Ollivanders - who else has been lucky???

[Tiggr88]

My oldest daughter (15 at the time) got picked our first visit to Ollivander's. We weren't near the stairs, nor were we dressed in any of the robes or other expensive HP gear from the park. She may have been wearing a Universal or HP shirt, but I doubt it. Certainly not any of the expensive robes and things from the parks. We certainly didn't push in front of anyone.

She had a blast and helped make it a good show. We did buy the wand.

We went back one more time to see if my youngest could get picked, but no such luck. She ended up buying Ginny's wand after much deliberation.

 

[DisneyFan32WI]

I wanted to add that I don't think my girls BOTH got lucky. I think Universal saw it as an opportunity to get 2 girls to buy wands!

 

[Schmeck]

Definitely, do let him enjoy it! But maybe also mention J.K. Rowling every now and then, and talk about the process of writing and creating books in general.

I was talking about your Kai to a family friend yesterday and she told a few things about my daughter's reaction to turning 11 that I didn't know about. (My daughter talks to her more than she talks to me.)

Apparently it wasn't just the kid's 11th birthday that was hard - she spent the whole year hoping that maybe the letter would arrive. It wasn't until her 12th birthday that she finally had to give up hope. There were tears. There were long discussions with my friend over whether she could even still believe in God! My friend's comment last night was, "Santa was a piece of cake, compared to Harry Potter!"

Apparently my friend just kept telling her, "This is your reality, and in this reality, it's just a book. In another reality, maybe it's real. But think about it, do you REALLY want to live in that world?" So that helped a little.

I know the kid still has a little shrine to Harry Potter in her room, but I had no idea it was that big a deal to her!

Then again... I was kind of the same way about Narnia. I kept checking inside coat closets and was in complete despair over growing up and getting too old to go to Narnia. So it obviously runs in the family!

Oh my goodness, I too looked for Narnia when I was a kid! I kept thinking if I turned a certain corner I'd be there, or if I walked through the right doorway, etc.

DD17 has a Harry Potter shrine too, and we just added to it - Hermione's Yule ballgown is on order, she wants to wear it to the prom!

 

[kdnmom]

I just wanted to say that just because someone is wearing a Harry Potter robe doesn't mean they're trying to milk the system. We are planning a trip soon, and my DS9 will probably wear his HP Quidditch robe that was his Halloween costume, simply because he'll be so excited to be there and will think it will be fun. No different than the little girls who wear their princess dresses to Disney. If it helps him get selected at Ollivander's, then great, because he'd definitely be one who would be thrilled to be selected! But I'll certainly prepare him for the more likely case that he will NOT be selected.

 

[Tink2Day]

My son has red hair as well. However, he "is" Harry, there's no talking him out of that one! (my husband has black hair, and he gets to be Ron...I'm Hermione, which works b/c of our coloring and she ends up with Ron! but still, it's funny that hubby has black hair and is Ron, because the red-head "is" Harry...)



My son loves watching the special features of DVDs, and I think it helps him get that these are actors playing a part from a BOOK. Even though he loves "being" Harry, he can also tell us that it's just a story, and he says he knows that there's no real Hogwarts. Cross fingers he really knows that! (though honestly it would be cool LOL)

WHAT???? NOOOOOOO!
I'm still a believer!

Actually many real locales were used to make up Hogwarts. The great hall at Oxford Christ Church etc.
I've always kind of been reminded of the Long Hall at Trinity College Dublin when viewing the great hall at Hogwarts, as well as some parts of the 'make believe' Library.

 

[Schmeck]

I just wanted to say that just because someone is wearing a Harry Potter robe doesn't mean they're trying to milk the system. We are planning a trip soon, and my DS9 will probably wear his HP Quidditch robe that was his Halloween costume, simply because he'll be so excited to be there and will think it will be fun. No different than the little girls who wear their princess dresses to Disney. If it helps him get selected at Ollivander's, then great, because he'd definitely be one who would be thrilled to be selected! But I'll certainly prepare him for the more likely case that he will NOT be selected.

