Sometimes the best trips aren’t months in the planning — they’re the ones where you remember you have adult money, pack up the kids, and hit the road. That’s exactly how this trip happened. No huge itinerary, just a Harry Potter obsession I’d been sitting on since a friend (thank you, @coleyraeh!) posted about it months ago, and a real need to just be with my kids instead of behind a camera for a few days.
We made a quick stop at my brother’s place along the way (little brother is a DINK and has the best house, pool included), then rolled into Dallas — and even squeezed in a one-day trip down to Austin and back while we were in the area. Fair warning on this one: it was not a cheap week, mostly because of food. I’ll break down exactly what we spent so you can plan accordingly.
Where We Stayed
We always book downtown when we’re in a bigger city so we can actually experience it rather than just pass through. In Dallas, we stayed at the Hyatt Regency Downtown for $0 out of pocket, thanks to points. For the Austin day, we stayed at the Hyatt Place Round Rock for $69, also mostly covered by points. Worth checking your points balance before a spontaneous trip like this — it made a real dent in the total cost.
The Harry Potter Immersive Experience at Cosm Dallas
This was the entire reason for the trip, and it delivered. Cosm Dallas has a domed, immersive screen that makes you feel like you’re actually flying over Hogwarts rather than just watching it happen.
A few practical notes: we went during Harry Potter’s birthday month, which knocked $11 off each ticket, bringing ours to $125 for three people for the 9:30am showtime. It’s a full sit-down experience with a server and a food menu — and this is where the cost adds up. Between the food menu and add-ons, we spent $168 just on food at Cosm. There’s a $40 Enchanted Experience package that includes a mocktail, a chocolate frog, a bread wand with cheese dip, homemade shepherd’s pie, and jelly beans or popcorn — some of it shipped over from England as part of the theming. The food itself was just okay, honestly, but it’s part of the experience, so we ordered one to share and got our own meals on top of it.
Good to know: with a 9:30am showtime we hadn’t eaten breakfast yet, so we were hungry before food arrived. If you can, eat beforehand and treat the Enchanted Experience as a fun extra rather than your actual meal — it’ll save you money too.
Reunion Tower
Dallas’s iconic glass-domed tower was an easy stop for skyline views of downtown. The kids rode the glass elevator all the way to the top of our hotel just for fun — I stayed firmly on the ground for that one.
Northpark Mall
One of my kids told me they’d never actually been to an indoor mall, which tracks since Northwest Arkansas only has the one. So we drove to Northpark, I handed out some fun money, and we just shopped for a while. Sometimes the most memorable stop on a trip is the least “bucket list” one.
Where We Ate in Dallas
Dallas is consistently one of our favorite cities for food. We hit Anthony’s Italian, Eataly Dallas (inside Northpark Mall — dangerously convenient), Mendocino Farms in Preston Hollow, and On Rotation for a brewery stop. Between Cosm and these stops, food was easily the biggest expense of the trip — worth budgeting extra for if Dallas is on your list.
The JFK Memorial
We also made time for the JFK Memorial in downtown Dallas, just steps from Reunion Tower and our hotel. The memorial itself is a stark, open-air cenotaph — a quiet, deliberately simple square structure meant to give visitors a place to reflect. It’s such an important piece of U.S. history, and when you’re already downtown and that close to it, it’s worth the stop. If you want to go deeper, the Sixth Floor Museum at the old Texas School Book Depository sits right there too and covers the history in much more detail.
A Quick Day Trip to Austin
Since we were already in Texas, we made it a one-day trip down to Austin and back. We ate at Lou’s and Gino’s Italian, then spent the afternoon at Barton Springs Pool — something my kids had been begging to do ever since they saw it on a YouTube video. The pool is spring-fed and sits at a steady 68 degrees, with a diving board and lifeguards on duty. It was gorgeous, though crowded — we’d recommend going earlier in the day or avoiding a Saturday if you can help it. You pay for entry at the kiosk (cash is accepted at the pay window too), and there’s also paid parking to plan for.
What We Wished We Had Time For
We ran out of time for the Dallas Aquarium, the Perot Museum, and the Holocaust Museum — all on the list for next time. We also didn’t make it to see the bats at the Congress Avenue Bridge in Austin, which we’ll prioritize if we’re back that way.
What This Trip Actually Cost
Being upfront: this was a pricier trip than usual, almost entirely because of food.
Hotels (Dallas + Austin, mostly points): $69 out of pocket
Cosm tickets (3 people): $125
Food at Cosm: $166
Other meals (Dallas + Austin): varies — budget generously. We spent $100 a meal for 3 of us. Eesh, but Dallas is a great city for eating!
Barton Springs entry + parking: small, pay on-site ($14 for tickets for the day to swim + parking)
If food is a place you can budget flexibly, Dallas (and this side trip to Austin) is absolutely worth it. If you’re trying to keep costs down, Cosm is the one splurge I’d still say do it for — just eat beforehand.
Final Thoughts
Looking back, this trip was proof that you don’t need months of planning to make something memorable — sometimes it’s just deciding you have the adult money, packing the car, and going. Between Cosm, Reunion Tower, the JFK Memorial, and a spontaneous day trip down to Austin for Barton Springs, we packed a lot into a short window, and yes, we spent more than usual doing it. But between the Harry Potter obsession finally being checked off the list and just getting uninterrupted time with my kids, it was worth every dollar. If Dallas (or a quick Austin add-on) is on your radar, I hope this gives you a real, honest starting point for planning your own trip.