Monday, March 25, 2024

How To Do Harry Potter World

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Dedicate A Day To Each Side Of The Wizarding World

How to Experience The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

In order to make guests really feel immersed in the world, there is SO much to do in Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley that they could easily take you a full day each. While we all cant help but feel like an excited First Year running to Hogwarts for the first time when we enter the parks, youll want to plan to spend a day in each side of the Wizarding World on its own.

Instead of rushing through everything to make it to both parks, designate certain days to visit each areas unique attractions, stores, and restaurants . If you spend more time in each park, youll actually be able to spot more details than you would if you were hurrying through one to get to the other!

Plus, youll have more chances to ride certain attractions or head to park-specific restaurants when you dedicate a full day to either Hogsmeade or Diagon Alley.

Digital Guide Hire And Souvenir Guidebook

If you wish you can hire a Digital Guide, with extra information on the Studio Tour, for around £5 from the desk in the lobby before you go in. You can also purchase a Souvenir Guidebook of the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London for around £10, with behind-the-scenes secrets and beautiful photography.

The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter Hogsmeade

The original and first land of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is Hogsmeade. Hogsmeade is located in Universal Islands of Adventure, and you will want to head right over to this section as soon as the park opens. For the fastest entrance to the Wizarding World of Harry Potteris to go to the right as soon as you enter the park and take a left once you hit Seuss Landing.

For fans of the books and movies you will recognize Hogsmeade as the charming town covering in snow, and home to the famous butterbeer! You will also find some of the best attractions, stores, and restaurants in all of Universal Orlando.

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How To Make Nargles

This is one of my favorite Harry Potter crafts of all time. It is easy and just fun! Younger to older kids will love this craft.

Talk about simple . . . it is just little pebbles, paint, and glitter.

I love making this craft while we listen to a Harry Potter audio book. It is a great way to combine art with reading.

What To Wear To Wizarding World Of Harry Potter

Wizarding World of Harry Potter Opens

In addition to comfortable shoes, show your house pride and wear your house colors! You can purchase TONS of Harry Potter themed merchandise in Hogsmeade at a number of different shops. For instance, you can purchase t-shirts, sweatshirts, socks, shorts, hats, caps, scarves, sweaters, and Quidditch jerseys at Dervish & Banges. It took a lot of restraint on my part to not buy up #allthethings to show my Ravenclaw pride.

If new clothing is not in your budget you can still dress in house colors. You probably have something in your house colors already in your own closet or dresser. My husband wore a red Polo , my son wore a yellow t-shirt , I wore a royal blue lightweight cotton blouse , and my daughter wore a crimson shirt I made especially for the occasion that said, I solemnly swear it is my birthday.

I made this t-shirt for my daughter using my Silhouette Cameo. I love my Silhouette!

This is also the perfect time to wear your robes. We saw many people wearing house robes. *Insider tip: Hogwarts robes are really expensive at the park so if you want to dress in robes I suggest purchasing them before your trip. The ones in the park are really nice and very good quality but plan on spending about $120 on each one.

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Amount Of Time To Spend In The Wizarding World In Hollywood

Half a day is more than enough to visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, while a full day allows you to enjoy the entire park. Depending on the time of visit, you may find it convenient to use the Express Pass, which allows you to skip the lines at individual attractions. For more information on this topic, read these tips on the best time of day and time of the year to visit Universal Studios.

Missing Rides And Differences In The Shows

The most obvious difference from the Florida version of the park is the lack of Hagrids Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure and the Hogwarts Express. The latter allows you to move quickly between Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley at the Universal Studios in Orlando.

Unlike Universal Studios Orlando, Universal Studios Hollywood no longer has the Nighttime Lights at HogwartsCastle. However, in its place, it has Dark Arts at Hogwarts Castle, a show of music, lights, and special effects that will materialize before your eyes the darkest creatures of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, including the villain par excellence, Lord Voldemort. Currently, this experience is exclusive to Universal Studios in Hollywood.

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Cafes And Eating Places

If you have any extra spare time before your tour begins, you can grab a drink in the Cafe, which also sells a range of snacks.

Backlot Cafe: get your Butterbeer here!

There are a number of cafes at the Warner Bros. Studio including The Chocolate Frog Cafe at the beginning of your tour, serving indulgent treats such as the specialty hot chocolate and ice cream.

There is also the Hub Cafe serving Starbucks drinks and snacks, and the Food Hall which includes breakfast, sandwiches and hot and cold meals, and lots from the bakery.

You can bring your own food with you but it must only be eaten in the Backlot area or outside picnic area. The Backlot Cafe is located halfway round the tour and it is here you can sample the ever-popular drink, Butterbeer!

