REVIEW: HARRY POTTER FORBIDDEN FOREST EXPERIENCE— Leesburg, Virginia

Have you ever wanted to go inside the Forbidden Forest with Hagrid?!  In Leesburg, Virginia, you now have the chance to walk through the Forbidden Forest in real life!

This past weekend I was invited to attend a press preview of the Harry Potter Forbidden Forest Experience in Leesburg VA. All content, and opinions are my own.

In this post I'll share my honest review, videos, accommodations, and best tips for Harry Potter: The Forbidden Forest Experience. 

What is The Harry Potter Forbidden Forest Experience?

The Harry Potter Forbidden Forest Experience  is an official Wizarding World event now offered in the United States! 

This is an immersive outdoor walkthrough experience in the woods of Leesburg, Virginia. The experience includes a night time woodland trail filled with magical creatures, Harry Potter music scores, and iconic scenes from the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts series. 

Inspired by the Forbidden Forest, the culmination of the music, lights, and special effects truly bring the Wizarding World to life.

What To Expect at the Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience

After checking in, you can stop by Harrys‘ Patronus standing atop of a large rock for a photo op.

You'll then start the night off by meeting a wizard host. There's a short explanation of the evening (and a little magic) given before you make your way to the Forbidden Forest. 

Tickets are booked in time slots and although you set off with your group, you’re able to go at your own pace. Don't be afraid to hang back and wait for photos, or move ahead of the folks in front of you.

Once in the forrest, you'll bump into Hagrid and Fang. You’ll see iconic Harry Potter creatures like Hedwig, Pygmy Puffs, Centaurs, Cornish Pixies, and more that reside on the grounds of Morven Park.

Keep your ears open as you can hear some of your favorite scenes from the Harry Potter series. 

There’s 3 big interactive locations within this Forbidden Forrest Experience.

• The first one is bowing to Buckbeak the Hippogriff. 

• Other interactive experiences include casting your own Patronus, and dueling.

Keep your eyes peeled for escaped Blast Ended Skrewts, Newts naughty Nifflers with their stolen goodies, Aragog's Lair, Grawp and unicorns walking in the distance.  

About halfway through the Forbidden Forest there's a magical Hogsmeade-inspired Village! In the village, there's warm savory food options, desserts, drinks, merchandise, and seating. 

Throughout the trail, there’s something new to see and hear.  However. I think it’s important to note that there are portions of the walking trail where there’s no props, creatures or interactive elements. I noticed this particularly during the first half of the experience.   

I loved the wooden warning signs before entering different parts of the Forbidden Forest. There's really cool illuminated symbols which appeared on the trees, and Arthur Wesley's crashed enchanted Ford Anglia. The trail ends with an incredible finale!

Where is The Harry Potter Forbidden Forest Experience Located?

There’s currently two Harry Potter Forbidden Forest Experience locations in the United States:

• Leesburg, Virgina

  • Morven Park, 41580 Sunday Morning Lane, Leesburg, VA 20176

  • You can visit the Morven Park website to learn more about the park

• Westchester, New York

How To Get To The Harry Potter Forbidden Forest Experience in Leesburg, Virginia:

All guests must enter via Route 15 by turning on Tutt Lane. To note, the Old Waterford Entrance to Morven Park is closed for the duration of the event.

When you leave, you'll exit onto Old Waterford Road, closer to downtown Leesburg.

If flying in & heading straight to the event: The Forbidden Forest Experience in Leesburg, VA is about a 25-30 minutes drive from Washington Dulles Airport (IAD)

Is The Harry Potter Forbidden Forest Experience Permanent?

Sadly, no.  You can enjoy Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience in Leesburg, Va from October 29th through January 29th, 2023.

Hopefully futurelocations are announced soon!

Is There Food Food & Drink at The Harry Potter Forbidden Forest Experience?

Yes, there's a Hogsmeade inspired village that has hot and cold beverages, snacks, and small savory meal items. There's also Butterbeer, adult cocktails and wine.  Vegetarian, vegan GF options are available.

The Village food area has 4 stations:

1. Drinks

2. Savory Food

3. Desserts

4. Merchandise

I was honestly shocked at the portion sizes for the warm food items! I would say the pasty is the same size at the one offered at Universal Orlando. The Chicken & Mushroom Pie was HUGE! 

The portion sizes were easily shareable. Taste wise, the savory items reminded me of something I'd order from The Leaky Cauldron, or The Three Broomsticks at Universal Orlando. The Pasty and Sausage Rolls were both fresh, flaky and well seasoned.

The Forbidden Forest Mini Cakes were on the smaller size. All three were VERY sweet, but yummy! I would compare them to desserts you would typically have at a wedding reception. 

