We were so happy to have two vegan options! Vegan bangers and mash and vegan curry. Both were very good! The staff were a little scrambly and it was a long wait for food. read more

Hogsmeade - Amusement Parks Near Me - Universal City, California

Amusement park food. Had the shepherds pie and salad. Washed down with a mug of ButterBeer. Ambience is nice. No problem with seating. Glad they have a good variety of food from standard burgers, fingers, or dogs. Shepherd Pie needed more gravy inside. Very dry. That might have bumped to a 4. SwansonsMeatPieInAluminumTinPalooza! read more

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The Wizard World!!! Hogsmeade has so much to offer. The first time I came here, I think I didn't do my research and missed out on some things. This time, I was prepared and wanted to do everything lol Hogsmeade is the place to buy robes to represent your Hogwarts House, and to grab your favorite magical wand! Run around with your robe, doing some spells with your wand lol There's plenty of Harry Potter gifts and souvenirs here as well. Make your way to the candy store, for some chocolate frogs and love potion. Then head over for some freshing butterbeer! I love that butterbeer is alcohol free, but you can find spiked butterbeer in the world. Don't forget about the two rides in Hogsmeade! One is a rollercoaster, and the other is a motion-based ride. The motion ride will make you feel sick if you get motion sickness. The rollercoaster is so quick! Over in 30 seconds lol Lots to do in this world and tons of fun! :) read more

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What a fantastic place just to hang out. If you're a fan, this place is for you! There are a handful of shops that for the most part sell the same merch but still really cool to walk into and see how they designed the place! From Ollivander's to Honeydukes, there's something for everyone! They have some shops from the series that you'll recognize as well, mostly for decor. They have interactive windows for wand holders which really make it immersive. Otherwise they still make for a great photo op! Always a place we like to drop by and highly recommend eating at the three broomsticks. It's fun just wandering around in your house outfit/colors. IG: @ammysalamii read more

Hogsmeade - My Ravenclaw IG: @ammysalamii - Amusement Parks Near Me - Universal City, California

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This recreation of the Wizarding village derived from the Harry Potter stories, includes so many of the elements we know and love at Universal Studios Hollywood. I enjoy walking through the town, taking in all the sites. Make sure to stop by Three Broomsticks for a bite and check out the Hogsmeade Train Station at 9 and 3 Quarters. read more

Hogsmeade - Cheers - Amusement Parks Near Me - Universal City, California

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How can I not recommend this place. Even in my 40s, child inside of me rejoices when I get there. Music, employees, atmosphere. If I can only remove tons of tourists just like me and place actual wizards and witches. Universal is always on top of their game with themes. And this one is my favorite. Always. read more

Who doesn't love getting away from work and away from all that stress and going into a world that is full of magic and wonder? Another great job from Universal. Yes, this is smaller than Florida but still worth the visit. Love the shops and the fun rides. It looks just like the movies and books that I grew up on and they really brought this to life. Highly recommend this place to visit and check out the shops and rides. read more

Hogsmeade - Amusement Parks Near Me - Universal City, California

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My favorite part of universal.... Just to get transported to another world. Just love.... Especially if your a Harry Potter fan.

Be prepared to spend around $50 for a wand. Try the different types of butterbeer. The cold butterbeer was my preference. It tastes like cream soda to me. The only one we didn't try was the frozen butterbeer. My guess is that it's more of a slushy type. So many things to check out. Use the bathrooms in Hogsmeade because you can hear Moaning Myrtle. Check out the pre-show before you visit Ollivander's wand shop. Loved the choosing of the wand ceremony. Stores get pretty crowded, but that's not surprising. They had a light show at night that was pretty amazing. read more

