Photos/video: Details emerging onsite at Wizarding World of Harry Potter
Jan 202010 Filed under: Islands of Adventure, Movies, Universal Orlando Author: Matt
As you’ll see in the video and photos below, most of the scaffolding has come down in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal’s Islands of Adventure and many of the small details are starting to appear.
First let’s take a video tour, then we’ll get into some detailed photos.
In the top photo you can see the new sign hanging at the entrance. It states “Please Respect the Spell Limits. In the close-up photo above you can see some wiring that isn’t hooked up yet, so I assume the sign will be illuminate in some way.
Looking just beyond the sign and into Hogsmeade Village you can see all the windows of the Owlery.
A panoramic view of the back of the Three Broomsticks restaurant. Hogwarts Castle is on the left.
This window looks like it’s been through many winter storms.
Notice the three broomsticks engraved into the cornerstone of the building.
The construction is now going over the queue line to Dueling Dragons. I think this is where the entrance will be to the ride when it becomes Dragon Challenge.
More great details can now be seen in the windows of the buildings in Hogsmeade Village. Notice the plaid wallpaper and what appears to be a lamp on a shelf in the top window.
Some of the tarps have come down around the Dueling Dragons building, but there’s not much to see. It looks like they’re redone the rock work on the outside.
The castle looks best from the Dueling Dragon’s queue line. Let’s zoom in for some of the details…
This shot from Jurassic Park shows the large show building you’ll actually be entering through the castle entrance. This building will house the new Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride.
Here’s the view from the front of the park, with the DIRECTV blimp flying above.
• For more information on the Wizarding World, be sure to read the Winter 2010 issue of “Orlando Attractions Magazine.”
Terry
January 20th, 2010 at 11:43 am
It might just be me or my computer, but there is no video, just a blank spot where it should be. Technical issues maybe??
Matt
January 20th, 2010 at 1:42 pm
Sorry Terry, it must be your computer. But you can also see the video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNInd7hyj4A
Bubs
January 21st, 2010 at 6:09 am
Do we know when it is opening yet? Taking my friend to Orlando for the first time in June hoping will be ready by then do u think?
Matt
January 21st, 2010 at 8:26 am
It should be open by then. They’re saying Spring 2010.
Jo
January 21st, 2010 at 5:24 pm
I am SO EXCITED, can’t wait to visit, it looks amazing.
WayneDJr
January 21st, 2010 at 7:13 pm
Email me Matt; Maybe you can review my story, Thanks bud.
Matt
January 21st, 2010 at 8:29 pm
I’m not sure what you mean Wayne. What story? You can e-mail me at matt@attractionsmagazine.com
Marc
January 22nd, 2010 at 2:28 am
im going in july i hope is open by then and dont make like what they did with rip ride rockit last year that was suposed to open in spring and did open in late summer but about what i see they got hogwarts done, hogsmade too n now they are working in dragon challenge i think they can get it done by late spring.
Tiffany
January 22nd, 2010 at 3:44 am
Omg… my heart is pumping. It seriously is. The castle looks AMAZING. Like in my dreams. These pictures remind me how much I wish Hogwarts was real… This is the closets thing I’m going to get to Harry Potter. But still, I can’t wait to go. I’ll probably go next year, plan a big trip to Orlando. I want to wait a bit, cause it seems that the twin’s joke shop isn’t included. So hopefully by the time I go, it’ll be there. They should have included the Burrow too. Oh well.
Betty Sue
January 22nd, 2010 at 8:59 am
LOL – and Disney thought they had a castle.
Matthew
January 22nd, 2010 at 11:08 am
On the second photo from the bottom it shows a large white building which is actually the inside of the ‘castle’. It is quite frankly an insult to the real hogwarts. why can’t they bother to build a REAL castle. It still looks good though
Becky
January 22nd, 2010 at 12:44 pm
It looks seriously AMAZING. I can’t wait to see it!
Also, Universal say that it will be open Spring 2010, maybe even as early as the end of March!
Chris
January 23rd, 2010 at 7:17 pm
I wish we got to go and walk Hogwarts ourselves it seems unfair they cant make a life size replica
Eliza
January 23rd, 2010 at 7:24 pm
They can’t build the REAL castle, Becky, because the real castle is huge and they just don’t have that much room. Besides, no one sees the building, so who cares? Just be happy they’re building HP world at all…
Eliza
January 23rd, 2010 at 7:25 pm
Oh yeah, there actually is a real Hogwarts in Scotland- they use it for the set of hogwarts, at least. It think it’s got a hp museum inside or something like that
gala
January 24th, 2010 at 12:12 pm
pierdolcię się ze swoimi zabawkami
Nell
January 24th, 2010 at 8:00 pm
The castle used in the filming of Harry Potter is acutally Alnwick Castle in Northumerland, England – not Scotland. The castle is medieval and is the ancestoral home of the Earls and Dukes of Percy. This is the link to their home page:-
http://www.alnwickcastle.com/
visit the site and you will learn more of the casle history and also the fiming of Harry Potter. I live in the North East of England, so naturally I’m proud of my local heratige.
Heather
January 24th, 2010 at 10:42 pm
Eliza- it isn’t a HP museum in Scotland, it one of several churches. In addition to the churches, they have also filmed at universities, built set pieces on sound stages, and used CGI for all the castle scenes in the movies.
Sam
January 25th, 2010 at 5:12 pm
Sorry Gala. but Heather is right. (nowI get to show what a HP dork I really am…)
Alnwick Castle -Exterior shots minus the Turrets and towers. which do not really exist…
Gloucester Cathedral- interior corridors
Duke Humfrey’s Library, Bodleian Library- Library scenes
Christ Church College, St Aldate’s – Oxford- The Great Hall and Great Staircases
Lacock Abbey – Wiltshire -Hogwarts School, Various interior scenes)
Durham Cathedral – Durham Interior Hogwarts Shots.
And to my knowledge Alnwick castle has no museum of Harry potter (or to be fair they did not as of the time when I visited two years ago).
Kristina
January 27th, 2010 at 7:15 pm
I heard that you will be able to walk around inside the castle and in the castle will character look-a-likes! Also, and I’m not sure if this is true I only heard it from a friend, that you can somehow get an acting job if you act like a wizard/Hogwarts student if you walk around talking in a British accent and you carry a wand around. Also Zonko’s joke shop will be in Hogsmeade.
Fanka Harrego Pottera
January 28th, 2010 at 1:51 am
Kocham Harrego Pottera:***<33
Yvonne Crossland
January 31st, 2010 at 3:17 pm
Going to Orlando 23rd March for 3 weeks, do you think it’ll be open by then or is it still anyone’s guess? Thanks x
Matt
January 31st, 2010 at 8:53 pm
My guess is that it won’t be open by March 23, but you never know…