All the magic wands!!! I had to drag my husband out of here so he wouldn't buy everything lol He was on the hunt for a new wand. I let him pick one out- one only lol He wanted all of them. Service was really good. They helped us find the perfect wand for my husband. I was looking at Voldemort's wand- that one looks super cool!!! I think the value is there, it's worth it. The wands are made really well, and they do last a long time. As long as you take care of the wands, they will last awhile. This store is seriously like zoo filled with wands, instead of animals. It was pretty crowded when I went inside. The line went fast though- the staff worked quickly to keep the line down. I would come back here for another wand. This is the best place to get your wands!! read more

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This place is actually really cool and there is a lot to see. Their staff is always very informative and helpful. There's so many wands, lots of apparel, and movie momentos to see and purchase. Years ago, I'd bought my kids some of the interactive wands they sell here. The wands are used at designated areas of the Harry Potter World and trigger an interactive experience in the shops or at the train station, etc. When we got our passes, my kids dusted off their wands and wanted to take them to the park on our first visit. We noticed...nothing was happening with them. So an employee said we could take them to Ollivanders and have them "examined". The skeptic in me just knew they were going to tell me we'd have to buy new wands. The employee took their wands to the back and worked their magic, and much to my surprise, they said they were able to get them back online and they were good to go! So thankful for their help and ability to save me some money and add to my kids' enjoyment of the day! read more

Ollivanders at Universal Studios Hollywood - Shopping with butter beer! - Amusement Parks Near Me - Universal City, California

" A wand chooses its wizard" as stated by Garrick Ollivander, shop owner in the Harry Potter series. This place is cool, it's larger than it looks on the outside. Filled with wands floor to ceiling, old books and displays, customers are called by groups where 1 person in the group is chosen for the ceremonial wand pairing process. There several wands for purchase, souvenir, interactive or even wands carried by the characters. Whatever your preference, you can find your wand here read more

If you want to experience the wand choosing experience with Ollivander himself, line up in the queue. The staff funnels about 10-12 people into Ollivander's room. It is a small, dark room with no windows. So if you are claustrophobic, this ain't for ya. Ollivander (well the actor) randomly picks one person to choose a wand. There is no rhyme or reason to the choosing. He goes through a cute demonstration with special effects. It all lasts less than 15 minutes if that. Then everyone is funneled into the wand shop. The wand shop is loaded with wands. All of them are in sturdy keepsake boxes. They have wands from characters from the HP and Fantastic Beasts movies. They have interactive and non interactive wands. But all sales are final even with the interactive ones. I suggest if you buy an interactive wand, immediately activate it on the spot to test it out right after purchase. That way if there are issues, you can address it immediately. Another cool thing in the shop was the information sheets describing the characteristics of the different wand core material. read more

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Definitely one of the best experiences in Hogsmeade if you're a Harry Potter fan. I think The Wand Ceremony happens roughly every half-hour. You queue up, and when it's time, you're taken into a small room lined from floor-to-ceiling with wand-packed shelves. We waited in there for about 5 minutes before a door opened to lead us into a larger room where a wandmaster randomly chooses a person from the group to match a wand with. That person ended up being a guy from our group (as in, the group of friends I came with), so for all the internet rumors saying that it's always a kid who gets chosen, not true! He also wasn't standing at the front of the group, so also debunking the other internet tip that your chances of being chosen are higher if you stand towards the front. Oh, and he also wasn't wearing Hogwarts robes. No idea what the wand master saw in him (don't get me wrong, he's an awesome guy for sure), but it was really fun to watch the wand master try to match a wand with him through trial and error, and spells would be casted that could accidentally kill a plant, stir up a thunderstorm, etc, until a wand is finally deemed "perfect" with light and magical music, similar to when Harry was matched with his wand in The Sorcerer's Stone. If you want your own personalized wand, you can approach the staff in the store, and a staff member who's trained to do so will ask you fun questions, like your name, which Hogwarts house you'd be in, what kind of magical pet you'd want, hobbies, etc. I was presented with two different wands: Elm and Phoenix Feather, and Sycamore and Unicorn Hair. I went with Elm and Phoenix Feather. It was very fun! Now I have a wand I can put to good use when I come here again. read more