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SO COOL, absolute must for any Harry Potter fan. I loved it even though I'm staunchly anti JK Rowling (screw TERFs all my homies hate TERFs). Anyways, Hogsmeade really transports you into the world of Harry Potter! From the Hogwarts Express and the conductor, the interactive "magic" if you have a wand, the moving storefront displays, the intricate decor and design for each of the shops, the wizards walking around helping us Muggles, the architecture and the Hogwarts castle itself. It's all very beautiful and stunning to take in. ESPECIALLY during the holiday seasons, the buildings are capped with snow, there's tinsel and wreaths galore, and lights at night with the Hogwarts Christmas lights and fireworks show at night! Huge crowds were already forming to watch the show, but since we were lucky enough to have the park to ourselves from 6-9 PM, there was plenty of space for arriving 5 minutes before the show started! Unfortunately when I went this time around they did not have bottled pumpkin juice, just bottled Gilly Water. Drats, next time! Make sure you try some cold butter beer, it's a must if you haven't already ! read more

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If you are a Harry Potter fan, this is a must visit when going to Universal Studios Hollywood! I personally say an interactive wand is a must if you plan to spend any time within Hogsmeade. Heck, be rude not to be in robes to celebrate your Hogwarts house! Lastly, grab a butterbeer and may the mischief be managed during your visit. read more

How beautiful it is, especially during the holidays! Probably my favorite time I've been. Potter fans will feel immersed in the story, the setting, and the magic. During holidays they delight of the school at night and it's really cute and awesome, with a merry touch. The entrance of the land is controlled by staff to prevent overcrowding but it moves and still worth the wait. I've only been on the Forbidden ride, it was scary abs thrilling and gave me some nausea - because I'm prone to motion sickness. It's a cool ride I just don't feel the need to ride it again lol. Likes for food here get long, but if you want butterbeer there are carts that sell it from why I remember. read more

Hogsmeade - Amusement Parks Near Me - Universal City, California

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It's a good place to eat if you want to feel like you're eating on theme with Harry Potter. I definitely enjoyed the fish and chips since it was meaty which is always nice! The ribs were alright, very saucy. read more

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Man, this place. They did it so well. Feel like you really are in the magical world of Harry Potter while you're here. The rides are great and the castle and town look absolutely breathtaking. The hippogriff ride was nice and super quick and only lasted about 30 seconds but the other ride in the castle was like 4 minutes and went and saw a lot of the castle and a ton of the enemies in the Harry potter universe! A must try when at universal read more

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Take me back !!! I just wanna live here! Ok in all honesty Hogsmeade is SMALL. You can be done walking around in less than an hour. BUT...if you explore every nook and cranny you can take up to two. My friend and I took photos galore in our house colors and we got to see muggles use their interactive wands. It was really interesting to see what they did with them! Muggles...so easily amused aren't they?? There's a few shops and they all pay great attention to detail. I really loved the little alleys and the window displays were absolutely gorgeous. Although I wish the false storefronts were actually real stores . At least they had the courtesy of putting "closed" signs! If you're in Hogsmeade you MUST stop by the 3 Broomsticks for a bite to eat before heading to Hogwarts. Also Butterbeer is sold at a few spots, you can have it cold or slushy style. Remember to speak to the conductor at platform 9 3/4, he's very charming! Thanks Universal, for bringing a fantastic place to life! read more

Hogsmeade - Amusement Parks Near Me - Universal City, California

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Personally I never got into the Harry Potter books or movies, but my son and wife have read all the books. I don't think you need to be a fan to appreciate what Universal has done here. The attention to detail is great. Butterbeer is like sweet ginger ale with butterscotch flavor. We shared one cup between the 4 of us and it was fine. There are only 2 rides here but both are great. One is a typical roller coaster and the other is a ride along type where your legs are hanging. Also be prepared to spend $50+ on a wand unless you have made other arrangements with your kid beforehand, like getting one on Amazon etc. I was not prepared the first time we visited, spent the money, and haven't seen the wand in months. read more

It's a must to order Butterbeer when you're at Hogwarts! It was fast service and tasted like cream soda! Waited almost an hour for the Flight of the Hippogriff roller coaster ride to later be told that there was some issues/delay going on. It was really sad because it was our first ride that we were patiently waiting in line for and almost at the front too. The Christmas light show and the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride really made up for it after! I was carrying a tote bag and they said I had to secure it their lockers which was pretty cool to lock it in with your fingerprint as the locker code! read more

