Choosing a Wand at the Wizarding World in Hollywood

Today we're talking about one of my favorite topics — Harry Potter! Mommy Frog (that's Flora to all of you grownups) gave me a copy of the first book as a birthday gift back when I was a younger frog. My fascination with all things Potter hit its high note when Universal opened The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. I can walk through Hogwarts and sip Butterbeer? Frog. Mind. Actually. Blown. In this post, I'm going to talk about my favorite part of these worlds — the wizarding world wands. I'll also answer some common questions that our readers have asked about these interactive wands plus tips on getting chosen at Ollivanders wand shop!

At Universal Studios Hollywood, you're surrounded by magical fun. You can take a ride on a magical beast on Flight of the Hippogriff and soar with Harry, Ron and Hermoine on Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. Visiting wizards can also make magic happen with our very own wand. IKNOWRIGHT? I love wandering around Hogsmeade with my wand, saying a spell —and then with a flick of my wrist — woosh. Magical things happen. While you don't need a wizarding world wand to enjoy your visit to Hogsmeade, they make the experience extra magical.

Any Harry Potter fan can tell you that the wand chooses the wizard. One of the coolest ways to see the power of the wand is by visiting Ollivanders wand shop. Inside this famous shop, you may purchase your very own wand. A few lucky folks even participate in a wand pairing ceremony and get chosen by a wand! There's plenty of wizarding world wand fun to be had at Universal Studios Hollywood. Let's leap in and see what you can conjure up with your own wand.

Types of Wizarding World Wands at Universal Studios Hollywood
Interactive Wands and Resin Wands

There are two kinds of wands available for you to purchase. The most popular wands are the interactive wands. These special wands can be used all around Hogsmeade at Universal Studios Hollywood to activate different effects in windows and other features. The resin wands are essentially decorative wands that you'd purchase to display in your bedroom or office. They are cheaper and lighter than the interactive wands.

Wand Prices

Prices for the wands vary. Expect to pay around $60 for the interactive wands and $45 for the resin non-interactive models.

Design of Wizarding World Wands
Wizarding World of Harry Potter Character Wands

Many visiting wizards leap at the chance to purchase the wands of their favorite characters. There's a certain thrill of waving around Harry's wand or dazzling at the details of the Elder Wand a.k.a. Dumbledor's wand. You may purchase select character wands as regular resin wands or as interactive models.

Non-Character Wizarding World of Harry Potter Wands

One of the appealing wand options are the various non-character ones. You have the option of purchasing a wand made of different materials — holly, reed, birch, willow, ash, vine, hazel, ivy, rowan, hawthorne and alder. These wands are only interactive.

I'd like to have my Pottermore wand created. Can I get a custom wand?

There are no custom wands available at Ollivanders wand shop.

Ollivanders - Makers of Fine Wands Since 382 BC
Ollivanders Wand Pairing Show

At Ollivanders, you can watch — and hopefully take part in — a wand pairing show with a wandkeeper. In this dark back room of the wand shop, the wandkeeper will select someone to participate in a wand pairing demonstration. The wandkeeper will offer several wands to the individual to see how well they work together. As you can guess, it may take a few tries for the correct wand and wizard to magically find each other. The show is pure magic. Even if you are not shopping for a wand, this pairing is worth the wait for diehard Harry Potter fans. I have seen it a few times, and each show is a little bit different with different spells and wands. You can watch my video of it on our YouTube channel.

After the show, the audience exits into the main wand store to peruse the