Nothing official has been announced by Universal, but rumors are spreading about which stars from the Harry Potter film series will be at the grand opening next Friday. Stars Robbie Coltrane (Hagrid), Matthew Lewis (Neville Longbottom), Emma Watson (Hermione Granger), and Oliver and James Phelps (Fred and George Weasley) already visited the Wizarding World in [...]

By Don Gworek What began with controversy 20 years ago is now one of Orlando’s top events each year, with attendance larger than many of the biggest convention groups. It started as just one day at the Magic Kingdom and has expanded to a multi-day event at multiple parks. It’s estimated that 150,000 people attended [...]

Universal was allowing regular park guests into The Wizarding World of Harry Potter for a few hours again this morning. In fact, even though Islands of Adventure was supposed to open at 9 a.m. this morning, they started letting guests in at 8:45 a.m. Despite the fact that it’s the weekend, it didn’t seem overly [...]

All thrill rides have a height limit – “You must be this tall to ride” – and the brand new Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride at Universal’s Islands of Adventure is no exception. You must be at least 48 inches tall to ride. But it’s not the mimimum height some guests are having [...]

Not many details are revealed but Busch Gardens Tampa Bay has updated their Howl-O-Scream Web site for 2010′s event. From the graphics on the site (seen above), it appears this year’s theme will be one of going to a rock concert. It lists it as one of the “most electrifying” ever. One can only assume [...]

For the past few days, some regular Islands of Adventure park guests have been allowed into The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The previews started last week just guests staying at a Universal hotel, but each morning since Tuesday, a few non-hotel guests have been let in. Here’s the drill, at least for now. Starting [...]

Warning! If you like to experience new attractions for yourself without knowing much about them, and you’re planning a trip to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, stop reading now. But if you want to know all about what guests will find in the new area of Universal’s Islands of Adventure, read on …

While the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal’s Islands of Adventure wasn’t open to everyone today, those who pre-purchased a special hotel package were allowed in for a couple of hours. While we haven’t been in yet, reader Chris Nash from Chicago was part of the lucky group and he returned with a bunch [...]

Universal Team Members were invited to try out the new Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride. It’s the new multi-million dollar ride, and only brand new ride developed for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal’s Islands of Adventure. An anonymous person wrote to us giving us a detailed description of the ride. Did he make it up or is it real?

Some of the Harry Potter film stars began their sneak peek tour of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter by entering Hogsmeade. The group spent the day visiting many of the iconic locations made famous in the popular Harry Potter series.

Universal hosted a private party which included a tour of the not-yet-open Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Islands of Adventure. Although we weren’t able to attend, plenty of new information could be found on Twitter during the event.

Universal gives us another sneak peek inside The Wizarding World of Harry Potter today with this look at the hog’s head that will be mounted on the wall of the Hog’s Head Pub. The head will come alive and puff its jowls at visitors. Adjacent to the Three Broomsticks, the Hog’s Head pub is where [...]

Survey Says … Your family may be able to be a part of the audience for the next season of the Family Feud game show. Or better yet, you may even be able to compete. The show will be recorded at Universal Studios on select dates in July, August and September. You don’t need to [...]

Yesterday we posted a photo and video update for the ongoing construction of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (Click Here to see it), so today we’ll take a look around the rest of the park.

This may very well be our last construction update before The Wizarding World of Harry Potter opens in Universal Islands of Adventure. The grand opening is June 18, 2010, but most expect it to have some soft openings before then.

With the opening of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter just around the corner, Universal is going behind-the-scenes and asking questions of the people who are bringing the world of Harry Potter to life at Universal’s Islands of Adventure. Today, they kick-off their Five Questions series with Alan Gilmore, art director for Harry Potter films and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

The Summer Concert Series is returning to Universal Studios this June with more concerts and top-name musical talent than last year. Starting June 12 and running every Saturday night through July 17, guests can top off their day in the park with a concert by a multi-platinum selling artist. There’s even a double-header scheduled for [...]

By Christopher Ollendorf Hey Savers! Everyone here in the Orlando area is patiently waiting for the opening of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at the Islands of Adventure theme park over at Universal. I feel lucky since I live here I don’t need to get a place to stay, but many of you will [...]

It didn’t come by owl, but we just received a media invitation to attend the grand opening of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal’s Islands of Adventure. Here’s a look at the unboxing. Once the distressed looking box is open, you can see a letter sealed with a wax stamp of the Wizarding [...]

To amusement park lovers, Orlando may be the mecca for dark attractions. In a recent survey of the Darkride and Funhouse Enthusiasts (DAFE) (Yes, there’s a club just for fans of indoor attractions), members chose Magic Kingdom as their “Favorite Dark Attraction Park”. Members were also asked for their favorite dark attractions in the Orlando [...]