Stand with your wands at the ready, residents of the west coast, because the opening of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter isn’t so far away now! Universal Studios Hollywood will cast “Alohomora!” on the magical expansion in spring 2016 (yeah, it’s a tad vague), and to help you get incredibly excited, they’ve released a virtual tour. My reaction can be summed thusly: ahhhhh! The offerings are identical to the Hogsmeade portion of Wizarding World Orlando, and having that location up and running undoubtedly allowed Universal to put together this super in-depth look at themed area.
The official site offers a map, a flying tour (it’s in the “Explore” section and I highly recommend clicking it), a detailed look at both attractions (Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey and Flight of the Hippogriff) and all the dining and shops, plus a news page featuring clips of actors from Harry Potter talking about the theme park. If you want to be totally surprised about what’s in store in the park, don’t look at the website. If you think seeing the insides of the Three Broomsticks and Ollivander’s wand shop will add to the anticipation, click away!
And keep this in mind if you’re worried about seeing too much of the park before you visit: nothing will take away from the feeling of seeing Hogsmeade and Hogwarts before your eyes for the first time. I promise.
Visit the gallery below to see more screen-caps from the tour and head to Universal Hollywood’s The Wizarding World of Harry Potter website to experience the videos and images firsthand. Can it hurry up and be spring 2016?
Will you be visiting Wizarding World on the west coast? Sound off in the comments.
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Images: Universal Studios Hollywood