Florida Attractions and Travel Insurance Magic

There are probably more magical things to do in Florida than Harry Potter can shake a wand at…

Holiday-bound Muggles boarding the Hogwarts Express on Platform 9 3/4 now have the option to bypass Hogwarts and head for sunny Florida. The new Harry Potter theme park attraction at Universal Orlando Resort ‘The Wizarding World of Harry Potter’ opened in June (2010) and is, no surprise, creating a huge stir. 

Why not put on your invisibility cloak and disappear for a day into Harry’s world of wizardry and indulge in the Flight of the Hippogriff and the Dragon Challenge  roller-coasters.  When your energy levels start ti flag you can always fly over to the Three Broomsticks restaurant or Hog’s Head tavern and wet your whistle with some of Hagrid’s favourite Butterbeer. 

It’s probably so much fun that young wannabe wizards and witches will have to be dragged away kicking and screaming at the end of the day.  They may have to take home their very own magic wand to transport themselves back to Hogsmeade and the mysterious dragons and spells world of Harry Potter any time they feel like it!  (The wand might also come in handy for Muggles struggling to foot the bill and trying to forget how much it all cost).

If the world of spells and sorcery gets too much you could always hop on a broomstick and fly over to another nearby Florida attraction.  There are more than we can list here, but the obvious ones are Walt Disney World and Epcot, SeaWorld, and Busch Gardens.  If that doesn’t finish you off, try Gatorland, Wet ‘n Wild water park, Florida Aquarium, or swim with the dolphins at Discovery Cove!

The kidults will probably be more than happy to tag along with the kids at any of the above.  However, Florida also caters to more mature tastes, with attractions such as the Kennedy Space Centre, World Golf Hall of Fame, Sunken Gardens, Arabian Nights dinner show, Fantasy of Flight (vintage aircraft), and Ripley’s Believe it or Not – to name just a few. 

We will be writing more on the topic soon, but a quick word of caution to Muggles about renting a car in the U.S.  Do some research before you go and find out exactly what the car insurance covers.  From stories we have heard it does not provide the same levels of cover we expect in the UK and Europe.   it is probably smart to take out any and all additional top-up insurance they offer, as well as check the cover offered by your own insurance.  Also, find out whether the levels of cover are affected if you plan to drive to other states, as laws in the U.S. vary from state to state. 

Visit our Travel Guide to the United States and follow the link for the Foreign Office (FCO) website for their very important and updated country advice (including information about visas and changes under ESTA).

Harry Potter and his wizardly pals don’t need to worry about things like travel insurance for their broomsticks, but unfortunately the rest of us do! 

Don’t leave your holiday plans in the hands of fate.  The cost of medical care in the United States is truly frightening – unless you master some advanced spells to fix it.   The Hogwarts Express may not be able to bring you back if you need medical repatriation by air ambulance.  Family holiday budgets are tight these days, so we stirred up our own bit of magic and are pleased to remind you that *Children are included on policies for free!  For a no jiggery pokery quote click here.

*Children must be under 18, (be a dependent child on the annual policy) and have an adult premium-paying person on the same insurance.  See terms and conditions.