Wizarding World of Harry Potter Map at Universal’s Islands of Adventure
Sep
12
Wizarding World of Harry Potter Map
Sep
06
Wizarding World of Harry Potter To Expand?
Although Universal Orlando assured me on a recent visit that they will not be expanding the Wizarding World of Harry Potter we have heard that they have applied for permission to extend the queuing experience for their flagship ride, Harry Potter and the forbidden Journey.
Work is taking place to extend the green house area of the queue experience.
Will update when we have more information.
Sep
05
Orlando FlexTicket – Wizarding World of Harry Potter
A great way to visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is to purchase the Orlando FlexTicket.
About the Orlando FlexTickets
The Orlando FlexTicket allows you to enjoy 5 or 6 must see theme parks in Orlando. This great flexible ticket allows unlimited admission for an incredible 14 consecutive days, so you can simply come and go as often as you like.
The Orlando FlexTicket ™ andOrlando FlexTicket ™ Plus include unlimited admission to Universal Studios Florida ®, Universal’s Islands of Adventures ® home of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Aquatica ™, SeaWorld Orlando, Wet ‘n Wild ® and with the FlexTicket Plus, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. Both FlexTickets also include 14 days entry to Universal CityWalk®, enjoy live music, dining, dancing, shopping, movies and more at The Entertainment Capital of OrlandoSM, Universal CityWalk® – home of the incomparable Blue Man Group.
How much is this ticket?
The Orlando FlexTickets is currently only £159.00 from usrentacar.co.uk for visits in 2011.
How do I book?
Give them a call on 0845 226 8523 or book online.
Aug
19
Wizarding World of Harry Potter Reviews
A few more independent Wizarding World of Harry Potter reviews have been sent it.
Mr J Drear wrote
If you’re visiting the Wizarding World of Harry Potter for the very first time, I suggest taking as much time as you can to stroll through each shop, visit Ollivanders, ride Forbidden Journey at least twice, and riding Dragon’s Challenge. The area is competely immersive like it was ripped from the movie screen and plopped right into the middle of Islands of Adventure.
Mr C Steadman wrote
We then hightailed it to Hogwarts. Inside Hogwarts is probably the best ride I’ve ever been on. I’ll leave something left to the imagination, but it honestly feels like you’re flying. It’s pretty cool.
Mr J Landy wrote
the harry potter area was fantastic at universal. the rides were great, something for all the family. massive queue’s for the shops though. the themed restaurant was great, good food and butter beer (cream soda)kept the kids entertained. universal was great too, hav’nt been there for 15years, good to go back but i would advise people that both parks at universal can be done in three days max!
Aug
17
Wizarding World of Harry Potter’s Dragon Challenge To Change
The unique point of the Dragon Challenge Roller Coasters is the near miss experience where the two coasters fly head first at each other but at the last minute swerve, giving the rider the feeling they have missed certain death my millimetres.
Well from now on this part of the ride wont happen as the Wizarding World of Harry Potter are now staggering the launch times of the dual coasters.
The decision has been taken by Universal after two reported injuries in the last month.
Universal spokesman Tom Schroder said
“The safety of our guests is our highest priority and we are taking this very seriously,”
Two guest’s on seperate days reported being injured at the part of the Harry Potter Roller Coaster ride where the two coasters come together.
Jon Wilson of Ohio, the latest to be injured said
My sister was sitting next to me at the time, and when I said I was hit she thought it was a bug or something, but then she looked over and I had blood on my hands, so it was obviously something more,”
Universal are quick to point out that the actual ride did not cause these injuries but for precaution they have stated
“As we continue to study these incidents, we will operate both coasters as separate experiences without their usual intersect points
Universal did point out that some 50 million riders have safety experienced the coasters since it introduction in 1999.
Aug
17
Wizarding World of Harry Potter Review
Review given by usrentacar.co.uk customer.
