Harry Potter- Wizarding World FAQ

[nj2ftl]

Hey all, I'll be going to IoA with a friend Sunday, September 22nd. We have never been, but we are mainly going to go for Harry Potter World. He's a big HP fan, but I am not so much. I have seen all the movies, and I really enjoyed them, but did not read the books and haven't retained much from the movies except the basics...

We are thinking about doing IoA AND Universal Studios in one day. Is that possible? We will only be in town for 2 days and the other day is reserved for Magic Kingdom.

Also, is there anything I can do to make his time at IoA's HP world more special? I mean, anything I should push for us to do or any special inside info that would make things stick out in his mind when he thinks about his day here in the future?

We're both 2 males in our mid-twenties btw, if that makes a difference lol

Also, how busy should I expect Sunday September 22nd to be? Thanks.

 

[coastgirl]

nj2ftl, I'm recommending the Hog's Head for a fan to absorb the atmosphere. The Three Broomsticks (the restaurant end of the establishment) is very atmospheric, but if you come in via the attached pub and grab a beer (butter or otherwise), you will be in a much more laid-back and "authentic" area, than the spot with, you know, plastic trays and lots of beeping kiosks and such. Personally I could probably do everything in both parks in one full day, if it's not too crowded, but we are not big thrill-riders and mostly like the Wizarding World. Late afternoon through closing are the best times to go to the Wizarding World IMO.

We also did the castle tour so we could take our time, stop for pics and such without holding up the line. If your friend feels he is particularly fond of one of the houses, pick up some house "swag", and put it on. We had inauthentic but appropriately-coloured house lanyards and hats (yeah, you see tons of baseball hats in the movies! ), and the staff were constantly greeting us by our "house" ("Hey, I'm a Ravenclaw too..."). Take the time to strike up a conversation with the TMs in the Wizarding World, they appreciate people who appreciate the details and know the stories.

I would recommend the Ollivander's show. We got in with a 15 minute wait around 6:30 one evening earlier this month; you will probably face shorter hours during your visit, so plan accordingly. In my experience, the wandmaker chooses children at or near "first wand" age for the show, but polite enthusiasm and excitement, as well as some obvious "fan" gear like the lanyards, doesn't hurt. (Both my children got chosen at the right age, about 10.5--we are very lucky, and the kids will never forget it.) Adults can be chosen too, it's just the luck of the draw. And even if not, it's a great show, and so true to the books and the movie.

We LOVE the details and could just walk around and soak up the atmosphere forever.

As to the other posts, we did the castle tour on Friday. There was no particular crowd and we could've gone through the stand-by line just as easily, but it was nice not to worry about people overtaking us. There is a smaller version of the portrait gallery, and it's slightly different from the "main" portrait gallery, so we were pleased to get to see something a little bit "secret". The tour line also skips the greenhouse, so you won't get to see the mandrakes if you do only the tour. We've done the ride 6 or 8 times, so we had seen almost everything, but it was very nice to just meander, exclaim and point. :

 

[nj2ftl]

Wow thanks that really helps a lot! I definitely have to watch some of the movies again so I don't seem like I have no idea what's going on when we get there lol

 

[Dynamoliz]

I'd like to send postcards home from the Owl Post ... I am assuming they have postcards available for purchase. Can anyone confirm that? I'd hate to just assume and end up having nothing to post LOL.

 

[damo]

I'd like to send postcards home from the Owl Post ... I am assuming they have postcards available for purchase. Can anyone confirm that? I'd hate to just assume and end up having nothing to post LOL.

