Wizarding World of Harry Potter
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'11, '12
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"Universal's Harry Potter with Young Children"
I won't recap the highlights of every other review for this attraction at Universal Studio's Islands of Adventure; however, I wanted to give a few tips for families traveling with younger (or, as in our case, shorter/'fun-size') kids. Our 5 y.o. sons are just 41" tall and our 7 y.o. daughter is just 46" tall, so we were limited in the attractions we could take in as a family at this location. HOWEVER, we are still HUGE Harry Potter fans, so our trip to Orlando would not have been complete without a visit to Universal's Wizarding World! Since we knew that we would not be able to do two of the rides in this part of the park as a family, we quickly opted for the other activities we could enjoy.
First, we made sure to arrive as the gates opened and headed straight to the back of the park where the H.P. section is located....as did thousands of other visitors that morning! We visited in early March and were fortunate to have clear, calm weather in the low 70's--just perfect for the few outdoors lines we had to wait in. We took in the amazing scenery of the Hogsmeade village and Hogwarts Express train. Universal did an exceptional job aiding our imagination, down to the finest details in the shop windows. We were drawn to Zonko's (novelty shop) which is attached to Honeyduke's (candy shop) right away. We marveled at the chocolate frogs and, thankfully, picked up a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans that kept us entertained while in line for Ollivander's wand shop experience. The outdoor lines for Butterbeer got long quickly, so we planned instead to try it when we had lunch at the Three Brooms. We jumped in line for Ollivander's right away. Since they take in groups of 20 at a time for the 7-minute show, it moves rather slowly. We sampled the "Every Flavor" jelly beans and laughed at the reactions we had as we tasted soap, grass, sausage and worms! While the presentation in the wand shop is a little hokey, it is still entertaining and our kids thought it was fantastic. One lucky person is selected from each group to take part in the ceremony and everyone is then ushered into the wand shop where they can choose a wand for purchase, if they like. There are, of course, tons of other H.P. branded souvenirs and general H.P. eye candy in the stores, such as the replica caged Monster Book of Monsters that snaps and growls at passersby. My son selected a nice time turner like Hermione used in an early H.P. movie, though he was clearly disappointed that it did not come with instructions for how to actually turn back time (aren't we all?)! One may also pick up a postcard in the shop and have it stamped for mailing from the Hogsmeade village via the Owl Post stand just outside the door. This area also provides a nice, large, covered waiting area if part of your group is exploring elsewhere in the village.
Of the three rides in this area of the park, our kids were tall enough to do the Flight of the Hippogriff, a roller coaster ride whose line meanders past Hagrid's Hut. I wish I could recommend the ride in this area, but sadly, the wait in line (40 minutes for us) was hardly worth it. The ride is both tame and short. In our opinion, it would have been better to spend a bit more time exploring the village than waiting for it. If you stay in a Universal resort/hotel, you may get a "Front of the Line" pass for this ride that *might* make it worth it.
As our kids were not tall enough for the Forbidden Journey ride in the replica Hogwarts castle, we chose instead to meander through the attached gift shop that, again, has some intriguing replicas and merchandise. Our kids particularly enjoyed seeing the replica Marauder's Map that shows vanishing footprints moving around the area.
After our exploration of the shops and windows, we headed to the Three Broomsticks for an early lunch and were delighted with the experience. I found Universal Studios, in general, to have healthier food choices than Disney Parks, and Three Broomsticks was no exception. Their menu offerings were hearty, tasty, and generally healthy. A particularly good deal is the platter for four that offers roasted meats, veggies and potatoes. We chose a few children's meals (mac and cheese, baked chicken and chicken strips, all served with grapes and apple sauce), a plate of fish and chips for my husband and shepherd's pie with a salad for myself. We also got a few glasses of both frozen and regular butterbeer. What a treat! The inside of the restaurant gives one the feel of dining in a very large, old British pub, and the delicious food makes for a satisfying experience. The butterbeer alone is something we'll be eager to visit again for!
After lunch, we looked a bit more closely at the Hogwarts Express train and bid farewell to our most favorite attraction in the Orlando area. Even though our kids were not old enough to enjoy two of the rides in this part of the park, they were more than thrilled to take in the experience through the other sights, sounds and activities offered there!