My family and I recently visited Central Florida for the 10th time. We own a villa on Westhaven. This time my husband, eldest daughter Lindsey, her boyfriend James and myself were joined for a few days by our American friends from Pennsylvania Rick, Kelly and their 14 year old son Alex. Alex and I had a play date of long standing – to go to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Islands of Adventure. We were all looking forward to going as both Lindsey and I have read all the books and everyone has seen the films – Rick and Alex had had a Harry Potter film marathon in preparation for the visit to get Rick up to speed and we’d looked at info on the web. Plus we’d see the castle under construction on our last visit 18 months previously.
People said we should get there early and not go on a weekend as locals with Annual Passes tend to go then and it makes Islands of Adventure extra busy. So we decided to go on a Monday while American children were still in school. We were a little dismayed to learn that the park was opening at 8.00am as we have a 30 minute drive from the villa and you need to allow time to walk through City Walk to the park. So we decided that we had to be on the road by 6.45am. It wasn’t too bad as we were still waking early having not fully adjusted to American time and it was nice and cool.
We arrived at the rope at 7.40am and were quite surprised that people were going in – we found out that Universal hotel guests can enter the park at 7.00am. However, the crowd was not very big and we were walked around the park by staff at about 7.50 to the entrance to the HP section. We were told not to run but we have to confess to speed walking along with everyone else!!
We joined the queue for The Forbidden Journey. All bags etc need to be placed in a locker prior to joining the queue. Be advised to do this ride first as it gets really really busy – also if you buy a wand ($30) this will not fit in the locker and you can’t take it on the ride. The queue winds around the greenhouse and then into the castle. There was no queue once we were inside which meant that we walked through quite fast which was a pity as there was was so much to see – the attention to detail is brilliant. I wanted to stop and look at the portraits and there’s a hologram presentation with Harry, Ron and Hermione which is really good plus Dumbledore who tells you what’s happening too. The ride itself is a very clever simulator. You sit on a bench type seat with overhead restraints which divide you from the 3 others on your bench so you can’t see each other. It’s not a typical simulator pod thing like The Simpsons or Star Tours or even Spiderman. The bench is attached to an arm so it can swing and tilt as you fly after Harry and the others on your adventure. If you really don’t like queueing, you could do the ride by joining the single rider line as you don’t see your friends when riding anyway and the single rider line moves very fast. You meet many characters from the film on the journey including Malfoy, Hagrid, the dragon, the dementors and the spiders!! We all really enjoyed it and thought it was very clever. I am prone to motion sickness and it did make me feel a little dizzy but definitely worth it!
We then queued for Olivanders Wand Shop – this was another 45 minute wait. We sent Nigel, Rick and Kelly off to get butter beer from the carts – this took about 30 minutes and we fund out from the people behind us in the queue that it’s a lot quicker to get it in The Hogs Head Pub. Butter beer comes in 2 varieties – soda and slush. The soda is very very sweet and clear with a head on it. The slush is more creamy with a head on it. It’s kind of butterscotchy. We all preferred the slush and really enjoyed it. If you buy a souvenir cup then you can use this later for any soda for 79c – you can also take it to Universal (as we did the next day) with the same deal which we thought was good value.
There is a 5 minute presentation in Olivanders which is fun. Lindsey was picked to be the young wizard shopping for a wand – much to her surprise as she’s 23!! Won’t tell you any more as it will spoil it. You then go into the shop which is fun as they have an owl post section. There’s a marauder map and a very vicious book that bites! From here we went across the street to the sweet shop. The chocolate frogs are enormous and very good. There are the different flavoured beans and lots of other goodies. The queue to pay at the till was enormous but we found another till at the back to the shop (end furthest away from the castle) with no queue. The joke shop is also fun with the sneakascope and the extending ear!! We then left the shops and headed over to the Howarts Express for a photo with the very friendly guard. It was about 10.15am at this point and we caught the clock tower chiming the quarter hour which is fun to see.
Then it was off to do Dragon Challenge. This was formerly Duelling Dragons which has a new name and has had a slight makeover. Short queue. It does a couple of 360o turns, corkscrews etc and 2 coasters race each other – good fun. It’s worth having a look at the Ford Anglia and Hagrid’s cottage at the end of the ride.
Can’t report on the Hypogriff coaster as it’s more for weenies which we are not. Again it’s a remake of a coaster that was there already with a new hypogriffe front put on it.