Absolutely disgusted with the time it took to get our cold food. We had the rotisserie chicken. Most of the chicken was cold. The potatoes were cold. The corn on the cob was cold and the silk was not removed properly. Also the temperature of the dining area was fridge. Would have given zero stars if i had the choice! read more

If you're here, it's almost a sin to not get a butter beer! (No actual beer in it). They have a few stands selling it throughout Hogsmeade. Most stands sell it from both sides too! There are two types of butterbeer-frozen or non-frozen. I got one of each to try them both out. FROZEN BUTTER BEER: Definitely on the sweeter side-too sweet in my opinion. Would prefer the non-frozen more personally. NON FROZEN BUTTER BEER: Still sweet, but definitely less sweet than the frozen one. Would prefer this one. It's also carbonated and the foam accumulates as you drink more and more of it (I have no idea why and thought that was super cool)! Definitely would recommend sharing with someone as it's kind of a lot for one self, but if you don't believe in sharing then you do you! Haha (: read more

Hogsmeade - Frozen Butterbeer (Left) & Non-Frozen Butterbeer (Right). - Amusement Parks Near Me - Universal City, California

A-ma-zing! I was in awe when I stepped into Hogsmeade grounds! The wand shop with Olivander's pre-show before entering the actual wand shop, was delightful and I felt like a kid at heart again! Get there early because it can be quite crowded when everyone is shopping for their wand or the wand is looking for their owners in the magical world! I splurged and got the collections of HP, Dumbledore and Voldemort! I splurged on the grounds basically! I got a lot of souvenirs and that couldn't be helped! Been dying to go here since it opened with my family! I loved the entirety of this place and stayed here for most of the morning and afternoon! Love, love, love. The kid in me, felt fulfilled and happy, undoubtedly. read more

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The line is always so long for the 2 rides in here, with the one inside the castle being the longest line out of the two. We always get a butter beer everytime we come. Yum read more

LOVE LOVE LOVE! SO much fun! Universal did an amazing job. The attention to detail is amazing. Its like walking into the movie. They only negative thing is that the stores get crowded, but that goes to show you how popular it is. So many good things. Get your butterbeer and take your time walking around. Forbidden Journey Ride, Hippogriff Ride, Ollivanders - get in line and if you are lucky enough, you may get fitted for your wand - if not, watch the show go and buy one. LOL! , Three Broomsticks - food is quite good (separate review), and all the stores have great stuff. You can even send a postcard or letter with a Harry Potter stamp and Hogsmead stamp on it! We can easily spend 4 hours in here. As for butterbeer... There are 2 "carts" that sell out in Hogsmeade. But you can get your choice of Frosted, regular or a hot latte inside Three Broomsticks ! The holiday festivities are beautiful. They make it "snow" and the light show on the castle is quite breathtaking! read more

Hogsmeade - Watched the Holiday Light show with a warm cup of butterbeer - Amusement Parks Near Me - Universal City, California

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I don't know how anyone can give this place less than 5 stars. I don't know what more they want but Universal did an amazing job and will not disappoint! Yes, it gets crowded, but that's not the park's fault. That's life and when you are dealing with something as amazing as Harry Potter, you better expect a big crowd to be involved. I have visited both on busier weekend days and less buy weekdays and it's always a good time. It's fun to just walk around and absorb the sights. There are plenty of good photo opportunities as well. I really enjoy the daily shows they have with the frog choir and the visiting of the other schools. The students are all amazing and the shows are frequent enough where if you spend a little bit of time just walking around the area you are bound to see at least one if not both of the shows. Having seen the movies multiple times, I can appreciate the attention to detail. Every corner is filled with something fun to see. Don't forget to wander around those back alleys, especially if you have the magic wants that trigger different animations. My friend loaned me her wand, which was great because I didn't think it was worth the $50+ price tag since I knew I would only use it once and then get over it. And because I went on a not so crowded day I was able to try all the animations without having to wait in a long line. The animations are fun but they get old quick. It's fun for kids so good for them. But I'm quit content not carrying a wand around all day just to use it a few times in Hogsmeade. Will be back again! read more

