Universal Orlando celebrates one year anniversary of the Wizarding World’s Grand Opening

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It was one year ago today that the Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park at Universal Orlando opened its doors to fans around the world.

To celebrate, Universal held a celebration at the park today, at the exact moment the park had its grand opening moment (9:23 a.m. ET).  We were there to capture that moment which you can watch here on YouTube.

UPDATE: Universal has released a video of this morning’s festivities.

Today Universal released this photo of their anniversary celebration along with the following press release:

After taking part in a countdown led by the Hogwarts Express conductor, guests and team members celebrated in the streets of Hogsmeade while “snow” confetti and gold streamers fell from the sky. Guests also enjoyed complimentary Butterbeer, cauldron cakes and Chocolate Frogs.

“We’re so excited to celebrate this milestone with our guests,” said Bill Davis, president of Universal Orlando Resort. “It’s been an incredible year for us and our guests, and we look forward to creating more exciting memories with them in the years to come.”

Universal Orlando is also creating a virtual celebration by launching today a new “Share Your Story” tab on its official Facebook page. The all-new tab gives fans the opportunity to interact with one another and share favorite memories and photos from their visit to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – whether it’s tasting Butterbeer for the first time, watching their daughter as she’s selected by the perfect wand, or soaring above Hogwarts with their family.

If fans have not been able to visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, they can share why they aspire to on the “Share Your Story” tab as well. U.S. residents who share their stories on the tab will be automatically entered into a contest where they can win a trip to Universal Orlando Resort this fall. To take part in the virtual celebration, share their stories or read other fans’ stories, guests should visit www.Facebook.com/UniversalOrlandoResort.