The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

If you stay at one of the onsite hotels, this area of the park opens an hour early. This is huge for line reduction. The main (virtual reality) ride through Hogwarts was a 5 minute wait instead of the 60 minutes when the full park opened. The show at Ollivander’s was immediate vs. a 40 minute wait when the full park opened. There’s a variety of things between the Three Broomsticks to eat, Butterbeer stands, the aura of Hogsmeade, a «wand selecting show» at Ollivander’s, the super ride in the Hogwarts castle — which we did twice, the kids roller-​coaster by Hagrid’s hut, and the dragon challenge — a loopy roller-​coaster NOT for the faint of heart. We got here at 8:00 AM and spent a full 4 hours before moving on to the next section.

I’m not a Harry Potter fan at all but this was my favorite theme in the park! The details they put into recreating this place is simply amazing.
The graphics inside the castles during the wait for the rides and the rides itself were fantastic. Harry Potter and The Forbidden Journey was the scariest ride IMO. I screamed the most on both the Potter rides.

Honestly our favorite part of Universal! Get yourself to Olivander’s for a wand choosing event (but be prepared to then drop $ 40+ on a wand that works in the park). We had some fun waving the wand and casting some spells in Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley. Check out all the little stores and pick yourself up a classic, like chocolate frogs. Don’t forget to grab a cup of Butterbeer! The Dragon Challenge is fast and a great ride. The Forbidden Journey is fun, but I had big problems with motion sickness (my wife was fine). The train ride between parks is a nice, small ride. The Escape From Gringott’s was a better roller coaster 3D combo. Overall one of the best places in the park!

We love Harry Potter and the whole world J.K. Rowling created so it was a real treat to visit this theme park. If you’re a fan of the movie series, books, or both –this place is for you! Just to be clear, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is located in Orlando’s Universal Studios Islands of Adventure. Here you can walk the halls of Hogwarts Castle, watch the dragon atop Gringott’s breathe fire, indulge in a butterbeer, cast spells with a wand from Olivander’s, and ride the Hogwart’s Express between Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade.
Universal Studios Islands of Adventure has made this all possible with the creation of its «Wizarding World of Harry Potter,» which includes a majestic replica of Hogwarts Castle and the ride known as The Forbidden Journey inside of it. If, like us, you wish to spend two days seeing Harry Potter-​one at Hogsmeade and one at Diagon Alley, two day tickets per person to enter Universal cost about $ 135 (after tax) per person between 3 and 10, and $ 145 per person ten and older. Kids younger than 3 enter the park for free.
We treated ourselves to the VIP Tour on the first day and were personally escorted by a Universal Orlando expert on a guided tour throughout the park (which included priority front of the line access to all rides and attractions including The Amazing Adventures of Spider-​Man, TRANSFORMERS: The Ride-​3D and all of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter). The cost was around $ 1000 additional, but was well worth it. We really relished the opportunity to drink butterbeer and pumpkin juice in Hogsmeade village and eating at The Three Broomsticks, tasting sweets (like chocolate frogs and Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans) from Honeyduke’s, and [my daughter] purchasing an interactive wand from Olivander’s (she actually had the experience of having the wand choose her!), then using it to cast spells at various spots inside of Hogsmeade village (moving your wand in certain motions and saying specified spells will cast magic in spots all around the park!).
My favorite part of the park, though, is The Hogwarts Express –the most magical train I’ve ever been on. And it’s exactly like the one in the Harry Potter film saga! We rode the train both ways, from Hogsmeade village to Diagon Alley and back, and during each journey we experienced something different: from Hogsmeade to Diagon Alley we saw Hagrid, the Weasley brothers, and the Knight Bus; from Diagon Alley to Hogsmeade, we saw dementors, Ron’s car driving through the Dark Forest, and had a surprising encounter with spiders. And, of course, we got to meet Harry, Ron, and Hermione on each journey. The Hogwarts Express is a «must experience» attraction when visiting Harry Potter World, and definitely a great addition to the park as it allows you to travel between the two parks to see the castle and Hogsmeade village in Islands of Adventure and the dragon atop of Gringott’s Bank at Diagon Alley in Universal Studios.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter got crowded at times (and as we learned, has been VERY crowded in the past), but overall, the park was not very busy when we attended Dec. 21 – 22 and, in fact, became less so in the evenings so the wait times for rides were negligible. The WWOHP was a wonderful, magical and we are definitely planning a return visit to experience the new theme park in Universal Studios Los Angeles.

