The Most Magical Experiences at Universal Orlando’s Wizarding World

For Harry Potter fans, Universal Orlando Resort isn’t just a theme park destination — it’s a chance to step directly into the Wizarding World.

In this episode of All Things Travel, Ryan and Julie explore all three Harry Potter lands across Universal Orlando Resort, including Hogsmeade at Islands of Adventure, Diagon Alley at Universal Studios Florida, and the newest addition at Epic Universe: the Ministry of Magic inspired by Fantastic Beasts.

They share their personal experiences walking through the hidden brick entrance into Diagon Alley, riding the Hogwarts Express between parks, and stepping inside some of the most immersive themed environments ever created. Along the way, they discuss:

•  What makes each Harry Potter land unique 
•  The must-do attractions for fans and first-time visitors 
•  Why the Hogwarts Express is worth the park-to-park ticket 
•  Tips for navigating the parks as a Harry Potter fan 
•  Favorite food and drink experiences (yes… including Butterbeer) 
•  Interactive wand experiences and hidden details throughout the parks 
•  How Epic Universe takes immersion to a whole new level 

Whether you’re a lifelong Harry Potter reader, someone who grew up with the movies, or a parent planning a future family trip, this episode breaks down what makes Universal Orlando such a special destination for Wizarding World fans of all ages.

If you’ve ever dreamed of strolling through Hogsmeade, escaping from Gringotts, or stepping into the Ministry of Magic, this episode is for you.

To learn more about planning your own Universal Orlando vacation or other unforgettable travel experiences, visit Wonder & Beyond Travel at:
 Wonder & Beyond Travel

Transcript

Ryan 0:00

Hello and welcome to all things Travel Attention, all Muggles Universal Orlando Resort is the destination for all things wizarding world. Today we'll discuss the attractions, the food, the entertainment, and of course, the magical experiences At all three Parks Akio podcast.

Julie 0:20

Listen in with travel advisors, Ryan and Julie. He's your travel professor teaching you everything you need to know to have a magical vacation. And I am a Disney loving Maryland mom of three and a specialist in family travel. And together we are the co-owners of Wonder and Beyond Travel. Whether we're discussing incredible destinations, top vacation tips, or sharing personal stories, it's always all things travel.

Ryan 0:47

thinking about Harry Potter and when the movies and the books came out. guess you are younger enough than me that it probably hit you different than me. I mean, I really, to be honest, my first, connection with Harry Potter was, I was in a grad school class about play and child development, and our assignment was to either watch the movie read the book and that's when it hit me.

Julie 1:15

Wow.

Ryan 1:15

you found it at a different time in your life.

Julie 1:20

that first book released in 1997 and I was eight or nine.

Ryan 1:28

And just to let you know, I was not in grad school at that

Julie 1:31

yeah, sure. Mm-hmm.

Ryan 1:33

even though I was older than you.

Julie 1:35

Okay. I distinctly remember when these books came out, when we would find out that the next one was coming and then you'd count down and you'd go to the bookstore and get them. So I was very into Harry Potter. I read all the books, I read them multiple times. At this point, Steven, his parents actually owned a bookstore at the time that these books were released. So he had, first access to all of them as well. It's going to come full circle soon. We're getting ready. we're thinking about when we can start reading the books to the kids, because now we still have a full set of the books. We had two full sets. We got rid of one, and now they make, the illustrated versions of the books, which is really cool to share with the kids. So the kids are not there yet, but we really love Harry Potter.

Ryan 2:22

Yeah, for my family, it translated definitely into the parks and the experiences that we're gonna talk about today, because it, with my kids, especially my daughter reading the books and, watching the movies. And I remember even having a Harry Potter themed birthday party. I mean the parks,

Julie 2:40

awesome.

Ryan 2:41

to the parks and walking into Diagon Alley for the first time was a. thing. So I'm so excited to talk about all this So Julie, just give us a high overview here of the three different parks and what they offer to Harry Potter fans at Universal Orlando Resort.

Julie 2:59

Yeah, so the original, Wizarding world of Harry Potter was in Universal's Islands of Adventure and that was Hogs Mead and it featured Hogwarts Castle. And a lot of times when clients, and guests say they wanna go to the Harry Potter world, that's what they're envisioning.'cause that's where the big castle is. you can take pictures next to the train, the platform in nine and three quarters is there. That's kind of the iconic. original Harry Potter World,

Ryan 3:26

Sure.

Julie 3:26

a co.

Ryan 3:27

Then Universal Hollywood also has that

Julie 3:30

Yes. Yes.

