Universal Orlando Diagon Alley

The last time my husband and I visited Universal Orlando, we didn’t have kids – we were the kids!  There was only one park and Harry Potter didn’t exist!  Look at how much has changed in 20 years!  This time we returned with 8 and 10 year old Harry Potter fans and roller coaster enthusiasts.  Having brought our family to Disney World and Disneyland for a combined total of over 10 times, we considered ourselves to be theme park experts.  We didn’t realize we would be starting over!  Here, I share our top tips for visiting this theme park giant:

• Stay on-site.  This is key for three reasons:

Universal Orlando Hard Rock Hotel

Proximity.  You really can’t beat how close you are to the parks.  If you aren’t at one of the hotels within easy walking distance, water taxis will provide transportation every 15 minutes to the parks.  Our pick: The Hard Rock Hotel.  It is the closest hotel to the parks and is perfect for families with older kids and has a rockin’ waterslide.  You can walk to Universal Studios Orlando in 5 minutes and Island of Adventure in just over 10 minutes.  If you are looking for something a bit quieter and more adult, try the Portofino Bay hotel.  It’s a bit further, but you can take a beautiful complimentary shuttle boat to the parks and I highly recommend the club level here!

Early Entry.  Depending on the time year, you will either gain early entry into Islands of Adventure or Universal Studios Orlando.  This is important because this is the best time to experience either Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade, depending on the park.  These lines can get long and it is nice to be able to get there before the rest of the park!

Unlimited Express Pass.  If you stay at Portofino, Royal Pacific, or The Hard Rock Hotel, every person staying in the room will receive an express pass.  An express pass is like having a VIP line for every ride.  This works on almost every ride with a few exceptions.  Yes, it is a luxury, but after having experienced practically walking on to every ride, I am not sure I can go back! For you Disney fans, it is different from a Fastpass because you don’t need to make a reservation and it is unlimited!  You can actually purchase an express pass separately, but if you price out staying off-site and adding an express pass, you will find it is more cost effective to stay on-site.  In addition, ONE night at the hotel will get you TWO days of express pass: the day you arrive AND the day you leave!

• Get a Park-to-Park Pass.  Two words: Hogwarts Express.  You can’t ride it without a park-to-park pass and it is a ride not to miss.  Ironically, the Hogwarts Express doesn’t take the Express Pass.
• Get the 3-day Pass.  You only need two days to see the two parks, but the 3-day Park-to-Park pass is just a mere $10 more.  It was nice to have an extra morning before we left to re-ride all our favorites.
• Study up.  It helped to print out a map before we went to get an idea how everything was layed out before we went.  You can find printable maps here.  Also be sure and check out our guide of our favorite rides and restaurants.  It also helps to know the backstory to Harry Potter.  I recommend that with limited time, you could bone up on most things Harry Potter with the first three books/movies.
  

  Universal Orlando Diagon Alley

• Budget for the interactive wands.  An authentic Harry Potter wand will run you $39.95, while an interactive wand will set you back $47.95.  I think my kids might tell you it was their favorite part of Universal!  You can find interactive wand stations marked with medallions on the ground all over both Harry Potter lands.  You complete the specified wand wave with the magic words and you are rewarded with MAGIC!

I am also a Travel Agent and my services are free, so feel free to contact me to book your trip yb*******@gm***.com.