Wizarding World Of Harry Potter
Do you love Harry Potter as much as I do? You have to visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter!
I’m not the quintessential Potterhead able to name every character from the books and movies. I can’t recite the details of their backstory, but I am a fan of the fictional world created by J.K. Rowling.
From the moment The Wizarding World of Harry Potter was announced at Universal Studios, I decided we would go. Finally, the opportunity presented itself when we chose to cruise the Norwegian Getaway that departed from Miami. We will be drinking butterbeer and practicing the art of magic ahead of our cruise departure.
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I booked our flights to Orlando, Florida (using accrued Virgin America points). Then, I reserved our stay at Universal Studio’s newest on-site property, Loews Sapphire Falls Resort.
There were a couple of factors that led to my decision to stay on-site:
- The comfort of not worrying about taxis, Uber, or shuttles.
- Early access for park hotel guests.
- The rates offered by similar hotels outside of Universal weren’t competitive enough for me to give up #1 and #2. Depending on the hotel you choose to stay in on-site, Express Passes may be included. Unfortunately, Loews Sapphire Falls and Cabana Bay do not offer Express Passes with your stay.
Where to Stay at Universal Orlando?
Lowes Sapphire Falls
Loews Sapphire Falls is a beautiful hotel with a luxurious tropical theme throughout. We didn’t stay long enough to enjoy their wonderful pool and other amenities. Their rooms fit our needs for our 3-night stay. Check-in was swift. The staff was polite and helpful.
Their rooms were clean and had more than enough space for 2 people and even a family of four. Since these hotels and theme parks are geared toward families, all standard rooms have double beds.
If you’re traveling as a couple and want a room with a king-sized bed, your only option is upgrading to one of their deluxe options. For us, it wasn’t worth it.
We had dinner at Amatista Cookhouse the night of our arrival. The food was delicious…. however, expect resort prices. I highly recommend trying their delicious Havana Colada.
Tasty Itinerary Tip: In the hotel lobby, there is a cafe for a quick coffee or a quick bite for breakfast and lunch. It’s a great budget-friendly option.
One of my favorite parts of our stay at the on-site resort was taking the water taxi to and from City Walk. The water taxis are complimentary with your stay.
Wizarding World of Harry Potter
The morning arrived, and I rose with the sun. Fully ready to take advantage of the early admission to the park. I wasn’t the only one with the same idea. City Walk was scattered with other hotel guests on their way to the parks. I made a beeline to Universal Studios and got through security.
If you see groups in Hogwarts uniformed robes, follow them! I did that, and they led me in the right direction.
Diagon Alley & Hogsmeade
They disappeared behind a brick wall before I could understand what was happening, and I followed suit. The next thing I knew, I was transported to Diagon Alley.
Diagon Alley is the best part of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The setup is magical.
It feels as if you’ve been transported into another world! You leave behind the facade of London streets on the Universal lot and Diagon Alley. I was instantly immersed in parts of the world I had come to love from the movies. It came to life right before my eyes. I felt like a kid again – we all are at heart. Downright giddy as I absorbed every well-designed and thought-out detail.
The moving pictures and artwork, the magic displayed in the window shops, the goblins at Gringotts Bank… I mean, they brought the books to life! The attention to detail is simply amazing. I was glad I got up extra early to enjoy it before it became crowded.
Once hubby joined me, we acquired Dumbledore’s wand at Ollivander’s, drank our share of butterbeer for breakfast, and worked on our magic spells.
We then found Platform 9¾ at King’s Cross Station and headed to Hogsmeade Station. The experience here is cool. You should pay attention to the details when you’re there, or you’ll miss out.
The Hogwarts Express was more than I ever imagined. It is a train ride and part of your adventure to and from Hogsmeade. You sit in a train car identical to the one Harry, Hermione, and Ron ride in the movies.
As soon as the doors are closed and the all-aboard is called, visual and audio effects take over. The immersive experience leaves you pumped for your visit. The train brings the magic of Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade together.
Take the Hogwarts Express both ways, as the experience is different. You do not want to miss a thing.
Important: You MUST have a 2-PARK TICKET to enter this ride.
I was slightly disappointed with my entry to Hogsmeade at Islands of Adventure. The excitement and the awe-struck amazement shifting from the muggle world to the Wizarding World at Hogsmeade was missing at this part of the park.
The details and the design appeared just like in the movies, but it was open. Right next to Jurassic Park on one end and The Lost Continent on the other. There was no real separation like at Diagon Alley. I was reminded that I was at a theme park and not there to become the next great wizard. It didn’t take away from all the fun, though.
The rides at both parts of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter were great. I enjoyed Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts at Diagon Alley most because there weren’t any large spiders to haunt me.
We also enjoyed all the great eats at Universal you’ll find.
We fully used the Express Passes on the first day. We made sure to ride all the top rides at both parks. We were sad to find some of our old favorite rides no longer exist. It has been over ten years since we last visited. While that was unfortunate, we still had a great time.
Since then, we have visited the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Hollywood in Los Angeles. Hogsmeade looks and feels almost – identical, possibly laid out a bit wider. The details in the magic shops and the characters played by the employees are not up to par with Universal Orlando.
The Hollywood theme park has felt incomplete since I first experienced the Orlando theme park. Diagon Alley and the Hogwarts Express ride are missing. Hopefully, Diagon Alley will be built one day.
Related articles you may enjoy to read later:
- Fun Theme Parks & Amusement Parks in LA
- Universal Studios Hollywood Eats
- Universal Studios Hollywood Rides Ranked
Kathy Ava
Meet Kathy Ava, a food, travel, and cruise writer based in Los Angeles/Pasadena, and the owner and main writer of Tasty Itinerary. With over 20 years of experience planning trips and logistics at her full-time job and for herself, she's become a pro at crafting unforgettable tasty itineraries. She's always on the hunt for delicious, fun travel destinations and cruise itineraries. She firmly believes that life is short and we must make the most of it, so always say yes to dessert.
This place looks absolutely magical! I’ve only been to the one in London. It’s really fun but I think the ones in the US are bigger and you can try more things. I adore the accessory but I think they’re pretty overpriced… =( I hope I can visit here soon!
The theme park is great, probably doesn’t compare to the one in London. Dying to do the studio tour there! The ones in the US are kind of like Disney with rides and other themed treats. I agree, the Harry Potter schwag is SO expensive. We purchased the wand as a souvenir and its actually interactive at the parks, so it was fun for that short amount of time. I keep looking at other stuff they sell, like some of their clothing and its so expensive, I don’t bother. Hope you get to visit the one in Orlando one day and then you can visit Christine. 😉