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If you're a Harry Potter fan, definitely do not skip getting your own wand at Ollivanders. It's a bit pricey but what isn't at a theme park? Yes, you can get Harry Potter wands online or handmade on Etsy, etc. But the whole fun of going into Ollivanders is the experience of feeling like you're really in the shop from the books. Boxes stacked everywhere, a group of people rifling through wands and "testing" them, and the bustling atmosphere - it's all super cute. The staff is very committed to the bit. Acting like, and dressed like they're straight from the Potter Universe. You can choose a wand that's based on one of the characters from the books (I got Dumbledore's/the Elder Wand) or you can purchase one of the interactive wands for a little bit more. They also choose one random person from the 20-or-so let in to the shop at a time to do the "wand choosing you" little show/activity. I'm not a huge "active" Harry Potter fan anymore (read the books, but outgrew it quite a while ago beyond watching the films). And even I could not resist getting my own wand from Ollivanders as a souvenir. You can look at this as any other shop or choose to go with the magic and treat it as a fun themed experience! read more

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I love Universal Studios overall, the behind the scenes aspect of the park and the rides. I was never a Harry Potter fan but still looked forward to the park addition when it opened. Beautifully constructed and immersive, it does not disappoint. Ollivanders is no exception by any means. read more

Curious, curious. I wonder... I WAS CHOSEN!!! To say I was thrilled beyond measure is the understatement of my lifetime. I've always dreamed of being chosen, and that day finally came. (insert teary eye emoji) Did I buy the chosen wand? Absolutely! It would be rude not to and they aren't that outrageous in price in my opinion when you factor in that they are Bluetooth enabled to interact in Hogsmeade. All things aside, I still find this a great experience if you aren't the chosen one. My tip if you want to be chosen is to be decked out from head to toe with your favorite Hogwarts house since it worked for me. They have lots of wands with some amazing interactive ones to make magic happen in Hogsmeade. You also do not have to do the experience to shop, so swing by the side of the building to enter if needed. Though I think it is definitely worth the typical 15 minute wait. read more

5 because I'm a Harry Potter fan and it's kind of what I expected. It is a little confusing because it's not clear on which wands are interactive and what isn't. You can easily ask any staff wandering around. Interactive wands allow you to go around Hogsmeade and perform different spells. Interactive wands I believe are $10 more than a regular wand. They come with a map to show you where all the places are that you can perform spells. The service is great because when we were purchasing the wands, the staff told our kids to be careful with their interactive wand because that's where the magic lives and if it breaks, the magic is gone. read more

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Throughout the day, it was around a 20 minute wait to get in but during the private event hours, it was an immediate walk on right after the Hogwarts Castle lighting ceremony for the holidays. A small party is taken in and someone is chosen to get "fitted" for their wand. They casts some spells, until the magical moment happens when the "right" wand finds them. All the wands have the specs mentioned in the Harry Potter series and afterwards you're led into the shop with all the wands. It's neat to see as an adult, but if you're here with kids, especially big Harry Potter fans, get ready to be put on the spot to have your child's magical journey be fulfilled. The wands are used to "cast spells" throughout Hogsmeade and I know that people usually bring there's back again and again each time. read more

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Yes, the wands are overpriced. Yes, this isn't a ride. But, it's still cool anyways. The show is like a mini Vegas show. They choose some lucky kid who has their Harry Potter moment with lights, wind, bookcase moving, etc. I think it's worth it to at least see once. The wands that you buy here will help activate the motion sensing windows. I have my wand, and yes it's expensive, but man is it tons of fun. Do I regret it? Heck no, it's like reliving my childhood or something and when I see others (kids and adults) look at the show in awe and wonder, I think it's worth checking out. read more

Christopher needs to be retrained. Brought my young child to pick out her first wand, a really special moment, but had a bad experience with the staff member named Christopher. My child noticed that two boxes of wands seemed to be sticking out too far, so she moved the boxes further back to prevent them falling. Christoper comes RUNNING over waving his hands in the air saying " no no!! The wands! No don't move them!!" I tried to de-escalate his out of proportion response to a seemingly innocuous situation. I tell Christopher " so sorry, she thinks she's tidying up." Christopher snaps back at me very curtly saying to me " it's supposed to look like that!" I can't believe my child's very first time at Ollivanders was like this. Again, I could understand if I had a child running around misbehaving or damaging the wands, but she quite literally pushed two small boxes of wands further into the case as she thought they were falling. I would normally brush off something like this, but this moment was supposed to be special, and my child did not deserve his behavior. How do you think that made her feel? read more

