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Visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
We were all very excited when what seems like ages ago Universal announced it was going to include the attraction of Harry Potter at its Island of Adventure Theme Park. In fact it is only three years since Universal announced this addition of a “Theme Park within a Theme Park”. Now in 2010 we intend to visit the attraction on our next trip to Orlando.
Harry Potter has been built on a twenty acre site partly by re-theming part of the Lost Continent and also by using part of the employee’s car park.
Universal have promised “a state-of-the-art attraction that will bring the magic, characters and stories of Harry Potter to life in an exciting way that guests have never before experienced' . We will be allowed to enter in the world of Harry Potter and visit the village of Hogsmeade, the Forbidden Forest and parts of Hogwarts Castle and grounds.
Apparently two of the original roller coasters from the Lost Continent have been re-engineered to be used in Harry Potter. What was originally Dueling Dragons now becomes “Dragon Challenge' and is a twin high-speed roller coaster themed around the Triwizard Tournament. This is one ride my Mother will not be going on! She is more likely to go on the one next door which is the former “Flying Unicorn” now renamed the Flight of the Hippogriff. This is a family coaster where you can go on a Hippogriff training flight over the grounds of Hogwarts castle.
We cannot wait to go inside Hogwarts Castle where there is supposed to be an attraction called Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey but to date I have not found out anymore information about this.
The attraction is also to include what are described as ' experiential shops and restaurants' . At these guests can buy all sorts of Harry Potter merchandise and sample food based on the J. K. Rowling' s books and films
We will definitely visit the ' The Three Broomsticks' and adjoining ' Hog' s Head' pub where we will be able to get traditional British fare and drinks including Butterbeer and pumpkin juice. Mind you I never thought either of those was particularly British!
If you fancy a rest while you are in Hogsmeade village there is a resting area called ' The Owlery' where you can see owls roosting. We will probably leave Grandad here for a rest while we take a letter to get it stamped with a certified Hogsmeade postmark. I believe you will also be able to buy official stamps from The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
There will also be several shops to visit including ' Zonko' s' joke shop where you can buy Extendable Ears, Boxing Telescopes and Sneakoscopes. I am sure children especially the boys will for once enjoy shopping and as they leave the attraction they can go to ' Filch' s Emporium of Confiscated Goods' where they can get of Ministry of Magic and magical creatures merchandise, Omnioculars and remote control Golden Snitches.
This all sounds great we cannot wait to visit.
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