We hope you have already checked out the first part of our look at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter! If you haven’t, head to Our Guide to Diagon Alley at Universal Studios first, as we continue exploring this spectacular multi-park experience!

If you have come directly from Diagon Alley, taking the Hogwarts Express, to arrive in the snow-capped magical village of Hogsmeade at the foot of the towering Hogwarts Castle, or just roamed in from the surrounding Islands of Adventure areas, there are plenty of exciting places to visit here!

Wizarding World Rides

Hogsmeade is blessed with the major rides found in Universal’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Despite varying in thrill, they are all suitable for the family to ride and have the time of their lives on! These attractions can get very popular, so make sure you check the wait times regularly:

In Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey you’ll walk through the wrought iron gates as you begin your trip up to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Navigate the tunnels, passing the talking portraits, head through Dumbledore’s Office and past the Sorting Hat before you board this simulator ride. Once strapped in, Muggles join Harry and his friends as they soar above Hogwarts on their ‘enchanted bench’, through the Forbidden Forest and an ongoing quidditch match as they guide you around the grounds on their broomsticks!

The newest ride in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure – and this has been amazing guests since it opened to massive queues! Mount the enchanted motorbike and sidecar, owned by half-giant Hagrid, as you zoom through buildings and areas from the grounds of Hogwarts recreated from the films. Along the twists and turns on this roller coaster you’ll encounter Blast-Ended Skrewts, Fluffy the three-headed dog and Arthur Weasley’s crashed flying Ford Anglia, before you soar into the sky, only to come down and start going backwards! After more twists and turns you’ll have to stay very still as you hit the Devil’s Snare. Once out, you’ll be fired towards the finish with some help from another Blast-Ended Skrewt – when you see the unicorn and its baby, breathe a sigh of relief, you’ll be safe!

After walking through the pumpkin patch and past Hagrid’s cabin, you’ll board the two-person cars for the kid-friendly roller coaster, Flight of the Hippogriff! Although aimed at the younger ones, it is a hit with Harry Potter fans and roller coaster lovers of all ages! Once in the wicker-look car, you’ll pass a bowing hippogriff as you begin to climb; when near the top you’ll have an amazing view of Hogwarts before you plunge down into the wizarding school’s grounds, as you wind and meander on the back of your airbound guide.

Wizarding World shops

After you have experienced the rides, take time to walk the streets of Hogsmeade, where you will find a range of shops selling all manner of magical paraphernalia. Dervish and Banges caters to all of your wizarding whims, selling quidditch gear, including speedy broomsticks like the Nimbus Two Thousand, along with Hogwarts clothing. You can also pick up some stationery and journals here – plus see if you can spot the caged The Monster Book of Monsters – which growls, bares its teeth and charges at unwary passers by!

Argus Filch has been busy confiscating all manner of treasures from the pupils at Hogwarts – head to Filch’s Emporium of Confiscated Goods to browse through a collection of T-shirts, caps, Death Eater masks and even plush magical creature toys! If you are a fan of owls, then the Owl Post is the place for you. Peruse a range of owl-related gifts and toys, and pick up some stationery to send letters and postcards. If you take your mail to the Owl Post you can get a special Hogsmeade postmark put on it for free, and can even send your post from here! While you are at the Owl Post, take a look at the snow-covered building next door which holds a kiosk selling supplies, where you will see a whole host of owls waiting in the rafters, ready to dispatch the latest mail!

Potter fans will know that Ollivanders is located in Diagon Alley, but here at Hogsmeade is a second store, catering to all your spell-casting needs! As with the store in Diagon Alley, here you can be a part of a wand-choosing ceremony! Pick out your perfect wand, including an interactive version which allows you to cast spells around Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley – check out our previous Wizarding World blog for more information! As this store is smaller than the one on Diagon Alley, prepare for longer queues, or check out the other branch in Universal Studios, if you have a park-hopper ticket!

Another special touch that will delight fans of the stories is surprisingly found at the Hogsmeade toilets! When in either the male or female loos, listen out for the voice of Moaning Myrtle, who appears to have left the castle bathrooms, to haunt visitors to Hogsmeade!

Food and drink in the Wizarding World

As you roam the streets, be sure to stop by the legendary sweet shop, Honeydukes, and treat yourself to some delicious treats, including Chocolate Frogs – complete with famous witch and wizard cards, Fizzing Whizzbees and even Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans!

