At Universal Studios Hollywood, visitors at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter can trek the streets of Hogsmeade and get the full Potter experience. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter offers shopping and dining experiences that bring the magic of Harry Potter to life.

  One of the best experiences when visiting the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is being able to walk the streets of Hogsmeade and visit the same stores that the protagonist visited in the series. In the park, there are seven Potter-themed shops where you can purchase gifts and souvenirs. Part of the magic is that the gift shops don’t really feel like gift shops; they feel like actual stores that witches and wizards frequent on any occasion.

Before flying over to the overwhelming supply of movie prop replicas, toys and bewitching souvenirs, just make sure that you bring enough money from your Gringotts account: throughout the stores, items up for sale range from around six bucks to over one hundred dollars.

  Filch’s Emporium, a gift shop located at the base of Hogwarts Castle, is one of the best shops in the area. After jumping off of the Forbidden Journey ride, ride, you are let out into Filch’s Emporium, so you still feel like you are in Hogwarts: the experience doesn’t end when the lap bars lift up. Here, you can purchase merchandise of all sorts: key chains, sorting hats, clothing, Marauder’s Maps — even a VERY exquisite and realistic-looking version of Tom Riddle’s journal.

  Gladrags Wizardwear is also a must, to get all your fancy wizard digs. Here, you can purchase full-on Hogwarts robes and other wearable items such as lanyards, necklaces, pins and ties, which are all realistic-looking and nifty. For some reason, the magic really is in the air in this shop. It might be the floating dress in the window that charms everyone so much.

  Again, shopping in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is more an experience than a spree, and experience is just what you get when you visit Ollivander’s, where the wand really does choose the wizard. Here, you can purchase wands that are replicas of the ones the characters have in the films. The shop can be as chock full of wands as customers, however, so if you are in a rush but in dire need of a wand, you can purchase one at a kiosk outside of Hogwarts for half of the hassle. If you don’t want to pay 48 dollars for an interactive wand, you can just tag behind someone who bought one, and watch them cast spells on the storefront windows for free.

  One of the sweetest shopping spots is Honeydukes. Connected to Zonko’s Joke Shop, where you can purchase quaint and quirky toys, Honeydukes is the spot to fulfill your childhood dreams of buying chocolate frogs (wizard card included), pumpkin pasties and Bertie Bott’s Every-Flavour beans (and when they say every flavor, they mean every flavor; the dirt ones actually taste like dirt, and the soap ones actually taste like soap; just cross your fingers you don’t get a bogie-flavored bean). Prices range from around five to ten bucks a pop, but the portion sizes are worth the price, especially the fudge (not the Cornelius kind). If you are a person with little self-control, expect to spend at least 20 to 40 bucks on candy alone.

  Some of the other shopping experiences available include: Dervish and Banges, which sells quidditch equipment and uniforms, Wiseacre’s Wizarding Equipment, where you can buy crystal balls, telescopes and more, and Owl Post, where you can purchase awesome stationery sets and even send out letters with a Hogsmeade postmark. Don’t want to pay exorbitant prices for Potter-themed jewelry? Buy a cheaper (but still overpriced) keychain and string it on a cord for a necklace. With a little self-restraint, you can manage to take home a bounty of Potter merch and spend under a hundred bucks.

   After walking around Hogsmeade all day long, any wizard would be hungry. The Three Broomsticks offers restaurant-style dining. With single meals like fish and chips, spare ribs and shepard’s pie (ranging between 13 and 22 dollars) and a party platter for about 55 dollars, you’ll get the bite for your buck. The portions are large, and the food is delicious. Don’t forget to ask about Butterbeer and Pumpkin Juice when you dine in. Not only is Butterbeer delicious, tasting something like a butterscotch float, but it is also very popular. If you don’t grab a mug in the Three Broomsticks, the kiosk lines around the park are extremely long. Most parks don’t offer that high quality of food, but there’s something about eating in the wizarding world that takes dining to the next level. Remember, everything tastes better in Potter Land, even the corn.

At the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, the attraction shops are sure to make wizards and muggles feel right at Hogsmeade.