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Update on The Wizarding World of Harry Potter



By Dave Shute

THE WIZARDING WORLD OF HARRY POTTER: MARCH UPDATE

The Wizarding World of Harry PotterA new Universal Orlando brochure for travel agents includes some key new details on height requirements for the rides at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and some new language describing the rides. 

As a result, I have updated all the materials in this site’s instructions for visiting the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and also put the key material below.

WHAT YOU’LL FIND AT THE WIZARDING WORLD OF HARRY POTTER

The themed area will begin with the village of Hogsmeade, and climax in Hogwarts Castle itself. In between you’ll find Hagrid’s Hut and the Forbidden Forest. This should be great for any kid enough of a fan to recognize the recreations of the books and movies, and fun for younger or less interested kids as well.

Three rides are currently expected at the opening of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Harry Potter and the Hidden Journey, an all-new ride, and two re-themed rides–rides that already existed at Universal Orlando’s Islands of Adventure, but are being redesigned to fit the Harry Potter theme. The two re-themed rides are Dragon Challenge and Flight of the Hippogriff.

(However, see this for the possibility that the signature ride, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, may not open when the Wizarding World of Harry Potter first opens.)

  • Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey will have a minimum height requirement of 48 inches, and is described in Universal marketing material as follows: “Make your way through the classrooms and corridors of Hogwarts, then soar above the castle on this groundbreaking ride that lets you join Harry Potter and his friends in a thrilling adventure.”

  • Flight of the Hippogriff will have a minimum height requirement of 36 inches, and is described by Universal thus: “Hagrid will teach you the proper way to approach the Hippogriff before you take off on a family-friendly coaster that spirals and dives around the pumpkin patch and past Hagrid’s hut.”

  • Dragon Challenge, a rethemed set of different two world-class roller coasters, the Hungarian Horntail and the Chinese Fireball, will have a height requirement of 54 inches, but will scare the bejeesus out of many kids (and adults!) with more inches than this. (Note that some websites have incorrectly reported this as 5 feet.) According to Universal, “you’ll feel like a Triwizard Tournament competitor as you climb aboard one of two ferocious dragons that twist, loop, and nearly collide in an intertwining roller coaster chase across the sky.”

Interactive play will include, at minimum, “the wands picking the wizard” in a recreation of the wand shop Ollivanders in the Hogsmeade Village area of the Wizarding World.

I would not be surprised at all if the wands did not in turn activate various fun stuff in the entire themed area–in a Universal analogy to Walt Disney World’s Kim Possible’s World Showcase Adventure.

The wand part itself will be fun; if the broader interactive adventure is in fact deployed, then parents may need to help out some of their younger ones.

LINKS FOR THE WIZARDING WORLD OF HARRY POTTER

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