You feel the cool mist from the Hogwarts Express as the smell of Butterbeer and savory meat from The Three Broomsticks fills your nostrils. You gaze upon snow-covered rooftops with crooked chimneys, the Owlery, Zonko’s joke shop and a dominating Hogwarts castle.
Though it may feel like you’ve just entered the magical village of Hogsmeade, this is in fact Universal Studios Orlando’s newest attraction: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
“The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is a completely immersive environment in Universal’s Islands of Adventure theme park, providing visitors with an all-inclusive experience that draws from all of the books and movies. For the first time, guests can fly through a Quidditch match and come face-toface with a dragon,” said Mark Woodbury, President of Universal Orlando Creative.
Thrill seekers will want to brave the lines and experience The Flight of the Hippogriff and the Dragon Challenge, but diehard Harry Potter fans hoping to immerse themselves in the ever impressive Hogwarts castle will want to get in line for Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. If the castle’s exterior doesn’t have you awestruck, the interior most certainly will. Guests enter through castle gates, which are guarded by two large winged boars, and trek through some paths before entering the castle’s elaborate interior. The corridors and passageways will have you looking for your GPS, while the cutting edge technology creates an enchanting allure with hanging wizard portraits and Dumbledore’s office. There’s a Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom and a Gryffindor common room, however it’s in the Room of Requirement that guests sit on magical benches to start their Forbidden Journey.
“The marquee attraction, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, is a one-of-a-kind ride experience that combines entirely new, state-of-the art technology, innovative film making and surprises around every corner to propel guests into some of the incredible drama in the Harry Potter stories – and makes this attraction the future of theme park entertainment,” said Woodbury.
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