Ryan 3:32

world.

Julie 3:33

Then the next iteration of it was over at Universal Studios, which was with Diagon Alley. And this is a much, I think, a much smaller space than what's at Islands of Adventure. a lot of times if you only have one day, I'm gonna say islands of adventure, but I do love the add-on of Diagon Alley. I definitely think it's worth the park to park pass, and we'll talk about that later.

Ryan 3:58

I would say that it is much more immersive, than hogs. Meat is. Hogs meat is basically a section that you Walk through where Diagon Alley is really an area in and of itself.

Julie 4:11

True.

Ryan 4:11

we ratchet things up with the immersion even more last summer with Epic Universe. What do we have there, Julie?

Julie 4:18

Yeah. So Epic Universe really showcases Paris, and it's the Ministry of Magic area from Fantastic Beasts, Like an extension of the Harry Potter series. it's not within those seven books. it's a separate series, but, you know, similar characters and it follows the storyline in the cannon.

Ryan 4:40

Yeah, and I will tell you, if you're looking for immersion, going into the wizarding world, Paris of the 1920s, and just seeing all that stylized. clothing and signage, and then going through the process of using flue powder to get to the Ministry of Magic in London. It's just such a cool experience. I geek out about it every time. So let's break down these three I have been to all three parks. You have been to Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios. So let's kind of talk about our experiences here. So let's first talk about Diagon Alley, which is in Universal Studios. So I remember going to Diagon Alley and the bricks are kind of, hidden. so you don't necessarily see where you're going. And I remember distinctly Julie looking at the entrance to the underground and there was the front of a record store that I had actually seen in London in that same area.

Julie 5:51

Oh, so cool.

Ryan 5:52

So it's like, you know, they take that immersion to a

Julie 5:55

Yeah,

Ryan 5:57

different level and then you're

Julie 5:59

I.

Ryan 5:59

through the bricks, and the bricks kind of move around and you're there in Dogon Alley. And if you are a Harry Potter fan, boom, that hits you right away, doesn't it?

Julie 6:08

that is really cool. I think I entered gon alley from the other way from the train, so I didn't really see that part.

Ryan 6:17

Okay, let's talk about what is in Dagon Alley. first of all, why do most people go to Dagon Alley? experience are they looking for?

Julie 6:26

The escape from Gringotts.

Ryan 6:29

So you're walking through the halls of Gringotts, and then you're entering the sub-level The attraction is actually going through the vaults. it highlights sections of the book. you're meeting characters from the movie, both good and bad. It is an amazing attraction, isn't it?

Julie 6:48

It is really immersive and it was quite more of a thrill ride than I anticipated.

Ryan 6:54

Absolutely. But you know, it's not one of those, it's a little easier on the senses. the winter a roller coaster

Julie 7:02

Yeah, for sure. Okay.

Ryan 7:04

got Aand there, so you can get your wand and. You gotta get your wand because throughout all three areas of the Harry Potter Wizarding world, you can make spells happen. I do know from going to Epic universe this year that you can use your older wands, the older generation wands to

Julie 7:24

Oh, it's good to know.

Ryan 7:25

And in multiple trips, the batteries have still worked.

Julie 7:28

Mm-hmm.

Ryan 7:28

the batteries don't work, you just take it to a wine shop and they get it up and running for you. So. It's a really good investment for that Harry Potter lover. and even if you're not gonna get a wand, I would recommend going to the show, in the Aand and Diagon Alley. You have

Julie 7:44

that's really fun.

Ryan 7:46

yeah, you have a good eating experience here with the leaky cauldron, which again pulls straight out of the movie. You can get a good breakfast and lunch and dinner here. I would recommend doing one of those meals. When you're in Diagon Alley, you have NOC Turn Alley which is, the dark side of Harry Potter. And so you can visit a, dark arts focused shop there. you've got a great ice cream parlor with, Harry Potter flavors. You've got lots of shop opportunities when it comes to Diagon Alley. There's also several shows throughout the day. So if you're a Harry Potter lover, you're gonna spend some money and spend some time in Dagon Alley.

Julie 8:29

Yeah. And then there's also like a couple hidden things, kind of like what Ryan alluded to in the beginning. so there's also gonna be the night bus there, and that is a cool little, you know. Call back to the movies. You'll remember Harry Potter riding the Night Bus in the movies. You can go and you can go inside, you can talk to the conductor, you can take your photos there. You can also walk along like what is supposed to look like the London Waterfront, and you'll see 12 grim place from the movies and people will appear in the windows. You can see a couple different interactions and that's really, really fun too. It just is like that immersion factor that Ryan was talking about.

