Ollivander's sign ups-

[yorkieteacher]

So do you sign up in front of the shop for the wand experience at Ollivander's or somewhere else? At both Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade? If Diagon Alley is open at 8 for early entry, will Ollivander's also be open? Thanks-

 

[ClapYourHands]

Did they start making you sign up? Is it a COVID thing?

It's been a few years, but when we went to Universal, you could just line up and go in. In our experience, there was always a pretty long wait when the park opened because everyone wanted their wands first thing. But come afternoon, you could pretty much walk on in with no wait. The Diagon Alley has several rooms to run the wand ceremony concurrently, so we found a smaller line at Hogsmeade didn't necessarily translate to a shorter wait.

We did the wand ceremony about 8 times because my kid really wanted to get picked.

 

[helenb]

We just did it today, in Hogsmeade. They moved the sign ins to the back of the store, and said that they had very few people signing up since it was ‘out of sight’. We were able to sign up for a 3:20 pm slot at 3:15.

 

[SmittS]

We just did it today, in Hogsmeade. They moved the sign ins to the back of the store, and said that they had very few people signing up since it was ‘out of sight’. We were able to sign up for a 3:20 pm slot at 3:15.

I thought the new sign ups were to get in the store. If you go in the store, what are you signing up for? A little confused.

 

[helenb]

We signed up for the Ollivander’s show where they help you choose a wand. Anyone can go into the store, as long as it is not full.

 

[ShadeDK]

Update for anyone interested: per TMs at Ollivander’s, daily sign-ups in Diagon Alley have been filling up by noon, while Hogsmeade remains a walk-in with about a 5-minute wait.

 

[yorkieteacher]

We went Sunday, June 21. Got to Diagon Alley Olivander’s at 810 and were the second family to sign up. Our experience was at 825. My grandson was totally over the moon, and I confess I teared up ! This was worth the price of admission alone!

 

[mcjw2011]

We went Sunday, June 21. Got to Diagon Alley Olivander’s at 810 and were the second family to sign up. Our experience was at 825. My grandson was totally over the moon, and I confess I teared up ! This was worth the price of admission alone!

I remember going with my friend last September and I was picked to do the wand testing. Loved it, but my friend DID NOT take a picture or video of it. (Did pay for the wand BTW.)

 

[Dockside Bayer]

Can someone tell me more about what this is? I'm new to Universal and lost.

 

[yorkieteacher]

Can someone tell me more about what this is? I'm new to Universal and lost.

Ollivanders is the shop where wizards buy their wands, just as in the Potter movies. Now, if you sign up for a time, someone in your family is sure to have the “wand experience.” It happens almost EXACTLY as in the movie. It really does seem like magic! Watch it on YouTube-

 

[Dockside Bayer]

Ollivanders is the shop where wizards buy their wands, just as in the Potter movies. Now, if you sign up for a time, someone in your family is sure to have the “wand experience.” It happens almost EXACTLY as in the movie. It really does seem like magic! Watch it on YouTube-

Thanks. I do know about Ollivanders. It is at the top of our list. I am confused about the experience you are signing up for. I can look it up on YouTube but can you tell me what it is called? Just the Wand Experience?

 

[ClapYourHands]

Thanks. I do know about Ollivanders. It is at the top of our list. I am confused about the experience you are signing up for. I can look it up on YouTube but can you tell me what it is called? Just the Wand Experience?

I think so. It might be wand ceremony, but shouldn't be hard to find if you search for wand experience. Basically, anyone can go to Ollivander's (the store) and buy any wand they want at anytime. But the experience is a very cool, interactive experience where the wand chooses the wizard. You'll be given the opportunity to buy the wand that "chose" you, but you don't have to. The wands offered in the wand experience are Olivander's originals, said to have various wood types. They will not be replicas of any of the characters from the film. If you want one of those, you simply decline the wand that chose you, and pick up your character wand in the main store.

 

[Dockside Bayer]

I think so. It might be wand ceremony, but shouldn't be hard to find if you search for wand experience. Basically, anyone can go to Ollivander's (the store) and buy any wand they want at anytime. But the experience is a very cool, interactive experience where the wand chooses the wizard. You'll be given the opportunity to buy the wand that "chose" you, but you don't have to. The wands offered in the wand experience are Olivander's originals, said to have various wood types. They will not be replicas of any of the characters from the film. If you want one of those, you simply decline the wand that chose you, and pick up your character wand in the main store.

