Harry Potter draws Muggles and millions to Orlando theme park
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Universal Orlando's Wizarding World of Harry Potter is located in the Islands of Adventure. The castle is designed to look like Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, which houses the attraction Harry Potter and The Forbidden Journey, which includes a dizzying ride. -
At Honeydukes, right, Bertie Botts' Every Flavor Beans and Chocolate Frogs are in abundance.
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ORLANDO, Fla. -- If you're not into roller coasters and you're not all about the merchandise, then the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is going to be a bit of a rough ride. On the other hand, if you love thrills and having your stomach tied in knots and you crave a taste of Butterbeer, then you might pronounce it "Brilliant."
And if you just plain love the Harry Potter books and films, as millions do, then you just have to see for yourself, as millions already have.
On May 13, Universal Orlando announced the biggest increase in a series of record attendance gains the resort has reported since opening the Harry Potter theme park last June. Attendance rose by 1.1 million visitors January through March, from 1.7 million a year earlier to 2.8 million. The overall park's revenue nearly doubled for the quarter, to $309 million.
When the next quarter accounting comes up, they'll have to figure in my husband and me. Here's a ride through my journey to Harry Potter land, with some of the costs figured in:
It was $82 for a day pass to Universal Orlando's Islands of Adventure, the home of the Harry Potter theme park that opened last year. That also gets you into Marvel Super Hero Island, Toon Lagoon, Seuss Landing and Jurassic Park, but not into the Universal Studios portion of the park.
WWofHP is in the far end of Islands of Adventure, and you can see the towering spires and turrets of Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry from many vantage points. At the archway entrance, a woman was clicking an attendance counter as we entered. I asked how many so far that day, but she said she doesn't count.
The first view is a doozy. The bright red engine of the Hogwarts Express is a photo op to the right, and in front of you is a winding boulevard lined with shops that are a combination of the town of Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley, with mansard protrusions decked out in winter white. Snow on the rooftops and shorts weather in the street adds to the magical mood as you approach Hogwarts, which looms majestically at the end of the rows of shops.
First Published May 29, 2011 12:00 am