Yes they have postcards. Not cheap though. They even have stamps!

https://www.universalorlando.com/Merchandise/Gift/Harry-Potter-Hogwarts-Castle-Postage.html

https://www.universalorlando.com/Me...Potter/Souvenirs/Hogwarts_Stationery_Set.html

Make sure you have them stamp them in the Owl Post

http://www.jaunted.com/files/6193/2Hogsmeadestamp.jpg

 

[Dynamoliz]

Yes they have postcards. Not cheap though. They even have stamps!

https://www.universalorlando.com/Merchandise/Gift/Harry-Potter-Hogwarts-Castle-Postage.html

https://www.universalorlando.com/Me...Potter/Souvenirs/Hogwarts_Stationery_Set.html

Make sure you have them stamp them in the Owl Post

http://www.jaunted.com/files/6193/2Hogsmeadestamp.jpg

Those postcards are perfect! Thanks for taking the time to answer my question and send those links. I know some people who will get a real kick out of receiving those cards in the mail with the Hogsmeade postmark on them! Thanks again!

 

[Momw/aplan]

Those postcards are perfect! Thanks for taking the time to answer my question and send those links. I know some people who will get a real kick out of receiving those cards in the mail with the Hogsmeade postmark on them! Thanks again!

You may want to consider bringing your own postage from home though, unless you really want the Harry Potter postage stamps. From what I remember they cost around $20 for a sheet of them.

There is a (or at least was a year ago) a vending machine in the large gift shop near the front of Port of Entry where you can buy stamps. It still costs several dollars though. Last time we went I just brought my own stamps from home.

Oh! And there's a mailbox right outside Port of Entry (on your right as you're leaving I believe) where you can mail your postcards if you want to take them back to your room and write on them, post them, and then mail them later, rather than trying to fill them out during your Wizarding World time. You can just buy them in the Owl Post and get them stamped with the Owl Post mark on your way out of the park and then bring them back to mail on your way in the next morning. It worked out well for us doing it that way.

Have fun!

 

[Dynamoliz]

You may want to consider bringing your own postage from home though, unless you really want the Harry Potter postage stamps. From what I remember they cost around $20 for a sheet of them.

There is a (or at least was a year ago) a vending machine in the large gift shop near the front of Port of Entry where you can buy stamps. It still costs several dollars though. Last time we went I just brought my own stamps from home.

Oh! And there's a mailbox right outside Port of Entry (on your right as you're leaving I believe) where you can mail your postcards if you want to take them back to your room and write on them, post them, and then mail them later, rather than trying to fill them out during your Wizarding World time. You can just buy them in the Owl Post and get them stamped with the Owl Post mark on your way out of the park and then bring them back to mail on your way in the next morning. It worked out well for us doing it that way.

Have fun!

Thanks Mom w/APlan All good info. Unfortunately I'm coming from Canada so bringing stamps from home won't help! I don't think I'll have an opportunity to buy stamps outside of the park before we have our WWOHP day although that would be a suggestion for others. I am going to print out address labels before I leave so I don't have to write them by hand on the day, only need to write a short hello and then post. I figure I can do this when the family is on the rides I don't do ... coasters! FOUR MORE SLEEPS!

 

[Dynamoliz]

You may want to consider bringing your own postage from home though, unless you really want the Harry Potter postage stamps. From what I remember they cost around $20 for a sheet of them.

There is a (or at least was a year ago) a vending machine in the large gift shop near the front of Port of Entry where you can buy stamps. It still costs several dollars though. Last time we went I just brought my own stamps from home.

Oh! And there's a mailbox right outside Port of Entry (on your right as you're leaving I believe) where you can mail your postcards if you want to take them back to your room and write on them, post them, and then mail them later, rather than trying to fill them out during your Wizarding World time. You can just buy them in the Owl Post and get them stamped with the Owl Post mark on your way out of the park and then bring them back to mail on your way in the next morning. It worked out well for us doing it that way.

Have fun!

