Universal Studios to open Harry Potter theme park!
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Hogwarts | Hogsmeade | Owl's View of Park | Logo
Latest Developments (10 AM EST):
- Official park website now open; visitors can sign up for e-mail updates.
- JK Rowling: "The plans I’ve seen look incredibly exciting, and I don’t think fans of the books or films will be disappointed."
Universal Studios and Warner Brothers made a joint announcement this evening from Leavesden Studios on the set of Dumbledore's Office to reveal that a Harry Potter theme park is currently in development. The image to the left is the first piece of concept art for the park: Hogsmeade Village.
Here's what we learned from Potter set designer Stuart Craig and a representative from Universal Studios (both of them hosted the big reveal):
- "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando Resort"
- Announcement was made live via internet at 12:01 AM EST today to select media, including MuggleNet.
- Areas of park to include Hogsmeade, Hogwarts Castle, and the Forbidden Forest.
- 20 engineers working on project.
- Universal came to WB looking for authenticity.
- Potter park to be built in "Islands of Adventure" area of Universal.
- Stuart wants to "take his grandchildren" to the park.
- Opening early 2010.
- Universal's Potter website to be available at this link.
- JK Rowling has been involved "since the very beginning" of the project. Also "supportive and encouraging."
- Stuart thinks that the park will be better off in the United States.
- Have been in design "for at least a year and a half."
- "Important that the theme park represents the entire saga from Book 1 to Book 7"
In a rather cute way to end the announcement, the Universal representative asks Stuart Craig, "Now where's Dumbledore?" Stuart paused for a moment, looked around the office, and replied, "He was just here."
We'll be discussing these developments on this week's episode of MuggleCast (due out over the weekend). This post will be updated frequently as we learn more!
Posted by Andrew on May 30th |
513 Comments
Visitor Comments
I'm going to ride the rides hundreds and hundreds of times till I puke!!!!!!!! =)
So it is indeed true! I'll definitely be there sometime...and yay, A MIDNIGHT RELEASE IN ZURICH HAS JUST BEEN ANNOUNCED! So I won't be celebrating the release of book 7 all by myself, I'm so happy! ;)
It actually looks very impressive. If I ever get down there I'll be sure to check it out.
YESSSSSSSS, i cant wait to go!
Wow!!!! that's pretty amazing!!! i am definitely going to go when it opens!!!! i'm so excited!!!! :)
OMG!!!!! OMG!!!!! OMG!!!!! OMG!!!!! WEEEEEE!!!! I'M SUPERLY DUPERLY EXCITED! (As you can tell...)
I'm so many kinds of excited. I'll be there with robes on, and wand at the ready!! I hope you can ride the Hogwarts Express to the park. And I know I'm probably gonna cry when I see Hogwarts Castle for the first time. I think I'm gonna have to move to Florida so I can work there. :-)
oh.My.gosh. I SOOO CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *ru ns to calender and marks December 2009 and January 2010 as 'HARRY POTTER THEME PARK MONTHS'*
omg right now its great to live in florida i can't wait til they open i'm going frist thing
The concept art is absolutely beautiful and this really is an interesting idea.(: However, I doubt I'd ever go. I dont' find theme parks fun.XD
Hooooooooly crap! I'm excited! I'm going to go on EVERY ride and I can't wait to go inside Hogwarts! It'll be like I'm actually there! I wish it would come sooner because that seems so far from here but I HAVE TO GO! I'm going to be pretty old when it comes out...geez. I'll be like...19! Wow. Okay well whatever I'm still going to go and I'm still going to act like a kid. My sister is 18 and she still luuuuurves Harry Potter. Therefore it is okay. :]
that's cool, i will definitely be going, especially seeing as i'll be 20 when it opens. has anybody else noticed that mugglenet has been behind on the news lately? they haven't mentioned scholastic's question 4 or the new MTV set report.
I'm sooo glad my Disney pass expires soon- just in time to go to Universal Studios! (I love living in FL) I really, don't like US but I'll have to give it a try for this
I am speechless............... ......................... ......................... .......
Ah its gonna be so awesome and big! I wanna go!
Hee Hee!!! I only live about an hour from Universal.. I'm gonna get the year passes for me and my family. I cant wait!!!!!!!!!!! This is gonna be great!!
"runs around screaming, wwaking everyone up with random squeels" this is sooooooooooooo awesome!!!!
YESS!! I get to go to Hogwarts...Hoggy Hoggy Hogwarts! And I LIVE like an hour away from it!! *dances* Oohh...I am so excited... Opening early 2010...that's only like 2 1/2 years, you guys! That's pretty soon, considering all they'll have to do! I wonder what rides there will be? Can I ride a broomstick, or a thestral? They're going to have the Forbidden Forest, too...HOW NEAT WILL THAT BE?!? Spooky, though. I hope it isn't geared to much toward little kids... I am psyched, though! Universal is going to make a LOT of money off me summer 2010...
Gah... not sure what I think about this. I'm sure it'll be fun, and I'll no doubt go, but... gahhhhhh.
I think....I've heard..... there may be a ride like the car in book 2........
i want to be one of the first to go!!!!!!
I'm going to be there the second it opens. I just really hope they dont screw it up.
