9 Unique Tips for your Interactive Wand Experience

Interactive Wand and Spell Casting Guide for the wizarding world of harry potter

Did you wait patiently for your letter from Hogwarts on your 11th birthday? Yeah, me too. It’s likely you’re a muggle, just like me. The good news is, you can still experience the magic of Harry Potter! Visit Universal Studios Orlando and be sure to invest in the interactive wand experience. Learn exactly how to participate in the interactive wand experience while visiting the Wizarding World of Harry Potter (WWOHP).

1. Don’t Wait, Purchase your Wand Immediately

Make the most of your time at Universal by divvying up your days! Many people allot specific days to certain areas of the park they’re most interested in. If you have a day planned to experience the WWOHP, head to Ollivanders the night or day before to purchase your wand ahead of time.

Having your wand ahead of time allows you to really study that map and you won’t have to worry about where you’re going to store your wand box all day. Some of the longer wand boxes will not fit in the free lockers where you store your belongings for Escape from Gringotts, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, and Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure.

Choosing An Interactive Wand.

Choose your interactive wand based off of your favorite character, or use the chart Universal has designed based loosely on the Celtic tree calendar. Make the selection of 13 wands easy by simply going with your birth month and date, or take your time in reading what each kind of wood represents and choose your wand based off of your personality.

Ollivander’s Wands List

WOOD	DATES	ATTRIBUTES
Birch	December 24 – January 20	Vivacious, energetic, perspicacious
Rowan	January 21 – February 17	Imaginative, resourceful, therapeutic
Ash	February 18 – March 17	Kind, generous, romantic
Alder	March 18 – April 14	Adventurous, confident, industrious
Willow	April 15 – May 12	Resilient, confident, strong
Hawthorn	May 13 – June 9	Flexible, strong, family-oriented
Oak	June 10 – July 7	Steadfast, optimistic, intuitive
Holly	July 8 – August 4	Influential, unbiased, wise
Hazel	August 5 – September 1	Precocious, creative, practical
Vine	September 2 – September 29	Persistent, restless, energetic
Ivy	September 30 – October 27	Tenacious, patient, goal-oriented
Reed	October 28 – November 24	Articulate, steadfast, adaptable
Elder	November 25 – December 23	Perceptive, sensitive, resilient

2. Handle Your Want Carefully

AS you might imagine, having a wand is a privilege. It’s important that you handle it with care. I put it back in the box every since time I went on a ride and left it in a locker. I also put it back in its box when I placed it in my bad to travel around the park. This will improve the longevity of your interactive wand!

3. Bring Your Want Back to Ollivanders

If you are experience any kind of issue or concern with your wand, bring it back to Ollivander’s Wand Shop. The staff there will happily repair your sensitive wand so that it can continue to cast spells for the duration of your trip! If you return to Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade at a later date and your wand seems to have stopped working, they’ll repair it then as well.

4. Stay late and/or arrive early.

If you have the opportunity to arrive an hour early, take advantage of it. If you’re not traveling with small children and can arrive early and stay late, do that too! Because it’s such a magical place with so much to offer, you need one full day to appreciate it all.

Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade tend to be busier in the morning hours but die down a tad at night. A different sense of magic comes with the darkness as well! In addition, if you stay into the evening hours you’ll have the opportunity to experience The Nighttime Lights At Hogwarts Castle; you won’t be disappointed if you stay.

5. Read your Harry Potter Interactive Wand map!

Be sure to use the map you receive when purchasing your interactive wand. Although you can walk around and look for the emblems among the cobblestone alleyways, you are bound to miss something if you’re not paying close attention.

There are tons of spells for you to try and they’re pretty much all on the map. The map will also tell you the name of the spell and what motion to create with your wand. If a specific effect is not working, you may come across an ‘Anti Jinx’ sign. Unfortunately, you’ll just have to move on.

Where are the spells?

This list of spells came from the Orlando Informer’s Interactive Wand and Spell Casting Guide and includes some secret spells not included on the map! 

Diagon alley spells.

SPELL	LOCATION	DIFFICULTY	EFFECT
1.Tarantallegra	Red-curtained shop window of Pilliwinkle’s Playthings, next to the Fountain of Fair Fortune	Medium/hard	Curtains open and troll marionettes dance across the stage
2.Incendio	At the end of Horizont Alley, aim your wand up towards the second floor of Flimflam’s Lanterns	Easy	Lanterns in the second-floor windows light up
3.Metelojinx	Look up towards the umbrella, above the restroom entrance in Horizont Alley	Easy	The umbrella lights up and emits rain and thunder noises, while spraying water onto the street
4.Silencio	The birdcage in the right-hand window of Magical Menagerie	Hard	The noisy bird in the window stops squawking
5.Dark Detectors	In the shop window of Wiseacres that faces Gringotts Wizarding Bank	Medium	Orbs open, revealing eyes that follow the movement of your wand
6.Specialis Revelio	In the shop window near the front door of Wiseacres	Medium	Look up to the star map to see an animated archer fire an arrow for his dogs to retrieve
7.Wingardium Leviosa	The right-hand shop window of Scribbulus, with the feather quill	Medium/hard	The quill levitates before lowering down
Mystery Spell #1	In the Scribbulus window to the right of the feather quill window	Easy	Hidden messages appear on the parchment – cast multiple times for different messages
8.Reparo	Brown E. Wright’s blacksmith shop at the end of Carkitt Market, near the Hopping Pot	Easy	A suit of armor is magically repaired
9.Locomotor Bellows	At Brown E. Wright’s blacksmith shop, immediately to the left of Reparo	Easy	Blacksmith bellows pump up and down
10.Aguamenti	The mermaid fountain at the end of Carkitt Market	Easy	Activates the frog spout, while occasionally spraying out the top (watch out!)
11.Descendo	The shop window of Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes on the Diagon Alley side, with the yellow and orange toilet	Easy	The U-NO-POO sign swirls down into the toilet, amid flushing sounds
Mystery Spell #2	The far-right window at Slug and Jiggers Apothecary on Diagon Alley	Easy	A suspicious-looking pot of brown stuff moves and emits a sulfuric smell