Ryan 9:11

I would say the cast members here do a really good job, in Epic. they take it up a whole other level. but they do a really good job of getting people excited about Harry Potter with some different character work and things like that. I just absolutely love it. Now, getting from Diagon Alley to Hogs Mead, you have a special opportunity here, but you have to buy what Julie?

Julie 9:37

You need to have a park to park ticket and this allows you to board the Hogwarts Express in Diagon Alley. You're gonna get on it at the King's Cross Station, and then when you get to Hogs Mead over in Islands of Adventure, you're gonna get off the train at Hugs Meet Station. universal was really brilliant when they designed these parks that you have to have a park to park ticket to experience this attraction. And if you're going to Universal Studios, there's only two real, rides. There's Escape from Gringotts and the Hogwarts Express. So to make the most of your time there, you really need that park to park ticket. But the Hogwarts Express is really, really fun. it is an actual ride. You are going from one place to the next, but it's like virtual, right, Ryan? It's like you're seeing scenes, that you would see on the train from the movies, and it's all virtual. It's very, very cool. It's very pretty, very decorated inside. A really fun experience to get from one park to the other.

Ryan 10:39

And I would recommend doing it both ways. And I would recommend if you are going there to see Harry Potter, it's not even a question. You,

Julie 10:47

Yeah.

Ryan 10:47

get the park to park to do this'cause it is part of the experience. So you get off the train station. Now if you don't wanna do Hogwarts, express to go back and forth, you certainly can go park to park because you know, at Universal that's very easy to do. So if you're out at City Walk, you can go in the other way. But if you get out at Hogs Mead Station, you're in a completely different section. And you're actually now in downtown Hogs Mead, adjacent to Hogwarts Castle. There you've got several different things. You've got Flight of the Hippogriff. Which is a family roller coaster. And then outside of the hogs meet area, you have Hagrid motorbike. and there's a really long title to that, but basically that's what it is. It is a fun roller coaster esque ride, isn't it?

Julie 11:35

I haven't ridden it yet, but I'll believe you.

Ryan 11:38

have not ridden it. Oh my gosh. It is a fantastic ride and it is now included in the express patch, which before it was not.

Julie 11:46

And it's also on early entry. Correct? If you have early entry for Universal. Yeah.

Ryan 11:52

So in fact, when it didn't used to

Julie 11:54

I.

Ryan 11:54

Express Pass, that was always the first stop. You would go and do that first before doing anything else. and then once you go into Hogsmeade proper, you're basically working down the street Again, lots of shop opportunities. eating here with both the three broomsticks and the hog's Head Tavern. I would recommend, if you wanna get the Harry Potter experience, you're going to eat both. You're gonna eat all three parks because all three parks have Harry Potter themed things. you can do another elevators here. it's a much smaller shop. It doesn't have the immersive experience like it does in Doug on Alley. then you can get your, candy at Honey Dukes, you can do your shopping, all that sort of stuff. And then we're getting to the Forbidden Journey and Hogwarts castle. And it is a fantastic ride. I will say for folks that struggle with, motion sickness, it's not a good one, Go ahead and go in with your party because you can in all of these rides, walk through the queue and then exit before the ride. in fact, at Epic Universe, we were able to do that. After we had rid the ride, just go through the queue again so we could see the Ministry of Magic. they're very happy to let you do that. and then there's also some small little shows that run throughout the day. You're absolutely gonna enjoy this area, aren't you, Julie?

Julie 13:20

Yeah, this is a really fun, and to me this feels like classic Harry Potter.

Ryan 13:25

And it's always decorated as if it's winter, so that's kind of fun, even though you're in your shorts and your t-shirt, and you're trying to drink as many frozen butter beers to stay nice and cool. So let's talk about Butterbeer for a second.

Julie 13:38

Okay.

Ryan 13:39

while we're here. place is gonna have an opportunity to have butter beer. The first time I went to Universal, it was actually really cold in January. You could see your breath. and so they actually had hot butter beer too, so you can get it regular, You can get it frozen or you can get it hot, and a lot of the places will have butterbeer candy, butter, beer, ice cream, et cetera. So. Don't worry, you're gonna be able to get butter beer every place. And for those of you that like alcoholic beverages, you can get Harry Potter versions of alcohol beverages at all three lands as well.

Julie 14:15

Yeah, that is a must do.