This place is incredible. As a Harry Potter fan, you’d love the detail and the various stores. Buy your own wand, get some food at the leaky cauldron, or some potions. You will feel part of the story, just takes a bit of imagination and enthusiasm.

Very bery busy! More shops and restaurants than actual rides. The focus on detail is incredible! It really feels like you are walking around in the Harry Potter books

Needs more Snape.
Unilocal says that’s not enough feedback for my review, but those are my genuine feelings.

Fantastic! So well done. We took my nephew for his eighth birthday and he loved it. The staff were so kind (minus: woman filling beers at Three Broomsticks). They were definitely focused on making the experience great for the children — and they succeeded. The food is great, the rides are great. It does get crowded, but that’s to be expected.
The rest of Universal is pretty sub-​par and outdated. Clearly, the money went into Harry Potter section. And that was fine with us as that’s what our birthday boy wanted. But be forewarned if you’re going for Spiderman, Betty Boop, Marmaduke or Popeye (and I’m really not sure who would…), these sections haven’t had a major update in 20 years or more.

I FINALLY was able to go! Coming here was something that I have wanted to do ever since it has been announced and as a massive Potterhead, I thought it was perfect.
I was extremely lucky when I went, because it was raining pretty hard and because of that there were no lines. Like at all. The longest I had to wait for anything was five minutes and that was to go into Ollivanders to get my wand. Saying that, I STRONGLY recommend making that your first stop going into either Hogsmeade or Diagon Alley. The wands that you get are interactive and it really makes the experience that much more magical when you’re able to actually perform spells all throughout Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley. The rides are awesome, especially Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey that takes place inside of Hogwarts and is just so perfect that you have to ride it. I have heard the lines for it can get really nasty, so I would make sure to get there first thing to beat most of the people.
Like others have said, you really do need to spring for the park hopper pass when you go, because it’s just not getting the full experience and it really is worth the cost of admission. You get to ride the Hogwarts Express into a pretty faithful recreation of Kings Cross and then you exit right next to the Leaky Cauldron and are able to go into Diagon Alley. It honestly is something that will take your breath away, with the insanely faithful recreation of it from the movies, down to the smallest details of the locations of the shops. The coolest thing is the Dragon that is perched on the top of Gringotts that will shoot fire out of it’s mouth about every 15 minutes or so.
If you’re even THINKING about going to Wizarding World, stop thinking about it and just go as soon as possible. It’s even better than you think it could be.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is without a doubt my most favorite place on earth! I would consider myself slightly below the hardcore Potterheads, as in I didn’t buy a wand at the park or dress up like any of the characters; but I made a shirt for the day that said «Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Sasskaban.» The park it made up of two sections that are linked by the Hogwarts Express.
I started my day off at Hogsmeade right when the park opened since it had the most rides and I wanted to beat the lines. The Forbidden Journey is without a doubt one of the coolest rides I have ever been on in my life and walking through Hogwarts to get there makes it even better. Flight of the Hippogriff wasn’t bad either, it goes very fast but you’re kind of squished. The Triwizard Tournament Dragon Challenge was my least favorite I felt so disoriented after I got off of it. All the shops are so realistic you feel like you’re actually in the wizarding world it’s great. I had lunch at the Three Broomsticks/​Hogshead, they combine the two pubs at the park. The foods are average priced and they have their own specially brewed Hogshead meade that you can order, which I of course did. Also butter beer, just order it, it’s perfect. Also for those veg heads out there they do have some veg options for you guys too. Honeydukes was one of my favorite shops in this section, it was just so bright and colorful and the candy… I’ve never seen so much candy in my life. I also really loved the post office, I sent myself a postcard because well I’m super cool and wanted the Hogemeade stamp on it of course. This park also had a few other cute events going on, some singing and a show at the wand shop. Oh and you hear Moaning Myrtle when you’re going to the bathroom.
Now onto the Hogwarts Express. Umm so you can ride the Hogwarts Express to and from Hogsmeade and Kings Cross Station. What the What!?! It’s so cute because you get to hear some of the mischief that normally goes on, on the Hogwarts Express. When you get off at platform 9 and ¾ it’s exactly like the movies, I could be wrong but I believe there is an advertisement that is an actual movie prop in the station. Once you leave there is the phone booth that you can actual use to dial into the ministry, cool right? The Knight Bus is also chilling outside with Stan.
Diagon Alley was my favorite part of the park. It just felt so authentic Harry Potter. I felt like I was picking up my books and school robes and getting ready to board the Hogwarts Express. Where is my letter JK Rowling? I went and took a nap in the middle of the day so I was all ready to close out HP world, which I totally did. I really loved Escape from Gringotts and since it was on the late side and had rained in the middle of the day I rode it probably 4 times in an hour. Walking through Gringotts was amazing everything was so detailed the Goblins were so life like it was just so great. You can actually exchange muggle money for wizard currency if you’d like. Name a detail from the book about Diagon Alley and they have it. Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes was excellent and directly connected to Quality Quidditch Supplies, I spent way too long in those stores trying to figure out what Potter merch I wanted. I ended up with a Ravenclaw hat and a Holyhead Harpies pin after a lot of thought, I wanted ten thousand other things. Next at Sugarplum’s Sweets Shop I purchased a chocolate frog, a sugar quill, some pumpkin pastries and some butter beer fudge. That fudge is the best thing I’ve ever had in my life, just buy it, just do it. I had dinner at the Leaky Cauldron where they had a ton of specialty beers to chose from and fire whisky, which I also tried. There is also a Knockturn Alley section so you can get your dark arts fix.
I love this park so much and I’m hoping to go back again sometime soon. Ps. If you’re buying things on your credit card it doesn’t show up as Universal Studios but as the Shop in Harry Potter World, winning!