I am a very committed wand collector and I was disappointed with the lack of wands I could get here. I thought they would have unique wands that I could get ONLY at universal studios, but these interactive wands are cheap and flimsy. The store can get very busy, but to be honest, I was NOT impressed. I was severely dissapointed with the wands they had. The boxes seemed cheap for how much they cost and even the store looked different than the movies. Would I come back here to purchase ANY wand? NO. The employees weren't very helpful either. They just pointed and walked away. read more

Located in Harry Potter land at Universal Studios Hollywood. It's basically a store that sells all the different Harry Potter wands but there is also a show. The show is inside the store it's a small room you go into and one of the wizards chooses a volunteer from the crowd to do some wand magic it's a very short show and in one tiny room I dunno if it worth waiting more than 30mins but we waited 15 mins. Afterwards you are lead into the store where you can purchase a wand from your favorite Potter character. Overall if you never seen or heard about it it's good to check it out once but don't spend your day waiting if the wait time is over 20mins in my opinion. read more

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"The wand chooses the wizard, Mr. Potter." - Garrick Ollivander When folks plan their day at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter section of Universal Studios Hollywood, the Flight of the Hippogriff and the Forbidden Journey will immediately spring to mind as the only two rides, BUT to me, what makes WWOHP MOST special is the Wand Choosing experience at Ollivander's. I've seen it twice now, and it varies each time. This is where I felt like I was fully immersed in the magical realm that our beloved cast of characters calls home. I left Burbank and went to Diagon Alley. At least for 15 minutes of my life. Wait time varies, and the line to visit Ollivander's starts right outside the restrooms (do be sure to use these at least once for the Moaning Myrtle Experience!). I waited maybe a half hour on my first visit in October 2017 and only fifteen minutes in January 2018. Do be aware you'll be in full sun for awhile in this line, though it's not evident from where the line starts. There's a beautiful side view of Hogwarts Castle back there, too for all your photo op needs. I don't want to give away what the Wand Choosing is actually like, but what you need to know is they take groups of about 25 at a time into the shop, usher you into two different rooms, then welcome you into the wand shop where you can purchase your very own wand! I promise it's very worth it if you're a BIG FAN. On my last visit, there was an employee inside who was offering to try and fit members of our group for wands, and that was fun to take part in. My friend was a Slytherin, so she had fun picking some of the more evil-looking wands and "trying" them. It is important to note that there are two kinds of wands for sale at Ollivander's: the ornamental kinds modelled after scores of popular (and not so popular, here's looking at you Mundungus Fletcher) Potter characters, and the interactive kind that can be used throughout WWOHP. Yes, you can actually do spells inside this part of the park, and it's wicked cool to witness. I wasn't very good at getting the movements down, but I did my best, using a friend's wand. They're a bit too expensive for me, but would make excellent gifts for the Potter Enthusiast in your life. Prices start around $50. In summation, this may not be everyone's favorite part of Harry Potter World: Hollywood Edition, but it is certainly mine. This was the attraction that sincerely made me feel like I was 11 again, waiting for my own Hogwarts Letter. And that's what the magic is all about. Oy, you lot, try it out! read more

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As an admitted Potterhead, visiting Olivanders was an obvious choice as "I needed a wand..." The entrance, at least where we got in, was not at all like the movie. But there was a reason. Once the small "lobby" was full of Wizards and Witches seeking out their first wand, a hidden door opens into a bigger chamber full of wands in boxes stacked on shelves and cubbies against the wall. The short "show" where a wand master seeks out a young wizard or witch to replay the scene in the Philosopher's Stone when Harry picks out his wand, is entertaining (I wanted to be picked!). My two year old was scared, as was his three year old cousin, and they both cried so they were asked to leave... bummer (my wife never got to see the selection process and she regrets that). With the mild special effects, you get a feeling of being there when Harry picked out his wand. After the show, you are escorted into a large area where there are wands and wand masters to guide you in selecting your "perfect wand." The store was a little crowded for me, so on the advice of a cast member, I went to the outdoor shop near the Castle by the exit of the Harry Potter ride. My cousin and I spent at least 30 minutes at Olivanders and he actually purchased his and his wife's wands there. I had to wait for my boys, including my 2 year old, so the tight confines of Olivanders didn't work out. There's a queue to enter Olivanders if you want to participate in the selection process, or you can walk around (by the Butterbeer vendor) and just select your wand on your own or with some help. It definitely is THE place to get your wand, if you are so inclined. The show is worth it for first timers and the lore behind the wands, itself, is both interesting and entertaining. As we all know, the wand chooses the wizard. It's not always clear why. But I think it is clear that we can expect great things from whomever gets a wand. read more