I say we have a Picklepack reunion when it opens!
i am sooooooo excited i will definetly go there! i dont even care that it will also def be crowded Budge up, geeks! :P
I really want there to be a Harry Potter theme park, but Universal is the wrong company to do it with, Florida is not the right place for it, and I seems like it is going to end up being more of a museum piece than a theme park in ten to twenty years. Universal is not good a making high quality product; Islands of Adventure is good, but it is not up to the greatness that the Harry Potter series deserves. To say that it is going to open by 2010 is definitely a rush job, even a seven year construction plan would be pushing it. Second, does the environment of the world around Hogsmeade and Hogwarts scream high humidity, swamp land, and no mountains to be seen? It needs a hilly, forested environment, better suited I say for the Northeast rather than the Southeast. And last, it is not going to open until almost three years after the last book has been released. The story is set. It will be more of a museum piece to go back to, I fear, than a story to be immersed in. Theme parks get updated and re-energized. Museums stay the same and just get a light dusting. I very much want to go to a place and get into the environment of the wizarding world with a child-like sense of awe. I just don't think that this is the right time, place, or company. Plus they need to triple the number of engineers.
Totally and completetly WICKED!!! I'm jetting down to Universal the second that it opens!!!
omg omg omg omg omg!!!!!!!!!!! wahhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!! I think my heart just gave out..... *dies*
Universal Studios - YOU ROCK!!! That is so awesome! I bet the place is gonna be freakin' COOL! I WANNA GO! lol, only 3 more years to wait, huh?
SWEET. I'll be one of the first to go there.
It seems to me that if there's going to be "life after Book 7", then Harry Potter does not die in the books. At least - I hope good/love survives. Bruce
Umm this is new news, my uncle told me about this when the 6th book came out. Well he does work for universal, wow the plans look better than the one he was discribing to me!!! CoOl
This is gonna be the most AMAZING place on EARTH!!! I so excited!!!!!!!!
OMG. AMAZING. I am so going.
on a regular bases I like being Venezuelan but in times like this, when I'm far far away from this kind stuff I want to move lol!!!! I wanna see Honeydukes cause there's gotta be a Honeydukes!!!
Yay!!! I'm so excited right now. I go to Universal all the time. I was actually getting quite sick of it but now I have a reason to go again. I'm so glad I live in Florida right now, I get a discount!
The Universal website for it says it's scheduled to debut in 2009.
OH MY GOD!!! OH MY GOD!!! OH MY GOD!!!! THIS IS THE COOLEST THING EVER!!! I AM SOOOOO EXCITED!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!! This is such a dream come true! *does a happy dance*
OMG OMG!!! YESS!! AND IM SO SO GLAD I LIVE IN FLORIDA!! IN FACT, I WAS LIKE *JUST* AT ISLANDS OF ADVENTURE LIKE TWO DAYS AGO... !!! OMG IM LIKE INSANE AT THE MOMENT!!! YES YES!! THAT IS SOOO *COOL* IM LIKE SO GOING TO BE AT THE OPENING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!
I'm so excited! Thats the year I will be graduating high school so that could be my graduating present! I can't wait! I want to eat in the Great Hall. That should be the restraunt or something, and Hogwarts a hotel, that would be great! Okay I can't spell, sorry! But I am so hyped up for this!
No! No, no, no. That's so tacky. Don't get me wrong - I love Harry Potter as much as the next fan - but this is going too far. I can't believe Rowling would degrade her books like this.
Can't wait to have a butterbeer sitting in the Three Broomsticks. You just know that'll be a restaurant.
2010?!?! wow that a ways away, the movies and books will be done by then! Oh well, these things take a while to build and finalize. I'm still jacked though!!! It's gonna be amazing, I hope they'll have butterbeer at Hogsmeade. I've always wondered what it tasted like. Also, I can only imagine what walking through Hogwarts will be like!! and the Forbidden Forest!! I hope they have a Diagon Alley as well! I'll definitely be awaiting updates on this.
Oh my GAWD!!!!!!!!!!!! I am sssssssssssoooooooooooooo oooo definetly gonna b there! i'm in class and i just shouted real loud!!!!!!!!!!! oops.....
Ahhhhhhhh SWEET! I live in Orlando! I HAVE to get a job there when it opens! That would totally ROCK!
OMG THAT IS LIKE THE BEST NEWS EVER, I WAS JUST IN ORLANDO OVER THE LONG WEEKEND AND ME AND MY COUSIN WERE COMMENTING ON HOW COOL IT WOULD BE IF THEY HAD A HARRY POTTER PARK!!!! I LIVE IN FLORIDA SO IM SOOOOO GETTING ANNUAL PASSES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!! WICKED CANT WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!
no way! that's...dangit! that's amazing. so going there!
HOLY CR@P!!!! i will so be there on opening day. and if that was the howarts express in that pic from the owl eye view im so going to ride on it. do you think hunny dukes will be there selling ALL THE HARRY POTTER CANDY? i hope so cause i really like the choclate frogs and the exploding bon bons. i wonder if there is going to be a ride there too like a ride thatll take you under griggtts that would be so cool. i wonder if they will have moving stairs within hogwarts. OH IM SO EXCITED!!!! inever even been to universal studios before. well this be a good time to go now.
holy bigeeziz! i\my family and i just made plans to go down to florida for 2010 this will be fantastic if it is open by them! i am overly excited!
I'M SO EXCITED THAT THERE IS GOING TO BE A HARRY POTTER THEME PARK! I CAN'T WAIT TILL IT OPENS!
The concept art looks great! I never thought that JKR would agree to a theme park (in the US) ... I'm not super excited about the idea, but I'll probably visit the theme park anyway. Who cares if I'll be 22 years old?
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