As we were leaving through Jurassic Park – the only way into the HP section – we were told that if we wished to return we would need a card with a time slot on it. The queue to go into the section was huge, the queue for The Forbidden Journey was over 2 hours and over an hour for Olivanders. Would I queue 2 hours for Forbidden Journey – guess I would have because that was the purpose of us going to I of A but would I have been pleased – no, would it have been worth it – personally I don’t think any ride is worth a 2 hour wait.
So to sum up here are my tips:
1. Arrive at park before opening time (currently opening at 8.00am) Allow time to park car and walk through City Walk to park.
2. Ride the Forbidden Journey first – don’t forget you have to put all bags etc into a locker.
3. Queue for Ollivanders Wand Shop next. Send someone to get Butter beer -it’s quicker to get it from the Hogshead Pub than from the carts.If you buy a souvenir cup you can have this refilled as many times as you wish with regular sodas both in I of A and in Universal on any day you are there.
4. In sweet shop don’t pay at front till (nearest castle entrance) in a huge queue – there are 2 more tills at the rear of the shop.
5. Have photo in front of Hogwarts Express with friendly guard.
6. Watch clock tower on quarters past and to the hour!!
7. Go to Dragons and Hyppogrif (Latter is for children and young at heart)
8. Look at queue for Forbidden Journey which will probably be around 2 hours and breathe a sigh of relief that you are not in it.
9. Leave HP section of park, resist any urge to return later unless in the evening!!!
Aug
17
Harry Potter Tour Video Trailer
Following on from yesterday’s news regarding the Harry Potter Tour please find above the official trailer of the tour.
Aug
16
Harry Potter Studio Tours To Begin In 2012
Due to open too the public in the summer of 2012, and spread over 150,000 square feet the Warner Bros Studios has been home to the Harry Potter films for the past ten years.
Located in Leavesden, fans will be able to tread the same footsteps as Harry and his friends visiting such locations as Hogwart’s Great Hall, Dumbledore’s office, the Gryffindor common room and Hagrid’s hut.
Tickets for the tours will cost approximately £28 for adults and £21 for children and go on sale on 13 October 2011.
Visit www.wbstudiotour.co.uk to book.
Aug
13
How To Make Butterbeer
Ever wanted to make your very own Butterbeer!? Well now you muggles can mix up your own batch.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup (8 oz) cream soda
- ½ cup (4 oz) butterscotch ice cream for the topping
- ½ tablespoon butter
Directions:
1: Measure butterscotch and butter into a measuring jug. Microwave on high for 1 to 1½ minutes, or until syrup is bubbly and butter is completely incorporated.
2: Stir and cool for 30 seconds, then slowly mix in club soda. Mixture will fizz quite a bit.
3: Serve in two coffee mugs or small glasses; a perfectly warm Hogwarts treat for two!
4: Enjoy!
Aug
10
Pottermore Clues and Answers
Day 1 Clue
How many breeds of owl are featured on the Eeylops Owl Emporium sign?
Answer: 5
Multiply this number by 49.
Solution: 245
Day 2 Clue
What is the number of the chapter in which Professor McGonagall cancels the Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff?
Answer: 14
Multiply this number by 42.
Solution: 588
(Note: if you read the Day 2 clue in a language other than English you would have been asked to multiply the answer by a different number to ensure you saw the right language page.)
Day 3 Clue
In the Gryffindor versus Slytherin Quidditch match, in Harry’s third year, how many points is Gryffindor leading by before Harry catches the Golden Snitch?
Answer: 60
Multiply this number by 35.
Solution: 2100
Day 4 Clue
How many students take part in the Triwizard Tournament during Harry’s fourth year?
Answer: 4
Multiply this number by 28.
Solution: 112
Day 5 Clue
What is the house number of the Headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix in Grimmauld Place?
Answer: 12
Multiply this number by 21.
Solution: 252
Day 6 Clue
How many chapters are there in HARRY POTTER and the Half-Blood Prince?
Answer: 30
Multiply this number by 14.
Solution: 420
Day 7 Clue
How many Deathly Hallows are there?
Answer: 3
Multiply this number by 7.
Solution: 21
And, yes, all the multipliers were multiples of seven!
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