There is a list of items every first year student needs to purchase before attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and one of those items is a wand which leads students to Ollivanders. I am too old to be a first year student (it has been years since I was the first of anything), but I did want to cast a spell over Hogsmeade which meant a visit to this shop. Rohlinism: Being first can be overrated, especially when it comes to dying! Ollivanders is located in Diagon Alley South Side in London, but recently the Garrick Ollivander opened a branch ( https://bit.ly/2XoJJry ) in Hogsmeade to keep up with the demand for his wands. The Ollivander family has been the makers of fine wands since 382 BC when the original Ollivander set up a stall in Great Britain to produce and sell wands to the ancient British wizards. To this day, Garrick Ollivander remembers every wand he has sold to aspiring witches or wizards. There are two ways into Ollivanders, one way is through the side entrance which will take you directly into the wand shop where you may browse the selection of wands and purchase the wand that chooses you. The second way is the main entrance where you will meet one of the Wandkeepers and be given an interactive introduction to wands. I recommend waiting in the line ( https://bit.ly/2OmBAzP ) if you are a fan of the Harry Potter books / movies and you might even be selected to participate in the interactive wand ceremony. I believe the better half and I were quoted a 40 minute wait it was pretty close to that time when we entered through the doors of Ollivanders. The first room you enter has practically wall to wall wands ( https://bit.ly/2KwUrai ) and serves as a waiting room while the Wandkeeper prepares for your visit. When the Wandkeeper is ready for your group, a staff member will open a wall panel and you will be escorted into the ceremony room. Once everyone is settled into the room, the Wandkeeper ( https://bit.ly/33ZvlZm ) will provide an introduction to Ollivanders and the wand ceremony before selecting a member from your group to participate. As Garrick always says, the wand chooses the wizard and the ceremony matches the wand with the wizard or witch. The selection of the participant is random, but there are a few things you can do to increase your odds of selection. 1. Wearing wizarding gear will probably get the attention of the Wandkeeper. Most Wandkeepers seems to favor Griffyndor to the other houses. 2. Being at or near the front of the group, most Wandkeepers are very old and since the room is dark, their eyesight is limited. 3. Being a young child... or at least young at heart. Photography is allowed during the wand ceremony, but there is no lighting or flash photography allowed because the Wandkeepers spend most of their days in the dark and are sensitive to bright lights. Once the Wandkeeper has selected a ceremony participant, he or she will describe a wand and hand it to the selected participant asking the witch or wizard to cast a spell. The wrong wand will cause a minor disaster while the right wand ( https://bit.ly/2pqtHB1 ) will cause the lamp in the room to glow brightly. Once the right wand has been located, the participant has the opportunity to purchase his or her perfect wand. Not even Harry Potter was afforded a freebee on his first visit to Ollivanders, so there is no reason to think a lesser wizard or witch would get one for free. Once the ceremony is over, Ollivanders staff members will take you into another room which has a good selection ( https://bit.ly/32OTpwQ ) of resin (non-interactive) and interactive wands. The interactive wands come from one of thirteen types of wood and coincide with the Celtic calendar. Here are some of the interactive wand types and their descriptions: ( https://bit.ly/37goxsA ) ( https://bit.ly/2NXKFjU ) There also several resin wands which were owned by well known wizards and witches from Hogwarts: ( https://bit.ly/2Qpzy4C ) The resin wands serve no function other than looking good is a display case or on a mantle. I purchased an interactive Elder wand ($52.00) and was going to use it to conquer the world until I found out its magic only worked in the confines of Hogsmeade. The interactive wands come with a map of eleven locations in Hogsmeade where you practice casting spells. I left Ollivanders with my new wand in hand and began casting spells all over the Hogsmeade. If you are a fan of the Harry Potter, then a visit to Ollivanders should be on your "must do" list when you visit Hogsmeade! read more

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So very crowded and super diminished wand selection. Was disappointed as a hard core, long term HP fan.

