Harry Potter has an international impact on the lives of many people around the world because of the stories told and lessons taught to movie watchers and readers alike. If you are anything like me, you have daydreamed about walking around the grounds of Hogwarts, drinking a round of butterbeer with your friends, and running through the wall to Platform 9 ¾ to catch a ride on the Hogwarts Express. Universal Parks and Resorts has made this possible. Whether you are a Wizard, Witch or Muggle, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is for you. 

Universal Parks and Resort has an art to creating a world unlike your own and immersing you into these stories you read and watch. Now you get to live these experiences first hand. Guests can easily spend their whole Universal Orlando vacation soaking up every offering there is in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. 

If you are new to Universal Resorts, there are currently two theme parks within the parks: Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure. Over at Universal Studios Florida, you can find Diagon Alley. Islands of Adventure is where you will find Hogsmeade Village and Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. There are two ways I would recommend beginning your day if the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is a priority to you. The first way could be following the journey of Harry himself. The other would be heading straight for Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure at Islands of Adventure. If you stay on Universal property as a part of your vacation package, you are guaranteed free early park admission. If riding Hargrid’s is a must for you, this may be the way to go.

If you are hoping to live out your Hogwarts student dreams, we will step into the shoes of The Boy Who Lived and begin our journey at the arches of Universal Studios Florida. When you head to the back of the park, you will enter London! Moments into your visit you will already be immersed and feel as if you just entered London, England between the sights and experiences. Within London you can meet the Knight Bus conductor alongside a talking shrunken head from playful banter and laughter which I can probably safely say is my favorite component of London. After your interaction, I recommend heading to the back of the Knight Bus for the perfect photo-op. 

You can also enjoy a traditional English snack at the London Taxi Hut! Here you can find shepherd’s pie, loaded potatoes, and more. Guests can always see and knock on 12 Grimmauld Place, the home of the Black family from the books and the films. If you watch the windows of the building and stick around long enough, you can find Kreacher the house elf! Of course, in London you can find yourself at Hogwarts Express: King’s Cross Station. Here is where you can begin your journey as Harry when he walked onto Platform 9 ¾ and met his friends on the train, however, we first have a list of supplies to grab before heading over to Hogwarts!

The first step is finding your way into Diagon Alley! To do so, guests will walk through the brick wall just as Harry and Hagrid did. When you walk through those walls, you are transported into a different world! I still remember how emotional my family felt walking into Diagon Alley for the first time. Everything you once read about has come to life from the pages. Before you adventure into any shops or grab some delicious food, slow down and take it all in. There is more detail than you could ever imagine. Now that we have taken some time to absorb all the sights, smells, and sounds, it’s time to gather our supplies for Hogwarts.

We cannot buy any of our supplies without any wizarding currency, so let’s begin our time in Diagon Alley at the Gringotts Money Exchange! Here is where you can trade U.S. currency for Gringotts banknotes and speak with a goblin yourself. The wizarding currency you pick can be used throughout the Universal Orlando Resort or could be kept as a souvenir. To add to the immersion experience, this could be a fun interaction with your loved ones, but Muggle money is still accepted throughout the whole park.

Next up we have the one attraction that can be found in Diagon Alley: Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts! Guests can walk through the doors of Gringotts as Harry and Hagrid had. Walking through the wizarding bank attraction queue is an experience in and of itself. On this attraction you will journey deep into the vaults of Gringotts Bank on this multi-dimensional thrill ride. You encounter some familiar faces such as Harry, Ron, Hermionie,  Bill Weasley and some villains that shall not be named!

One could spend hours alone browsing the stores of Diagon Alley. If you have the time, I highly recommend walking around slowly taking in all the details. One of my favorite photo spots and details included in Diagon Alley is a storefront of the Daily Prophet!

Our first shop stop is the pet shop of the wizarding world, the Magical Menagerie! Guests can take home their very own Niffler, Fluffy, Fang, Buckbeak, Crookshanks, Cornish pixies, Hedwig, and many more magical creatures. On your way out, guests can also practice their Parseltongue by stopping by the window on the left side of the shop as they are greeted with a snake themself. 

Another favorite shop of mine is Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes! This is the shop Fred and George created and opened themselves where your inner child can come to life. You can find Puking Pastilles, Love Potions, Extendable Ears, Skiving Snackboxes, Nosebleed Nougat, and many other beloved references to the novels and films. You can even adopt a Pygmy Puff! When you do so, the team member will ask for its name, ring a bell, and make an official adoption announcement!