My favorite out of the three mini cakes:  the Lemon and Cherry Traybake. Just make sure you have some water on hand after eating these!

There IS Butterbeer, but it’s not like the versions sold at Universal Orlando or Universal Hollywood.

You won't see frozen or hot Butterbeer with the sweet creamy topping on top. Instead, it's the Bottled Butterbeer that's offered at locations like, Harry Potter New York and the London Studio Tour. 

if you haven't been to either of those yet, the bottle is beautifully designed by MinaLima,  and makes for a great, small souvenir item. I flew home with my empty ButterBeer bottle after this event with no issues.

Prices for food and drink at the Harry Potter Forbidden Forest Experience:

Bowtruckle Bar Beverages:

• Bottled Butterbeer – $9.00

  • With a Butterbeer Souvenir Stein (Same cup at HPNY): $13.00

• Hogwarts Hot Chocolate – $

• Assorted Mocktails– $10.00 

• Assorted Cocktails: $16.00

• White Wine by the glass: $9.00

• Red Wine by the glass: $9.00

• Prosecco by the glass: $11.00

• Mixers: N/C

  • Coke/Diet Coke/Ginger Ale/Tonic

• Soft Drinks: 

  • Water: $5.00

  • Soda: $4.00

Hot Savory Food:

• Traditional Savory Cornish Pasty – 

• Hot Chicken and Mushroom Pie –

• Sausage Roll –

Forbidden Forrest Fancies Desserts:

• Forbidden Forest Mini Chocolate Cake –

• Forbidden Forest Mini Vanilla Cake –

• Lemons and Cherry Traybake-

• Cake Pops-

• Scones-

• Nimbus shaped cookies-

• Scones-

Pre-Packaged Treats:

• Chocolate Frog 0.55oz: $5.00

• Bertie Bott’s Beans 1.2oz Box: $4.00

• Chocolate Wand 1oz: $12.00

• Jelly Slugs: 2.1 oz $5.00

• Butterbeer Milk Chocolate Bar 1.87oz: $6.00

Make sure to budget some money for food, drinks, and desserts for this experience. For larger families visiting, I would absolutely suggest eating a normal dinner beforehand. That way you’re not super hungry when you make it to the village area, as the pricing is not very budget friendly in my opinion.

Are There Exclusive Harry Potter Forbidden Forest Experience Souvenirs?

The Harry Potter Forbidden Forest Experience has a good amount of officially licensed Harry Potter merchandise, a small wand shop area, and a few exclusive   Forbidden Forest  merchandise for purchase.

I would compare the amount of exclusive event merchandise to the amount offered at Harry Potter and The Cursed Child on Broadway.

You’ll see a good amount of Harry Potter Noble Collection souvenir that can be found online, at the Harry Potter New York, Store, and at  Universal Studios, etc. 

Some of the exclusive Harry Potter Forbidden Forest Experience merchandise includes:

• T-shirts: $35.00

  • Forbidden Forrest logo

  • Patronus 

  • Blue Forbidden Forest House T-shirts

• Kids T-shirt: $28.00

• Hoodie Sweatshirts: %65.00

• Blue Forbidden Forest House Zip-up jackets

• Cropped hoodies: $55.00

• Blue Light up Forbidden Forest cups- $12.00

• Light up lanyard: $10.00

• Light up Bracelet: $8.00

• Forbidden Forest Magical Creatures Enamel Pin Badges: $8.00

  • Spider

  • Pygmy Puff

  • Buckbeak

  • Hedwig

• Wooden Forbidden Forrest Key Ring: $6.00

• Patronus notebook: $20.00

• Forbidden Forest notebook: $20.00

• Large Metal Insulated Water bottles: $28.00

• Metal Travel Tervis Tumbler cups: $25.00

Some of the Harry Potter Forbidden Forest Experience merchandise includes:

• Plushies

  • Small Niffler:  $24.00

  • Niffler: $24.00

  • Hedwig: $24.00

• Bendable Cornish Pixie: $12.00

• Hogwarts House Mascot & Cushion: $48.00

• Adult Hogwarts Robes: $90.00

• Kids Hogwarts Robes: $90.00

• Hogwarts Lunch Tote: $25.00

• Hogwarts House scarves: $68.00

• Adult LED Gloves: $28.00

• Kids LED Gloves: $25.00

• Adult Socks: $20.00

• Hogwarts Castle, Wanted Posters, and Hogwarts House Mascot Prints

• Incredibuilds Collectible 3D Wood Model and Booklets: $18.00

  • Aragog

  • Buckbeak

  • Niffler

  • Hedwig

Tip- Do a quick google search of the Noble Collection items youre interested in. Most of thee items are online way cheaper.