Parada obligatoria para todos los admiradores de Harry Potter!!! Como todo en este parque, está perfectamente recreado.
Hay una larga cola pero se hace muy amena.
Lo que es la montaña rusa está muy bien, pero para mi gusto las hay mejores como por ejemplo La Momia… aun así, como digo, para obligatoria para todos los fans de la saga!

Review #700
Both Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade were so well executed! J and I loved all of the Harry Potter world that was created in Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. Harry Potter fans will love this.
Before you come here: If you haven’t been exposed to HP yet, I’d recommend reading at least some of the books (or listening to the audiobooks) or if you’re too lazy to read then at least watch the movies. You’ll get a lot more out of the experience if you know what’s what.
Diagon Alley is in Universal Studios, and Hogsmeade is in Islands of Adventure. I recommend taking the Hogwarts Express train (an experience in itself!), which connects the two areas.
Highlights:
— Frozen butterbeer
— Butterbeer ice cream (soft serve) at Florean Fortescue’s
— checking out the cool wands at Ollivander’s
— ride Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey (it was better than The Escape from Gringotts ride)

Eu não esperava que fosse ser tão maravilhoso, o local realmente te transporta para o «mundo mágico» de Harry Potter, as lojas são encantadoras, há inúmeras apresentações de bruxos e bruxas pelo parque. A cerveja amanteigada é MARAVILHOSA e as atrações são melhores ainda! As atrações são incríveis, vá em todas!

