It was an interesting weekend at Universal Orlando. The highlight was the filming of The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Ellen was in Orlando to tape two episodes of her show, which will air on April 1 and 2, 2010. Above Ellen is shooting some T-shirts out to the crowd. On Saturday Ellen was spotted all around [...]

Universal not only release the public grand opening date of June 18, 2010 today, they also released new details on the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride and the queue for it inside Hogwarts Castle. Universal says the new Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey will let guests feel things no one has ever [...]

Universal Orlando announced today that the grand opening date of Harry Potter World is June 18, 2010. In addition, they released some more details about the attraction inside Hogwarts, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. According to the press release, the attraction will start with meeting Harry, Ron, and Hermione who convince riders to skip class [...]

A lot has been happening this week at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal’s Islands of Adventure. It’s a scurry of activity all around as they’re putting the final touches and getting ready for opening. As you can see above, they’ve taken down the old construction walls and have added these “prettier” walls [...]

The Hogwarts Express has arrived at Hogsmeade Station as The Wizarding World of Harry Potter continues to develop at Universal’s Islands of Adventure. As guests enter Hogsmeade, they will be greeted by the iconic, smoke-billowing steam engine, made famous in the Harry Potter books and films for transporting students to a world of magic and [...]

A new 2010 Universal Orlando brochure found at universalorlandovacations.com features a map of both their theme parks and a listing of the rides and dining locations. What’s most interesting are the previously unreleased height requirements for the rides in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The Flight of the Hippogriff ride is set at 36 [...]

For this February 2010 update, we take a peek above the construction walls – way above. Come fly with us to check out the progress of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal’s Islands of Adventure. No, we didn’t use a magical broomstick. Thanks go to Air Florida Helicopter Charters on International Drive. …

The Lakeland Ledger newspaper covered a recent meeting of Central Florida Vacation Rental Managers Association. The guest speaker was Sarak Holt, sales coordinator at Universal Studios Orlando. In the meeting she reveled a few new facts about The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. She told the group they were the first to hear about a [...]

Universal is now offering a special Wizarding World of Harry Potter Vacation Package. For travel starting May 28, the package includes: • Early Park Admission to experience The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. • A traditional British breakfast at the Three Broomsticks – one per person. • Commemorative Grand Opening ticket – one per person. [...]

The official Web site for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal’s Islands of Adventure was updated today with some new features and details on the rides and experiences. One new feature on the Web site is a low fly-through tour of the Hogsmeade Village and around the castle. New details found on various [...]

Aol’s WalletPop.com is hosting the exclusive online premiere of the complete Super Bowl commercial for Universal’s new The Wizarding World of Harry Potter area in Islands of Adventure. The spot is also appearing on the home page of Aol, in advance of its CBS television broadcast on Sunday’s Super Bowl. httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9d1nXpalNs The ad shows two [...]

Universal Orlando will launch a brand-new, national commercial for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter during Super Bowl XLIV on Sunday, Feb. 7. Set to air during the first half of the game, the ad will feature all new footage. You’ll see children magically transported to Orlando to fly on broomsticks around the Wizarding World. [...]

Visitors to the Ollivanders wand shop at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter will step into one of the iconic scenes from the Harry Potter books and movies. With the assistance of a live actor, along with some special effects, guests of Ollivanders will get to experience the same type of magical moment Harry had [...]

Today’s “USA Today” features a story on Universal’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Islands of Adventure and a map of the land. When you visit harrypotter3d.com and hold the map up to your webcam, it will appear 3D using a process called augmented reality. But you don’t need to run out and buy the [...]

Click on the photo to see it full size. The magical transformation continues. Although still very much a work in progress, the magnificence of Hogwarts castle is beginning to take shape above Hogsmeade as work continues on The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal’s Islands of Adventure. Hogwarts will be the home of a [...]

Harry Potter fans will want to buy the “USA Today” newspaper next Thursday, Jan. 28. An ad in the newspaper will seemingly come to life on your computer screen when you hold it up to a webcam. The first-ever augmented reality map of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter will allow you to rotate the [...]

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. httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNInd7hyj4A

A lot has happened in the Orlando area theme parks in 2009. Some new attractions were announced, some have closed down and some have opened up. One both opened and closed in 2009 (we’re talking about you Stitch.) Below are the top 10 most read blog posts on our site during 2009. Below the top [...]

The Grinch will take over Universal Orlando’s new official Facebook page to answer guests’ questions live this afternoon. The star of Dr. Seuss’s “How The Grinch Stole Christmas” will interact with fans and give them a humorous glimpse into the entertainment they can expect at Grinchmas – a live stage show at Universal’s Islands of [...]

It’s time again for our monthly update on the construction progress of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando’s Islands of Adventure. Here’s a quick video tour of what’s new since our last update, followed by some photos: httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJZAB99CzDs As you can see in the photo above, some of the scaffolding has come [...]