Really didn't want to stand in line for about 20 minutes to see wands, but I'm glad I got convinced. They let in about 25 people at a time. You listen for a short while before being led into the next room where you get to see a wand choose a wizard. The rest of us who aren't the chosen one are led into a larger room where you can purchase a wand of your choice. The neat part is that you can then afterwards walk around the village with your map and point your wand at certain areas to see the magic your wand can do. Pretty neat!! read more

Ollivanders at Universal Studios Hollywood - Wands room - Amusement Parks Near Me - Universal City, California

Expecto Patronum!!!! Whoa, wouldn't be so cool if we can cast that spell and see what our spirit animal looks like??? I think mine's might be a dog...hmm, what will yours be??? Also, when in Hogsmeade and you need a wand, but where to get one??? Why, Ollivander's, of course! Ollivander's composes of three parts within the shop: First, a group of 25 people will be placed into the wand fitting, waiting room. In there, you will be given a brief introduction as what to expect with the wand fitting show. Next, you will enter into the "Wand Fitting," demonstration / show. From there, *Spoiler Alert*: If there's a little kid in your group, chances are, the kid is gonna get picked instead. Economically, this is a smart move because this somewhat forces/guilt trips Mommies and Daddies into buying the kid the wand to prevent possible pouting/temper tantrums, hehe! (I'm just being realistic here, in case "you" end up being that "lucky" Mommy/Daddy). Nonetheless, it's a pretty fun show to watch. You can also bypass it if you want and go straight to the shop. Lastly, you will be ushered into the wand shop to spend some of your hard-earned muggle money. From here, you can purchase your very own wand. If you're not certain which ones to choose, there will be employees in there who can help you. They will ask you a series of questions to figure out which wand suits your personality. I didn't end up buying one, and so, not sure what kind of questions they will ask you. Non-interactive wands are sold for $44. Whereas, interactive wands are sold for $50, and they will have a gold sticker on them along with a map inside to show you which 11 shop windows and gates (by the Train Station Depot) that you cast your spells at. If you plan on coming to Hogsmeade a lot, then the splurge is worth it. Otherwise, outside of Hogsmeade, the lovely collectible wand is pretty much rendered useless. Then again, the wand tip (casting "Lumos," light spell) can be useful when directing or guiding people like how the employees here do it when they're trying to corral people in getting them ready to see the Hogwarts Castle Light Show, hehe! Overall, I didn't end up buying one, but I did enjoy checking out the various wand selections. (I was later gifted with (a non-interactive) one at a Harry Potter focus group event). I definitely recommend checking out the wand fitting demonstration/show. A bit cheesy, but rather entertaining. Afterwards, you can check out the wand shop and purchase your very own wand. Happy Spells Casting!!! read more

Ollivanders at Universal Studios Hollywood - My very own (non-interactive) wand! Along w/my Gryffindor Notebook & Bertie Bott's All Flavour Beans, yup, I'm ready for Charms Class! - Amusement Parks Near Me - Universal City, California

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One of the coolest parts of Harry Potter World. Seriously though, the wait for this line was longer than the ones for the rides. We waited 80 minutes to get into the wand shop. They take you in by groups and there's a short "demonstration" and a selected person from the group gets to choose a wand from the interactive room where the wand will move boxes, ring bells etc. After the demo then everyone can go inside the store and purchase a wand Interactive wands are $47 and non-interactive wands are I believe about $39. There are around 11 shop windows at Harry Potter World where your wand will make things move. Not sure if the wand is worth it because after you leave the park, you're left with a useless stick. Then again, I never read the Harry Potter books, maybe that's why it wasn't that exciting for me... read more

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Probably my least favorite part of The Wizarding World... I wouldn't do it again and would maybe skip it unless you have kids. The line doesn't have a lot of shady spots. More annoyingly, there is a beetle buzzing around that at first looks like a giant bee so people get scared. I suppose it's part of the experience/mechanical, but it just got on my nerves. Once you get in, you see the brief and obviously scripted demonstration with some audience members (kids) picked to have wands selected for them. It's pretty quick and not that impressive... Spoiler alert-- some bells ring and some lights flash. Then you're ushered into a gift shop and the parents of the kids that were part of the "performance" get a sales pitch to buy the wands that were specially selected for them. Some good things in the gift shop though. I mean, I don't need a wand because I'm not 10 years old, but some interesting souvenirs. read more

Ollivanders at Universal Studios Hollywood - Wand store... - Amusement Parks Near Me - Universal City, California

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# W A N D S - B R E A K D O W N (# of + stars = rating) * A T M O S P H E R E/C O N C E P T: +1 star * P R E S E N T A T I O N: +1 star * C O S T: -1 star * S E R V I C E: +1 star * R E V I S I T: +1 star If the wait is atrocious, go early or come back at night. It's not worth more than a 15 minute wait! They put on a little show for you that only really needs to be seen once unless you've got kids that want to be 'it'! It's great, but your focus is the wands in the store! Literally a library of wands! I felt like Belle in Beauty and the Beast when he opens the door to the library for the first time. I was like 'Wooooooooow!' Pretty cool! You can see the character wands and some regular wands! The interactive wands are great because you can do spells around the park! I had to get one only because it doesn't look crazy carrying one here! Heheh! Wands will run you around $50~$60! read more

