This holiday season, Universal Orlando is going bigger and brighter than ever before with an all new nighttime castle show. The new show is projected on Hogwarts Castle, and features tons of sights and sounds of the holidays, but with a Harry Potter twist of magic. The new castle show is the first of it’s kind at Universal Orlando, and is the first major addition to the Wizarding World since the area opened at Islands of Adventure in 2010.
Watch-Check out the full Magic of Christmas at Hogwarts at Universal’s Islands of Adventure!
Let’s start out by saying…WOW. If you don’t see what the big deal is, you really need to get to Islands of Adventure and check out the new show. From a technology standpoint, the show brings such depth and definition to the castle that it’s hard to believe that this isn’t really magic. The new show uses projectors from all over the land, and other parts of the park to bring the all new show to life. This is the first year that Christmas has truly come to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter since it’s opening in 2010, and the area was truly designed for it.
The castle comes to life in several segments during the eight minute show. It brings the ghosts of Hogwarts Castle out as they sing a song, it brings the different houses together, and it brings larger than life snowmen out that put Frosty to shame. Of course, it also sees the snowmen smashed by the playful Ford Anglia (the flying car of the Weasley’s).
Speaking of the Weasley’s, Fred and George use Hogwarts as advertising for Wizarding Weezes in Diagon Alley, because of course they do, it’s Fred and George! There’s even a scene where dancers from the Yule Ball are dancing in the castle turrets. The animation is meant to look like origami, as the dancers twirl and spin. If you look close you’ll see Hermione and Victor Krum dancing, and you’ll even see the head of Beauxbatons and Hagrid dancing.
Slideshow-Check out more pics from The Magic of Christmas at Hogwarts!
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The show is the centerpiece of an all new Christmas at Universal Orlando. In the Hogsmeade, the frog choir sings as Celestina Warbeck puts on a special holiday concert in Diagon Alley. Lights adorn the shops, and village and it looks just as it should. The team at Universal Orlando worked closely with J.K. Rowling and Warner Brothers to make everything look and feel authentically Harry Potter. There’s nothing here that isn’t in the books or the film, or wouldn’t be at Christmas.
Why would Universal bring the lights and pageantry of Christmas to the Wizarding World? It’s only because Wizards love Christmas! In the books and the films Christmas is a big deal in the Wizarding World, if only to serve as a backdrop to Harry, Ron and Hermione’s hi-jinks. The Magic of Christmas is distinctly Harry Potter, and is a perfect end to your holiday celebrations.
The show will run several times nightly, (roughly every 20 minutes) beginning at dark, and lasting until park closing starting November 18th, and going through Christmas until January 6th.
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