The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, CA 91608, USA

Address:	100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, CA 91608, USA
Phone:	+1 800-864-8377
Site:	universalstudioshollywood.com
Rating:	4.5
Working:	10AM–6PM 10AM–6PM 10AM–6PM 10AM–6PM 10AM–6PM 10AM–6PM 10AM–6PM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 5

Andrew Gregor

I really wanted to like The Wizarding World, but it just left me wanting more. I should say that Im not a super duper huge fan of Harry Potter. I never read the books, but I did enjoy the films. Im also quite a glutton for a good theme park regardless of theme. But Wizarding World feels... hollow. Diagon Alley serves as a fun backdrop, but at the same time, it seems like a cash grab with most of the park being shops filled with HP merchandise. The magical wand windows are a super great idea! It definitely adds to the whimsy, but also, I witnessed an occasion where the magic window didnt work for a young child, and, even with the assistance of a staff member, the teacups would not come to life. The disappointment was palpable. And the rides! My gosh. The Forbidden Journey is actually pretty fun, but the mixture of 3D projection and real-life animatronics feels poorly executed. Its like switching constantly between an IMAX movie and a Chuck E. Cheese dance stage. The difference between an on-screen Dementor and a puppet Dementor is laughable. But again, ignoring presentation, the ride itself is cool. Its twisting, turning, disorienting (in a good way), and thrilling. It was definitely the highlight of the whole park for me. As for Flight of the Hippogriff, dont even bother waiting in line for this. Its painfully short -- like... barely twenty seconds. Im not exaggerating. Its also one of the tamest roller coasters Ive ever been on. Maybe the kids would love it, but anyone over the age of ten will probably find it quite dull. Hagrids house can easily be viewed at the start of the line without going all the way through. Other than that... The butter beer is ridiculously delicious. The staff are hit and miss as far as "being into it". Immersion is difficult with visible office buildings outside the park and helicopters flying overhead. The steam engine is quite cool -- perfect for photos. Overall, I dont regret going. Theres a fun time to be had here for sure, and any Harry Potter fan would be remiss in not checking it out at least once. But at the same time, I never really felt that wizarding magic. I know a good theme park can do that for me, but this is not one of those. I cant shake the feeling that its just a commercial re-creation.

JJ Adams

Stupid long lines. It took 8 hours to get in the park, buy a wand, buy a robe, have lunch and the castle ride. Thats all we had time for. An hour to park the car and get in. An hour in line to buy a wand. 30 min to buy a robe. 1.5 hours to buy a pizza & eat lunch. 1 hour in various lines to try the spells. 3 hours in line to ride the forbidden journey...and we were done. Cost for our family of four; Standard entrance = $480 2 kids robes = $220 2 wands = $105 2 broomsticks = $80 Lunch for 4 = $75 Drinks & snacks = $65 Thats over $1000 and 8 hours to buy some crap (think Walmart Halloween quality) and go on one ride. Its a long day and a lot of money for what you get. We were also frustrated by the unfairness of lines. They are long because so many people cutting in line or getting special treatment for paying extra, being single, know the employee, etc. Also, they trap you by hiding how long the lines are and not having access to bathrooms, water, or exits. Ive never felt more like a sucker or been treated more like cattle. The line was twice as long as advertised. From what we could tell, paying extra for the front line doesnt make much difference. The privilege doesnt apply to all lines and when it does, only gets you out of the longest line. For our family, it would have meant one more ride for another $400. Weve read the first 5 books with our kids and LOVE Harry Potter but honestly wouldnt cross the street to suffer through another day at universal studios if it were free!

Hanae K

Got super lucky and got to check out this amazing place before it officially opened!! There are only two rides, two outdoor shows, one private-ish show, tons of shops and one restaurant. First thing you should do is get in line for the Forbidden Journey all the way in the back. I got a bit motion sickness but it was hands down the best ride Ive been on in Universal Studios. The trail to get to the ride was crazy CRAZY long... Cant imagine how long the wait will be when it opens. The inside of the castle was pretty entertaining, especially the room full of talking picture frames. Another popular thing to get in line for is the wand shop. Each mini show is 5-10minutes long. I totally recommend it. Once the show is done then they will lead you into the wand shop. Roller coaster was a smooth and short ride. Wish I had my camera when we were at the top to take a pic of the castle with the gorgeous cityscape.... Didnt get the eat at the cafe because it was closed.. Boo. Butterbeer is delicious if you love cream sodas. Heard the frozen one is a MUST. Candy store was cool but pricey. The chocolate frog was about $10-$11. Wand shop was pretty cool. There are two kinds, the regular one and the special interactive wand. You get a map for the interactive one and walk around outside to "use" it.

Patrick Braae

Enter into a whole new realm of possibility. Even though it was in the high 80s, when we looked upon the snow covered buildings in Hogsmeade village, it somehow felt as though it was going to be cold inside. That was just our minds playing tricks on us because it was still in the high 80s lol. The village is spot on. You walk in an past the locomotive that brings you to the village. Explore the entire town. Everything that youd expect to be there is and it is all wonderfully representative of the motion pictures. Take care to find out if you are too large to fit in the ride chairs however because they do not accommodate all. (See my review of Universal Studios Hollywood for more details on this). The wand choosing ceremony was cool and the time period feel of the whole place made us feel like we were in the dark ages. You can own pretty much anything that you desire from the movies. Any school uniform you like. Any wand you may want. Quidditch gear including the golden snitch. Get all of your favorite candies or even try a butter beer. The attention to detail is second to none here. If you havent gotten the chance to check out the Wizarding World of Harry Potter then I recommend that you try to very soon. Thanks for reading.

Chandra Kirkpatrick

Universal is a great theme park but I was really disappointed in the Harry Potter section. Harry Potter is one of the largest and most popular franchises in the world and yet this area did NOT deliver! The layout was cramped and the stores (Honeydukes and Ollivanders) were tiny. I went on an uncrowded Tuesday afternoon and I barely had room to turn around! The prices are also outrageous - nothing in Honeydukes is under $10, not even small packages of treats, and a wand costs $54. I understand that theme park prices are always inflated but in conjunction with the crowded and uncomfortable atmosphere it felt like a cheat. Staff was also unhelpful and in a few cases downright rude! And as for "Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey" - it was a complete let down! The ride spent so much time spinning you all over the place I felt extremely sick (and I have an iron stomach) yet the content was repetitive and boring. If you like acromantulas and dementors youll love it, but if you hoped to see any other parts of the EXTREMELY EXPANSIVE HP universe youre out of luck. Overall, the area looks amazing but as excited as I was to go, I left feeling swindled, maltreated and disappointed.