Guide to Islands of Adventure’s Wizarding World
The Wizarding World at Islands of Adventure is filled with action, magic, and storytelling. Like its sister section at Universal Orlando, at this park, you will be met with high-speed adventures with your favorite characters and magical experiences that will make you forget the regular world around you. This world drops you directly into everyone’s favorite movie in the series, Prisoner of Azkaban, and allows you to live like you are on a Hogsmeade field trip with your friends. As always Islands of Adventure theming goes above and beyond its award-winning status and now with a brand-new ride open, you will have an experience unlike any other park. So, if you have your tickets booked and are planning your trip, here is your guide to Islands of Adventure’s Wizarding World.
Disclaimer* For the sake of length and detail, we are only going to be going through the wizarding world in the Islands of Adventure side of the park. That means just Hogsmeade and all it has to offer. However, I have just written a guide for Universal Orlando’s Wizarding World, detailing Diagon Alley. Find it here.
Hogsmeade Entrance
If you are coming from my Diagon Alley article, you’ll know how hard it was for me to find the secret brick entrance of Diagon Alley over at Universal Orlando. At this park, you won’t have that issue at all. The entrance to Hogsmeade is large, beautiful, and bustling. Once you make your way through the lost continent section of Islands of Adventure, you’ll find the most magical pieces of architecture in the state of Florida. That is a snow-capped old English building. Yes, snow-capped, in Florida. Though it will likely be 80+ degrees when you visit, the snow on the buildings will make you feel like you are in an entirely different country. You will also know you are there when you see the front of the Hogwarts train on display for all.
If you are coming from the opposite end of the park, you will cross through Marvel Superhero Island and Jurassic Park before finding the bridge to Hogsmeade. Just keep walking through Jurassic Park until you find the bride. As soon as you cross over you will be met by the towering Hogwarts castle on its rocky base. Though the entrance to Hogsmeade is gorgeous, I recommend entering through Jurassic Park, that way you can see the main attraction in all its glory. The giant castle towers so high in the blue sky and it is an incredible spot to take pictures and fulfill your childhood dreams.
Rides
The Hogwarts castle isn’t just for show though. Inside the castle, you’ll find our first ride, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. Once you get inside the castle you will find the sorting hat on display, famous classrooms, and talking paintings. It truly is incredible. Islands of Adventure has recreated every detail from the books and films and filled the entire castle with it. During this queue, you will feel just like a student heading to your classes. Once you get to the ride, you will be strapped into a flying chair and fly through the forbidden forest with Harry. Though this ride often has a long wait, being one of the most popular, I recommend waiting, it is always worth it because of how detailed and beautiful the queue is. My only warning is that those with motion sickness have reported feeling sick specifically on this ride. So if you are prone to motion sickness, it is best to sit this one out or take dizziness medication.
Then we have Flight of the Hippogriff. This ride is a great beginner coaster for the young ones in your family and the older ones who are afraid of the big rides. Located right next to Hogwarts Castle, this ride lets you fly on the back of a friendly hippogriff as you explore the woods of Hogwarts.
Then, last but not least, Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure. This is Islands of Adventure’s newest ride and one of the best in the park. Located a few paces before Flight of the Hippogriff, this ride takes you through Hagrid’s hut and lets you learn about the different magical creatures he takes care of. All of this on his famous motorbike. For this ride, you can either sit comfy in a sidecar or on a motorcycle. Both seats make for an exciting adventure and immerse you in the story. Fair warning though, this ride can easily go up to a 120-minute wait, so I recommend knocking this one out as soon as you get into the park.
Food
Most importantly on the guide to Islands of Adventure’s Wizarding World is the food. After tracking down mythical creatures, flying through the castle, and riding your favorite hippogriff, you’ll be very hungry. In this section of the park, you will find the restaurant called the Three Broomsticks. Located at the entrance of Hogsmeade, across from the owlery and the Hogwarts train, is a snow-capped inn with three tiny broomsticks forming a triangle. Inside you’ll find old tavern decorations such as wooden chairs, displayed antlers, and candle-lit chandeliers. It is another spectacle that really immerses you in the world of Harry Potter.