This is so helpful! Thank you very much. Do you know if adults do this too or is it mostly smaller children? I will have a 16 year old who is HP obsessed with me.

 

[andieb0602]

This is so helpful! Thank you very much. Do you know if adults do this too or is it mostly smaller children? I will have a 16 year old who is HP obsessed with me.

My DD is 13 and HP obsessed. When we went last year she was actually picked over a bunch of younger children (including her younger brother) because she was in a robe and told the TM that she cried walking into Diagon Alley for the first time. While you'll see lots of kids with wands there are also lots of teens and adults with wands (and wearing robes). There's no problem whatsoever with an adult doing the wand ceremony. I am (much) older than 16 and wouldn't mind doing the ceremony myself!

 

[Dockside Bayer]

My DD is 13 and HP obsessed. When we went last year she was actually picked over a bunch of younger children (including her younger brother) because she was in a robe and told the TM that she cried walking into Diagon Alley for the first time. While you'll see lots of kids with wands there are also lots of teens and adults with wands (and wearing robes). There's no problem whatsoever with an adult doing the wand ceremony. I am (much) older than 16 and wouldn't mind doing the ceremony myself!

Good to know. So not everyone gets to participate. You have to be chosen, correct?

 

[andieb0602]

Good to know. So not everyone gets to participate. You have to be chosen, correct?

Right now the show is limited to one party at a time and you designate who will be the "chosen one". (I.e. We'll be going on DS's 11th birthday and he'll be our chosen one that day.) I imagine post-covid they will return to having more than one party at a time for the show and who gets picked will go back to being more random.

 

[jenjersnap]

Are the wands that choose their owner in the ceremony also interactive? Or are those different wands?

 

[NicoleLarson]

Are the wands that choose their owner in the ceremony also interactive? Or are those different wands?

My DD11 got picked on her 11th birthday and yes, it is an interactive wand. I'm 99% sure they will be the Ollivanders original wands not the character replica wands.

Also just an FYI incase anyone didnt know this, because we didnt. If you wand breaks, for any reason, they will replace it free of charge. We learned this the hard way after someone saw my DD crying because she dropped her wand and the tip cracked. We took it to the shop and they replaced it, no questions asked, we didnt have to show a receipt or anything.

 

[ClapYourHands]

Good to know. So not everyone gets to participate. You have to be chosen, correct?

Yes, but it's a good time to do it because you're going with just your party, so you're guaranteed for someone to do it. My advice is not to you-tube it so you'll be surprised by the special effects. It's really fun and cool, but basically the same thing each time, so it's best done without spoilers.

When we went, my ODS was incredibly HP obsessed and was dying to do it. YDS was interested, but not a super-fan. We went 6 times over two days between Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley, and kept not getting picked. ODS even wore his custom quidditch robe (Halloween costume where he was not Harry, but himself as an exchange student from Ilvermorny playing on the Gryffindor team - because he's read all the books and Pottermore stuff so he knows that as an American he wouldn't go to Hogwarts). Still didn't get picked. I started to think it was because they look the same age, and no one wanted to pick one "twin" over the other, so they just never got chosen. When we were waiting in line for the 7th time, one of my kids burst out, "we keep doing this and no one picks us because they think we're twins, and we're NOT!" Before we went in, the handler conferred a bit with another performer. We were sure he'd get picked this time, plus there was only one other kid, so the odds were good. Nope, other kid got picked. My son was trying so hard not to cry and ruin the other kid's experience, but he was so disappointed. Then as we were leaving, one of the assistants called us back, and said, "these are the two you were asking about, Wandmaster." They did a special two-person ceremony for them both. It was incredible! People talk about pixie dust at Disney, but this experience was just magical, and so well done, especially after the repeated disappointments. It was also great that after seeing the ceremony so many times, this sibling double ceremony had a twist that made it fresh.

Are the wands that choose their owner in the ceremony also interactive? Or are those different wands?

Yes, they are interactive.

 

[ofcabbagesandkings]

That would be so cool if they would do a sibling double ceremony. I'm honestly kind of hoping that the ceremonies are still limited to one party at a time in 2021.