Harry Potter - Pitstops for Kids

The Wizarding World at Universal Studios Hollywood: What to know before you go

October 28, 2019 By Amy Hagstrom

If you have kids who live and breathe all things Harry Potter, and you can’t take them on a trip to the motherland, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios is the next best thing. With the Wizarding World is now open on both coasts, we opted to check out Hogwarts and Hogsmeade in Hollywood. Read on for our best planning tips:

Don’t forget to budget time for one of the best things to do in Hollywood, the Museum of Illusions, plus additional fun in the greater Los Angeles area!

Rides at Wizarding World of Harry Potter:

There are two rides at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, both of which are pretty tame by theme park standards. However, here’s what you should know about each:

The Flight of the Hippogriff is Universal Studios Hollywood’s first outdoor roller coaster. It is family friendly and appropriate for younger muggles over 36 inches tall.
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey at Universal Studios Hollywood takes place inside Hogwart’s Castle. This 3-D adventure is perfect for diehard Harry Potter fans who can brave the Quidditch pitch, Whomping Willows, dragons and dementors. We loved it, but there’s a lot of twisting and turning, and some of us felt a bit queasy afterward. If you get motion sickness, know this in advance!

Shopping inside Wizarding World:

Normally, souvenir shopping wouldn’t get more than a cursory mention in one of my posts…after all, no one comes for the shopping. Not so at Wizarding World! Shopping for Harry Potter souvenirs is truly part of the fun at Wizarding World, and you’ll want to take time to do some browsing. Be sure to go into the various shops, such as Honeydukes candy shop for some chocolate frogs, Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans, chocolate cauldrons and more. Inside the castle and as you exit the Forbidden Journey are where you will find Filch’s Emporium of Confiscated Goods. I could have spent hours in there! You can purchase clothing, house crest banners, toys, games and replicas of the movie props.

If your kid (or you!) want to buy a wand, do it early. Why? You can use interactive wands (the ones with the specially marked sticker on the box) throughout the Wizarding World. It’s really fun to perform spells at any location with an emblem on the ground. There’s always a Universal employee stationed nearby to give you tips.

To get a wand, you can either go through a wand ceremony (where you wait in line to watch the ceremony where one person is picked to be the recipient, then buy your own if you weren’t picked), or you can go directly to the wand shop. If you want to watch the ceremony, we suggest making this your first stop.

The wand shop is usually crazy crowded, but it’s also jaw-dropping to see the wand boxes literally stacked floor to ceiling. Wands will set you back $50 each (yes, really!) but it’s one of those things you should probably just budget for, because once in the Wizarding World, they’re hard to resist!

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Food & drink of wizards:

Like shopping, eating is a big deal at Wizarding World. There are all kinds of edible treats from the candy in Honeydukes to the restaurant and pub, as well as Butterbeer. In the Three Broomsticks restaurant, you’ll find the Hog’s Head (bar), but also English fare for the whole family. You can snuggle up with a drink in a cozy booth or spot in front of the fireplace. We found it expensive but fun to eat a meal in the Three Broomsticks.

Wizarding entertainment:

On the Hogsmeade stage you will find some entertainment throughout your visit. Some of the Hogwarts choir students (one from each house) perform with their large croaking frogs. You can also cheer on the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students as they get the crowd excited for the Triwizard Tournament. After each performance, you can take photos with the singers and dancers.

Dealing with crowds:

Universal’s Front of Line pass will be worth your while if you’re visiting during peak season (summer) or just about any time in the first months of the park’s opening, even though there are only two rides in the park. The pass is good for both rides, and lines are definitely long. It also includes front access to shows, saving you time (as you won’t have to hold seats). These passes start at $199. There is a single rider line available for The Forbidden Journey. There’s a VIP pass as well, which gets you all the perks of the Front of Line pass, plus a guided tour, breakfast, and lunch, but at over $300 a ticket, we don’t see the value.

Buying tickets:

As with most theme parks, Universal Studios gives you an array of options for ticket purchase (in addition to the aforementioned Front of the Line pass). Always buy tickets online ahead of time if buying directly through Universal to save some cash, but if you plan to do anything else in the greater Los Angeles area, do as we did and use a Go Los Angeles card attraction pass. A 3-day card gives you a day at Universal Studios, which you can upgrade to a Front of the Line pass should you desire. We loved that we didn’t have to wait in the ticket line at all: cards are fully integrated with the Universal Studios Hollywood ticket turnstiles.

