The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando is an experience SO BIG, they couldn’t fit it into one park. You could easily spend all day casting spells and exploring the nooks and crannies of this immersive attraction. But how do you plot your day, exactly?

Well, we’ve got some tips to help you make the most of your experience and squeeze as much of that magical goodness into your day as possible!

Come meet us on Platform 9 & 3/4 as we head off to Hogwarts!

Before You Go

Like any vacation, a day at the Wizarding World needs some planning to be truly effective. So here are some important considerations.

First off, there are five Harry Potter themed attractions at Universal Orlando.

Islands of Adventure features three Wizarding World attractions:

• Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
• Flight of the Hippogriff
• Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure

Universal Studios Orlando features a single attraction:  Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts.  The fifth attraction, the Hogwarts Express, connects both parks and is only open to guests with a Park-to-Park ticket.

Know the Limits

Except for the Hogwarts Express, all of the Wizarding World attractions are thrill rides, with three of them being a variation on a roller coaster. Flight of the Hippogriff is a low intensity ride suitable for children taller than 43 inches, but every other ride features intense movement and, more importantly, restrictive harnesses. Guests of a larger stature will likely find many of these attractions uncomfortable, with certain builds being unable to safely ride. All the thrill attractions have tester seats located in front, so be sure to test them out if you have a larger-than-average build. You don’t want to get all the way to the ride vehicle only to have to head for the exit.

Express Pass It

Guests planning to ride the Harry Potter attractions should strongly consider buying a Universal Express Pass. This will allow you to skip the usual lines while still enjoying the immersive pre-show experiences. The Unlimited pass (which allows unlimited access to the Express queues for all attractions) is a much better deal but can get expensive for larger parties as each individual must have a unique Pass. Also, Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure does not currently accept Universal Express, for reasons we’ll go over shortly.

Get Virtual

Much like Rise of the Resistance, Hagrid’s Magical Creature Motorbike Adventure uses a virtual line system that refreshes periodically throughout the day. Unlike Rise, you can enter the queue from any Universal Orlando park. The first batch of passes goes out in the morning, followed by an afternoon and evening wave. However, we haven’t identified any set times when these update, so it seems to be based on attendance levels. If you want to ride this attraction, we strongly recommend you arrive at opening and head to Islands of Adventure first. If you’re arriving after opening, you can visit Studios first to get that authentic “going to Hogwarts” feeling. We’ll be writing this article assuming you went to IoA first.

Now, let’s get started!

Planning Your Day

The first thing you should do upon checking in is use the Universal Orlando App to try and secure a virtual queue for Hagrid’s. If you succeed, congratulations! If not, don’t worry; it’ll reopen later in the day.  From the Port of Entry, head right into Seuss Landing and then take a left when you see Green Eggs and Ham. This will lead you into the Zax Bypass, which will allow you to bypass most of Seuss Landing and head straight into Lost Continent. This is by far the fastest way to Hogsmeade, which is great if you’ve grabbed an early Hagrid’s spot!

What you do next depends on how successful you were in getting a Hagrid’s boarding pass. If you succeeded, you’ll probably be getting in line soon. Grab a snack at the Magic Neep and wait for your number to come up. Feel free to peruse the rest of this area or try some alternative attractions while you wait. If you didn’t get that boarding pass, head to Hogsmeade Station to board the Hogwarts Express.

“But wait, we just got here, and now you’re having us go to the other park?!”

Yes! You’ll see why in a moment. But first, let’s assume you managed to get on Hagrid’s. This “story-coaster” will send you on a wild ride through the Forbidden Forest as you come face to face with some of the deadliest creatures the Wizarding World has to offer! Be sure to hold on tight!

After you get off Hagrid’s, head to the Hogwarts Express. Why leave so soon? Simple; the experience for this ride changes depending on the direction you’re going. The general locations you see are the same, but what happens is completely different. While you could theoretically do a loop using your Universal Express Unlimited pass, it’s more efficient to try and snag a ride on Hagrid’s before hopping on the train so you can catch the other show on your way back.

You’ll be deposited in King’s Cross Station, in the middle of Muggle London. Take a moment to look around here, and you’ll spot a few familiar landmarks, including the Knight Bus and 12 Grimmauld Place.

The real attraction is inside, however. Head through the conspicuously inconspicuous alleyway, and…

At this point, you might not have eaten, so consider dipping into the Leaky Cauldron for breakfast.

The fare here is classic English breakfast, though they do offer a variety of other staples. Butterbeer is also offered here if you want to take your first taste of this delectable indulgence, though you may want to start with a spot of tea instead.

Now, the first thing you need to do when going shopping at Diagon Alley is to make a withdrawal from Gringotts, so head to the huge building in the back.

We recommend doing this ride now (before your shopping spree), as it requires a locker. Since larger lockers cost $2 for the ride, you’ll be saving a bit of money if you’re travelling light.

This is a hybrid 3D Simulator/Roller Coaster that reenacts the dramatic opening scene from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, where Harry, Ron, and Hermione steal a Horcrux from Bellatrix Lestrange’s vault. You just happen to be caught up in the crossfire and will end up on one wild adventure during your visit to this bank!

