2015 Celebration of Harry Potter Schedule and Autograph Session Information

If Dani’s recent blog post about Universal Orlando‘s upcoming Celebration of Harry Potter event inspired you to attend, you’re probably looking for some hard information on the weekend-long fan convention kicking off at Universal Studios Florida on January 30th. Fear not, muggles, because we’ve found the full details on the Celebration of Harry Potter schedule and autograph session information to help you snag some face time with your favorite wizarding stars.

Celebration of Harry Potter Basic Information

The Celebration of Harry Potter, scheduled for January 30 through February 1, 2015, brings Harry Potter fans together with the actors and artists who helped create the blockbuster franchise. Similar to sci-fi and comic book conventions held around the country, the Celebration features panel discussions and question & answer sessions where guests can see some of the series’ stars in person, and possibly get an autograph. Confirmed participants in 2015 include Michael Gambon (Dumbledore), Robbie Coltrane (Hagrid), Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood), and James and Oliver Phelps (Fred and George Weasley). Paul Harris, the choreographer who created “wand combat” for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, will also attend to lead popular masterclasses in wizard dueling.

The majority of presentations are free for all park attendees, and are held either on Music Plaza stage in Production Central, or the Fear Factor Live stadium. There is also a Celebration of Harry Potter Expo in Soundstage 33 (accessible from New York near Twister), where fans can get selected for a Hogwarts house by the Sorting Hat, sign up for the Pottermore website, and purchase limited edition memorabilia. Other fan-oriented events include photo meet-ups organized by house, kids’ dance and combat classes, and trivia contests.

In past years, Celebration events have been split between Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure, but in 2015 all events will take place in USF. The Celebration currently takes place over only three days, but based on the response to the first few editions we can see Universal expanding its run, much like Disney’s Star Wars Weekends.

You can find more information at Universal Orlando’s Celebration of Harry Potter website.

2015 Celebration of Harry Potter Schedule

Celebration of Harry Potter events start on Friday evening 1/30, and run through Sunday 2/1. Here is the current schedule of event, subject to change:

FRIDAY, JANUARY 30

• A Celebration of Harry Potter Expo (Soundstage 33) 9 am – 5 pm
• Movie in the Park (Music Plaza) 2:30pm – 5:30pm
• A Celebration of Harry Potter Opening Night Event (Music Plaza) 5:30pm – 6pm

SATURDAY, JANUARY 31

• A Celebration of Harry Potter Expo (Soundstage 33) 9am – 5pm
• Behind the Scenes: Harry PotterTM Film Talent Discussion (Music Plaza) 10am – 11am
• Kids’ Duelling Demonstration & Wand Masterclass with Paul Harris (Music Plaza) 11:30am – 12pm
• Graphic Design for the Harry PotterTM Films with MinaLima (Fear Factor) 11:30am – 12:15pm
• House Photo Meet-Up — Hufflepuff (Music Plaza) 12:30pm – 12:45pm
• Kids’ Harry Potter Film Trivia (Music Plaza) 2:30pm – 2:45pm
• Kids’ Dance Like a Beauxbatons & Battle Like a Durmstrang (Music Plaza) 3pm – 3:30pm
• Illustration of Harry Potter with Kazu Kibuishi (Music Plaza) 4pm – 4:45pm
• House Photo Meet-Up — Ravenclaw (Music Plaza) 4:45pm – 5pm
• Duelling Demonstration & Wand Masterclass with Paul Harris (Music Plaza) 5:15pm – 6pm

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 1

• A Celebration of Harry Potter Expo (Soundstage 33) 9am – 5pm
• Duelling Demonstration & Wand Masterclass with Paul Harris (Music Plaza)10am – 11am
• Kids’ Duelling Demonstration & Wand Masterclass with Paul Harris (Music Plaza) 11:30am – 12pm
• Creating The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (Fear Factor) 11:30am – 12:15pm
• House Photo Meet-Up — Slytherin (Music Plaza) 12:30pm – 12:45pm
• Kids’ Dance Like a Beauxbatons & Battle Like a Durmstrang (Music Plaza) 2:30pm – 3pm
• Kids’ Harry Potter Film Trivia (Music Plaza) 3:15pm – 3:30pm
• House Photo Meet-Up — Gryffindor (Music Plaza) 4:15pm – 4:30pm
• Behind the Scenes: Harry Potter Film Talent Discussion (Music Plaza) 4:45pm – 5:30pm

You can download a PDF of the Celebration of Harry Potter schedule.

Celebration of Harry Potter Autograph Session Information

Autograph sessions with the Harry Potter film stars are held on Saturday 12/31 and Sunday 2/1 only. Three autograph sessions, with different talent at each session, are held simultaneously each day, and you can only attend one per day, so you won’t be able to get autographs from all the attending actors.

Autograph sessions require tickets, which are free but limited. Tickets are distributed each morning on a first-come/first-served basis near the Blue Man Group theater starting at 7:30 a.m. Autograph tickets are one per person, per day, and you must be present to claim one.

See Universal’s Celebration of Harry Potter autographs page for more information.

Celebration of Harry Potter Exclusive Evening Events

We generally advise against buying Universal Orlando vacation packages, but attending the Celebration of Harry Potter is one of the few times when it offers an advantage. Private after-hours parties inside the Wizarding World are only open to those purchasing exclusive (and expensive) vacation packages, which went on sale in August and swiftly sold out. (A limited number of packages were also made available to annual passholders, and are also sold out.)

The exclusive evening events are held after park closing inside the Wizarding World. Guests have access to all the attractions in both Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley, including the Hogwarts Express train for transport between the parks. Light desserts and non-alocholic drinks are included. The parties are held on January 30 & 31; package holders can pick one night to attend, but not both. Note that the Harry Potter film stars are not scheduled to attend the evening events.

Celebration of Harry Potter Touring Advice

Celebration of Harry Potter package holders are afforded priority access to the expo and reserved viewing at the presentations, which can be a big boon. The expo can fill to capacity within an hour of opening, so if you don’t have a package visit first thing to avoid long waits. To attend limited-capacity events in Fear Factor Live, or get an optimal viewing spot at Music Plaza stage, plan to arrive a minimum of one hour before showtime.

If you planning to visit the parks during the Celebration but are not interested in the Potter events, fear not; while the parks will be crowded with robe-clad fans, their presence shouldn’t substantially impact wait times for most attractions outside the Wizarding Worlds.