Where to stay: If budget allows, consider staying in LA style with luxury villa rentals Los Angeles. Or, staying at a Preferred Hotel gets you early admission privileges, and may even get you shuttle service to the park (in some cases). What we like: there’s a large selection to choose from, making it possible for families on all budgets to book a Preferred Hotel. Be sure to use hotel loyalty programs when you book to ensure you come away with points as well as a great vacation!

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Photo credit: Prayitno

Harry Potter road trip: UK filming sites worth visiting

July 22, 2016 By Amy Hagstrom

There’s are many filming locations for the Harry Potter movie franchise scattered over the UK and Scotland, but frankly, not all of them are visit-worthy. For instance, the campsite Harry and Hermione find themselves in during the last book and movie is really more of a sewage treatment center with some grass outside. Other sites, however, have been destinations in their own right for years, and a few gems were virtually undiscovered by visitors until Harry Potter put them on the map. We’ve compiled our favorites. All you need to do is grab a flight and rent a car to check out these stops along a Harry Potter road trip of the UK.

Start in London:

King’s Cross Station: Visiting King’s Cross, the site of famous Platform 9 3/4 is a must for most Harry Potter fans. The wall that witches and wizards run into to access it is actually located between platforms 4 and 5. You can check out the location, then enjoy the decidedly Muggle ambiance of the busy station.

London Zoo: The Reptile House where Harry first learned he could talk to snakes on Dudley’s birthday looks just as it appears in the movie. Plan to stay and enjoy the rest of the London Zoo for at least the better part of a day. The zoo has an excellent lion exhibit and ‘sunset safari’.

Whitehall: The Palace of Whitehall was the main residence of the English monarchs in Londonfrom 1530 until 1698. While filming the Harry Potter series, the Ministry of Magic was set between Trafalgar Square and the Houses of Parliament in Westminster.

Drive to Oxford:

From London, take A40 to M40 to Oxford. Once in the area, there are numerous Harry Potter sites to visit.

Oxford Library: The Hogwarts library, pictured numerous times, including when Harry researches Nicholas Flamel, is located in Oxford’s Duke Humphrey’s Library, which is one of the special collections reading rooms at the Bodleian. Hermione also reads about Polyjuice Potion there, and Harry and Hermione discuss who to take to Slughorn’s Christmas party here.

Divinity School: The Divinity School at Oxford is the setting for the Hogwarts infirmary. Even if you know nothing of Harry Potter, stop in here. It’s breathtakingly beautiful.

From Oxford, continue on A40 to Gloucester:

Gloucester Cathedral: The corridor that leads to The Fat Lady and Gryffindor’s common room is located in the cloisters of Gloucester Cathedral, beautiful to visit whether a Potter fan or no. You may also recognize it as the corridor where Ginny writes “The Chamber of Secrets has been opened” in blood on the walls.

Drive to Wiltshire:

Drive the A417 out of Gloucester to the A361 to Wiltshire. Continue out of town to Lacock.

Lacock Abbey: Lacock Abbey is a treasure trove of Harry Potter sites. Professor Snape’s classroom is located in the Lacock Abbey Sacristy. Also located in the Wiltshire Abbey is professor Quirrell’s classroom. Of note: this room houses a genuine cauldron. The room where Harry views his deceased parents in the mirror is also in Lacock Abbey. In Chamber of Secrets, professor McGonagall uses the same room for her lesson on how to turn animals into water goblets. Horace Slughorn’s house is nearby in Chapel Hill, Lacock, Wiltshire.

Return toward London:

12 Picket Post Close, Martins Heron: Better known as 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, this is the exact home depicted as the Dursleys’ house in the films. Martin’s Heron in en route back to London, but it’s fairly close to the city, so this stop can certainly be done as part of your London itinerary as well.

Going further afield:

To continue your Harry Potter tour through the north, start by driving up A120 toward Suffolk.

Lavenham: This charming village is the filming site of Godric’s Hollow. A wonderful medieval village worthy of your visit, Lavenham may not be covered in snow during your visit, as it was during Harry’s Christmas pilgrimage, but you’ll still find plenty to occupy yourself here.