Once you’ve filled u your wallet, it’s time to shop for school supplies. There are many stores to choose from, but your first spot should definitely be Ollivanders.

Here, you can get matched with your perfect wand in an experience that is a spot on representation for the one from the film. Only one guest (usually, but not always, a child) will be picked for this immersive (and amusing) experience, but everyone will have a chance to purchase a wand afterward. You really only need one for your whole party, but feel free to go all out if that’s your thing.

They sell two types of wand at Ollivanders; interactive and non-interactive. The interactive ones have a reflective tip that interacts with the various displays around the parks, allowing you to cast spells. The non-interactive versions are simple display pieces. Both are made of somewhat fragile resin, which will hold up to light play but may break in the hands of small children. If you want to make a sturdier wand for a young child, take a wooden or plastic wand and affix a retro-reflective surface to the tip; they sell glass beads for this purpose, but safety stickers for bicycles will do in a pinch. You can also purchase wands without the fanfare at gift shops around both parks.

Now that you have a wand, keep an eye out for brass plates on the ground in front of various shop windows and fixtures. They look like compass markers, and your wand will come with a map pointing out their locations.

Wave your wand in accordance with the pattern on the marker (magic words not necessary but encouraged), and you’ll perform a spell! The Ministry won’t even care if you’re underage!

Now that you have a wand, take a moment to look for some other vital school supplies. The biggest is Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes, which sells gags, jokes, and novelty items.

Sneakoscopes, Remembralls, issues of The Quibbler… because who wants to just buy textbooks?

Of course, you can’t go violating the dress code! Head to Madame Malkin’s to get fitted for your very own set of robes or to purchase more casual wizarding wear. You can also visit Magical Menagerie for your very own familiar (though watch out for Nifflers), Quality Quidditch Supplies to support your favorite team, Scribbulus to get all the parchment you’ll ever need, and Globus Mundi to get a bag to fit all of this stuff in. If you’re short on Galleons, you can also head to the Gringotts exchange to get functional wizarding currency or replicas of the coins from the films. The goblin here even interacts with guests!

Also, though it’s ill-advised for law-abiding wizards, you could take a trip down to Knockturn Alley…

This dark alleyway features shops dedicated to the Dark Arts, including Borgin and Burkes, which sells robes for the aspiring Death Eater and has plenty of dark objects on display.

Or you can try your magic on the eerie displays here. Just don’t go doing anything Unforgivable now…

Once you escape Knockturn Alley, consider grabbing an Ice Cream from Florean Fortescue’s while not thinking too hard about the fact that, if Harry is currently robbing Gringotts, Florean should be dead.

Finally, head to the Market Plaza to watch a live show. The stage alternates between The Tales of Beedle the Bard (featuring gorgeous puppetry) and Celestina Warbeck and the Banshees. Celestina’s show is especially fun for fans, as every song she performs is based on one mentioned in the books!

Once you’re done here, head out the conveniently marked exit and do whatever else you’d like to do at Universal Studios. We’ll be hopping back on the train soon!

Savor the Pepper’s Ghost effect that will have your friends running through a wall and ride back to Hogsmeade. From here, we will be taking a lunch break at the world-famous Three Broomsticks!

The Three Broomsticks offers heartier fare than the Leaky Cauldron, including the Great Feast platter, which is perfect for parties of four. You can also order Butterbeer with your meal and eat on a balcony beneath the castle. Keep an eye out for the giant squid in the lake! You won’t see it because it’s not actually there, but you can still pretend!

After your meal, stroll next door to my favorite shop in all of Hogsmeade: Honeydukes!

This candy store features sweets both mundane and magical, and is perfect for grabbing a dessert after your meal. The Every Flavour Beans are great to occupy your wait in line, though maybe wait for your stomach to settle before eating them.

While you’re digesting, you can also check out Dervish and Banges, which sells general wizarding supplies. There’s also an Ollivander’s branch here, but it’s smaller and will likely have a longer wait. The stage in front of the castle alternates between two live shows put on by students; the Triwizard Pep Rally (featuring performances by Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students) and the Hogwarts Frog Choir. Try to catch them while you’re here!

Now, we’re on to the main attraction: Hogwarts itself!

This ride has the most immersive queue in the whole park, and even if you can’t fit into those unreasonably small seats, you can still enjoy the views. Just be aware that this ride condenses all of the scariest parts of the series into a short attraction, so if you have unresolved Dementor trauma like I do, you might want to skip this one.

After this ride is over, you can check out Filch’s office for some last-minute gifts. After this, the only ride left is Flight of the Hippogriff, which is a relatively relaxing roller coaster whose only major draw is an animatronic Buckbeak on the lift hill.

From here, you’re done! Well, almost. Whatever else you do during the day, consider coming back here in the evening for a magical projection and fireworks show!

If you’ve made it this far, congrats! You’ve done everything the Wizarding World of Harry Potter has to offer! At least until Epic Universe opens… Merlin’s beard, I’m going to have to redo this whole thing then, aren’t I?

What’s your favorite part of the Wizarding World? Let us know in the comments!

 

 

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