Orlando Kids

You can’t visit Orlando with kids and not hit up Universal Studios. Specifically, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. A few tips: Buy the Universal Express Unlimited Pass and allocate a solid two days to see everything. (Hogwarts and Hogsmeade are in one park, while Diagon Alley and its rides are short bus trip away—if you don’t get these references, you might want to hit the bookstore first.) While the kids will stare at every magical detail in open-mouthed, wide-eyed wonder, skipping the lines is a godsend for the adults. Arrive early and try to avoid bringing a backpack (they’re not permitted on many of the rides). Highlights include having your wand choose you at Ollivander’s (just like Harry’s did), slurping goblets of impossibly sweet butterbeer, and the Forbidden Journey ride. This ride is the equivalent of flying across the pages of the books, through Dumbledore’s office, into the Room of Requirement, and hanging out in every child’s fantasy—the Gryffindor common room.