One Day at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Wondering how you can make the most of one day at Universal Studios Orlando Wizarding World? While EPIC Universe, and it’s 5 lands, surely require one full day, you can still tackle the rest of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in One Day between Universal’s 2 original parks; Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure. And since the Hogwarts Express connects Islands of Adventure and Universal Florida with the right strategy, ticket and plan you can make the most of your day. 

There are many reasons you may need to squeeze the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in One Day. Maybe you’re in the middle of a Walt Disney World vacation and only have one day to spare. Or you are only able to afford one day’s worth of tickets. And perhaps you just don’t really need to see, or want to spend a ton of time, at another theme park. Whatever it is, never fear, we’re here to help. Because, it’s actually not that difficult to see the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in one day. Here’s how we recommend you do it!

Wizarding World Parks

Before we dive into strategy, let’s get familiar with how the Wizarding World of Harry Potter works. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is located at Universal Studios Orlando. For this post we’ll share how you can do the Wizarding World in One Day by using the Hogwarts Express Train that connects Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure. Since the Ministry of Magic area at EPIC Universe is not connected by the train, it is not included in this post. Here is what you can find in each park.

• Universal Studios Florida includes Diagon Alley, located at the very back of  the park. And is where you’ll find King’s Cross Station to take the Hogwarts Express.
• Islands of Adventure includes Hogsmeade and the Harry Potter castle, Hogwarts, located at the back of the park. 

Make a Plan

This may be one of the most difficult things to do if you’ve never been to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, but hopefully, this post will help you sort that out. Decide what you want to see and do the most. Are rides your main priority? Are you hoping to get some fun photo ops in? Is the merch, drinking lots of butterbeer, interactive spell casting, or shows most important? Or maybe you want to try to see and do a little bit of everything. Be sure to check out our First Trip to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter post for a lineup of all there is to do, see, and eat. Whatever your goals, we hope this post gives you the tips you need to achieve them!

Download the Universal Studios App

The next step is to download the Universal Studios. The Universal app is free and so helpful for a lot of things and can store your tickets, payment method, and show wait times for attractions. This is a great tool to help you plan your day as it also shows you when certain showtimes for the Frog Choir and Tales of Beedle the Bard. As well as stores Virtual Queue info too. We highly recommend using this app if you’re trying to do the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in one day; it’ll help you stay more organized and keep up to date on the latest wait times. 

Get the Park to Park Ticket

If you want to fit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal into one day, you need the park to park ticket. This is really non-negotiable. The only way to see all of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in one day is to have the park-to-park ticket so you can ride the train between Hogsmeade Station and Kings Cross Station.

Skip the Universal Studios Express Pass

Okay, so if you are only going to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and already springing for the park-to-park ticket, the Express Pass is something you should just skip. While this skip the line service is amazing it also VERY EXPENSIVE, unless it’s included in your hotel stay. 

For us the cost of this pass, in addition to the park to park, just made it feel crazy-expensive and we can easily wake up a little earlier to get to those rides first, which is what we recommend. That being said, if you’re not an early riser, or don’t have access to Early Park Admission, the Express Pass can be useful.

What Rides are Included in Express Pass?

The Express Pass at Universal Studios can be used for the Hogwarts Express, Escape from Gringott’s and Harry Potter and The Forbidden Journey, so if you have it, you’ll really only have to wait in line for Hagrid’s Magical Creatures. 

Can you get the Universal Studios Express Pass for Free?

If you’re a Premier Passholder or if you’re staying in a Premier Resort at Universal though, you will automatically get Express Pass which can be super helpful, especially during busier times. When we got a great hotels.com deal for Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, we were able to get both Early Admission and Express Pass as part of our stay.

Get Early Admission

To enter the parks early you will need an Early Admission Ticket At Universal Studios Orlando. Universal Studios Early Admission Ticket is the best way to get a head start on your day in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.  You don’t have to stay on-site for this perk, but if you choose to stay off-site, you will need to book your vacation including accommodations and tickets through a Universal Vacation Package. If you’re an annual pass holder with preferred or premier status, you get access to this benefit with your pass! We have stayed offsite and onsite to utilize this benefit. And when we stayed offsite at a nearby partner hotel that was a 4-minute drive from Universal, it saved us hundreds of dollars while still getting early admission.

And Double Check which Park is Offering Early Admission

You can find the Universal Orlando early admission calendar here, to see which park is opening early, at what time on what days. Having this will make a HUGE difference in wait times whether you are arriving early or at Park opening. Depending on which season you’re traveling in can make a difference in which Park will offer Early Admission; so it’s very important that you check before you plan. Be sure to read up on Early Admission at Universal Studios, so you can make a plan. 

Can I do Wizarding World in One day Without Early Admission?