For avid travelers, including fellow travel agents, Globus Mundi is the Wizarding World’s travel agency where you can find passport holders, luggage tags, travel mugs, and other souvenirs to remember your trip to the Wizarding World.

Quality Quidditch Supplies is where you can find all your needs for playing the most popular sport in the Wizarding World. Here you can find brooms, Golden Snitches, Bludgers, Bludger bats, Quaffles, Quidditch™ sweaters and team spirit attire!

Shutterbutton’s is a shop in the Wizarding World that I do not think many guests know about! At this location you can create a unique, fun memory with your family by capturing your own moving photograph. You can purchase a DVD photo album in a collectible Shutterbutton’s™ tin as a souvenir. A similar location can be found in Hogsmeade. 

A must-stop for any Harry Potter fan would be Madam Malkin’s Robes for All Occasions. Here you can grab your Hogwarts uniforms, ties, scarves, sweaters, and authentic replicas of attire from the franchise! For some fashion advice, stand in front of the mirror. Walking around the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in a Hogwarts robe is an experience in and of itself, but it is more magical with your very own wand. There is even a pocket in your robe for it! But we will save Ollivanders for the end.

For the Death Eaters and Slytherins in the family, do not forget to take a stroll into Knockturn Alley. If you are not on the lookout it could be easy to miss, but if you love all things Harry Potter, you won’t want to miss this. You can find Knockturn Alley near the entrance to Diagon Alley next to the Leaky Cauldron. Within Knockturn Alley you can find the shop from the franchise, Borgin and Burkes! If you head to the back right side of the store, you will find the Vanishing Cabinet that the Death Eaters used to enter the grounds of Hogwarts in the sixth book and film.

After getting all those steps in, grabbing lunch at the Leaky Cauldron is next up on our list! It truly feels as if you are eating on a set. The Leaky Cauldron is a small, imperfect pub and inn just like from the films and books. Eating here is always a must for my family. The food here is traditional British cuisine: Bangers and Mash, Fisherman’s Pie, Vegan Chicken Curry, Ploughman’s Platter, and more! You can grab yourself a delicious and iconic Butterbeer here with your meal. You may have heard the reference in the movies or books. Butterbeer is a non-alcoholic butterscotch and cream soda beverage with a sweet, frothy topping. You can choose to have your Butterbeer cold, frozen, or hot! The Wizarding World does offer a Vegan Butterbeer which can only be found at the Leaky Cauldron in Diagon Alley as of November 2023. However, in Diagon Alley, you can find Butterbeer at the Fountain of Fair Fortune and the Hopping Pot as well.

If you’re looking for a less sweet option of a drink, you can also find iconic Wizarding World drinks at the Hopping Pot such as Pumpkin Juice, Tongue Tying Lemon Squash, Otter’s Fizzy Orange Juice, Peachtree Fizzing Tea, Fishy Green Ale, Wizard’s Brew and Dragon Scale beers, and more!

After grabbing lunch, it’s time for dessert. At Florean Fortescue’s Ice-Cream Parlour, you can grab a multitude of different ice cream flavors including Butterbeer! Other unique flavors to give ago are Granny Smith, Earl Grey and Lavender, Chocolate Chili, and Sticky Toffee Pudding. If you prefer a more traditional route, they also have Vanilla, Chocolate, and Rasberry to name a few!

While we eat up our ice cream, you can enjoy two different shows in Diagon Alley: Tales of Beedle the Bard and Celestina Warbeck and the Banshees! During Tales of Beedle the Bard, the performers retell two famous stories in the wizarding world you are probably familiar with if you are a fan: The Fountain of Fair Fortune and The Tale of the Three Brothers! The show is a gathering around style with the use of props and puppetry.

After the shows, our last stop is Ollivanders Wand Shop. Guests have the option to just go shopping in the shop or the Ollivanders Experience. The Ollivanders Experience is a show where one lucky individual is selected to participate in the wand choosing ceremony just as Harry Potter did at the start of it all.

Before we head out of Diagon Alley, you cannot leave without seeing the dragon atop of Gringotts Bank breathe real fire! The dragon lets off about every 15 minutes and happens throughout the day from park open to park close!

Now that we have all our school supplies, it is time to say goodbye to Diagon Alley and take the Hogwarts Express over to Hogsmeade Village and Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!

AGENT TIP: Be sure to take the Hogwarts Express both ways. The story is a little different on each of the two rides! Also, if you need to get off your feet for a bit and out of the sun plus the wait is short, take a ride on the Hogwarts Express.

