Expanded Wizarding World of Harry Potter Opens

By Beemerboyz803

On Tuesday, July 8, Harry Potter fans gathered at Universal Orlando Resort in Florida for a momentous occasion. After a long year or so of construction, the expanded Wizarding World of Harry Potter- Diagon Alley opened to the public. 
 

 

In May 2010, Islands of Adventure opened The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, a new land that took guests to Harry Potter's world. It had two roller coasters: Flight of the Hippogriff and Dragon Challenge. Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey was an innovative dark ride that utilizes KUKA-robot technology. The innovative technology allows the seats to pivot for a more realistic experience, while the vehicles are attached to a robotic arm.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter also opened with a replica of Hogsmeade Village, the only British village in the books inhabited by wizards. Just like in each movie Hogsmeade was featured in, the village's buildings are topped with thick, white snowcaps. Hogsmeade Village featured popular shops from the movies, such as The Owl Post, a post office, The Three Broomsticks, a very familiar pub and diner from the franchise, The Hog's Head Pub, another familiar pub from the books (based off of the Hog's Head Inn, owned by Albus Dumbledore's brother, Aberforth, Honeydukes, a popular sweet shop in Hogsmeade introduced in Prisoner of Azkaban, Dervish and Banges, a store for magical supplies like Quidditch equipment, Ollivanders Wand Shop, a wand shop where guests can get their own wand (just like Harry did in the books) and Filch's Emporium of Confiscated Goods, a shop not featured in the books or movies, but is based off of Mr. Argus Filch, the Hogwarts Innkeeper who confiscates anything from his students that looks dangerous. 
 

 

Several days after New Years' Day 2012, the neighboring Universal Studios Florida closed their popular Jaws ride. It was quickly demolished. Following the days after Jaws' demolition, construction began on the new expansion. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley would feature both parks with Harry Potter theming. The Islands of Adventure area features two roller coasters, a dark ride, and a replica of Hogsmeade.

The new area, located at Universal Studios Florida, contains a replica of Diagon Alley, another famous village/alley from the series, introduced in The Sorcerer's Stone, and a popular Hogwarts hangout in the days before school begins. Guests can ride on a full-scale model of the Hogwarts Express to the other park, if they have a two-park pass. It also features a replica of Gringotts Wizarding Bank, a famous wizard bank from the movies heavily guarded by gremlins. Inside the bank (show building) is Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts, a high-speed roller coaster that takes guests through the dark dungeons and vaults twenty floors underground (not literally).  
 

 

When speaking of shops and restaurants, the expanded area features many classic wizarding shops and restaurants from the franchise. There's The Leaky Cauldron, a shabby wizarding pub and inn (usually where Harry stays in the days before school begins in the books), another installation of Ollivanders Wand Shop, originally located on Diagon in the franchise (where Harry received his first wand in the first book/movie), Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes, a popular joke shop owned by the Weasley twins that sells any novelties sure to make a prank foolproof, there's Borgin and Burkes, a shop that sells dangerous items (not really, but they seem like it, just like from the book), Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, a shop that sells Quidditch robes and Hogwarts cloaks, Wiseacre's Wizarding Equipment, which sells wizard equipment (in fact, Harry purchased his first telescope here for Astronomy class at Hogwarts), and, probably the most popular of all, Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor, a popular ice cream parlor, and one of Harry, Ron, and Hermione's favorite summer hangouts before Hogwarts, where guests can buy any kind of ice cream known to mankind (not really, but seems like it).  

 

 

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter will not be located at just Orlando. Construction on the themed area has begun at Universal Studios Hollywood. Currently, as of July 2, 2014, they are constructing a huge building that looks like it will be Hogwarts itself, and some smaller buildings below it look like the replicated Hogsmeade. The Hollywood replication will open at an estimated 2016, as of staff reports (I was wearing a Hogwarts shirt, going down to the Lower Lot. A staff member passed me and said, "Come back in two years, and Hogwarts will be here."). 

At Universal's Tokyo park, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, excluding the Diagon Alley expansion, will open to the public next Tuesday, July 15, almost an identical counterpart to Orlando's version.

 

If you can, get to Orlando for your magical new experience!

 

 

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