The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is a themed area at

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theme park near Los Angeles. The area is themed to the ''

Harry Potter ''Harry Potter'' is a series of seven Fantasy literature, fantasy novels written by British author J. K. Rowling. The novels chronicle the lives of a young Magician (fantasy), wizard, Harry Potter (character), Harry Potter, and his friends ...

'' media franchise, adapting elements from the

film series A film series or movie series is a collection of related films in succession that share the same fictional universe, or are marketed as a series. It is a type of series fiction. This article explains what film series are and gives brief examples ...

and novels by J.K. Rowling. The attraction—the second ''Harry Potter''-themed area to exist at a Universal resort—was designed by Universal Creative from an exclusive

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with Warner Bros. Entertainment. After the successful debut of a similarly themed area at

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Universal Destinations & Experiences Universal Destinations & Experiences (UDX), formerly Universal Parks & Resorts, is the theme park unit of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. The company, headquartered in Orlando, Florida, operates Universal theme parks and resort propert ...

announced the construction of a second Wizarding World of Harry Potter on December 6, 2011. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Hollywood officially began operation on April 7, 2016. This attraction suspended operations on March 14, 2020, on grounds of the

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Background

Previous Universal ''Harry Potter'' attractions

A ''Harry Potter'' themed attraction at a Universal Studios park or a Disney park was rumored in 2003. However, the rights to the Harry Potter franchise had been acquired by

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...

, which denied all rumors. In January 2007,

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reported a rumor from a "highly credible source" that the

Universal Islands of Adventure Universal Islands of Adventure, often shortened to Islands of Adventure, is a theme park located in Orlando, Florida, United States. It originally opened as Universal Studios Islands of Adventure on May 28, 1999, along with Universal CityWalk, ...

park's Lost Continent area at

was going to be re-themed "to the stories and characters of one of the most popular children's franchises". Other sources followed up in the next few days with unofficial confirmation that the new area would involve ''Harry Potter''. On May 31, 2007, Universal, in partnership with Warner Bros., officially announced that the Wizarding World of Harry Potter would be added to Islands of Adventure. After a -year construction period, the area officially opened to the public on June 18, 2010. This resulted in attendance at the park jumping approximately 50% in its first year of operation. On July 8, 2014, Universal opened an expansion to the Wizarding World at

Universal Studios Florida Universal Studios Florida is a theme park located in Orlando, Florida, that opened on June 7, 1990. Owned and operated by NBCUniversal, it features numerous rides, attractions, and live shows that are primarily themed to movies, television, and ...

, Diagon Alley, which was placed in the former Amity Island area of the park. This expansion also included the new ride experience: The Hogwarts Express, in which a train travels between the two Universal Florida Parks, from the Hogsmeade area to Kings Cross Station (right outside of the entrance to Diagon Alley). A week later, on July 15, 2014, Universal opened the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Japan. Hogwarts Under Construction

Rumors and official announcement

On December 1, 2011, the ''

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'' reported a rumor from "people familiar with the matter" that

was going to add its version of Islands of Adventure's Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The report also detailed the possibility that Universal Parks & Resorts would open additional Harry Potter-themed areas at

Universal Studios Singapore Universal Studios Singapore (abbreviation: USS) is a theme park located within the Resorts World Sentosa integrated resort at Sentosa in Singapore. It features 24 rides, shows, and attractions in seven themed zones. It is one of the five U ...

and

Universal Studios Japan is a theme park located in Osaka, Japan. Opened on March 31, 2001, it is one of six Universal Destinations & Experiences, Universal Studios theme parks worldwide and was the first to open outside the United States. The park is owned and operat ...

as well as a location in Spain. This report was widely relayed by other media sources. On December 6, 2011, Universal Studios Hollywood announced the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Universal Parks & Resorts executives Tom Williams and Ron Meyer were accompanied by

executives, the

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as well as James and Oliver Phelps who played the Weasley twins in the films. The announcement came with very few details of what would be built, however, it did confirm that the

Gibson Amphitheatre Universal Amphitheatre (later known as Gibson Amphitheatre) was an indoor amphitheatre located in Los Angeles, California, within Universal City, California, Universal City. It was built as an outdoor venue, opening in the summer of 1972 with a p ...

would be demolished and a re-creation of

Hogwarts Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry () is a fictional boarding school of magic for young wizards. It is the primary setting for the first six novels in the '' Harry Potter'' series by J. K. Rowling, and also serves as a major setti ...

and Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey would be constructed. The last show at the Gibson Amphitheatre was held on September 6, 2013, prior to its closure and subsequent demolition. On April 23, 2013,

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made the final step by receiving a unanimous vote in approval of the 25-year expansion by the county Board of Supervisors. This $1.6 billion expansion is expected to greatly boost tourism and the local entertainment industry. It will also create 30,000 jobs during the time of construction. On December 8, 2015, it was announced that the park will open on April 7, 2016. The announcement featured actress Evanna Lynch, who played Luna Lovegood in the ''Harry Potter'' films. However, the soft opening was on March 31, 2016.

Attractions

Similar to the Wizarding World in Japan, this one never featured the Dragon Challenge coaster like Islands of Adventure once had, but does include Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey and Flight of the Hippogriff, along with Ollivander's Wand Shop Show, and the Frog Choir and Triwizard Spirit Rally. Wands purchased from Ollivander's Wand Shop can be used to perform "magic" at various indicated locations, using sensors that track the movements of the wands. While performing different "spells" from the Harry Potter universe, fans can produce different reactions, such as unlocking a cabinet, opening a box of candy (Chocolate Frogs), and forcing a ruler to lower itself. The table below show the different attractions across the area.

Dining and shopping

* The Three Broomsticks and Hog's Head Pub *Ollivander's Wand Shop *Owl Post *Wiseacre's Wizarding Equipment *Gladrags Wizardwear *Dervish and Banges *Filch's Emporium of Confiscated Goods *Honeydukes *Zonko's

Notes

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Universal Studios Hollywood Harry Potter in amusement parks Licensed properties at Universal Destinations & Experiences 2016 establishments in California Universal Destinations & Experiences attractions by name