Category — u. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

HOTELS FOR THE WIZARDING WORLD OF HARRY POTTER

This site’s Instructions for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter suggest that families wishing to visit Harry Potter that can afford it book a room at Loews Royal Pacific Resort.

This is because the Universal resorts (the Royal Pacific, Portofino Bay, and Hard Rock) give terrific perks at Universal Orlando to hotel guests.

Most relevant to Harry Potter is that the Wizarding World opens to guests of these hotels one hour before it opens to the general public. (If you are staying just one night, this is true both your day of check-in and your day of check-out.)

This makes it particularly easy to fit in both Ollivanders and Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey without hours of waiting.

Another great perk is that Universal hotel guests can use their room key as the equivalent of a FASTPASS for many rides at any time.  This does not currently apply to the Forbidden Journey or Ollivanders--the only perk that applies to them is the early entry.

All three hotels are nice, convenient to both parks at Universal Orlando, and expensive.

• Portofino Bay is the most expensive and  gorgeous, but its theme will go over the head of most kids
• Hard Rock Hotel is the next most expensive, and appealing to older kids who like music
• The Royal Pacific is the least expensive of the three, and its Indonesian/South Seas theming is the most accessible of the three to younger kids.

For most families, the Royal Pacific will be the best choice. [Read more →]

Disney World’s calendars are showing some unusual features for next week beginning July 18, features that are usually associated with enormous crowds.

For example, the Magic Kingdom’s afternoon parade, normally at 3p, is scheduled for both noon and 3.30p the 18th and after, which one only sees on the days of the year Disney expects to be among its busiest.

Moreover, Epcot is open the 23rd until 9.30p, and Illuminations is on at 9.30 that night–in both cases, 9p is typical for this time of year.

These changes appeared on Disney’s operating calendars late last week.

Assuming these changes aren’t errors, my guess is that  Disney World is projecting crowds coming to Orlando in quantities even higher than already typically high July crowds to celebrate the final film of ArryHay OtterPay and an associated convention.

If so, keep your eye on these calendars for possible further changes–e.g. 8a openings and addition of more Extra Magic Hours.

OLLIVANDERS AT THE WIZARDING WORLD OF HARRY POTTER

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter’s Hogsmeade has a branch of Ollivanders–in the books located solely in Diagon Alley. (Ollivanders has also been included in Universal Orlando’s new Diagon Alley.)

As a means both of crowd control to the associated gift shop and as a way of plussing the whole Hogsmeade Wizarding World experience, entry is through a show where the wand chooses the wizard.

Lines for this have been so long on my prior visits to the Wizarding World that I did not bother.

However, I recently had my first chance to take advantage of the early entry available to Universal resort hotel guests.

Even though I had to backtrack because I had forgotten my hotel room key–which serves as your entry pass–at 20 minutes after the early opening only three people were in line, so I did Ollivanders.

The short version: while your results will vary, what I saw was incredibly cute.

THE WIZARDS DEFINE HOW MUCH FUN IT IS TO WATCH THE WAND CHOOSE THEM AT OLLIVANDERS

Small groups of 20 or so are admitted to a tiny high-ceilinged space, filled with wands.

As my group entered, two friends, younger tweens–both, as it turned out, named Sarah–were driven to wordless awe by the space, capable only of “oohs” of admiration and longing.

When capable of words, one said haltingly to the other “Ooh, oooh, Sarah…look at the wands!”

The cast member playing the shop keeper picked the Sarahs, who as they came forward almost levitated with delight.

With show business and effects–which I am not going to give away–the wands picked the Sarah.

All was drop dead charming for me to watch–in the same way that Epcot’s Turtle Talk with Crush is.

However, Turtle Talk gives a much more consistently charming experience.

Part of the issue is that the shopkeeper stays in a most serious role, so the real fun is solely in the response of the kids.  (The actual effects of the wands are minor.) However, the chosen kid or kids have their backs to you, so you can’t see the expressions on their face.

Moreover, even though the space is small, the half of the attendees who weren’t near the Sarahs pre-choice to see their inarticulate awe couldn’t have had as much fun as I did.

So the upshot for many visitors to Ollivanders will be a slight entertainment hardly worth the wait if it’s more than 20 minutes or so–unless of course their own kids are chosen.

How to be chosen?  Have your kids act like the Sarahs…as you enter, try to get them into a position in the front where the shopkeeper can seem them…and have them thrum with awe and longing!

(This page is one of a series explicating Walt Disney World lingo, abbreviations, and FAQ for first time family visitors to Walt Disney World.)

GETTING FROM YOUR WALT DISNEY WORLD RESORT HOTEL TO THE WIZARDING WORLD OF HARRY POTTER

I recently had a comment from Dave on this page:

“How long from Disney resorts to Universal, and what’s the cheapest way to get back and forth?”

I told him that it takes 20-50 minutes, depending on which resort and on I-4 traffic, and said that I’d find out about the cheapest way and post on it.

Here’s the post! [Read more →]

LINES AND WAITS GO DOWN AT THE WIZARDING WORLD OF HARRY POTTER

Now that the peak of the summer season is over, lines and waiting times at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter have dropped quite a bit. [Read more →]

In late June I checked out the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. This page is one of several resulting reviews, which include

• The Flight of the Hippogriff
• Dragon Challenge
• Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
• The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, overall

REVIEW: THE WIZARDING WORLD OF HARRY POTTER

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter includes

•  A delightful but small built environment meant to bring the village of Hogsmeade (and a few imports from Diagon Alley) to life
• A replica of Hogwarts Castle, and
• Three rides.

The three rides are the Flight of the Hippogriff, a minor roller coaster in the open air, Dragon Challenge, a world-class, very intense roller coaster, and Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, the only new ride (the other two are slightly re-decorated versions of old rides.)

The Flight of the Hippogriff will be uninteresting to most.

Dragon Challenge will appeal to fans of top-level roller coasters, but be far too intense for anyone else.

Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey has a stunning queue, and a pretty amazing ride, but will be off-limits to those with even moderate motion sickness.

The village of Hogsmeade is well-done and charming, but quite small.

Butterbeer rocks.

The upshot: the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is absolutely worth a visit if you are going to Universal Orlando anyway. If you are, the best way to see the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is to stay at a Universal resort hotel.  This will allow you to take advantage of its resort hotel early entry program, saving you hours of waiting in line.

(Note that Universal Express Plus passes will not get you in to the Wizarding World any earlier, and once you are in, can’t be used to go to the head of the line at Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, the signature ride.)

If, however, you are a first time visitor to Walt Disney World, and following one of this site’s Disney World itineraries, I can’t recommend taking time out of already over-packed days to see the Wizarding World, unless your children simply will give you no peace otherwise. (If you must fit Harry Potter into a Disney World visit, see the links at the bottom of the page for hints on fitting Harry Potter in.)

Instead, save the Wizarding World of Harry Potter for another trip.

MORE ON THE WIZARDING WORLD OF HARRY POTTER

[Read more →]