the wizarding world:
harry potter Park Recommendation and Tips
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what to know before you arrive:
1) To enhance your experience I highly recommend taking this quiz to see which Hogwarts House each person in your party belongs. Knowing your House affiliation is not required, but it will make your trip more fun!
2) Know which attractions/experiences are in each park (I have a breakdown below)
3) I highly recommend taking advantage of Early Park Admission. It’s a great time to experience the park before the crowds kick in!
Harry Potter touring recommendation
The following touring plan is for guests who wish to have a slower-paced Harry Potter experience similar to the storyline we see in the books/movies inside Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure.
-Enjoy breakfast at your hotel, then take the boat or walk to Universal Studios
-After arriving, walk past King's Cross Station and enter Diagon Alley.
-First, go to Gringott's Money Exchange to exchange your $10 or $20 muggle cash for wizard currency that can be used throughout the Wizarding World. (Unused wizard money can be transferred back into U.S. currency at Guest Services.)
-Head over to Ollivanders Wand Shop and pick out your own interactive wand. (The line for Ollivanders does get quite long throughout the day, so go early to avoid lines).
-After getting your wand at Ollivander's, see if there are any other shops you want to get before heading to Hogwarts. You can explore places like Quality Quidditch Supplies, Scribbulus, and Wiseacre's Wizard Equipment.
-Once you are ready for school, you can ride Escape from Gringott's OR head over to King's Cross to catch the Hogwart's Express! (You will need to show your park-to-park ticket. The train accepts the Express Pass).
-After arriving in Hogsmeade, head over to Hogwarts Castle for photos - the bridge connecting the Wizarding World to Jurassic Park is a great location!!
-Ride Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey and Flight of the Hippogriff (both accept the Express Pass).
-Grab quick service lunch at The Three Broomsticks - you can mobile order via the app. Hog's Head next door has a "secret" Deathly Hallows drink, which features Guinness, Hogs Head Brew, and Snake Bite. There is patio seating outside behind the restaurant that offers great views of the park!
-After lunch, spend some time using your interactive wand around Hogsmeade, then ride Hagrid's Motorbike Adventure (Express Pass accepted).
-After, you can remain in Hogsmeade for more fun or return to Diagon Alley.
general harry potter tips
A breakdown of what is in each theme park:
Universal Studios has King’s Cross Station & Diagon Alley:
o The Knight Bus is outside of King’s Cross in the London Waterfront area. You can’t go inside the bus, but you can get photos next to it!
o Pay attention to the windows outside of King’s Cross Station! Kreacher the house-elf can be found peeking from the second-story at 12 Grimmauld Place in the London Waterfront area.
o Hogwarts Express (inside King’s Cross Station. You MUST have a park-to-park ticket to ride the Hogwarts Express between the two parks) Express Pass Accepted
o Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts (this also features the famous dragon atop the ride that breaths fire about every 15 minutes). Express Pass Accepted
o Ollivanders Wand Shop
o Knockturn Alley, which is a dark & cold area that connects you with Borgin and Burkes. There are interactive wand stations. This is a great respite from the Orlando heat, too!
o Gringotts Money Exchange. Swap your $10 or $20 bills for wizard currency that can be used throughout the Wizarding World. Unused wizard money can be transferred back into U.S. currency at Guest Services.
o The Tales of Beedle the Bard/Celestina Warbeck and the Banshees (live performances througout the day starting at 10am).
o Florean Fortescue’s Ice Cream Parlour
o Fountain of Fair Fortune (drinks, including Butterbeer)
o The Leaky Cauldron (quick service dine location that serves breakfast, lunch & dinner)
o The Hopping Pot (drinks in Diagon Alley)
o Many active wand stations
Islands of Adventure has Hogsmeade:
o Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure is a roller coaster that has fast speeds and sharp vertical drops. The height restriction is 48 inches. Express Pass Accepted
o Flight of the Hippogriff Express Pass Accepted
o Hogwarts Castle
o Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey (inside Hogwarts Castle) Express Pass Accepted
o Frog Choir/Triwizard Spirit Rally (live performances throughout the day starting at 10am)
o Ollivanders Wand Shop
o Three Broomsticks quick service dine location that serves breakfast, lunch & dinner. Keep an eye out for the house elf shadows working behind the scenes! Be sure to check out the patio in the back for great views of the park!
o Hogs Head Pub (stand-up bar inside Three Broomsticks).
EPIC Universe
o Battle at the Ministry (40”) Express Pass Accepted
o Le Cirque Arcanus, a fantastical show for all ages showing off magical beasts! Check your app for showtimes. It starts at 10am and runs throughout the day. Express Pass Accepted
o Café L'Air de la Sirène. You can request patio seating when you arrive (ideal for fine weather or nighttime) or you can sit inside. Don’t skip on the butterbeer crepe!
o Les Galeries Mirifiques: A premier Parisian department store featuring robes, apparel, and souvenirs.
o Cosme Acajor Baguettes Magique: A specialized wand shop featuring unique three-sided boxes with exclusive wands and spell-casting locations.
o Tour En Floo: Located at the exit of Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry, selling Ministry-themed apparel and wand accessories.
o K. Rammelle: A French-themed candy shop offering specialty treats.
o Hogs Head Pub (stand-up bar inside Three Broomsticks).
Interactive Wands
Definitely do the wand keeper show at Ollivanders (2 locations) and buy an Interactive Wand to cast spells to create amazing magical experiences throughout Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade. I recommend going to Ollivanders on the front end of your trip so you can return to Harry Potter multiple times to do spells. There are spell locations in all three parks. A brass medallion on the ground means there is a spell location at that spot. In total, there are 16 you can cast in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley and 9 in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade. Inside your interactive wand box is a double-sided map that comes with the details of all the spell casting locations.
Nighttime at the wizarding world
Each of the parks offer great Harry Potter fun at night!
At Universal Studios
-Hogsmeade at sunset is so magical!
-Hogwarts Castle is beautiful at night! There are always projections that rotate. Depending on when you visit there may be a nighttime show as well with music and more. The best way to check is either the app or asking a “robed” team member while in the park.
At Islands of Adventure
-Over in Diagon Alley, nighttime is great time to grab a treat, do some shopping, and in general just hang out.
-Keep your head up! Every 10 minutes or so the dragon guarding Gringott’s spits fire! You will hear him rumble first before the flame appears.
At EPIC
-Don’t miss Paris at night! This is another immersive land that is just fun to grab a treat and hang out.
-IMPORTANT: The Battle at the Ministry does stop loading guests onto the ride 1-2 hours before park opening. They try their best to stop the ride as close to park closing as possibled. So, do not think you can hop in line 10 minutes before park closing.
Food Recommendations
My Favorite Harry Potter Treats:
I highly recommend Café L’air De La Sirène inside of EPIC. The Butterbeer crepe is super yummy and can be shared between two people.
Gigglewater is served at Café L’air De La Sirène inside of EPIC.
There are Butterbeer carts at all three theme parks. You can enjoy yours hot, cold, or frozen. My favorite way is cold. The foam on top is gluten free.
Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream inside Diagon Alley has a variety of fun flavors including butterbeer, earl grey tea, sticky toffee pudding, and strawberry peanut butter.