Ollivanders at Universal Studios Hollywood - Amusement Parks Near Me - Universal City, California

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The one and only store in Hogsmeade for all your wand needs!! Wands and wands and more wands!! They have all the character wands here and a dozen of wands not used by the characters that you can fit to your personality. I had to go here twice to find a wand to fit me. It was just so hard trying to decide!! If you want to wait, there is a wizard wand show. One lucky muggle will get chosen to have a wand pick you. Today, my friend got picked!! It would be pretty awesome if you get to keep the wand that chooses you... but it is more for show. There are some cool effects during the show, but if the wait is too long, it's not exactly worth the wait. After the show, the exit takes you right into the wand store. If you do not want to wait, you can walk directly into Ollivanders yourself without having to watch the show. They sell 2 types of wands here. One is interactive and the other is not. Non-interactive wands are $40 and the interactive ones are $47. Not every wand comes in an interactive version unfortunately. You can tell the interactive wands by a gold label on the box. When walking around Hogsmeade, there are certain places where you can cast spells. That is what the interactive wands are for. When you cast the spell, meaning you follow the motions of the spell and say the phrase (but it works with just the motions), a "spell" will happen. It basically sets off an effect in different window displays and is another fun thing to do around the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. I gave in and got myself a magical wand... and it's a lot of fun!! Use your annual pass for a discount. 10% off for regular passes and 15% off with a gold pass!! read more

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So you didn't get chosen for the show experience because you're closer to 30 years old? It doesn't matter cuz you can ask any witch or wizard in the shop and they can help you choose your wand! This is the experience my boyfriend and I had when he decided to get a wand. Wand chooses the wizard after all, but it is overwhelming. Ask for help! We were helped by a lovely gentleman named Kevin. He asked Ryan all sorts of questions about his hobbies, favorite things, even his favorite alcohol down to the type and brand. He asked his writing hand, personality questions, it was pretty in depth. Finally he came to the conclusion that Ryan is best suited with an Ash wand. There were all sorts of traits that Kevin rattled off and we were blown away by how accurate it was based off of questions! It's kinda like a Horoscope-y thing but Ryan loved it. Yes the wand is expensive ($50-ish) but they are very well made and fun to do the spells with. We both want to take them to the Florida Parks as well! read more

Ollivanders at Universal Studios Hollywood - The wand packaging is so cool and immersive too! - Amusement Parks Near Me - Universal City, California

If there is one thing you have to experience at TWWHP, it has to be a trip at Ollivander's. Initially, I was shocked to see wait times to get in can be as long as an hour, but I found out why: They actually demo the wand fittings! It was exactly as how it was described in the books when Harry was first fitted with his wand. My cousin was the lucky one who got picked to get fitted and I enjoyed watching it all happen. After that, you are led into the actual area where you can purchase wands. Its about $50 for an interactive wand. I ended up not buying one, since I was not sure when my next visit to the park will be. Luckily, some of my cousins got wands so I was able to test it out at a few spots in the park. I recommend hitting up Ollivander's right when you enter the park or closer to closing times, since the wait times are shorter. We went an hour before the park closed and only had a 20 min wait time. Not bad at all. read more

Ollivanders at Universal Studios Hollywood - Which wand will choose me...? - Amusement Parks Near Me - Universal City, California

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Cute little show you can watch where the wizzard picks a random child to demonstrate tricks with the wand. The kid's faces are captivating. They get to try out different wands and you get to see about 3 tricks. The room itself is well decorated with stacks and stacks of boxes of wands. After the show, all the guests leave except for the family of the kid that was picked. I don't know if they give a discount on the wand or if it is free. I think it's a little messed up to tell the kid to take care of HIS wand and the family actually not be able to afford it. Anyhow, the ending of the show leads you into chaos- tons of people shopping for wands...stacks and stacks of wands. Some wands are interactive but will cost you about $50. An interactive wand will let you walk around Harry Potter land and do "magic." You can bypass the show and go straight to the store. I only did this show with a 10 minute wait (at the end of the night). I don't think I would wait any more. Good for kids, just okay for adults. read more

