Know before you go: Harry Potter Magic at Play at the Bravern

Here’s to another fantastic immersive experience by the Fever group. We’ve now been to their indoor Friends Experience as well as their outdoor Astra Lumina Experience and both have been innovative and fun. I thought Harry Potter Magic at Play in Bellevue (about half an hour east of Seattle) would be more for the 10 and under age group, but even my teenager had a great time. I was invited to check it out for the blog with my 8 year old niece and nephew in a mixed aged group of 6 and we were probably there over an hour (even checking back on some places twice) and while we all liked different parts of the experience “the best” we all had a fabulous time. You can buy tickets through the website and tickets vary in price depending on what day and time you go as what extras you book with your ticket. Here is a video from my instagram if you want to see more of what it’s like in real life.

Can you wear a Harry Potter costume to Harry Potter Magic at Play?

We knew were in the right place when we saw a group of Harry Potters walking through the parking lot as we parked underground at the Bravern. My niece and nephew also donned Hermione and Harry costumes. The grown-ups in our party did not dress up but someone at the experience told me that adults have had the most over the top costumes so far. There were costumes and wands for sale in the gift shop too but that part was at the end of the experience so if this is something you want for the event, I think you can go to the gift shop first.

Is it scary?

My niece was a little worried that the experience might be scary. Especially the part she read somewhere on the Harry Potter Magic at Play website about how we would be wandering through the Forbidden Forest to seek a Patronus. This part was in the dark but not dark enough not to see and we were given a lantern and it wasn’t too scary after all. But I liked how it could have been skippable if it was too scary to go in. My niece and nephew are 8 years old and they are reading Harry Potter books so I think this was a great age to visit. They did not do a climbing/slide activity at the beginning of the experience-it was full of 5-6 year olds and they found it “too noisy”. It was nice to be able to do this experience at our own speed.

Should I buy the digital photo pass?

I used to be team never buy the photo pass but since we went to Disneyland a few years ago and they had a photo pass attached to our tickets and we really enjoyed the photos I’m warming up to them. I like how the digital photo pass for Harry Potter Magic at Play can be used for a big group so if you are going with friends or in a group like we did, everyone can share the photo pass-you just have to scan it each time you take a photo. This is good if you want a sorting hat photo with a background around it with logos with one of the houses (Slytherin, Hufflpuff, Ravenclaw or Griffendor you get a photo with each of them when you take a photo with the sorting hat.). You also can get a photo where you are flying by sitting on a broom in front of a green screen.

Do I get sorted into a house by the sorting hat at Harry Potter Magic at Play?

We all thought we might get sorted but we didn’t. We took a photo with the sorting hat and ended up with photo backgrounds with all the houses so we could ultimately choose which house we got sorted into. I wish the sorting hat told us a house that we were in. I think this could have been really fun.

What was the best part about Harry Potter Magic at Play?

Visually I really loved the potions area where where you could wave a wand to make a feather float and stir a potion. The boats and Great Hall were really fun for photos too. We all enjoyed competing in the Quidditich area as well especially thrown quaffles and the game that tested reflexes.

Do you get to try Butterbeer?

Butterbeer is for sale at the very end of the Harry Potter Experience (just after the part where you can choose to print out some of your photos for a fee too.). I included the pricing I saw at the Bravern Harry Potter Magic at Play in 2024 just in case it helps inform your experience. I think it might be the same Butterbeer as the one you can by at Universal Studios but it comes in a really cool glass bottle or you can get it in a commemorative cup. My niece was really insistent that I show her a picture of the Butterbeer before we went so I included a photo here too.

Is this a permanent exhibit in the Seattle area?

So far Harry Potter Magic at Play is scheduled at the Bravern through the middle of May 2024. It was in Chicago prior to Seattle and I’m not sure where it’s headed to next.

If you have any more questions about this experience feel free to message me through instagram or the email on this blog.

Terumi

Terumi Pong is a Seattle-based family travel writer and mom of twin teenage boys.  She loves coffee and pastries, shopping local and looking for greener ways to live.  She is also known as Scout’s mom (Scout is a 5ish pound little black yorkie-poo)