Hope for all - *I* was picked at Ollivander's!

[tfoster]

Yes, this 40-year old mother of four was picked over all of her children. Before we went in, I told DH and the kids about how someone from the group would get picked to be part of the show and that maybe they should start thinking about some of the spells they know so they'd be fresh in their minds if, by chance, one of them got picked.

Well, we went in and were near the front by the staircase. A man was at the desk fussing around and busying himself. I didn't realize that it was actually Ollivander until the skit started. He started his selection process and honestly, for some reason, the thought never ever occurred to me that I could be selected. He went back and forth and then came over and looked at me and said "you". I was stunned. Thinking there must be a mistake, I said "me?", and he said "yes, you". I was super surprised.

After reading a few posts here about how the person selected can make or break the show, I felt like I was under a lot of pressure! I'm sure I didn't make the show, but I tried to not break it either.

Seriously, if I were chosen, anyone truly has a chance at being chosen. I still am baffled as to why he picked me. I'm just an ordinary middle-aged mom.

 

[jeanico2000]

LOL! What a great story! And here is yet more hope for the adults in the crowd: We were visiting WWoHP for the very first time earlier this month and my 25 year old daughter got chosen by Ollivander! She was so genuinely surprised at being picked (there were some children in the room with us too) that she didn't put on much of a show either, but simply relished the experience. Ollivander was amazing, and very intuitive too. What a fabulous memory!

 

[tfoster]

LOL! What a great story! And here is yet more hope for the adults in the crowd: We were visiting WWoHP for the very first time earlier this month and my 25 year old daughter got chosen by Ollivander! She was so genuinely surprised at being picked (there were some children in the room with us too) that she didn't put on much of a show either, but simply relished the experience. Ollivander was amazing, and very intuitive too. What a fabulous memory!

Ollivander WAS amazing; DH even commented on it, and that's unusual for him to do. Did your daughter buy the wand that selected her? I feel so silly - I did! And not only that - since "my" wand was made from phoenix hair core, I actually ended up buying a phoenix t-shirt too!!

 

[jeanico2000]

Yes, she did purchase it: reed with a unicorn hair core, dusty box and all. It is quite lovely, actually!

 

[Irish9697]

My daughter, who will turn 10 on Christmas Day, got chosen this past Friday. It was such an amazing experience!! And yes, we bought the wand!!

 

[the Dark Marauder]

Ollivander WAS amazing; DH even commented on it, and that's unusual for him to do. Did your daughter buy the wand that selected her? I feel so silly - I did! And not only that - since "my" wand was made from phoenix hair core, I actually ended up buying a phoenix t-shirt too!!

You must have a birthday in Nov to have a phoenix tailfeather core. Is it reed, by any chance?

Also, the wandkeeper is NOT Mr. Ollivander. Mr. Ollivander's shop is still in Diagon Alley. The shop is an auxiliary shop owned by Mr. Ollivander.

 

[tfoster]

You must have a birthday in Nov to have a phoenix tailfeather core. Is it reed, by any chance?

Also, the wandkeeper is NOT Mr. Ollivander. Mr. Ollivander's shop is still in Diagon Alley. The shop is an auxiliary shop owned by Mr. Ollivander.

You see - this is why I should not have been chosen - I don't know this stuff!!

My birthday is actually in September. That was one of the questions he asked me. He also asked me if I had an affinity for animals.

Mine is not reed; it is vine.

 

[horseshowmom]

DD-23 wanted to be chosen so much that she was going back to try again this morning (now that she knows where to stand after yesterday ). She absolutely LOVES Harry Potter!

She did go ahead and buy a wand yesterday though so it could be delivered to the room. They told her that it normally is done within 3 hours, but they were so backed up that it wouldn't make it until this morning.

 

[jeanico2000]

Originally Posted by the Dark Marauder
Also, the wandkeeper is NOT Mr. Ollivander. Mr. Ollivander's shop is still in Diagon Alley. The shop is an auxiliary shop owned by Mr. Ollivander.

Of course we knew that! However, like any good boss, Ollivander himself must have been visiting his auxiliary shop the day we visited because he was way too awesome to have been anyone else!

