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Home  > Harry Potter Theme Park – Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Harry Potter Theme Park – Wizarding World of Harry Potter

From magical spells to magical creatures, from dark villains to daring heroes, it’s all here at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™, at Universal’s Islands of Adventure®.

Based around the Harry Potter world as created by J. K. Rowling, the world includes three main rides: The Dragon Challenge (the world’s first duelling roller coaster), Flight of the Hippogriff and Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey where you’ll get a real feeling for what it would be like to walk the hallowed halls of the school of witchcraft and wizardry.

The Rides

Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey

Called ‘the heart’ of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, the Forbidden Journey is where fans of all ages get to journey through the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The Forbidden Journey makes use of some ground breaking technology to bring advanced projections, audio and animatronics together into an experience you’ll never forget.

Sharp eyed fans will spot numerous elements brought to life from the books such as talking portraits, classrooms, and special furniture – see how many you can spot!

Facts

• Minimum Height: 48 inches (122 centimetres)
• Ride Length: 4 minutes

Dragon Challenge

As you queue up for the ride you’ll pass Hagrid’s hut and the Weasley’s crashed flying Ford Anglia, before entering the Champion’s Tent to the sound of the waiting dragons roaring in the background.

Whether you’ve chosen to ride the Chinese Fireball or the Hungarian Horntail you’ll soon be in battle with one another through vertical loops, corkscrews and near misses that will leave you breathless. Both dragons follow unique paths so be sure to ride both for the full effect!

Facts

• Minimum Height: 54 inches (138 centimetres)
• Top Speed: Chinese Fireball - 60 mph (96.6 km/h) and the Hungarian Horntail – 55 mph (88.5 km/h)
• Ride Length: 2.5 min

Flight of the Hippogriff

If you follow Hagrid’s instructions on how to safely approach a Hippogriff you’ll soon be soaring and swooping around the pumpkin patch and Hagrid’s hut. Flight of the Hippogriff is a more family friendly ride, with a minimum height restriction of just 3 feet it’s open to most young children and reaches speeds of just 28.5mph.

Facts

• Minimum Height: 3 feet (91 centimetres)
• Top Speed: 28.5 mph (45.9 km/h)
• Ride Length: 1 minute

Hogsmeade™

Hogsmeade is where you can visit all the most famous shops from the Harry Potter world. Even if you don’t plan on purchasing anything the experience alone is worth the visit!

Shops at Hogsmeade

• Dervish and Banges – Buy your magical supplies.
• Filch’s Emporium of Confiscated Goods – House scarves, crest pins, leather journals and golden snitches.
• Honeydukes – Acid Pops, Chocolate Frogs & Fizzing Whizzbees plus many more treats for you to enjoy.
• Ollivander’s Wand Shop – Will a wand pick you? As one of the more popular shops, it’s not uncommon for lines of 20-30 minutes to appear at peak times – if this is too long then come back near the end of the day, it’s worth it!
• The Three Broomsticks – Butterbeer, Pumpkin Juice & a wide range of Muggle food!
• The Hog’s Head – Specialist bar including Butterbeer, Hogs Head Brew and British ales.
• Zonko’s – Extendable Ears, Inflatable Tongues & Screaming Yo-yos in the world’s biggest magical joke shop.

Tips & Suggestions

Many people find the best way to enjoy the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is to split your visit into two half days, one in the morning to avoid long waiting times for rides and the second in the evening, when the lights give everything the magical atmosphere.

The best time to get to the rides is early morning as people tend to rush to the Hogwarts Castle first before exploring the area a little more.

Opening Hours

9am – Various closing times (6pm minimum, up to 10pm in summer months) Refer to Universal’s Island of Adventure opening hours which can differ from Universal Studios.

Summary

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter really is more than a collection of rides, it’s a 360 degree experience that is just about as close to actually living in the Harry Potter world as you’ll ever get. Due to this it can get very busy at peak times so look at planning your visits across 2 or more days to fully enjoy everything about it without the hassle of long queues, and worrying about the children getting tired before enjoying the experience they came for.

Of course, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is just one of many theme parks and attractions within the Universal Orlando grounds so even if you break your visit up over a few days you’ll never be short of something to do!

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