The Ultimate Guide to Harry Potter World at Universal Studios!

So.... we just got back from our second trip to Universal Studios Orlando (more specifically, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter!!!!) and we had the most incredible time.

We were there for five and a half days and I had so many takeaways from the trip I knew I had to write them all down somewhere! Whether for my future self or for anyone else planning a trip there soon, I'm giving my reviews on must-eats, must-drinks, and must-treats, as well as experiences you can't miss, what to wear while you're there, and our biggest pro-tips that made all the difference!

First and foremost, must-drinks!

When you're in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, one of the best parts of the whole dang thing are the DRINKS!

1. Butterbeer (cold)

The Butterbeer is honestly the best drink in the park and I can't say it's not. It's a gorgeous mixture of cream soda, caramel extract, butter extract, heavy whipping cream, butterscotch topping, and powdered sugar.

You can order this at all HP-themed restaurants and there are lots of spaces around Hogsmead and a few in Diagon Alley!

2. Butterbeer (frozen)

They'll ask if you want it "Cold or frozen" when you order - and the cold is the drink and the frozen is more like a slushie. I like the cold better but my husband likes the frozen better, so you'll just have to try one of each and decide for yourself! 

You can order this at all HP-themed restaurants and there are lots of spaces around Hogsmead and a few in Diagon Alley!

3. Pumpkin Juice 

THIS IS THE ONE YOU CAN'T MISS OUT ON BABE. It's so freaking good, and because everyone knows about the Buttebeers, they never get to try this one which is an absolute loss. The pumpkin juice is a gorgeous mixture of apple juice, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla. It's lovely. So refreshing on hot days and the perfect taste of fall but still summer... if that's even possible? It's delish.

You can order this at all HP-themed restaurants and the walk-up bar in Diagon Alley.

4. Pumpkin Juice (Sparkling)

You'll have to try the sparkling pumpkin juice next! The same as the regular, just with a little carbonation. Tastes delish.

You can order this at all HP-themed restaurants and the walk-up bar in Diagon Alley.

5. Fishy Green Ale

Don't let the name freak you out! It's actually so yummy, even though it sounds adventurous. It's a mixture of honeydew melon, sprite, peppermint, cinnamon, heavy whipping cream, and blueberry-flavored boba! This one comes with a thick straw and the boba is so fun, plus the melon/peppermint taste is so fun & different.

You can order this at the Leaky Cauldron restaurant and the walk-up bar in Diagon Alley.

6. Otters Fizzy Orange Juice, Peachtree Fizzing Tea, and the Tongue Tying Lemon Squash were all even for us!

The orange one looks fun because the rim is lined with cinnamon and it has an orange slice on the side, but the flavor wasn't anything special to us.

The Peachtree Fizzing Tea was almost a little bland.

And the Tonge Tying Lemon Squash held true to its name! It was really bitter and sour - and I'm a gal who likes a bitter lemonade.

We wouldn't get those three again - especially with our other favorites as mentioned above! But if you're wanting to try them they can be ordered at The Leaky Cauldron and the walk-up bar in Diagon Alley.

Must-Eats You Can't Miss!

1. The Three Broomsticks

The best meal in the entire park is the Chicken & Ribs Platter from the Three Broomsticks restaurant in Hogsmeade. It is a great amount of food that is filling, flavorful, and so substantial. Half a rack of ribs, half a chicken, these lovely roasted potatoes, and the yummiest corn on the cob I've ever had makes this meal a 10/10! If you prefer ribs over chicken I would get the full ribs platter. If you want variety, get the mix of both! We had a Disney connoisseur with us and after having the ribs platter he said that was the "best park food he's ever had." And we agree!

There's a dessert here called the 'Butterbeer potted cream' and it was just a butterscotch pudding. I wouldn't pay the $6+ dollars for it if I were to go again! It does come in a cute glass container... but wasn't anything special. If you're wanting a Butterbeer dessert I'd recommend the Butterbeer ice cream 10/10 over this one!

The breakfast at the Three Broomsticks is good, but not great. It tastes just like a normal breakfast and is something you could totally miss and not be sad about it. 

2. The Leaky Cauldron

This restaurant was great, but our group collectively said we liked the Three Broomsticks better. I will say, my meal here of Bangers and Mash was SO GOOD. It was two delicious sausages over a plate of yummy mashed potatoes and a good serving of roasted vegetables. It felt so good to my body to have vegetables inside the park after sugar and processed carbs everywhere else, and I'd 10/10 recommend this meal when you go! 

I also had heard the Toad in the Hole meal was good but I never tried it. Might be a fun option for you if you're there for a few days! 

3. Florean Fortsescue's Ice Cream Parlour

The best place to get a refreshing treat IMO! They're $8 a cone and worth every penny when it's been a long hot day in the park. My favorite flavor was the toffee apple soft serve and my husband loved the granny smith soft serve so much that he got it both times we went!

The waffle cones taste great or you can get it in a cute little pink paper cup, and they taste even better if you can snag a comfortable bench down Knockturn Alley and enjoy your cold cone in the dark, cool alleyways there! It's right around the corner from Flo's and is the perfect retreat.

