MuggleNet Attends “Dark Arts at Hogwarts Castle” Media Event
It’s officially here: The “Dark Arts at Hogwarts Castle” light and projection show is finally up and running at Universal Orlando Resort! MuggleNet was invited out to a media event to preview the entire show, and we’ve got all the details and inside information.
Upon entering Hogsmeade Village, there was eerie green lighting and fog. Everywhere we looked, we were gestured to come to the front of the Three Broomsticks/Hog’s Head. A crack of thunder and some strobe lighting later and Death Eaters poured out of every crevice of the village. They looked like they came straight out of the movie and were dressed head to toe in black cloaks. Each mask was unique, and even the Death Eaters’ footwear was perfectly aged and themed. There were female and male Death Eaters, and they loomed around every corner, trying to recruit any young or innocent-looking visitor. They paused long enough for an ominous photo but continued lurking around the crowd at all times. After all the visitors were given a good look at and “visit” with the Death Eaters, we were ushered to the front of Hogwarts Castle.
The projection show is approximately ten minutes of breathtaking visual effects accompanied by pyrotechnics and hauntingly beautiful music from the movies. The show features the most mysterious of all magic, the Dark Arts. The lights dimmed, and Parseltongue was whispered across all the speakers around us. Attendees stood frozen to the spot. The show started, and each scene was more frightening and enrapturing than the next. It began with the castle transforming to the dark storefront of Borgin and Burkes and featuring the creepy stacked skulls. Hagrid would be pleased, and possibly even a little concerned, to see the Acromantulas crawling up the castle walls (this part even featured what looked to be a human body “snack” for the spiders). We were definitely not prepared for the fiery waves of Inferi to overtake the castle right before Voldemort himself took the scene and the walls of Hogwarts came “crashing” to the ground.
With our hearts in our stomachs and our fists clenched, Dumbledore’s voice was suddenly heard echoing through the streets: “Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.” We looked up to see the castle being rebuilt, and the music swelled as a majestic stag Patronus appeared at the top of Hogwarts. The show ended with a few fireworks indicating that good always prevails, and the lights returned all around us. We had to contain ourselves and not cheer too hard (if you saw the Twitter livestream, you may have witnessed the play-by-play of our excitement).
If you can make it out to Universal Orlando Resort for the “Dark Arts at Hogwarts” light show, we definitely recommend it. The show takes place on select nights from now until November 15 right as darkness falls on the parks. Bring your wands and cameras and get ready for a Dark Arts spectacular like you’ve never seen before.