Virtual Reality Experiences to Launch Next Week at Harry Potter New York

by · July 10, 2021

The Harry Potter Store in New York is becoming even more magical, with two virtual reality (VR) experiences launching next week. Both of these experiences were teased at the opening of the flagship store, and starting July 15, fans will be able to take part in two immersive adventures that allow them to explore the wizarding world in real time.

“Chaos at Hogwarts” will transport fans from King’s Cross station to Hogwarts (with a little help from Dobby the house-elf) for a free-roaming adventure around the castle. Once at Hogwarts, players will explore the castle and help round up magical creatures that are loose throughout the school by casting spells with their wands. In their attempt to control the chaos, players will also discover hidden secrets and interact with their friends’ avatars.

 

A promotional image for the "Chaos at Hogwarts" virtual reality experience with Dobby clicking his fingers and magical creatures in the background.

 

An image from the "Chaos at Hogwarts" VR experience showing Dobby standing on Platform 9 3/4.

 

In a first for fans, the second virtual reality experience, “Wizards Take Flight,” will see guests mount real brooms and join Hagrid on a secret flight to get to Hogwarts. Unfortunately, it’s not all plain sailing (or should that be “flying”?) when Death Eaters threaten to disrupt the journey over London.

 

A promotional image for the "Wizards Take Flight" virtual reality experience with Hagrid flying away from Hogwarts Castle.

 

An image from the "Wizards Take Flight" VR experience showing Hagrid flying away from Hogwarts Castle.

 

For both experiences, fans will get to choose their own avatars and customize them to reflect their Hogwarts House. These avatars, plus physical wands in “Chaos at Hogwarts” and broomsticks in “Wizards Take Flight,” will ensure that the experiences are as immersive as possible.

 

Some of the customisable avatars from the "Wizards in Flight" VR experience.

 

In addition to wielding wands, fans will wear hand trackers and a VR headset. Fans taking part in “Chaos at Hogwarts” will also be required to wear foot trackers and a light backpack. All equipment needed to take part in each experience, including broomsticks and wands, are sanitized before every use. Each virtual reality experience will last approximately 30 minutes, including check-in and putting on and taking off the VR gear.

 

 

Up to six guests at a time can take part in the virtual reality experiences at Harry Potter New York. All guests must be at least 48 inches tall and ten years old, and guests under the age of 13 must be accompanied by an adult. In addition, there are wheelchair-accessible options for “Chaos at Hogwarts” and “Wizards Take Flight” available on request.

Tickets for each virtual reality experience cost $34, and prebooking online is highly recommended to ensure that groups can experience the attraction together. Currently, tickets can be reserved for time slots from July 15 to August 15 from the Harry Potter New York website.

Of course, these new VR experiences aren’t the only thing to explore at Harry Potter New York. Once fans have finished rounding up magical creatures or dueling Death Eaters over London, they can head to the butterbeer bar for a well-earned refreshment or explore the store’s three floors of merchandise.

Have you visited the flagship Harry Potter Store in New York? Which VR experience would you like to try, “Chaos at Hogwarts” or “Wizards Take Flight”?

Press Release

Become part of the adventure as WarnerMedia announces
the opening of two brand[-]new immersive
Harry Potter
Virtual Reality Experiences
“Chaos at Hogwarts” and “Wizards Take Flight”
Exclusively at Harry Potter New York on July 15, 2021

“Chaos at Hogwarts” lets hopeful witches and wizards step into a magical journey to Hogwarts Castle and become part of the adventure where magical creatures and secrets await. Wands at the ready!

“Wizards Take Flight” prepares guests for flight as they fly on brooms with the thrills of a magical wand battle against Death Eaters over the skies of London and free fly around the enchanting grounds of Hogwarts Castle. Accio Firebolt!

BURBANK, CA, July 8, 2021 – The Wizarding World serves a global audience of Harry Potter fans and offers an ever-evolving menu of new and imaginative ways they can engage with their favorite stories and characters inspired by J.K. Rowling’s original Harry Potter stories. Today WarnerMedia announces the opening date for two all-new interactive Harry Potter virtual reality experiences – “Chaos at Hogwarts” and “Wizards Take Flight.” The ground-breaking experiences will debut exclusively at the newly opened Harry Potter New York flagship store on July 15, 2021, and will give fans of the Wizarding World and thrill seekers the chance to explore the magical world as never before!

Created by WarnerMedia in partnership with the creative teams at Wevr and Keylight and VR industry leaders Dreamscape Immersive, the two adventures create totally new and unique experiences for fans. Both experiences combine thrilling action with beloved characters and landmarks into an immersive virtual world for the first time, allowing you to step into the action in a new real-time interactive exploration of the magical world of Harry Potter.

Starting today, audiences can purchase advance tickets for “Chaos at Hogwarts” and “Wizards Take Flight” at Harry Potter New York from www.harrypotterstore.com/tickets. The VR adventures can only be experienced at Harry Potter New York with a timed reservation. Reservations are now available from July 15 to August 15 and pre-booking is highly recommended. Guests will be able to choose from multiple Wizarding World-themed avatars allowing for customization of their Hogwarts [H]ouse, among other attributes, for the daring adventures that await inside the immersive and interactive virtual re-creation of the wizarding world. Guests who have purchased VR experience tickets will not need to register in the Harry Potter New York virtual queue and may proceed to the front of the line when they arrive.