I don't blame the kids for our experience, I think it's great to see them dressed up and having a great time. It was just so obvious that Ollivander was swayed by the get-up of that one child in our group. Good for her, we all had a great experience, as she had a Luna Lovegood type of glow about her that was sweet, but poo on Ollivander for being so obvious. He even commented on her robes, in an advertising sort of way. Every other parent there just rolled eyes at that.

I was just hoping (silly me) that there wouldn't be any of that commercialism involved. Of course that was dumb of me, and I'm disappointed in myself for getting my hopes up. They do have some lovely staff there from Great Britain, and we will be returning to enjoy the whole experience, except for Ollivander's. Or maybe we should do it again, so I can hopefully have a better experience and get this bad taste out of my mouth!

Good luck to all the Hogwart's Hopefuls, and may you have a wonderful time at WWOHP.

 

[Magpie]

WHAT???? NOOOOOOO!
I'm still a believer!

Actually many real locales were used to make up Hogwarts. The great hall at Oxford Christ Church etc.
I've always kind of been reminded of the Long Hall at Trinity College Dublin when viewing the great hall at Hogwarts, as well as some parts of the 'make believe' Library.

My daughter was fortunate enough to get to go on a Harry Potter location tour during a trip to London last summer! My mother says the best part was watching my daughter and the guide swapping Harry Potter trivia, during the tour.

 

[Tink2Day]

Lucky girl!!!!


I read that she got picked, and your son too!

Imagination is a marvelous thing!

 

[hbisch]

A total lurker here, coming out of lurkdom <waves hi>

Just got back tonight from my first trip to WWoHP and you guys are probably the only ones who won't roll your eyes when I say this - my wand picked me last night!

I will say that I am coughcough39coughcough and was not wearing any hp paraphernalia at all. I was standing in the front row (I swear I just filed in and stood where the assistant directed me) and I was over near the door, not near the stairs. And there were several kids in the group.

But the wandkeeper pointed straight at me!! Of course what was really going thru my brain was: ohmygodishereallypointingatmewhatifhe'spointingatthepersonbehindmeandianswerhisquestionandhewasn'ttalkingtomeandilooklikeatotalmoron?

The wandkeeper had me do aguamente and lumos before finding the right wand. I could hear the crowd behind me laughing when my spells went wrong, but it really was a one-on-one experience.

So there is hope for us not-so-young Muggles!!

 

[coastgirl]

Well that's a story totally worth coming out of lurkdom for! Congratulations! :

 

[Disneybuckeye]

We thought my niece was going to be picked, but Olivander instead chose the girl in the deluxe robe set, with her parents hovering over her, blocking the view for all the little kids, even though we were all asked to step back and let the kids up front. So, if you want your child picked, first shell out the big bucks for the park's version of the robes, and make sure you block as many kids from Olivander's sight too.

Yes, I'm a bit bitter about it, but it was so obvious once he saw the expensive outfit. Very disappointing, and a few other parents made comments about it as we were leaving.

I have read lots of accounts of people being picked and it seems that more often than not those in full Potter regalia are not picked. I believe it is random choice and expecting that you/relative/friend would be picked is setting yourself up for disappointment. I also am very disappointed in parents making comments. Seems very petty to try and ruin the experience for someone else who happened to be lucky that day. Also,please keep in mind they may be a MAW child. I am sure they try and get those kids picked.

 

[Schmeck]

I have read lots of accounts of people being picked and it seems that more often than not those in full Potter regalia are not picked. I believe it is random choice and expecting that you/relative/friend would be picked is setting yourself up for disappointment. I also am very disappointed in parents making comments. Seems very petty to try and ruin the experience for someone else who happened to be lucky that day. Also,please keep in mind they may be a MAW child. I am sure they try and get those kids picked.

No, no MAW involved. Only thought my niece was going to be picked because Ollivander made some contact with her at the beginning. I did not try to ruin anyone's experience, actually it was the parents of the child picked that did ruin the experience for others. We made room for others so they could see, making it a bit less comfortable for ourselves. Not petty at all.

