Wizarding World of Harry Potter Theme Park Review

This was a very good review. I've been reading other ones that all say the same things. I found tihs helpful and it made me even more excited to go!!! Thank you!!!

First, we are passholders and live in Florida about 1 hour north. Universal (Unlike Disney, Busch Gardens, SeaWorld) DID NOT give the passholders or furthermore their OWN EMPLOYEES the opportunity of a “soft opening” that other parks provide their passholders and employees with. We are the visitors who come and stay and spend money at these parks more so than just annual or frequent visitors. This was a MAJOR slap in the face. Needless to say, we will NOT be renewing out passes for a family of 3 next year. A lot of passholders and families of employees who I met in line are very upset over this, so I know I'm not the only one. I do feel bad for visitors who did spend a fortune on tickets to wait in line for 6-8+ hours just to get into this area. Of course, if you spent tons of money on the overpriced hotel rooms on Universal's property you got priority which also angered many other people. As I mentioned prior why not, they are only here once and maybe just maybe they will come to visit again and waste all day long in a line.

My son (who is 7) and I got to the park at 7:45 a.m. We stood in a line with several thousands of people to get into the gates for 2 hours. The mornings aren't so bad in Florida and we had water with us at this time so we were okay, plus there was a slight breeze with helped to make the wait tolerable. Finally, we got through the gate at 9:45 a.m. (the park opens at 9 am btw and rides at 10 a.m.) By now we were down to 1 big bottle of water. When we got through the gates we were routed through the Marvel area instead of going to the right through Seuss Landing to the Harry Potter area, this out of the way journey was filled with misinformation from staff members so being management how told us we were 2 hours away and others told us it would take anyway from 4-6 hours!.
We were fortunate enough to make friends with people in the lines where we took turns holding places so we could get drinks and take bathroom breaks. Everyone was sweating so bad in the line as temperatures zoomed to 95+ degrees with a heat index of 105 degrees. At no time did cast members offer any viable information to their waiting patrons. Several out of state visitors actually were stating that they were going to request refunds as they were anger of how this entire event was handled. This was a public relations nightmare.

To wrap it up we got the park before 8 a.m. waited until 9:45 a.m. to get through the gates to Islands of Adventure, stood in line until 3:45 p.m. when we finally entered the Harry Potter area where lines for stores were an additional 1-2+ hours and rides lines were even longer! Was it worth it? Absolutely not! I could have spent much more of my day enjoying the park or spending a peaceful day at home than dealing with the aggravation of waiting for 8 hours to find out I'd have to wait longer for shops and rides. My son and I were so physically exhausted from the heat and waits and lack of food that we left the park.

Openings are obviously are public relations and marketing failure for Universal. Two words: POOR PLANNING. They did not obviously have enough crowd control and provided conflicting information to patrons. Universal should have provided they patrons with tickets as soon as you came through the gate for the rides in Harry Potter (similar to a fast pass) where as you could return at the area at a specific time to go on the rides, or for that fact, to enter the stores. This would have alleviated a lot of the congestion and extremely long waits. Do I think this park was over capacity? MOST DEFINITELY. My husband, who actually was with local law enforcement when I was at the park, all raised their eyebrows when I mentioned the amount of people there.

Well have fun dealing with the wait for Harry Potter even if you are a fanatical fan. It was a total nightmare and waste of time.

I totally agree! We were there opening week and our experience was exactly the same. I was so excited to go and then ran into this. My husband says he will never return. I thought everything looked beautiful and real but never we never got into any stores.
I did take a lot of pictures but that is all I got for my ticket price. Pretty expensive pictures. If you plan to go I would suggest you wait quite a while or go during the off season.

I agree with you. Not worth the long wait and will not renew passes….but why has nobody mentioned in any review that there is a size limit to the main ride? I am not talking height either. Large people cannot get on the ride. I have never been turned away from a ride due to my size before…..I waited 2 hours, got into the “car” and the attendant could not shut the harness. I was escorted off the ride and put in a holding room until my family was finished. I am not petite but I am not huge. The rest of my time there I looked at all the people who would not be allowed on the ride and felt bad for them as they spent A LOT of money to come to Universal. I am not a Potter fan. I went for my kids. I found out later that there are “test chairs” near the entrance to try out the fit. The place was so crowded, I did not see them. Shame on you Universal for not “warning” those of us who may not fit into your ride! Again, I feel bad for the real Potter fans who came all this way and were not able to see the star attraction. By the way, I fit into all of the other rides at Universal!

