Universal, toddlers and harry potter
 

Hi I thought I had planned what parks we would be doing on our September 2021 trip and had initially rolled out universal based on cost and the time we are there however my daughter who's 13 and loves Harry Potter has just told me she would love to go! So just wondering is the Harry Potter experiences there worth a days visit and what is there that can also keep my son (12) and toddler (3) also entertained.. shows or rides? I'm thinking just for a day trip.

We have been taking our DS to Universal since he was 18 month old. He loves it and always has. At 17 he still loves Seuss landing, cat in the hat etc loves shrek, minions, even men in black when he was very young. We find there is plenty to do for all ages. We have some great photos of him with scooby do. We just made sure we socialised him to the characters and themes before we went so he would recognise those when there. He likes harry potter and we do go there but he would now choose rip rid rocket, hulk, doctor doom free fall, Spider-Man and Jurassic park. Harry Potter in both parks is amazing though and so worth a visit if you can manage it.

You will need park hopper tickets as the Hogwarts Express goes between both parks and is suitable for everyone.

I am a major wimp and don’t go on any thrill rides, but even I would struggle to do both parks in one day. I would think little ones would find it too tiring.

Your 12 year old may actually prefer it to Disney (shock!) as there are more thrill rides and it feels more teen friendly.

How long is your visit? We have done 12 nights each time and found time to go to Universal 3 days.

Some ticket agents do special offers - try Attraction Tickets, or Undercover Tourist. Sometimes it is almost as cheap to go for 2 days as 1 day.

A good option is to stay onsite one night - that way you get 2 days of early entry and (depending where you stay) front of line passes for everyone.

The Harry Potter stuff at Universal is fantastic, the Hogwarts Express is so beautifully done I'd definitely recommend a park hopper ticket, but if you can only do one do Diagon Alley, the details in the area are just amazing. Your toddler would need help but would probably enjoy the interactive wand stations, our kids had a wand to share and although I thought it expensive, I'm glad we did.

As mentioned the Dr Suess bit is really good, my 10 year old liked it! There's lots happening as you just wander around all of the parks, we have one thrill seeker and another who gets motion sickness and she was quite happy hanging out while he was on rides.

September is generally a quiet month at universal and I still think you may struggle to see everything in a day. The Harry Potter areas are amazing you could spend half of your day just in there.

You do need the hopper tickets to take full advantage because it is spread across both parks. You can also use the Hogwarts Express to get from park to park.

I can pretty much guarantee that if you go and she only likes Harry Potter little bit, by the time you come back she will be obsessed by it! It is amazing there, a must for any fan!
I love US and IoA, maybe a little more than disney 🙊

We are both huge HP fans. The first time we visited we spent twelve days in a Universal hotel and visited the HP areas numerous times. :d: I think one day is not long enough to see both parks, particularly if you want to see more than just the HP areas and don’t have an express pass.

I have seen many people that are not HP fans say they have enjoyed visiting HP worlds, so I would be hopeful that the other two children will enjoy it as well. There are a few thrill rides but plenty of other things for the younger one too. I can’t think of any indoor shows at Universal (although we are not really into shows so I could have missed them) but there are shortish street performances in various places, we always enjoy the choir at Hogwarts and and there is an evening light show over Hogwarts Castle.

There is the Blues Brothers show too which is outdoors, and a show with animal actors.

Loads for a 3 year old to do in both universal parks our Gds love the water play areas Seuss landing etc
Loads to do to be honest

We have taken our kids to Universal since the youngest was 2. They love it and loads to do.
Parent swap is a bit different as you all queue up and wait in a special room usually with a cartoon/film showing and with air con ( bliss). My kids love the MIB one as they can watch the ride load. Bring in your drinks and some snacks and you are sorted. Also means no lockers. Personally I prefer this to the Disney child swap.
A 3 year will love the Hogwarts express itself.
Seuss landing is brilliant for kids and the character interactions there are the best we have had ( including Disney). Read some of the books before you go.
If they love dinosaurs the Jurassic park areas great.
The animal actor show is likely to appeal to younger kids.
At 3 my son was happy taking it all in and didn't mind not actually riding all the rides.
Now at 6, 9 and 11 they are my kids preferred parks.
My kids loved the Marvel character meal- food was only ok for the adults ( kids loved it) but the interactions were great.