Other parents there did make comments as they left - not directed at the child, but about the oblivious parents and some at Ollivander, for his blatant commercialism. I believe paying customers have the right to voice their concerns though - it can help tweak some glitches. The complaints were told to the employees one encounters when you leave the show area and squeeze into the shop.

Also, to be a truly random selection, your first sentence would have to be not true. Can't be random, and then have a condition. That takes away the randomness of it.

 

[Magpie]

A total lurker here, coming out of lurkdom <waves hi>

Just got back tonight from my first trip to WWoHP and you guys are probably the only ones who won't roll your eyes when I say this - my wand picked me last night!

I will say that I am coughcough39coughcough and was not wearing any hp paraphernalia at all. I was standing in the front row (I swear I just filed in and stood where the assistant directed me) and I was over near the door, not near the stairs. And there were several kids in the group.

But the wandkeeper pointed straight at me!! Of course what was really going thru my brain was: ohmygodishereallypointingatmewhatifhe'spointingatthepersonbehindmeandianswerhisquestionandhewasn'ttalkingtomeandilooklikeatotalmoron?

The wandkeeper had me do aguamente and lumos before finding the right wand. I could hear the crowd behind me laughing when my spells went wrong, but it really was a one-on-one experience.

So there is hope for us not-so-young Muggles!!

The same thing happened to me, and I'm also 39. I wasn't wearing any HP regalia, either. Except for my handmade black and yellow scarf, that is, but there were plenty of other people in real HP scarves in the shop. There were also some girls in official HP robes standing next to me. And some adorable little boys in the front row.

So why did I get picked? Who knows! I'm just glad Olivander let me drag my daughter up to the front with me!

It's awesome, when it happens to you!

 

[Asm]

I halfway expect my grandson to be picked in Aug. I doubt he would even want to but he looks so much like Harry. He won a lookalike contest at one of the book releases when he was 3 and looks even more like Harry at almost 7. His sis would much rather be chosen.

 

[Magpie]

I halfway expect my grandson to be picked in Aug. I doubt he would even want to but he looks so much like Harry. He won a lookalike contest at one of the book releases when he was 3 and looks even more like Harry at almost 7. His sis would much rather be chosen.

If he gets picked (and keep in mind, I've seen plenty of little boys get passed over), he should try to pass the privilege on to his sister, or say something like, "My sister's here for a wand, too!" That way both your kids will get to go up to the front.

You can practice what to say with them before hand, as well as prepare them for the very real possibility that they won't get picked.

 

[hibricc]

My 10yo son was picked at our very first visit to Ollivander's last month. Both he and his 8yo brother are huge fans, both having read all the books and seen the movies. I'd read on here about the spot by the stairs, but decided not to try and work the system, just take our chances with random luck instead. Plus my older son always gets picked for stuff like this - he was sorted at the HP exhibit in Boston last year (Slytherin!) - and a quick scan of the people near us in line (mostly grown-ups) made me think either he or his brother had a pretty good shot. But we had them prepared to not be chosen.

Sure enough, Ollivander zeroed right in on my older boy, and an Elder wand chose him (it's a different wand every time, right?). Unfortunately, the design of that particular wand puts a lot of stress on the narrow point at the base of the large skull-shaped handle, and it broke a week or so after we got home. We replaced it online with an ALDER wand (his choice this time, not the wand's ).

I'd love to go back and see the show again, give my younger boy a chance....

 

[CUBuffalo]

We were lucky to have my 8yr old daughter get chosen in October. We weren't near the staircase either but my wife did spot Ollivander watching everyone come through the door and it seems it doesn't matter where you stand as she said it looks like he makes his choice when everyone comes in so he can truly act surprised as he walks by the "chosen" one. She was not wearing her HP stuff either at this time. It was an awesome experience though and I was very happy for her because I knew it meant so much to her. We tried to be realistic and know that there's no sure thing as getting picked but deep down I was really hoping it would happen for her. Later I caught her practicing her "spells" during a down time as my wife and younger son went on the Suess train.

Can't wait to go back this Sept!