Ollivanders Wand Shop question

[Jthomps8]

I know a few months back Ollivanders was setup for 1 party at a time and pretty much the group got to select who could be "chosen." I am trying to find if that is still the case or is opened to multi-party groups? We have two young boys who we would like to be chosen at the same time but figure that would be harder if it was now multi party. Any tips would be helpful as well as we head there in a few weeks!

 

[wdwrule]

When we were there a few weeks ago, it was multi party and they chose one person.

 

[ClapYourHands]

Not just multi-party, but packed. I'd been pre-pandemic, and usually there would be a few families. This past trip, we did a couple of ceremonies that must have hit peak times, because there must have been 30 of us in there.

Typically one person is chosen, usually a child, but not always. I think we did 3 or 4 ceremonies, and at one of them an adult woman was chosen.

Occasionally, they will do a double ceremony - my son and niece got to do it together this trip, which was very cool for them. I don't know what made them get picked other than we went at a time when it seemed pretty dead, and the kids were very animated in their excitement around HP, and enjoyed observing the details of the waiting room. At the start of the ceremony, when the wandmaster asked, "what is your name?" my son answered, but it turned out the wandmaster was talking to my niece who was standing right in front of my son. Then he asked their relationship, and called them both forward. I don't think it was intended to be a double ceremony, but he kind of went with it.

I think you'll have a better chance of standing out if you go at a time when there's not a big crowd, and get there early. I can't say for certain, but I think the TMs in the waiting area might be observing the guests and passing on recommendations for the ceremony. If my hypothesis is correct, people who show up earlier have a better chance than those who slip in at the last minute and don't get to make any sort of impression on the wait room TM.

 

[Jthomps8]

Thanks! Would it best to do first thing at EPH or mid day where perhaps everyone has already gotten their wands that morning?

 

[ClapYourHands]

Do not do it at EPA! EPA is limited to Potter areas and one ride on the other side of the park (usually Spiderman at IOA and Minions at US). The result is the area gets really crowded because even though attendance is limited, the attractions are even more limited. IOA has three rides to absorb the crowds, but there's only one wand ceremony room. Basically people are either rope-dropping Hagrid's (or Velocicoaster when it's running early) or the wand ceremony. US has more ceremony rooms (I think 3), but only Gringott's to occupy early morning riders. We found mid afternoon had fewer people. Evening can be hit or miss. We went on a rainy evening when Hagrid's was down, and we were packed into Ollivander's like sardines, but other evenings you can catch it empty.

 

[ofcabbagesandkings]

I keep debating whether to try for the night we arrive or EPA our first morning. I would love it so much if they could do a double ceremony for our kids. Maybe we'll try going during the parade on our arrival night.

 

[CoopTroop6]

The wand experience typically runs at full capacity. At Diagon Alley this is both rooms running with 25-30 per room. It has just recently been reduced to 15 per room due to rising COVID cases locally. As others said, do NOT do EPA. Wait till the last hour before closing, it is much less busy therefore more likely to get picked. Be enthusiastic - robes and/or celebration buttons help too! And if anyone happens to visit during HHN and the experience is open go then!! If you don't get picked you can ask any employee on the floor in the store to help match you - most of us loooooooove doing it!

 

[gstack74]

last week of aug we tried ollivanders and only had 2 other parties in the group. Both times we were not chosen and the 1st group in the waiting area and 1st group asked to enter the ceremony room was the room that was chosen. If I was to do it again I would wait to be the 1st in and if not I would walk out and try again. This was afternoon and no line at all but both times the 2nd or 3rd party inside. So really need to luck out with crowds for this to work

 

[AussieFan8]

I'm not sure there's any rhyme or reason to who gets chosen. My teenaged daughter and I were chosen together on our last trip and we were absolutely thrilled. We were not first into the room; we were either last or close to last. It was before COVID and there were quite a few people in the room. My daughter was chosen first and I was so excited, and then I was called up as well. I can say we were both really excited to go in and were chattering quietly about how much fun we were having and I know we looked excited. The rest of the group was very quiet, but there were a lot of kids, so I had no hope of getting chosen. So I don't know if looking excited and hopeful may help? Or maybe we just got lucky. This was on the Hogsmeade side. We had gone earlier in the day to the one in Diagon Alley and we were with a smaller group and we were the first in, but a boy around eight years old was chosen.

 

[gharter]

Many times when we have been there, it has been younger kids selected. Our last time, with many kids in the room, our 20 yo daughter was selected. Not a clue how they select. As pp noted, we were not the first or last in and not in the middle , up front.

 

[jpakstis]

If you don't get picked you can ask any employee on the floor in the store to help match you - most of us loooooooove doing it!

We went in April and our kids didn’t want to do the wand ceremony. We ended up asking one of the employees at the Diagon Alley Ollivanders and it was a great experience! She asked all sorts of questions of them and spent time describing each one. I could tell that she really enjoyed discussing the wands. Actually all throughout the shops, the employees were helpful and enthusiastic about Harry Potter.