In this restaurant, you’ll find large platters of roasted English food. You can get an entire tray of roasted chicken, corn, and stew here. Also on the menu are barbecue roasted ribs and potatoes, Shepherd’s pie, and fish & chips. The Three Broomsticks also serves breakfast. In the morning you will find dishes such as the Full English Breakfast, pancakes, and porridge. For the full menu, click here.
Butterbeer
No Wizarding World Park would be complete without butterbeer. Butterbeer comes in three variations. Frozen butterbeer is a slushy syrupy butterscotch beverage, perfect for a hot day. Then there is hot butterbeer, by far the best butterbeer. It is a hot chocolate style drink but instead of chocolate, it is butterscotch flavored with a sticky cool froth on top to balance out the heat. Then lastly there is a regular butterbeer, perfect for any day. This butterbeer is a simple butterscotch club soda, super sweet and delicious, and topped with that famous froth. Comment below what your favorite butterbeer variant is, let’s debate!
If you follow your guide to Islands of Adventure’s Wizarding World, you’ll find this section of Islands of Adventure has plenty of it. Since the trail of Hogsmeade is so large, you’ll find several places to purchase butterbeer throughout. The first and easiest to find is at Hog’s Head. Hog’s Head is a bar located inside of the three broomsticks. You will know it when you see it, there is a literal giant hog head on the wall. Here you can find drinks such as gilly water, alcoholic drinks, pumpkin juice, and the famous butterbeer.
Then outside of the restaurants, there are two other locations to find butterbeer. This will be at the butterbeer carts. At both entrances, the front by the train and back by the bride and castle stands a butterbeer cart. Look out for a giant barrel with a painted butterbeer sign on the side and a large red cart with the same label. You can get each variant of butterbeer year-round at each of these locations.
Shows
Lastly, on the guide to Islands of Adventure’s Wizarding World, we have the shows. After long days of walking in the hot sun, stuffing your stomach with English food, and getting pretend drunk off of butterbeer, you will need time to just rest and watch. Here is where the shows come in.
The first show is the Triwizard rally. Located just in front of the castle and the flight of the hippogriff, is a little stage. On this stage, you’ll find performers from the Durmstrong Institute and Beauxbatons Academy of Magic performing their entrances for the Triwizard tournament. These two schools, from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, dance with gorgeous ribbons and spin their magic staffs to create an immersive and exciting performance.
Then you have the Frog Choir. Students in their Hogwarts uniforms will come out holding large toads. Then to everyone’s surprise the little frogs will sing along with the students. Though it is not a large and exciting performance, the singing is good and it is a cute experience for anyone looking for a break and entertainment.
Last, we have the Fireworks show. This is the only fireworks show going on in the entire two parks at the moment. However, this show is like no other in any park. Using projection and mapping technology, this show includes a celebration of each of the Hogwarts houses. Slytherin, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff elements will crawl around the Hogwarts castle, lighting it up in a spectacular show. At the end, fireworks in all of the school colors will light up the sky. With the music from the movies, the surrounding scenery, and the boom of the fireworks, the entire show is an emotional and magical experience. I will always recommend making your way toward Hogsmeade at the end of the day to enjoy it.
Find The Magic!
In the end, Islands of Adventure’s Wizarding World is action-packed and full of magic and adventure. It is a must-do for any lover of Harry Potter. Even more, the theming and entertainment fully immerse you into the world better than any theme park anywhere. I encourage you the find the magic and make use of all the attractions Hogsmeade has to offer. As long as you follow this guide to Islands of Adventure’s Wizarding World, you’ll have a magical time! Enjoy!
If you are looking for a guide to Universal Orlando’s Wizarding World, you’ll find it here.