Last weekend I put on my best Weird Sisters shirt and Yoda backpack and got to experience the unique pleasure of Christmas in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Universal Studios, Orlando. This is the first year they’ve fully decorated Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade for the holidays so I knew I had to go. We braved the enormous crowds so I could bring to you, faithful readers, an image heavy review of Christmas in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter!
(Continue on to Part 2 of my review by clicking this link here!)
Celestina Warbeck performing Christmas Tunes
Let’s start with how things looked during the day. While I could’ve done with more decor, that’s more of a personal preference than a complaint. I was impressed with how much thought was put into the holiday ornamentation. Each store had an entirely different subtle theme. Madam Malkin’s has lots of pink touches, Quality Quidditch Supplies is sporty, Hogwarts Castle has classic and simple adornments.
Hogsmeade During the Day
Diagon Alley During the Day
Diagon Alley at Night
Due to time constraints and not wanting to abandon my group to wander back to the other park alone, I didn’t get night photos of Hogsmeade. Roughly an hour or so after the park closed I regretted this, but I will go back soon and take a million photos of the castle lit up at night and post them too. Sadly, my camera can’t quite do justice to how pretty the lights looked at night. I enjoyed the fun touches like Number 12, Grimmauld Place being the only house not hung with Christmas lights.
Luckily I got to go again and you can hear all about the castle lit up at night here in part 2 of Christmas in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
Holiday Merchandise
An important aside about the Christmas merchandise: absolutely none of the shops in the parks contain the entire selection of Christmas merchandise. The large park stores near the entrances of Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios carry the widest selection but they do not have everything. So make sure you stop in every store to see all the goodies on offer! (Yes I wanted to buy everything and yes instead I wept into my borderline useless English degree and refrained.)
Overall it was a wonderful addition to the park and if you can, I highly recommend going and wandering around, listening to the frog choir singing Christmas Carols while you drink hot Butterbeer.
Want more pics and a video of the Christmas show? Read Part 2 of my review of Christmas in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter here!
Have you been to Christmas in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter? Let me know below!