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Universal Studios to open Harry Potter theme park!
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Hogwarts | Hogsmeade | Owl's View of Park | Logo
Latest Developments (10 AM EST):
- Official park website now open; visitors can sign up for e-mail updates.
- JK Rowling: "The plans I’ve seen look incredibly exciting, and I don’t think fans of the books or films will be disappointed."
Universal Studios and Warner Brothers made a joint announcement this evening from Leavesden Studios on the set of Dumbledore's Office to reveal that a Harry Potter theme park is currently in development. The image to the left is the first piece of concept art for the park: Hogsmeade Village.
Here's what we learned from Potter set designer Stuart Craig and a representative from Universal Studios (both of them hosted the big reveal):
- "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando Resort"
- Announcement was made live via internet at 12:01 AM EST today to select media, including MuggleNet.
- Areas of park to include Hogsmeade, Hogwarts Castle, and the Forbidden Forest.
- 20 engineers working on project.
- Universal came to WB looking for authenticity.
- Potter park to be built in "Islands of Adventure" area of Universal.
- Stuart wants to "take his grandchildren" to the park.
- Opening early 2010.
- Universal's Potter website to be available at this link.
- JK Rowling has been involved "since the very beginning" of the project. Also "supportive and encouraging."
- Stuart thinks that the park will be better off in the United States.
- Have been in design "for at least a year and a half."
- "Important that the theme park represents the entire saga from Book 1 to Book 7"
In a rather cute way to end the announcement, the Universal representative asks Stuart Craig, "Now where's Dumbledore?" Stuart paused for a moment, looked around the office, and replied, "He was just here."
We'll be discussing these developments on this week's episode of MuggleCast (due out over the weekend). This post will be updated frequently as we learn more!
Posted by Andrew on May 30th |
513 Comments
Visitor Comments
Umm...yeah, awesome and all, and I will for sure be there, but think realistically, this section of the park won't open until 2010....3 years after the final book release and about a year and a half after the last movie...the HP hype will be gone by then I think. Of course us Loyal fans will go, but realistically, I think it is a bad idea...
Hallelujuh! I have so many great Ideas. I use to work at Six Flags and everytime I'd walk through the park I'd think. "If only they'd have a quiddich rollercoaster!" Your seats would be broomsticks and every "car" would be a different House. Giant Squid twisty ride. Even if I have to wait 10 years, I'm going.
I work at Universal! I am soooo going to transfer, so I can go work over there once its done!!!! I can not wait!
These books will be read by generations like the Wizard of Oz or Narnia Harry Potter is more than movies...the movies are wonderful but the books are timeless. Universal will give Harry a great home I work there, lucky me, I am so excited I want to be a part of it from day one. J.K. Rowling is amazing.
FINALLY! YAHOO!!!!!!!!! I literally screamed when I opened my internet (as mugglenet is my homepage, of course, and I immediately saw the news). Oh wow. This totally made me stop being mad at Universal Studios for closing the Back to the Future rides (for the moment at least) because this is going to be beyond awesome: we're going to be able to stand, walk, and interact in real-life, real-size locations of the Potterverse!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wow! That is really exciting. I can't wait. 2010 is still a ways off though.....
Wow, that's going to be amazing! A complete dream come true for all fans. I can't wait to see it in person. I know where I'll be in 2010.
OMG! YAY! THIS IS AWSOME!!!
Are you kidding?! That is AMAZING! i cannont WAIT!
I just heard we are going to have surprise employee meeting all day tommorow at Universal Orlando I'll keep you posted.....
If I go there and it is bad, I will be very upset. But I'm so picky I'll find something wrong with it no matter what.
Go on, be a devil and build it in Britain! Why America? America is nothing to do with HP. Grr x
I really want to go to that! (even though I live on the opposite side of the counrty! 5000 km away from orlando)
So.... I'm going to Florida in 2010. >.
YAY IM SO GOING!!!! YAY i've never been to Florida either I live in Cali! I wish they woulda made it here in L.A. CALI!
yesssssss! wowie kazowie, this is awesome! it will give us some new juice once book seven is over! yayyyyyy! and to think we've been hearing all these rumors, and then they were scoffed at and debunked, and it was going on for a year and a half! if it is open early in the year enough (like winter) maybe ill go for my 18th birthday or graduation! that would be so awesome.
I'M HAVING A HEART ATTTACKKKKKKKKK
I just hope they make it as authentic as possible. That is the only way that it would be cool. Otherwise it won't be worth it. I wonder what kind of rides it would have? A Voldy-coaster perhaps? lol
this sounds amazing!! I cant wait! :]
Awesome news! Guys, go Digg the story if you can!
That is by far the coolest thing that i have ever seen in my entire life and i cant wait to go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!
Wow that is so awesome. I'll be there on opening day!...Errrrr....maybe... . :-)
Dementor's of the Caribbean, here I come!
fudge YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11 yayayayayayayay!!!!!!! ive always wanted to go to a harry potter theme park. build it in australia, so i can go there too!!
Why would it be "best" in America? Other countries could easily stage a theme park about Harry Potter. America isn't the only place with HP fans.
