Wizarding World to open Spring 2010, rides confirmed
Wizarding World to open Spring 2010, rides confirmed UPDATE: Andrew, Eric and myself discuss all the Wizarding World developments on Episode 180 of MuggleCast. We recommend subscribing to the show through iTunes. If you're already subscribed, just simply update your feed. Other options include listening to the show in your browser live on MuggleCast.com or simply download it onto your computer: Direct Download | Low Bandwidth

At a press conference earlier this morning, Universal Studios confirmed that the Wizarding World of Harry Potter will officially open in the Spring 2010. No specific date was given.

Names of the three main park rides are Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, Flight of the Hippogriff and Dragon Challenge. Flight of the Hippogriff will include interaction with Hagrid as you fly on a Hippogriff for training. Dragon Challenge will center on flying either a Hungarian Horntail or Chinese Fireball. Univeral's existing ride, Dueling Dragons, will be re-themed into Dragon Challenge.

Other attractions include Ollivander's Shop, Owl Post, Dervish and Banges, Three Broomsticks, Honeydukes, Zonko's and Filch Emporium.

A ton of artwork was revealed of virtually every part of the park, including a map.

VIDEO:
- Introduction video with Dan, Rupert, and Emma | YouTube Version
- Virtual map fly through | YouTube Version

HIGH RES ARTWORK:
- Beautiful map of entire area
- Zonkos
- Owlery
- Ollivanders
- Honeydukes
- Flight of the Hippogriff
- The Dragon Challenge
- Filch's Emporium
- The Exterior of Hogwarts

Press release announcing today's news - click here. The press release includes descriptions of each ride.

The presentation included a video introduction from Dan Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson who all expressed their excitement about the park. Tom Felton was live at the event speaking with the creators.

Scenes for the theme park were filmed right after they finished filming Half-Blood Prince.

Don't forget that Infinitus 2010 will be taking place in Orlando, Florida, from July 15-18, 2010. Click here for more information.
Posted by Micah on Sep 15th | 62 Comments
Visitor Comments
Posted by 9ronweasly7 Sep 15th 2009

wow, cannot wait til theme park. I am actually gonna go to florida this spring to visit my grandparents, i feel so lucky


Posted by ArielRiddle Sep 15th 2009

Thanks so much for this update! Hopefully soon we'll have an opening date. It's good to have confirmation that it'll be this spring, though. Can't wait to see the park, and all the attractions sound amazing.


Posted by whodude Sep 15th 2009

Looks awesome, can't till I go next august!!


Posted by sauby1988 Sep 15th 2009

wow, can't wait to go and see all of this for real, wondering when the next live podcast will be where they will discuss all of this?


Posted by Yeeana Sep 15th 2009

OMG, this is going to be such an awesome theme park attraction. I am just looking for an excuse to go to Florida.


Posted by shanson Sep 15th 2009

Filch's emporium looks awesome!


Posted by lhegarty Sep 15th 2009

The dragon challenge... doesn't look very challenging! Is that the right pic?


Posted by Mydrgnfly Sep 15th 2009

Thanks so much guys, for all your coverage. I can't wait!!


Posted by minimecherry Sep 15th 2009

Filch's Emporium looks almost like the room of requirement. And I agree with lhegarty that the dragon challenge doesn't look that great but i've been on that ride and that is probably just the entrance... it goes on through a huge building before you get to the actual ride. Thanks for the updates everyone!!


Posted by siriusnprongs Sep 15th 2009

This.is.so.COOL! Hogwart s looks absolutely awesome. I'm gonna cry!


Posted by horcrux_gp Sep 15th 2009

QUIDDITCH PITCH!! THERE SHOULD BE ONE!


Posted by dizzyshar Sep 15th 2009

Very nicely done Andrew and Micah! Got the info up within 2 hours of the announcement starting time. Emerson, these boys deserve a raise!!


Posted by Ishi Sep 15th 2009

FILCH EMPORIUM????


Posted by Snapealicious Sep 15th 2009

Three words: Audio-Animatronic Snape.


Posted by MystikCloak Sep 15th 2009

AAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HHHHHH!!!!!!!! IM SO EFFING EXCITED!!!!!!


