With the recent opening of the new Diagon Alley at Universal Studios, here’s an inside guide to making the most of your next visit to experience Harry Potter.

First you need a park-to-park pass to ride the Hogwarts Express. A Universal Express Pass for $39.99/ticket for two parks will help you avoid the lines one time for many of the most popular rides (except unfortunately the two Harry Potter rides). Or choose the Unlimited Express Pass (starting at $189 with park admission).

We recommend you stay at an on-site hotel (Loews Royal Pacific, Loews Portofino Bay or the Hard Rock Hotel) as the Unlimited Express Pass AND one hour early admission to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is included. Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort doesn’t grant you an Unlimited Express Pass, but it does get you into the park an hour early and this is crucial.

Islands of Adventure opens at 8:00 am which means if you stay on property you can get in at 7:00am.  Nothing beats Butterbeer for breakfast (frozen is better)!  Be the first in line for the Forbidden Journey ride.  Note that there are four seats to a car on this ride. The second seat from the left as you face the seats is the best seat in the house.

After Forbidden Journey, you can use your Express Pass to skip the line at the Flight of the Hippogriff, Dragon Challenge (the Chinese Fireball option is more intense) or enjoy the choir from Hogwarts.  Note that some rides have height requirements.

Then at 8:00am you can board the Hogwarts Express for Diagon Alley. Disembark at King’s Cross Station and head to the Escape From Gringotts.  Most likely you will need to wait in line for this ride, but at least the queue is entertaining including the elevator ride.

Then head for the show at Ollivander’s. One child in the crowd gets picked by Ollivander himself to have their wand “chosen” for them. With wands in hand, you can enjoy Diagon Alley, take in a show and have another Butterbeer. Your wand comes with a map, but look for the plaques on the ground marking where you can activate a variety of spells. There are at least two unmarked “secret” spells. One at Slug and Jiggers across from the Wand Shop and one at Scribbulus Writing Instruments to the right of Gringott’s by the potion stand.

Be sure to visit Knockturn Alley as well. Don’t leave without having a friendly chat with a dark witch or wizard, trying out a few spells, listening for the bird in the vanishing cabinet at Borgin & Burkes, and trying out your best dance moves with the troll skeleton that mirrors your movements.

Once you’ve had your fill of Diagon Alley, you can now exit back to Universal Florida. Where you go from here is up to you. The trip back to Hogsmeade on the Hogwarts Express is a completely different show then you caught on the way there, so it could be worth heading back and tackling Islands of Adventure. Or you can stay at Universal Florida and hop right onto the Simpsons Ride just a short stroll to your left.

Whichever option you take, the majority of the crowds will probably have made their way straight to the two Harry Potter areas. Meaning you, clever theme park warrior, can use your Express Pass to get right onto every ride and not have to fight as large a crowd to get there.

Let The Family Traveler price out the best values for you overall in regards to air, hotels, park tickets and more for your next Universal Studios vacation.