Wizarding World of Harry Potter – 15 Must-See Attractions (with Pro Tips!)
Let’s face it, child or adult, at some point in their life, everyone has been captivated by the tales of the world’s most famous boy wizard! I am talking about the only magician in the Wizarding World to face the Dark Lord and live to tell the tale of the prodigious child with the thunder-shaped scar. In other words, I am talking about none other than Harry James Potter!
Have you ever dreamt of an owl tapping on your window to deliver the much-awaited letter from Hogwarts? To disappear from platform 9 ¾ into Harry’s world of magic?
Don’t fear. Harry Potter’s realm of wizardry isn’t constrained to books or movies anymore. It is fully developed in life-size at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Orlando! Here you can delve into two authentic worlds of witches and wizards. Experience the magical vibrancy of Harry’s first walk down Diagon Alley, dive into the dingy shade of Knockturn Alley, or buy your first wand at the most renowned shop in the wizarding world – Ollivanders!
Are you ready for a magic dose of adventure? Fly through a Quidditch match on a broomstick with your mates Harry and Ron at your side, in the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride, or stretch out in the homely comfort of the Leaky Cauldron and dine amongst witches and wizards.
Beware, this is no stuff for the likes of Muggles. But if all this sounds like your cup of Butterbeer, then read on!
Hogsmeade
Ever heard of the only entirely non-Muggle settlement in Britain? Unsheathe your wands as you enter this picturesque village at the feet of Hogwarts castle. Walk its cobblestone streets and breathe the magical air whilst you stare up at thatched snow-topped roofs. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Universal Studios Orlando is the paradise every wizard wants to spend the holidays in, so chuck your robes on, and let’s explore!
Shop for Sweets at Honeydukes
Need I tell you every young magician’s first stop when they reach Hogsmeade? But of course, it’s the most intriguing sweet shop of all time. Try your luck with the every-flavor beans – they can taste everything from cherries to earwax and vomit! These magicians don’t play around…
And what about the Fizzing Whizzbees, an exciting explosion of sweetness that will buzz and crackle all around your mouth? Try to believe!
Hogwarts Castle & Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey Rollercoaster
‘I want to go on the Forbidden Journey Rollercoaster,’ you say, ‘but the queue is so long!’
Well, fear not. No dull moments can be had in the hands of wizards! The queue to the rollercoaster in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Orlando allows you to delve into the authentic stony halls of Hogwarts castle!
The School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is an imposing building even seen from afar, but delving into its enchanted corridors will envelop you in magic. Explore classrooms and corridors that will leave you wishing your school was that cool. Check out the Fat Lady standing guard to Griffindor common room and other moving portraits, hush in respectful wonder in Dumbledore’s office, or meet holograms of Harry, Ron, and Hermione in the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom.
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is one of the most magical rides in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. It is a ‘robocoaster,’ meaning your seat will come to life and lead you into a whole new reality. I hope you’re better than Ron at handling spiders, for you’re about to meet the biggest of them all – your boy Aragog!
Pro tip: The best part is being in the castle, so if you want to visit it without queuing for the rollercoaster, ask an attendant, and they will let you in.
Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure
Are you ready for an all-new adventure, for the ride all wizards are dying to try? Join Hagrid in his breathtaking ride. Take a seat on his flying motorcycle, or jump into the sidecar and prepare to reach speeds up to 50 miles an hour! Get ready to spike into the air and drop down faster than you can say, Expelliarmus! You will wind through the towering trees of the Forbidden Forest and spot magical creatures such as Fluffy, the three-headed dog. Be careful. He is no pet!
Flight of the Hippogriff
This family-friendly rollercoaster is for all you guys who don’t want their stomach-churning like you’ve had a vomit-flavored bean candy! When you’re in the queue for this ride, learn how to salute a Hippogriff. Walk towards them and bow. If they bow back, you can pet them. If not… get ready to run for your life!
Three Broomsticks
In need of a bite to quell your hunger after a day of wizardry exploration? What better place to have it than the Three Broomsticks? Dine amongst wizards, served by authentic-dressed maids under a huge vaulted ceiling. The best dish is the roast chicken and ribs, with corn on the cob and potatoes. You can also go for Cornish pasties, a mouthful of traditional British delight. No wizard could ask for more!
Hogwarts Express
All aboard! Ever dreamed of jumping on the signature red train to Hogwarts? Head over to Hogsmeade station and whizz from one magical land to another.
Pro tip: If you have time, try to take the Hogwarts Express in both directions. Each way is a unique ride with its own fantastic attractions!
Diagon Alley
As any magician would know, the entrance to Diagon Alley is hidden away from Muggles. So lookout for the gap in the brick wall to the right of Leicester Square Tube Station, and get ready for a sensory overload that will make you jump up and down like Dobby the house-elf!