It’s definitely possible to still complete the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in one day if you don’t have access to Early Admission; so if that’s not in the cards for you, just plan to be at the Parks about 45 minutes early to get you through security and get you to the turnstiles. Many times guests without Early Park Admission are allowed in about 30 minutes early. So be sure to get there as early as possible to get a head start on the day. 

Check for Virtual Queue Options

Universal Studios Orlando has offered virtual queues for the last few years on select rides. Virtual Queues allow you to select a return time virtually, so you don’t have to physically stand in line and wait.  You’ll still have to wait, but the time will be much more manageable. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter offers virtual queues for select rides on days when the Parks get a bit busier. 

It is important to note- this is NOT available all of the time. When it is available, it’s available for Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure and Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. 

• Download the Universal Orlando mobile app 
• Reservations can only be made via the app
• You can reserve 2 rides at a time
• Each reservation can hold a place for up to 8 guests
• Guests must be physically at CityWalk or at an On-Property Resort Hotel to make reservations
• As of right now, guests do not need to be inside the park to make reservations
• If the ride of your choice is sold out for the day, keep checking! They will often add more times as the day goes on.

Pick Which Park to Start Your Day

First things first. While it doesn’t really matter which park you choose to start your day, there will be a few things to consider. Things like where you want to spend most of your time or where you want to end your day may affect your choice. We recommend starting Islands of Adventure, as it has two of the most popular rides and they get busy later in the day. As far as which rides you’ll actually be able to ride first will largely depend on if you have early park admission, and which Park is offering that for the day.

That said, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter has a couple of highly coveted rides that can take some time out of your day. Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey and Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure are going to be the rides that take up most of your time. Both of these rides are located in Hogsmeade, at Islands of Adventure. Hagrid’s Magical Creatures tends to have the lowest waits in the very first part of the day, during meal times, and as the day starts to wind down. We’ve noticed that usually about an hour before the park closes, Hagrid’s sees a lower wait time. 

The other ride that you’ll want to experience that may have a long wait during busy times is Escape from Gringott’s. Escape from Gringott’s is located in Diagon Alley in Universal Studios Florida. 

Start Early

Be ready to start your day early, with or without Early Admission. We cannot stress how important this is. This will save you a TON of time. Start Early.  Try to be among some of the first people there. If they say they are opening at 8 am, be in line at 7:30, you get the point. Make sure you know what time the Parks Open during your trip, as times can change a lot during the year. That being said, in order to be some of the first people there, you will need Early Park Admission. Otherwise just do your best to get there early.

Stay Late

A tried and true trick for getting everything in one day is to also plan on staying late. You’re in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, why would you want to leave? We actually notice a lot of people leaving around 5-ish every time we’ve been there, and the park closes at 9 PM. It’s obviously because CityWalk has such great food, so a lot of the lines go down quite dramatically around dinnertime.  We were able to ride Hagrid’s Magical Creatures with only about a 15-minute wait at the end of the day on our last visit. 

Hogsmeade | Islands of Adventure

Starting at Hogsmeade? That either means you chose to start here, or that this Park is offering early admission that day. You have a couple of choices if you plan to start at Hogsmeade. Note, that both rides require you to store your belongings in a locker, so if you want pictures, make sure you bring your phone or something that fits in your pocket.

Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure

Make a mad dash to Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure FIRST. This is the most popular ride and will be busy throughtout the day. If you can grab an early place in line you’ll be better off trying to fit every thing else in.

Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey

After Hagrids, go straight to Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey if rides are your top priority. You can usually find a 10-15 minute wait at Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey if you are there early enough.  And this is a queue we would go through again and again just to see the details. It is stunning and is really something to experience.

Grab Castle Photos 

Hogsmeade is home to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, aka the Harry Potter Castle. Be sure to take advantage of an empty Hogsmeade and grab some photos.

Cast Spells

The earliest part of the day is the least busy for casting spells, so if you have an interactive wand, now is a good time to do that! If you don’t have one, you can buy one from a few different shops. And if you don’t have one but want to experience the wand selection ceremony in a wand shop, we recommend getting in that line as early as possible as it tends to get very busy as the day goes on.

There is an Ollivander’s Wand Shop in both parks, but if wands are going to be part of your day, we recommend you start this early as well. The lines to perform spells can get pretty long. So if you’re planning to buy a wand, do it early to get ahead of the game. If you’re not interested in seeing the wand ceremony (we recommend that you do), you can also buy a wand from various carts throughout the Wizarding World. You can perform spells throughout Hogsmeade (or Diagon Alley) wherever you see a little medallion on the ground. 

Visit Honeydukes Sweet Shop

While you’re in Hogsmeade, be sure to stop at Honeydukes to get your fill of chocolate frogs and pumpkin pasties. This shop is beautiful and deserves attention. Grab photos, and ogle the sweets. 