Goathland Station: The station that serves both the village of Hogsmeade and Hogwarts is actually Goathland Station, on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway.

More to see in Scotland:

Alnwick Castle: Known as a popular filming location (it was featured in Downton Abbey, Robin Hood, and more), Alnwick Castle, Northumberland is the location for Madam Hooch’s first flying lesson. You’ll need to walk to the Outer Bailey (courtyard). Harry and Ron also land the Ford Anglia here in Chamber of Secrets.

Loch Shiel, Glencoe: The setting for the Hogwarts Lake (most of the time, anyway), Loch Shiel is located near the Glenfinnan Viaduct. You can definitely see both in a day.

Glenfinnan Viaduct, Lochaber: One of the most recognizable settings from Harry Potter, this viaduct is the one the Hogwarts Express is crossing when Harry and Ron almost crash the Ford Anglia. During the summer months, you can take a ride along the track through West Coast Railways.

Bonus stops:

Wales: In scenic Pembrokeshire, Dobby’s tragic death takes place at Freshwater West.

Ireland: The well-known Cliffs of Moher on the Atlantic coast of County Clare are featured when Dumbledore takes Harry to find the Horcrux in the sea cave. If you also want to see the rock on which Harry and Dumbledore stand, however, that’s 90 miles away off Iveragh Peninsula.

This post was written in partnership with Alamo Europe. Photo credit

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Walk in the footsteps of Harry Potter and his friends on your next visit to London

February 5, 2016 By Amy Hagstrom

There’s no doubt about it, children and adults all over the world are obsessed with Harry Potter and his adventures. From Harry Potter Book Nights, where fans gather to celebrate the Harry Potter series, through to tours of the locations and the studio where the movies were made, if you’re a Harry Potter aficionado you can always find something to satisfy your thirst for further knowledge of the young wizard.

In fact, the Harry Potter phenomenon has even stretched as far as Japan, where their enduring fascination has generated unheard of book sales, box office receipts, and even his very own theme park, since the release of the first movie, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, over 15 years ago. Just this week, the Japanese have taken their obsession one step further as a series of Harry Potter Manga characters created by a Japanese design company were released, albeit only in Japan for the moment.

The illustrations, which were created in collaboration with Shockhiku, a Japanese movie studio, and licensed by Warner Bros, represent 13 characters from the quintessentially English adventure, and include all the major players in the series from Harry himself, Hermoine Grainger and Ron Weasley to Albus Dumbledore and Professor Snape, who was played by the great British actor Alan Rickman who died recently. There’s even a Manga representation for Harry’s owl, Hedwig. Released as plastic folders with a character on the front and the four Hogwart’s houses on the back, the characters have typical Manga features, with enormous eyes, tiny feet and glossy hair.

However, for real Harry Potter fans, there’s nothing like being in London and taking a tour of the locations used in the Harry Potter movies. Whether you want to see Kings Cross Station, where they filmed the famous Platform 9¾, or 12 Grimmauld Place and the sites used for the Leaky Cauldron, an organised bus tour of the London locations is one of the best ways to get around London and see not just the places featured in the movies, but also some of the iconic London landmarks. With a tour guide to give you all the insider information about how the movies were actually made, it’s one of the best ways to immerse you and your children in the whole Harry Potter experience. Plus, if you really want to get in the mood, you can even dress as one of your favourite Harry Potter characters, although this is not a requirement.

Visiting London offers the perfect opportunity to find out more about how the movies were made, and to learn more about movie making in general if you’ve got any budding Steven Spielbergs in the family; so for this reason a Harry Potter Studio Tour is a must for any die-hard fans. During the tour you’ll get an up-close-and-personal view of the actual sets used to film all eight of the Harry Potter movies, plus you’ll get to see the stunning costumes, props and visual effects that were used to bring these truly iconic movies to life and to the big screen. Children will love visiting the sets, including the Great Hall, Diagon Alley and Hagrid’s Hut, and they’ll also be given the opportunity for a photo shoot sitting in the flying Ford Anglia, made by Arthur Weasley, and used by Fred, George and Ron to rescue Harry who’d been locked up in his room.

Both of the above tours are available from Brit Movie Tours who offer a range of Harry Potter Tours in London and other locations throughout the UK.

Photo credit: Barry Benbridge