The end of Hogwarts and Harry Potter, or is it?
I don’t know about you, but I did shed a tear when the world of Harry Potter came to an end earlier this year. The thought of knowing that I will never get the chance to read a brand new instalment of the latest adventures of Harry, Ron and Hermione and their quest to defeat Voldemort brought great sadness to my heart.
In June 1997, the world of children’s writing took a colossal turn for the better when the first of J K Rowling’s books was released. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone became an instant bestseller – something that hasn’t been witnessed since the great books of Roald Dahl. Over the course of time, the Harry Potter series has sold over 450 million books around the world and been translated into 67 languages. That’s over 1.25 million words translated 67 times!!! This roaring success was also translated for the big screen as the 8 box office movies grossed $8 billion worldwide, making the Harry Potter franchise the most coveted in the world, even more successful than the James Bond and Star Wars franchises.
If you feel as though you still need Harry Potter in your life, then don’t worry. The kind people of Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida have opened a mini theme park within theirs and dedicated 20 acres to the wonderful world of Harry Potter, naming the mini theme park the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The theme park encompasses all the famous and legendary establishments featured in the movie and books such as the great Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the imaginary wizarding village of Hogsmead as well as well-known shops mentioned in the books like the wand shop, Olivanders and Zonkos, the wizarding joke shop.
I was fortunate to go to the theme park this summer and I have to say, the experience was incredible. Even though the Harry Potter storyline is based in the UK, the Americans have captured the setting beautifully – from the dark and dusty wand shop, Olivanders to the Owlery where you can post specially postmarked packages or postcards. The creators have taken a further step by making it as realistic as possible by recreating owl droppings on every single perch!
The only sour point of the theme park, like most theme parks in America, is that if you take a family like I did, your wallet will take a serious battering as it is super expensive. If you include entrance fees, food and, of course, gifts to bring back home, then this outing can cost several hundreds of dollars for one single day. One simple way of budgeting for all of these costs is to invest in a prepaid credit card which is what I did before I left for my holidays. Costs whilst you are away with the family, especially excited children can get way out of hand, particularly in a place like the Harry Potter theme park where memorabilia such as wands, broomsticks and copious amounts of pumpkin juice are a must for small children!
Prepaid cards are increasingly widespread these days as I think many people, including myself find that this is a safe way to spend money whilst abroad. There are no links to any other bank accounts so your money is protected; plus there is no way you can overspend or become overdrawn with prepaid cards as you can only spend what is loaded on the card – this is fantastic especially for holidays as costs can sometimes spiral out of control when you are having too much fun.
So here’s the deal – in order to purchase a prepaid card, the first thing you should do is shop around before you make your choice as there are lots of cards on the market, good ones as well as not so good ones. Once you have decided on a card, you can load it with money at various banks and Post Offices. Once you have loaded your card, you can spend away, remembering the fact that you can only spend what you have loaded on the card. Plus prepaid cards are accepted in most places where the MasterCard or Visa sign is displayed – the Hogs Head pub, for instance, where an ale will be needed after a stressful day with hyperactive kids!
This author is a consumer products analyst, focusing in bank cards and personal finance. He suggests downloading a free 36 page guide called the ‘Essential Guide To Your Money‘. For more information, visit the prepaid credit card website.
