11 Essential Tips for Visiting Harry Potter World in Orlando

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando, Florida is such a fun and exciting place to visit! But planning a trip to Harry Potter World can be stressful! That’s where this guide comes in – it will share all of the best tips for Harry Potter World and as well as our best tips and tricks for planning your amazing vacation!

Sound good?

Let’s get right into the Harry Potter World tips! 

Tips for Visiting Harry Potter World

Buy Park Hopper Passes

There are two different areas of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and they are located in two separate parks. Diagon Alley is located in Universal Studios, and Hogsmeade and Hogwarts Castle is in Island of Adventure. 

The Hogwarts Express train runs back and forth between the two parks, but you can only ride it if you get park hopper passes. 

Park hopper passes are a little more expensive, but are definitely worth it for the Hogwarts Express. 

If you’re visiting Universal Studios for multiple days, you can save money by just getting park hopper passes for one day in order to be able to ride the Hogwarts Express. 

Don’t get Express Passes the First Day

If you’re visiting on a weekday and you have more than one day to spend at Harry Potter World, I don’t recommend getting Express Passes on the first day. 

This is for two main reasons. One, they’re very expensive – an extra $79.99 – $109.99 per person, per day. 

Second, on weekdays, the lines for rides aren’t always super long, especially in the morning. 

For example, on a Friday morning in both Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade, I never waited more than 20 minutes to get on a ride. Personally, it was fine with me to wait 15-20 minutes for a ride instead of spending an extra $100. 

If you find that the park is very busy on your first day, visit all of the shops and restaurants and buy Express Passes for the next day, so you can easily go on all the rides. 

Visit for at Least Two Days

While it is possible to see both sections of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in just one day, it will feel a little rushed – especially if you want to go on all the rides. 

Because of this, I recommend spending at least two days at the park. Personally, I think two days is the perfect amount of time, but someone who loves going on rides will probably enjoy spending 3+ days between the parks.

Visit in the Colder Months

Florida, and Orlando specifically, gets extremely hot and humid during the summer. Because of this, I recommend visiting in the fall or winter when it’s more mild. 

Standing in line when it’s 90 degrees, sunny and humid is not super enjoyable – and it will definitely make your time at the park a little less pleasant. 

Even during the winter months you’ll have temperatures in the 70s, which personally I think is perfect for visiting a theme park.

Download the Universal App

When you enter the park you can grab a paper map to find your way around, but an easier option is to download the Universal App. 

The app is really great, as in addition to having a digital map, it also tells you wait times at rides and attractions. This is a great way to plan your stops and see which rides you should visit when! 

The app also tells you what time various shows begin, which is very helpful!

Head to the Most Popular Rides First Thing in the Morning

In order to get the shortest wait times, I recommend heading to the most popular rides first thing in the morning. 

If you’re staying in a Universal Studios Hotel, you get to enter Island of Adventure Park (Harry Potter World: Hogsmeade) an hour early. 

In Hogsmeade you’ll find the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride (in Hogwarts Castle), Flight of the Hippogriff and Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure. 

If you go to Universal Studios first, home of Diagon Alley, head directly to the Escape from Gringotts ride. This is the most popular attraction in Diagon Alley, and the line can get long quickly.

Stay at an On-Site Hotel

As mentioned above, staying at a Universal Studios on-site hotel has certain perks. For example, you get to enter Island of Adventure (Harry Potter World: Hogsmeade) an hour before the park officially opens. 

Additionally, each of the on-site hotels offers free transportation to the parks, either by shuttle or water taxi. The transportation options are fantastic, and make getting to the park super easy. 

Lastly, the more luxury accommodations, such as Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, Loews Royal Pacific Resort and the Hard Rock Hotel, provide guests with free, unlimited Express Passes for each day they are in the park. 

During my most recent stay, I stayed at Universal Endless Summer: Surfside Resort. This is the most budget friendly of the hotels offered  – along with its sister hotel across the street: Universal Endless Summer: Dockside Resort. 

Although Universal Endless Summer: Surfside Resort is considered a “value” option, it was very clean, comfortable and well decorated! Additionally, it’s only 5 minutes by free-shuttle to the park entrance. 

I definitely recommend this hotel to anyone visiting Universal Studios. It’s great for families, couples and groups of friends. 

Click here for Universal Endless Summer: Surfside Resort rates and to book! 

You Can Share a Wand

When visiting Harry Potter World, part of the fun is getting a wand from Olivander’s shop. There are so many to choose from and it’s such a unique experience. 

Around both Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade you will be able to use your wand to perform spells, and they’re honestly pretty cool! You can make water shoot from fountains, flowers bloom, and make a music box play – just to name a few. 

That being said, the wands are expensive, at $60 each. I recommend picking out one wand per group, and sharing it to perform the spells. 

It might be a little less special to not have your own wand, but you realistically won’t use it again when you leave the park.