You guys. This is the happiest place on Earth. This is the only thing worth going to the state of Florida for. This is the only thing worth spending ungodly amounts of money to take your entire family to and buy ALL THE SOUVENIRS. I could almost write an entire 8^th HP book about how magical this park is.
If you are an HP fan you must visit here at least once in your lifetime. Don’t even bother checking out the rest of Universal. Plan one or two or three full days to explore this magical place. Try the butter beer, try the pumpkin juice, try 2 or more meals at either the Leaky Cauldron or Three Broomsticks. Participate in every inch of this park. Make sure to do the Olivanders wand pop-​in performance thing. Wait 3 hours in line for all of the rides — the lines alone are part of the experience. Buy an interactive wand and use it to cast spells around the park. The entire park is straight out of the books and movies, and at the new addition of Diagon Alley completely immerses you in the world. You actually feel like you have left real life and are truly a part of Harry’s world!

Amazing! I wasn’t too excited about visiting Universal Studios after visiting Hollywood Studios. However, this place is amazing. We were familiar with almost every themed area in this park.
The Seuss Landing was amazing. We even did some of Seuss rides. Jurassic Park was a treat. We loved roaming the area there. Marvel Comic land was also exciting. What fun this park is.
Then, there was Hogsmeade and Harry Potter. This was the most fantastic theme area of the whole park. The crowds were thick in this part so that tells you others loved it too. The stores were small, packed and dark. That we didn’t like but it was an amazing place to visit.
Islands of Adventure was like walking through comics and books in all phases of our lives.
It was wonderful.

If you are at all into Harry Potter, this is absolutely amazing. You feel like you stepped into the movies. My bf doesn’t even like the movies or books — but he was even amazed at how well they did everything.
Definitely a must see for any HP fan. Also, it’s fun to dress up!

The ultimate place to go for any Harry Potter enthusiast!
Words really can’t describe the feeling you get when you walk into The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal. You feel like you’re part of the story every second you spend here.
From the Hogwarts Express to the shops and restaurants of Hogsmede — it’s all so authentic. I particularly enjoyed Olivander’s wand shop and the attraction and experience that lies within!
Not to mention Hogwarts castle, which makes the queuing experience for the ride inside even better! I have no idea how they’ve done it, but it’s truly magical.
The three broomsticks restaurant is a great place to grab a butterbeer and a bite to eat before heading off on the rollercoasters such as Flight of the Hippogriff or the Dueling Dragons! I’m already planning my next trip back here!

Best birthday I have ever had. I loved HP land. My favorite theme park, that’s for sure. I was chosen to the wand part in Olivanders. It was SO much fun.
I can’t believe how realistic everything was. We had so much fun. The rides were so cool and made me a little woozey afterwards but it was worth it.
I tried butter beer and they serve real beer too. I can’t wait to go back and have fun again.

