The Ultimate Guide To The Wizarding World of Harry Potter…For Muggles

By Catalina | September 18, 2017

I have been obsessed with Harry Potter ever since I started reading the series in 1st grade. And I am not using the word obsessed lightly! Year after year, I would anxiously wait until the next book was released, and I actually cried when I turned 11 and my letter to Hogwarts didn’t magically appear.

If you are reading this post, then it is safe to conclude that you, also, never received a letter to Hogwarts, although according to J. K. Rowling,

“You got the letter. You went to Hogwarts. We were all there together.”

And if J.K. Rowling said I went to Hogwarts, then that is good enough for me!

When the first Wizarding World of Harry Potter opened in Orlando, I instantly added taking a trip to Hogwarts to my ever-growing bucket list! This summer, I made a couple of trips to California, and I made sure to include a visit to the newly opened Hollywood Wizarding World of Harry Potter on my Hollywood itinerary!

Without further ado, I bring you my best tips and the ultimate guide to visiting the Wizarding World of Harry Potter (for muggles).

So what are you waiting for?

Push play on the box above for dramatic effect, and learn all about what to do, see, and eat in the magical world of Harry Potter!

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Universal Studios Orlando vs. Hollywood

If you are a die-hard Harry Potter fan planning a trip specifically to visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and aren’t sure what park to choose, here are some of the differences.

Universal Studios Orlando is the home of the original Wizarding World of Harry Potter which opened up in 2010.
Both the Orlando and Hollywood locations are home to Hogwarts and Hogsmeade, however, Universal Studios Orlando is the only location (at the moment) where visitors can go to Diagon Alley.
Universal Studios Orlando is larger-13 acres in size-while the Hollywood location is only six-acres.
At Universal Studios Orlando, you can ride the Hogwarts Express between the 2 parks. Hollywood only has 1 park, and you can just take a picture in front of the Hogwarts Express.

If you are choosing between the California and Florida locations, I would recommend visiting Universal Studios Orlando as it is larger in size and also contains Diagon Alley.

That being said, you will still have a phenomenal time is you visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at the Hollywood location instead. Since a trip to Florida was not in the cards for me, I headed to Universal Studios Hollywood and had an excellent time!

The remainder of this post is based on my experiences at Universal Studios Hollywood!

Purchasing Park Tickets

Tickets for Universal Studios are a bit pricey, but you will be able to access both The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and the rest of Universal Studios with your ticket. There are also multiple day tickets you can buy, skip the line passes, and season passes available depending on your needs!

I purchased a one-day ticket for Universal Studios Hollywood and felt like I had enough time to explore not only the Wizarding World of Harry Potter but the rest of the park as well!

Universal Studios Orlando: 1-Day, 1 Park $110.00, 1-Day, 2 Park $ 165.00. You can purchase tickets online on the Universal Studios Orlando website. Be sure to check the website in case prices change!

Universal Studios Hollywood: 1-Day General Admission $105 – $116. You can purchase tickets online on the Universal Studios Hollywood website. Be sure to check the website in case prices change!

Attractions

Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey

Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is one of the coolest rides in all of Universal Studios, if not the coolest, and that is definitely reflected in the long lines for the ride! Fortunately, the line takes you through the majestic Hogwarts castle, where you will encounter familiar Harry Potter sights such as enchanted portraits, the sorting hat, and floating candles. Once you make it through the line, you will step onto the ride, where an incredible journey awaits! You’ll tag alongside Harry as he competes against Draco Malfoy in Quidditch, sneaks past Aragog the spider, fights off Dementors, and more. The movies and the books will really come to life in this experience! I loved the ride and actually rode it 4 times in one day during my visit! (I practically walked on each time thanks to the single rider’s line!)

Pro tip: To help shorten your wait, I highly recommend getting in the “Single Rider” line. While the line wait time will often run as long as 2 (or more!) hours, the single rider line is much shorter. The single rider line for Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is actually a little difficult to find, meaning that it is even shorter! You won’t be able to ride next to the person/people you are visiting the park with, but I think that is a small sacrifice to make for cutting down wait time. Plus, the seats are set up in such a way where conversation/interaction with your neighbor is nearly impossible anyway.

Flight of the Hippogriff

I’ll be honest, I wasn’t very impressed with the Flight of the Hippogriff. It is described as a “family friendly” rollercoaster, but, in my opinion, it was a little too friendly. And by friendly I mean boring. There was a long wait for this ride as well, and the ride was also incredibly short. If you are a roller coaster lover or are in a time crunch, the Flight of the Hippogriff might be worth skipping. In line, you’ll pass Hagrid’s hut, and as the ride takes off you can bow and greet Buckbeak.

Shows & Entertainment

Frog Choir + Triwizard Spirit Rally

Right before you reach Hogwarts Castle, you will encounter a small stage where you can catch a short performance or two! While I visited, I passed by both the Frog Choir and the Triwizard Spirit Rally. While I am not typically a show lover when visiting a theme park, these were both cute, and the kids visiting the park really enjoyed the live performances.

Ollivander’s

At Ollivander’s Makers of Fine Wands Since 382 BC you can witness (and possibly even experience) a wand selecting a wizard. As all true Potter fans know, “the wand chooses the wizard,” and this interactive experience allows a wand to do just that! Unfortunately, only 1 person from each group is selected to participate, so you may end up having to choose a wand yourself from Ollivander’s shop after the show. Either way, I highly recommend dropping by Ollivander’s to see the large selection of wands available for purchase! The shop itself is so whimsical, and will have you feeling like you just stepped straight into a Harry Potter Book. I have to admit, it was hard to refrain from purchasing a wand!