Ollivanders at Universal Studios Hollywood - Inside the first room - Amusement Parks Near Me - Universal City, California

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This place is pretty amazing. This is the footlocker of Wands. Experience: There was a 30 minute way to experience the room. There is two rooms it breaks off to. Then they recreate the experience inside just like in the movie. I don't want to go into details because I do not want to spoil the fun. Decor: everything is on point and what a busy wand shop would look like. Everyone is helpful and it is super packed with kids and people trying to scoop their wand. There are collectible items and various kinds of you don't want same from the movies. Notes: This place is AWESOME. read more

Ollivanders at Universal Studios Hollywood - The footlocker of Wands. - Amusement Parks Near Me - Universal City, California

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This is a review of the actual shop and not the experience. You do end up here at the end of the wand ceremony though. Ugh, I love what they did with this shop. The wands are displayed just as they should and it's all so appealing and satisfying to look at. Such a cool shop, they have some wands out of the boxes so you can see what they look at before buying one. My personal favourite is Hermione's wand. It's so delicate. They are really expensive though and if you get the ones that do tricks in the window's of the store it's even more expensive. My wish is for them to start making custom wands from your Pottermore account, now that I would buy! (Because it's YOUR wand!) read more

The actual rating is 3.5 stars. The place is cool and looks a lot like a wand shop would look in the Harry Potter world, but it was kind of a stressful experience for me. For one, it was crowded. It was hard to look around at all the things with it being crowded so it took 10 times longer to look at the wands and find one that I wanted. Thankfully, at least the wands were displayed right next to the boxes so you knew where to find the wand you are looking at. The wands were cool looking and it was nice to get a wand since I am a fan of Harry Potter, but I look forward to never coming here again since this can be pricey and crowded. read more

I think this "attraction" is more for the die-hard HP fans. Not really worth waiting in line for, just to hear a few minutes about wands selecting their wizards, before being led into the wand shop. I suppose it's pretty cool if you're selected to be the wand tester, but the chances of that are 1 out of 25. read more

Ollivanders at Universal Studios Hollywood - Wand stands sold near the cashier table - Amusement Parks Near Me - Universal City, California

If you go to this thinking it is a show or a ride, you may be disappointed. If you go into this thinking it is a framed shopping experience, you will be pleased. We went because there was no line, and we had time to spare before the holiday light show. I probably would not want to wait for this. They stuff you in a room covered with wands from floor to ceiling, and an actor choosing an audience member, and explains each of the different types of wand material using props in the room. It is a clever way to help people buy wands. Afterwards you filter into the wand shop, which is also covered with wands from floor to ceiling. It is slightly claustiphobia inducing. I don't recommend it if you do not like small tight places with tons of people. read more

If you are coming to the Wizarding World for the first time, this should be your first stop. Sure, you can shop at Gladrags or step inside Honeydukes, but before you go on the rides or try the butterbeer, come to Ollivander's. Usually the wait isn't too bad (20 mins is my max, anything more and I would come back later). But definitely do the experience before just shopping here, because it is much better in that order. Why come here before the rides? The Ollivander's experience is so much fun, but it will be a let down if you try the rides first. Trust me. Perfect for the young ones, maybe ages 5-6 and up. Could be a little scary for the really little kids. But this is the quintessential place to begin your visit to Hogsmeade and the Wizarding World. I especially love the little details that make this place come to life. Give yourself to look around and smell the roses (or in this case the dust-laden boxes and stale air). read more

So you have the option to do the experience or to go directly into the shop, but it's good to do the experience beforehand if you really loved the scene from Harry Potter where he gets his wand. The line can get pretty long at times depending when you want to go, but it starts to die down here and there so make sure to download the Universal Studios app to see the wait times throughout the day. When doing the experience, they select a random person to have help in getting their wand and of course a little magic happens in there till the right one has been found. Then you are led into the shop once the experience is done so you have an opportunity to pick out a wand for yourself. The shop is as messy as you would think it would be with the crooked and lopsided shelves and the poorly stacked wands just like the book and movie. They have little display cases that describe the different wands they have, but also offer the wands that the characters had too. You can even ask one of the workers to help you pick out a wand by answering a series of questions. When you decide on a wand, you can decide if you would just like the standard version or the interactive version, which costs quite a bit more. But if you get the interactive one, you get a map of the different locations around the Wizarding World where you can cast spells on objects and see how they interact with them when you do the spells. So my boyfriend had gotten me one of them when we first visited the park and I like having it and practicing my spells. read more

