My first ever trip to Universal Studios was amazing. It was our last day in Florida and I made it my mission to get my wand at Ollivander's!
Like so many others in the world, I grew up reading Harry Potter. I wished I could attend the famed mythical school of Hogwarts, and I wanted to get sorted into one of the four houses offered there.
But most importantly, I wanted a wand.
As every astute Harry Potter fan should know, the wand chooses the wizard. The wand must be a perfect match for the person who is holding it. There are many wands that speak to the character of the person wielding it.
I visited Universal Studios in December, December 24th to be exact. You would expect that this time would make it impossible to do anything around the park, and you would be correct in assuming that. However, I visited the park very early. When I got to the Harry Potter portion of the amusement park, there was hardly anyone there. (So if you want to get picked for your wand, make sure you get there early!)
If you are a true Harry Potter fan you will recognize everything around you! After a short walk into the area, Ollivander's Wand Shop will be on your right. This next part is extremely important if you want to get your wand. Try to make sure you enter the wan shop with a small group. The smaller the group, the less competition.
Since the park was so empty, I entered only with two families. One was a group of adults, and the other was a family with two twin children dressed in wizards robes. There was a total of about seven people all together in the group, including me and my dad.
When you walk in, Ollivander will be busy at work, organizing wands and whatnot. You will be told to file in and go all the way to the right as far as you can go. I just so happened to be first in line, so I was the first person Ollivander saw.
At first, I thought I had no chance of getting picked because of the two little-excited children who also entered with me.
However, I was wrong.
Ollivander spoke a little to the group and after a little while, she (our Ollivander was a she) asked if anyone in here was here receive their wand. The two kids and I nodded our heads. Then Ollivander walked over to the whole crowd and said, "I sense a strong magic coming from this area." She walked towards me and asked for my name. I told her then she said, "Would you like to be fitted for your wand?"
I tested out about 3 wands before I was fitted with my correct one. I made flowers wilt, and I created a thunderstorm within the confined shop. Then, just like in the movie, I picked up my wand and received a warm glowing light and a small breath of wind as a confirmation. My wand made of oak with a phoenix tail feather core. It was an amazing moment and something I will remember forever.
The work put into this theme park is amazing and every Harry Potter nerd needs to experience this moment! Hopefully, this will help witches and wizards all over finally get chosen for their long overdue wands.