Light Show

Be sure to check with park employees to see if there will be a light show, and, if so, at what time the show is taking place! When I visited, the show started around 9:00PM, and was definitely worth watching! I made sure to find a great view of Hogwarts castle after exiting Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. The show only lasted around 5 minutes or so, but the lights were absolutely stunning! I watched in fascination as the castle lit up with the scarlet and gold of Gryffindor, the green and silver of Slytherin, Ravenclaw’s blue and bronze, and Hufflepuff’s black and yellow as music and animation accompanied the lights. In my opinion, Universal should go full on Disney and make the light show longer and include fireworks as well!

Dining

I personally chose not to eat in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter itself, however, whether you choose to eat within the park or not, you will definitely want to stop by and take a peek at the dining establishments straight out of the HP books!

The Three Broomsticks

Visit this popular Hogwart’s hangout and grab a bite to eat. The Three Broomsticks inn features authentic decor and British inspired fare such as shepherd’s pie, fish & chips, turkey legs, and cornish pasties.

Hog’s Head Pub

Towards the rear of The Three Broomsticks you’ll discover Hog’s Head Pub, the perfect place to stop for a Butterbeer, Pumpkin Juice, Gillywater, or the pub’s exclusive Hog’s Head brew. You’ll find drinks for those 21+ here, just in case you are so overwhelmed by finally getting to Hogwarts that you need a drink! 😉

Butterbeer!

Like most muggles visiting the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, I was determined to get my hands on a Butterbeer! After all, if you visited the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and didn’t post a Butterbeer Instagram, did you even go at all? A few facts about Butterbeer to know before you go:

You don’t have to be 21 to get it! It is non-alcoholic
That being said, if you’d like to…er…spice things up, you can head over to Hog’s Head and purchase a shot to dump in. Shout out to the park employee for this idea!
You can purchase two types of Butterbeer-frozen (think slushy), or cold (think Italian cream soda)
The drinks are topped with foam to give it that classic “beer” appearance.
A Butterbeer will set you back $6.99, or $12 if you opt for a souvenir mug.

What does Butterbeer taste like? I tried both the frozen and cold versions of Butterbeer. While my personal favorite was the cold Butterbeer, I heard many park employees say they prefer the frozen concoction! Both Harry Potter inspired drinks are sweet and taste like butterscotch! Personally, I found the drinks a little too sweet for my liking, and my friend couldn’t even finish his.

Overall thoughts? I definitely recommend trying Butterbeer, but I personally would get one to split between two people! The drinks are a little pricey and too sweet for just one person. That being said, I am glad we purchased two so that I could try both drinks. After all, it’s not every day one gets to try Butterbeer!

Shopping

Normally, I try to avoid shopping at all costs when at a theme park or on vacation. However, at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, shopping is a huge part of the experience, so you will definitely want to allow lots of time to walk around the various shops of Hogsmeade. While I managed to avoid purchasing anything, I had an amazing time exploring the stores and seeing the magical items that were offered within.

Ollivander’s

Here, you can pick out your own wand, or purchase the wand used by your favorite character!

Honeydukes

Ever wanted to try a Chocolate Frog or Bertie Bott’s Every-Flavour Beans? Here is your chance! You’ll also find Acid Pops, Exploding Bonbons, Peppermint Toads, Fudge Flies, Fizzing Whizzbees, and a variety of other wizard-approved snacks.

Owl Post

Make all of your friends from back home jealous by sending them a letter…from Hogwarts! Here you can purchase stationary, see a Howler in person, and send a letter bearing an actual Hogwarts postmark.

Filch’s Emporium™ of Confiscated Goods

If you ride Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, you won’t miss this shop-it is right at the exit! There is tons to see inside, but I recommend waiting until after the ride to browse!

Zonko’s Joke Shop

Just next to Honeydukes you’ll find Zonko’s Joke Shop, where you can purchase Extendable Ears, Screaming Yo-yos, and sweets such as Fainting Fancies, Fever Fudge, and Nosebleed Nougat. “I solemnly swear that I am up to no good”. Fred and George would be pleased.

Dervish and Banges

Quidditch lovers will definitely want to pop into Dervish and Banges to stock on all the Quidditch gear and apparel one could need From golden snitches and quaffles to a nimbus 2001! I am still sad I didn’t end up purchasing a Gryffindor scarf while I was there!

Wiseacre’s Wizarding Equipment

If you have always dreamed of owning a set of robes, now is your chance! AtWiseacre’s Wizarding Equipment, you’ll find house robes, as well as Platform 9 ¾ memorabilia, and other wizarding world gear.

Gladrags Wizardwear

here you’ll find a variety of widarding world apparel0 from Harry and Ron’s knitted Christmas Sweaters to Hermione’s Yule Ball gown!

There you have it, everything a Muggle needs to know to have a magical day at Universal Studio’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter! I’ll end this post with a quote from my favorite wizard, Albus Dumbledore;

Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?

What parts of the park do you think are the most magical? Let me know in the comments below! Oh, and don’t forget to say what house you’re in! I’m a Gryffindor!

For more information on visiting Universal Studios Hollywood, be sure to check out this post: Lights, Camera, Action! 10 Tips To Maximize Your Time At Universal Studios Hollywood

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