Visiting the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida

As our kids are massive Harry Potter fans, we decided to take them to visit Universal Studios to visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Universal Studios Resort in Orlando is actually made up of three different parks: Islands of Adventure, Volcano Bay and Universal Studios. As a tip, the park split The Wizarding World of Harry Potter into both Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios, with a Harry Potter themed trained (Hogwarts’ Express) to take you between parks. Therefore, if you want to see all of the Harry Potter attractions you have to buy a park hopper pass.

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The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is amazing, as the level of attention to detail is just incredible. You really feel like you have entered the movies as you look around and see all of the famous sights and characters. We started off in Diagon Alley in Universal Studios, which is the home to to the ride Escape from Gringotts. The ride was a lot of fun, and even though the line was long, the park did a great job of creating an interesting and submersive environment that entertained us during the wait.

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There are lots of great Harry Potter themed options to eat in the park, and we opted for the Leaky Cauldron. It was another amazingly detailed place and served really good British fare. We also had the butterbeer (it’s non-alcoholic, so fine for kids). We then stepped at Ollivander’s Wand Shop. It’s one of the busiest places at Universal Studios, so be prepared for a bit of a wait. There are many different choices for wands, including some “magical” ones that allow you to interact with the park. They are pretty expensive, so also, be a bit prepared.

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After eating, we hopped on the train to Islands of Adventure where Hogsmeade and Hogswarts are located. There’s another massive ride (and usually a good wait) called Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. The experience was great and a perfect treat if you’re kids are Harry Potter fans.