Magical wands are an essential part of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter experience.
You can buy traditional and interactive wands at various Universal Orlando stores. As of March 2025, the price of an interactive wand ranges from $65 to $85.
Let’s take a closer look at how much wands cost at Universal Studios Orlando.
About Wands at Universal Orlando Resort
Historically, guests have had a choice between two main types of wands, with additional sub-variants. They could purchase a traditional wand or an interactive wand.
As of late, the focus has clearly shifted to the interactive wands. You’ll find little – if any – in the way of non-interactive versions in the parks.
Spring 2025 brought updated interactive wand technology as part of the preparations for the launch of the newest Wizarding World within the new Epic Universe theme park. These new wands debuted on March 1, 2025 and offer visitors the chance to track their progress via an app.
All of the wands sold at Universal are imported, hand painted, and made from sculpted resin instead of wood (at the request of J. K. Rowling herself). There are dozens of different designs to choose from.
Traditional Wands and Film Replicas
The original wands come are thin and come in a neat little box. Most are about 14″ to 16″ in length, depending on the model.
Historically, there were about two dozen different designs (models), including the Draco Malfoy™ Wand, Professor Dumbledore™ Wand, Ginny Weasley™ Wand, Harry Potter™ Wand, Hermione Granger™ Wand, and others. Over the years, the selection has dwindled — the focus has clearly shifted toward the newer interactive wands.
Today, the non-interactive wands are mainly limited to sets of multiple special “authentic replica” wands that are intended to be more of a commemorative movie memorabilia piece rather than something you’d swish and flick inside the park. They’re usually priced accordingly, with display sets nearing $300 in some cases.
Maps are not included with traditional wands because they are not meant to interact with anything in the park. These are great souvenirs but don’t possess any magical (technological) powers.
Interactive Wands (First Generation)
Unlike the traditional wands, an interactive wand will allow you to cast magical spells throughout The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™—Hogsmeade™, and Diagon Alley™. These wands have a rounded, reflector tip that is used to interact with the sensors around the park.
Interactive wands are slightly thicker than the traditional wands, roughly the same length, and come in a cute little box with a double-sided fold-out map. These maps are great little souvenirs but it will also help you find the “marked” magical spots in Universal Studios and Island of Adventure. Even if you want to keep your map in pristine condition, make sure to unfold it at least once in Knockturn Alley to see some neat glowing effects.
There are a few dozen different interactive wand designs to choose from, including the Interactive Ollivanders™ Alder Wand, Interactive Ollivanders™ Ash Wand, Interactive Ollivanders™ Birch Wand, Interactive Ollivanders™ Elder Wand, Interactive Ollivanders™ Hawthorn Wand, Interactive Ollivanders™ Hazel Wand, Interactive Ollivanders™ Holly Wand, Interactive Ollivanders™ Ivy Wand, Interactive Ollivanders™ Oak Wand, Interactive Ollivanders™ Reed Wand, and others.
You can purchase an interactive wand that’s modeled after characters (Harry, Hermione, Sirius Dumbledore), or you can buy “unclaimed” wands that aren’t modeled after a Harry Potter character.
Interactive Wands (Second Generation, new as of March 2025)
As part of the leadup to the opening of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic, Universal has unveiled a new second generation interactive wand design.
These new wands offer all the same in-park fun as the original interactive wands, along with several more fun interactive features:
- Lighting effects when performing a spell
- Haptic feedback (slight vibrations similar to those on a mobile phone or video game controller)
- Data link to the Universal Play function in the Universal Orlando app, allowing you to…
- View an interactive spell-casting map
- Track your progress across the three Wizarding Worlds
- Earn House Points
- View a Leaderboard
- Discover fantastic beasts
- Watch your Patronus defend you from a Dementor
- Experience special surprises based on your Hogwarts House
- Join a Duelling Club
- And more!
Once you’ve purchased your second-gen interactive wand, you’ll want to link it to the Universal app.
To do this, you can either scan a barcode on the bottom of the wand box, or use Near-Field Communication (similar to your phone’s “Tap to Pay” function). Either method will link your wand and allow you to start tracking your wizarding adventures.
And don’t worry if the First Years in your group don’t have their own mobile device. The app can manage multiple wizards on a single device.
How Much Do Wands Cost at Universal Orlando?
As mentioned earlier, the interactive wands cost $65 to $85 (plus tax), depending on the model. The new “second generation” interactive wands will be on the $85 end of the price range, while the first generation interactive wands will be somewhere around $65 to $75.
Wand Stands are sold separately for $40 each. You can also purchase a Marauders Map “Mischief Managed” wall mount for your wand at $50.
As for special collectors wands/replicas, the Weasley Wand Collection (2 authentic replica wands w/ display rack) is $120, Triwizard Champions Wand Collection (4 authentic replica wands w/ glass case) is $195. and Dumbledore’s Army Wand Collection (a special set of authentic replica wands w/ display parchment) is $295.
*Prices and selection are accurate as of March 2025 and are subject to change
Plan Your Visit to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter
If the Owl carrying your Hogwarts letter clearly took a wrong turn at Hogsmeade and hasn’t arrived yet, fear not! You can still find your way!
The Universal planning experts at The Vacationeer can guide you every step of the way. You’ll get a single, dedicated agent (no waiting on hold with a giant call center) to help plan your trip from start to finish.
Think of your Vacationeer as your own personal Sorting Hat! They take what they’ve learned about you — consider your suggestions and requests — and help you find the perfect hotel, dining, and theme park tickets for your vacation — and then book them all for you!
