Monday, March 25, 2024

How Long Is The Harry Potter Ride In Universal Studios

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Buy Souvenirs Before You Go

A DAY AT UNIVERSAL STUDIOS – HARRY POTTER THE BEST RIDE!

The merchandise in the park is incredibly expensive. The only thing I bought was a chocolate frog and a Christmas ornament, but if you know youll be tempted to purchase a lot when you go then buy things ahead of time.

You can find all kinds of Harry Potter merchandise on Amazon for much cheaper than what you can buy in the park. This is a great way to save money as those costs add up quickly.

Single Rider Line At Wizarding World Of Harry Potter

We didnt take advantage of the single rider lines here, but you can save a lot of time by using the single rider line. If youre traveling with a group of people where this makes sense, you should! I recommend at least going through the regular queue once at both Forbidden Journey and Gringotts though because they are both extremely impressive.

Is There A Child Swap At Harry Potter And The Forbidden Journey

If your child cannot ride or is not at the right height yet but you really want to go onto the ride you may also take advantage of the child swap. Children are easily scared, so you might want to think twice before taking them on the ride with you.

Before entering the queue, tell the people at the front that you wish to take advantage of the child swap and upon reaching the ride itself, the child will be taken to a waiting area. There, they will load Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone for your child to watch as you try to determine whether the ride is too scary for them or not.

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The Shops At Universal Studios

  • Weasleys Wizard Wheezes: Puking Pastilles and other prank items devised by the Weasley twins
  • Gringotts Exchange: trade U.S. currency for Gringotts bank notes, which can be used in Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade
  • Borgin & Burkes: Death Eater masks and movie replicas
  • Globus Mundi: passport holders, luggage tags, and other necessities for your magical travels
  • Madame Malkins Robes for All Occasions: clothing and jewelry
  • Magical Menagerie: plush toys featuring magical creatures, including fan fave Buckbeak
  • Wiseacres Wizarding Equipment: unique house merchandise

Is Harry Potter And The Forbidden Journey Scary

Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey

The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter is home to some of the best rides at Universal Studios, one of which is Harry Potter And The Forbidden Journey, located in Hogwarts Castle.

Harry Potter And The Forbidden Journey ride at Universal Studios can be seen as scary as it is dark themed and does have some frightening tendencies such as the Acromantula called Aragog and the dementors that are within the ride. Although there are plenty of moments that are magical too.

In this post, we will highlight the many asked questions about Harry Potter and The Forbidden Journey so you can decide for yourself if the ride is suitable for your and your family.

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Theres No Lunch Trolley But You Can Snack In Queue

While youre riding the Hogwarts Express, youll see the Lunch Trolley pass by your closed doors, but you wont have the opportunity to grab a snack. If youre hungry, however, you can grab something to eat in the queue on the London side.

Theres a small food stand right in the line with sandwiches, fruit, and other light meals and snacks. This is particularly handy if youre visiting on a day when the line is long. If the wait is short youll breeze right past, but if all the available queue is open, you may want to grab something to keep you going during the wait.

Hogsmeade To King’s Cross

At the entrance of the queue, ticket inspectors check passengers’ tickets for Universal Studios. The line then leads into a forested area which leads into the Hogsmeade station building. Upon climbing a flight of steps, travelers reach the Hogsmeade station platform. Once the arriving passengers on the Hogwarts Express have left the platform, passengers waiting may then board the train and enter one of the twenty-one passenger compartments within the train.

Passengers then disembark onto Platform 9¾ of King’s Cross and proceed down some stairs into a 2010-era King’s Cross station, before arriving at the London waterfront area, adjacent to Diagon Alley.

  • Hogwarts Express stations

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Harry Potter And The Escape From Gringotts

As Forbidden Journey is the ride inside Hogwarts in Hogsmeade, Escape from Gringotts is the ride inside of the dragon-topped wizarding bank in Diagon Alley. This 3D roller coaster takes you on a tour of the depths of Gringotts vaults but surprise, it doesnt go well , and you must escape.

The queue is a highlight at this attraction as well taking you into the luxurious bank lobby with animatronic goblin tellers hard at work around you.

Escape from Gringotts is incredibly immersive more so than Forbidden Journey at times seamlessly combining the different technologies. I, for one, have held my breath as the baddies show up, urging our car to move a little faster out of their way.

Universal Studios: 10 Tips For Visiting The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter

Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey Reopens – Full Ride POV – Universal Studios Hollywood

Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or a beginner, here’s what you need to know about a visit to Universal Studio’s Wizarding World Of Harry Potter.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is one of the most popular locations at Universal Studios Theme Parks. There’s so much to do when visiting both Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley, from trying out some of the specialist food to traveling on the Hogwarts Express itself!

