Hogsmead

We've made a few visits to Universal Studios Hollywood in the past few months to visit Hogwarts and Hogsmead. Here are some notes for anyone wanting to visit...

The first thing the kids wanted to do was visit Ollivander's wand choosing ceremony. So we got there first thing, waited 30 minutes, and were ushered into a tiny room with some cool effects where a wand choose someone from another family. They haven't wanted to do that again and I'm grateful. It was cool to see once, but I don't think seeing it again is worth the wait. We've seen wait times of up to 90 minutes during our visits.

After the wand choosing ceremony, you (surprise) exit through the wand store. They have character wands and wooden wands. Some of them are interactive (with a gold label on them) and will create animations in some of the windows around town (look for bronze medallions in the street, you'll also get a map with the wand). My kids each picked on out and have brought it back for each of our trips. They're expensive, but the kids really love them. I have heard that you need to be careful not to scratch the tip or it'll stop working.

 

If you are able to skip the wand choosing ceremony, but would still like to purchase a wand, you have several option. The first is to simply go into Ollivander's. Sometimes there's a line just to get in the store, but they have the most information on each of the wands. Next is a wand cart at the back of Wizarding World, between the two rides. I've also seen them in the Harry Potter store on the lower lot and in the big store, in the Harry Potter section near the park's entrance.

Looking back, it would have been a better idea to visit Ollivander's, find the wands they wanted, ridden the rides (where you can't take anything on), and then purchased the wands at the cart show in the picture above. When you buy the wand it comes in a box and a handle bag. Beautiful presentation, but cumbersome to carry on rides.

Next on the list was butterbeer.

Butterbeer comes in cold and frozen. It also comes in a regular cup and in a souvenir stein. Cold and frozen are approximately the same price- $5. Our family is split down the middle with preference. The girls prefer cold, the boys prefer frozen. There are two places to buy this wizarding drink- near the front of Wizarding World and near the Three Broomsticks. Take a peek at both of them if lines are long at the first one you visit. Sometimes one has a long line, but the other one has no line at all.

While you're there, visit the bathroom. Tell Myrtle I said hello.