This place is my dream come true. You truly believe that magic and wizards are real while spending time at this park. Almost every character, place and detail from the books and movies are brought to life in this park. I give so much credit to the people who planned, designed and created the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
First of all, you must visit Hogwarts. The castle is absolutely magnificent. There is a thrill ride inside of the castle that is a MUST! Even the line is fun because there is so much to see along the way. You get to tour Hogwarts while waiting in line. There are talking pictures on the wall. You also get to speak with the sorting hat. You get to fly through the Hogwarts grounds and the Forbidden Forest. The technology is unreal. The ride itself is very exciting. There’s lots of bumps and spins. It would definitely bother someone with motion sickness.
My second favorite ride is the Escape from Gringotts Adventure. This is a thrill ride through Gringotts Bank. Again, waiting in line is no problem because the line is full of things to see. There are goblins working at the bank as you wait. They are so lifelike, it’s insane. I swear that one was watching me.
You must also be sure to visit all of the shops in Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade. There is a Hogwarts Express train that will take you back and forth between the two. The train itself is a fun ride. It’s just like the movie. My favorite shops to visit are: Ollivanders (you must buy a wand), Weasleys Joke Shop, Honeydukes (tons of candy from the books), and the Three Broomsticks. The Three Broomsticks is a delicious English themed restaurant. I always get the fish & chips and a frozen Butterbeer.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is split between two theme parks — Universal Studio and Islands of Adventure — and is linked by the Hogwarts Express train. To enjoy the complete experience, you’ll need to purchase a multi-​park pass.
Hogsmeade is located inside the Island of adventure. The Dragon Challenge is an upside-​down, twist and loop type of high speed roller coaster that is definitely not for the faint of hearts. Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is a 3D adventure with enough sharp turns and dives that it requires a shoulder restraint. It will take you to many classic movie scenes as well as some of the familiar classrooms and corridors. Then you’ll soar above the castle and into the sky with Harry.
The Hogwarts Express Train takes you from one park to the other, but it’s really more of a gimmicky ride and a Harry Potter experience rather than transportation. We went there in the slow season in the middle of December and the wait was 30 — 45 minutes. I can’t imagine what the wait would be in summer. If you don’t care about the train, you can easily walk across the City Walk to go to the other park in 10 minutes. The ride was fun though, but probably a lot more fun for young kids than adults.
The Dragon Alley is located inside Universal Studio. The main feature is the 3D experience Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts. This is a milder and gentler ride compared with the Forbidden Journey. It only requires a lap restraint and doesn’t have many thrilling moments. Again you’ll find yourself in the middle of many familiar movie scenes as you venture along with Harry, Ron and Hermione and combat those malicious villains.
Overall, I was very impressed by the meticulous duplication of the castles, alleys, characters, creatures, etc. Everywhere you go gives you the feeling that you are right there at Hogwarts with Harry and the gang. Attention to detail is an understatement.
There are numerous shops in the 2 parks offering items from the authentic school uniforms to magic wands, as well as anything wizardly that you can think of. There are also eateries where you can grab some bangers and mash, or sample the taste of a butterbeer.
The atmosphere is magical. The experience is genuine and authentic.

What a creative and amazing place. I could only imagine how amazing this place is for a child. They have a few rides: two large dragon rollercoasters (I would not recommend for a child), a harry potter virtual roller coaster ride, a wooden roller coaster and an interactive wand experience. They also have a stage that rotates the Hogwart’s choir and other exhibitions. There are two parts to the Harry Potter section– one in Universal studios and one in Islands of Adventure. They are connected by the Hogwarts Express train. You must have a park to park ticket to ride this train and enter both parks. The train includes a virtual experience as well.
The only complaint I have are the extraordinary lines! One ride had a two hour wait and another 1.5 hours. However at 6:30/7 all the families cleared out because the sun had gone down and suddenly there were no waits for any rides. If you’re an adult not traveling with children I would recommend entering the park at 6pm It’s cheaper than the normal ticket and you can ride all the rides with no wait! You can definitely make it all the best rides before the park closes at 9pm.
The prices are exurbanite as expected. They are however offering healthier food and snack options in the parks from the last time I was there. They have fresh fruit, juice and healthy snack carts all over.
I would also suggest brining a lot of hand sanitizer with you.
If you’re traveling with kids I would definitely suggest traveling in December when your kids can see the macys parade and grinchmas. In addition, the park is cooler and you don’t have to worry about them overheating or becoming dehydrated as much as you do over the summer when it’s 90 – 100 degrees and there’s no breeze or shade.
Side note: staying at hotel onsite is convenient. However the benefit of location and occasionally an express pass does not equal the increased hotel cost. You cannot use the express pass on harry potter rides. In addition there are black out dates for express passes. Be aware of these ‘deals’ before paying $ 500 a night for an on-​site hotel. We stayed at the Orlando World Marriott which is about 15minutes away and offers free transportation. It was worth it and less than half the cost.