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There’s plenty of tips for newcomers and perhaps even veterans though, to get the most out of the experience. It could be about where to get the best snacks, or how the wands will interact with the environmental features. It may even be in regards to the attractions scattered across the park. These tips will ensure guests have the most fun on their visit!

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Take The Train Back And Forth In The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter

Before you get back to Kings Cross Station, stop and chat with the Knight Bus Driver. He is hilarious and you can get your photo taken with him if you want. Step inside the red telephone booth and listen to a message from the ministry of magic. And then head back to the Hogwarts express. We actually found the bus driver and the telephone booth to be less crowded later in the day but you can do this either time.

Use The Universal Studios App

Did you know that Universal Studios has an app? Well if you didnt, now you do! The Universal app is free and so helpful for a lot of things and can store your tickets, payment method, and show wait times for attractions. This is a great tool to help you plan your day as it also shows you when certain shows like the Frog Choir and Tales of Beedle the Bard are being shown.

We highly recommend using this app if youre trying to do the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in one day itll help you stay more organized and keep up to date on the latest wait times.

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What Is Harry Potter And The Forbidden Journey

The first part of Hogsmeades signature attraction is a tour of Hogwarts Castles most iconic rooms, including Dumbledores office and the Defense against the Dark Arts classroom. The ride itself takes you on a flying adventure around the grounds of Hogwarts, as you dodge Dementors, survive a giant spiders lair, and face a fire-breathing dragon.

When To Use Universal Express Passes

Harry Potter ride at Universal Studios Hollywood goes high ...

Finally, we get to the most important part of the post when to use Universal Express. Our recommendations are fairly simple.

Anytime it’s free.

OK, it’s never really FREE, free, but if you are staying on-site, you aren’t paying for it directly. Even if the parks aren’t super crowded, you will still save time by using Universal Express passes. And there is nothing better than skipping the regular line! If you’re a regular, the Premier Passholder level grants you unlimited Universal Express access after 4 p.m.

When the parks are expected to be super busy.

When our Crowd Calendar predicts crowds of 8, 9 or 10, these are prime times to consider Express passes. You might even consider it on 7 if you are particularly crowd-averse. If you’re visiting during the peak of summer or around the major holidays , you should give this serious consideration.

If you only have a day and want to see as much as possible.

Do you have a short trip and want to experience one or especially both parks? Then Universal Express passes are a good idea. If you are going during one of those super busy days, they are a must to get the most done during your time.

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Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure

The best Harry Potter ride at Universal is also its newest, having replaced the original Dueling Dragons ride whose coasters had reached the end of their lifespan . Hagrid’s Magical Creature Motorbike Adventure debuted in 2019 and is a hybrid coaster/dark ride, with animatronics aplenty and even a drop a la Disney’s Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. The ride sees you travel with Hagrid through the Forbidden Forest as he instructs you on magical zoology. Theme park podcasters Podcast: the Ride called it one of the best rides at Islands of Adventure.

Guests board facsimiles of Hagrid’s motorbike, choosing either the bike or the sidecar. The coaster launches you several times, giving you a chance to stop and marvel at the animatronics. You see Fluffy the three-headed dog, Cornish pixies, a centaur, and a unicorn. What’s more, this ride has the first official depiction of often mentioned blast-ended skrewts.

This is the best Harry Potter ride because it has everything: speed, majestic beasts, in-jokes for superfans, and full participation of Robbie Coltrane. It’s a can’t miss attraction.

Express Pass At Universal Studios

If you are only going to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and already springing for the park to park ticket, the Express Pass is something you should just skip. While its pretty much the equivalent of the fast pass at Disney and will get you through the line faster, its easier to just get to the important rides at rope drop and save some money.

For us the cost of this pass, in addition to the park to park, just made it feel crazy-expensive and we can easily wake up a little earlier to get to those rides first, which is what we recommend.

That being said, if youre not an early riser, or dont have access to Early Park Admission, the Express Pass can be useful. Be aware that it is very expensive on its own though. The Express Pass at Universal Studios can be used for the Hogwarts Express, Escape from Gringotts and Harry Potter and The Forbidden Journey, so if you have it, youll really only have to wait in line for Hagrids Magical Creatures. If youre a Premier Passholder or if youre staying in a Premier Resort at Universal though, you will automatically get Express Pass which can be super helpful especially during busier times.

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The Hogwarts Express Takes You From King’s Cross Station In London To Hogsmeade Or Back To Diagon Alley On A Magical Train Ride That Transports You To Platform 9 3/4

Ride length: Four minutesWait time when I rode: With the express pass it took us no more than 10 minutes to get onboard the train.

