Thread: Wizarding World of Harry Potter

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Part of our trip to Orlando last Halloween was checking out the new Harry Potter section at Islands of Adventure (Universal Studios) Orlando.

Here's a quick video we made that shows the outstanding decor of Hogsmeade Village and the Queue line leading up to the signature ride: Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey




Hogsmeade Village was a wonder to behold. It looked exactly like you imagined from the books. Nearly every window you peeked in had a surprise. At the Owlery there was a 'Howler' note. At another window was a set of Quiddich balls complete with the 'Bludger' ball straining from it's chains to release.

Then, the Butterbeer...Wow, was that GOOD! That could easily become my favorite drink. It's like very creamy cream soda with marshmallow froth on top. Mmmmm, mmmmm....

The ride was outstanding! IMO it redefines a dark ride. There were scenes in it that truly scared me involving spiders. It uses new technology that combines screen shots and real props. Kind of like the Spiderman ride on steroids. And it was very dark in there and so the very huge monsters pop right out at you. The dragon blew steam all over and the giant spider spit venom in your face. Intense...

The ride technology is brand new and I hear that Universal has the rights to it for 10 years so you won't be seeing this at Disney in the near future. It's called a robocoaster. Imagine a robotic arm that holds four seats at the end of it. It can tilt in all directions. Then put that robotic arm on a rollercoaster track that has hills and valleys. In mean WOW! Here's a picture of one:





I found this video on YouTube (not mine) that shows a pretty clear picture of the ride. Don't watch it if you plan on going. SPOILER!:

Thank you soooo much for sharing. I am VERY jealous. Now I just want to go even more!!!!

Thanks for sharing We're going there after I get my bachelors in a few years and I can't wait

You are very welcome. We loved the new section. I also fixed the video links that were broken in the post.

We live 1 1/2 hours away (if I do 85 mph). It is a fantastic recreation of some of the buildings and props. We wish it was larger and not a dead end at the castle. The frozen Butter Beer is great and the Pumpkin Juice is good too. We were there in July when they had the Harry Potter convention in our hotel and it was cool seeing hundreds of people dressed as their favorite character.