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The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Details, Concept Art, Videos Revealed

Posted on Tuesday, September 15th, 2009 by Peter Sciretta

Universal Studios has finally unveiled specific plans for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, a new section of Universal Studios’ Orlando Islands of Adventure theme park, which is set to open in Spring 2010 (no specific date yet revealed). After the jump, you’ll find full details, some videos including a virtual fly-through, and some high resolution artwork.

The Harry Potter section will feature three main park rides, the names of which were officially announced today:

Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey: Located in Hogwarts Castle,this “thrilling new state-of-the-art attraction” uses “entirely new technology to bring the magic, characters and stories of Harry Potter to life in ways never before experienced.”
Flight of the Hippogriff: A family coaster which will include interaction with Hagrid as you fly on a Hippogriff for training.
Dragon Challenge: Formerly the Dueling Dragons coaster, rethemed to center on flying either a Hungarian Horntail or Chinese Fireball, featuring “many iconic elements from the Triwizard Tournament.”

Other attractions include Ollivander’s Shop, Owl Post, Dervish and Banges, Three Broomsticks, Honeydukes, Zonko’s and Filch Emporium. More information follows in the press release below.

Theme Park Fly-through

Introduction featuring actors

Universal Orlando Resort Reveals Highly Anticipated Details about The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

ORLANDO, Fla. (September 15, 2009) - Universal Orlando Resort, together with Warner Bros. Consumer Products, today revealed first-ever details about the incredible scope of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Universal also announced that the highly anticipated land will open in spring 2010.

Inspired by J.K. Rowling’s compelling stories and characters - and faithful to the visual landscapes of the films - The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal’s Islands of Adventure will provide visitors with a one-of-a-kind experience complete with multiple attractions, shops and a signature eating establishment. This completely immersive environment will transcend generations and bring the wonder and magic of the amazingly detailed Harry Potter books and films to life.

The expectations of Harry Potter fans are high and Universal Orlando Resort is collaborating closely with J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros. Consumer Products and the Warner Bros. Harry Potter brand team to ensure that The Wizarding World of Harry Potter will be an experience of a lifetime. The Harry Potter films’ production designer, Stuart Craig and art director, Alan Gilmore, in cooperation with a corps of artisans from Universal Creative are working daily to construct the most authentic Harry Potter experience possible. Guests will be able to sip Butterbeer in Three Broomsticks, buy Extendable Ears at Zonko’s and experience a state-of-the-art attraction that brings the stories of Harry Potter to life in a way never before imagined.

“All of the action and adventures of Harry Potter’s world will come to life here at Universal Orlando Resort,” said Tom Williams, chairman and CEO, Universal Parks and Resorts. “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter will be unlike any other experience on earth and we can’t wait to see the looks on our guests’ faces as they enter this rich environment.”

“Harry Potter continues to spark the imaginations of fans of all ages and we really have seen the anticipation continue to build for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter,” added Brad Globe, President, Warner Bros. Consumer Products. “We are excited to share with fans a first glimpse into the truly enchanted world we are bringing to life with all of our partners at Universal Orlando Resort.”

From the front archway of Hogsmeade to the immensity of Hogwarts castle, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter will feature the locations listed below:
# At the entrance of Hogsmeade, billowing steam and an iconic whistle signal the arrival of the Hogwarts Express into Hogsmeade station
# Across the way is Zonko’s, a joke shop with a collection of tricks and jokes, including Extendable Ears, Boxing Telescopes and Sneakoscopes
# Honeydukes is next door and full of treats like Chocolate Frogs and Bertie Bott’s Every-Flavour Beans
# The Three Broomsticks and adjacent Hog’s Head pub will feature traditional British fare and drinks including Butterbeer and pumpkin juice
# Across from the Three Broomsticks is The Owlery, where owls roost and await their next delivery
# The Owl Post sends letters with a certified Hogsmeade postmark and sells official stamps from The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
# Ollivanders wand shop is an incredible interactive experience where the wand chooses the wizard
# Completing Hogsmeade is Dervish and Banges, the magical instruments and equipment shop featuring Quidditch equipment, Triwizard apparel, Spectrespecs and Remembralls
# The first attraction, Dragon Challenge, features a twin high-speed roller coaster with many iconic elements from the Triwizard Tournament
# Next is Flight of the Hippogriff, a family coaster simulating a Hippogriff training flight over the grounds of Hogwarts castle
# Located in Hogwarts castle, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is a thrilling new state-of-the-art attraction that uses entirely new technology to bring the magic, characters and stories of Harry Potter to life in ways never before experienced
# Before exiting back into Hogsmeade, Filch’s Emporium of Confiscated Goods is full of Ministry of Magic and magical creatures merchandise, Omnioculars, and even remote control Golden Snitches