Try the Fun Treats – But They’re Not All Great

The most exciting part of Harry Potter World, for me, is all of the fun wizarding treats (especially the butterbeer!) 

I made it my personal mission to try as many of the treats as possible, and many were very good! However, some were also super disappointing. 

Check out my full post about the Best Treats and Butterbeer Snacks to Eat at Harry Potter World!

But as a quick preview: 

• Definitely have lunch at the Leaky Cauldron or the Three Broomsticks
• Have butterbeer ice cream from Florean Fortescue’s Ice-Cream Parlour 
• Drink butterbeer at the Hogshead 
• Have a Fizzy Orange Juice at the Hopping Pot

Eat Lunch Early (or late) to Miss the Lunch-Rush 

The service at both the Leaky Caldron and the Three Broomsticks is relatively quick, likely due to the semi-limited menu. However, the lines get very long around 12pm. 

In order to avoid waiting in line for lunch, I recommend going early, around 11am, or later in the day, after 3pm. 

The food at these restaurants isn’t gourmet or life changing, but it’s such a fun experience to eat at both. I definitely recommend making time for it!

Check Out All the Shops

I could spend all day at Harry Potter World walking around and checking out all of the fun and unique shops. A few of my favorites are definitely Sugarplum’s Sweet Shop (Diagon Alley), Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes (Diagon Alley) and Honeydukes (Hogsmeade.) All of these are candy/sweet shops – so I think it’s pretty clear what my favorite kind of store is! 

However, in addition to the fun candy shops, there are also lots of souvenirs you can buy, including wands, robes and other collectables. 

Many of the shops in Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade sell similar items, but each shop has its own unique souvenirs. I recommend checking out all of the shops first, and then going back to buy your favorite items. 

PRO TIP: When purchasing items in Universal Studios and Island of Adventure, ask for them to be “sent to the front of the park.” This means that your purchases will be sent to City Walk (where you exit the park) and will be waiting for you after you leave the park for the day! 

I highly, highly recommend this option! It makes it so much easier not to have to carry tons of bags around the park with you. 

If you’re staying at an on-site hotel, and are staying for multiple days, you will also have the option to have your purchases sent directly to the hotel’s front desk! This is another fantastic option, and something to absolutely take advantage of. 

When planning a trip to Harry Potter World, one of my biggest tips is to save room in your suitcase! I really didn’t plan on buying anything – but I ended up with lots of candy, a wand and souvenirs for friends. Trust me, you’ll definitely purchase things as well!

Quick Harry Potter World Tips and Facts to Know

• The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is separated between two parks
  • Universal Studios: Diagon Alley 
  • Island of Adventure: Hogsmeade 
• Get tickets in advance, and keep the QR codes on your phone 
• The parks open at 9am 
  • You have early access to Island of Adventure (8am) if you’re staying at an on-site hotel 
• The parks close at varying times throughout the year, from 6pm onwards 
• City Walk is open very late, it closes between midnight and 2am

Harry Potter World FAQ

• Where should I stay when visiting Harry Potter World? 
  • I highly recommend staying in one of the Universal Studios on-site hotels as they come with many perks, like early park entry! There are tons of options to fit many budgets. 
• How much are tickets to Harry Potter World?
  • Ticket prices range depending on the number of days you’re visiting the park. The more days you visit the park, the less expensive daily tickets become. Click here for prices and ticket packages. 
• Is Diagon Alley better than Hogsmeade? 
  • Diagon Alley, in Universal Studios, in my opinion is slightly better than Hogsmeade in Island of Adventure. This is because it’s less compact, and there are more shops and places to eat. Hogwarts Castle is located in Hogsmeade though, and there are more rides in this part of the park, so it does come down to personal preference. 
• Do you need separate tickets for Harry Potter World?
  • No! As long as you have tickets to Universal Studios you can access Harry Potter World: Diagon Alley, and if you have tickets to Islands of Adventures you can enter into Harry Potter World: Hogsmeade. 
    • You don’t need specific tickets for Harry Potter World, as they are parts of other parks. 
    • As mentioned above, I recommend park hopper tickets so you can move between parks on the Hogwarts Express. 
• Where does the Hogwarts Express take you?
  • The Hogwarts Express runs back and forth between Kings Cross Station in Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade Station. Once you board the train it’s a very fun and interactive experience. 
    • You can only take the Hogwarts Express if you have park hopper tickets, as it moves between parks. 
• Can you visit both Harry Potter World parks in one day? 
  • Yes! With park hopper passes you can move between Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade. I definitely recommend doing this, as it will allow you to ride the Hogwarts Express. 
    • I recommend spending at least two days in the parks, visiting both parks on both days.

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Other posts to check out for planning a trip to Harry Potter World:

• The Ultimate Universal Studios Photo Spots and Instagram Guide
• The Best Treats and Butterbeer Snacks at Universal Studios, Harry Potter World

♡Kate

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