Harry Potter- Wizarding World FAQ

[travelfearlessly]

* Our plan is to focus on the 2 Harry Potter areas as we're big fans - does anyone have opinions on the best way to attack the 2 parks?

Sinders99, I'm a travel blogger and wrote about park-hopping the two HP parks in one day. It was a LONG day, and pretty much all we did was Harry Potter, but it's doable. We're going back in January 2017 and I plan to buy 2-day tickets just so we can devote one day to Harry Potter and another day to the rest of the parks. I would definitely recommend 2 days just so you can do EVERYTHING at the Harry Potter theme parks: the shows, all the food, the interactive wands, etc. http://www.travelfearlesslyblog.com/kid-friendly-activities/wizarding-world-of-harry-potter-tips/

 

[Nightshiftplanner]

I am looking for some feedback on purchasing the magic wands. I have 3 children and we will be visiting Universal for the first time sandwiched in a Disney trip. We are just going for one day. I was planning on getting all three kids wands, but I'm wondering what have your kids done with the wands once you got home. We will not be going back to Universal in the near future. The wands look like fun but I'm wondering are they all the same or are there different ones? I just don't know if their "souvenir" money would be better spent on something else.

 

[macraven]

Some kids have the image of how their wand performed while at potter places

Maybe they will use their imagination and play pretend spells once back home

That or sword fights which happens when you have boys. ..... Lol

 

[Nightshiftplanner]

Some kids have the image of how their wand performed while at potter places

Maybe they will use their imagination and play pretend spells once back home

That or sword fights which happens when you have boys. ..... Lol

Thanks, yes they already do pretend spells without wands and yes, two are boys lol

I think I will get the wands

 

[macraven]

i have 4 boys.
whatever was in their hands turned into a game of sword fighting.......

had 3 of them within 4.8 years.

 

[tinkerbell1112]

Hi all, Leave for FL in 29 days *eek*. my Disney planning is now complete and we are visiting Universal parks for the first time. So, time to start that planning portion. Our big draw is HP.
A couple questions....I apologize if these have been asked. I could only make it through a certain number of the planning forum pages here.

1) We have 3 day passes because the 3rd day was free. We weren't planning on 3 days. However, we leave Disney on a Thursday morning to check into RPR. We had intended on just relaxing that day, but would it make sense to hit a HP area that evening? Are lines typically shorter in the evening because people rush to do everything first and then head out to take advantage of the rest of the parks? Also, I thought this might be the time to go and get my kids' wands. Gives them that one extra bit of time to use them? If we did go this evening, suggestions on which park would be "best" at night?

2) my DD9 is under the impression there will be no plush animals in HP world (mostly because she is only on book/movie 3 right now and can't picture what kinds of things other than owls would be available). Does anyone have anything you could throw at me to expect and to tell her "here's options?" She gets only so much spending $ on vacation and I can see her spending it all at Disney and then not having anything left at Universal and then realizing there ARE plushes

Thank you!

 

[travelfearlessly]

2) my DD9 is under the impression there will be no plush animals in HP world (mostly because she is only on book/movie 3 right now and can't picture what kinds of things other than owls would be available). Does anyone have anything you could throw at me to expect and to tell her "here's options?" She gets only so much spending $ on vacation and I can see her spending it all at Disney and then not having anything left at Universal and then realizing there ARE plushes

Thank you!

I got my friend's kid a stuffed Fawkes. I think there's also a Hedwig. Looking back at my old photos I snapped a picture of some stuffed animals. I could have sworn there was a Hippogriff which would be good if she's on book 3. I got my 2 year old the purple Pygmy Puff you see in the photo but your daughter won't know what that is since she's not on that book yet but she can get her Crookshanks or the 3-headed dog

 

[tinkerbell1112]

I got my friend's kid a stuffed Fawkes. I think there's also a Hedwig. Looking back at my old photos I snapped a picture of some stuffed animals. I could have sworn there was a Hippogriff which would be good if she's on book 3. I got my 2 year old the purple Pygmy Puff you see in the photo but your daughter won't know what that is since she's not on that book yet but she can get her Crookshanks or the 3-headed dog

oh she LOVES dogs. (and how can you go wrong with one with 3 heads?! LOL) she'll love seeing this picture. Thank you!

 

[JustCallMeMommy]

Hi all, Leave for FL in 29 days *eek*. my Disney planning is now complete and we are visiting Universal parks for the first time. So, time to start that planning portion. Our big draw is HP.
A couple questions....I apologize if these have been asked. I could only make it through a certain number of the planning forum pages here.

1) We have 3 day passes because the 3rd day was free. We weren't planning on 3 days. However, we leave Disney on a Thursday morning to check into RPR. We had intended on just relaxing that day, but would it make sense to hit a HP area that evening? Are lines typically shorter in the evening because people rush to do everything first and then head out to take advantage of the rest of the parks? Also, I thought this might be the time to go and get my kids' wands. Gives them that one extra bit of time to use them? If we did go this evening, suggestions on which park would be "best" at night?

