For the first time, my family and I ventured into the unknown - the dark side commonly referred to Universal Orlando.
Reviews are generally mixed from the four of us...
Cast of characters: Myself & DW, DS (11), and DD (9). This trip was done with the kids in mind as they're both big fans.

We took Tiffany from MCO over to Portofino Resort. The drive was relatively painless and we were checked in on Tuesday evening. We headed over to City Walk via boat, and found it very lively. Dinner at Pat O'Brien's was fine albeit a bit loud for the kids.

Then came the fun...
We got the 7 AM boat on Wednesday, July 14. We were one of the thousands standing in line by 7:30 AM. Once they let us in through the gates, they then herded everyone in a rather huge (and might I say, very disorganized) line (aka queue) in Dr. Seuss land. At around 7:50, they allowed guests into the WWOHP and that's where the mass pandemonium took place!!! Having no frame of reference, we followed the "parade" of folks, walked right on by Ollivanders (which already had a line of about 40-50 people) and went right to the castle for the FJ ride.

In my opinion, as well as that of my family's, the Harry Potter section of the park is very nicely done! It's superb, and the attention to detail is impressive. As far as I'm concerned, it's the only section of Universal Orlando that comes close to Disney. They really hit a home-run with this section of the park.
But here's the caveat...
It's small. WWOHP is being sold as a "destination," which folks, it most certainly is not! The entire section of the park is about 100 yards long. That's it. They cram a lot of "stuff" in there, and subsequently, they cram a lot of people in there!!! We were prepared for the crowds, so no sweat off our backs.
The problem is, I'm not sure Universal handles the crowds well, and they did not design the place with these hordes in mind. Both Honeydukes and Zonkos are rather small shops. Dervish & Banges (sp?) is attached to the owl post - where you buy your wands - and is even smaller. Filch's Emporium is the exit for the FJ ride and the only "decent sized" shop in the area. More about the “destination” aspect below.

As far as eating is concerned...
We did the HP "package" (completely unnecessary, btw, I'll explain later – read below). So we had breakfast at the Three Broomsticks. The theming of the restaurant was very nice, but the eats were, shall we say, disappointing... In fact, they were completely unsatisfactory.
The butterbeer was amazingly sweet and unique. Something to savor and enjoy, but nothing you could drink too much of (unless you're under 12 years of age and preparing your body for Halloween!). The pumpkin juice was a nice treat, very sweet too, but priced at $6 per bottle... Seriously, for some juice???

Rides:
Flight of the Hippogriff is about a step beyond Goofy's Barnstormer (roller coaster wise); the only thing it offers is a great view of the castle as well as close ups of Hagrid's hut. Buckbeak is a nice Audio-Animatronic
Dragon’s Challenge is a roller coaster – a bit dated in that it is NOT smooth riding at all. Good views at the top of the first hill; otherwise, it is forgettable.
The Forbidden Journey is very well done. The ride vehicles hold 4 people; and let me tell you, they most definitely do turn people away. We saw several people turned away from the ride on the 4 occasions we rode – all due to their size (not height, mind you). This is clearly something that isn’t advertised very well; one girl was in tears, screaming that it was the only reason she came down to Florida. We felt very badly for her. And by the way, the employees at Universal don’t seem to get any training for being compassionate. They’re quite “as a matter of fact,” telling people to exit via a curtained doorway as you board. No sympathy at all.

Here’s my main beef with Universal after this trip. They sell WWOHP as a “destination,” which I knew it wasn’t. But it’s about ˝ the size of Fantasyland in the MK, which is quite small. And there are 2.5 rides (Flight of the Hippogriff counts as a half!) and limited shopping. They are PACKING the crowds into this place; there were waits of up to 2 hours just to get into the WWOHP – never mind the rides!!! They’re also severely under stocked in merchandise! Good luck buying the wands of Dumbledore or Voldemort or Snape. Sold out the first week we were told.
Additionally, when we bought the HP Package, we were told that we’d have front of line access to FJ (I was told this by the rep on the phone) and it was even printed ONLINE (and yes, I have a copy of the website stating this). Obviously, Universal has changed their minds – even though we were told that we’d have Express Pass for FJ, we did not. Okay, I live with it.
But then they state that ONLY those with the HP package could get in at 8 AM (again, I have this in WRITING). Anyone – anyone at all – could get in the park at 8 AM. You had to show a room key to get into the HP section of the park (anyone staying at one of the three hotels, didn’t matter if you had the HP Package or not). So they once again LIED about this “exclusive package.” Glad I was the sucker who bought it, hook, line, & sinker. 
Hind sight: I purchase 1 night’s stay at the cheapest room. Spend the arrival day at Universal and use Express Pass to go on everything. Day two, I’m packed ready to leave and do Harry Potter in the morning; use Express Pass for the rest of the park.

We spent 3 nights (so close to 5 days) at Universal Orlando. We had a nice time. Not great, but nice. The Express Pass (also known as Front of the Line Access) was AWESOME for most of the parks – 2 notable exceptions being Rip Ride Rocket in Universal and Forbidden Journey in IOA. That saved our trip to say the least (the Express Pass). IMO, both parks are (at most) ˝ day parks if you have the Express Pass.

We loved Harry Potter; we purchased a bunch of stuff – wands, candy, tee-shirts, postcards, etc… and I do feel it was worth it when I speak to my kids about their experiences. From an adult’s point of view, I feel a little slighted that Universal Orlando ripped us off in more than one way. I could have saved hundreds of dollars in hind sight – and I’m not one to cry about money – but I feel that Universal is using Harry Potter and all its draw to attract crowds. Because to be honest with you folks, I’d just as soon never return to Universal Orlando. The only good thing about the place was Harry Potter Land – and as I’ve stated before, it’s a pretty small area.

Just my $0.02

If anyone has any questions about Universal, IOA, HP, City Walk, or Portofino, shoot away; I’ll do my best to answer!