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"Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando - An Incredible Theme Park!"
March FINALLY arrived and on the day that we arrived at Universal, I was all but tap dancing towards HP.
Here’s a recap on highlights from our day exploring The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – keep in mind: we visited in late-March about 1 month before Easter. Wait times, crowds, etc will vary greatly depending on time of year and holidays, etc.
Location: Universal Orlando is made up of two different theme parks – parked right next door to each other. You can buy single or 2 park tickets. Having a 2 park ticket allows you to wander to and from both parks. Park one is traditional old Universal Studios. There are some great rides, shows, etc. The second park is called Islands of Adventure (ILA). At ILA you walk through different themed areas (or islands). Harry Potter is an “island” at ILA. It is tucked all the way at the very back of ILA – so you will have to walk through Seuss Landing and Lost Continent to get there.
Capacity: As you might imagine, the majority of visitors to Universal Orlando want to see Harry Potter. There are employees outside the entrance to HP who monitor the traffic flow and keep track of how many people are in that section. During peak times and seasons, they will regulate the number of people allowed in at one time. You might have to wait in line just to enter.
Best time of day to visit: I’m pretty sure we had the same gameplan that every single Potter fan devises: get to Universal and HIGHTAIL it to Wizarding World. We got to the park just as it opened and headed right over. We arrived to find the thousands of other people who had the exact same idea. As we left HP, my stepmother asked a park employee when the best time to visit HP might be. He replied that 6-7 pm seemed to be the least crowded. We made a mental note to arrive around that time later in the day to try to see some of the things that were just too busy to get near.
Authenticity: I have visited a lot of theme parks/attractions/etc. I had heard that Universal was working very closely with HP author, JK Rowling, to plan the park’s every detail. I wondered if that would be apparent as we strolled the streets. It was. Right down to the screaming mandrakes in one of the shop’s windows – this was as authentic as it gets. As you walk through the gates of Wizarding World, you are met with an impressive replica of the Hogwart’s Express.
Take a few steps beyond Platform 9 and 3/4 to find a replica of the streets of Hogsmeade – village that Harry and his friends like to visit throughout the school year. I loved the snow capped buildings – that gave it the perfect touch.
You will notice several stores as you walk along that look like they are straight out of the books – Honeydukes (candy) and Zonko’s (novelty items, jokes, etc). We did not brave the crowds to enter either of those.
Rides: Wizarding World of Harry Potter features 3 rides: Dragon Challenge, Flight of the Hippogriff and Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey.
Note: If you choose to purchase a Universal Express Pass to jump some lines, realize that of the three rides in the entire park NOT included on that Express Pass, one of them is HP and the Forbidden Journey. Expect very long wait times for this ride.
Dragon Challenge: Okay, so apparently this ride is not new. It was already in ILA but part of The Lost Continent Island. It was given a face lift and turned into a Harry Potter themed ride. This ride was pretty awesome. You choose your car – red or blue. Both roller coaster cars leave the gate at the same time and throughout the thrill ride, they “race” each other. This coaster was fast and had lots of spins and corkscrew turns. I was dizzy for a good 5 minutes after getting off the ride – but it was worth it.
Flight of the Hippogriff: I was not so impressed with this coaster. It was very tame, which is fine, but it was so short, you barely had time to enjoy it before it was time to climb out of your car. The fun part about this ride is that the line winds you through the edge of the Forbidden Forest and you get a glimpse of Hagrid’s hut. We didn’t spend more than 5 minutes (if that) in line for this ride – in fact, we walked right on with the Express Pass – so didn’t have time to study it in detail.
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey (AKA the most KICK ASS ride I have ever in my entire life been on – I don’t CARE if you aren’t a Harry Potter fan – this ride RULES.): How about that for an intro? So this is the one ride that everyone wants to go on. It’s also the one ride in Wizarding World NOT included on the Express Pass. This is the ride that is housed in the hulking replica of Hogwart’s Castle.
Okay, so here’s the thing… this ride is so intensely popular, you are pretty much guaranteed to have to wait at least a little while to ride it.
