Harry Potter day, new to US, advice?

[Mobbane]

In the last year or so, my son, 8, has become a big Harry Potter fan. We are typically a yearly WDW family and have never been to Universal. This March my son and I will brave a new experience to soak up as much Harry Potter xp as we can.

Is it feasbile/fun to spend most if not all the day in the Harry Potter sections? If it's just the two of us, do we need an Express Pass? Any advice to maximize our Potter fun? We honestly don't care if we get to anything else in the parks.

 

[bchbetha]

Here's a really good 1 day HP touring suggestion:
https://orlandoinformer.com/universal/harry-potter-world-plan/

You need park to park tickets. Eat lunch at the Leaky Cauldron early (get there by 11:30). Snack through the day (butterbeer, ice cream, Honeyduke's...). The Hogshead Inn is a great place to relax with a Butterbeer! Dinner after the park closes so you maximize park time.

You don't need Express Passes, imo, as there aren't that many rides in HP. If you can easily afford them though, get the ones that are good for once/ ride vs unlimited. You won't have time to really get a lot of the unlimited version and it'll save you a decent bit of money.

Please don't rule out the rest of the parks! Many Disney lovers come on this board and hold their nose about seeing anything but Harry Potter but they are really missing out! There are so many other great parts to the parks! Jurassic Park, Men In Black, Minions, Marvel, Seuss (still enjoyable for an 8yo), Transformers (a character meet with the Transformers is so much fun!)...

 

[dolewhipdreams]

I know wands can seem a little expensive, but they really are so much fun. I recommend letting your son go through Ollivander's (see the show!) and buy one of the interactive wands. It comes with a map of all the areas in both parks where you can cast spells. I'm 26 and I love it, I can't imagine how much an 8 year old would enjoy it! Plus, it's a fantastic souvenir and you can use it on later trips!

 

[Mobbane]

I know wands can seem a little expensive, but they really are so much fun. I recommend letting your son go through Ollivander's (see the show!) and buy one of the interactive wands. It comes with a map of all the areas in both parks where you can cast spells. I'm 26 and I love it, I can't imagine how much an 8 year old would enjoy it! Plus, it's a fantastic souvenir and you can use it on later trips!

He's you tube savy and has already picked the wand for his souvenirs. We will be probably hitting most of the wand spots.

 

[Mobbane]

Here's a really good 1 day HP touring suggestion:
https://orlandoinformer.com/universal/harry-potter-world-plan/

You need park to park tickets. Eat lunch at the Leaky Cauldron early (get there by 11:30). Snack through the day (butterbeer, ice cream, Honeyduke's...). The Hogshead Inn is a great place to relax with a Butterbeer! Dinner after the park closes so you maximize park time.

You don't need Express Passes, imo, as there aren't that many rides in HP. If you can easily afford them though, get the ones that are good for once/ ride vs unlimited. You won't have time to really get a lot of the unlimited version and it'll save you a decent bit of money.

Please don't rule out the rest of the parks! Many Disney lovers come on this board and hold their nose about seeing anything but Harry Potter but they are really missing out! There are so many other great parts to the parks! Jurassic Park, Men In Black, Minions, Marvel, Seuss (still enjoyable for an 8yo), Transformers (a character meet with the Transformers is so much fun!)...

Not ruling out, just prioritizing HP above everything else, ie, willing to wait in line for HP ride, but not going to put the effort into others.

 

[Disxuni]

While it makes more sense to do DA, then go to Hogsmeade (since that's the path every young wizard takes), I prefer that if I plan to spend any time in Hogsmeade, I always do that first then head over to Diagon Alley, as Hogsmeade is more narrow and doesn't take long to feel congested. Where as Diagon Alley, has a lot more areas to escape to, you can go different directions, go to Knockturn Alley, and go into all the shops (most of Hogsmeade's are for show, there's only three actual shops).

However, if you stay on property and get EE, you kind of have no choice, but to do Diagon Alley first, as typically Universal opens for EE, not IoA. However, that's a good option too, as Diagon Alley is pretty amazing, especially for a first timer. It takes your breath away.

There's plenty of little things to see and do. A lot of little secrets have been published online. My favorite is feeling the bird within the cabinet in Borgin and Burkes. It's also the prop from the actual film.

 

[smiths02]

Check out this thread
https://www.disboards.com/threads/wizarding-world-touring-plans-and-details.3666427/