Muggles take note. Harry Potter, Hogsmeade Station, Hogwarts School and even butterbeer are coming to Universal Orlando this spring.
“The Wizarding World of Harry Potter”, reputed to cost upwards of US$200 million, is in its final construction stages at the Islands of Adventure theme park.
The J.K. Rowling novels and hit movies are being transformed on a 20-acre site into what producer Paul Daurio said will be “an experience unlike any other.” The veteran of 20 years of magic-making with Disney and Universal is responsible for staying true to Rowling’s vision while giving visitors an authentic taste of life as a wizard.
“This challenge is similar to the one I had working with Steven Spielberg on Jurassic Park at Universal Hollywood,” he told us while overlooking the scaffolding covering Hogwarts Castle.
“The complex storytelling requires that we push every technology available. We’re determined to do things here that have never been done before.”
The Wizarding World site is being carved out of an area of Island of Adventure surrounded by a Spiderman 3-D simulator ride, the Incredible Hulk Coaster and Dr. Seuss land for smaller kids. But the Harry Potter exhibit is bound to be the major attraction when it opens.