Tip: Consider jumping in the single rider line. It tends to move a LOT quicker than the regular line (which from what I’ve heard can extend to as long as a 3-4 hour wait!). You can’t see or talk to anyone else on the actual ride anyway, so what does it matter if you ride with your party? You can still wait in line with them, but you simply plug any single seats that are open. This ride seats 4 people per car. We opted for the single rider line when we returned to the park in the evening and were through the ride and in the gift shop within 25 minutes of entering the line – a far cry from the 90 minute mid morning wait that we experienced earlier.
So yes, we waited 90 minutes the first time around to go on this ride. 90 minutes of waiting in line with Lily Bean. But I have to say – she was a gem. Even though it was hot and I’m sure she was bored out of her mind, she held up very well. She especially enjoyed taking the decorative top from Bob’s pumpkin juice and using it as an oh-so-fashionable hat for Snow White.
If you have a longer wait time, you are unfortunately going to spend some time in line with nothing great to look at. There is also very sporadic shelter from the sun/elements so strongly consider a hat, at least for the kids. You will have to get a locker at the start of the ride to store any loose objects, but if you are doing a child swap you can carry your bags with you in line and leave them with the kid watcher.
As you wind your way through the line, you finally make it to the top of the stairs, outside the doors of the castle. Get ready to take it all in, because there is some serious attention to detail EVERYWHERE you turn. I loved the mandrakes peering out of their pots – though this version did not shriek like the ones in the store windows on the street.
Enter the dark hallway to the castle and you are greeted by various statues of HP historical significance. I really enjoyed the huge hourglass contraption that showed the current standings for the house cup.
As you take your first turn, you notice the huge gallery of oil paintings on every available wall space. Get closer and notice that the people in many of the frames are MOVING. These clever replicas of the moving pictures are so fun to watch. They must be giant LCD screens with an antiqued film over them to make them appear to be real paintings. They are insanely fun.
From this hall you are ushered into the office of the man himself – Professor Albus Dumbledore – headmaster of Hogwart’s School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The technology here was intense – through projection it actually looks like Dumbledore himself is standing on the balcony talking to you. A little further through the castle is the same deal with projected visual effects, but this time you see Harry, Ron and Hermione.
When you make the final turn and see the sorting hat in front of you, you are just minutes away from getting your turn on this ride.
From here, you board the ride. Part roller coaster, part special effects experience, part sheer awesomeness – I don’t really know how to describe the actual ride except to say you seriously really feel like you are a part of the action. You fly across a Quidditch field at breakneck speed, you flip upside down and around as the Whomping Willow tries to smash you to bits, you soar all around the grounds of Hogwarts and could swear you are really flying with Harry.
It’s in-freaking-sane.
Five thousand thumbs up.
Food and Drink: From what I can recall, there aren’t a ton of food options in Wizarding World. After a long day exploring the rest of ILA, we returned to HP around 6:30 pm. We walked right in The Three Broomsticks restaurant with no wait and ordered our food. Prices were average and there was a mix of typical American Fare with some British influenced choices (Shepherd’s Pie, Fish and Chips, etc).
Butterbeer: This is a signature drink in the HP series and I was really looking forward to trying it. Word to the wise – this drink is SWEET. VERY sweet – as in: sugary, rich, will put a zing in your step. You have two choices – frozen or not frozen. You can opt for a regular disposable cup or for an insane upcharge (something like $8 more) your drink will come in a rather gawdy thick plastic souvenir mug. Uh, I’ll take the $4 throw away.
The taste was very interesting – like a caramel soda slush concoction (remember: I got the frozen version) with butterscotch flavored foam on top. Picking up this drink was one of the last things I did that night as we were about to leave (the Butterbeer lines had been SUPER long all day – finally they dwindled to the point where I was willing to wait). I was tired and had spent the whole day in the sun so I really couldn’t stomach the entire thing – in fact, I probably drank less than half. But it was a tasty treat – more of a dessert than a drink – and I’m glad I had the chance to try it.
Gift Shops: As you might imagine, commercialization is EVERYWHERE at Universal. Look for many gift shops (you won’t have to look hard) – after all, Universal is paying a berserk amount of money for all of the licenses at the parks – from name brand restaurants to the individual park attractions. You will be able to find HP apparel, broomsticks, wands, and trinkets big and small. Even I succumbed to a shirt for myself and one for the Bean.