Butterbeer is non -alcoholic and has quite a sweet froth to it, with a slight taste of butterscotch. In addition the Backlot also serves hot food â both childrenâs and adultâs – from a daily specials board, sandwiches and salads, snacks and hot and cold drinks.

You can choose to eat and drink inside or out, where there are nice views of the next section of the tour – the Knight Bus, Hogwarts Bridge, Godric’s Hollow and Privet Drive.

The Ultimate Guide To The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter At Universal Orlando

8 BEST Things To Do At The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter Orlando (Diagon Alley & Hogsmeade)
From Hogsmeade to Diagon Alley, here’s everything you need to know about the Harry Potter rides, restaurants, and shops at Universal Orlando.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando Resort consists of two immersive lands based on the Harry Potter books and films. The Diagon Alley area is located in Universal Studios Florida and Hogsmeade is located in Islands of Adventure. The two Harry Potter theme park lands are connected by the Hogwarts Express.

Both of the Harry Potter lands at Universal Studios have themed shops, rides, dining, and entertainment, and the best way to travel between the two is on the Hogwarts Express train. If you want to hop on the train or visit both lands in one day, youll need to purchase Park-to-Park tickets that include both Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure for your visit.

Both Harry Potter Orlando theme park lands accept Express Passes, an add-on to your regular park ticket that lets you skip the line on many rides and attractions. You can purchase Express Passes online or inside the park, and its included as a free perk if youre staying in a Universal Premier hotel.

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Wizarding World Of Harry Potter Tips For Hogsmeade

After visiting both parks, I have to say that Im still a little partial to the first Wizarding World location Hogsmeade. Maybe this park has had time to mature, or maybe its something else, but here are my tips and secrets for Hogsmeade.

Ride Hagrids Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure. I do not give the following praise lightly. This is hands down, the BEST roller coaster Ive ridden. EVER. Stay on property. Get up early. Be one of the first at the turnstiles. Then head with as much speed as safely possible to this ride as soon as the park opens, because you want to experience this and wait times can be two hours plus, pretty much all day long, and as of this writing, you cant use an Express Pass for this ride.

Why is Hagrids so good? You are either on Hagrids motorcycle or in the sidecar on a three-minute ride through the Forbidden Forest. Its a real roller coaster, not the simulator rollercoaster like the Forbidden Journey or Gringotts. Its super smooth and has moments of instant acceleration similar to Rockin Roller Coaster or Slinky Dog at Disney. There are twists, but the thrill isnt in going upside down and corkscrews. You go forwards. Backward. And one move that was totally unexpected!

We rushed through the first time, did the ride and then went around again much slower. The attraction itself is pretty intense and a combination of simulator and ride. If you have it, use your Express Pass once youve seen the queue.

Wizarding World Of Harry Potter Ride Tips

1. Take Advantage of Single Rider Lines

One of the best Universal Orlando tips that I can share is to use the single rider lines. You can drastically cut down on the wait time for most rides by going in the single rider line! This was one of the best Wizarding World of Harry Potter tips that I found before my visit, and it worked like a charm . This works best if youre travelling with other adults, as the height requirement for the single rider line is greater than the requirement for the regular lines.

You will be separated when you climb on the ride, sitting in different rows or different carts, but you will get on the ride much faster than the regular line. In my experience this works best earlier in the day. As the park fills up, or during the high season, consider the Universal Express Pass for even faster entry.

2. Use Lockers While You Ride

Many of the rides in both the Universal Studios park and the Islands of Adventure park have lockers where you can stash your things while you ride. The lockers are free for the first little while, in accordance with how long the line up and ride are expected to take.

The lockers are about 16 inches deep, 11 inches tall, and 10 inches across. This is an approximation, of course I measured by holding my wand up to the locker, taking photos, and measuring the wand when I arrived home . Ta-dah! Magic! Or at least, a very practical use for a wand. Purses, small packs, and wands fit comfortably in the lockers.

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Gift Shops At Warner Bros Studio Tour London The Making Of Harry Potter

There are now three gift shops at the Studio Tour. There is the Railway Shop, a train-themed souvenir shop, the Forbidden Forest Shop , and the main Studio shop located at the exit.

At these three you can purchase such Harry Potter merchandise as the books by J.K. Rowling, Hogwarts T-shirts and robes, house jumpers, pens, key rings, postcards, sweets, wands and cuddly toys. Prices range from around £2 for a postcard to around £20 for a cuddly toy.

Florean Fortescues Ice Cream Parlor

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

This is one of my favorite treat spots in all of Universal Studios. Guests can snack on different icecream flavors inspired by the Harry Potter books and movies.

