What You Need to Know Before You Visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Everything You Need to Know About the Wizarding World of Harry Potter

A couple of weeks ago, we surprised Eleanor with a trip to Harry Potter World in Orlando for her 10th birthday. After two days scouring Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley, we discovered lots of tips and tricks for navigating the theme park. Update: I’ve since taken my two other daughters to celebrate *their* 10th birthdays at Universal so we know our way around.

The Basics

First things first, Universal Studios is NOT Disney. I was a little foggy on that fact so figured I’d throw it out there. Universal Studios consists of two separate but adjacent parks: Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure (technically there’s also a water park, but we’ve never been…). Hogwarts Castle and Hogsmeade are in Islands of Adventure and Diagon Alley is at Universal Studios. Naturally… you have to pay extra to have access to both.

We were there for essentially 2 full days and it was MORE than enough time to really experience Harry Potter World. Eleanor probably could have stayed for a month, but in our 2 half days and 1 full day, we rode all 4 rides associated with Harry Potter and walked every inch of both Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley. My other two daughters were interested in exploring more of Universal, but 2+ days is still more than enough to take it all in.

Logistics

Universal has a handful of hotels that are considered ‘on site.’ I have stayed at both Sapphire Falls and Royal Pacific. There were a couple of restaurants in both hotels, a large pool, activities for the kids, an arcade, and probably lots more that we didn’t get to know. The best part about staying ‘on site’ is that you get admission to Islands of Adventure 1 hour before everyone else (there is some seasonal adjustment to all of this so double check all of this depending on when you are visiting). Obviously there are plenty of people staying at these hotels, but it was still VERY quiet in Harry Potter World for the first hour both days which was really nice. The hotels are a quick 10 minute walk to the park OR they all have sweet shuttle boats that leave every 5-10 minutes. We ended up walking to the park in the morning to avoid the lines at the ferry boats, but took a boat home every day.

Park Rides

I’m a theme park newbie so this may be obvious intel, but… the lines at these parks can be INSANE. There is an estimated wait time posted at the end of each ride in addition to the the Universal app which was SUPER helpful, but you can also purchase an express pass which allows you to cut the line in half (typically). Not all rides have express pass access, but I’d say it’s well worth it. Honestly? I can’t imagine taking on the park withOUT an express pass. The rides that we went on were amazing, but they were also like 3 minutes long. Waiting for TWO HOURS to ride something for 3 minutes feels insane. The nice thing about the Harry Potter rides, specifically, (with the exception of the Hippogriff one) is that there are definitely fun things to see and enjoy while you’re on line winding through Hogwarts, Hagrid’s castle or Gringotts Bank. Update: I gather the wait times vary according to the season, so keep this in mind if you’re visiting during the ‘off’ season.

If you have a smaller/ younger child… double check the ride parameters… most of the rides at Universal have height limits so you wouldn’t want to book your trip and then realize your child is too small for all the rides. There is always a “child swap” area so you can get to the front of the line, wait with your child while one adult goes on the ride and then… swap so each adult can still enjoy.

Many of the rides will require you to check your luggage in lockers for each ride; this is super easy but I wore a fanny sack with a secure buckle and was able to keep this on the entire time which was a big help/ time saver. I suspect shoes like flip flops would be an issue too so consider footwear, floppy hats, etc. when you head into the park!

There are only 4 rides in Harry Potter World: Escape from Gringotts (in Universal), Hogwarts Castle (Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey) (in Islands of Adventure), Flight of the Hippogriff (in Islands of Adventure), and Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure (in Islands of Adventure). The Hogwarts Express is a short train ride which is how Universal Studios connects to Islands of Adventure so you can’t go on this “ride” unless you have a ticket to both parks.

We did every ride once, and some rides more than once. The Hogwarts Express is super fun, but it’s definitely a glorified Harry Pottered train ride. Flight of the Hippogriff is a classic roller coaster, but definitely geared towards a younger rider. Both Escape from Gringotts Bank and Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey are an amazing combination of 4D technology and animatronic special effects. If you’re prone to motion sickness, these rides definitely give the sensation of moving all around so take your Dramamine in advance. Both of us loved all the rides and went on these two more than once! The Hagrid ride is the newest one and has the longest wait. It’s unlike any of the other rides so probably worth the wait believe it or not… when we were there in 2023, the longest wait was right when the park opened because everyone raced for it, but we found that mid morning was the fastest.

Harry Potter Experiences in Both Parks

Ollivander’s Wand Shop.

We purchased one of the interactive wands ($50) and it was one of the most special aspects of the trip. This is *not* cheap so if you’re looking to cut costs, perhaps look around for ways to borrow a friend’s wand or purchase one on FB marketplace or something.

Embedded in the cobblestones around both Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley are brass plaques with instructions for ‘casting a spell’ on the shop window above. When you stand on the plaque and move your wand as directed, something in the window will move or tip or spray or squeak. The wand comes with a map so you can keep track of all the magic windows so we spent time both days making sure Eleanor had cast her spell on every possible display.

