Muggle Guide

Muggles to be able to Visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando at Universal Studios

Muggle fans of Harry Potter will be excited to know that Universal Studios has announced that they will be building a Harry Potter Theme Park in Orlando!  Universal plans to open the park in 2009!

According to the Today Show:

"Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. and Universal Orlando Resort plan to open The Wizarding World of Harry Potter within Universal's Islands of Adventure theme park in 2009, Tom Williams, chairman and CEO of Universal Parks and Resorts, announced Thursday on TODAY.  The “theme park within a theme park” is the first fully immersive Harry Potter-themed environment based on the bestselling books by J.K. Rowling and the blockbuster feature films."

According to the Press Release:

J.K. Rowling, says "The plans I've seen look incredibly exciting, and I don't think fans
of the books or films will be disappointed."

Expected to open in late 2009, the new environment will feature
immersive rides and interactive attractions, as well as experiential shops and restaurants that will enable guests to sample fare from the wizarding world's best known establishments. Also debuting will be a state-of-the-art attraction that will bring the magic, characters and stories of Harry Potter to life in an exciting way that guests have never before experienced.

The Academy Award-winning production designer Stuart Craig, who has worked to bring the world of Harry Potter to life in all of the feature films to date, leads the creative design for the area to ensure it remains faithful to the look and feel of the films.

"Our primary goal is to make sure this experience is an authentic extension of Harry Potter's world as it is portrayed in the books and films," said Craig. "I am very excited to be working closely with the
Universal Orlando team to bring the area to life."

Universal has setup a website with some FAQs and more information.  Visit www.universalorlando.com/harrypotter for more details.

Although the press release didn't mention anything specific about what rides and areas might be there, here are some of our common sense speculations as to what you might find there:

• Weasley's Wizard Weezes Joke Shop
• Gringotts Bank Roller Coaster Ride
• The Forbiden Forest Ride
• Hogwarts Express Ride
• Azkaban Ride
• Ministry of Magic Restaurant
• Quiddich Field / Ride
• Hogwarts Castle Ride (Maybe even a Hogwarts Hotel)
• Shriking Shack Ride
• Diagon Alley Shops
• Knockturn Alley Shops
• Hogsmead Shops
• Olivanders Wand Shop

Any other interesting ideas of what you might expect to see?

More Resources / References:

• The Today Show - Harry Potter theme park set to open
• The Disney Blog - Harry Potter goes to Universal
• Orlando Sentinel - Harry Potter to come to Universal Orlando
• Geeks of Doom - Harry Potter Attraction at Universal Studios?

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