The castle was really beautiful and the town of Hogsmead itself was really cute Butterbeer everywhere and gladsrags. Everything was so special in its way and very fun to look at and be in. read more

No need for a parental slip, Hogsmeade is open to all at Universal Studios! It's such a well executed replica! I couldn't believe how realistic it looked. Seeing it with my own eyes was a dream come true. It gets really crowded during peak times at the park but not in the morning, and that's the best time to enjoy it. Grab some breakfast at the three broomsticks early and visit Hogsmeade it its entirety. They have two shows that repeat during the day: a frog choir and a presentation of the triwizard tournament schools. I only saw parts of each because I wanted to focus on seeing every store and alleyway fully as well as do both rides enough times. In December they have warm Butterbeer, which I really wish I had tried! I did get to try the cold version. It tastes fizzy and sweet with a caramel froth. Lots of the store fronts have little tv's with animations and they are so cute! I found the Lockhart one the most entertaining because he was basically just grooming and admiring himself (so in character). I don't have a wand so I couldn't do any of the tricks but lots of people do so you can still admire them. It's basically disneyworld for a Harry Potter Fan! read more

Salem took their time to explain the drinks to us and made sure to list any allergens for me. They made this experience much more fun for me as a first time visitor to Universal and Harry Potter world. Thank you Salem for making our Pride night even more special! read more

Wow! JK Rowling's books have truly come to life here. Entering into Hogsmeade is a magical feeling. You first pass the Hogwarts Express. An actor is set out front as a conductor to welcome you in! These actors really know how to play the part! As you enter in, you'll pass many familiar stores! Stop in for some candies or every flavor jelly beans if you dare! Take a walk into Olivander's for a wand fitting! If you're thirsty, grab a butter beer along the way! There are two rides in this area: the forbidden journey and flight of the hippogriff. Definitely go on the forbidden journey! It's quite the experience and will make you a little motion sick but it's fun! This part of the Park is so cool. It transports you to another place and it's so much fun to walk around and pretend you're living in Harry's world! read more

Quite similar in lay out but this portion is like in the middle of the park, which is kind of weird. I had went to the Orlando version 1.5 years ago and theirs were in the back of the park, essentially secluded to itself. The street itself seems a bit shorter and a shorter trek to the castle. This Hogsmeade does not have the battle of the dragon's or whatever that ride is called available in Orlando. Everything else is available. The cool thing was, that I didn't notice they had in Orlando was there is a room for a small show. The show is essentially the "wand selection" procedure that you may or may not have seen in the movies. If you have seen the movie, its the same. LOL They randomly pick someone from the small group and do the selection. My friend said whoever gets picked gets a free "normal" wand of their selection and not a character wand. If that is true or not, I don't know. Pretty cool. After the show, it ends into Ollivander's Wand Shop. This Harry Potter park (since June 23, 2017) has a light show that shows when it's dark. As of June 24, 2017 when I went, the shows started at 0900PM and shows every 20 minutes. People will start sitting around and waiting starting at like 6ish 7. Be prepared. It does get a bit chilly (for the girls... and the weak guys XD). The show is short, give or take 5 minutes. Its pretty cool though. Was it worth it? Eh I don't know. It was nice to see but the wait kinda sucked for the chilly ones :( body warmth ! read more

I had the Fish and Chips, my wife has the herb roasted chicken, and my sister had the Shepherds Pie. While all the food looked good and tasted fine, we all became violently ill a couple hours afterwards, vomiting and diarrhea. We suspected we got salmonella poisoning from eating here. This place needs a health inspection because the day we ate was very busy, and I don't doubt hundreds of others also got food poisoning. Someone or some people working here are highly irresponsible. read more