Me again, with my postcard questions. Seems pretty trivial. You can tell we're down to THREE sleeps when there is nothing left to plan or question more interesting than stamps. I checked out those stamps that Mom w/A Plan gave the link for and noticed they are .46 which made me think that is probably for mailing w/in the US, and all my cards are going to Canada. Sooooo I checked the US postal site and yup, I'll require $1.10 postage per card so yeah, no way I'm buying those sheets of Hogwarts stamps that cost $15... I need two! I would if I had to, but I'd rather spend the money on something else! I will be landing the night before we go to WWOHP, is there somewhere open at night that sells stamps ... in Canada we can get them at Shoppers Drugmart, so thinking maybe somewhere in US sells them after hours too.

 

[MIChessGuy]

I will be landing the night before we go to WWOHP, is there somewhere open at night that sells stamps ... in Canada we can get them at Shoppers Drugmart, so thinking maybe somewhere in US sells them after hours too.

The 24-hour Walgreens at 6201 International Drive sells stamp booklets. This location is at I-Drive and Universal Blvd., very close to the Universal parks. However, I'd assume that they sell books of first-class stamps only and not postcard stamps. My experience has been that you need to visit an official U.S. Post Office or Post Office "substation" (as opposed to just a retailer that carries stamps) in order to get the specific stamp denomination that you require. Still, if you can get by with 46-cent stamps, the Walgreens does have convenience going for it.

 

[Dynamoliz]

Thanks Michess Guy ... even if I have to put 3 x .46 stamps on per card I am still saving money over buying the stamps from Universal. This seems like my best option so far.

 

[ladeedeb]

I believe the WalMart SuperCenters, of which there are at least a couple not faraway, sell stamp booklets. If they don't have them at the checkouts, you may need to go to customer service to get them, but they should have them. If you will need $1.10 per postcard, you might as well use the regular stamps and not postcard stamps anyway. You will just need to put multiples and will end up spending a little more than the $1.10 per card. Have a great trip!

 

[Dynamoliz]

I believe the WalMart SuperCenters, of which there are at least a couple not faraway, sell stamp booklets. If they don't have them at the checkouts, you may need to go to customer service to get them, but they should have them. If you will need $1.10 per postcard, you might as well use the regular stamps and not postcard stamps anyway. You will just need to put multiples and will end up spending a little more than the $1.10 per card. Have a great trip!

Hurrah. This works out well as we plan to hit Walmart after we land for bottled water etc. And yes, I was just going to stick 3x.46 on the cards as it is not worth the bother for a few cents to take time out of our vacay to track down a US Postal office. I'd just forget about sending postcards if that was the case.

 

[steve3]

I hope someone can answer this question. We are staying at Disney and busing over to Universal. I want to buy a lot of merchandise from WWOHP. Does anyone know if the park has a way to ship it home for me? I heard Universal will ship it for a fee but I don't know if its true or where to go in the park. Help please.

 

[gabbyb]

Does anyone know what the crowd levels are like at IoA and Wizarding World in mid-October (not a Halloween party night)? We're trying to decide which day we want to do IoA (staying on-site at Disney all week).

Thanks!

 

[macraven]

Does anyone know what the crowd levels are like at IoA and Wizarding World in mid-October (not a Halloween party night)? We're trying to decide which day we want to do IoA (staying on-site at Disney all week).

Thanks!

For mid October, Monday and Tuesday would be fine for both parks for day guests.
I am at the dark side now and wait times are good for regular lines.
I am staying onsite and express this afternoon had no wait's really.
He'll week begins on the 16th and more will be in the parks then.

 

[spotretun]

)))

 

[monty]

I am a ride chicken as well as terrified of spiders. Will probably use chicken exit.

If you have an express pass do you still go through the main queue? Is the castle tour a separate attraction or is that just the name of the queuing area?

Also, any other ride chickens who rode this (and lived to tell the tale) who could share there feelings? Would you do it again?

Any comparisons to WDW rides?

 

[BrinkofSunshine]

There's no express pass for that ride, but the castle tours allows you too see almost everything in the regular queue without the wait.

 

[RedSox68]

I tried doing a search, but it doesn't seem to come up -- so forgive me if this is answered somewhere in this thread. But does anyone know when the addition to the HP park is opening? Thanks