Rumor: Wizarding World Hollywood to include Great Hall?

by · June 19, 2013

While The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Hollywood, California may not be open to the public for another three years, rumors about the new magical addition to the West Coast park have already started to circulate around the web.

Here are some of the rumors in brief collected by BehindTheThrills.com – (the site wishes we take them all with a grain of salt!):

  • The entire park will be smaller in comparison to Florida
  • The Village of Hogsmeade will be stripped back with fewer shops
  • No Three Broomsticks restaurant, or Dragon Challenge
  • The Flight of the Hippogriff ride will be recreated and expanded, perhaps including a walkthrough of Hagrid’s Hut

Obviously the park in Hollywood will include many of the staple shops a Harry Potter fan would need and expect of any reasonable replication of Hogsmeade – Honeydukes and Zonko’s to name a few – but why get rid of The Three Broomsticks? These are still just rumors, but maybe Universal is experiencing some space issues as they plan out the layout of the park.

Here’s where the rumors get juicy, though – among some of these potential worrisome projections emerges a few really interesting nuggets from the article:

Hogwarts Castle is where things get really interesting. Hollywood will have a Forbidden Journey in their version of Hogwarts, just like Orlando. However, unlike Florida, the California version will be HUGE… the reasoning is because there will be more in the castle than just a ride and a gift shop. According to rumors, they will also feature a huge replica of the Great Hall.

And, get this, the reason why Hollywood might not need a Three Broomsticks restaurant? Rumor has it that guests will be able to eat in the Great Hall!

The Great Hall will be a dining experience that will be completely themed, and will have all manners of activities happening. The ceiling will change, the portraits will interact with guests, and there will even be Dumbledore periodically making announcements…

Can you imagine it? Eating in the Great Hall while none other than Dumbledore watches you devour great big turkey legs! (BehindTheThrills actually suggests the menu will be even more diverse than the one at The Three Broomsticks in Florida, expanding into more international cuisine).

If all that wasn’t enough, there are rumors that guests will be able to experience a class inside the castle – specifically a Defense Against The Dark Arts class – where Boggarts, Cornish Pixies, and even Death Eaters will appear, and will have to be fought off.

Again – these are all just rumors – but we will keep you updated as they are changed, denied, or confirmed.