The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Planning a trip to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter? Consider doing what we did when we visited with our nine year old nephew: Get into the park as early as you can and hightail it straight to Diagon Alley and Ollivander’s Wand Shop. My nephew walked into the shop as an ordinary Muggle and came out a spell-casting Wizard.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orland, Florida, actually spans two parks. Diagon Alley is located in Universal Studios and Hogsmeade is in Islands of Adventure. A park-to-park admission ticket is required in order to visit both parks. The Hogwarts Express train carries Muggles from one park to the other.

This website participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. The program enables us to earn a small commission at no extra cost for you if you click through our links and make a purchase at amazon.com and affiliated websites. It won’t cost you a dime and it helps us keep the On To New Adventures website up and running. Thank you for your support!

Diagon Alley

Both of the parks that make up the Wizarding World of Harry Potter have unique rides, shops, and experiences. (if you see a bit of merchandise that you really want, you may want to go ahead and buy it as there is no guarantee that you’ll see it elsewhere in the the park) In Diagon Alley, you feel as though you are walking through the old streets of London. Top attractions include the Escape From Gringott’s ride, Ollivander’s Wand Shop, dining at The Leaky Cauldron, and a visit to The Knight Bus.

You’ll instantly know that you’re in Diagon Alley when you spot the huge, fire-breathing dragon atop Gringotts Bank. This is the dragon that Harry and his friends rode as they escaped after breaking into the bank vault in the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows movie. The dragon shoots out a fireball about every 20 minutes or so. Be sure to get out your camera when you hear a low growl: sparks are about to fly! We were standing close enough that we could actually feel the heat from the blast.

Wand Pairing Ceremony at Ollivander’s

While we loved all that Harry Potter World had to offer, it was the Wand Shop and the interactive wand that we purchased there that had the most profound impact on my nephew. It is a magical experience unique to Harry Potter World. For a true Harry Potter aficionado, nothing beats participating in a Wand Pairing Ceremony. As Harry Potter fans know, one does not simply choose a wand that they are attracted to. The wand chooses the Wizard! For of course, one never gets good results with another Wizard’s wand.

We stayed at Loew’s Sapphire Falls Resort, one of Universal’s on-site hotels. The hotel provides complimentary water-taxi service to Universal Studios as well as one hour early park admission. This got us to Ollivander’s wand shop before the line snaked out the door and around the block.

We were let into the small, dark back room of the shop with a group of 15 or so other people. (The group size definitely appeared larger later on in the day) My nephew was totally enthralled with the very authentic looking Wand Keeper Wizard who sternly stood before us. The Wand Keeper chose a teenage boy to step forward and have the honor of participating in the Pairing Ceremony. While my nephew desperately wanted to be chosen, we had made certain to prepare him for the likelihood that the Wand Keeper would select someone else. As it turned out, the scene was rather intimidating and my nephew was perfectly fine with observing someone else in the spotlight.

The Wand Keeper selected a couple of wands for the teenager to use while trying his hand at spell casting. His first two attempts with a wand were disastrous! Naturally, it was the magical third wand that proved to be the perfect pairing.

As the show’s end, the audience funneled out into the wand shop. Did we pause for even a fraction of a second to examine the incredible array of wand boxes available for purchase, stacked floor to ceiling? No! We skipped out the door and got right back in the still very minimal line in front of Ollivander’s. Yes, there are big advantages to arriving at The Wand Shop early! We shuffled back into the dark little room, and my nephew stood in the exact same spot where the teenager stood when he was chosen. Lo and Behold! This crafty strategy worked and this time my nephew was called to stand before the Wand Keeper.

The Wand Keeper described in detail the wands that he offered my nephew. An alder wand with a core of unicorn hair, red oak with with phoenix feathers…there is an overwhelming variety of wand types. My nephew was first asked to use a wand to water a pot of flowers to encourage them to grow. Rather than growing, the flowers instantly drooped. Secondly, he was asked to turn a lamp on to bring some light into the room. Flashes of lightning and rumbles of thunder made it clear that this was not at all a good wand choice for him. Of course, when he tried his hand with the third lucky wand, the room was bathed in a warm and gentle light.

It is not required that you purchase the wand at the end of the show. However, the ceremony is such a wonderful experience that it’s hard to imagine someone would decline the wand that had chosen them.

Now with interactive wand in hand, my nephew was ready to set forth and cast dozens of spells throughout Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley. Wands come with a map that show all of the sites in the park where they can be used. Bronze markers embedded in the street indicate shop windows where the wands trigger special effects. Magic occurs when the correct incantation is be paired with the correct wand movement. Spells backfiring on you? No worries. There are plenty of friendly wizards and witches around who will be happy to help you.

We had a blast visiting all of the spell casting sites. In fact, we visited many of them multiple times. One of my favorites? The Reparo Spell at the Bowman E. Wright Blacksmith Shop, where a Suit of Armor in broken pieces magically gets put back together. A hit with my nephew? Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes Spell: Shout “Descendo!” and a plunger swirls around inside of a toilet and is flushed away. At Honeydukes Sweet Shop, the Revelio Spell causes a gift box to open with a croaking Chocolate Frog inside. (one of Harry’s favorite treats!)