I didn't see the need to go so close to opening day. Most places are going to be jam packed around then. Plus, when you wait it gives everyone a chance to straighten out all of the bugs. The employees have some time to get their info right and to see what works and what doesn't. I just went and had an amazing time! The lines were well organized, and although they were long, they moved fast and had entertainment for you while you waited. Plus, most of the lines bring you inside in the air condition, offer shade, or provide fans.If you are not a Harry Potter fan, it may not be worth the wait, because you don't appreciate everything that is laid out for you. Even the bathroom has a fun twist that was unexpected. I have never been to Universal Studios before, but now I can't wait to go back! Harry Potter's world was visually stunning and I felt like I was in their world. I couldn't get the smile off my face. I had a truly amazing experience! I strongly encourage those who had a negative experience to return when it is the off season so that you can experience the magic of the place, not line after line.

I went on the third day it was opened to the pblic. It was an amazing experiance, and yes the owl post and Dervish and Banges was extremely frustrating. Packed wall to wall with people. Somehow me and my family made it through without loosing each other. Very high costs on everything, we spent $50 on Butterbeer alon and another $130 on wands. The ride was so extremely amazing! It was a mix from all movies including of screens and real props Even th line itself was xtraordinary, SPOILER: with talking pictures to the talking, sorting house hat, it was an expreiance like no other. I managed to ride the ride 4 times ( and keeping count) I loved this theme ark, 5 stars!

We are visiting Fort Myers and looking to extend our trip by 1 day to check out the Harry Potter theme park as a surprise for our 8 year old son. Do you think it’s worth it to go to Orlando just to visit the Harry Potter theme park or should we wait until another time when we can be at Universal for more than a day? Also, how much time would an 8 year old (who really enjoys Harry Potter) need to go through the whole Harry Potter theme park?

I went to Orlando at the beginning of November and the parks were still pretty empty so I had a wonderful experience both at Disney and at Universal. However, be warned that we are now closer to December and things change…

Being a Harry Potter fan (I’ve been a fan since I was fifteen, I am now twenty-eight), I was dying to go to this park. But, of course, I used my brain and decided to go after the hysteria was over (many of you people whining about bad experiences should have thought about that). I do not regret it. The line for Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey was 20 minutes long and since I’m pregnant and couldn’t ride I just enjoyed the castle (if you can’t ride, tell a cast member and they’ll show you through another line, which is to see the castle only). The line for the Ollivander show was 30 minutes long, though it took shorter (about 15). My family and I went into every store and took pictures everywhere, enjoyed Butterbeer and Pumpkin Juice and saw the little shows going on throughout the island. The cast members were ALWAYS in character which was hilarious! Especially when my husband asked to see Voldemort’s wand and the girls both gasped and shivered and told us: “I guess Muggles can say his name… but we call him ‘He Who Must Not Be Named’” LOL!

It was a very pleasurable, and incredibly relaxing experience. To see the area fully and experience it completely it would take you maybe three to four hours for a hardcore fan on a good day (like the day I experienced, which, if you have a choice, should be Wednesday). You can use the rest of the day to enjoy the rest of the park. Would I recommend going to Orlando ONLY to enter this park? Hmm… if you are going on a weekend then no. It will be too full. If you are going during the week, and not on Holiday then yes.

Planning to go to Harry Potter in May.

If you’ve seen all the movies, probably not. Most of the ride comes from the movies, just be prepared to be close to the show elements that were intended to be scary in the movies.

haha fatty.

I was disappointed by the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The place had an amazing Castle built on a rock but we were only allowed on the ride and not allowed go inside into the Grand Hall. The three rides would only accommodate medium sized people and many guests were turned away because the seats would not close. Inside the Castle is was very dark and there was nothing magical to look at. The shops were tiny and we had to cue for over an hour outside one shop before being allowed inside to buy a plastic wand! We ate at the three broomsticks, once inside we have to wait in another line for 20 mins before ordering food, were no shows, no characters. The express train was just a stationary replica and you can’t go inside.
I agree with another report, Save your money and go to Disney World. Disney knows how to treat people and provide a great all around experience. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is a massive disappointment, it’s a shame this park isn’t part of Disney…they would have done it right.

Peter

Meany………….

Oh my gosh. let me just sum everything up.

1. you have to go on the forbidden journey ride. Even though I am 10, I still loved it.

