33 Secrets to Discover at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter Hollywood

In addition to moving, screeching owls and walls stacked to the ceiling with packages, you can actually send real Muggle mail from the Owl Post in Hogsmeade.

All other Muggle seals pale in comparison.

Give the portraits in the Gryffindor common room part of the Forbidden Journey tour an extra look and listen, because there are new wizards in them that J.K. Rowling herself created.

There are many differences between the Orlando and Hollywood parks, but one thing is very similar — the setup of The Three Broomsticks. The pub was very reminiscent of the original Universal Studios Orlando restaurant, and J.K. Rowling herself tasted and approved of the menu. Warwick Davis, who plays Professer Flitwick in the films, said one of his favorite things about the park was the food, adding that it reminded him his native UK cuisine.

To truly get the full experience of Hogsmeade, you need to be armed with an interactive wand (ideally the one that chooses you if you get picked at Ollivander's!). There are gold plates throughout the park with the spell names and wand motions for casting them — the results are magical, literally. The wands also come with a map of the village that shows exactly where you can find all 11 hot spots.

The book is found in Dervish and Banges, and not only does it rattle around the cage periodically, but if you stick your fingers in, you might get snapped at. It also makes some pretty interesting (one might say pig-like oinking?) noises.

Don't miss actual props from the Harry Potter movie sets as you tour the village and castle. You can find real Hogwarts Express luggage from the films in the photo booth at the train station, and make sure to stop long enough in the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom inside the Forbidden Journey castle tour to get a look at the actual chalkboard and desks used on set.

Make sure to stop for a few seconds before entering the gates of the castle; what appears to be a simple Hogwarts School of Witchraft and Wizardry sign transforms into something way more magical as the name of the attraction (Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey) is scrawled in real time over the carved stone sign.

In addition to Firewhiskey (which is a warm, cinnamony delight that goes down easy!), the Hog's Head pub also offers several Butterbeer options and a special red ale that comes from a beer tap with a hog's head. The Hog's Head Brew is made exclusively for Universal — so make sure to get it while you're in Hogsmeade while you can! If you listen carefully, you'll hear house elves bustling about while you eat and drink.

It's pretty much impossible not to want just about everything you see inside Hogsmeade Village, but carrying a bunch of wizarding supplies around all day isn't ideal. You can ask the wizards working at the registers to have your purchases sent to the front of the park, where you can collect them at the end of the day.

Universal offers an awesome child work program. According to their site, here's how it works: "If any child in your party cannot ride an attraction, one or two adults can wait with the child in the attraction's Child Switch room. When the rest of your party returns, they switch with those who were waiting with the child, without having to wait in line again." This basically means more riding through an adventure with Harry Potter and friends, and less waiting!

Just like with the Wizarding World of Harry Potter Orlando, guests can experience the magic of a wand-choosing ceremony at Ollivander's in Hogsmeade. Lucky park-goers may even get chosen by Ollivander himself to demonstrate their wand skills, and find which wand is truly meant for them.

While this one may not show you your deepest desires, it's beautiful, and easily missed if you're running too fast through the castle to get to the Forbidden Journey ride. Make sure to take your time and appreciate the details like this one!

Universal Studios Orlando offers the Dragon Challenge ride in Hogsmeade, but the Hollywood Harry Potter World doesn't. This is probably because a version of the ride existed before the Wizarding World of Harry Potter Orlando was built, and was worked in to the structure of the new park when it was built. The lack of the ride isn't so much of a loss though — I think it actually allows Hogsmeade to feel more separate from the rest of the park, allowing park-goers to feel more immersed in the Wizarding World without the distractions of any rides that don't quite feel as though they fit in.

If you're able to stick around past sunset, then you will experience the Hogwarts Castle — already a sight to see in the daylight in all of its glory — lit up at night. It's truly breathtaking.

It reads "please respect the spell limits" instead of the more common "please respect the speed limits" us Muggles are used to seeing.

For a cozier, more secluded spot, just walk through the doorway inside the Three Broomsticks and you'll find yourself in the darker (and dodgier) Wizarding pub, stocked with Firewhiskey and other delicious adult beverages.

