This article is your complete guide to figuring out if The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Universal Orlando is worth it! From our experience, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Universal Orlando is worth it for not only die-hard Harry Potter fans but also casual fans. This is mostly due to the attention to detail that can be found between Hogsmeade Village, Diagon Alley, and the new Ministry of Magic. We also find that the Harry Potter rides like Hagrid’s are some of the best rides in all of Orlando. Universal always has one section of The Wizarding World open for early park admission, making it worth it for families who are simply interested in having an amazing theme park vacation!
We hope you find this post helpful! Our goal at The Park Prodigy has always been to help you save time and money on your next Universal Orlando vacation! If you are planning a trip to Universal Orlando be sure to check out the latest deals on Universal Orlando vacation packages and our discounted Universal Orlando tickets which include EARLY PARK ADMISSION to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter!
SPECIAL NOTE: If you need help picking the best time to visit Universal Orlando for your next vacation, be sure to check out our Universal Crowd calendar!
Universal Orlando Crowd Calendar
From our experience, no visit to Universal Orlando is complete without stopping by The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The main reason is that we find both Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade Village to have some incredible attention to detail, which every Harry Potter fan or casual visitor can appreciate. In our opinion, we also believe that out of the six Harry Potter rides found in Universal Orlando, two of which are Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure and Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts, are on the list of the best five rides at Universal. Not to mention the Harry Potter interactive wands, fire-breathing dragon, and the ability to have breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the Three Broomsticks and Leaky Cauldron.
Related Page: Guide to Planning a Harry Potter Vacation
One of the most important things to determine if the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is worth it is which rides my family can go on? As a general rule of thumb, we find the Wizarding World of Harry Potter rides to be best suited for guests who are 36″-48″ or taller, with the most popular ride, Hagrid’s Magical Creatures, having a minimum height requirement of 48″ tall. The Hogwarts Express, which does not have a height requirement at all. And we love that guests can ride the train both ways and get a different experience each time. However, the only downside to the Hogwarts Express is guests need a park-to-park ticket to ride.
Related Page: Guide to the Universal Orlando Height Requirments
As noted above, admission into the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is included with your Universal Orlando ticket. It is, however, important to note that the Wizarding World is split between the three parks of Islands of Adventure. Universal Studios Florida, and Epic Universe. Families budgeting for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter vacation package can expect to pay around $3,559.73 for a family of four during a four-night stay at a Universal Studios Orlando Prime Value Resort with one day at the new Epic Universe park.
One-day visits (excluding Epic Universe): $200 per person for 1-Day Park-to-Park tickets
3 Day Ticket with 1 day at Epic Universe: $567.99 per person
Vacation packages: $2,700 for a family of four with two days in the parks
One of the best ways for Harry Potter fans to visit Universal Orlando is with a Harry Potter Vacation Package. Below is an example comparison of two Universal Orlando Vacation Packages with prices.
Harry Potter Vacation Package Includes:
Create Your Own Vacation Package 2025 Includes:
It’s important to look at the different vacation packages because with those three breakfasts, the cost of “create your own vacation package” is already more expensive than the “Harry Potter package” and does not even include additional benefits like the ice cream flight, cooler ($25 value) and exclusive photography session!
Related Page: Is the Harry Potter Vacation Package Worth it?
As discussed above, the typical family of four will spend around $2,700 on a two-day Harry Potter vacation package or $800.00 on one-day Universal Orlando Park-to-Park tickets. However, outside of those costs, we would expect families of four to spend around $250-$300 each day on meals and, for the ultimate Harry Potter experience, to budget another $30 for Butterbeer each day. This also excludes specialty souvenirs such as wands, robes, or other Harry Potter merchandise.
We do find there is plenty to do within the Wizarding World of Harry Potter within one day, especially if you plan to go on all five of the Harry Potter rides, take advantage of the themed restaurants and snack stands, as well as explore all of the hidden spots and Harry Potter shows between the two parks.
As a general rule of thumb, if you are only visiting to go on the Harry Potter rides, you should be able to ride everything with the one-day park-to-park ticket. However, for guests who are looking to slow everything down and enjoy all of the hidden details found within both Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley, we would suggest two days, as you will see that both lands have immersive stores and restaurants, which every Harry Potter fan will love.
If rides are the most important factor when considering a visit to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, we would suggest making sure your kids are between 7 and 8 years old or older. The main reason is that a majority of the rides have a minimum height requirement of at least 36″ tall. However, we do believe that there is also plenty of magic to enjoy for younger guests as long as you are willing to upgrade to take advantage of one of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter wands.
Yes, we believe that adults will have a fantastic time visiting The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, especially if they grew up enjoying the books and the movies. We think both Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley are like stepping into a movie.
We typically find that families will visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter for at least one full day with a park-to-park ticket. You will see that even though you can accomplish all five of the Harry Potter rides within 5-6 hours, most guests will also want to stay to see the Nighttime Lights show on Hogwarts Castle. So, in this case, they can keep themselves busy enjoying all of the hidden details found within the two lands.
Our Universal Orlando Crowd Calendar is the best tool to help you get the most out of your time in the parks. We break down the park crowds, park hours of operation, ticket prices by day, and average temperature.
If you’re ready to plan your trip to Universal Studios, be sure to check out Universal Orlando Tickets! Not only will you save money vs buying direct, but all of our Universal Orlando tickets come with some amazing benefits that can help save you up to three hours in the parks!
And to stay up to date on everything inside the theme parks, be sure to check out our partners at Themeparktoday.com!