It’s a completely fair statement to say that the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando Islands of Adventure is a worldwide phenomenon. The award-winning expansion has single handedly changed the theme park industry with the amount of detail that the creative team has poured into the land based off of the hit books and films. Today Universal Orlando announced that they’re not done yet.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter-Diagon Alley, will open in 2014 at Universal Studios Florida. The new land will feature shops, and new rides pulled right from the movie and book series. The new land will be the first time that two theme parks will be used to tell the same story. Guests with multi-park tickets to both Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida will be able to start at one park in one area of the story and board a The Hogwarts Express to be transported on an adventure to another part of the story. In true Universal Creative fashion, this will be no ordinary train ride. Through the use of special screens in the train guest will be taking a magical ride from Hogsmeade village to Diagon Alley and back.
From Universal Orlando official Facebook page:
THE ADVENTURE CONTINUES: THE WIZARDING WORLD OF HARRY POTTER – DIAGON ALLEY IS COMING TO UNIVERSAL ORLANDO RESORT.
Building on the global phenomenon that is The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Universal Orlando Resort and Warner Bros. Entertainment today announced an expansion of historic proportion with the entirely new themed environment, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley.
Scheduled to open in 2014, the world’s first centrally themed, multi-park experience expands The Wizarding World of Harry Potter across both Universal Orlando theme parks and allows Universal’s creative team to bring an unparalleled vision to this unique project. The new area will bring to life some of the experiences and places found in and around London in the Harry Potter books and films, offering brand-new adventures for fans and theme park guests from around the world.
Diagon Alley and ‘London’ will be located within the Universal Studios Florida theme park, which is adjacent to Universal’s Islands of Adventure theme park, where guests now experience Hogwarts and Hogsmeade. The new area within Universal Studios will be just as expansive, immersive and authentic as the existing themed environment.”
“I’m so pleased that The Wizarding World of Harry Potter has proved so popular to date, and I’m sure that the attention to detail in creating the new Diagon Alley area will make this an even better experience,” said J.K. Rowling. “We are continuing the journey and adding an entirely new level of adventure,” said Tom Williams, Chairman of Universal Parks & Resorts. “And we are bringing the same drive, commitment, enthusiasm and innovation to this project as we did to the first.”
While no major details have been released, the long-standing rumors have the area playing host to an all new restaurant themed to The Leaky Cauldron, a much larger Ollivanders wand shop, and a completely unique Gringott’s coaster, featuring elements never seen before on a theme park ride.
Watch our latest video showing of construction of the new Wizarding World of Harry Potter expansion:
This is definitely an exciting time for not theme Park fans but Harry Potter fans all over the world. After all, I’m sure that we can expect great things from Universal!