2. Get the butterbeer. even if there is a long line for it, still try to get some.

3. even though the shops are a little tiny, you kinda have to stop into honeyduke’s and zonko’s.

4. Try all the other rides at Islands of Adventure. And if the stores at potter are too small for you, but you still want to buy somthing, you can stop by the gift shop at the port of entry, or even at the Orlando airport!

even though it is about 3 times smaller than they could have made it,
IT IS FREAKING AWESOME

My boyfriend and I (both 40+ yrs old Potter fans) traveled from SC to FL to visit my parents near Canaveral over the Memorial Day weekend 2011. The only attraction/park that we wanted to visit is Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studio’s Islands of Adventure. We had originally planned to go on Friday, but got carried away shopping for sensible shoes and further hindered by the typical area thunderstorm – so we went on Saturday. We arrived at the parking garage about half an hour after opening and as we trekked toward the park on foot, decided that we would head straight to the Wizarding World for an early start. As budget conscious visitors to such other theme parks, I expected – large crowds, long lines, overpriced mediocre food, a vast array of pricey novelties and souvenirs, some rude and inconsiderate patrons and a spectacular tour of the “Wizarding World of Harry Potter”!!! As we arrived at the entrance gate I couldn’t see the pavement because of the throngs of people. Our strategy was to visit the rides first and then explore the village. We started with Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. The digital sign at the start of the line indicated a 75min estimated wait time. It was hot…we were appropriately dressed and with the line touring throughout the ”grounds” of Hogwarts, it scarcely felt like 45min had passed. My only disappointment here was that the large crowd was so noisy that I couldn’t hear all of the audio performance throughout the exhibit. Next up was a 45min line for Flight of the Hippogriff. Again, the line seemed to move rather quickly despite some patrons stopping for photographs along the way. IMO, this small roller coaster is best suited to adolescents. It is listed as a family ride in the guide, however, at 5’10 and 145lbs, I was jostled and tossed around and picked up a few bruises on this ride. Next up, the Dragon Challenge. I quickly remembered this coaster from the previous exhibit. The line here was a quick 25min as we chose the “red” line. A few unsupervised young teens were a bit annoying, but it was still an enjoyable and exhilarating ride. Now headed back through Hogsmeade to explore the streets and shops. There were bustling crowds of people everywhere many of whom pushed through without regard to common courtesy or consideration of others and it appeared as though many more than a few parents seemed to think that for the price of admission they were relieved of their parental responsibilities to teach and enforce good manners, acceptable behavior and respect for property. That said, I must acknowledge that I did notice a few stark exceptions of parents bringing up good citizens! The shoppes and stands were awesome - lots of attention to detail around every corner and quality merchandise available although, as expected, overpriced for me. Now, just in time for lunch, we arrived at the Three Broomsticks! The menu appealed to us, and despite the apparent crowd we managed to reach the counter within about 10min to pick up our meals including one souvenir Butter beer cup for ~$30. We enjoyed our lunch and headed back out to wander the village taking a few more photos before buying a Pumpkin juice and heading over to the next island. Also worth noting is that I never had to wait in line for the restrooms throughout the day. Lastly, I’d agree that the staff that I did encounter did not present themselves as part of the experience despite the costume/uniform/props that they had. That wasn’t a really big deal to me, but I could see where that would be a big part of the experience for a child. One employee in particular at the Three Broomsticks, was not able to answer common routine questions from patrons such as the location of the nearest restroom, where to get more condiments and drink refills or does the menu change for dinner. I really loved this new area of Islands of Adventure. My visit would have been even better if only people were kinder and more considerate of those around them.

LOSE not LOOSE

You really think Disney is any cheaper? Their day tickets are about as much as one universal year ticket! Don’t ruin kids’ fun with the park.

I am going to the Harry Potter Island in a week time!  I am SOOOO excited!  Last night I couldn’t sleep; I started googling it and now I know nearly everything I need to know!  I have one question, however.  You know how Ollivander chooses this person to get chosen by a wand?  Well, can you buy the wands he uses to choose, or only the character wands?  Thanks anyways!

hi, thanks for the review. im really excited after reading it. heading to HP theme park in 4wks time, cant wait. thanks. willow in eire.

That’s really up to you. It may only be three rides in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter park, but it’s part of a much larger Islands of Adventure park with LOTS of very fun rides.

It’s great to see a blog of this quality. I learned a lot of new things and I’m looking forward to see more like this. Thank you.

Cute review,sounds like my 11 year old will love it! This is a opinion I can trust.