This. Place. Is. Awesome. Everybody talks about the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and all the things they say about it are true. Its truly a magical place. From the snow capped roofs to the interactive "magical" displays, everything here bleeds Harry Potter. I absolutely fell in love with this place. There Olivander's wand shop, the butter beer stands, Three brooms kitchen, and then the attractions. I'd definitely say go to Olivander's and wait in line for the pre-show first then walk around and get a wand from the shop. Splurge a little and go for the interactive one and thank me later. Then open up the map in the bag and walk around all the interactive displays to cast your spells! While you're walking around check out all of the shops in the area. read more

It's small but if you're a true Harry Potter fan, you'll understand why people rave about it! While I hated the Prisoner of Azkaban ride due to motion sickness, there were so many fun details inside in the waiting area! You can also go to Ollivander's and pick out a wand. I loved the demonstration they do. You can see both adults and kids use their wands outside the shops on Hogsmeade and do spells. Seriously though, I really wanted to buy a full on wardrobe and wand and just get myself drunk on Butterbeer (the frozen kind only!). read more

Hogsmeade itself (not including the castle or the rides) is very well done. There are rides that are more based on Hogwarts grounds but they go past the "Hogsmeade Village" which does kind of have an ending point that leads up to the castle. That being said you have to appreciate the craftsmanship of the details put into Hogsmeade. From the cobblestone paths to the quirky wizarding aesthetics, you truly feel like you are in the wizard world. Many of the storefronts are for photo ops only, as the signs say closed. Don't forget to look at the ground in these locations if you have an interactive wand! Closed shops/ low foot traffic areas are key spots to be able to preform magic spells. Indicators are on the ground that show you the motions of how to wave your wand. For the shops you can go in (Honeydukes, Ollivanders, Owl Post, etc.) animatronics help to create the enchanted feel of each location. Let's not forget our other two important senses- taste and smell... The Three Broomsticks offered a variety of delicious English style breakfast and lunch options. You can also purchase the famous butterbeer cold and bubbly or frozen (and on occasion warmed-seasonal). Wrap this all together and you can truly feel like a muggle or wizard in Hogsmede! read more

Best place ever! So, the food at the 3 Broomsticks is normally price for a restaurant, amazing, and super filling. There are 2 attractions in Hogsmeade and they will make you fangirl/fanboy about. Ok, MAGIC! Interactive wands are super cool and I definitely recommend getting one. You can practice magic in the windows. BUTTERBEER! Get it in a mug. They are refillable for a bit less. Don't ask for extra foam. You will try and fail. It is amazing so cherish it. Oh, if you have house gear, they will welcome you home! So...go Gryffindor read more

Hogsmeade - Ribs and butterbeer at the 3 Broomsticks - Amusement Parks Near Me - Universal City, California

This place is the reason to get an annual pass to Universal Hollywood. Besides the adjacent Springfield area there really isn't much else to do or see. If you are a fan of Harry Potter you will not be disappointed... when i bought the annual pass I thought I would come here maybe 4 times max throughout the year... i've already been here 6-7 times and it's only been like 4 months since i've gotten the pass. Even if you are not a fan of Harry Potter it's definitely worth a visit to Universal Hollywood just to check it out for the day. read more

This is THE reason to get a pass for Universal these days, especially if you even casually like Harry Potter. The set design here is incredible, and rightfully so, because Stuart Craig did the whole thing. (Art Director for all of the HP films) The attention to detail is phenomenal, and when you add the sets and the music to the wizards and witches milling about, it really does feel authentic. I can only imagine how awesome it must be to come here as a little kid. While the Wizarding World does take advantage of all its available space, and though they use forced perspective to make the land feel bigger than is, I still wish it were larger. The HP property is so lucrative, and so popular all over the world. Explore everything, talk to the staff in every store, and definitely grab a butterbeer or two. Hogsmeade is a wonderful place to come, and your life won't quite be the same afterwards. read more