The candy shop (aka heaven) has everything an aspiring wizard could want — including Chocolate Frogs, Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Fudge Flies, Peppermint Toads, lemon drops, and more!

While the pink gown from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire hung in the window of Gladrags Wizardwear is just a replica of Hermione's from the films, you can go inside the shop and find Cho Chang's dress on display — and this one is actually from the movie set.

Stop and listen to what he has to say before making your way to the ride.

If you're not a huge fan of more daring rides, or if you get dizzy easily, then the Flight of the Hippogriff ride will be right up your (Diagon) alley. The roller coaster takes riders past Hagrid's cottage, and park-goers will spot Buckbeak the hippogriff, Hagrid's (formerly Sirius's) flying motorbike, and more. The coaster itself isn't too fast, and the ride is very short, so it's perfect for kids and adults alike. The best part of all: you will get some pretty amazing views of the castle and Hogsmeade on your ride.

Throughout the day, park-goers are serenaded by croaking frogs and wizards singing a capella on a stage outside, and you can watch a special Triwizard Spirit Rally performed by Durmstrang and Beauxbaton students.

My personal preference is frozen Butterbeer as opposed to just chilled, especially on a hot Southern California day. Cast members and brothers Oliver and James Phelps, who play Fred and George Weasley in the films, even said they prefer the park's original recipe to what they were served when filming on set. Unlike in the movies, the drink is nonalcoholic, so children can partake in the fun as well.

You won't find Moaning Myrtle in her usual haunt at Hogwarts Castle. Instead, she wails her laments while you're using the "public conveniences" in Hogsmeade.

pIt may or may not always be on display (I had to ask for it to be brought out), but there's a special Sorting Hat in Filch's — the shop you'll walk through as you exit the Forbidden Journey ride — that you can put on and have sort you. He'll even give you a few different versions of why and how he made his decision!

While colorful (and delicious) candy can be understandably distracting, don't miss the entrance to Zonko's Joke Shop tucked towards the back of Honeyduke's. The two have separate store fronts on the outside, but Zonko's is accessed through Honeyduke's, and if the adorable pygmy puffs alone aren't enough to draw you in, then the gag gifts and other Wizarding toys will.

Don't miss an opportunity to take a group shot with your friends and family in the train car at Hogsmeade Station. You can even choose your background; your options are green rolling hills and the flying Ford Anglia, Hogwarts Castle, or menacing dementors.

If you want to see (and yes, touch) something from the ACTUAL set of the Harry Potter movies, then don't miss the suitcases on the luggage rack above the seats, as well as the trunk beside the train car.

So . . . they are definitely up to snuff, to say the least.

The conductor — fully decked out in Hogwarts Express gear — stands at the entrance of Hogsmeade beside the train, and will gladly take a photo with you and your group. And he will be in full character, too!

From rusty fence posts by Hagrid's hut to "frozen"-over water in the Hogsmeade streets and the flying Ford Anglia sputtering its last gasps outside of the Hogwarts Castle, don't miss a single special detail that the park has added in for superfans to pick up on. NOTHING is done by accident, and Potterheads can spend an entire day admiring the little things that make the magic of the Wizarding World come to life inside the park.

At the Universal Studios Orlando Wizarding World of Harry Potter, there are two sections within the parks. Hogsmeade, which has the castle and the Forbidden Journey attraction, Flight of the Hipogriff ride, and the Dragon Challenge roller coaster is one section. Then you can walk through Muggle London through the secret wall or take the Hogwarts Express over to Diagon Alley, which is in another part of the park. Diagon Alley is completely separate, and in addition to shops, the Leaky Cauldron, and Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, it also has the epic Harry Potter and the Escape From Gringotts attraction.

The Harry Potter World in Hollywood, for now, is confined to Hogsmeade and the castle. The village is equally as magical, but here's hoping that one day Diagon Alley will also make its way to the California park, because it has SO much to offer as well.

For a Harry Potter fan, there really is nothing quite like seeing things you've imagined for so long come to life. With the castle looming before you, surrounded by bustling shoppers (many of whom are actually dressed in wizarding robes and casting spells), and sipping on Butterbeer, it's easy to feel like you're really in Hogsmeade on just another day in the Wizarding World. It should definitely be added to your Harry Potter bucket list!