HP Attractions
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
Location: Universal's Islands of Adventure, Orlando, Florida, USA
Intro
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is part of Universal's Islands of Adventure Theme Park in Orlando. It was announced in 2007 and eventually openened in June 2010, with huge celebrations and then capacity crowds who gave very positive feedback about their experiences.Among the amazing attractions inside the park are a near life-size re-creation of Hogwarts, which contains the main Forbidden Journey ride, the Dragon Challenge and Flight of the Hippogriff roller coasters, and a re-creation of Hogsmeade village including a life-sized model of the Hogwarts Express and Harry Potter shops and pubs like Ollivander's, Honeydukes and The Three Broomsticks.
Rides
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Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey "Make your way through the familiar classrooms and corridors of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Then soar above the castle grounds as you join Harry Potter and his friends on an unforgettably thrilling adventure, coming face-to-face with magical creatures! This amazing new attraction uses groundbreaking technology (and a little magic) to create a one-of-a-kind ride experience." |
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Dragon Challenge "Marvel at the blazing Goblet of Fire and the shining Triwizard Cup as you take on the Dragon Challenge. Choose your dragon: an aggressive Chinese Fireball or a ferocious Hungarian Horntail. Then climb aboard and hold on tight as the two dragons twist, loop and nearly collide with each other in an intertwining roller coaster chase across the sky. Dragon Challenge is actually two high-speed roller coasters - each "dragon" is a completely different ride" |
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Flight of the Hippogriff "Follow Hagrid's instructions as you learn the proper way to approach a Hippogriff, which has the head of a giant eagle and the body of a horse. Then you'll take off on a family-friendly coaster that spirals and dives around the pumpkin patch, and swoops past Hagrid's hut." |
Hogsmeade
The creators of the park have crafted a wonderful re-creation of Hogsmeade, which contains some of the shops and pubs from J.K. Rowling's Diagon Alley & Hogsmeade. The shops you can enter if you visit the park are:- Ollivanders: visitors are admitted in groups of 20 to experience a wand-choosing. Replica wands are available for purchase.
- Dervish & Banges: specialising in Sneakoscopes, Spectrespecs, Omnioculars, Snitches, Brooms and more!
- Filch's Emporium of Confiscated Goods: view and buy Hogwarts clothing including jackets, t-shirts, sweatshirts, shoulder bags, caps and scarves; plus house crest banners, stationery, etc.
- Honeydukes: Visit the legendary shop for sweets including Bertie Bott's Every-Flavour Beans, exploding bonbons, treacle fudge, Chocolate Frogs and more.
- Zonko's: The best in novelty items, jokes and toys. Take home items such as a Sneakoscope, Extendable Ears, and more, plus sweets like Fever Fudge and Nosebleed Nougat.
And there are also dining areas available in the form of two of HP's famous pubs:
- The Three Broomsticks: choose from a selection of traditional British dishes in this wonderful construction of the ancient Diagon Alley pub.
- The Hog's Head: sit and drink in the darker, dingier surroundings of this pub, and see the hog's head on the wall come to life.
