand in a circular motion, and magically, the cabinet unlocked and opened.

It all adds up to the genuine feeling of the park. This is as close you’ll ever get to being a wizard in the world of Hogwarts. Not to mention the rides. The Flight of the Hippogriff is a family-friendly coaster that shouldn’t scare the kids away, and Harry Potter and The Forbidden Journey is a 3D action ride that features actors from the movies.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is a love letter to the universe that fans have grown up with over the last 18 years, and will be a must-see for them AND for those young enough to still be enjoying them for the first time.