As many members of the MuggleNet staff were enjoying MISTI-Con last weekend at the lovely Margate Hotel in Laconia, New Hampshire - surrounded by a beautiful lake and picturesque cottages - we couldn't help but wonder this:
How awesome would a Hogwarts resort be?
The Wizarding World at Universal is cool, but with all this news about the expansion of the park in Orlando and the brand-new park in Hollywood, what's stopping them from building a perfect hotel where one could stay inside Hogwarts, itself. Here's five reasons why this should happen.
1. More Realistic
The theme park is great, but it is kind of hard to get lost in the magical world when you're in Florida in the middle of the summer, surrounded by food vendors and carnival smells. It would be far easier to get an immersive experience at a Hogwarts resort. You'd be living in a castle and you could take a jaunt to the Forbidden Forest or Hagrid's Hut anytime you want. No funnel cake required.
2. Sense of Community
A Hogwarts resort would also be a great way for Harry Potter fans to come together as a community. At the theme park, each person or group visiting is isolated from the others. At a resort, there would be more space for fans to interact with each other and experience Hogwarts together. This would be awesome both because we already know that fans have a great time when they get together (shout out to everyone who turned out for MISTI-Con!) AND friendship is such an important part of the books that it would be fitting for a sense of community to be included in a Harry Potter attraction.
3. Money, Money, Money
A Hogwarts resort could make a ton of money for Universal. People coming to the Wizarding World already have to pay to stay somewhere - why not have it be at a Universal hotel? There could even be a tram system to transport fans from the resort to the park. We can hear the galleons pouring in already!
4. No Lines
By far the worst part of any theme park is waiting in line for rides, and since the Wizarding World is so popular, the lines for the rides there can get even crazier than in the rest of the park. At a resort, the activities for fans are ones that they wouldn't necessarily have to wait in line for: swimming in the lake, sightseeing from the towers, or walks in the Forbidden Forest. Universal could also do a tie-in for those that stay at the resort, offering discounts on HP shops in the park or giving each guest a fast pass so they can avoid lines at the Wizarding World as well.
5. Specialty Suites
The possibility for specialty rooms is endless: each of the common rooms, Dumbledore's Office, Lockhart's Office, the North Tower - the list goes on and on! Replicas of props from the movies would make for impressive luxury suites; the resort could be like the Studio Tour and theme park combined. We're partial to the idea of a Room of Requirement for guests to stay in. Imagine this: unlimited room service, brought by wait staff dressed as house elves, where you're not only allowed to order food, but anything you want.
Have we convinced you yet? What other things would you like to see from a Harry Potter resort?
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