To not understand the appeal of Harry Potter...?!

[Scaramoose]

This is lighthearted btw...

I am off to Florida with DH and DS (6) in a few weeks and we have watched the first Harry Potter film and also been looking at the Harry Potter stuff at Universal.

The film bored me to absolute tears. The characters seemed two dimensional and wooden, the story dragged and the names for things, eg Muggles, just irritated. I shared this view with my sister who couldn't believe I didn't like it as she thinks it is 'absolutely brilliant' and 'incredibly clever.'

DS will love it, as he did love most of the film (I say 'most' as it's so long) and I wouldn't want him to know what I really think but I really, honesty, don't get it! The pretend platform at Kings Cross and the queue outside the HP shop in York also flummoxed me as it's obviously such a big deal for so many people! Im amazed something that seems so dull has done so incredibly well (and from what I have heard about JK Rowling she is very level headed about it, which is lovely.)

Am I the only one...?!!

I thought this too... then we took DD to Disneyland Paris and I was totally shocked at the amount of adults there who did not have children with them.

Emmasmum2013 DH and I are going to Disneyworld in Florida next year for our 5th time, and we’ve never taken children with us because we don’t have them!

If you know anything about Disneyworld you’ll know Walt wanted it to be a place for adults and children. It’s not just a theme park, it’s not a place for kids, it’s an entire experience that he wanted everyone to enjoy.

Different strokes for different folks innit....... I like Harry Potter whereas I think other popular things like Game of Thrones, 50 shades, Twilight and Soap Operas are utter wank. Life would be boring if we all liked the same stuff.

I disagree @YoThePussy we weren't rushed at all at the studio tour in Watford. Been 4 times and our shortest visit was 8 hours, longest about 11.5 hours.

I love Harry Potter, my kids grew up with it. Feel how you want about the series, but those books are the only things that got kids reading again and paved the way for other series to be written by showing how profitable YA fiction could be. I remember I was teaching Year 5 the term after the first film had come out, until that point I'd never seen kids so enthusiastic for silent reading time. Still a popular choice for my students today.

Rushed at the Studio Tour? Nah, utter crap.

Once you're past the Great Hall at the start, you can spend the entire opening hours at the tour should you choose. It couldn't be less rushed.

Bloody muggles...

It's not the writing or the character development, it's the world she created. Honestly the Lord of the Rings books, the Narnia books, the hunger games, the wrinkle in time, Star trek, game of thrones, Dr. Who, Battlestar gallactica, star wars, james frickin bond, etc, people don't love them because the writing was incredible or they were without flw, but because of the world that was created.

JKR created a fantasy world that a lot of kids, even adults, can slot themselves into and let their imagination run wild. Regardless of whether her writing was English Literature worthy (), the greater fantasy world is the draw, and she's done a good job bringing it to life.

Flw = flaw

JKR created a fantasy world that a lot of kids, even adults, can slot themselves into and let their imagination run wild. Regardless of whether her writing was English Literature worthy (hmm), the greater fantasy world is the draw, and she's done a good job bringing it to life.

Just always seemed to me like a co-ed version of the worst witch.

worst witch.

Never heard of it. Don't care.

Ooh I am booked into the studio tour next month and am extremely excited.

Ds is hoping they sell butter beer and chocolate frogs. I am hoping we can walk around gringotts, can anyone who has been say if our dreams will be realised?!

I think it's a generational thing, tbh. I've read all the HP books and seen the films, and I think the books are derivative and not very well written.

I also have a huge problem with the concept of an almost deified child with a "destiny" to vanquish an enormous evil that adults consistently fail to overcome. I think it feeds into notions that the young can solve complex problems that adults cannot, and elevates the narrow enthusiasm and conviction of youth above the wisdom and experience of age. I also find the tropes on the book to be problematic in terms of teaching children that, while they are individual and unique, they are also part of a complex society where age, experience, authority and power are pretty firm parameters of privilege.

I have the same issues with Game of Thrones though. Jon Snow is a kinda adult Harry Potter, and it narks me no end.

But hey, Harry Potter is for kids. JK Rowling is still not a patch on Phillip Pullman though.

@ProudThrilledHappy

Yes you can buy Butterbeer and Butterbeer ice cream. You can buy chocolate frogs too and lots of other sweets from the books, Bertie Botts, Fizzing Whizzbees etc.

You can't go inside Gringotts, but you see the outside on Diagon Alley.

“As we are off to the HP world in Universal, which does look impressive“
It is really impressive. I like the books and have visited the Harry Potter sections in Universal many times and there is STILL stuff I’ve missed! It’s so well detailed and themed. I went with family one year and half hadn’t read/watched any HP at all but still really enjoyed it and loved the rides too.

There’s also an outdoor seating area behind the Hogs Head that’s normally really quiet. You can grab a drink (butter beer!) and sit out there for a moment of calm if you need a break for a while.

Thank you @ProfessorMoody ds is now very excited!