In addition to all of the spell locations shown on the map, there are two top-secret locations that are not on the map. Look for a red light at Mullpepper’s Apothecary and at Scribbulus Writing Implements. In Knockturn Alley, find the black light that shines down beside a moving skeleton. Place your map underneath the light to see what’s been written there in invisible ink!

Starting your day in Hogsmeade? There is a second Wand Pairing show in the Islands of Adventure side of the park.

Interactive wands cost $55 and up. Again, we can’t imagine not purchasing the wand offered by the Wand Keeper. While non-interactive wands can be purchased more cheaply, where’s the magic in that? While interactive wands are a bit pricey, we simply considered it part of the cost of traveling to Harry Potter World. And if by some chance your wand loses its magic, head right on back to Ollivander’s. A Wand Keeper will repair it for free!

Escape From Gringotts

Once you’ve secured your Wizard’s wand, you’ll be tempted to start casting spells right away. However, it’s a good idea to instead hustle on over to Escape From Gringotts, the only ride in Diagon Alley. It’s hugely popular, and the line only gets longer as the day goes on. If you can’t make it early in the morning, consider waiting until the last half hour or so before the park closes at night.

The entrance to the ride is within Gringotts bank, located right below Diagon Alley’s iconic fire-breathing dragon. Standing in line is half the fun, as you’ll wind through the bank’s beautiful marble lobby and see the incredibly realistic goblins toiling over their account ledgers. You can even ask one of the goblins to exchange your ordinary Muggle money for Gringotts bank notes that can be used throughout the park. Be sure to ask the goblin a question or two, such as how’s the weather, what his favorite color is, or if he knows Harry Potter.

The roller coaster ride is filled with 3-D special effects. Of course, you’ll meet up with Harry, Hermoine and Ron as they seek to outwit Bellatrix and Voldemort.

Have a younger child who may not be up for the scary Escape from Gringotts ride? Both parks offer a Child Swap option which allows the adults to take turns on the ride as one waits with the child. Let the greeter at the front of the line know that you’d like to use the Child Swap.

The Knight Bus

Stop by the purple triple-decker Knight Bus before leaving Diagon Alley. The friendly Knight Bus driver loves to strike up conversation and can give you all sorts of insider tips about cool things to see inside the park. Check out the shrunken head hanging in the window! It will interact with you, and it even called my nephew by name! You can pose for a photo on the bus steps and peek in the windows at the beds and chandelier inside.

12 Grimmauld Place

Knock on the door as you pass 12 Grimmauld Place. If you’re lucky, you may spot Kreacher the House Elf peeking out the window above.

The Leaky Cauldron

The Leaky Cauldron in Diagon Alley, as well as its counterpart, Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade, are both fashioned as traditional British pubs. Look closely when you enter: The Leaky Cauldron sign outside actually leaks! Once you are inside you’ll find a cathedral ceiling overhead, and a restaurant decorated with all sorts of artifacts that are replicas of the props used in the Harry Potter movies.

The Leaky Cauldron offers traditional British fare, such as Bangers and Mash (roasted British sausage with mashed potatoes, peas and carrots) and Fisherman’s Pie. David and I thoroughly enjoyed the Plowman’s platter with variety of cheeses, crusty bread, apple beet salad and scotch eggs. Don’t worry if your child is not an adventurous eater. They can order good old macaroni and cheese or fish and chips.

My nephew reluctantly agreed to pose in front of the leaky cauldron set in the fireplace while we were waiting for our food. He was in a much better frame of mind after eating!

Ministry of Magic Phone booth

Ready to head over to Hogsmeade? Exit through the Diagon Alley entrance on your way to Kings Cross Station. Keep an eye out for the British red telephone booth. In addition to being a great photo op, you can step inside and dial the Ministry of Magic. (You may have to explain to your kids how a rotary phone works!) Dial 62442 (the letters that spell MAGIC) to hear a message from the Ministry of Magic. Predictably, when my nephew rang, things were not going well for the chap on the other end of the line!

Kings Cross Station

Enter the King’s Cross Station to hop aboard the Hogsmeade Express. The entrance to the station looks like a regular brick wall on a typical London Street. We weren’t exactly sure that this was the entrance we were looking for: luckily my nephew recognized it from the Harry Potter movies!

Once inside the station, you can upgrade your tickets to the park-to-park admission that is required in order to ride the Hogwarts Express from Diagon Alley in Universal’s theme park to Hogsmeade, located in the Islands of Adventure Theme Park. Make your way to the magical brick wall between train platforms 9 and 10. Just as Harry and his friends had to dash through the wall to get to Platform 9 3/4 every time they boarded the Hogwarts Express to get to school, your family must get through the secret entrance in order to leave the Muggle world behind and board the the red steam-engine train. Stand back a bit and shoot a video as your family members rush the wall and seemingly disappear.