Ollivander’s Wand Shop: A fun feature on the main strip is Ollivander’s Wand Shop. We had to wait about 30 minutes to go inside – as only a small group of people can be admitted at once. Upon entering, the darkness gives way to a dusty (looking) old wand shop with boxes piled as high as one can see. A curious little man (Ollivander) is waiting for you to arrive and when the doors have been closed behind you he chooses a young child from the crowd to come forward. He proceeds through an interactive “show” where the scene from the first book/movie when Harry chooses his wand is replicated. It’s cute, has a couple nifty special effects and is worth seeing – though I probably wouldn’t want to wait more than the half hour we did. After the little show, you are ushered very efficiently into – you guessed it – another gift shop.
Favorite part of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride
Biggest disappointment: Flight of the Hippogriff ride (While it wasn’t awful, I felt like it could have been longer.)
Best advice: Opt for the single rider line in Forbidden Journey – you will cut your wait time significantly.
Price tag: Admission to Universal Orlando is required. Tickets start at $82 for adults and $74 for kids (3-9) for ONE day ONE park tickets.
Will non-Harry Potter junkies enjoy it? Yes. Even the doubters should have a good time. While they surely won’t get as much out of it as hardcore HP fans will, they can appreciate the amazing attention to detail and unique-ness of the park. My dad is a total HP-doubter and he thought it was really cool.
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"Worth every bit of the overcrowding"
Absolutely packed – hour long waits to get into the few shops. I don’t think they were at all prepared for the popularity. Some tips for you:
• Go on a day that they are open the latest – even at 10:30 the night we were there they were still busy.
• They have timed entrances to the area right now because of overcrowding. They give out tickets just past the comic strip section of the park – go to the left when you enter the park and you’ll pass it – they have people standing with signs. We returned without a pass at about 7p…
• We were able to eat at 3 broomsticks at about 4pm-ish? Not crowded at that time and the food is good. They have all the drinks (butterbeer (get frozen), pumpkin juice, pear cider, etc).
• The line for the Hogwarts castle ride said 120 minutes but we timed it and it was 47 exactly. There are tons of things to look at along the way. It really is incredible. We went twice and wanted to go again.
• The other 2 rides are just rebranded and so not as crazy – almost no wait at all.
• The shops are small and outrageously priced – there is Honeydukes & Zonkos combined, Olivanders & Durvish and Bangs combined, and one at the end of the castle ride which is the biggest – and that’s it! You can’t get the merchandise other places in the park (that we could find). But do go into them because they are wonderful to see as well. The workers told us the place would “clear out” about 9p and it did slightly but not a huge amount. You could at least get into the stores at that time though with about a 10-20 minute wait.
• Wands are about $30 and really well made. Enter Olivander’s through the entrance closest to Hogwarts castle (not the line by Durvish & Bangs) because there is a show that’s cute for picking out wands. One child is picked from each ‘show’ and gets a free wand. Then they let you into the stores. But entering the other way doesn’t get you into the show and it’s very cute.
• AAA cards get a 10% discount throughout the park – food & merchandise.
• If you get photos from the rides, buy the first one at full price at Harry Potter, then you get a card where you can download any others for $5 each. But the Harry ride is exempt from the $5 deal so always pay full price for that one.
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"wonderly place"
Wizarding world of harry potter is a very wonderful place.Its a must see attraction for harry potter fans.It was like a dream come true for me and my kids.Its equally enjoyable by kids as well as adults.We felt like racing through the pages of harry potter storybooks.Its like an another world for us.Definitely we will want to visit it again.Its an awesome place and of course busy too.
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"WOW!"
Boy oh boy, this was a neat thing to see! As soon as you see the village you are instantly transported into the books and movie! The archetecture is top notch. They spared no expense on this one! We ate at three broomsticks (crowded, but good food) drank butterbeer (like a root beer float with a hint of butterscotch taste) and rode the ride in the Hogwarts castle, which by FAR is the coolest ride I have ever riden. I hate rollar coasters, so we skipped the two in this area, but the hogwarts ride was a nice mix between Spider Man's CG/live action fun and an actual thrill ride like Jurassic Park. There is really nothing like it. We waited the first time for 60 minutes (We were there New Years Day) but it was worth every minute walking through the castle. There is a fun thing to see in every room and you kept walking the whole time, so it didn't seem like a drag at all! The second time we waited in the "single rider" line. There were three of us and two of us actually rode together while the third participated in the "child swap". Wait time? 5 MINUTES! I definately recommend the single rider, even if you aren't swapping kids because it doesn't matter if you are together anyway. Once you get on the seat, you sit back and can't see the other people in your party anyway! It was a blast. The only downer is that you have to get a locker (free up to 75 minutes) before you can get on the line. That was a disorganized mess!
