The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (Universal Orlando Resort)
| The Wizarding World of Harry Potter | |
|---|---|
 |
|
Hogwarts Castle, which houses Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
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| Islands of Adventure | |
| Status | Operating |
| Cost |
GBP £134 million USD $200 million |
| Soft opening date | June 1, 2010 |
| Opening date | June 18, 2010 |
| Replaced | Merlinwood (The Lost Continent) |
| Universal Studios Florida | |
| Status | Operating |
| Cost | USD $256 million |
| Soft opening date | July 3, 2014 |
| Opening date | July 8, 2014 |
| Replaced | Jaws |
| General statistics | |
| Attraction type | Themed zone |
| Designer | Universal Creative |
| Theme | Harry Potter |
| Size | Phase 1: 20 acres (8.1 ha) |
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is a themed area spanning two theme parks—Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida—at the Universal Orlando Resort in Orlando, Florida. The area is themed to the Harry Potter media franchise, adapting elements from the film series and novels by J. K. Rowling. The attraction was designed by Universal Creative from an exclusive license with Warner Bros. Entertainment.
The first phase was officially announced for Islands of Adventure on May 31, 2007, and after a two-and-a-half-year construction period, the area officially opened to the public on June 18, 2010. The area's flagship attraction is Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, which exists within a recreation of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It takes riders on a journey through Harry Potter's wizarding world. Other attractions include Dragon Challenge, a pair of inverted roller coasters, and Flight of the Hippogriff, a family roller coaster. The area also features a recreation of Hogsmeade containing many gift shops and restaurants from the novels including Dervish and Banges, Honeydukes, Ollivanders, Zonko's Joke Shop (though it houses Honeydukes), the Three Broomsticks, and the Hog's Head.
The second phase was initially announced on December 6, 2011, as a significant expansion of the existing Wizarding World of Harry Potter. On May 8, 2013, it was officially announced that a substantial portion of phase two would be constructed in the adjacent Universal Studios Florida theme park with a full scale working replica of the Hogwarts Express taking guests between the two lands. This phase's flagship attraction is Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts, a 3D dark ride/simulator based on Gringotts Bank, the wizarding bank that appears in the book and film series. The attraction's design is similar to Transformers: The Ride and the Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man rides but built on a roller coaster track. The remaining attractions are themed around London and Diagon Alley. Diagon Alley officially opened on July 8, 2014.
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