You’ll actually want to ride the train both ways, as the special effects are completely different in each direction. As you enjoy viewing the lovely English countryside, keep an eye out for Hagrid on his flying motorcycle, and a dementor or two. Be diligent when passing Draco Manor: you may catch a glimpse of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

Hogsmeade

Once you depart the train, you can explore Hogsmeade Village and the Hogsmeade Castle. Not-to-miss attractions include The Flight of the Hippogriff ride, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride, and Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure. Enjoy a meal at Three Broomsticks. Pick up some chocolate frogs, Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans and Fizzing Whizzbees (chocolate covered pop rocks) at Honeydukes candy shop. If your schedule allows, check out the night time lights at Hogwart’s Castle.

The Flight of the Hippogriff

My nephew loved this outdoor, family friendly roller coaster ride. We hopped off and got right back in line a number of times. The ride gives you a great view of Hagrid’s castle, and the nest of a hippogriff:  a magical beast with the front legs, wings, and head of a giant eagle and hind end and tail of a horse.

Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey

Sadly, at the time of our visit my nephew this popular ride was under repair. Normally, Muggles are able to join Harry, Ron and Hermione as they fly around the Hogwart’s castle and play a bit of Quidditch. The experience gets dark and scary when the heroes battle a dragon and encounter some dementors in the Forbidden Forest.

While we couldn’t go on the ride itself, we were able to walk in the ride’s line as it winds through the castle. We observed  Dumbledore’s Office, the Defense of the Dark Arts classroom, and the greenhouse where young mandrakes are being potted. If you are visiting with young children who aren’t up for a ride this scary, you can still stand in the line to see the sights and step aside right as the ride starts.

Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure

We’ll need to make a return trip in order to experience the latest and greatest attraction in Harry Potter World. Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure was not quite ready to open at the time we were there. Apparently the lines are huge: another great reason the early park admission tickets are so worthwhile!

This roller coaster ride has Muggles join Professor Rubeus Hagrid’s Care of Magical Creatures class. Riders journey into the Forbidden Forest to observe the magical creatures that live there. You can choose to ride either a motorbike or in the sidecar as you zoom around a track with lots of launches and twists and turns. This ride has a height requirement of 48 inches.

The Owl Post

Stop in at The Owl Post so you can get your postcards stamped with a Hogsmeade postmark. You can carry in your own letter or postcard to mail, or you can buy one there to drop into the letter box. Check out the owl perched in the rafters above you. If you are observant, you may even notice some bird poop up there! You might hear a Howler while you’re inside: hopefully it won’t be addressed to you! A Howler is a magical letter read at high volume, usually expressing displeasure. It’s fun to hear reasons why some parents were disappointed in their Hogwarts’s students!

Moaning Myrtle

Listen for Moaning Myrtle’s wails in both the women’s and men’s restrooms in Hogsmeade. In the books she’s a ghost who haunts the girl’s bathroom on the second floor of the castle. During my bathroom visit, Myrtle was moaning about people making fun of her behind her back.

Butterbeer!

There is no better way to end a long day in the Wizarding World than to kick back with a frozen Butterbeer. You can find this concoction throughout the park. We thoroughly enjoyed sipping ours at The Leaky Cauldron. Butterbeer actually comes in six varieties: hot, cold, frozen, fudge, ice cream and potted cream. We loved our frozen concoction! We weren’t quite sure what the potted cream would entail, but our waiter informed us that it is served cold in a mason jar with whipped cream on top.

We have so many wonderful memories of our time in Harry Potter World. And the Wand Pairing Ceremony tops them all!

Places To Stay In The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter

If a trip to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is in your future, consider staying on the grounds at one of Universal Studio’s hotels. The hotel stay is well worth it, considering the convenience and early admission to the park, which means first in line at the Wand Shop and the hugely popular rides. For information on making reservations, click on Universal Studio’s website.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is overflowing with intricate details related to the Harry Potter books and films.  Want to sharpen your knowledge in advance of your trip?   Get the Trivial Pursuit: Wizarding World Harry Potter game  and immerse yourself in the areas of The Dark Arts, Hogwarts, Magical Spells and Potions, Magical Objects, Magical People, Animals and Magical Creatures. This game is compact enough that’s it’s easily portable and something your family can play on the plane to Orlando.

Don’t be afraid to get dressed up: you’ll see adults and kids alike in Wizard robes throughout the park. Join in the fun in an adult  Hogwarts House Themed Robe: Select from Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, Slytherin of Hufflepuff. Kids will love an authentic looking Harry Potter costume or Hermione outfit. 

Kids will love an authentic looking Harry Potter costume or Hermione outfit. 

Looking for other memorable vacation destinations in Florida? If you’re heading to Key West, sure to check out our blog post titled A Day On Dry Tortugas. A visit to this remote island and home to historic Fort Jefferson is definitely a day you’ll never forget.

We love hearing from our readers! Please leave a comment.