We recently returned from a fun trip to Universal Studios Orlando. While our main focus was visiting the Harry Potter attractions, we also spent time in the most little-kid friendly part of the parks! Read on for more details.
Universal Studios Orlando has two parks: Universal Studios (where Harry Potter’s Diagon Alley is) and Islands of Adventure (where Hogsmeade is). Similar to Disney, you get early entry to the parks if you are staying on property (Universal picks which park is early entry that day). Universal also offers an Express Pass, but it is quite pricey. Unlike Disney’s Genie, you don’t make a reservation – you just walk up to the Express Pass side of the line and most rides have an Express line. Express Pass is also included with your stay at some of their top tier hotels, which is something to consider. We didn’t end up using our Express Pass as much as we thought, so use your discretion when considering it.
We started in Diagon Alley, at Universal Studios. This is the second part of the “Harry Potter world” they built (Hogsmeade is older). They made the shops and experiences bigger and better in Diagon Alley, in my opinion, and we spent the most time here. We enjoyed checking out the cool details, shopping for robes, doing the Ollivander’s wand experience, using our wand, and more.
Diagon Alley also is much shadier, less direct full sun on hot days! It has only one ride (Escape from Gringott’s), which has a 42″ height requirement. We ate at the Leaky Cauldron – I prefer the pumpkin juice (an iced, sort of apple cider drink) to the famous Butterbeer (similar to root beer but with a foam on top, very sweet)!
After hanging out in Diagon Alley, we took the Hogwarts Express train to Hogsmeade. You need a two park ticket to do this, since Hogsmeade is in Islands of Adventure. There is one tense/scary moment on the train but it passes quickly. There is no height requirement for the train.
Hogsmeade is much narrower and feels more crowded. Many of the shops and experiences are the same, so I would do them in Diagon Alley instead. There are more rides in Hogsmeade: Flight of the Hippogriff (36″, non-scary small outdoor roller coaster), Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure (48″, legitimate roller coaster), and the Forbidden Journey (the ride inside Hogwarts Castle, 48″). We rode and enjoyed Hippogriff, then we walked through Hogwarts through the line for the Forbidden Journey, as this is really the only way to see the castle. We just walked through, then exited before the actual ride, and the staff didn’t mind.
In my opinion, this is a fun thing to do for kids who have read at least one Harry Potter book and also enjoy interactive experiences, like casting spells, eating at the restaurants found in the books, and picking out a robe, etc. Lots of little siblings were tagging along too, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to bring a kid younger than 4 or 5!
But for those littles, there is such a cool part of Universal – about a 5 minute walk from Hogsmeade – Seuss Landing!
Seuss Landing is meant for littles: it has a playground area, fun rides (the Caro-Seuss-el and One Fish, Two Fish have no height requirement and The Cat in the Hat and the Trolley Train are 36″ minimum), story times, a book shop, character meet and greets and more. We rode all 4 rides, listened to The Lorax, had cute treats, and even bought some books!
Have you visited Universal Studios Orlando?