Get ready! A trip to the Universal Orlando Resort allows you to enter an immersive world of wizardry & magic! Here are some PPV tips to help you make the most of your day.
You’ll find two sections of The Wizarding World. One in Universal Studios and the other in Islands of Adventure. The two parks are connected by the Hogwarts Express, which you can only ride if you have a park-to-park ticket. PPV TIP: Ride the train BOTH ways. What you will see is different each direction, making it advisable to ride twice, even if you don’t have to. Pay close attention as you watch guests ahead of you walk through the wall at Platform 9 ¾ in King’s Cross Station. You may just see a bit of MAGIC with your very own eyes.
At Universal Studios, you will find Diagon Alley, the Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts attraction, and a fire-breathing dragon atop Gringotts Bank. PPV TIP: Have those cameras ready because the fire breathing occurs about every 10-15 minutes. You’ll want to visit the Knight Bus and have a little chat with the bus conductor and shrunken head. Here’s a PPV Fun Fact: The Knight Bus you see at Universal Studios is one of the two actual prop busses used in the film Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Stop inside Ollivanders, where we all know the wand chooses the wizard, and the Gringotts Money Exchange where you can literally exchange your Muggle money for Gringotts Bank Notes to use for purchases at participating locations throughout Universal Orlando Resort. Be sure you talk to the goblin and ask him a few questions; I mean, where else can you have a conversation with a real goblin?!? You can also visit the Leaky Cauldron for a bite to eat and be sure to have a Butterbeer! Don’t miss Knockturn Alley and pay special attention to all the shops and shop windows! You are in a magical wizarding world, so things aren’t always what they seem!
At Islands of Adventure, you’ll walk through the shoppes of Hogsmeade, see performances in the street, including the witches and wizards of Beauxbatons Academy and the Durmstrang Institute. Grab a bite to eat at The Three Broomsticks and of course check out the majestic Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. This is also where you’ll find the Flight of the Hippogriff coaster, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, and Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, a one-of-a-kind thrilling story coaster!
PPV TIP: Be sure to visit both Wizarding sections during the day and at night, if possible. Diagon Alley can be busy in the middle of the day, but some of the interactive spells don’t work as well in full sunlight if you purchase an interactive wand and want to try your hand at some magic (like the water feature over the bathrooms). Plus, it is truly stunning to see at night. You will notice different things each and every time you visit! Be sure to pop in and visit the talking mirror inside Madam Malkin’s. It’s a nice confidence booster to start or end your day.
The level of immersion is unlike anything else you’ll find at the park. I personally love to stand by the opening into Diagon Alley near the Leaky Cauldron and watch the stunned joy of each face as they enter. It’s THAT impressive! Are those flying broomsticks near the ceiling in Hogsmeade shops? Is Crookshanks sleeping on a shelf in the Magical Menagerie? Is that Nagini in the window? Is music being piped in evoking very specific moments in the movies based on where you’re standing? Every answer is, YES! Enjoy!
PPV TIP: As a PPV client, whether you’re staying on-site or off-site with a ticket only purchase, be sure to take FULL advantage of early park admission! This is a major perk of purchasing your park tickets from PPV Inc. This really will make a HUGE difference with standby wait times in the Wizarding World sections and in what you are able to accomplish during your visit.