4. Sugar Plums Treats in Diagon Alley

This darling shop has the cutest souvenirs. I had to take home one of the ceramic chocolate frog dishes and one of the every-flavor-beans dishes because they were just so dang cute!

But the treats: here's my takeaway. The candy is darling. The packaging is to die for. But it tastes like regular chocolate or regular caramels or regular whatever, and it can be pretty overpriced. I prefer the treats from the counter!

My absolute favorite was the gingerbread newt (a 10/10), next was the pumpkin pasty (a delicious empanada-style pumpkin bread treat. Nice when you want a little snack but not something really sugary), and the last was their delicious fudge! All the flavors are divine and super rich, and they give you a good amount!

We also like to get a little bag of gummy candy with all the fun options they have - the Sherbert lemon hard candies and the green gummy frogs and the peach rings! So cute! We had a pumpkin roll there but it was my least fave and I wouldn't get it again.

Harry Potter World Rides + Experiences:

1. Hagrid's motorcade ride (the best ride in the park.)
2. Castle ride (we love to enjoy the indoor AC, the low wait times this one always has, and the talking portraits along the line! But the ride is so fun too. Might be my personal favorite.)
3. Gringotts ride (this one is great to utilize an Express pass for!)
4. Hogwarts Express train (darling and the best way to travel from park to park!)
5. Ollivanders wand experience (such a cute experience - only takes a few minutes and is great to do on a non-express pass day!)
6. Knight bus! (go listen to the talking head. He's so funny haha)
7. Visit all the shops!!! They're all so cute and have the most fun souvenirs! If you stay at a Universal resort, you can have them package and ship your gifts straight to your hotel room which is awesome because you can shop without having to carry things around all day.)

Pro tips that made ALL the difference:

1. Book through Costco Travel!

We paid for a 2-day 2-park pass and got THREE DAYS FREE with a promo they were running.

2. Stayed at a Universal Resort.

Loews Sapphire Falls Resort at Universal Orlando was where we stayed and we would totally stay there again. I always thought that the park resorts would be so crazy expensive and that a hotel not associated with the resort would be cheaper? But they’re actually not... especially through our Costco travel deal. The gift here is that the resorts have free water taxi transportation to and from the park (which will save you a fortune on taxi or Uber that week) and because of that we took a morning park shift and an evening park shift and had either a pool afternoon or a nap afternoon when it was the most hot during the day! This also makes the trip feel 2x as long and one of my best travel hacks is to split your days up into two segments!

3. Buy your express passes EARLY.

We had express passes for half the days we were there and it was perfect. Then you have some really intense ‘ride’ days and other days where you can enjoy restaurants and other experiences. I would also purchase your express passes as soon as possible because the more they sell and the closer it gets to your date, the pricier they get! Save the money and get them early! We made this mistake and instead of getting them for $90 a person, they were $250. It is of course so super nice to skip the lines, but I totally wish we would have been more on top of this!!!

4. Liquid IVs for hydration.

You’ll be sweating most of the day and staying hydrated and energized is key. These helped me so much! I was exhausted one of the days and drinking this one made all the difference.

5. Fanny packs over a backpack.

You can take a fanny pack on 90% of the rides in the park but so many of them do not allow backpacks. I got a gorgeous north face one and sewed a cute Slytherin patch on it, and it was great at carrying my phone, sunglasses, poncho, and protein bar. I would 100% leave the backpack at home and travel light with a fanny pack because of how easy it is to hop on and off rides and not worry about lockers all the time. Plus, the larger lockers are oftentimes $2 per rental. So just something to note.

6. A great travel backpack.

This is mine from Amazon and it’s amazing on flights! Great storage and the perfect size to fit under the airplane seat.

7. For Universal: it was HOT during August.

We were really worried about going in August because of all the before-school groups. But it was not as busy as we were worried about! Still, though, I’d go during a cooler month because it was quite warm. And! It was also drastically more busy on a Saturday than the Tuesday - Friday that we were there. So I’d go on a Monday - Thursday!

What to wear:

1. The footwear is EVERYTHING.

I can’t recommend these LEMS shoes enough. They are 1000% worth the initial price tag. The natural toe box makes them so comfortable and you won’t blister! And I blister so easily!

2. Along with the footwear, get compression socks over normal cotton socks.

With how hot and humid Florida is, these kept my feet cool and feeling great during the long park days when we were taking lots of steps!

3. Also, cute Harry Potter shirts from Etsy are everything, I have to give you that. But the BEST ones are workout material ones. They keep you so much cooler and were way better in the mornings. 

4. Best sports bra on the planet? This one from Quince. So comfy and no underarm or neck chafing like sometimes happens. 

5. Oakley sunglasses. The polarized lenses are everything and this brand fits so great! A high-quality pair of sunglasses can be life-changing honestly, hahaha.

I hope these tips help you have the BEST TRIP EVER to Universal and that you enjoy every single second of it!!!