Are you a Harry Potter fan dreaming of visiting the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Orlando or Hollywood? If so, do not overlook the famous Wand Ceremony at Ollivander’s, Makers of Fine Wands.

It was a very hot and sunny Summer day at Universal Studios Hollywood. The line was about an hour wait. My daughter, Hunter, was the only one excited about waiting in line to enter the shop. This was her ONE request for our visit. So, we all waited as the line slowly moved around the queue until we finally reached the front of the line. (You can visit the shop without going through the ceremony room).

The staff at Ollivander’s brings you in small groups into the ceremony room where one of Ollivander’s wand makers chooses one lucky guest to be selected by a wand. The room is dimly lit. There are stacks and stacks of old dusty wand boxes reaching to the ceiling, waiting for their owners to arrive.

Hunter, perhaps because she was dressed in her Hogwarts’ house shirt, was selected for the ceremony. Without giving too much away, she went through several wands before her wand finally found her, and the ceremony culminated in quite a little spectacle that was fun for everyone watching!

No, you aren’t given a free wand. However, we did get a special bit of magic and a great memory from our visit.

From the ceremony room, you are led out into the main wand shop. Here you can look for different types of wands, replicas of characters’ wands from the films, or follow through the shop to the robes and other items. The majority of wands were priced between $30-$50. Robes were $110 but lined and well made.

To continue the magic in the Wizarding World, purchase an interactive wand and follow spots on the map where you can try your hand at various spells.

What a fun afternoon we had looking through all the shops, casting spells in the alleys, and stopping for butterbeer and the family feast at the Three Broomsticks!

If you'd like to add a day at Universal to your Disney vacation, let your Me and The Mouse agent know! Me and The Mouse agents are trained in Disney and Universal parks and resorts.