Ryan 14:18

Okay, Julie, so this third land in Epic universe I've been to, but you have not. Correct?

Julie 14:24

Yes, this is the newest one. This is the Ministry of Magic over at Epic Universe, and this is the one that is themed to, the Fantastic Beasts. In that movie series, which I kind of have a hard time following, so I should probably rewatch that series.

Ryan 14:41

Well, I will tell you it is those movies are themed so well, and my son Caleb, he actually was on the show to talk about this trip

Julie 14:50

Yeah.

Ryan 14:51

he and I went to Epic Universe and just had an amazing day. we spent the most time probably in the Ministry of Magic, because we wanted to eat everywhere. It was so good. at the Cafe Le de La Cyrene, which is more of a French inspired bistro, I believe we had breakfast here. there were several bars and we also ate at the La Goblet Noir, the Black Goblet, which was more of a German inspired, place We ate here. for dinner, I believe. But there's lots of places to get butter beer. There's places to get adult and kids beverages. And the one thing, that I love about all three of the parks, way they do quick service here is you can go up to the counter and order, or you can sit down. With your app and scan the QR code, order your meal directly there, and then they bring it to your table. That was really, really nice,

Julie 15:48

That's easy.

Ryan 15:48

able to pick our table and order directly there and all of the places in Universal. that we ate out on this trip. Did that, not just the Ministry of Magic. lots of interactive wand experiences here. So Caleb was able to use his old wand. I think he has Draco Malfoy wand, so he was able to bring that back from past trips, use the interactive experiences, and lots of opportunities, which is different than the other two really, you know, hogs, Mead, and Diagon Alley. Have very similar things, but France is completely different, which is lots and lots of fun. even brought back some, souvenirs from, the Metro Flu. Uh, there was a metro flu tile, like in the subway system in the movies, and I just thought that was really

Julie 16:37

That is cool.

Ryan 16:38

Two experiences here. The first is Lair Arc Canis, which if you remember from the Fantastic Beast Movie, it's the circus that's going on. You enter this small little tent and it just opens up to this giant theater. And some really, really cool things happen during the show, including a special guest that no one quite. expected. I'll just leave it at that. And then obviously the experience here is the battle for the ministry. So you enter the metro flu in France, you go through the flu powder, and all of a sudden you are in the

Julie 17:20

Oh, cool.

Ryan 17:21

ministry of magic, and it is as grand in person as it is on the movie. And you are working your way through the ministry of Magic. I would say the ride system almost feels like a tower of terror as far as what you're sitting

Julie 17:37

Huh?

Ryan 17:38

but then it also moves like the forbidden journey, but it doesn't have that herky jerky for folks that have more motion sickness. so it's really, really cool. It's a great ride. Caleb and I actually wrote it twice because they do have a single writer option

Julie 17:55

Oh, that's cool.

Ryan 17:56

and then the option to do it through the actual queue. So once you do the queue, you can speed it up a little bit if you want. theming, I, this is universal, really set the bar in my mind with theming when they did Diagon Alley. And then I think Epic Universe as a whole, takes that up a whole notch.

Julie 18:19

Yeah, this is like a, such an impressive, Experience for people who are fans of Harry Potter. It just, it has to be on your list. And I do also wanna mention that when you plan your universal trip, there is an option to do the Harry Potter exclusive package, which has a couple extra things included.

Ryan 18:39

Yeah.

Julie 18:41

at those quick service locations and the dining locations. It includes some photo opportunities. So if you're really into Harry Potter and this is the reason that you're going, I think that's a great option. I do wish that they would bring the theming into the resorts a little bit,

Ryan 18:58

I agree with that, definitely. But overall, as we're talking about this today. This is a pilgrimage trip for your Harry Potter fan of all ages, and you're gonna see people of all ages enjoying themselves,

Julie 19:10

right.

Ryan 19:11

I can't stress enough how awesome this is for the Harry Potter fans.

Julie 19:15

Yeah, I can't wait until our kids are older and we can take them to experience that. I feel like they've gotta be at least like, I dunno, six, seven, eight-ish. So I've got a couple years.

Ryan 19:27

That you do.

Julie 19:29

That I do. The world is full of wonder and your next great adventure is waiting at Wonder and Beyond Travel. We work with you to create a one of a kind journey, taking the stress off your plate so you can focus on the joy of exploring and the memories that will stay with you forever. If you're ready to start planning or just want to dream a little bigger, head over to Wonder and beyond travel.com. We'd love to help you get started.

Ryan 19:53

look forward to talking to you next week on all things Travel.