When The Wizarding World of Harry Potter opened in 2010 at Universal Orlando’s Islands of Adventure, it brought guests an experience that no one thought was possible. Guests were whisked away to a world created by, and run by wizards. This world was full of magic, and not once did the area break character. The biggest challenge of that being the food. Fast forward four years, as Universal Orlando is getting ready to open the second phase of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter-Diagon Alley. How will the creative team take guests into a new world, most specifically a new selection of food, without breaking character?
We take a look at some of the selections that we have seen and make some guesses of our own.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter has such a rich story that extends from the attractions, the scenery, and even the merchandise. It’s a story that is completed by everything, right down to the food you feast on while in the realm. Yes, the food plays a major part of the story being told in the Village of Hogsmeade. The creative minds at Universal wanted you to be so immersed into the world of Harry Potter, that nothing took you out, not even the food. The flavors of the food, and the choices are ripped right out of the films and books and are inspired by the area that Hogsmeade would really be in.
The Village of Hogsmeade would be located in some village way out away from the main cities. Being that, the meals would be a little more hearty and full of things like hearty meats, potatoes and vegetables. The Three Broomsticks captures the essence of a small country town inn. The sweets and pastries from Honeydukes are tailored specifically to the tastes of the school kids coming from Hogwarts.
With Diagon Alley opening very soon, that same attention to detail will shine through in the many shops and restaurants there. How do you bring the same magical detail to an area without it seeming redundant? The answer lies in the setting. While the story of Hogsmeade is a far off country village, the story of Diagon Alley is that of shops and pubs of London. Recently Tom Schroder, head of the Universal publicity team, shared his lunch with Twitter. It just happened to be a sampling of food from Diagon Alley, talk about lucky. The food was very typical of what you would find in pubs across London, with the food being more along the lines of things you would find in markets and not from the field. Things like meat pies, bangers and mash,Scotch eggs, and of course fish and chips. Then there’s the sweets. Florean Fortescue’s Ice Cream shop will most likely be the popular spot this summer with unique ice cream flavors. Of course there will be Harry Potter’s favorite flavor, Strawberry Peanut Butter, but what else?
It’s very likely that we will see some very Wizardly creations, and of course maybe a butterbeer flavor. Sepaking of butterbeer, it’s very likely that Diagon Alley will be the home of warm butterbeer. Warm butterbeer is very different than your standard, or frozen butterbeers. It uses the same cold foam, but the actual drink is the consistency of hot chocolate. We were able to try warm butterbeer during The Harry Potter Celebration earlier this year
Video-Taste testing warm butterbeer
Very good in the morning, amazing on a cold day. It certainly gives you the feel of a Wizarding Starbucks…only better. This has not been confirmed, but with the huge success, it seems a given. Other sweets will include chocolate potted cream, many different cookies and red currant tarts.
In Hogsmeade the story is so complete that you can’t find any non-wizarding items in the area. You won’t find Coke products here, but you will find Pumpkin Juice, lemonade, various other juices and water. All organic, of course. It’s one of the many little details that has made the Wizarding World of Harry Potter so great, and what will keep the new section fresh and full of new discoveries.
What are you looking forward to trying most? Let us know in the comments below.
Stay tuned for more from The Wizarding World as it gets ready for a Summer opening! Be sure to follow along with us on Twitter @BehindThrills for the latest updates.
