Going to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter tomorrow!

June 27, 2010 by

Harry Potter theme park

Well if your a Harry Potter fan you know that the grand opening for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios was on the 18th. No I did not go; there was NOOOOO way I was going to wait for 6 hours just to get in!

I can go there anytime, so why would I go on the most crowded day? It was a madhouse, with people fainting from heat stroke and not enough water stations around.

However, now that the crowds have returned to normal levels; which is still a lot since it’s summer, I’m going to go tomorrow! I have a nifty camcorder with a 70X zoom lens on it. So I’m going to get some very exclusive and very detailed videos of the park and of Hogwarts castle.
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Butterbeer, magic wands sell great at Harry Potter park

June 18, 2010 by

Harry Potter ride inside Hogswarts Castle

With guest being let into the new Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park at Universal Studios for the soft opening, one thing is clear. Everyone wants to buy Harry Potter merchandise!

For Harry Potter fans, owning something from the Harry Potter movies is one of their top things to do. That is looking like both a blessing and a curse for Universal.

The blessing is of course it’s great they everyone wants to buy Harry Potter merchandise. The crowds all want a sip of the frozen and non frozen butterbeer from the cart that sells it inside.

Another popular item is getting a magic wand from the Ollivander’s store. Buying a chocolate frog at Honeydukes, a candy shop is another popular stop.

In all Universal Studios has created over 600 items to be sold inside The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. They are very happy with the brisk sales of merchandise.

One of the big ticket items I was surprised to find was selling fast is in Dervish and Banges, where they sell replica flying broomsticks, a Nimbus 2001 selling for $250.00 and a Firebolt for $300.00!

The curse of all this is, already they are having problems with long lines inside these shops. Most are small and narrow, making long lines. Just think what it will be like once the normal crowds are let in!

However I’m sure they will add more shops, or add-on to some of them now that they see how popular the merchandise shops will be. Universal Studios is not going to make it hard for guest to buy their merchandise!

However they do seem to have underestimated how popular the Harry Potter merchandise shops are going to be. But, that’s what a soft opening is all about; finding and fixing problems before the grand opening, which is June 18th.

So if you want to buy Harry Potter merchandise when you go into The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, go to the shops as soon as you get in, or be prepared for a long wait!

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New Harry Potter ride youtube video from Universal Studios

June 7, 2010 by

For you Harry Potter fans, here’s a new youtube video of the line going into the Harry Potter and the forbidden Journey ride. Yes, they are letting in regular guest for the soft opening finally.

But only a few at a time, and only for a few hours each time. They are trying to get the bugs out of everything and see how things work with crowds in there. Some places you can already see are going to be packed.

The main ride however is getting rave reviews, so that’s a good sign. Check out the video above of Harry Potter and the forbidden Journey ride line. It’s long but if your a big fan you’ll love seeing everything.

They should be letting more and more people in until they finally open it up fully on June 18th. You can try to luck out and hang around there before the 18th to see if you can get in for one of the soft openings.

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Universal Studios Harry Potter land grand opening June 18th!

April 11, 2010 by

Harry Potter world

Well we finally have an official opening date of the eagerly awaited Harry Potter land at Universal Studios. The head honcho’s at Universal has said the grand opened will be June 18!

Now, noticed I said that’s the “grand opening”. That is when they really make it official, hold the press conference and all that good stuff. But I already said they are selling vacation packages with Harry Potter land included for May 28 or so.

That’s because they always have a soft opening for any new ride or attraction. A soft opening means they open the attraction, or in this case the gates to Harry Potter land. Not all the shops or rides may be open during the soft opening.
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Universal Harry Potter vacations packages May 28th

February 23, 2010 by

Universal offering harry potter vacation packages May 28th!

Harry Potter fans have been keeping a close eye on when Universal Studios will open up the new Wizarding World of Harry Potter land. They have been tight-lipped about telling when it will open. But now we have a much closer open date!

That’s because Universal Studios has been starting to offer new vacation packages tied in to the Harry Potter attraction. The new deals are good starting May 28th. So, if they give vacation packages upselling how you will see the Harry Potter attraction, then it’s clear it will be open at least by May 28th!

But they always have a “soft” opening before that, so they can work the bugs out of the new rides and so on. They want to be sure everything is working good before they invite guest to stay and see the Harry Potter attraction.
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New pictures of Wizarding world of Harry Potter park at Universal Studios

December 14, 2009 by

Harry Potter World at Universal Studios

A few days ago I was at Universal Studios here in Orlando. So I took a few more pictures of the construction going on at the new Wizarding world of Harry Potter park. A theme park within a theme park at 20 acres in size, it sure looks to me like they have a long way to go. Yet they are still saying it will be open in the spring 2010.

Harry Potter World at Universal Studios

I sure hope so, as many are planning their vacations around the opening of Harry Potter park. I do think it will be amazing, and look very true to the buildings in the Harry Potter movies. As you can see the castle is looking pretty cool, as is the other buildings. You can’t seem them in these pictures but I saw some of those buildings with fake snow on the roof.

Harry Potter World at Universal Studios

You can see the long chimneys too, just like how they were on the town buildings in the Harry Potter movies. So I think your really going to feel like your walking right through town. The last picture shows a good closeup of Hogwarts castle. That’s where the star attraction ride is suppose to be, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey.

So, it all looks great so far. I think they will do a good job on making it all look very real and true to the town and buildings in the Harry Potter movies. The question is, can they get it all going by spring! If worst comes to worst I think they will make sure the main part and rides are working, and finish up any other parts of the place if they fall behind on time.

Harry Potter World at Universal Studios

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Sneak peek at Universal Studios The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

September 20, 2009 by

Universal Studios peek at The Wizarding world of Harry Potter park

One of biggest projects going on at Universal Studios Orlando right now is the construction of the new Wizarding world of Harry Potter park. Located where the dueling dragons are now at Islands of Adventure, it will be a theme park within a theme park at 20 acres in size. Harry Potter fans are very eager to see it open, and many will be scheduling their Orlando vacation around the opening date.

Up to now Universal Studios would only say it would open sometime in 2010, quite a big time frame. But now they have announced that The Wizarding world of Harry Potter theme park will open in the spring of 2010! That still leaves 3 months or so of time within to open, but at least it’s better than a whole year.

Universal Studios peek at The Wizarding world of Harry Potter park

As for what rides you can expect, there seems to be at least 3 major Harry Potter themed rides, maybe as many as 5. The biggest and best so far seems to be “Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey,” a state-of-the-art attraction located within the recreated Hogwarts Castle. Not a roller coaster, it sounds like a mix between the “Spiderman ride” and “the mummy”.

The other Harry Potter rides will also be good I’m sure. Universal Studios is really banking a lot on this, so they know they have to get it right and get it good! If you need to schedule your Orlando vacation soon and really want to visit The Wizarding world of Harry Potter, I would play it safe and shoot for late spring, around June to make sure it’s open.

Universal Studios peek at The Wizarding world of Harry Potter park

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