One of the most popular attractions when the Wizarding World of Harry Potter first opened was Ollivanders wand shop, an intimate interactive show re-creating the moment from the Harry Potter stories where the wand chooses the wizard. Universal Orlando succeeded in creating a unique theme park experience, but underestimated its popularity, resulting in wait times stretching to two hours in the hot Florida sun. Now, Ollivanders at Diagon Alley has greatly expanded, tripling in size, allowing more wizards (and muggles) to partake. Continue reading for photos and full video of Ollivanders at Diagon Alley in the Universal Studios Florida theme park.
Ollivanders wand shop has grown from its small branch outlet in Hogsmeade to its main retail location in Diagon Alley.
Ollivanders’ wand shop at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Hogsmeade
Ollivanders’ wand shop at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley
Upon entering the store you find an impressive array of wands haphazardly crammed onto shelves stretching high into the rafters.
After a wait in the wand storeroom, a clerk escorts you to one of three chambers where one member of the group is selected for the wand experience with the wand keeper. [Note: the show we saw in Ollivanders at Diagon Alley was exactly the same as Ollivanders in Hogsmeade.]
After the wand experience, the entire group has the opportunity to shop and select their perfect wand in the store. Signs, posters, and display cases explain the various strengths and features of each individual wand, and many of the wands are interactive and activate magical elements throughout both wizarding worlds.
Finally, Ollivanders is not the only wand outlet in Diagon Alley. Don’t care to wait in line for Ollivanders, then why not purchase a wand by Gregorovitch at his shop just around the corner. Someone told me Gregorovitch once had the most powerful wand in existence, but that could be just a rumor to drive up sales.
Excited to experience the Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley yourself? Just click on the Universal Orlando image below to contact our friends at Destinations in Florida Travel and start planning your visit to Universal Orlando Resort. For more family travel news, reviews, and trip reports, be sure to follow Adventures by Daddy on twitter and “like” our facebook page too.