Now approaching Hogsmeade Station! After getting off the train, you may just be greeted by the Hogwarts Express Conductor himself. After meeting the conductor, I recommend heading straight to see your first glance at Hogwarts Castle. That initial experience is a special one to any Harry Potter fan! Just like Diagon Alley, take some time to walk around. Seeing as we have just had lunch and desserts, and we just purchased our very own wand, it seems an appropriate time to cast some spells!

With a purchase of an interactive wand, you can dive even deeper into the immersive nature of the parks. While you recite a spell with the proper wand movements, you too can create magic!

Not only can you find stationary, ink, seals, quills, at the Owl Post, but you can send actual letters here with a special Hogsmeade postmark. 

AGENT TIP: Right under the Owlery, you can find a Howler in the storefront window! 

Another iconic stop is Dervish and Banges. Here you can not only find a Nimbus Two Thousand, but you can also see a Book of Monsters in real life!

Every attraction in the Wizarding World is worth riding at least once if you are able to. Prior to Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, my favorite ride was Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. This ride does indeed accept Express, however, I still recommend taking your time to take in this queue. You can take a look into Dumbledore’s office, Defense Against the Dark Art Castle, the Gryffindor Common Room, and way more! On Forbidden Journey, you can find yourself soaring above castle grounds with Harry and his friends. The ride technology is state-of-the-art and unlike any other ride.

The next attraction up is Flight of the Hippogriff! This is a family-friendly roller coaster that “flies” around the pumpkin patch and Hagrid’s Hut.

Speaking of Hagrid, riding Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure is an absolute must! This is a thrilling, immersive roller coaster that flies you through the Forbidden Forest and beyond the grounds of Hogwarts. On this ride, you will meet a multitude of Magical Beasts all while flying in Hagrid’s motorbike. You have the option to ride in either the sidecar or on the motorcycle. I suggest you experience both sides at least once!

AGENT TIP: If you are looking to maximize your time in the Wizarding World, I would recommend adding on a Universal Express or Express Unlimited pass.

Before dinner, Hogsmeade has two shows: the Triwizard Spirit Rally and the Frog Choir. Both add to the feeling of having Hogwarts School pride! The Triwizard Spirit Valley features from the three wizarding schools that participate in the Triwizard Tournament: Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang. The Frog Choir is a choir of Hogwarts students from each house with their croaking friends to perform for you familiar wizarding songs!

AGENT TIP: Be sure to download the Universal Orlando app to check out the show times and attraction wait times throughout the parks.

Before we continue with our evening, it is time to grab dinner and the one and only, Three Broomsticks! The theme here is just as if you were a student at Hogwarts with permission to head to Hogsmeade Village. Here you can find additional British delights such as Fish And Chips, Shepherd’s Pie, Beef Pasties, Turkey Legs, the Great Feast, and more. Similar to the Leaky Cauldron here is where you can find Butterbeer, including the Vegan Butterbeer option. Connecting to the Three Broomsticks you can also find Hog’s Head, a small pub to grab Pumpkin Fizz, wine, mixed drinks, spirits, and selected craft beer that are brewed just for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter!

AGENT TIP: If you use the restroom in Hogsmeade near the Three Broomsticks, be sure to listen closely as you can hear Moaning Myrtle herself!

Some of the shops cross over from both sides of the park, like Ollivanders, but there is one shop that is an absolute must for any Harry Potter fan: Honeydukes! A perfect place to grab a sweet treat to end the night or a souvenir to take home.

The perfect way to end the night in the wizarding world is watching the Nighttime Lights at Hogwarts Castle! On select nights, Hogwarts Castle will be casted with projections that will leave you embracing your Hogwarts pride with a showcase of all four houses. The show features John Williams’ iconic score, narration done by the Sorting Hat, and a brief firework finale!

AGENT TIP: Traditionally, during the holidays at Universal, there is a special edition of the night time castle show called The Magic of Christmas at Hogwarts Castle. Meanwhile, during the Halloween season, you can watch a spooky edition of the show called Dark Arts at Hogwarts Castle. In years past, you could also find Death Eaters lurking around Diagon Alley during Halloween Horror Nights!

What a wonderfully magical and fun day at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter! As you leave the wizarding world behind, hold close to those memories of laughter, awe, and excitement you felt visiting the Universal Orlando resorts. As you can see, it is very easy to dedicate a day solely in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter! Before your trip, read the books and watch the movies if you can. It will help you appreciate the parks even more. All of these experiences you cannot experience anywhere else, but there is a different type of magic that happens when you take a trip to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. You get to experience love, joy, adventure, and friendship with your chosen travel companions.