2) my DD9 is under the impression there will be no plush animals in HP world (mostly because she is only on book/movie 3 right now and can't picture what kinds of things other than owls would be available). Does anyone have anything you could throw at me to expect and to tell her "here's options?" She gets only so much spending $ on vacation and I can see her spending it all at Disney and then not having anything left at Universal and then realizing there ARE plushes

Thank you!

1) We would totally do that on arrival night. The lines are shorter in the evening; we love the HP areas so much that we start there each morning and end there each night.

2) There is a whole store with plushes - Magical Menagerie in Diagon Alley. Plus, DD(13) has purchased several Pigmy Puffs (a regular sized one, a large one, a tiny one, and two for friends) from Weasleys' Wizard Weazes. There is a little naming ceremony when you purchase one. The store coming off the Forbidden Journey ride in Hollywood had some fabulous stuffed Dobby's, too - I'd guess that the Orlando store has them as well.


My DD is very conservative with her money at Disney if we go there first because she knows she will want more things at Universal. She has bought a wand every trip, and we have them displayed at home. I'm seriously considering asking my dad to make us some kind of display case for Christmas.

 

[tinkerbell1112]

1) We would totally do that on arrival night. The lines are shorter in the evening; we love the HP areas so much that we start there each morning and end there each night.

2) There is a whole store with plushes - Magical Menagerie in Diagon Alley. Plus, DD(13) has purchased several Pigmy Puffs (a regular sized one, a large one, a tiny one, and two for friends) from Weasleys' Wizard Weazes. There is a little naming ceremony when you purchase one. The store coming off the Forbidden Journey ride in Hollywood had some fabulous stuffed Dobby's, too - I'd guess that the Orlando store has them as well.


My DD is very conservative with her money at Disney if we go there first because she knows she will want more things at Universal. She has bought a wand every trip, and we have them displayed at home. I'm seriously considering asking my dad to make us some kind of display case for Christmas.

Thank you! Good ammo to tell my DH we need to head there that night rather than just sit at the pool. LOL. Maybe instead we can leave on Friday afternoon and enjoy the pool once we feel we've got the lay of the land and want a break

I can't remember what a Pigmy Puff is, (been years since I've read/seen them). I'll have to go check it out. thank you!

 

[LadyP]

This is already really helpful. Thanks guys!

Does it make sense to buy the HP Vacation Offers if that is our main draw? Or do you do like a takeout menu, one of this and one of that and customize everything? I hope that makes sense.

We are traveling Oct 22-26 so the week before HHN. I will check the crowd calendars, too.

 

[java]

Here's a ? I bought my DD an AP. The plan is for her to activate it and then go in and buy our tickets with the discount.
My ?
We check in at RP on a Sunday, but will be nearby on the Saturday. Will I be able to pick up her AP before we check in on Saturday? And then is there a buy 2 day get 3Rd Free? Because then we could go in on Saturday too?

 

[asdfghjkl13]

Any advice on how to attack Diagon Alley AND Hogsmeade before 4:30pm (this Sunday)?
We're staying in WDW and have dinner at Chef Mickey's at 5:30pm. We've done Hogsmeade before, but not Diagon Alley, but I would really like to do both. Obviously we'll get there when the park opens, I guess we should do Diagon Alley first? Is the line for the Hogwarts Express really long at around noon? welp

 

[macraven]

Here's a ? I bought my DD an AP. The plan is for her to activate it and then go in and buy our tickets with the discount.
My ?
We check in at RP on a Sunday, but will be nearby on the Saturday. Will I be able to pick up her AP before we check in on Saturday? And then is there a buy 2 day get 3Rd Free? Because then we could go in on Saturday too?

Have your daughter go with you that Saturday to pick up and activate the AP
she can buy the park tickets at that time the AP is activated

I'm not current on the ticket sales so check the UO website to see what is listed there

Is she getting the preferred or premier AP?

 

[java]

She is getting the one with no blackouts. Not sure what it is called. Ok looked its preferred.

Have your daughter go with you that Saturday to pick up and activate the AP
she can buy the park tickets at that time the AP is activated

I'm not current on the ticket sales so check the UO website to see what is listed there

Is she getting the preferred or premier AP?

 

[macraven]

I have the preferred AP and it allows discounts on food and merch in the parks

Some places in city walk also for the AP discount

The blackout on the power pass has been lifted this summer

 

[java]

I have the preferred AP and it allows discounts on food and merch in the parks

Some places in city walk also for the AP discount

The blackout on the power pass has been lifted this summer

Yes I'm excited for any discount! Is there a website with info on which restaurants offer discounts? Like mythos?

 

[rosehart23]

I am staying at cabana bay and have the 1 hour early pass to Harry Potter. Is there certain days to go to one park versus the other? I'm trying to plan our 2 days and I'm confused.

 

[macraven]

EE could be for either park

Depend on when your stay will be, it may vary


It is listed on the front page website daily

 

[mmouse50]

Sorry if this has been asked - do you have to have park to park pass to ride the train from the studios to island of adventure or is there a way you can ride round trip without actually getting off at islands of adventure?