On the Road to the Wizarding World Hollywood: Universal's First Video Look
Universal Studios Hollywood today uploaded a video overview of its Wizarding World of Harry Potter, which opens officially next spring.
The video features the Hogwarts Express conductor briefly describing the shops and restaurants in Hollywood's version of the village of Hogsmeade. In case you can't watch the video, or haven't memorized this already, the line-up includes:
- The Three Broomsticks ("Keep your eyes peeled for the house elves darting about." Whaaa?)
- Hog's Head Pub
- Honeyduke's
- Owl Post
- Dervish and Banges
- Zonko's Joke Shop
- Ollivander's
The video also mentions the Tri-Wizard Spirit Rally and Flight of the Hippogriff, but makes no mention of the land's centerpiece attraction, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, which will be housed in Hogwarts Castle.
Based on the blackout date calendar that Universal released with its recent annual pass program changes, we are looking at a mid-March opening for the Wizarding World Hollywood. All Universal has said officially so far is "Spring."
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Replies (12)
Because that's the only park where the coaster was already there. Universal just rethemed it from the old Dueling Dragons. It hasn't proven popular enough in Orlando for Universal to incur the expense of hassle of building it in the other WWoHP lands.
I was honestly fooled and thought this was Orlando's at first until I realized that our Hogsmeade train station is somewhat different from Orlando's. I'm slightly curious as to how they already got people to walk through when the construction walls are still up and not all the interiors are done yet. Maybe they used some footage from Orlando too?
Actors?
Do we know if they are going to have interactive wands in Hollywood?
Thanks, Robert, been wondering that for a while now.
We are having interactive wands
"and even where Harry Potter's wand chose him" -- think this video is great and gets me in the mood to visit, but any kid will know that line is not true. Harry Potter was in Diagon Alley's Ollivander's when he got his wand, not in the Hogsmeade outpost.
AS Dudley Moore would say - It Doesn't Suck....
Just like most successful business, Ollivander's has several locations to serve his customers. Harry got his wand in Diagon Alley, but what's a young Hogswart's student or staff member to do if their wand goes missing or gets damaged during the school year? Easy, just visit his Hogsmead location.
Max, the shoot was at night after the park closed. The construction walls were taken down for the shoot. Extras were hired through one of the Los Angeles acting agencies. the interiors that weren't finished weren't used but those that are finished enough to be photographed were dressed up and used for this promo video.
Oh that's interesting. Thanks Parker! Robert, I've heard rumors supposedly confirmed by Universal that they are pushing for a December soft-opening date for Potter. Have you heard if that's true or not?
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This all sounds fantastic, but I have to ask, why is it that Orlando's Hogsmeade the only one with Dragon Challenge?