The Wand Shop at the Harry Potter Forbidden Forest Experience includes:

1. Ollivander’s Non-Interactive Box Wand: $48.00

   • Hermione Granger

   • Harry Potter

   • Voldemort

   • Ron Weasley

   • Professor Dumbledore

2. Illuminating Tip Wand: $48.00

   • Hermione Granger

   • Harry Potter

3. Non-Interactive Character Wand: $46.00

   • Stallion

   • Snake

There is a large white indoor gift-shop at the front of the Forbidden Forest Experience. You'll shop in there  at the conclusion of the experience There's also a small selection of merchandise inside the Village area which is about halfway through the Forbidden Forest. 

Note- This is a cashless event. Make sure you bring a debit or credit card with you to make any purchases!

My Overall Impression

The staff was great, genuinely excited to be there and helpful.

What I loved about it the most was this walkthrough really felt like you were in the Forbidden Forest for the evening. I got the chills when I heard Umbridge, Filch, and Hagrid off in the distance.

The interactive areas and iconic props like the Ford Anglia make for great photo opportunities

My Harry Potter Forbidden Forest Experience Highlights:

• Seeing what my Patronus was compared to what I actually got on the Wizarding World site was neat to see

• Bowing to Buckbeak!

Where The Experience Could Improve:

The Hagrid and Fang scene was beautiful, but it was strange having Hagrid’s back towards us. I was expecting an animatronic version like we see in Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure at Universal Orlando.

Hearing Harry and Ron crashing in the Ford Anglia was cool, but you could only see the car lights sweeping through the forest. 

I recently did a haunted cave tour in Colorado where lanterns were provided for you to borrow. I think had this experience had Hagrid’s lanterns on hand for you to use, it would’ve elevated the immersiveness. Granted, you can absolutely bring your own Hagrid lantern by Noble Collection if you’re driving or can fit it into your suite case.

I do wish there were more interactive elements, and characters, particularly during first portion of the trail. I would've enjoyed some sort of optional scavenger hunt, or a similar experience to the various spell locations in the WWoHP at Universal Orlando. 

Overall,  I really enjoyed it and thought the entire experience had a lot of thought and detail put in. I have my originally booked ticket to go back in January, 2023

How Much Does The Harry Potter Forbidden Forest Experience Cost?

The Harry Potter Forbidden Forest Experience ticket price depends on what day, time, and month you want to visit. Weekday tickets are cheaper.

• Adults start at $36.00 but the average seems to be $56.00

• Peak dates $75.00

• Children 4 and older start at $25.00 

• Parking can be paid for in advance here for $8.00, or upon arrival at the event for $10.00 per vehicle

  • Ride-share is encouraged as there's limited parking available.

Note- Several dates for the Leesburg location are aleady booked up. Check all the way through January 29th as January is currently showing the most availability.

How Do You Buy Tickets For The Harry Potter Forbidden Forest Experience?

To purchase tickets for the Harry Potter Forbidden Forest Experience you’ll need to buy them through the partnered event company called Fever.

They have a website and an app where you can buy your ticket. 

Note- Several dates for the Leesburg location are already booked. Check all the way through January 29t,  as January is currently showing the most availability.

Once you’ve paid via the Fever app/website, your ticket will be emailed to you as a digital copy. 

You will have the option to add to you Apple Wallet and it’ll also be stored on on the Fever app/website. It's also sent via email.

Hotels Near The Harry Potter Forbidden Forest Experience in Leesburg, Virginia

The Harry Potter Forbidden Forest Experience is just minutes northeast of Leesburg’s historic downtown. 

Sarah (@MagicallyHome) found  for us The Leesburg Colonial Inn to stay at! It was affordable, safe, clean, and has onsite dinning options. Design wise, you're sent  back into the era of Colonial America.

The Leesburg Colonial Inn

• Leesburg’s only full-service hotel/inn with bar/restaurant onsite

• Room Rates:

  •  Sarah (@Magicallyhome)  Booked via Bookings.com in advance for $65.00 a night

  • I waited around hoping to find a late flight home and had a rate of $93.00 a night

• 12 PM checkout 

• Next door to Rouge Spa & Boutique which offers facials, massage and body treatments.

• Less than a 10 minut scenic drive to Morven Park

  • 19 South King Street, Leesburg, Virginia 20175

• 17 minute drive to Dulles International Airport

  • I spent $24.00 on an Uber from the Inn to the IAD Airport

• Here’s a list of things to do near the Colonial Inn

• Room rate includes free, made-to-order breakfast for up to two guests at their adjoining restaurant, the Georgetown Café

Tips For The Harry Potter Forbidden Forest Experience in Leesburg, Virginia

• If driving, give yourself a buffer for getting lost. It was somewhat confusing trying to find the entrance for this event within Morven Park.