OH MY FREAKING GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *dies*
Wooooohoah! So it's true!! Ah my ga... Oh, this is good... this is very good!!! Oh, I can't wait for this!! COOOOOOOOL! imagine that! 2010 though... that's so long....thats very long...hmmm....But I suppose all good things take time and it's not like it's forever or anything. WE ARE GOING TO HAVE SO MUCH FUN!!!
Hm. I think this is ridiculous. I'd probably still go though, but that's because I'm just as ridiculous.
Poor Laura Mallory's kids will never be able to visit this ABSOLUTE GENIUS and AWESOME themepark!!....but I will!
Yes! Another reason to be grateful that I moved to Florida. I'm still a 30 something kid at heart and Universal Studios Island of Adventure is already awesome. Now they'll have a theme for my favorite fantasy series. Funny, we were having this discussion about a Harry Potter theme park when I was there a couple of months ago, now it will be a reality. Come, 2010, I'm there!!!!
wow, that's pretty cool but i'd prefer to leave Hogsmeade to my imagination, i mean how could anyone replicate Zonkoes (can't spell) and the three broomsticks, lolly shop etc. ? I only think of the endless possibilities of gravity-defying, abnormally-large/sweet and massivly-illegal (by school standards :p) lollies that could be there and the wonderful taste of butterbeer (even though i'll never taste it), and i think that i would prefer to leave it all in my head and sit down on a raininy day and delv into this imaginary world, stretching it and creating my own twist on it. But hey it is pretty cool they have decided to make a theme park although i believe it some what takes away from the whole idea and meaning of the Harry Potter novels. But all in all anyone who plans to go there do enjoy!
Well Rongranger and all others thinking this, it won't be released a year and a half after the last movie... it will be released around the same time as the last movie. HBP will be released Nov-Dec of 2008 and DH will be released on June-July of 2010; the park opens in 'early 2010' so the park opens around the time of Deathly Hallows movie release. BTW this project looks totally grand! The sight of Hogwarts right in front of me towering over the forbidden forest and hogsmeade... the grandeur! I can not wait!
wow that is so exciting! i will definitely go to that when it opens!
i alway thoght that they should do that ...i'm so going!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!so exciting!!!:))))))))))))) )))))))))))))
big deal. it's not like i'll ever go there :P but i guess it's nice.
Wow!... I'm soooo shocked right now... This is a dream come true & I'm soo very glad it at Islands of Adventure instead of Disney. I will be there on day one & can't wait to walk thourgh it all!!! I will need a season pass for this one!
AWESOME!!! I'm SO flying the 1500 miles to Florida to be there opening day!!!!!! *SQUEE*
lol doublesix!!! me too...i'm totally goona need a season pass !
OMG YAY IM SO GOING!!!! *squuuuuuuuueeeeeeeeeeeee *
wow.... ( I'm just sitting here.. & I can't do anything but think of how AWESOME this is! )
wwoooww... that is VERY awesome aahh!!! i hope it's super good =D
OMG, this is amazing, I've always... I mean to just! Wow this is amazing, the world we have grown up with the world that we all love, the world that WE WISH WE WERE A PART OF! Its coming to us! Oh dear Lord let it be good or not at all. 2010 eh? I guess we will have something to look forward to then... I just hope it's good, I mean us fans can't deal with heartbreak, not after our favorite seires is ending in a way that almost closes a chapter of our lives. It looks cool, almost not big enough. But can anything really compare to the Magical world of Harry Potter? I think not :) but that, my dear friends, is the beauty of it.
OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG! I will be in Orlando the summer of 2010... not even kidding. It's my youngest sister's graduation present. I could faint right now. Not only are they opening a park, but I am going to be there the year it opens! I can't even speak I'm in shock. Holy $#!%!!!!!!!!!! Someone pinch me... this can't be real! This better not get delayed because if it isn't open yet when I am there I will be very very sad. If it was going to be in California though I probably would have stopped breathing. But alas definately not enough room here.
Does steel wool come from a mechanical sheep? Lol, Im definately going, Ive been waiting for this for a LONG time, Ill be there the day it opens!!!
omg omg omg omg omg, I cant beleive it! i should have my 21st there! like on the day it opens or something! woot!
Oh YUCK ...
whoa dudes, I totally had an idea for a HP theme park years ago...and now it's gonna be real! my dreams come true, quite literally! hopefully I can make the opening! I'll be 24 then...wooo!!!
OMG!!!! At laaaaaaaaaaaaast!!!!! Bu t, just a suggestion, I don't think Orlando is the best place for the park, my vote goes for Scotland (where Hogwarts is really supposed to be). There's plenty of space there!! :D
OH MY GOD THIS IS THE COOLEST THING EVER TO HAPPEN IN THEHISTORY OF THE UNIVERSE! I AM SO HAPPY, TODAY WAS THE WORST DAY EVER FOR ME, AND NOW I AM SO HAPPY. IU AM GOING TO GO THE DAY IT OPENS, I DONT CARE HOW, I AM GOING TO GO!!!! THANKYOU WARNER BROS! THANKYOU JK ROWLING, YOU ARE THE MOST AMAZING WOMAN EVER, EVERYDAY I AM THANKFUL FOR THE WORLD YOU HAVECREATED! THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU, AND THANKYOU TO MUGGLENET, YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME TOOO!! (^_^)
friggin awesome ;)
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