Are you a Harry Potter fan? Are you planning a trip to Universal Studios to experience the world of wizardry in person? From wands to robes, here's the scoop on all the Harry Potter gear you need for the ultimate wizarding experience.
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Wands - The full scoop!
So every wizard needs a wand, right? I'll be honest, I didn't plan to buy my kid a wand on our trip. But I caved when I saw how much fun other kids were having with it, and I'm not sorry. So here's the scoop.
Throughout the Harry Potter areas of all three parks - Diagon Alley at Universal Studios, Hogsmeade at Islands of Adventure, and the Ministry of Magic at Epic Universe - there are stations where the kids (or adults if you're into that kind of thing), can do magic tricks with their wands. Everything from levitating books to making a fountain come to life. It is actually really fun and very well done, and once I saw it, I didn't want my son to miss out.
So you want to buy a wand. Now, where do you buy the wand?
You will find the wands for sale at various stands and shops throughout the parks. But of course the place you should buy the wand is Ollivanders. Just like in the movies! You will find an Ollivanders wand shop in both Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade. (Over at Epic Universe, the wand shop in the Ministry of Magic area is called Cosme Acajor Baguettes Magiques.) And they are honestly so well done that it's worth the obscene price they are going to charge you for a wand. We had a lot of fun "testing" different wands to pick out the perfect one for my son. I suggest making the wand shop one of your first stops of the day, as it can get busy there. Plus you want to get the wand early so the kids can try all the magic tricks while you walk around. (For more tips like this, check out my insider tips for visiting Universal Orlando.)
How much do the wands cost? There are two types of interactive wands. The original interactive wands run about $65. The newer Second Generation Interactive Wands are about $85 - they light up and vibrate when you cast a spell, and they connect to the Universal Play features in the Universal Orlando Resort app, where kids can earn house points and go on in-park adventures. (Those are the current prices as we write this, and they do change from time to time. We try to keep this post updated, but always check current prices before your trip!)
There is also an opportunity to attend a wand ceremony at Ollivanders. You'll wait in line for this part. It's a fun little demo where they will pick one guest out of the crowd to play along in a ceremony where the perfect wand selects its person. But note that the wait can be long for this, it's relatively short, only one person is going to get picked each time, and that person still has to buy the wand if they want to keep it. So... we skipped that and just went shopping inside Ollivanders. I suggest you do the same.
Note that if you really want to skip the crowded shopping experience, you can order a wand ahead of time from Universal's shop. Make sure you choose one labeled "interactive" (either the original or Second Generation) so it will work at all the magic stations. But that's really not nearly as much fun as letting the kids pick out their own wand in the shop.
Now let's move on to some other fun accessories that you should buy ahead of time!
Wand Holders
So you're going to get a wand. And that means you now need to carry a wand around for the rest of the day (or multiple days). There are a few ingenious ways to accomplish this:
Put it in your bag. Duh. If you plan to carry a bag around all day anyway, then there's really no issue here. But be aware that you will have to stow most bags in the lockers before each ride, which can be a pain in the you-know-what. If you're going the bag route, check out my article on the best bags for Universal Studios.
Wand holder. If you don't plan to carry a big bag around, the best option is to buy your kid one of these cool wand holders. Kids love them and they get to carry their own stuff around - win win.
Chapstick holder on a lanyard. Disclaimer - I haven't tried this one. But I've been told by other mom friends that these chapstick holders work great as a wand holder too. Just attach it to a lanyard. Plus you can actually use it for chapstick on other types of trips. Although I'm not exactly sure why you need a quick draw chapstick - but to each their own.
Robe with an inside pocket. If your kid is wearing a wizard robe to the parks (see below for suggestions on that), check whether it has an inside pocket that can hold their wand on rides. Most kids' robes, like this official Gryffindor robe, don't - but if you're crafty, you can sew a simple pocket inside.
Jacket with an inside pocket. if you're going during chilly weather, bring along a hoodie or jacket that has an inside pocket where you can stash the wand on rides. I have a fleece with an inside pocket that I like to take along in winter.
Wizard Robes
Now if you're thinking of breaking out the Harry Potter robe and wondering is this too much? It isn't. Trust me - there will be fans way more decked out than you. So just go for it.
You can grab a an official Harry Potter costume set like this one, which comes with the hooded robe, glasses, and a wand. (Note that the costume wand isn't an interactive one, so it won't work at the spell stations in the parks.) And bam - Halloween costume is covered too.
House Scarves
If you're not quite bold enough to go full wizard robe, but still want to step it up a notch, go with a scarf. They are kind of like the scarves you see at soccer games, but cooler. You will see tons of these Harry Potter themed scarves around the parks representing all the different Hogwarts houses. So whether you're Team Gryffindor or Team Slytherin, you can represent in style.
Harry Potter Themed T-Shirts
And if you want something a little lower key, you can't go wrong with a Harry Potter themed t-shirt. Here are a few of my current favorites:
Wizard Glasses & Scar Tee
Comes in lots of colors. Shop it on Amazon
Gryffindor Quidditch Tee
For the Gryffindors. Shop it on Amazon
"Up to No Good" Tee
For the comedian in the group. Shop it on Amazon
Hogwarts House Tee
Pick your favorite house. Shop it on Amazon
More Harry Potter Goodies!
Harry Potter themed lanyards. One of the key items on my Universal Studios packing list is a lanyard for everyone in your group to carry their park tickets and Express passes. So why not make them Harry Potter themed lanyards?
Temporary Tattoos. What kid doesn't love a pack of temporary tattoos? You can grab a set of wizard themed designs or a full pack of lightning bolt tattoos. I even saw one little girl at Universal handing these out to other kids, which was a pretty adorable idea.
Socks! I'm a sucker for fun socks, so I love these Gryffindor and Slytherin themed socks.
Park Maps for Lanyards. And this last one isn't really Harry Potter themed, but I do really like these printable park maps that are perfectly sized to fit in a lanyard - and they now include Epic Universe, too. Way more convenient than the phone app and the kids can have them too.
More Tips for Universal Orlando
And if you need some more trip planning inspiration, don't miss these helpful guides:
- The Ultimate Universal Studios Packing List
- Best Bags for Universal Studios
- Most Kid Friendly Rides at Universal and Islands of Adventure
- Are Universal Studios Express Passes worth it?
- Insider Tips for an Epic First Visit to Universal Studios Orlando
- The Scariest (and Least Scary!) Rides at Universal Orlando
- Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando - Our Full Review
- Loews Royal Pacific Resort - Our Full Review
- What to Pack for Disney World
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