You can choose to engage in the experience (which typically has a wait time) or simply enter into the shop itself (no wait). The experience: You and a group of about 20 other people enter into a room in the wand shop. You are greeted by a wand expert and one person from the group is chosen. When we went, a younger girl was chosen. It was her birthday and she was dressed in costume. The chosen one is given wand options and tries different spells. At the end, their perfect wand is found! Then you exit into the store. The wands are $49 for interactive ones and $43 for regular ones. You can choose a wand based on the character from the movie or by wood type. If you're just interested in looking at the wands, I'd recommend skipping the experience and just going in to the store. read more

I loved everything at Harry Potters World and this shop was just as adorable as the rest! Love the crazy way they had the wands piled up the walls. Good thing we had already decided which wand we wanted at the little kiosk further down. Otherwise, not sure how we could possibly have seen all the wands here, it was a little chaotic, but in perfect character with a Wizarding world shop!! Love the way the checkout girl accepted our "muggle money" and also made a close inspection of our wands in case they'd been infected with dark magic! :-) Cute cute cute!!! read more

My daughter had such a wonderful experience. Thank you for making her 10th birthday special!

Universal Studios isn't my cup of Butterbeer. I hadn't returned since my visit in 1990 (I'm team Disneyland); but it was my husband's 52nd birthday, and he's a Potterhead, so off to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter we went! As a birthday treat, I purchased the express pass, which allows you to enter the park an hour before most muggles. We anxiously waited in line, checking maps, and fidgeted. Eventually they let us into the park. People were close together, and mostly polite. Greeters stopped us at a fork in the road, and made some announcement. The excitement was palatable. The scene was like the factory opening ceremony in Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory. As soon as they "cut the ribbon" it was off to the races! Making a beeline to Hogsmeade! I hurriedly found the notorious Ollivanders, and asked where the line for the wand ceremony was. A costumed young lad directed us to a door, and we went inside. Inside was a waiting room of sorts. We were the first ones in line! A greeter gave a speech (that I don't remember), and opened the door. A couple tried to maneuver in front of us, but I wasn't having it, I aggressively stood my ground, serving Veruca Salt realness. They let a group of 25 people, of all shapes and sizes into the twee shop. Thousands of narrow boxes containing wands were piled willy-nilly up to the ceiling. They towered above us. The scene reminded me of a Vermeer painting: muted colors, and low lighting. A sole oil lamp set upon the desk. Mood accomplished. The shopkeeper, an older woman with a British accent, mentioned that it was someone's birthday, and asked my husband his name. She noticed the large birthday button he was wearing (thanks Sherri!). He was selected for the wand fitting ceremony!!!! (The chances of being select are 1 out of 25) During the early-morning ceremony, everyone was quiet and respectful. I imagine as the day goes on the crowds get rowdier. The Witch/Wizard was so fresh (with it being her first performance of the day). She was absolutely riveting. After the ritual, everyone was escorted out besides us. She introduced herself, and asked us our names (never leaving character). What a performance! A+, BRAVA! You have the option to purchase the interactive wand (that works magic throughout Hogsmeade), choose another, or skip it all together. This was one of my favorite experiences of the day. Ollivander: "Curious...very curious..." Harry Potter: "Sorry, but what's curious?" Ollivander: "I remember every single wand I've ever sold, Mr Potter. It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in your wand, gave another feather -- just one other. It is very curious indeed that you should be destined for this wand when its brother gave you that scar." read more

How cool is this place? Way cool! The details are so amazing. The line to get in is a bigger area than inside. LOL. Even though the line moves and they take groups in every 20 minutes or so, the wait can be long.Once inside the magic happens. They select 1 person to be fitted for a wand. Then you are ushered in the store. Read all about the different wands. DETAILS....AMAZINGLY GOOD DETAILS! read more

Every Wizard needs a wand before heading off to school so naturally I went to Ollivander's to select mine. While the shop itself does not require patrons to wait in line (sometimes 20 minutes or more), there is a mini show for wizards-to-be and muggles to enjoy. I don't want to give too much of it away, but if you loved the first movie it'll remind you of a particular scene. Afterwards the muggles are moved to the shop itself and you they sort them by type of material and also by wands used by wizards in the movie. When choosing a wand you also want to think about whether you want a collectible ($30ish) or interactive ($40) wand. The later allows the wand owner to cast spells throughout the Wizarding World of Harry Potter- which is pretty cool if you want to practice your spells and see them in action! read more