“This Universal Creative and Warner Bros. team shares an incredible passion and commitment to making this destination an exceptionally immersive environment that will touch the lives of our guests,” said Mark Woodbury, President, Universal Creative.

“The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is yet another way that fans will be able to experience and enjoy Harry Potter for many years to come,” said Diane Nelson, President of DC Entertainment, who is also responsible for overseeing the Harry Potter brand team worldwide. “The power of this brand speaks for itself, as the enthusiasm of our dedicated fans around the world continues to grow even stronger as we move into the future.”

Universal Orlando Resort is a theme park destination that places you and your family in the heart of pop culture’s most incredible and timeless stories - making you the superstar in a world-class adventure story and allowing you to discover your own inner hero. Guests experience two exciting theme parks - Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure as well as Universal CityWalk, a 30-acre restaurant, shopping and nighttime entertainment complex; and three magnificently themed on-site hotels - the Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, Hard Rock Hotel and the Loews Royal Pacific Resort. Flagship experiences featured in the theme parks include “The Simpsons Ride,” “Revenge of the Mummy - The Ride,” “The Incredible Hulk Coaster” and “The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man.” More information is available at www.universalorlando.com.

Warner Bros. Consumer Products, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, is one of the leading licensing and retail merchandising organizations in the world.

Harry Potter continues to be a global phenomenon. The series of books by author J.K. Rowling has been translated into 67 languages with more than 400 million copies sold in over 200 territories around the world. The films, produced by Warner Bros. Pictures, have grossed more than $5.3 billion at the box office worldwide, making Harry Potter the largest-grossing film franchise in history.

Comments

RosanatorDA

the video shows the village covered in snow, which could only mean fake snow. kinda weak i think.

Reese

Looks like a lot fun.

starscream9289

DAMN!

Why can't they do it on L.A.

Matt Wallach

As a Florida resident I was really looking forward to something that would breathe new life into the Universal parks. I thought that the HP park would lure me back up there a few more times, but this seems like a pretty half-assed cash grab on Universal's part. I've been on Dueling Dragons countless times... while it's fun, a makeover wouldn't lure me back to that coaster.

I'll go to the park regardless, but my expectations of the experience just dropped pretty hard.

DanDollar

doesn't this seem like a risky business venture? after the films are done, i imagine the potter mania would diminish somewhat and then completely over the next few years

Name

nawww potheads are forever

patrick

How is that at all "half-assed"?

Ashitaka

It's not "half-assed," it's just they were supposed to do more. They said they would have the Forbidden Forest as well, but I guess the recession scrapped that idea. Also half the castle is being blocked by a huge wall = money issues. They need to show the whole castle, ala The Magic Kingdom. It shows the lake on the map, but I dunno if it'll actually be there. And why the fuck can't they make the train a real train, so you can arrive in the world instead of just walking into it

Slatters

Forcing thousands of people to arrive into the park by way of TRAIN isn't logistically feasible, I think anyone with a scrap of logic would understand that. The park is aiming for a Spring 2010 open date, how many attractions did you expect them to have completed in that time?

Take solace in the fact that, like all amusement parks, this one will surely grow over time to include each and every geektastic locale that you've been so preciously building up in your mind. Then expect to have those fantasies crushed when you face the reality of a Harry Potter theme park designed to suck your wallet dry with as little effort as possible.

Ashitaka

For the train, you would enter the king's cross train station and the train would pick you up at 9 3/4. The train would look like a train but it would actually be one of those shuttles that you see at many amusement parks (transporting guests from the parking lot to the park). The train would go through a tunnel so you couldn't see what was coming up, and when it emerged from the tunnel you would see hogwarts castle. The whole ride would be maybe 150-200 yards. It would have 100 seats. It would arrive at the station every ten minutes. It's all possible, I just don't know how Universal and WB missed out on the most translatable aspect of the book, in terms of adapting from book to theme park.

