Harry Potter- Wizarding World FAQ

If they are big Harry Potter fans, I would eat the cost for the park hopper. The train is different both ways and mor importantly you can easily switch back and forth between the two parks by using it. But I get trying to avoid the higher cost. I never got park hoppers at Disney. I always get them at U.

That said, Hogsmead has Hippograph which is a low key coaster and FJ. The big roller coasters are closed for renovations/modification. But, Universal Studios has DA and Gringotts. More wand stuff and non ride stuff to do. Not something I would dream of giving up. I personally like Diagon Ally better. But I am a big fan of Gringotts. Also it is great and magical at night! Maybe look at the rest of the non Harry Potter rides and use that to decide which park?
 
When we go to Universal we will have an 8 yo and 10 yo, both big Harry Potter fans. We will be coming to Universal after a Disney Cruise, so we likely won't be able to take advantage of early entry that morning. The 8 yo is very tiny 48" and can't ride many roller coasters. Which park should we visit to get the most HP given that limitation? A two park ticket for one day is $175 which seems like a lot just to take the train, so if we can just do a one park ticket that might be worth it. Thanks!

I will address the ride heights first. You can go on the Universal Orlando website and and click on Plan Your Visit at the top. This will give you all the required ride heights for all the rides. Your daughter at 48" is tall enough to ride Escape from Gringotts in Diagon Alley. She will also be fine for Flight of the Hippogriff (small coaster by Hagrids Hut) and Forbidden Journey in Hogsmeade.

As far as the 2 park ticket goes. Everyone has to be comfortable with the price they are willing to pay for tickets. Potter fans that have a limited amount of time to spend at the two Potter parks are willing to pay for the Park to Park tickets so they can ride the Hogwarts Express between the 2 Potter Parks. It really does complete the immersive Potter experience.

Maybe the approach you should take is to pull up both Potter park maps on the Universal Orlando website and let them look at both parks and choose the park they would like to go to.

I will give you my personal opinion although Diagon Alley has only one ride it is my favorite of the two parks. When you walk behind that wall and get your first look at Diagon Alley it is incredible.

There is a Ollivanders wand show at both Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade. I like the one at Diagon Alley better. Someone is chosen out of the audience for each show to be included in the wand choosing the wizard.

There are areas in both Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley to do Magic tricks with the interactive wands. This is a hit with children and adults alike. The wands are about
$ 50.00 plus tax.

Every Potter fan needs to try a Butterbeer.

If you choose Diagon Alley. Have a meal at the Leaky Cauldron and then take them for a dessert of yummy ice cream at Florean Fortescue.

There are more shops in Diagon Alley to look in.

Knockturn Ally is awesome. The shop Borgin and Burkes is located there.

There are a few things to look for outside the entrance of Diagon Alley

The nights bus is outside the entrance for them to experience as well. The conductor is there to interact with you as well as the shrunken head hanging inside the bus.

Kreacher the house-elf to the Black family (notable in Order of the Phoenix) peaks out the top window of 12 Grimmauld Place. This is also located outside of Diagon Alley.

There is also a English Red Phone box outside of Diagon Alley that the kiddos can ring up the Ministry of Magic.

Hope this helps pixiedust:
 
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The big roller coasters are closed for renovations/modification.


If the coasters are down it is for assessment after Hurricane Irma only. The Hulk refurb has already been done and it has reopened since then. I will check with someone there now to get up to date info on the RRR and the HUlK and come back with that accurate information.
 
I will address the ride heights first. You can go on the Universal Orlando website and and click on Plan Your Visit at the top. This will give you all the required ride heights for all the rides. Your daughter at 48" is tall enough to ride Escape from Gringotts in Diagon Alley. She will also be fine for Flight of the Hippogriff (small coaster by Hagrids Hut) and Forbidden Journey in Hogsmeade.

As far as the 2 park ticket goes. Everyone has to be comfortable with the price they are willing to pay for tickets. Potter fans that have a limited amount of time to spend at the two Potter parks are willing to pay for the Park to Park tickets so they can ride the Hogwarts Express between the 2 Potter Parks. It really does complete the immersive Potter experience.