Diagon Alley breathes with magical authenticity. It has it all: the cobblestone boulevard where Harry and his mates walk down in their first year in search of supplies, the wooden houses with pointed roofs that you remember from the films. At the end of the road, a huge fire-breathing dragon is wrapped around the façade of the Gringotts Bank. Wands at the ready!
Ollivander’s
What, you haven’t yet had the ultimate proof of being a magician? Head over to the Wizarding World’s most renowned wand shop. Inside, you’ll find piles of wand boxes stacked up to the ceiling… but which one will be yours?
Having a wand whilst in Harry Potter’s magical land unlocks a whole new array of opportunities to showcase your magic. Look out for gold medallions on the ground, which indicate the unique wand spots hidden across the two lands. Each medallion will indicate a specific wand movement to activate the spot and unleash the magic!
Pro tip: Head over to the shop window next to Scribulous, unsheathe your wand and watch out for what’s hidden behind the curtains.
Down a few Butterbeers
Head over to the Fountain of Fair Fortune or the Hopping Pot for a glass-full of delight! The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is the only place where you can savor Butterbeer, a delicious and exciting drink unique to the realm of magicians. It comes in two types – regular or frozen. If you’re of the adventurous kind, try your luck with the frozen one. It’s surely the most delicious, but, as Hermione would lecture you: ‘Watch out for brain freeze!’
If the magical flavor of Butterbeer is the taste-bud heaven it is for me, then look out for other Butterbeer-flavoured delights! The Florean Fortescue’s Ice-Cream Parlour makes a wonderful Butterbeer soft serve. There’s Butterbeer fudge at Honeydukes and Butterbeer potted cream at both the Leaky Cauldron and Three Broomsticks. We can’t get enough!
Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes
A shop of delightful bric-a-brac is owned by the funniest – and craziest – twin wizards you’ll ever know. But why, it’s Fred and George! No trip down the Wizarding World’s Diagon Alley is complete without a stroll into this store, but don’t fear. It’s hard to miss! A huge, two-story statue of Fred with limbs exploding out of the shop windows tips his top hat and beckons you in. What are you waiting for?
Knockturn Alley
Are you a magician or not? So cast your fears aside and enter the dark and dingy depths of Knockturn Alley. Look out for a pile of cauldrons on the left side of Diagon Alley when facing the Gringotts Bank, and delve inside. Behold spooky white faces dropping their jaws at you from grimy shop windows, creep in the darkness amongst dancing skeletons, huge spiders, and severed hands. Make sure to head over to Borgin and Burkes for your own Death Eater Mask or other ghastly objects.
Even if you’re not a Dark Wizard, a stroll down Knockturn Alley is a must!
Pro tip: The alley is a chilly, enclosed space, perfect for dipping in when you’re sweating away in the hot Orlando sun!
Gringotts Bank
From the moment you enter Diagon Alley, you can’t miss this huge imposing structure. Listen to your steps resounding in the large marble lobby under huge elaborate chandeliers and observe goblins hard at work. Watch Blordak read his heavy tome at an elevated desk at the end of the room and… have a chat with him! He might not be the friendliest, but he will answer you, and he doesn’t bite!
Pro tip: Find a wizard or witch working on Diagon Alley and ask them for the schedule for when the dragon will breathe fire. It’s an experience you can’t miss!
Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts
The Gringotts Bank is the point of access to one of the best rides at Universal Studios Orlando. Are you ready for a multi-dimensional ride that will make you soar through the chilly vaults and dungeons where goblins store their treasure? Escape from the likes of Bellatrix Lestrange and soar off past mace-swinging orcs in this mad ride.
Knight Bus and Grimmauld Place
Think you’ve seen everything in Diagon Alley and that nothing else can thrill you? Think again! How about you walk out through the brick wall and cross the road. Here is an ordinary-looking bus… but is anything ever ordinary in the world of wizards? Inside, you can meet the famous driver duo – Stan the conductor and his friend Ernie the shrunken head. Please have a chat with Ernie as he hangs from the ceiling at the front of the bus!
Whether you’re an experienced wizard or a newly discovered talent, Harry Potter’s Wizarding World at Universal Studios Orlando will immerse you in a breath-taking world of magic. From walking down the authentic cobblestone streets of the realm you have always dreamed of to have your fill of adventure in a variety of action-packed rides, these two beautiful lands have something for everyone!
Don’t miss the magic! Don’t miss the fun!
Cover Image
Photo: HarshLight via Flickr
Recommended Gear for this Adventure
Disclaimer: We earn a commission if you click any of the links above and make a purchase at no additional cost to you.