And because The Vacationeer doesn’t charge any planning fees, you’ll be able to save those hard-earned Galleons to spend on more important things… like Butterbeer! Your trip won’t cost a single Knut more than if you’d booked it yourself, but you’ll benefit from all of their expert advice.
It doesn’t matter if you’re traveling by Hogwarts Express, Floo Network, or Flying Ford Anglia (mind the Whomping Willow) — The Vacationeer can help make your trip pure magic.
Where to Buy Wands at Universal Orlando Resort
There are several places to buy wands at Universal.
Wands are sold at Ollivanders in Diagon Alley (Universal Studios Park), Wands by Gregorovitch (the Carkitt Market area of Diagon Alley), Ollivanders in Hogsmeade (Islands of Adventure Park), and at a cart selling wands on the path to Hogwarts.
You can also purchase wands at the various souvenir shops near the front gates of the two theme parks plus at the huge gift shop in the CityWalk section.
Once Epic Universe opens in late May 2025, you’ll also be able to purchase wands there as well. The wand shop at Epic Universe will be set in the Fantastic Beasts universe, with its famous wandmaker Cosme Acajor.
You’ll be able to pick up an Acajor original at Cosme Acajor Baguettes Magique, located within Place Cachée.
Best Place to Buy a Wand at Universal Orlando
For the full experience, I recommend you skip the gift shops and head over to Ollivander’s in Diagon Alley. The Diagon Alley location for Ollivanders has more rooms and usually short lines. Go first thing in the morning if you want to beat the rush.
As you’ll remember, Harry was brought to these “makers of fine wands since 382 BC” by Rubeus Hagrid as a rite of passage in the wizarding world.
Inside you’ll discover row after row of wand boxes stacked up to the ceiling.
There’s something magical about Ollivanders and that’s why I believe it’s the best place to buy a wand at Universal Orlando Resort. Only here can you witness the magic of the wand choosing its wizard, an interactive experience in and of itself.
The Ollivanders in Hogsmeade is my #2 spot to buy wands, only because the tiny store can accommodate just 24 people at a time. Although the tiny layout feels a bit more accurate to the books and films, nothing can really beat the intimate wand choosing ceremony at the Diagon Alley location.
Note: Wands cost the same amount in every retail location (whether you purchase your wand at Ollivander’s or in a gift shop).
Best Wand for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
For me, it’s definitely worth paying the extra cash to get the interactive version of a wand, and the new features of the Second Generation Interactive wand really elevate your Wizarding World experience.
The traditional (non-interactive) wands are really amazing keepsakes but they won’t do you any good in parks. And the First Generation interactive wands don’t offer all of the digital benefits of the newer ones.
Although you can also buy some of the wands online, I suggest waiting until you get to the park. The chance to inspect and select your wand in-person (or rather, I suppose, have it select you) really helps you immerse yourself into the Wizarding World.
How to Find Spell Casting Locations
Your interactive wand purchase includes a physical map that can be used to find the spellcasting spots. The Universal app also includes an interactive map as part of its Universal Play module. Note that you can still use the interactive map to view spellcasting locations even if you haven’t purchased a Second Generation Interactive Wand — you just won’t be able to track your progress or access any of the other nifty digital features.
There are plenty of spells to be cast:
- 18 in Diagon Alley / Knockturn Alley (Universal Studios)
- 11 in Hogsmeade (Islands of Adventure)
- 12 in Ministry of Magic (Epic Universe — opening May 2025)
You can use the paper map or interactive map to find the general area of the spellcasting location.
The app’s map is fully interactive, so you can zoom in to get a closer look.
Once you’re generally in the right area, look for a metal medallion on the ground.
You can also see a photo of the exact spot where a spell will activate, which can be helpful in knowing where to point your wand and where to watch for the results of your wizarding prowess.
Both the ground medallions and app show a diagram of the wand motions necessary to activate the spell. Point your wand straight outward toward (and maybe slightly upward if the spellcasting spot is above you), then perform the motion shown by the medallion/app.
The diagram of the motion “starts” at the dot and “ends” at the final arrowhead. For the Incendio spell shown in the app image above, you would perform the spell by swishing and flicking in a sort of A-frame triangular pattern, starting in the lower left, going upward to the right, then downward to the right, then slightly arching to the left back to where you started. You don’t have to verbalize the “magic words” (but it’s kind of fun to do it anyway).
There are plenty of spells to try, some a bit more difficult to activate than others. Don’t be shy about asking other nearby wizards for help!
My favorite wand spells to cast are Metelojinx (which causes rain and thunder around an umbrella), Incendio (which lights an entire window full of lamps or sets off some firework-type effects), and Descendo (which triggers a bit of light toilet humor at Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes).
Do You Have To By a New Wand for Each Visit?
No, the price of your interactive wand includes unlimited activations of the park’s hidden effects, even over multiple trips.
You won’t have to pay any more money if you make multiple visits to the parks; you can bring your wand back year after year!
However, like with a mobile phone or computer, Wand technology does change over the years. If you have an older First Generation interactive wand, you’ll need to upgrade to a newer model only if you are concerned about the in-app interactive features. Otherwise, you can continue casting away with your older wand and still activate in-park effects.
Thanks for reading How Much do Wands Cost at Universal Studios Orlando. Have a great time!
For more on Universal, see our Ultimate Universal Orlando Planning Guide, Universal Studios Orlando Map, Best Rides at Universal Studios Orlando, Harry Potter Universal Studios. How to get from Disney World to Universal and Disney Travel Specialists. We also have dozens of pages on Disney World.
Leave A Comment