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The TRUE Cost of Visiting The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

As a blogger, I frequently turn to other blogs for information.  So when I planned to visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™ at Universal Studios I thought I had all the information I needed to make my way through the whole thing without a glitch.  I got a lot of great advice, but one BIG thing that was missing from all the posts was the total TRUE cost of seeing all of it, so I decided to write about it.

My daughters are seven and eight years old and in the thick of Harry Potter, we just wrapped up the fourth book so a trip to Orlando seemed perfectly timed. To break down exactly how much you need to budget to truly experience The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™exhibit here is a tally.

Diagon Alley

Park Tickets (2 Park Pass)     $169.00 Adult / $164.00 Child

The whole Harry Potter world crosses between Universal Islands of Adventure AND Universal Studios. That means you have to buy a two park pass to get to all of its parts. It is connected by the Hogwarts Express train ride (which you CANNOT ride if you only have a one park pass).

Express Passes $120.00/ Per Person Total for Both Parks

You will need one for each person AND EACH PARK (they are $60, per park, per person)!!                                   

The reason why you need this is because if you are NOT lucky enough to live in Orlando and go on non peak times like weekends and holidays, then wait times can be up 120 minutes per ride!!!  If you are going all the way to Orlando to see this, then save up and get this pass to assure that you see everything.  Otherwise you are just wasting time standing in line.  

(**One tip here is to stay at a Universal Orlando Resort, your stay comes WITH fast passes, so you may be able to cut some of your losses there!)

Butter Beer      $6.50

It’s a must try really, and is actually really good…we ended up each getting our own!

Wizard gowns are $115.00, broom sticks are $35.00, chocolate frogs are $10.50, and wands start at $50.00.  The amount of money (if you have it) that you can spend here is never ending.  I did a little Amazon and Walmart shopping before hand and saved myself the trouble and cost of shopping for souvenirs there. 

All Aboard

The Takeaway:


Total cost with NO EXTRAS for a family of four to see The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™is $1152.50

Please know that even with the fast pass, it is UNLIKELY that you will see much else in either Islands of Adventure or Universal Studios, you would have to be really motivated (or have older children).

There are several blog posts that were really helpful and I have linked them below:

Tips for Visiting the Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Harry Potter Theme Park Tips: What to Know Before Visiting the Wizarding World

10 TIPS FOR VISITING THE WIZARDING WORLD OF HARRY POTTER

I wish I had a full understanding of the expenses associated with my most recent trip. Hopefully, you found this post helpful.

Your Chick,

Rina

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4 Reasons To Stay At The Hyatt Regency Orlando

When we bought tickets for our Disney and Universal Studios trip a few months back, finding the right hotel at the right price was a daunting task.  I know that the Disney and Universal Resorts are amazing. I kept asking myself if it is really necessary after spending the whole day at the park to pay a premium for that experience.  I got on Priceline and found an Express Deal of $119** for the 4.5 Star rated Hyatt Regency Orlando and immediately booked it.  I knew I would be happy no matter what, but after my stay, I know why this was worth it!

The Location

This property is located less than 5 miles (or a $10 Lyft ride) from Universal Studios and 12 miles (or a $17.00 Lyft ride) from Disney.  Parking at the parks were $25/day so in the case of Universal it was cheaper and easier to ride share.  What an incredible location, right on International Drive, less than 10 miles from the Premium Outlets. The Hyatt felt centrally located.

The Rooms

For a ‘standard room’ we were thrilled to find luxurious details like a chaise lounger, 415 square feet of space, marble accents in the bathroom, and my kids favorite, a TV in the bathroom mirror!  We had plenty of storage space to tuck away all our swimming accessories, shoes, souvenirs, and so much more.

The Pool

Ok, so this is NOT your average pool! It has a medium sized water slide, little beach area complete with beach umbrellas, waterfall cove, zero depth heated pool, hot tub, splash pad, private cabana, full size poolside restaurant, and a little shop that will inflate AND deflate floaters for you! Despite being there on a busy weekend, we never felt like the pool was over crowded and we really enjoyed the variety of settings for kids who like to move around. 

The Market

Even though the property has SEVEN dining options on site (yes, 7!) each morning we took advantage of The Market.  It truly has a full ‘grocery store’ type menu with not overly inflated prices.  My girls were able to grab their favorite cereal, yogurt or oatmeal while I grabbed a coffee and bagel.  Starting off my day at The Market for less than $20 was such a convenience before we headed out for a long day of adventure. 

Photo Courtesy of Trip Advisor

This property is also attached to a convention center so to say that it is a big property is an understatement.  With all the hustle and bustle of international conferences and weddings, the Hyatt was able to still provide an intimate experience that we really enjoyed.

Typical of any mom in my situation, I was happy that my kids were happy and I was thrilled that I didn’t have to pay more for a place to rest my head after a busy day.  If you are in the Orlando area, look into scoring a deal on the Hyatt Regency Orlando, you won’t regret it!

Cheers,

Rina

** On my bill on the way out I noticed that I was charged a $25/day ‘Resort Fee’ which I told the manager was a sneaky move on what I thought was a great deal.  But after some consideration, even at $144/night, this place ends up being a pretty good deal.  

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