Using state-of[-]the-art wearable VR technology, including headsets, backpacks, hand and foot trackers, and peripheral wands that allow interaction with the virtual experiences, visitors will be able to roam freely through Hogwarts Castle and fly through the skies of London, complete with wind in your face. The sensory effects and immersive virtual environment deliver a brand-new level of realism and adventure unlike anything fans will have experienced before.

  •  Starting with your arrival at King’s Cross for preboarding, “Chaos at Hogwarts” guests take a magical journey to Hogwarts Castle and become part of the adventure. Up to 6 guests can explore the stage in a social free[-]roam adventure surrounded by various haptics and special effects, all synchronized with the story experience. Guests will have a virtual avatar and will be able to see their fellow adventurers. Guests will wear a VR headset, backpack, [and] hand and foot trackers, and wield a physical wand.
  • “Wizards Take Flight” prepares guests for a flight adventure as they fly on brooms with the thrills of a magical wand battle against Death Eaters over the skies of London and free fly around the enchanting grounds of Hogwarts Castle. Up to 6 guests are seated on their own physical broom, a first for fans of the Wizarding World, with their own station of haptics and special effects, all synchronized with the story experience. Guests will have a virtual avatar and will be able to see their fellow adventurers. Guests will wear a VR headset [and] hand trackers and wield a physical wand.

Harry Potter New York houses the VR adventure pods in Harry Potter-themed staging areas, featuring an array of Wizarding World decorations and props. Harry Potter New York is the world’s only official Harry Potter flagship store in the heart of New York City’s Flatiron [D]istrict offering an unforgettable experience for Wizarding World fans. Spanning three floors and over 21,000 sq. ft., Harry Potter New York houses the largest collection of Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts products under one roof. Harry Potter New York is located at 935 Broadway, New York, NY 10010, with entrances on both Broadway and Fifth Avenue. The store is open from 10 am-9 pm Mon-Sat and 11 am-7 pm on Sundays.

The “Chaos at Hogwarts” and Wizards Take Flight.” virtual reality experiences are each $34.00 per guest, and VR reservations include access to Harry Potter New York. Pre-booking of VR tickets is highly recommended.

Customers visiting Harry Potter New York will be able to access AT&T’s fast, reliable, and secure 5G. The power of 5G technology offers super-fast wireless speeds and lower latency, which helps increase the amount of data we can transmit and decrease the amount of time it takes to do so. In addition, AT&T 5G is also used to power the virtual queuing system to help ensure customers’ health and safety while shopping. The system assists customers with check-in and tracks the number of people inside the store to make certain CDC guidelines are followed to help consumers have an ultimate retail and wireless experience.

WHAT TO KNOW:
Please visit www.harrypotterstore.com/tickets and www.harrypotterstore.com/faq for the most up-to-date information regarding ticket sales, arrival instructions, and health and safety protocols.

  • Ticketing – The “Chaos at Hogwarts” and “Wizards Take Flight” VR experiences can only be experienced at Harry Potter New York with a reserved time slot. Tickets may be purchased online at www.harrypotterstore.com/tickets. Pre-booking online is highly recommended to secure a ticket for your preferred time slot and to ensure that you and your group can all experience Harry Potter VR together. We will announce whenever new tickets go live via our website and our Harry Potter social [media] channels (#harrypottervr and #harrypotterny), so please continue to check back regularly for upcoming availabilities. Each experience is $34.00 per guest.
  • Age & Height – All guests must be at least 48 inches tall and 10+ years old. Guests under age 13 must be accompanied by an adult with a paid ticket.
  • Accessibility – Wheelchair options are available upon request.
  • Arrival – VR guests should arrive 30 minutes before their scheduled time to check-in [sic]. There is no need to join Harry Potter New York's virtual queueing system; simply head to the main entrance with your booking confirmation to check-in [sic].
  • Store Access - Once your VR reservation has been confirmed and you and your group have been admitted inside, you are free to shop and explore the store at your leisure both before and after your VR experience. Guests who have purchased VR experience tickets will not need to register in the Harry Potter New York virtual queue and may proceed to the front of the line when they arrive.
  • Duration – Your full journey should take approximately 30 minutes from beginning to end including check-in, gear-up and gear-down.
  • Gear – A show guide will help you gear up for your experience. Guests will wear a light backpack (approximately 10lbs), hand trackers, foot trackers, and a VR headset. Our headsets can accommodate most glasses. For “Wizards Take Flight,” only a VR headset and hand trackers are required. Headsets, foot and hand sensors, backpacks, wands and brooms are sanitized before every use.
  • Health & Safety – We are opening the Harry Potter VR experiences in compliance with state and local guidelines and following strict cleaning and sanitation protocols. To protect yourself and others, all guests and Harry Potter New York are required to wear masks at all times.
  • What to wear – Dress for adventure. Long skirts and flared pants may interfere with the sensors or get tangled. Wear comfortable shoes. High heels and flip[-]flops are discouraged.
  • Photography – Photos and videos are not allowed inside the experience, but we encourage you to snap all the content you want at Harry Potter New York [and] in the VR waiting areas and gear-up/gear-down rooms. Remember to share on social [media] with #harrypottervr [and] #harrypotterny and tag @harrypotterny!

 

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