I wasn’t sure whether or not I should include the short train ride that transfers you from one Universal theme park to another on our list. However, after chatting it through with the hosts of MuggleCast, we decided we had to include the Hogwarts Express on here.

The Hogwarts Express includes a very detailed queue to walk through, there often is a wait time , and you receive two different experiences on the train depending on whether or not you’re traveling from Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade. Each ride has a different video for you to watch on the Hogwarts Express depending on which way you travel.

It’s important to note that you can only ride the train if you have a ticket which allows you to enter both Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure, but it’s well worth the extra money for a chance to ride in one of the train cars. Not only does it feel like you’re on the real Hogwarts Express, but you get to hear Ron, Harry, and Hermione as they travel past your train car.

Part of the queue experience is waiting for the train to roll in, but that’s OK. If you board from Hogsmeade outside of Islands of Adventures’ Hogsmeade it gives you the perfect chance to capture video of the train entering or leaving the station. You’re also given the opportunity to step aside after disembarking at King’s Cross Station at Universal Studios to capture this moment.

When To Visit Harry Potter World

Harry Potter ride at Universal Studios in Hollywood, CA

Obviously the best times to visit are when kids are in school. Youll want to avoid the months of June, July, and the first half of August.

Also avoid spring break which is typically in early/mid-April and Thanksgiving or Christmas break.

Another obvious thing weekdays are better than weekends. If at all possible visit the parks on the weekdays.

The best months to visit Universal Studios Florida are September through December and late January, February, and April .

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About The Harry Potter Studios

It was in the year 2000 that the first Harry Potter film — Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone — was shot at a studio in Leavesden. On completion of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, Warner Bros. announced that they would be purchasing the site as a permanent attraction dedicated to the wizarding world. It was officially launched as Warner Bros. Studio Tour London The Making of Harry Potter in 2010. Props, costumes and sets from all eight films have been preserved and maintained to date.

Harry Potter Studios opening times vary based on the day you choose to visit:Typically during the week, the tours take place between 09:30 AM to 08:00 PM on short days, tours take place between 08:30 AM to 06:00 PM.

Typically, a Harry Potter Studio tour takes about 3.5 hours. If you choose to attend an experience, shop or dine, your time at the studios would increase accordingly.

Owing to its popularity, a Harry Potter Studios tour is always bustling with fans. However, since their intake capacity is limited, you would be able to comfortably explore. Comparatively lesser crowds can be found outside of the summer season . A highly recommended experience is visiting during Christmas, owing to the magical decoration and atmosphere.

The closest train station to the Harry Potter Studios is Watford Junction. From here, you can take one of many shuttle buses to reach the studios within 15 minutes.

Plan Your Days Around Crowds

Just realized most of my tips center around staying away from lots of people Im not a mean person, I promise.

If at all possible get Early Access to the parks. This lets you in by 8am when the parks typically open at 9am.

The only way to get Early Access though is by booking a vacation package with a Universal partner hotel, staying at a Universal Studios Resort hotel, or if you have a Preferred or Premier Annual Pass.

If you cant get early access, then get to the parking deck by 8:30am and get in as soon as you can. Hit the rides or attractions that are #1 on your list first and then eat lunch around 11 11:30am.

The crowds really swarm the park during the middle of the day so youll want to be prepared for that. If you can swing it I would get the Express Pass you can read more about that in my general Universal Studios tips.

Express Passes are expensive but worth it . A couple hours before the park closes the crowds will start to thin out again. If you missed anything at the beginning of the day you can go back and get in pretty easily now.

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Harry Potter And The Forbidden Journeystandby Wait Times Forecast For November 13 2021

View our predicted “actual” wait times for Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey on November 13, 2021 using the above graph and the table below. and get access to wait time forecasts for all attractions every day for the next 365 days!

Time
to view the wait times forecast!

Wait time forecasts are updated nightly and may change when new data is available.

Islands of Adventure Hours

Early Park Admissionat 8:00am
Crowd Calendar

Crowd levels are for subscribers only.

“Our TouringPlans subscription was a lifesaver on our trip. One of the busiest days of the year, and we never waited longer than 20 minutes!”

– Smith Family, KY

There Will Be Lots Of People Wearing Cloaks

Guide to Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal ...

If you are debating wearing a cloak but worried that youll stick out, dont even think about it. There are tons of people that wear cloaks so you will not be alone!

I didnt just because they are expensive, but I thought it would be so neat to dress up and kind of play the part.

Speaking of what to wear youll want to be sure you have the right shoes! Here is the list of the best shoes for theme parks!

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