OMG ! Finally got to come to this ! After hearing so much, seeing so much, and even youtubing people’s videos prior to coming here ! Just like the movies ! Diagon Alley, Grimmauld’s Place, Knight Bus, King’s Cross, Hogsmead, the school… OMGAHHH !!! EEEEEEEEE !!!
We went straight for Diagon Alley after entering Universal Studios, walking through the brick wall path. Definitely a breath-​taking sight. Diagon Alley and all its glory. Straight ahead, Gringott’s Bank and its glory with a fire-​breathing dragon on top !
All the stores you know and love. All the little trinkets and gadgets you see. All the candy and things you can imagine… All here ! !
Since we came here so early, we decided to grab some breakfast at the Leaky Cauldron. My friends both got the American Breakfast while i got the Traditional Breakfast. Not much difference except theirs had bacon? and i had blood sausage (not what i imagined btw. could almost call it burnt sausage ha !)
After breakfast, and a little walking around… INTO GRINGOTTS ! after checking stuff into the lockers (oh my god i love universal and their free lockers !!!). Enter through the front (no goblin to bow and open the door for you though ehehe) but walking into the main entrance (after a little loop out) its just like the movie ! goblins on each side, working on their own things. SO COOL ! XD ! one of the many 3D rides to come ! pretty cool how they did the ride: D didnt lose my breakfast, so wasnt bad: P
Afterwards, walked around and checked the shops. Ollivanders and its limitless selection of wands, Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes and its random stuff, Knockturn Alley and its creepy darkness, Scribbulus for your quill and parchment needs… Its like walking into a candy store XD !
Then its finally time to board the Hogwart’s Express through Platform 9 ¾ by entering King’s Cross on the universal side (they check tickets and finger prints — REMEMBER WHICH FINGER YOU USED ! unlike my friends and I, my trolling friend became the one who forgot which finger he used and held up the line)… After a long snaking through the station, you see the «magical» entrance watching others «disappear» into the wall ! be quick if you want to record, as many people will be behind you ! Since we were early, not much of a wait this time. Almost straight walked to the train. Nice video and animations while traveling to Hogwarts ! Be sure to pay attention !
After arrival, in the distance, you’ll be greeted by the wonderful snow-​capped buildings of Hogsmead, with Hogwarts in the distance. With another Hogwart’s Express for your picture taking pleasure with all its smoking glory, and the Three Broomsticks. First ride you see the the Dragon Challenge. (more about this later). Walking passed the shops of Hogsmead, you get to the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey within the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. (thank god for free lockers). Originally i had to sit on the 2 seat from the right. but apparently due to my large chest (im a guy), i had to sit on the far left seat… the thing taht came down wasnt able to go all the way down. my friend who switched me go BLEHHHED on by a dragon during the ride XDDD
Flight of the Hippogriff — didnt require lockers. held my camera and such during ride. family/​kid friendly ! oh you get to see Hagrid’s house too: P
Lunch at Three Broomsticks ! Since we each had a big breakfast, we opt’ed to share a fish and chips while continuing the trend of having alcohol from day before… getting a nice cold beer from the bar next door XD fish and chips was nice. good sized pieces of fried fish
Dragon Challenge — this is the FIRST ride ive ever been on that required us to empty out everything out of pockets and removed glasses/​sunglasses as well and be put into locker with guards at the entrance WITH also a metal detector later inside before entering the building… WAO ! This one is a ride that is RED vs BLUE. (HINT — BLUE IS FASTER). we got tricked on our first ride, kid told us red was faster… while going up hill, blue went ahead D: ride actually looked kinda scary… screws while looping. more loops. and more screws. blue has more of something than red. forgot =X Lol. after riding Red, had an adrenaline rush so i dragged my friends to do blue too XD no regrets =X and why not? since im here XD
Dinner at Three Broomsticks — yeah so we ended up coming back here for dinner cuz we kinda craved the ribs. Each got a chicken and ribs platter. Chicken was kinda dry. Helps to have butter smothered over it. Ribs were decent.
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IF YOU ARE A FAN ON HARRY POTTER. BE IT BOOKS OR MOVIE OR BOTH ! YOU GOTTA GO ! IF YOU DONT HAVE THE DESIRE TO GO, then… you are definitely a weird one XD
lets just say, after this visit and return home, i decided to watch all the movies and read all the books… currently on movie 4. book 2. XD