One of the most refreshing things about the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando is the food and drink offerings. You won’t find any soda here! Just butterbeer, pumpkin juice, and all the other treats you’ve read about on the pages of the Harry Potter books.
Butterbeer
You can’t go to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter without having a butterbeer. This non-alcoholic drink is a magical concoction resembling a blend of cream soda and butterscotch. You can get it chilled, frozen, and (during certain times of the year) hot. My favorite is the frozen version as it seems to tame down the sweetness just a bit.
One important thing to note…Butterbeer contains trace amounts of milk products, so it’s not appropriate for vegans.
Ice-cream at Florean Fortescue’s
You can find both soft serve and hard packed ice cream here in a variety of unique flavors. Personally, I like to pair Clotted Cream with Earl Grey & Lavender. Other notable favorites are Butterbeer and Strawberry & Peanut butter. (If you can’t decide, just ask and they will be happy to split your serving between two different flavors.)
The shop can get quite busy, especially in the hot afternoons, but the line does move quickly. Or consider having ice-cream for breakfast…it’s okay, you’re on vacation!
Practically anything at Honeyduke’s
Is there anything more magical than a wizard’s candy store? Honeyduke’s is full of countless sweet surprises. Check out the fizzing whizbees (milk chocolate and exploding candies) and the exploding bonbons (white chocolate, pineapple, and exploding candies)! In addition to prepackaged options, they have a display case full of baked goods as well (including cauldron cakes!).
To share the Harry Potter love with your friends back at home…I recommend picking up some Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans as souvenirs (just don’t forget to remove the flavor guide before giving them away for the full effect). I gifted my coworkers with a bag and it was an interesting couple days at work!
Specialty drinks
If Butterbeer isn’t to your liking, there are lots of other imaginative drink options available. Pumpkin juice (spiced like a pumpkin pie) is quite refreshing and the non-alcoholic Fishy Green Ale is not only Instagrammable, it’s one of the strangest things you’ll ever drink (a sweet cinnamon? mint drink with blueberry boba).
For those looking for something a bit stronger, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter has several alcoholic options made just for the theme park. These include the lighter Dragon’s Scale and Hog’s Head Ale as well as the dark stout Wizard’s Brew and even a special cinnamon flavored Fire Whiskey.
British classics
You’ll find plenty of hearty British classics at the restaurants in Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Fish and chips…scotch eggs…shepherd’s pie…bangers and mash…toad in the hole…a full English breakfast…. Unfortunately, there are limited options for vegetarians. (Vegetarians will have better luck at Lisa’s Teahouse of Horror in the Springfield themed area that isn’t too far away. Or just stick with chips.)
And one to skip…Gillywater
It’s just extra expensive bottled water. While it is true that there are cute ‘potion’ bottles of flavoring that you can buy to put in your Gillywater…here’s a secret, you don’t have to buy Gillywater to buy the potions! You can purchase the potions by themselves and add them to your own water…or take them home for cute souvenirs.