He also asked for my daughter's birth date (which is in June), but where it got to be rather... amazing, is that he hit the nail on the head quite a few times when it came to some of her particular character traits and even sensed and stated her deep affinity for music (she is a professional singer/performer, but not a known one yet... well, not in Florida anyway, as we are from Eastern Canada). From there, the wand chose her (reed with a unicorn hair core) and it felt, well... very, very special! Again, an absolutely incredible and unique (and yes, extremely magical!) experience!

 

[klacey1]

How fun! This is 25 yr old DBF's dream for next August! I'll let him know there's hope for someone over 10 to get chosen!

 

[bumbershoot]

You must have a birthday in Nov to have a phoenix tailfeather core. Is it reed, by any chance?

DS was picked, has a late May birthday, and he got a phoenix feather core as well. Birch. (which on the universal online store shows as a Dec/Jan wand) They are all over the place!

 

[lkmom]

So now we know that adults and older youth get picked. I'm curious as to the youngest anyone has seen get picked? We will be there with DS7 in February. Does he have ANY chance of getting picked? If he did I know he would play along.

 

[Magpie]

So now we know that adults and older youth get picked. I'm curious as to the youngest anyone has seen get picked? We will be there with DS7 in February. Does he have ANY chance of getting picked? If he did I know he would play along.

Definitely, he's got a chance! We saw several very little boys get picked (between about 5 and 10 years old), including one little guy who actually REFUSED Ollivander!

"You're here for your wand."

"No, I'm not!"

"Hm. Well, perhaps when you're older."

His family looked SO disappointed!

For your DS7, I'd recommend standing him up front, trying to make eye-contact with Ollivander, and just being persistent. You may have to go through the show many, many times, before he gets picked.

I just wrote up my own wand-choosing experience in my trip report here: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=39285827#post39285827

(It's in Post #4, but you'll need to scroll down a ways - it was at the end of the day.)

 

[Fantasy69]

I went to the WWoHP 2 years ago last December. Initially bought a wand on my own and had a hard time doing the spells at the spell locations. My wife and I went to Olivander's show and I was selected. Standing in the back of the room with my wife. There must have been 8-10 kids there as well. Let me mention that I'm a 52 year old retired US Navy SEAL. I approached the counter and "Olivander" asked me if the wand I was holding was my wife's. I said no of course and he said " well it certainly doesn't like you". I was in shock and mentioned the issues I was having. He went through the routine and presented me with a Holly wand, with a phoenix feather core (my birthday is near the end of July). He told me that this one would work much better that the other and if it didn't, he'd eat it. I laughed and after the show was able to swap my wand for the one from the show and I'll be damned of ALL of the spell locations worked for me from then on. The "feel" of the new wand was way more comfortable and it just felt "right" compared to the first. I might just be a HP nerd, but I was severely impressed. So much so that I went back through the show and talked to Olivander about my new success in spell casting. He said "Good, I really didn't want to eat the wand". My wife and I, along with my granddaughter now are annual pass holders and make the trip 3-5 times a year. I Love The WWoHP Orlando.

 

[skylock]

I am older (a lot) and in a wheelchair and I was picked. I let my nephew do it instead. He made a much more interesting show than I would have plus the only reason we were doing it anyway was for him to get to see it. He still talks about it.

 

[mitsukoshi samurai]

Did you have a robe on

 

[skylock]

Did you have a robe on

No body in my group did.

 

[C&Jx2]

We went four times this week. The first time an adult was chosen, the other times it was two children around 12 years old and a teen girl. None were wearing robes.

 

[Disxuni]

What makes it a good show versus a bad show in people's opinions?

Just curious as I have honestly only done it once and wondering what people think is considered, good, or bad. As for me, for example, I think if someone refused would be a good show, because I would personally think that is funny and also shocking, something different. Yet for some that might ruin it a little so curious what people's stories are and what was a "good show" and what was a "bad show"?

 

[Bethany10]

I'm just an ordinary middle-aged mom.

From this ordinary middle aged mom who would have totally panicked had she been picked for the show cheers! That's fantastic.