Maybe the approach you should take is to pull up both Potter park maps on the Universal Orlando website and let them look at both parks and choose the park they would like to go to.

I will give you my personal opinion although Diagon Alley has only one ride it is my favorite of the two parks. When you walk behind that wall and get your first look at Diagon Alley it is incredible.

There is a Ollivanders wand show at both Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade. I like the one at Diagon Alley better. Someone is chosen out of the audience for each show to be included in the wand choosing the wizard.

There are areas in both Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley to do Magic tricks with the interactive wands. This is a hit with children and adults alike. The wands are about
$ 53.00.

Every Potter fan needs to try a Butterbeer.

If you choose Diagon Alley. Have a meal at the Leaky Cauldron and then take them for dessert for a ice cream to Florean Fortescue.

There are more shops in Diagon Alley to look in.

Knockturn Ally is awesome. The shop Borgin and Burkes is located there.

There are a few things to look for outside the entrance of Diagon Alley

The nights bus is outside the entrance for them to experience as well. The conductor is there to interact with you as well as the shrunken head hanging inside the bus.

Kreacher the house-elf to the Black family (notable in Order of the Phoenix) peaks out the top window of 12 Grimmauld Place. This is also located outside of Diagon Alley.

There is also a English Red Phone box outside of Diagon Alley that the kiddos can ring up the Ministry of Magic.

Hope this helps pixiedust:
Thank you so much for this!! We will be there in Nov with my 4.5, 6.5 and 9yo, all huge HP fans. This is amazing!
 


Is there anything available in the HP gift shops that's unique and can't be found in the online shops or elsewhere?

Yes, there are many items that are available in the gift shops that are not online. Not all shops sell the same items.

For example they have beautiful Hogwarts glassware that is not on the website store for sale. Also did not see the Deluminator or the House charm bracelets and single necklace charms. These are very nice.
 
Hulk is not running post Irma. Sounds like the catch net needs to be replaced as well as possible other problems.

RRR is running.

Thank you to Tink1957 for the up to date information. She is at Universal Orlando now.
 
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If they are big Harry Potter fans, I would eat the cost for the park hopper. The train is different both ways and mor importantly you can easily switch back and forth between the two parks by using it. But I get trying to avoid the higher cost. I never got park hoppers at Disney. I always get them at U.

That said, Hogsmead has Hippograph which is a low key coaster and FJ. The big roller coasters are closed for renovations/modification. But, Universal Studios has DA and Gringotts. More wand stuff and non ride stuff to do. Not something I would dream of giving up. I personally like Diagon Ally better. But I am a big fan of Gringotts. Also it is great and magical at night! Maybe look at the rest of the non Harry Potter rides and use that to decide which park?

I will address the ride heights first. You can go on the Universal Orlando website and and click on Plan Your Visit at the top. This will give you all the required ride heights for all the rides. Your daughter at 48" is tall enough to ride Escape from Gringotts in Diagon Alley. She will also be fine for Flight of the Hippogriff (small coaster by Hagrids Hut) and Forbidden Journey in Hogsmeade.

As far as the 2 park ticket goes. Everyone has to be comfortable with the price they are willing to pay for tickets. Potter fans that have a limited amount of time to spend at the two Potter parks are willing to pay for the Park to Park tickets so they can ride the Hogwarts Express between the 2 Potter Parks. It really does complete the immersive Potter experience.

Maybe the approach you should take is to pull up both Potter park maps on the Universal Orlando website and let them look at both parks and choose the park they would like to go to.

I will give you my personal opinion although Diagon Alley has only one ride it is my favorite of the two parks. When you walk behind that wall and get your first look at Diagon Alley it is incredible.

There is a Ollivanders wand show at both Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade. I like the one at Diagon Alley better. Someone is chosen out of the audience for each show to be included in the wand choosing the wizard.

There are areas in both Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley to do Magic tricks with the interactive wands. This is a hit with children and adults alike. The wands are about
$ 50.00 plus tax.

Every Potter fan needs to try a Butterbeer.