Posted by Spanishpanic Sep 15th 2009

OMGGGGGGGGGGGGG Totally taking off from school, and ditching my trip to Costa Rica! Hogwarts, I've waited so long to recieve my letter. My 11th birthday was a letdown. My 20th will be amazing!


Posted by PeterNickalls Sep 15th 2009

It DOES look amazing BUT the only new ride is going to be "Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey". The other two (Flight of the Hippogriff and Dragon Challenge) are just two re-themed current coasters (Flying Unicorn and Duelling Dragons). Still, looks like a pretty thorough re-theme. Thoughts?


Posted by Ishi Sep 15th 2009

Why do I know that if I ever get to fly there I'll spend waaayyy too much money on HP stuff? xD


Posted by iwantorlando05 Sep 15th 2009

OMG!!! I'm so excited right now!!! THIS IS CRAZY!! I KNOW WHERE I"M GOING FOR SPRING BREAK!!!!! I'm so overwhelmed now...I've got class in 30 minutes, but I really want to watch and look at all this stuff!!


Posted by dizzyshar Sep 15th 2009

Know what ya mean Spanishpanic. However I do not seeing anyone else having an more amazing time there as my son will. He will be 6 next summer and still believes Hogwarts is real and awating his letter. Perhaps Universal could make the tickets look like the school letter for children. hehe that would be amazing as well!


Posted by iwantorlando05 Sep 15th 2009

I LOVE the video with the trio and ALL the pictures of the shops and the rides look AMAZING!!!! I'm seriously hyperventilating right now! I love how they made it look just like the movie and I love the Filch's emporium store. It's such a cool name for a gift shop considering Filch confiscated so much stuff over the years. I've got to start saving my money now, because I'm going to want to buy everything I can get my hands on!!


Posted by dizzyshar Sep 15th 2009

Ishi 32 - Yes, that one I am looking most forward to as it will be "Filch's Emporium of Confiscated Goods is full of Ministry of Magic and magical creatures merchandise, Omnioculars, and even remote control Golden Snitches"


Posted by Spanishpanic Sep 15th 2009

Dizzyshar, I don't belive a 6 year old can really grasp the full blown awesomeness of Harry Potter. At least not as much as a person who'se been waiting 9 years.


Posted by HpAlwaysN4ever Sep 15th 2009

I love the artwork and videos! I can't wait!!! :)


Posted by clrenn Sep 15th 2009

I can't wait! What i don't get is that is the Harry potter world only going to be for a week??? Or years and years or what?


Posted by flibbertigibbit Sep 15th 2009

I'm extremely relieved that they didn't base the owlery on the one in the 4th movie. And spring 2010 is... way sooner than we thought right? Clrenn, I think the Infinitus convention is a week long, the Harry Potter world will probably be there for at least a few years :)


Posted by HDMSTRSNAPE Sep 15th 2009

I am SOOOO there. I can hardly wait for this attraction to open. It is going to be so much fun to be able to walk through the gates of Hogwarts!! Dizzyshar, that is a brilliant idea with the tickets looking like the original letters. Snapealicious, you are absolutely right. The true star of the series should have shrine as well lol. WB: I hope you are listening!


Posted by dizzyshar Sep 15th 2009

Sure he can, and he will enjoy it more cause he will think it will all be real.


Posted by Spanishpanic Sep 15th 2009

Excuse me, dizzshar, not trying to pick a fight. But it will all be real.


Posted by ecniv08 Sep 15th 2009

this is so awesome but i can't go there until maybe after 3 to 5 years?? i don't know.. ugh.


Posted by marauder16 Sep 15th 2009

I'll be definitely going there! Can't wait, I just hope they'll do it right =) Especially Hogwarts... Too bad the theme park's not in Europe though :P Thnx very much for all the materials ;)


Posted by ash2007 Sep 15th 2009

So cool. So glad I live in Florida. But for those of you who were hoping for Harry Potter themed tickets, you aren't going to be buying tickets for the wizarding world. Because it's a theme park within a theme park, you'll buy tickets to get into Islands of Adventure, and then you can go straight to the Harry Potter area. And as for the picture of the dragon challenge, that was only the entrance. The actual ride has been there for years and was called Duelling Dragons. You can check it out on youtube to get an idea of what the ride will be like. All they're doing is re-theming it to make it more "Hary Potter-ish".


