The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
After more than five years of building with a meticulous attention to detail, Harry Potter fans will be able to actually step into the memorable world created by J.K. Rowling when The Wizarding World of Harry Potter opens at Universal Studios Hollywood on April 7, 2016. Upon entering the land through the archway, Hogsmeade will bustle to life with the same vitality of a quaint local village: merchants hard at work, a train conductor welcoming new arrivals and a pub packed to the gills with hungry patrons, but with the added element of enthusiastic guests intent on experiencing them all.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter will resonate with immense detail, inviting guests to revel in Harry Potter’s world with the opportunity to enjoy authentic food and beverage at multiple locations, including Three Broomsticks and Hog's Head pub, as well as the Magic Neep and Butterbeer carts. A foray through the shops will add to the authenticity of the land with eight retail venues and locations, including Honeydukes, Ollivanders, Owl Post, Zonko’s Joke Shop, Wiseacre's Wizarding Equipment, Dervish and Banges, Gladrags Wizardwear and Filch’s Emporium of Confiscated Goods.
But this is not just a walking tour, as the Wizarding World also includes the land’s signature ride, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, and the family outdoor coaster, Flight of the Hippogriff. An achievement in pioneering theme park ride technology, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey will make its U.S. debut at Universal Studios Hollywood in hyper-realistic 3D-HD designed to further immerse guests in an already engaging storyline.
The multidimensional thrill ride features a groundbreaking robotics ride system, fused with elaborate filmed action sequences and immersive visceral effects. In this updated adaptation of the ride, guests will sport Quidditch-inspired 3D goggles as they venture through journeys experienced by Harry and his friends, spiraling and pivoting 360-degrees along an elevated ride track on a whirlwind adventure of a lifetime.
Also within The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, the enchanting family coaster, Flight of the Hippogriff will open as Universal Studios Hollywood’s first outdoor roller coaster, which can be glimpsed in the photo below.
And in case you haven't yet seen the debut of the park's first television commercial, here it is:
From its snow-capped roofs and cobblestone streets to the historic British sensibilities that characterize the whimsical look and feel of the land, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter will transport guests of all ages to the very places they read about in the stories or watched on the silver screen. Here are a few more photos to get those Potter juices flowing even more, and be sure to sign-up for the latest news and updates as April 7 draws even closer to reality.
