Everything You Need To Know Before You Visit Harry Potter at Universal Orlando

Excited for your first visit to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando? Check out these great tips for what to see and do before you go!

In 2001, Tim and I were still newly married and took a trip to New York City to see the Christmas decorations. Rather than head to Rockefeller Center to see the tree, my sweet husband stood with me in the pouring rain in a line outside of a Barnes & Noble as I waited to get my hands on a copy of the latest Harry Potter book.

The plan was to get my copy and head back out for sightseeing but Tim took one look at my expression as I held it in my hands and he knew our evening would be spent holed up in our hotel as I plowed through the first few chapters.

I adore Harry Potter. I've lovingly held on to my first edition hardcover copies of each book and I cannot wait to share them with our girls. But that's not happening any time soon. The stories are far too intense and scary for our sensitive 7 & 4 year olds.

Knowing that The Wizarding World of Harry Potter was just right there in Orlando during our recent adults-only trip was just too much of a temptation. Our girls won't be ready to visit this park for several years so we pounced on the opportunity to visit it on our own without them.

How was it going to a Harry Potter theme park without the kids?
AMAZING.

Today I want to share with you why this is one of the most perfect experiences for an adults-only trip to Orlando. Our kids may never know what it was like to have to wait for each Harry Potter book to be released, but they will at least get to experience the anticipation of visiting this park. I can't wait to head back with them in tow!

P.S. You do not want to miss the AMAZING tips on how to save money during your trip with these great tips for visiting Universal Studios on a budget.

How to See the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in One Day, Adult Edition:

We spent one day with our friends Paul & Erica at Universal with a 2-park pass so that we could see all of the Harry Potter offerings at once.

We parked and entered at the Universal Studios Florida side so we could start our day on the Diagon Alley side of town. Since this area is relatively new, it still gets crowded pretty quickly so I recommend doing it first and then heading over to see the Hogwarts castle second.

Our speedy itinerary for one day's tour makes the most of the biggest highlights the parks offer:

1. Enter Diagon Alley and head straight to Gringotts
2. Ride Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts
3. Grab a butter beer and stroll around until the dragon welcomes visitors with her fancy "hello"
4. Head to Kings Cross Station and Platform 9 ¾
5. Take the Hogwarts Express over to Hogsmeade
6. Walk directly to Hogwarts castle
7. Ride Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
8. Visit Honeydukes while you wait for your stomach to settle from the ride!
9. Stroll Hogsmeade and then head back to the train station
10. Take Hogwarts Express back to Diagon Alley
11. Lunch at The Leaky Cauldron
12. Visit Ollivander's wand shop
13. More strolling and shopping, so many amazing details to see!!

I can't imagine a better first impression of the theme park than stepping foot into Diagon Alley for the first time. I was immediately struck by the significant amount of attention to detail they obviously put into creating this world. No sign, window, or brick was too small to have a magical touch. I was thankful for our plan because we could easily have gotten swept away in wandering the street and alleys. We headed straight towards the Gringotts Bank for our first ride:

The ride at Gringotts is deserving of a post all to itself. Let me say that it is worth however long of a wait you encounter. The special effects are jaw dropping and the queue has plenty to entertain you as you wander through the line. 

Funny discovery: When I'm scared, I giggle. As Tim put it--sometimes you just have to vent off the fear or risk exploding. Let it be known I giggled my way through the majority of the ride. 

After we stumbled our way out of the bank and onto the street, we needed a moment to collect ourselves. Our visit happened to be a 40 degree chilly day. Their famous Butterbeer was being sold in a seasonal hot version. It might possibly be the single most delicious thing I have ever tasted. Our entire crew agreed.

We strolled with our Butterbeers taking in the sights and then made our way back to Kings Cross Station and Platform 9 ¾. The Hogwarts Express is SO much more than a simple tram that transports you from one park to the other, it is a ride and experience all in itself.  

Don't Just Fly was given passes to experience the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in order to do this review. We bought our own Butterbeers. All opinions are our own.