Knockturn Alley Spells.

While you’re exploring  Knockturn Alley, you will improve your interactive wand experience by checking out your map under the blacklights. Each spell here is indicated by a small image. These small images show you a bit of what might happen at that station. The one marked with a spider, for example, features a window where spider shadows are triggered by movement.

SPELL	LOCATION	DIFFICULTY	EFFECT
1.Locomotor Chimney Sweep	Look up to the Chimney Sweep Elf Sign, to the right of Dystyl Phaelanges	Easy	The house-elf climbs a chimney away from a burst of fire
2.Moving Skeleton	In the lighted bay window across from Borgin and Burkes	Easy	A skeleton projection copies your movements – try playing the chimes or interacting with other on-screen elements
3.Mimblewimble	Look for a cadre of shrunken heads, in a window to the left of Dystyl Phaelanges	Medium/hard	Silences the talking heads
4.Incendio	Look for a bird in a cage in a window in the courtyard around the corner from Borgin and Burkes	Medium	Lights a candle, the fumes of which have a magical effect on the little birdy – cast multiple times for different effects
5.Alohamora	Also in the courtyard around the corner from Borgin and Burkes	Easy	Use the spell to try to unlock the door, but when you grab and turn the handle, it is still locked, and you’re hit with a blast of air

Hogsmeade Spells.

SPELL	LOCATION	DIFFICULTY	EFFECT
1.Incendio	Shop window of Zonko’s Joke Shop	Easy	Sets off the spinning wheels and rockets
2.Arresto Momentum	Look up towards the wall-mounted cauldron at McHavelock’s	Medium	The water stops pouring and the cauldron tips to reveal a cheeky pixie
3.Revelio	The window display at Honeydukes with chocolate frogs	Medium	The large box lid lifts to reveal a croaking chocolate frog
4.Herbivicus	The right-hand window of Dogweed and Deathcap	Hard	The flower blooms in the window (aim your wand high and look down low)
5.Ascendio/Descendo	Right-hand window of Gladrags Wizardwear	Medium/hard	Raises/lowers a measuring tape on the wizard robes
6.Locomotor Snowman	Window with cakes displayed at Madam Puddifoot’s	Easy	Snowman cake-topper moves around
7.Locomotor/Arresto Momentum	The backside of Dervish and Banges, in the shop window with the Hogwarts model	Easy	Start and stop the music box in the window – a tune plays and the dragon chases a quidditch player
8.Alohomora	The shop window of Tomes and Scrolls Specialist Bookshop	Medium	Unlocks a copy of Tales of Beedle the Bard
9.Wingardium Leviosa	The shop window of Spintwiches	Easy	The quaffle and bludger balls wiggle and float in their case

6. Use Small Movements.

It’s not the size of the wizard, but the size of the motion that matters. The best tip I ever received in using my wand was to make the movements no larger than the size of the emblem on the ground.

At each spell site, there is an emblem on the ground with the name of the spell and the motion you must move your wand in to find success. The size of the insignia is the size of what your movement should be; it’s all in the wrist. Help guide small children who might struggle with fine motor skills!

7. Be Patient.

Don’t forget to bring your patience along for the adventure. There will be lines for rides, food, and to cast spells along with lots of small children trying to perfect their swish and flick. You might feel like you’re waiting a lifetime, but some people don’t ever get to experience the magic of Harry Potter in their lifetime, so you’re quite lucky. Be patient with yourself and others as you practice spellcasting without the experience of the required Charms Course at Hogwarts; perfecting their performance can be quite tricky.

8. Ask a Fellow Witch or Wizard.

There are so many witches and wizards who could be professors of Charms class. If you’re having trouble, don’t be afraid to ask for help! A boy that couldn’t have been much older than 10 helped me through a few tough spells during my experience. Also, ask a witch or wizard who appears to work in Diagon alley where the secret spells are if you can’t find them. They love to share the magic!

9. Be Immature at Heart.

Harry Potter fans of all ages will be decked out in their gear. Cloaks, scarves, and wands are just some of the accessories you will come across. Join in on the fun and act like a kid! In other words, a bit of immaturity goes a long way during your interactive wand experience. Embrace your inner kid.

First Timer Tips to Make the Most of Your Universal Trip.

If you follow these steps, you’re bound to have a spellbinding interactive wand experience at Universal Orlando. Don’t forget to make the most out of your stay. Staying on the property comes with a number of perks such as free transportation and early access to the parks. Learn what other ways you can save time and money at Universal Orlando through the link below.

15 Ultimate Universal Orlando Tips for Vacation Planning in 2022