In the streets, there are shops everywhere. We only went in one shop because it was so crowded! Definately want to do this again after some of the hype wears off, so that we can really soak in the town. The Wand Shop was so crowded we decided to skip it, we weren't planning on spending $43 on a plastic wand anyway....
Overall, it was a great experience- Harry Potter lover or not!
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"A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!!!!"
I am a huge fan of the Harry Potter series so I may be a little biased, but Universal has absolutely out done themselves! Just walking up to the entrance I got butterflies in my stomach :) .. the first thing you see is the Hogswart Express! Walking down the street, there is just no way you can not feel like you are in Hogsmeade. There is alot to see, and at first the crowd can be a bit overwhelming but my family all agree we actually lost ourselves in this park, the crowds didnt even matter. Ollivanders was an amazing experience for everyone but especially for that one lucky child who gets called on to see what wand chooses them. The butterbeer was refreshing on a hot FL day! And I have to say The Forbidden Journey ride was hands down the best ride I have ever been on. If you have kids who can not ride Universal has done a swap system, where part of your party can ride while the other part of your party waits in the swap room and then you swap your family doesnt have to stand in line again they are taken from the swap room to get on the ride. It was such a great thing for us as a family with a small child who could not ride because no one who could ride got left out and wait outside for an hour til we came back and hear about the ride they didnt get to ride. So that was a great bonus! Even my five year old who has never seen a Harry Potter movie was mesmerized. He loved the hippogriff ride and I swear we rode it a dozen times.
It certainly helped that we stayed at the resort onsite so we got to bypass the lines and we were able to get in to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter park an hour before people who didnt stay on resort.
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"A Harry Potter's fan dream"
Universal has out done itself again. Wizarding World of Harry Potter is a wonder. It is amazing for the fan of Harry Potter. It really feels like you step into the pages of the books. I would recommend this world of Universal to anyone. It is truly a magical place, we have already been back for a second visit!
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"MAGICAL through and through!"
This is a MUST visit attraction for any Harry Potter fan – child OR adult!! All of the attractions are definitely geared towards older kids and adults, though even the younger Harry Potter fans will get a thrill out of being inside this magical place! Great attention was given to all the little details of the park, and as you walk down the streets it is easy to imagine that you are walking through one of the locations described by J.K. Rowling. Of all the different shops, the Three Broomsticks was definitely the biggest hit for our family and the butter-beer was a GREAT thrill for even my little kids! I anticipate as the newness of the park wears off the crowd levels will die down, but for now, go prepared to be surround by LOTS of VERY enthusiastic Harry Potter fans – if you don’t hate crowds, it actually adds to the atmosphere of the place!
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"Great for families with OLDER children"
Keep in mind, this is the first year that the Wizarding World of Harry Potter has been open.
PROS: The experience is amazing. There were obviously some super Harry Potter fans working on every aspect of the park. The attention to detail makes you feel part of the magic. The Butterbeer, treats, and fare at the Three Broomsticks were delicous. The Forbidden Journey ride is amazing, but may be too scary for young riders, and has been known to cause motion sickness.
CONS: With the enormous fan base that the books and movies have generated, it is no surprise that the park is BEYOND crowded. Unfortunately, Universal didn't adequately prepare their park for the massive influx of Potter fans. The streets are narrow, and the shops are bordering on claustrophobic. You must wait in line to do everything, and souvenirs are (not surprisingly) overpriced.
I am too much of a fan to practice patience.....but if you're not like me, I'd recommend going during non-peak times: Weekdays from Jan-Feb, or the end of April through May. Also, the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is usually less busy.
Also, this part of the park is NOT designed for younger children. The rides are intense and scary for youngsters, and the shops do not accommodate strollers.
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