Eat at the Three Broomsticks 

If your day at Wizarding World will have time for lunch in the park, grab some food at Three Broomsticks and drink all the butterbeer you can. This heavy oak building, includes several dining rooms, and all the classic old time tavern food you’d expect in a hidden wizard village. 

Shows

Be sure to check out the performances of students from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons Academy.  Stop and listen to the Frog Choir. And before you leave you can even send a postcard via Owl Post.

Ride the Hogwarts Express | Platform 9-3/4 

Once you’re done at Hogsmeade, hop aboard the Hogwarts Express. The Hogwarts Express is an experience all it’s own. Grab a seat in the train car, and listen for whispers, familiar voices, and shadowed scenes on the windows. You’ll want to experience the train in both to and from each park as the experience is different.

Since both Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade are located far from the entrances of their respective Parks taking the train over early will put you ahead of those without Early Park Admission racing to the back even if you don’t catch the first train ride of the day.  It’s a pretty short ride and is the only way you should be getting from Hogsmeade to Diagon Alley. 

Regardless of which Park you start in The Hogwarts Express will usually start running about 15- 30 minutes before the actual Park opens. Taking the Hogwarts Express between Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley your best bet to maximizing your time in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. 

Be sure to pay attention when getting on to platform 9 3/4 on your way back to the train in King’s Crossing; the visual effects are amazing and are something you won’t want to miss! If you watch, it looks like people disappear at Platform 9-3/4. Be sure to see this in real life! 

Diagon Alley | Universal Studios Florida

If you’re starting in Diagon Alley know that it is located at the back of Universal Studios Florida. You can find it by noticing the Knight Bus. Just before you get back to Kings Cross Station, stop and chat with the Knight Bus Driver. He is hilarious and you can get your photo taken with him if you want.

You can also step inside the red telephone booth and Listen to a Message from the Ministry of magic. We actually found the bus driver and the telephone booth to be less crowded later in the day but you can do this either time.

Before you enter Diagon Alley, stop at 12 Grimmauld Place and catch a glimpse of Kreacher peeking out the upstairs window.  He’s pretty creepy and will peek out every so often when muggles are knocking at his door. Once inside Diagon Alley, take a few minutes to take a few photos without all the people. Diagon Alley is SMALL and it gets very crowded very quickly.

Escape from Gringotts

Your goal once you arrive in Diagon Alley is to head over to Escape from Gringotts. Note that there are a lot of distractions along the way, so focus on getting the ride in first. This is one of our favorite rides in the Wizarding World. The queue for this ride is absolutely amazing, and another one you’ll want to really take in all the details. You’ll also need to store your stuff for this ride, so throw your stuff in a free locker and head to the bank! During slower times, this ride tends to have lower wait times during most parts of the day, but during peak hours, you will be glad you got to ride this one first. 

Head to the Shops

Since shopping is a huge part of the experience in Diagon Alley, ourrecommendation is to head straight to the shops after you’ve had your fill of being chased by Bellatrix and Voldemort at Gringott’s.

We loved Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes of course! And if you’re in need of a wand you can visit Ollivander’s for the wand ceremony. While in Diagon Alley, be sure to visit all of our favorite places. 

• Gringott’s Money Exchange
• The Leaky Cauldron
• Florean  Fortescue’s for some ice cream
• Get critiqued by a very judgemental mirror at Madam Malkins
• Stop by The Fountain of Fair Fortune for Butterbeer

Diagon Alley Shows

Make sure to check out the shows in Carkitt Market; they are incredible and you won’t want to miss them. Listen to the magical vocal stylings of Celestina Warbeck and the Banshees. Watch the magical puppeteers perform stories from Tales of Beetle the Bard. This is one of our favorite shows and luckily both of these shows are usually scheduled within 15 minutes of each other and are located at the same stage, so you can catch them one after another. They’re all great and are a nice break from the heat as that area is shaded.

And don’t miss Knockturn Alley. You can shop at Bourgin and Bourke’s, and perform spells to escape some of those crowds. Knockturn Alley is generally colder than the other areas of Diagon Alley and is a great break from the heat too. 

Wizarding World of Harry Potter in One Day

There you have it! If you’re feeling like you won’t get everything in, aim to tackle the Top 10 Things to do at Wizarding World first. And use this post to help get your bearings on the layout, rides, shops, restaurants, and more. It’s actually really easy to see both Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter without feeling rushed in one day, when you know the drill. Especially, if you plan to arrive early and stay late. Whatever your Universal Studio plans we’re sure you’ll be able to tackle this Harry Potter World one-day challenge, without feeling rushed or wondering where all your money went.:)  And speaking of money, be sure to check out our post about saving money at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter!