Olivanders Wand Shop

It’s a decent show and the shop afterwards is probably the best part. I wouldn’t call it must see, but the only good reason not to stop by is if you won’t have time in the remainder of the park.

For Harry Potter fans, you have to stop by Ollivanders (there are locations at both Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley).
I was really impressed at the quality of the wands. They are heftier than I expected, and the amazing variety and uniqueness of the different wands was impressive to me. The wands are separated by whose wand they were (for example, Prof. Dumbledore’s, Harry Potter’s, Hermione’s, Luna Lovegood’s, Cedric Diggory’s, Snape’s, Molly Weasley’s, etc.).
I wanted to buy a wand, but they were expensive, so I didn’t. You can get a regular wand or pay several dollars more for an interactive wand that will allow you to perform «magic» at specified sites within both Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley.
If the line isn’t very long or if you are with children, then I’d recommend going to the wand choosing experience. Only 1 child will get matched with a wand, so don’t go in thinking that everyone in the group is going to have this special experience. From an adult perspective, it was mildly entertaining but a little bit cheesy, so for adults I would NOT recommend waiting in a super long line for this experience. From a kid’s point of view, though, there were some semi-​interesting effects.

Wow… wow I cannot find the words. Ok I have collected myself. Ok now for Olivanders Wand Shop review. My son was picked to obtain a wand. I was so over the moon with the women who helped my son pick his interactive wand. She played the part well. I understand that some may say that the wand is expensive but I personally feel we traveled all the way from Connecticut and I want to see the magic. The line moved super quick but again this was a Thursday in the rain in January and we went 40 min after the park opened. This is just a tip… First when they say ride escape from Gringots first they were not playing. It was amazing to walk through the bank and not have to rush. We took our time and went on it many times. I will not spoil it for anyone but this ride was scary and amazing at the same time. We went on Gringots again at 5 pm and we waited 25 minutes. Not complaining at all. I hear in the summer it can be up to 2 hours or more. Another tip. I sprung for the two day park to park pass. It was 5:30 pm and we both were so tired we decided to go back to the hotel since we got there when it opened. We saw that the line was super quick to ride the train to Islands of Adventures so we did that on day 1. Train was amazing. I feel January is a great time if you hate lines but are ok with possible rain.

My all time favorite part of Harry Potter world when I went last November.
A stone’s throw away from the Gringotts ride in Diagon Alley, a wand in Olivander’s wand shop is waiting for you to come let it choose you.
You can go about this two ways:
1) Just enter the gift shop portion of the store and sift through the many boxes of wands. They have a few display cases that show the many characters’ wands they have available (pretty much every major character and many minor ones as well) and the slew of original ones for upcoming wizards and witches.
–or–
2) Wait in line for the wand choosing experience. This one. Do this one. But do it early in the day, or very very late before the park closes. Lines were 1.5 hours+ most of the day time but we went late and only waited 15 minutes or so. They usher in 20 or so people at a time into a hallway on the side of the building and then into a back room where they will meet the wand keeper, who will choose one lucky witch or wizard to be selected by a wand, much like the process Harry went through in the movie. It’s really neat even if you don’t get chosen, but if you do, you get a chance to purchase a very special wand.
There are two kinds of wands — A) noninteractive and B) interactive. There is only like a $ 7 dollar difference between the two, but the experience is a world of difference. You can use the interactive ones all around Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade to perform spells and truly feel like you are no longer a muggle.
It’s a wonderful little shop.

The original wand shop just like the movie and books. The one located in Diagon Alley is the one that Harry Potter chooses his first wand. There’s also a hogsmede wand shop for the experience to get chosen for a wand but there’s generally a constant wait to get in. The diagon alley location is pretty much a buy and go wand shop which was crowded with Harry Potter fans. There are 36 wands to choose from in terms of wands after the characters and 13 unique and personalized wands. Golden label wands means interactive wands where you can perform tricks in diagon alley and hogsmede with a swish of a wand. This definitely made Harry Potter fans fall in love with the whole wizard world experience.
Non interactive wands are 40 plus tax while interactive wands were 48 plus tax. Initially I was torn between the elder wand and Harry’s wand so I bought both in excitement but then I realize what use I had for them when I got back home so my lady convinced me to return one, which I did. I returned Harry’s and kept the elder wand for myself. Went around performing «tricks» with other wizards and found it quite amusing. There are 16 tricks to be performed in diagon alley and 9 in hogsmede. Included in the beautiful wand box is a map and list of all the tricks. When at location of a trick. Carefully step on the medallion and gently wave your wand In the direction of the spell. The directions of the spells are also listed on the medallion and if it doesn’t work. just give it a few more tries.
My favorite spells was probably the umbrella raining one and the one turning on the lanterns. (both located next to each other)
Overall a pretty realistic experience of the wizarding world which I can’t wait for the LA location to open on April 7^th. It’d be cool if the wand would work with that location as well… but we shall see…

I’ve never been a huge Harry Potter fan, but I liked the movies and wanted to visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter since I heard they opened! Good thing my boyfriend was a huge fan so he could explain to me everything. He was the ultimate Harry Potter nerd/​tour guide for our trip. I’m more of a LOTR fan… but Harry Potter is pretty cool, especially after my visit here!
We had to go to the ORIGINAL Olivanders Wand Shop in Diagon Alley because that’s where it was in the actual movie and books. There were other bootleg shops in Diagon Alley, but it’s definitely not the same. Lemme tell you… everyone was trying to get a wand, even at the crazy price they were sold for. The regular wands were about $ 40 and the interactive wands were $ 48. The store was crowded with tons of people — Harry Potter fans everywhere or just kids who just wanted a wand for the interactive feature. There were wands everywhere. You could choose from 13 wands that were unique to every individual. You could choose them based on your personality/​birthday. The other 36 were the wands of the actual characters. I wasn’t gonna spend $ 48 on a piece of wood, hell no, but my boyfriend, being the huge Harry Potter nerd he was, bought two at first. He couldn’t choose between the wand of Elder and Harry Potter’s wand. I stood there watching him decide for the longest time, but hey, it was worth the experience. I ended up convincing him that he only needed one so he returned the other one, thankfully. The interactive wands were the boxes that had a gold label on them.
Each wand came with a map, giving you the exact locations where you could use your wand. Each place had a specific spell you had to do to cast the spell. It was pretty cool. There were 16 spells in Diagon Alley and 9 in Hogsmeade. It’s a little tricky to do the all the spells sometimes, especially if you’re too tall. You don’t need to hold the map while you’re doing it because there is a circle on the floor that has it on there. I really liked the spell where you could make rain fall from the umbrella.
If you want the full on wizard experience, go grab a wand at Olivanders Wand Shop. If you want to have your wand «chosen» for you, you have to go to Hogsmeade. There’s a long line for that though, so get there early. It would be nice if the wands worked on the LA location which is opening in April too! I think a wand is worth buying if you’re a huge fan. Idk about those $ 100 cloaks though…

Ok this is coo coo. Do you need a wand? No. You’re not an overgrown child with mommy issues. But you’re read the books and/​or seen the movies, so you’re tempted. Now there’s a reason to make the investment in the toy! The interactive spots around the Wizarding World give you the excite to make the purchase. It’s nothing you will have a need for later but it gives you a little extra fun while you are there. You can pick the wand of a character or one developed based on a special day to you. Another way to make the purchase palatable to the more enroll ally mature among your group. Plus you get to go through a little song and dance where a Ollivanders employee shows you how to pick a wand and pulls a child from the crowd to help demonstrate. I was surprised at the charm of the event and bought a wand. There are worse ways to spend $ 40.

An awesome show that really captures the magic of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. This attraction just goes to show that great shows can come in small packages. Hidden away amongst the shops in the back, you’ll stand in line, while they slowly let people in. The show can only fit around 20 people maximum inside, so it is very small and cramped inside. The actual interior is a small version of a wand shop, and an old man welcomes you. The old man picks someone, usually a young child, to test out the wands and preform magic. After a few failed attempts one wand finally works and they hand that wand to the child. I’d like to think that Islands of Adventure would have enough money to give it to them for free, but nay, they are escorted out of the show room first and get a sales pitch about why they should buy it. That is really my only real negative. After the show, which lasts about 5 minutes, you file out into the wand shop, which can again be very cramped.
While the queue area is nothing special, just the surrounding atmosphere makes it cool. You are kind of hidden away from all the action while waiting, but it can be a nice reprieve from the chaos of people in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Everything about this attraction is small from the queue, to the show, to the actual store, but it somehow adds to everything. Really makes you feel as if you are a part of this world, as opposed to just in a theme park. I almost wish more theme parks take a hint from this and start making these miniature attractions, because they can be a lot of fun if done right.
Don’t Wait Longer Than 20 Minutes: This is one of those attractions that you can come at the wrong time and wait a while. However come at the right time and you’ll get in pretty quickly, so just time it right.
Who’s This Attraction Best For: All Ages
Ride/​Attraction Rating (A-​), Queue Line/​Area (B), Wait Time (B)

Both of the Olivanders wand shops were really enjoyable. I hear it can be quite the wait, but I was there early and didn’t sit in line too long. It was a fun theatrical performance with a wand maker talking about the importance of wands selecting the wizard. Someone from the audience is chosen and gets fitted for a wand and you get to witness some ~*magic*~
Afterwards you can browse the wand shop and select a wand from your favorite character or go with one that is an Olivander original. The wand shop has boxes and boxes of wands from floor to ceiling just like in the books and movies.
You can select either a collectible wand or an interactive one that can be used at different sites in Hogsmead and Diagon Alley to make your own ~*magic*~

Wands, Wands, everywhere. Just like in the Harry Potter movie, you will find shelves of wands to take home as a souvenier. There are two types, the magical and the standard. Magical wands come with a map of items in the park to practice your magic on.
Deciding on a wand is the hardest part. There are so many designs for each character from the Harry Potter movies.
If you have the time, take advantage of the Olivanders Wand Experience where you go back into a private room and have a wand master choose a wand for one special guest. Just like what happened to Harry Potter.

The wand comes in 2 types. One for interactive and one is just a stick. Most people opt for interactive one as it is just $ 8 more. The helpers In the store were friendly and helpful. It is an experience but a bit steep for a wooden stick!

Performances plus gift shop. Both Olivanders wands and character wands.

It’s funny how, as we waited in line, several people got pulled out by their friends — «Dude, there’s a cart over there selling wards with no line!!» «Hey you can get into the shop through the side door! No line!!»
What they didn’t realize, and missed out, is that this place does NOT sell wands. Rather, you line up for a little performance. You get ushered into the shop, where Mr. Olivander will pick a lucky visitor and re-​enact the scene in Harry Potter.
It may be the atmosphere of the darkened shop. It probably is the superb acting. Not to mention the bell ringing and all the effects, but the moment does feel magical. So magical when they open the exit door you’ll head straight to get a wand and pay for it.
Honestly I feel truly in Potter’s world more than anywhere else in the park. Not as a visitor to a theme park, but for a moment, breathing the same air as the characters I so love. So yeah, if you just want to buy a wand, skip the line. But I strongly suggest you to experience this.

The demonstration of a wand choosing a wizard shouldn’t be missed. Although it’s almost always a kid chosen to participate, it’s still a fun presentation to watch. The demonstration itself is less than 10 minutes, but if you do choose to purchase a wand in the shop, you may spend up to an hour browsing through all of them that Ollivander’s carries. There are both interactive (perform magic) and non-​interactive wands, with famous characters’ designs (Harry, Hermione, Ron, Dumbledore, etc), wands based based off your horoscope, and some generic ones.
If you do choose an interactive one (roughly $ 45), you also get a map of Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade of where exactly to stand and the correct spells to recite and movements to follow. Although it’s an expensive souvenir, it’s so much fun watching the magic happen all around the park.

This is a line worth waiting in. I’m dead serious. Don’t skip it. It moves pretty fast, and this is something worth seeing.
This isn’t a ride, it’s an experience. If you’re a fan of the books or the movies (or both) you will appreciate the experience. Do it at least once.
I really don’t like to ruin the magic and surprise for people, but this really brought the magic of the entire Wizarding experience to life for me. The wand chooses the wizard, you know.

Ollivander’s was worth the wait. This was in my top 3 experiences at Islands of Adventure (along with HP & Forbidden Journey and the Hulk roller coaster).
I was chosen to have a wand sold to me. It was so exciting. I tried out several wands, interacting with Mr Ollivander. After several «mistakes» he asked when my bday was (it’s on Monday) finally my wand chose me. It has Phoenix feather, he described it & then they gave it to me. Then I was escorted to the store to make the purchase. My fiancé bought it for me as a birthday gift.
Tip: Go to Ollivander’s knowing you will probably be purchasing a wand. I mean, it chooses you… how can you say no. :)

After reading reviews, and talking to friends who went to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, my husband and I decided to check out Olivanders Wand Shop. We went right in the morning after going on the «Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey» ride (seriously do this ride first thing in the morning when you get to this area of the park). The line-​up was around ~15 minutes for us, mostly because it was early and it was rainy outside.
The show itself is really cute. If you’re a fan of the first movie, the actor playing Olivander is really enthusiastic, and the child who was picked to receive a wand at the show I went to seemed pretty excited. They do a really good job making the experience feel like you’re in the movie. It’s a neat little show, but I certainly wouldn’t wait longer than 20 minutes in line to see it.
After the show, you get to go into Olivander’s Wand Shop where you can buy your own wand. I personally found the store way too crowded. If you want to buy a wand, walk towards Hogwarts and to the right before the forbidden journey ride entrance is a kiosk selling every wand you can buy in the store, without the crowds. That’s where I bought mine. Same price, much less hassle.

Perhaps the best thing about all of Wizarding World (except for the amazing Forbidden Journey of course)
DO THIS FIRST THING IN THE MORNING. I’m glad I got in line right away and only had to wait about 20 – 30 min. Because this line gets LONG.

If you’re ever looking for a particular wand, or a show, or both, come here.
There are a lot of complaints about the wait, but hey, it’s a theme park right? And it’s not Olivander’s fault that you’re in line. You’re in line because you want to be in line. If not, go to the Owl Post or something.
That said, the demonstration was unique, the boxes rattle, wind blows, and the room lights up – just like the movie.
As you exit the show, you enter the wand shop. Once again I hear people complaining about the $ 32.00 stick. eBay people, eBay is all I have to say. They don’t force you to buy a wand. They are not the Wizarding mafia.
You can look. Then you can leave.
Goodness, I really don’t understand the 2 and 3 star reviews because this place looks just like the movies.
They never should have let Muggles in to begin with!
P.S This writer is only joking about the Muggle comment. I like Muggles and those of Wizarding blood alike.

Two ways to view this… first is as an attraction to experience the wand selecting the wizard as described in the first Harry Potter book. The presentation area of the shop is very small, which provides an intimate feel. However, it does limit the number of participants… and only one lucky observer is selected to be part of the show. At times the wait for the 5 – 8 minute show can be 45 or more minutes. In truth, if the line were too long, I would give it a pass… though it IS part of the whole Harry Potter experience.
Apart from the show, the shop itself offers copies of the wands of the main characters from the books. At $ 32 they are pricy, but, honestly, you wouldn’t be there at all if you (or a family member) were not a total Harry Potter-​file already. So, from that perspective, it is all part of that same experience. The shop is connected to the Owl Post and so has a full range of Wizarding souvenirs. Even if you don’t buy anything, just looking around and appreciating the full range of detail in the place (don’t forget to look up!)