Photos / Video: Universal Studios Hollywood Invites Guests to Go Back to Hogwarts for the Month of August

Today Laughing Place was invited to Universal Studios Hollywood to check out the popular Southern California theme park’s Back to Hogwarts seasonal event in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

It was a gorgeous day with a clear blue sky in Los Angeles, making it the perfect time to head over to Universal Studios Hollywood in Universal City.

At the entrance to Hogsmeade Village, guests excitedly headed into the Wizarding World of Harry Potter for a fun-filled day of magic.

One of the first things I noticed about the Back to Hogwarts event is that the Hogwarts Express Conductor now carries with him a series of pennants corresponding to each of the Hogwarts houses– Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Guests are invited to pose for photos with the Conductor and choose their favorite house to represent. Many guests come dressed in their favorite house’s colors as well.

But if you haven’t arrived at the park in your own Harry Potter gear (or even if you have), the shops of Hogsmeade Village have refreshed their collection of apparel and merchandise tied into the four houses, and a new collection that features the Hogwarts Crest is available as well.

Over at the Wizarding World’s snack carts, guests can get their hands on a Time Turner popcorn bucket, among other unique treats.

Of course the Wizarding World of Harry Potter still has its two terrific attractions: Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey and Flight of the Hippogriff, plus interactive magical spells throughout the land.

But as a fan of puppets– I mean, Fantastic Beasts– the thing I was most excited to see today was the Occamy creature, who was carried around by its friendly handler. I missed this at Universal Fan Fest Nights this past spring and also at the beginning of Mega Movie Summer, so I was glad to finally get to meet the Occamy now that Back to Hogwarts has kicked off.

Watch Occamy creature in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Hollywood:

Here’s a collection of still photos from my encounter with the Occamy this morning.

As part of our visit to Universal Studios Hollywood, the park provided us with a meal voucher, which I used to grab a couple of Hot Butterbeers to bring home to my wife, who is a big fan of the (perhaps seasonally inappropriate) drink. Plus we were given a very nice Hogwarts Crest keychain as a souvenir.

On my way out I noticed that the queue building for the upcoming Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift roller coaster is getting the attraction’s logo painted on its side. All told, it was a fun few hours spent heading Back to Hogwarts!

Back to Hogwarts runs daily from now through Monday, September 1st at Universal Studios Hollywood. Be sure to visit the theme park’s official website for additional information, and for all your Disney and Universal travel planning, as always Laughing Place recommends MEI Mouse Fan Travel.