In addition, there is a short 10 minute show in Ollivander’s wand shop (there’s one at both locations- Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley) that we loved. Just like the real Harry Potter, the wand chooses the wizard… in the wand shop, Ollivander will choose a member of the small audience and select a special wand. Eleanor had already purchased her wand, so as we were leaving the wand shop, Ollivander stopped to make sure Eleanor’s wand was suitable for her. Can you feel the wonder in her eyes??

Performances:

There are a handful of public performances at both Harry Potter locations throughout the day. We stumbled into all four of them so we sat to enjoy, but it didn’t seem like something anyone was actively waiting for. They were all adorable and included the Hogwarts Frog choir singing, Triwizard Spirit Rally, Celestina Warbeck and the Banshees and a performance of the Tales of Beedle the Bard.

Experiences at Diagon Alley

Ministry of Magic

Before entering Diagon Alley, you will notice the red phone booth that the wizards use to go to the Ministry of Magic. If you dial 62442 (MAGIC), you can hear a secret message from the ministry. (Be prepared… it’s a rotary phone so children will be confused. Haha.)

Night Bus

Parked outside of Diagon Alley is the Night Bus. Make sure you go and chat with the shrunken head driver and his assistant. Very amusing.

Grimmauld Place

If you walk a little past Diagon Alley, you’ll arrive at 12 Grimmauld Place, home of the Black Family. Look upstairs to the second floor window and you’ll notice Kreacher the House Elf peering out periodically.

Gringotts Dragon

Once inside Diagon Alley, you can’t miss the dragon perched atop Gringotts banks as the largest most realistic dragon you will ever see. Every 10-15 minutes, you’ll start to hear a grumbling and 10 seconds later, a burst of flames will come out of the dragons mouth. Usually you can tell by the people gathered with their phones up to catch the moment, but we could recognize the dragon rumbling after a few hours in Diagon Alley.

Knockturn Alley

As every Harry Potter fan knows, Knockturn Alley is a place for the dark arts but head down here with your wand ready and pull out your map. Black lights in the alley will illuminate secret messages on your map.

Money Exchange

Stop by the Money Exchange and turn in your money for Gringotts bills. These are accepted throughout the park so don’t forget to spend them. While you’re there, ask the goblin a Bank Teller a question (how old are you, tell me about the dragon, etc.)

Experiences at Hogsmeade

Owl Mail

If you’re organized and bring a piece of mail with you, you can stamp it and mail it via Owl Express from Hogwarts. We were not organized so we bought a pile of postcards and had them use their ink stamper to mark them from Hogwarts. We’ll put our own stamp on them and mail from home.

Evening Light Show

UPDATE: As of 2023, the light show was no longer… apparently it’s closed for updates but who knows what that means. On certain nights of the week, they have a light show ON the walls of the castle. You gather along the edge of the park walkway and enjoy the narrative and the lights and then fireworks. We were in line for the ride at Hogwarts when one of these started and it seemed pretty cool, but we were too tired to go back the next night to see the entire show.

Food and Treats

Butter Beer

There’s obviously the OG of Harry Potter treats: Butter Beer. It’s offered anywhere and everywhere and definitely worth trying! It’s NOT alcoholic, don’t worry. I can’t describe it, but it’s fuzzy and I enjoyed it! They put a marshmallow type whipped topping that was too sweet for Eleanor but once we asked for it without… all good. There is a frozen variety that I enjoyed more than the plain… a little less sweet like a slushee.

Florean Fortescue’s Ice Cream Parlour

In Diagon Alley, there’s Florean Fortescue’s Ice Cream Parlour… they have flavors like Peanut Butter and Jelly, clotted cream, and more. Definitely worth a taste. Or three.

Leaky Cauldron and the Three Broomsticks

We had lunch at one and breakfast at the other. Both are self service-ish and the food is… okay. I decided to try the Pumpkin fizz soda and totally enjoyed it for what it’s worth. They both have kid-friendly choices (chicken nuggets, etc.). Both places have displays of the menu options if you have a picky eater and want to peruse first. Update: as of 2023, most of the restaurants at Universal were order ahead via the app… breakfast at these two places seemed like the one exception.

Magic Potions

We noticed one of these kiosks in Diagon Alley, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they have one at both places. You can purchase colorful potions (flavored syrups) to add to your water. We brought some home for the little kids and enjoyed having a taste test. They were pretty affordable and kind of a fun little treat. Update: when we visited in 2023 during the off season, these were not set up so I’m not sure if this has been phased out or whether it was a seasonal thing.

I’m sure these photos don’t convey the wonder and awe that both Eleanor and I felt when we entered Harry Potter World. Every. Single. Corner is SO authentic. She is such a fan that simply walking past the store fronts and just being in the park was really half the magic. We were amazed at the attention to detail that went into the park and we were so happy to have discovered lots of these ‘hidden’ gems throughout Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade. We stumbled across this video that details a bit of the ‘making of’ Harry Potter World and were truly in awe.

Having returned to Harry Potter World a few times since I originally wrote this, I can honestly say that everything stands the test of time. The attention to detail is unmatched: music playing quietly in the background, characters on point and every facet of the JK Rowling books on display… I will never tire of walking the streets and alleys of Harry Potter World.