If you are looking for something a little more substantial to eat, pay a visit to the local tavern, Three Broomsticks – a popular haunt for Hogwarts students – and the place where Harry Potter first sampled the delights of Butterbeer! Here you can enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner, choosing from a selection of quintessentially British fare, including a traditional English breakfast, fish and chips, shepherd’s pie and more. For dessert, why not treat yourself to a yummy Butterbeer ice cream?

If it’s just a quick drink you’re after, at the back of the Three Broomsticks is the Hog’s Head pub! Here you can choose from a range of non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks, including Butterbeer, Pumpkin Juice and the pub’s exclusive Hog’s Head Brew! Don’t forget to bring ID with you if you want an alcoholic drink. While at the bar, take a careful look at the stuffed Hog’s Head – if you are lucky you’ll even see him move!

Wizarding World Shows

Take in a performance from the Frog Choir, a group of Hogwarts students from each of the school’s houses, who sing accompanied by magical giant frogs! Whether you are a Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, or Durmstrang school supporter, cheer on the performers at the Triwizard Spirit Rally, as the students prepare for the Triwizard Tournament, which was at the heart of the novel Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

If you are at Hogsmeade during the evening, you are in for a treat! The Nighttime Lights at Hogswart Castle is the perfect way to end your visit to the Wizarding World, as on select evenings, a spectacular light and music show takes place on the castle backdrop. Watch on as laser-mapping projections flit across the school, wrapping the emblems of the four houses, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin to narration from the Sorting Hat, and amidst the cheers of the watching crowds!

Making its debut this autumn and running on select nights until 15th November 2019 (perfectly timed for Halloween!) is the evening light show Dark Arts at Hogwarts Castle. Prepare for a whole host of villains and otherworldly creatures to appear on the walls of Hogwarts; watch on as Dementors, Death Eaters and even giant spiders swarm across the castle, before He Who Must Not Be Named, Lord Voldemort himself, makes an appearance. Have no fear though – a powerful charm is sure to see him off and keep Hogwarts safe!

Talking of seasonal shows and displays, the most magical time of the year is not forgotten in Hogsmeade either! With events happening all around the area between 16th November 2019 and 5th January 2020, visitors to Orlando during Christmas will want to pay a visit to Universal’s Islands of Adventure to soak up the atmosphere! The Frog Chorus belt out a series of seasonal songs, such as The Most Magical Yule Ball of Them All and I Cast a Spell On Father Christmas, in addition to the Muggle classic, We Wish You a Merry Christmas! The Three Broomsticks pub updates its menu to typical fare you’d see around the Christmas dinner table back in Blighty, minus the family arguments! At the end of your festive visit to Hogsmeade, what better way to round off the day than a lights display, projected onto a snow-capped Hogwarts whilst listening to a sweeping musical score? By the time the fireworks explode into the night sky, you’ll be dreaming of your own family Christmas back home!

A visit to Hogsmeade is set to make all of your Harry Potter dreams come true! From exploring the streets and locations that fans of the stories are familiar with, to the thrilling rides and attractions, there is something for wizards, witches and Muggles alike to enjoy!

As a whole, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, across both Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure, is an enchanting recreation of the fantasy universe created by JK Rowling, and realised in the films that followed. Make time to explore all that this world has to offer, and cast your own magic spell over your next Florida holiday!

Universal Orlando Park tickets

With all of this on offer at just at one part of both Universal Studios and Universal’s Islands of Adventure, there is more than enough fun to fill a few days of your time in Orlando. So what about tickets to the parks? Here at Debbie’s Villas we offer a range of attraction ticket packages which are designed to suit everyone! For access to the Universal Resort you could go for:

• Orlando Freedom Ticket – This is a great-value catch-all for the big theme parks in the area, including all of the Disney parks (Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach), all of Universal’s attractions (Universal Studios, Universal’s Islands of Adventure and Volcano Bay), in addition to the parks in SeaWorld’s family (SeaWorld, Aquatica and Busch Gardens).
• Orlando Flexiticket – This is essentially as above, but without any of the Disney parks.
• Disney & Universal Combo with Volcano Bay – This is similar to the Orlando Freedom Ticket, but without the SeaWorld parks.
• Universal 2 Park Explorer Ticket – This only includes Universal Studios and Universal’s Islands of Adventure.
• Universal 3 Park Explorer Ticket – The same as the 2 park ticket, but with Volcano Bay included.

For more information on the above and more, please see the attraction tickets page on our website.

Have you been to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter? What did you think? Did you spot any of the area’s ‘Easter eggs’? Use the usual social media channels to get in touch, share your best tips and photos, or just to brag! We’d love to hear from you!