I am a huge Harry Potter fan (go go Gryffindor!) so it was a dream come true when I got the chance to visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Hollywood! Rocio and I got dressed up in Hogwarts inspired outfits and had so much fun running around the park pretending we were actually at Hogwarts. It was such a cool experience! We got a ton of cute Instagram photos there too so I thought I would share this guide with you guys. I’ll be pointing out the best photo spots and sharing tips to help you get the most out of the park!

Tip: All of the witches and wizards that work at the park are super friendly! We didn’t have any trouble asking for someone to take photos of us together.

Tip: Don’t be afraid to get dressed up! It makes the experience so much more fun. I borrowed a Gryffindor scarf from a friend and then raided my closet for other uniform-like pieces.

The Alley between Dervish & Bangs and Brews and Stews

We got to walk through “Hogsmeade” which was absolutely adorable! They did such a good job of capturing the essence of the Wizarding World. There was an Olivander’s, a Dervish and Banges, the Three Broomsticks and so many more shops from the books. There are several stores that you can actually shop from too! Rocio picked up a Ravenclaw sweater from Dervish and Bange’s. We shot the above photos in the alley between Dervish and Bangs and Brews & Stews while the park was closing which meant no crowds!

Madame Padifoot’s

Madame Paddifoot’s pink store front was so cute, so of course I had to stop for a picture in front of it! This background is perfect for Instagram. The colors are perfect and I love the tea theme to it too!

Honeyduke’s

Honeyduke’s was so colorful and fun inside! We picked up a chocolate frog and a chocolate wand from Honeyduke’s to enjoy after lunch in The Three Broomsticks. We didn’t get the chance to shoot any photos in here but there are definitely a ton of good photo op’s in there!

We rode on Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey twice and the Flight of the Hippogriff three times! My favorite was the Flight of the Hippogriff because it was super fast and you got too see a great view of the park from the top. Tip: If you want to skip the lines, you can go on as a single rider. The lines for single riders are way shorter! I’m a baby though so I had to go with Rocio ;P

The Hogwarts Express

The Hogwarts Express is so iconic in the movies so naturally it’s the perfect Harry Potter Instagram photo background! We wanted to take some singles shots with the train but the lighting wasn’t great at the time. We did get a really cute shot together though! We shot these photos just as the park was closing.

The Hogwarts Castle

I really wanted to get a good shot with the Hogwarts castle in the background and I love how this one turned out! We shot these just outside of Olivanders (the back side). I think my “uniform” and wand were a really good touch ;D

We had interactive wands that we borrowed from friends so we got to perform several spells at designated areas throughout the park. There are witches and wizards at all of the spots to help you learn the spells. You can only do this if you have an interactive wand that you can purchase from Olivander’s. You can actually go to Olivander’s and experience a wand “choosing” you! While we were at the park the wait for the Olivander’s experience was about 45 min. You can also just pick up a wand inside the wand shop.

Tip: If you want the wand experience, I suggest checking the schedules throughout Universal Studios so that you know when there is an event that a good amount of people will go to. For example, when they are doing a Walking Dead tour, a lot of people will head there from the Wizarding World so the lines free up.

Butterbeer

If you didn’t get a shot with a butterbeer did you really go to Harry Potter World?! It is a little spendy, but super good so it’s definitely a worthy splurge. I read that they are going to be serving hot butter beers in the park soon too! Although a cold butter beer is definitely refreshing. It tasted like a sweet root beer float! We shot this photo in the alley in front of Dervish & Bangs and Brews and Stews.

Tip: You can get butter beer in a regular cup or in a souvenir cup for a little extra! We did the souvenir cup.

I’m so glad I got to check The Wizarding World off Harry Potter of my bucket list! If I get the chance to, I would love to visit the park at Universal Studios Orlando. I’d love to go on the different rides they have there next time.

Check out my Disneyland travel guide here!

XOXO