Harry Potter at Universal?
 

Has anyone been to Harry Potter World yet? Does anyone have any tips?

I'd love to go and stay on site for a night to avoid the lines but wow, the hotel rates...

I have been twice - it is wonderful! If you are a Potter fan, you will love the details, shops and the main ride. Pony up for the on-site hotel. It will be worth it. Come for Halloween Horror Nights and get more bang for the buck!

LOL, I'm more the type for Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party!

Maybe for fall break....

So glad you started this thread! I want to see that exhibit soooooooooooooo badly. I heard that the five-hour line wait is brutal, though ... but once you get inside, it's well worth it. That was the only problem I had with the most popular Disney World attractions ... the long line waits. I'm doing the Fast Pass next time.

Fast pass is soooo worth it.

Also sooo excited for Harry Potter. I want to go so badly. A friend of mine went in August and I seriously am obsessed with how on-target the pictures look. I think they really did a good job at making is as realistic as possible. Also, they legit have chocolate frogs and butterbeer!

I'm going to Disney World with family later this fall and was hoping to sneak away to Universal for a day to check out the Harry Potter World...but FIVE HOURS? Is that to get into the whole facility or just the special ride? Is there reason to think that summer vacation is part of the problem, and it won't be that bad by November?

I like Harry Potter a whole lot, but maybe not that much.
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When we went to Orlando in mid-July, the lines were 6-7 hours. THAT'S THE ENTIRE DAY! We ended up skipping Universal.

We prefer Mickey anyways. :)

I have no desire to go to any Florida theme park.... original universal, disney, busch gardens, etc....


Except for HP World. I want to go SOOOOO STINKIN BADLY! I WANT TO BE SORTED INTO RAVENCLAW! I WANT MY OWN WAND! I WANT TO RIDE A BROOM! I WANT A PICTURE OF MY FAT ASS ON A BROOM!

I wanna goooooooooooo! :(

I know someone who went and she said a) The Chocolate Frogs were about $10 each but they're HUGE and you get a card and b) Everything sells out quickly. She bought my friend a sweatshirt and I'm soooooo jealous of it. It's amazing, Hogwarts crest on the back and urrythang.

*pout*

went two weekends ago and stayed at a doubletree one block from universal that is a "preferred" partner with universal, so got to enter early. i would advise staying in a hotel with this deal, because we had little wait on the hogwarts castle ride(the harry potter experience), which was the best ride i have ever been on. by the time regular admission folks made it to the back of the park,where wizarding world is located, we had seen everything we wanted to see, husband, son and friends had quaffed a few butterbeers-they said they are delicious!-and we left. everything looks very authentic-even the snowy caps on the roof, in central florida, no less!

we were disappointed that there was not more, what there was was small and even with early admission it was crowded. if you have small children, definately stand in the olievander(sp) wand shop line-my son and his buddies stood in the line so they could see the wand ceremony, and these fellows(21 year olds) said that it was pretty amazing to see. one lucky child is selected to participate in the wand ceremony per x amount of people allowed into the shop at one time. as my son said,"after the kids goes thru the ceremony and the wand "selects" him/her , there is no way the parent is not going to fork over the $40 for that wand. i did see the wands of two kids who were accompanied by their grandparents and they were very nicely done and came in a commemorative box.

they sell robes, sweaters with crests on them, mugs, etc. and tons of candy in the candy shop. but again, it was very hard to navigate, due to the crowd, even that early in the morning.

another tip-there is an alleyway beside the restrooms. follow the alley way to a really nice patio behind the three broomsticks and while all the folks are waiting in line at the front , you can waltz in, get your butterbeer and savor it on the patio. unfortunately, there is no diet coke-or any other carbonated beverages in hogsmeade.

We asked why there were no Coke products in Wizarding World of Harry Potter and the Universal employee told us J.K. Rowling would not allow them to be sold. That is what she told us. You can walk over to another area of Islands of Adventure and get Coke products.

Harry Potter is a pretty cool ride. I spent my summer in Orlando, worked at Sea World, so we got into Universal for free. We only waited an hour for the attraction but we did go later at night probably around 7 and it was the only thing we did in Universal that night. Like I said we got in for free so it was worth it. I know when we went they weren't selling an express pass for HP, they hadn't opened it yet; not quite sure when they were going to open it but it seems like the lady told us it would atleast be a year.

I'm not a HP fan, just never read the books or really saw the movies, but I did thourghly enjoy the ride and part of the park as a whole. Enjoy your trip!

there was no express pass to wizarding world. the only way to get in early is to stay in one of the universal hotels or one of their "preferred" hotels. maybe that will change.

<--- Really wants a sweater with the Slytherin Coat of Arms on it (now that I've come to terms with the fact that I would be a Slytherin, and that doesn't make me a bad person LOL).

well, hurry down to orlando and get yourself one!!