America, Countries

Vegan butterbeer at Universal

Charms teacher Filius Fitwick has magicked up a plant-based treat for our vegan friends to put the whey into Butterbeer at Universal.

And enjoy the Potter potion that gives us all, vegans, carnivores, wizards and muggles alike a sugar rush.

Because make no mistake Butterbeer is schweeet.

Get your Filius: Butterbeers all round

It’s the butterscotch that gives the beer, well, it’s buttery taste.

While the shortbread tones may be a nod to JK Rowling’s adopted Edinburgh.

It’s all topped off with a vegan-friendly version of the Butterbeer froth.

Soft landing

Prophet scheme: The Daily Prophet

While it’s buttery all right the good news for adults who don’t want their kids even more wired at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is that it’s not beery.

But, of course, it gives the illusion to kids that like adults they’re drinking ‘beer’ too.

The most famous illustration of branding ‘beer’ for kids, and non-drinkers, is ginger beer.

Which has just 2% alcohol in it but all the spice of the Caribbean.

While Top Deck, no not the boozy beer buses of my late teens, but the soft drinks firm of my adolescence lured us.

With Limeade and Lager and Lemonade Shandy.

Cavan a laugh

Best bar known: The Leaky Cauldron

While on my annual trips to the Motherland of Ireland us kids would feel all grown up with a Midlands Cavan special.

Sipping the now much-missed Cavan Cola, that looked a lot like Guinness, complete with its own head.

They were different days, of course, and we would all have our packet of sweet cigarettes and copy the adults.

Different but the same and as they say in Potterworld plus ca change, or at least the wizarding equivalent.

You’ll get your vegan, non-dairy Butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks restaurant in Hogsmeade.

And the Leaky Cauldron restaurant in Diagon Alley as we did… somewhere to take shelter from the man-made flash storm.

Universal Studios Hollywood guests too can enjoy the beverage at the Hog’s Head pub and the Three Broomsticks restaurant.

Vegan fare

Old pals: Hogwarts Express

While our fantastic friends also offer fabulous fare which could well have been made in Azvegan (soz).

In Irish Stew and Shepherd’s Pasty Pie (both Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando), and Mushroom Pie Platter (at Universal Orlando).

Here for the beer

Drink up: The Butterbeer

So seeing that we could all do with to suspending belief and leaving the muggle world outside.

Get down to your Potter local for, whey hey, Vegan Butterbeer at Universal.

Full confession here though this drowned rat took a detour on our Harry adventure.

To Pat O’Brien’s on CityWalk for a rather large Floridian special, the Hurricane.

America, Countries, Europe, UK

The Dickens of theme parks on book day

And a leaf through literature with the Dickens of theme parks on book day and other novel attractions.

We have fond memories of Dickens World in Kent on England’s south coast.

Being a Dickens fan from early days it was, of course, a thrill to sit in Dotheboys Schoolhouse from Nicholas Nickelby.

And the upturned Peggotty’s Boathouse from David Copperfield.

Another era: Dickens’ London

But most spectacularly take the midnight boat ride along the Thames that Magwitch would have done in Great Expectations.

Alas Dickens World has closed its doors these past seven years but on the upside we got to enjoy the Dickens of theme parks.

Dickens, the theme park, not the author, of course, was the brains behind the project.

As Gerry O’Sullivan-Beare had been for Andersen World.

Potter universe

The magic bus: In Orlando

And it all comes full circle with Hans Christian Andersen having been influenced by the Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen and Walt Disney too.

Theme park designing, of course, is a specialist subject.

And the architect for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter was under special instructions to recreate JK Rowling’s invention to the letter.

Which meant bringing the exact brick through US Customs from Diagon Alley for the universe that is Universal Orlando.

And we imagine he would have had to conjure up some magic excuse for the guards there.

Our favourite reads have, of course, been natural stories for our favourite rides.

And water splashes so naturally when you’ve got the most famous river trip story whaddya gonna do?

The Huck stops here

Finn’s can only get better: Huck Finn

Mark Twain’s iconic rascals Tom Sawyer and Huck Finnmake a splash at Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri.

Riverblast has 80 along the 567ft river channel, making it ‘America’s Biggest Water Battle.’

Child’s play

Hamming it up: Peppa Pig

Of course not everything has to be a thrill ride and here in the UK its child’s play for adults when they pack their kids off to the Thomas the Tank Engine and Peppa Pig parks.

Tam being a carriage is, of course, a touring attraction giving us all a chance to see him and his friends.

While Peppa is the pick of PMs with Boris Johnson waxing lyrical about her adventures back in the south of England in Romsey, Hampshire.

 So while we look back nostalgically on the Magwitch, Peggotty and Pickwick recreations you’ll find the Dickens of theme parks on this literary red letter day.

Just bring your imaginations.