Bryan

The Magic Kingdom does exactly this with the monorail. Guests park at the Transportation and Ticket Center and are taken via tram to the monorail or ferry, then they go about a mile to the Magic Kingdom. This is a huge hassle for locals, but still, it's been done.

Also, this isn't its own theme park. It's a land.

presto117

with all due respect, that has got to be one of the most retarded ideas ever. a train? sure, it's good in theory, but it's a terrible, terrible idea. only 100 people? imagine the first months, if not year for that thing. it would take forever! that and it's a HUGE fire hazard. that'd mean in the event of an emergency, everyone would have to line up and wait for the train. That and it's CONNECTED to the rest of the park, it's not like it's far. it would literally take, what? 10-20 times longer to get in line, sit down, buckle your seatbelt, wait for it to start, ride, then unload? why would there need to be a train? people: think before you post.

LoganR

Oh wow. I can' wait to go to this. Not a HP fan but the design is amazing and it's going to be a breath of fresh air when I go again. So awesome living an hour away from IOA.

Ashitaka

They also need a new ride for the Jurassic Park world. The River Adventure one is cool, but it's the only real ride there. They need to somehow capture the experience of being trapped in a jeep while being attacked by a T Rex - Maybe a moving motion simulation like the Spiderman Ride

Danny Boy

Looks pretty lame, honestly. They had a chance to bring a truly charming and engaging world to life (I say this without being a Harry Potter nerd) and from the looks of this concept art--- which usually makes things look BETTER than they end up, not worse--- they blew it.

Captain_Howdy

Wow. Impressive. I can't stand Potter and I want to check it out. They'd be rubbing their grubby hands together in anticipation for this opening.

Quenfis

It's not quite what I imagined. And the horrific photoshop pictures don't help (holy christ that's bad). But, I will hope to make a travel there in about 2011 with the family. We'll see what it becomes by then.

Wiimo

I'm a huge HP fan & I don't want to take either side of the argument. It's really hard to judge how good of an effort they've put forward by looking at some concept art and reading text. I'd like to see what they've actually done so far, but they have the whole thing basically boarded off. So yeah, I'll reserve judgment until we see some actual footage of the world.

wittyphrase

Seriously? Half of the concept pictures are of people in the gift shops. Can we at least try to be a bit subtle about the fact that you'll be sucking money out of people's pockets the whole time they're in the place?

plagueoftruth

Oh my Christ. As the biggest Harry Potter fanatic on my block, I am foaming at the mouth over this. I'm going to be there opening day with my fellow freaks.

There's not enough money in the world for how much I'm going to spend at this place.

Jeremy Melloul

Personally I'm really looking forward to this. I know that I for sure will be taking a day off or so from school to get my @ss down there to have some fun for a weekend.

Coming from California it's quite a trip.

But coming from a man who just became an avid harry potter fan with the last movie, it's a necessity.

Name

I canot wait 4 the park to be open, my sister always talk about this theme Park and I couldn't believe it is real. yeeeeeeeeeep

Name

What I'm wondering is if they're going to have people play some of the characters in Hogwarts (Like they do in Disney World) If so, I would love to be Ginny Weasley...

Orlandoguy

Some people seem upset that Universal may not be giving there all into this HP area, but I don't think that's true. The new ride "the forbidden journey' which will take place in Hogwarts is going to be HUGE, the technology involved will be better than anything previously seen. Think of the Spiderman ride (for which each car costs about 1 million dollars) but now make it better. My guess is that it will be something like spiderman, but on more of a coaster track. Universal has been pumping out great rides, from spiderman, to the mummy, the new rip/ride/rockit which adds a new spin to the coaster idea, and now the harry potter ride. I don't think they will disappoint.

For those complaining about the lack of grandeur for the HP area or the rehash of the Dueling Dragons coaster, remember that IOA is landlocked, the dueling coasters ride has a high school probably 100 yards or so away from it across the street, which is why there is a wall next to the ride seen from the red dragon coaster on the first inversion. Both parks are crammed already and re-molding a previous area of the park with some addition is probably the only feasible solution. Nonetheless, it still looks like it will be great.

I'd certainly love to see a whole HP park, but from what Universal seems to be able to realistically do, I think they are doing a good job.

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