Universal: We’re “not done” building the Wizarding World of Harry Potter
Theme parks are going through a rough time at the moment, but Universal has no plans to let up on the Wizarding World of Harry Potter!
Grab your wands, because we’re here to talk about Harry Potter! More specifically, we’re talking about the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at the Universal Orlando Resort in Florida. As reported by People, it’s been a decade since the grand opening of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, allowing fans to immerse themselves in the fantasy world created by J.K. Rowling.
I’ve never really been a fan of theme parks, but I would love nothing more than to head on down to Hogsmeade Village for a cup of butterbeer, a product that was taste-tested by J.K. Rowling herself. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter also features a working Hogwarts Express train and a fully realized Hogwarts Castle. If you want to know what it feels like to fly on a broomstick, visitors can check out Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, a ride located in Hogwarts Castle.
Over the years, the park has expanded. In 2014, Diagon Alley opened up at Universal Orlando Resort. Now, visitors can head to Ollivanders for a chance to get their very own wand! A few years later in 2019, park-goers were able to venture into the Forbidden Forest with the opening of Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure.
However, the evolution of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is far from over. That’s according to Thierry Coup, chief creative officer and senior vice president for Universal Creative. “You think about what has happened with Harry Potter in the past 10 years beyond our theme parks — The Cursed Child, the eight movies, Fantastic Beasts, the mobile game Wizards Unite. The Wizarding World is not resting,” he said. “It keeps building.”
Over the years, Coup has had fans hug him and tear up, thanking him for bringing this world to life. “That keeps fueling our creativity and our desire to do more,” he said. “When you see the guests’ reactions, it just creates so many wonderful memories for them. People are even inspired to read the books for the first time! They take their children and they discover the world of Harry Potter. That’s huge for us. This is a business of emotion, bringing fun and smiles to everyone.”
Personally, I can’t wait to see what they create next for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Personally, I think it would be awesome to see a ride inspired by floo powder or maybe an attraction that draws inspiration from some of the animals in the Fantastic Beasts films.
Of course, any expansion may have to wait a bit. The theme park business has been hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic, which requires social distancing to combat. Universal Orlando Resort resorts remains open, but other big parks — like Disneyland in California — are closed and expect to be so through into next year. With the country in the middle of another wave, those kinds of shutdowns could come for Florida parks as well.
Still, magic never dies, and eventually, the parks will be back up to full capacity. And when that time comes…wands out.
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