Posted by HarryPotterIsMyEternity Sep 15th 2009

ARTWORK LOOKS GORGEOUS! MAP IS STUNNING! I AM BREATHLESS RIGHT NOW. SO EXCITED. THIS JUST CANT HAPPEN ANY SOONER. I SWEAR THIS IS LIKE A DREAM COME TRUE the only thing that could make it better if it was all real..hogwarts and all. D:


Posted by Sindollx666x Sep 15th 2009

OMG! I am sooooooo excited. I swear I'm nearly 30 and I feel like a little kid right now. The husband and I are going no matter what next year!!! YEAY!


Posted by randomchat Sep 15th 2009

Does anyone have a feeling this is going to be lame?


Posted by Gryffindor_Seeker_7 Sep 15th 2009

AHHH! AWESOME!! I can't wait! My family is planning to go for spring break or next summer, and I hope we don't have to wait that long. I AM SO EXCITED!! It looks awesome!! I love the idea of Filch's Emporium!! I am going to save up 400 bucks and spend it ALL! (370 more to go, LOL.) WOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOO!!!


Posted by cigar95 Sep 15th 2009

Well, I guess it's now official - no Feast in the Great Hall. That was the one thing I said years ago that I would look forward to "if a theme park were ever to do a Harry Potter section". Since the Hogwarts Castle is directly across the lagoon from the main entrance, it will give the park a real "weenie" for the first time, as it will be right dead ahead as one walks through the Port of Entry.


Posted by WeasleyTwin Sep 15th 2009

Does this mean we can get a custom wand at Ollivaders? I really want to taste all the food it has, like butterbeer and chocolate frogs. I also want to get a remote control snitch. I can already imagine that everything will be sold out within a week after release.


Posted by Gryffindor_Seeker_7 Sep 15th 2009

WeasleyTwin: I was wondering about the wands too. I was wondering if you could like tell them what you want and you could buy it, but you probably just have to look at what they have and buy from that, if you buy wands there at all.


Posted by 9ronweasly7 Sep 15th 2009

yay new mugglecast... that was quick!


Posted by HarryPotterIsMyEternity Sep 15th 2009

darn! tickets are gonna sell out in like a second.


Posted by RemusJohnLupin Sep 15th 2009

Oh My God!!!! I CANT WAIT!! =) =) =)


Posted by i_am_hermione Sep 15th 2009

mugglecast!!!!!!! but what on earth is Filch's Emporium?


Posted by wumples Sep 15th 2009

@i_am_hermione Well, if I was to hazard a guess, Filch's Emporium is likely a small shop that sells more 'miscellaneous' items that wouldn't quite fit in the other shops in Hogsmeade. Judging by the little items tucked away everywhere, it looks like it is making use of the fact that Filch confiscates stuff from students.


Posted by iwantorlando05 Sep 15th 2009

Yay New MUGGLECAST!! Filch's emporium looks like a gift shop. Clearly Filch would acquire/confiscate a lot of interesting artifacts over the years, so it makes sense. I love the idea!! It looks like there will be A LOT of places to buy stuff which is AWESOME!


Posted by BellatrixCrucioYou Sep 15th 2009

OMG this looks freaking SWEET!!!! I want to go soooooo bad!! I really wnat to buy stuff from Filch's Imporium and Ollivander's!! My own wand...YAY! I gotta start saving so I can buy tons of stuff there cuz I know I'll want everything...


Posted by professor_valkyrie Sep 15th 2009

OK...think I am now in need of a life change at age 48--a Theme Park Character for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter sounds like a really good career change, hm? Yeah. I can just see it "Professor Valkyrie" (me!) could wander around the Park as a Hogwarts teacher of...Rune Studies? Magical Creatures? (have to think about it) and interacting with the "muggles"...cool. I wanna go now. Got it all figured out. Can sneak out....catch a train...


Posted by YeahImThatGuy17 Sep 15th 2009

OH MY GOD! Is all I have to say. My life is now complete.


Posted by HeRonfan Sep 15th 2009

Wouldn't it be funny if they made the passengers on Flight of the Hipporgriff bow to it before it took off?! Then the guy at the controls comes over the PA and says: Hey you! In the green shirt, you didn't show the required respect. He won't take off until you do!!


Posted by Cristy_702 Sep 15th 2009

AHH! Omgsh! I hope I get to go for spring break! XD




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