My one reason to buy a season pass for the whole family was solely due to "The wizarding World of Harry Potter". I have been waiting for what seems forever to finally come with the family (totally throwing my kid under the bus and blame it on him, since I told him I wasn't bringing him until he was done reading the books, haha). We spend the entirety of our time here. At one point my oldest and my husband left Hogsmead (such muggles!) but my youngest and I stayed here until we went home. Happy with both rides. Happy with the shops, happy with the entertainment and wand a flicking all over. Couldn't help it and spend more than I had anticipated. I mean, they even had stamps and postcards so you could send "owls" to your muggle friends!!! The architecture is exactly what I saw in the movies and I can't wait to go back and see it all decked out around the holidays. Just keep in mind, lots of people as you can imagine and expect, even in a Monday. Just be patient and soak in all the details. Btw, butterbeer ( I must comment for Youri) overpriced if you get the fancy cup, which we did, but the kids looked beyond happy. So, Worth it! #nerdustotallus read more

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SO amazing! My childhood dream came true. LOVE Hogsmeade and all the souvenirs, shops, beers, rides ! =) Go Ravenclaw!!!!

Every Harry Potter fan's wildest dreams come true. The architects really nailed Hogsmeade down pat as reminiscent of the book. There's The Three Broomsticks, Honeydukes (get your every flavor beans and chocolate frogs), Olivander's Wand Shop (expensive wands), Zonko's joke shop, hog's head (food), Quill Shop, and even the Post Office where you can mail someone to yourself with the HP stamp by buying a postcard. Each store has its own world inside and you'll be very giddy to check them all out. Although I did spend less time here than I thought since they're small shops. I spent around an hour and half here altogether. Don't forget to get yoru Butterbeer, which can be purchased from the red carts. There are three choices: frozen, warm, and cold. I bought the frozen, which was $6.49 for a 16oz cup. It tasted like frozen butterscotch soda with a creme layer on top. Great or a hot summer day. After awhile, it got to be really sweet, which the magical flavor slowly dissipates. I also bought the chocolate frog and every flavor beans (10.95) from Honeydukes. The frog was a full solid block of chocolate, which I could only eat half of. You also get a collectible picture of the houses, which I got Hufflepuff. I heard Dumbledore is the rare piece. I haven't eaten my flavored beans yet, which will probably be used in a gag gift or a dare with some drunk friends. read more

Hogsmeade - Look for the butter beer cart - Amusement Parks Near Me - Universal City, California

LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!!! Magic, Butterbeer, rides, song and dance... OMG it was like I was in the movie! Everything was spot on. The buildings, the characters, the shops and rides were just great. When you walk in near the entrance there's the train, great photo opp. Then there's the candy shop, Olivanders, and a couple of butterbeer carts. The first butterbeer cart line is always long so go a little further to the next cart and that line isn't long at all. Not everyone knows that one's there. There's three different types of butterbeer that I know of. Regular (carbonated type), frozen (slushy), and hot butterbeer (similar to hot cocoa just no cocoa and really creamy). So the carts serve the frozen and regular but if you want the hot butterbeer you can get that in the restaurant or cafe. My faves are the frozen and hot, but definitely try them all while you're there! So at Olivanders is where you can have the magical wand experience and of course at the end is a gift shop with a whole bunch of awesome Harry Potter merch. But toward the end of the alley you can find a couple carts where they sell pretty much the same trinkets and wands. There are many diff styles of wands but basically three diff types. Toy wand, regular wand and a magic wand. I guess at all the diff universal studios they have points where the wand can do "magic". Be warned, EVERYTHING is pretty expensive. But heck, when in Universal... right? If I remember correctly I think there were only 2 rides for Harry Potter. The hippogryph(sp?) ride was an actual roller coaster. Really short but really fun. The other ride was more of a motion/virtual type... which I don't really favor. The line was definitely longer for that one and they don't allow anything on the ride so they have free lockers before the line starts. A little annoying but what can you do... read more

I love frozen butter beer! All those who said it is too sweet we're dead wrong or maybe they had a bad batch. It was so so delicious! Just frozen enough that it's kind of like a slush and it had a butterscotch flavor that was present but not way overboard. Harry Potter land is a pretty amazing and magical place and this drink just makes this dreamy space even more realized. read more