Do you enjoy reading the Harry Potter book series or watching the eight movies based on those books? Have you ever wished you could wander through those movie sets, see the props and costumes used, and learn how they make the magic on film? Have you dreamed of riding the Hogwarts Express from King’s Cross Station to Hogsmeade and then entering Hogwarts castle? In my travels, I have been lucky enough to experience two very different destinations that offer visitors a chance to enter the Wizarding World.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Resort Orlando

My first opportunity to enter the magical world began as I stepped into the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at the Universal Resort in Orlando, Florida. My family and I approached the town of Hogsmeade through a stone and iron archway at the Hogsmeade train station. Passing the Hogwarts Express, we were drawn into the picturesque, snow covered village filled with kiosks selling Butterbeer and shops such as Ollivanders, where you can purchase a magic wand of your very own. The smaller rides in this area were eclipsed by the towering Hogwarts Castle, which encloses the thrill ride “Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey.”

hogsmeade - harry potter - universal studios.jpg

If visiting the shops Harry describes and sitting in ride vehicles that whiz past his frequent haunts is your cup of tea, Universal’s take on the Wizarding World is a great place to visit. If you are like me and can’t really handle the rougher rides, there are plenty of other interesting tidbits to marvel at. The rides have beautiful and creative queues, and you can take a quick walk through them even if you won’t be staying to witness the robocoaster technology in action. I took advantage of this opportunity and thoroughly appreciated seeing all the lovely sets, decorations, and animatronic characters that were placed in the queue to help people enjoy the long lines. After walking through Hogwarts, we decided to explore Hogsmeade with the new wand we acquired from Ollivanders. There are quite a number of places throughout the village where you can test your magic skills, and, if you perform your spells correctly, fun and surprising things happen!

hogwarts express - harry potter - universal orlando.jpg

Next, we boarded the Hogwarts Express for an exciting ride to London and Diagon Alley. Once we entered the alley, our surroundings really did look and feel like the shopping district described at length in the books and visualized in the movies. Here you can find the Leaky Cauldron, purchase all the chocolate frogs you desire, and check out the toy emporium Weasley’s Wizarding Wheezes. You can also enter a very imposing Gringotts Wizarding Bank, complete with a fire-breathing dragon on its roof. The lobby looks impressive with marble floors, crystal chandeliers, and moving goblins going about their work. This building is also home to the thrill ride “Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts.”

All in all, Universal successfully immerses you in Harry’s world, complete with fun adventures, great theming, and fantastic details. If you want to visit, Universal offers several hotels on property, three of which give you an automatic “front of the line pass” to most of the attractions when you purchase a park ticket.

The Warner Bros Studio Tour: The Making of Harry Potter

My second chance to discover the magic of the Harry Potter world came at the end of a trip to London, which is so close the WB Studios in Watford that my family and I decided to spend an afternoon taking the tour.

The Making of Harry Potter is completely different from Universal’s theme park offerings. There are no rides and no long lines, just movie magic. Here you enter by walking onto the actual set of the Great Hall of Hogwarts, strolling through the Forbidden Forest to meet Buckbeak the hippogriff, and proceeding up into the castle to check out Professor Dumbledore’s office, the Gryffindor common room, and Harry’s dormitory. The studio even houses a Diagon Alley set along with the Dursley’s home (complete with the cupboard under the stairs).

The costumes used in the movies are on display, as are so many props that I can’t remember them all – everything from the wands of all the main characters to potions jars containing preserved animals. You have the opportunity to ride a broom with a green screen in the background just as the actors did, and all of the exhibits explain how the magic seen in the movies was created. There is also a life-sized Hogwarts Express you can walk through, along with a very large scale model of the Hogwarts Castle which was used along with computer graphics to create many of the film scenes. And just like at Universal, you can sample the famous Butterbeer in the café or purchase plenty of souvenirs, including costumes, toys, and magic wands, in the studio shop.

If you are a fan of the Harry Potter movies or want to learn more about filmmaking in general, this is a great place to spend a few hours. It’s easily accessible from London by train but you do need to book your timed ticket in advance.

Reflections

So which one is better? I think that depends on what interests you more – riding thrilling rides or learning how the movies were made. Personally, I enjoyed the Studio Tour in Watford much more than the Wizarding World in Florida because I found the props, sets, and displays far more compelling than the rides. However, Universal’s theme park offers a more immersive experiences thanks to the care and detail they put into giant buildings like Hogwarts Castle and Gringotts bank as well as rides that simulate moving in the Harry Potter world more realistically, such as riding the Hogwarts Express to travel from London to Hogsmeade. While neither of these Harry Potter experiences were the reason for our travels, they can both be enjoyed in one day or less and visiting them added an extra dimension to our already-planned vacations.

Have you enjoyed one or both of these Harry Potter experiences? If so, what was your favorite part? If not, is there one that interests you?