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Best Time to Visit Wizarding World of Harry Potter

“When’s the best time to visit the new Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park?”  A common question that actually has two answers.

Best Time of Year to Visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter Park

If you’re asking about the best time of year to visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park, this will pretty much follow the seasonal crowds typical for Orlando, Florida vacation planning.  Right after Labor Day to the week before Halloween is usually a very slow time in the Florida theme parks, including the Harry Potter park.  Kids just went back to school, families already had their “summer Orlando vacation,” and there’s not many people traveling this time of year.  With this in mind, I visited the Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park last week and the Harry Potter ride was still a 45 minute wait at 3 in the afternoon.  However, you could take the single rider line and cut that to a quarter of the wait.

Another good time for your Orlando vacation to visit the Harry Potter park is right after Thanksgiving up to the week before Christmas week.  DO NOT try to come during one of these holidays or that weekend!  Many people think, “Oh, I’ve got a great idea!  While everyone’s home with family, I’ll take an Orlando vacation and get on all the rides at the Harry Potter park without having to wait in a single line!”  Wrongo!  These two holidays are two of the most busy times in the Orlando, Florida area.  Add in New Year’s and you’ll have the top three.

Just like Labor Day, right after New Year’s Day, Harry Potter park attendance drops, dramatically.  Again, back in school and just used up your vacation time over the holidays.  This slower time extends up to about the end of February when you start to see spring breaks start around the country, sending families on a Florida vacation.

This pretty much sums up the slowest times of the year at the Harry Potter theme park.  There may be a couple other moderate times, but these are the least crowded times of year.

Best Time of Day to Visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter Theme Park

As we’ve mentioned before, the best time of day to visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park is in the afternoon and evening.  Now, Islands of Adventure currently closes at 6-8PM, so you don’t want to wait too long to get over to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park.  However, you want to avoid the crowds trying to get to the Harry Potter park as soon as it opens.  Let it calm down a bit.



Now, when the Harry Potter park’s slow, it’s slow all day.  Then, this advice won’t apply, as much.  However, I would still lean towards afternoon to evening.  The sun’s not beating down directly overhead and as the sun goes down, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park takes on a whole new aura.  It’s really fun!

So, whether you’re looking for the best time of year or best time of day to visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park, you can now build a strategy with good information!

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  • http://www.mommymelee.com Maria Melee

    Great advice!

  • Jordan

    I’m going to be at the park Oct. 31st – Nov. 2 … anyone know if it’ll be busy, slow, in-between? Thanks

  • http://www.therealtimjones.com Tim_Jones

    It’s likely to be a bit crowded during that time frame. Wizarding World will have a certain draw for it’s Halloween qualities, plus people may have taken time off of school or work. I know my kids get the Friday before Halloween and the Monday after off school. Makes it more likely that you’ll have some crowds. Not the worst, but not ideal, either.

  • Anonymous

    Also, and I am sure you covered this somewhere else, if you stay in one of the on property hotels(Hard Rock, Portifino and Pacifica) you get into the park an hour early. We did this on the Saturday the 13 of November and we got onto the Forbidden Journey in 30 minutes. We were moving through the line so quickly we didn’t even get to look at everything. The line for Olivanders was the long one though. I wish we had gone there first since even at 9am the line for FJ was still only 45 minutes.
    Also, eating lunch early will get you in pretty quickly at the Three Broomsticks. We just called it brunch but got the Great Feast, it was awesome! They open for lunch at 10am.
    After we got out from lunch though, Hogsmead was slammed and there was a line for both Zonko’s and Honeydukes. Even the Butterbeer line was super long.

  • Rachel

    Looks like we’ll be going December 6th or 7th. Do you happen to know if it will be super crowded then?

    Love your site by the way! It has been really helpful in planning our trip!

  • HelygenC

    Thanks, this is so helpful. My family are going to Florida the day after Labor Day so hopefully the park wont be as crowded when we go!

  • Kjpite

    Has anyone gone in mid-late August? What kind of crowds are we looking at? thx!

  • http://therealtimjones.me Tim_Jones

    Typically, August is still pretty busy.  Everyone’s trying to cram in that last vacation before school starts.  Obviously, as more schools go back in session over the month, it should reduce crowds some, but still pretty busy.