• Plan for the walking trail to take at least 90 mins. We spent 3 hours

• Be prepared for a snap wait at the interactive locations. (Buckbeak, dueling, Patronus)

• There’s no rush at all. You can spend as much time as you want

• Cashless event, so bring a card with you!

• Wear supportive and durable shoes. It’s a walkthrough, so you will be on your feet for a while

• Eat beforehand, otherwise you’ll have to wait about half way though where the village has food 

• Save money by bringing your own water bottle. Bottled water at the event is $5.00

• Dress warm with layers. it’s an excuse to wear your robe, Hogwarts scarf

• Bring your medicine if sensitive to strobe lighting

• Spiders:

  • Yan choose to skip Aragog’s Lair. Right before this portion of there’s staff stationed confirming whether or not you want to enter Aragog’s Lair, as it’s completely sectioned off. 

  • You won’t see the spiders unless you go in.There’s also signage directing you to skip past the spider encounter.

Is The Harry Potter Forbidden Forest Experience Worth It?

YES! I would definitely say the experience is worth the cost of the ticket.   

If you’re within driving distance to Leesburg, or you're able to find a cheap flight and hotel for the night.. absolutely don't skip this Harry Potter Experience.  

It’s a new way to enjoy Harry Potter and the Wizarding World filled with awesome photo opportunities.  It's a great option for Harry Potter fans of all ages, making it a memorable night for families, and friends. The theming is really well done. 

It makes for an excellent “Harry Potter” fix for those who can’t make it back to the WWoHP at Universal anytime soon.

Things To Consider If You’re Located Far From The Harry Potter Forbidden Forest Experience

With how short the  actual Harry Potter Forbidden Forest Experience is , and given that it’s in an area where there's not a lot else to do, I always try to find a same day return flight to save money. That way, I don't have to pay for a hotel room. 

With this experience being later in the evening,  I personally wasn't able to find a same day flight home. I ended up booking a safe, affordable 1 night hotel room, and flew back home the next morning.

Flight wise-it seems more and more airlines are now charging for a carry-on. Factor that into your budget. I booked the cheapest flight which didn’t allow for a free carry-on.

For transparency- most of this experience is really cool lights, sounds, pull at your heart strings music, outdoor props/animatronics, and a few interactive areas in a forest. There are live actors.

if you asked me to choose between doing this or the Harry Potter: The Exhibition - Atlanta.. I would choose Atlanta.

FAQ: Visiting The Harry Potter Forbidden Forest in Leesburg VA

Here’s information and answers to frequently asked questions about the Forbidden Forest Experience in Leesburg Virginia.

Are tickets to the Forbidden Forest Experience still available?

• Most dates in October and November are sold out, but keep checking the website as timeslots may reopen. There is plenty of availability in January.

Is the Harry Potter Forbidden Forest Experience scary?

• I would say no. The event suggests that all children under the age of 12 years old be accompanied by an adult. 

• The one portion that might be scary for  those with arachnophobia is Aragog’s Lair, but it’s partitioned off. You’re given the option to go inside, or completely skip it. 

Does it take place in an actual forest?

• Yes. The "Forbidden Forest" can be found in the woods inside  Morven Park.

Is there an age requirement for the Harry Potter Forbidden Forest Experience?

•  It’s a very family-friendly experience. All ages are welcome. 

• Children ages 4 and under enter free of charge.

Is there a parking fee?

• Yes. Parking can be paid for in advance here for $8.00 or upon arrival at the event for $10.00 per vehicle

• Ride-share is encouraged as only limited parking is available

What if it rains during the Harry Potter Forbidden Forest Experience?

• The Forbidden Forrest event is rain or shine. It doesn't   hurt to always travel with disposable poncho's just in case.

How is the accessible is the Forbidden Forest Experience ?

• Accessible Parking spots are available in the parking lot.

• Accessible toilets are available just past the Village area.

• Motorized wheelchairs are offered at the trail entrance. 

  • You'll need to please book in advance by emailing access_morvenpark@ravenswoodexp.com

How long does it take to walk around?

• It can take you short as 75-90 minutes, but I would suggest spending around 2 – 3 hours.

• You can explore at your own pace.

• The Forbidden Forest trail itself is roughly 1 mile long.

Can Strollers handle the trail?

• Yes, the trail is accessible by strollers. I would personally try to bring a more heavy duty stroller that  bigger tires. Your stroller should be able to handle uneven terrain.

Do you need a wand for the Harry Potter Forbidden Forest Experience?

• No wands are needed to enjoy this event. You'll be able to cast your own patronus by borrowing one provided.

Are there bathrooms?

• Yes, there's bathrooms at the start of the experience, and at the halfway point just past the Village area.

Disclosure: I was invited to attend the press preview of Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience in Leesburg, VA for the purpose of this review across my social media channels. All opinions are my own.