As a travel agent and a big Harry Potter fan, it may shock you (as it did several other agents on my last trip to Orlando) to learn that I had NEVER BEEN TO HARRY POTTER WORLD! Luckily, on my last visit, I had the opportunity to enjoy a day and a night at Universal Orlando, and of course I did my best to make up for lost time in the Wizarding World.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter spans 2 parks, with Diagon Alley located in Universal Studios Florida and Hogsmeade in Islands of Adventure. While the Wizarding World could surely take up an entire theme park all on its own, Universal has created an incredibly magical, immersive experience bringing the wizarding world to life.
I began my journey much like Harry did, slipping through a completely unmarked passageway through a brick wall and stepping right into what felt like an active set pulled right out of the movie!
The centerpiece is Gringotts Bank, with a fire breathing dragon perched on top as a sneak peek for the Escape from Gringotts ride hidden within.
Everywhere you look in Diagon Alley, you will find shops from the books exactly as you may have imagined them, from Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes to Flourish and Blotts. I could have spent an entire day taking in all the magical details: Chomping piles of The Monster Book of Monsters, window displays of Muggle curiosities, and of course, all the merch you could possibly need to rep your Hogwarts house. I did not buy myself a wand, but I did delight in the wand ceremony at Olivanders and I cannot wait to bring my kids with me to experience it on my next trip!
After riding Escape from Gringotts and making my thespian heart happy watching a troupe from the Wizarding Academy of Dramatic Arts perform the Tales of Beedle the Bard, I enjoyed my first butterbeer and then hopped on the Hogwarts Express to visit Hogsmeade and Hogwarts castle.
No photography is allowed during the train ride, which is a true Universal attraction packed with a thrilling story. You cannot board the Hogwarts Express unless you have a park-to-park ticket upgrade to hop back and forth between Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. And one more pro tip that this newbie didn’t realize while I was there: The ride on the Hogwarts express goes in both directions! So definitely be sure to ride it both ways.
When we got off the train, the attention to detail in the architecture and design transported us instantly to Hogsmeade Village, the wizarding village near Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Here you will find snow-capped rooftops, cozy shops, the Three Broomsticks Inn, Hog's Head Pub, Zonko's Joke Shop, and Honeydukes where I couldn't resist buying some chocolate frogs for my kids and a pumpkin pastie for a midday snack.
It feels like there is much more to see in Diagon Alley, but in Hogsmeade, you will find more rides, including fun for the littles, and one of Universal’s most thrilling rides, Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure. I hopped in the single rider line for Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey first, and I felt a little too motion sick to jump right on to Hagrid’s (and we had a lot more ground to cover), so that is another experience I’ll look forward to enjoying with my family on our next trip!
I only just scratched the surface of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter during my one-day park-to-park whirlwind tour. I cannot wait to go back and dig in even more. Next time, I will share the rest of my experience at Universal Orlando!
Your Bibbidi Bobbidi Bestie!
Becky
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