If you choose Diagon Alley. Have a meal at the Leaky Cauldron and then take them for dessert for a ice cream to Florean Fortescue.

There are more shops in Diagon Alley to look in.

Knockturn Ally is awesome. The shop Borgin and Burkes is located there.

There are a few things to look for outside the entrance of Diagon Alley

The nights bus is outside the entrance for them to experience as well. The conductor is there to interact with you as well as the shrunken head hanging inside the bus.

Kreacher the house-elf to the Black family (notable in Order of the Phoenix) peaks out the top window of 12 Grimmauld Place. This is also located outside of Diagon Alley.

There is also a English Red Phone box outside of Diagon Alley that the kiddos can ring up the Ministry of Magic.

Hope this helps pixiedust:


Wow, thank you both so much. Sounds like it will be worth it for us to get the 2 park ticket. And you've given excellent reasons why!
 
**I should have been clearer. I was only referring to Dragon Challenge as the big roller coaster that was closed. Could not remember the name in my original post!

Really happy for you that you are choosing Park hoppers. For Harry fans, I think it is a must. But I really do understand that sometimes those Park hoppers seem like a waste w a young family. But it just makes absolute sense for a Harry fan at Universal.

As an aside, go into the bank in Diagon Alley. Not Gringotts (although of course go there too!!).....but the other one that is near the Magic spitting thing on the right. The goblin interacts w you. And you can get goblin $$ to spend. All will enjoy!
 
Has anyone seen an estimate as to how long Hulk is expected to be down for replacement of the catch net?
 
Yeah, Hulk was already running when we were there last weekend. It must have only been down a day or so.
 
HELP!
Our trip will overlap with the Celebration of Harry Potter event. We'll be at Disney and take one day to spend at the Universal parks (mostly for HP stuff). We'll have park-to-park tickets, but no express pass. Not planning on doing any of the panels or expo during the event - really just want to see the lands and do rides/stores/shows.

How crowded is the park during this event if you are not attending the event? Are Hogsmead and Diagon Alley packed? We could go either on Fri, Sat, Sun, Mon or Tue - which one would be our best bet for lower crownds at HP? Do guests usually linger that week after the event, or people really just come for the weekend?

Thank you for your help!

PS. Also, not doing a split stay - I know people usually suggests that for the perks. And can't justify the cost of the express pass - it's soooo much! Can we still do this?
 
For Christmas I am surprising my husband with a trip to Universal. I would like to buy him an interactive wand for Christmas, but wonder if he doesn't like that specific one, could he exchange it when we are down there?
Also, we've never used lockers before because we were always with others that could hold everything. This time it will just be the 2 of us, so I am wondering, are the lockers before you get into line at gringotts and fj? I have never paid attention before. Thank you!
 
The lockers are after you enter at FJ. I think by the entrance at Gringotts. Really obvious, when you are there, anyway.
 
Felicis is right. FJ: As soon as you enter the castle, there will be a couple of TMs and the locker room is to your right. EfG: Before you enter the bank, the locker room will be to your right.

Sorry, I don't know the answer to the wand question.
 
We're planning our first Universal trip & I'm trying to figure out which HP rides I should avoid. I don't think I get motion sickness (I love Star Tours at Hollywood Studios). I can't spin & I don't like drops (but I tolerate some at WDW). I like the mine train, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder, & I can't tolerate Space Mountain because my daughter loves it.
 
There's only four HP rides now: Forbidden Journey (Islands of Adventure), Flight of the Hippogryph (IoA), Escape from Gringotts (Universal Studios), and Hogwarts Express (both).

Forbidden Journey: Indoor motion simulator/dark ride. Can induce motion sickness due to the motion in conjunction with the screens. No actual drops. No spins.
Flight of the Hippogryph: Outdoor family coaster with mild drop.
Escape from Gringotts: Indoor motion simulator/family coaster. 1 mild actual drop. Brief spinning (not continuous like Teacups).
Hogwarts Express: Inside train (tram) taking people from park-to-park. Different story each way. No drops/spins at all. Requires hopper ticket.
 

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