CaptainHammer delighted to hear there is so much to the HP world at Universal. Despite not really 'getting' the whole HP thing, it doesn't mean I can't be impressed by the set up there. It looks really well done! I think it makes me want to be a HP fan but Im not really convinced it's going to happen... Still, at least it's not just me and like it has been said a lot in previous posts, if we all liked the same stuff etc etc.

I am excited about taking DS though, he's going to be blown away!

@CaptainHammer any more tips...?

@TheHulksPurplePanties maybe that's why I don't get it, for me I love strong character development and one's that seem 'real' more than I do the setting (which would be the case with HP it appears.) I cannot muster much enthusiasm for the HP world with its butter beer etc, but I could probably get all excited about the characters if they were more, well, characterful. Does that make sense?

I think you had to be there from the beginning. I remember the first book coming out and a friend told me about it, she said there's this great book and it's for kids but worth a read. I loved it, and so when the films came out it was all terribly exciting. Then seeing the actors growing up through the different films, there was so much anticipations waiting for the next book, the next film. And the quality of the films, the special effects etc just got better and better. I agree the first film seems terrible now! So dated. Much better to read the books to/with your children. It's slower, and allows all the details and characters to develop. I LOVE Harry Potter and it's got my book hating daughter (who wasn't even born when the first film was made) reading. She would give her right arm to go to Florida purely for HP and nothing else. So yes YABU!

The night time lights show on the castle starts at dusk and is very pretty. The new cinematic celebration is supposed to be really good too but I think it’s on quite late at the moment, 9.45pm I think.

The food at the HP restaurants isn’t great, themed well but meh food. Mythos further round from the HP but isn’t bad and Burger Digs has a good view if you eat outside but I highly recommend going to a restaurant on Citywalk instead (Cowfish especially) for your main meal.

Get to Ollivander’s early if you want to buy your son a wand as it can get quite busy. He may get picked to be in the show, especially if he is wearing anything HP related/birthday badge if it’s near his birthday when you go.

If you’re wearing flip flops hold them or sit on them when riding Forbidden Journey, mine very nearly came off the first time I rode it!

Frozen butter beer is nicer than regular.

Visit the money exchange next to Gringotts and you can talk to the goblin. You can also exchange dollars in to Harry Potter themed notes. You can spend them in the parks or keep as a souvenir.

Depending on how busy they are you can do backstage tours for some of the rides for free. Gringotts was one of them but it’s hit and miss now as they use some of that area for express pass entry. You can sometimes do it though, just ask one of the attendants at the entrance or exit to the ride. They also do tours for Men In Black, The Mummy and Kong.

Universal/IOA is my favourite park so I could go on forever but I’ll stop there!

@CaptainHammer - thank you! This holiday is a big splurge after a lot of crap (that I won't go into now) and is a big deal. I am SO excited! We booked in Jan, are there for 15 days and plan to do lots and also have some relaxing days as I think we might need them. Off to Universal on the 22nd for an overnight stay in a Universal hotel (as you get Express Passes!) but have 14 days admission to all the theme parks as that was the best deal when we got the tickets.

I am going to cut and paste your reply and add it to my list! Feel free to add more!

No problem! You will definitely need some relaxing time, it is a tiring holiday. We’re back next April for 3 weeks and I can’t bloody wait! I love the hotels that include express passes it’s so handy. We’ve stayed at Royal Pacific and Hard Rock so trying Portofino Bay next year.
I hope you have a wonderful time and I’ll have a think for more tips before you leave.

In response to character development, there is much more in the later books.
Dumbledore is the obvious one of course
Snape : always ❤️😥
Luna, we do find out quite a bit about her
Ginny - not good in the film, ace in the book
Neville’s back story
Voldemort/Tom Riddle - I always remind DD that when people are horrible it’s usually because they are sad or angry. And whilst we should not tolerate bad behaviour towards ourselves, we can still try and be kind and try to understand that we might not know what they are dealing with personally
Malfoy and narcissa

I also loved the house elf plot. And the exploration about Kreacher and why he was so vile and how Sirius viewed him and subsequently treated him and the ramifications of that when he betrayed them to bellatrix.

But most of that stuff is cut from the films. I was so disappointed that the film of half blood prince didn’t show the trip to Gaunts cottage through the pensive. Or when the minister of magic visits the muggle prime minister. I love those chapters of the book.

Agree that the time tuner plot is quite a big hole in the story, but it sort of gets explained in the cursed child. Essentially it’s the butterfly effect.

I live in hope that Netflix will suddenly find a billion dollar budget and make a 7 series production of it Game of Thrones style with about 20 hour long episodes per series. Although how anyone could ever follow Alan Rickman as Snape I just don’t know. Although too old really, he was perfectly cast.

Anyway universal will be amazing, have a fantastic time. For what it’s worth I hate Disney and all that stuff, especially Micky mouse and all the stupid princess guff. However I LOVED Disney land in Orlando, had a brilliant time and everything was so well done. So you will have a smashing time regardless.

The films are nowhere near as good as the books. The books are pretty good, a nice mindless read, but I agree that (as much as I like them) neither the books, nor the films are really worth the hype. Still worth reading at least once though.