You can pick from Salted Caramel Blondie, Sticky Toffee Pudding, Chocolate Chili, Early Grey and Lavender, Chocolate and Raspberry, Granny Smith, and clothed Cream. Oh and of course Butterbeer!

The Fountain of Fair Fortune: A cart carrying a variety of different beverages from pumpkin juice, butterbeer and adult beverages.

For a additional information on the restaurants be sure to check out our Complete Guide to Dining at Harry Potter World!

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Dont Eat Meals In The Parks

With the exception of Butterbeer of course and the ice cream from Florean Fortescues, the food in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is expensive and really just not good enough to justify the cost. True, it is food and it will hold you over, but youre better off eating outside of the Parks. Youll get better food for a lot less money. We did try a few meals within The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and honestly, we didnt love any of them. The Butterbeer on the other hand..get the Butterbeer. All of them, theyre all delicious and worth experiencing. Of course, if you need to eat somewhere close head over to Universal CityWalk. We were able to find some great pizza at Universal CityWalk and didnt felt like we were getting robbed at the same time over at Red Oven Pizza Bakery. They also have a Blaze Pizza, which is like the Chipotle of pizza joints and budget-friendly.

Stay Late In The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter

Youre in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, why would you want to leave? We actually notice a lot of people leaving around 5ish every time weve been there. And as a result, a lot of the lines go down quite dramatically. We were able to ride Hagrids Magical Creatures with only about a 15-minute wait at the end of the day.

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The Making Of Harry Potter

In March 2011, Warner Bros. announced plans to build a tourist attraction in the United Kingdom to showcase the Harry Potter film series. The Making of Harry Potter is a behind-the-scenes walking tour featuring authentic sets, costumes and props from the film series. The attraction is located at , where all eight of the Harry Potter films were made. Warner Bros. constructed two new sound stages to house and showcase the famous sets from each of the British-made productions, following a £100 million investment. It opened to the public in March 2012.

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

How to Experience 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.

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How Much Does Harry Potter Studio Tour London Cost

  • Adult ticket : £47.00
  • Child : £38.00
  • Family : £150.00
  • 0-4 years: FREE
  • Adult Complete Studio Tour Package: £56.95. This package includes a Studio Tour Ticket, Digital Guide & Paperback Souvenir Guidebook.
  • Child Complete Studio Tour Package: £47.95. This package includes a Studio Tour Ticket, Digital Guide & Paperback Souvenir Guidebook.
  • Deluxe Package Tour: £225.00. The Deluxe tickets include entry to the Studio Tour with a complimentary two hour guided tour, designated parking, a souvenir guidebook, a Butterbeer, four free photographs and a video at one of our photo opportunities and a choice of hot meal and drink. If you are travelling by train, your Deluxe ticket will also include a return shuttle bus transportation between Watford Junction and Warner Bros.

The prices will slightly increase in 2022.

Go Inside All The Shops

Especially in Diagon Alley, make sure to allow enough time to explore all the shops. Just like in J.K. Rowling’s version of the magical shopping street, you’ll find everything from Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes joke shop to Madame Malkin’s robe shop to Florean Fortescues Ice-Cream Parlour to Quality Quidditch Supplies to Ollivander’s wand shop .

You can even shop for dark objects in Borgin and Burkes down Knockturn Alley.

Yes, most of the shops sell souvenirs and t-shirts instead of actual wizarding goods, but it’s still really fun to wander through them all anyway.

And keep an eye on the fake shop windows, too these are often animated in fun and magical ways.

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Visit Both Theme Parks

In order to get the full experience of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, you must visit both Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida theme parks. And youll need at least two days at Universal to see all of it.

The rides and shops of Diagon Alley are located in the Islands of Adventure. Hogsmeade and Hogwarts Castle are located in Universal Studios Florida.

These areas are connected via a short train ride called the Hogwarts Express which travels between the two parks. Access on Hogwarts Express is accessible to only those who buy the multi-park pass.

Another way to travel between the parks is via the Universal City Walk. This area of Universal Orlando is the shopping, dining, and entertainment district. While Universal City Walk is accessible without a ticket, you will need a multi-park ticket to travel between the two.

Take Uber To Universal Studios

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Depending on how close you are staying to Universal Studios, it may be cheaper to take an Uber. It will cost you $20 to park otherwise and Uber can sometimes be cheaper. Although if youre staying at a Partner Hotel that offers a shuttle, most of them offer those for free!

But check out all the Parking rates for everywhere you may be staying because at the end of the day it can really add up! Heres the current Universal Studios parking fees across the property.

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