Universal’s Harry is casting early spells

EX-BBC chat show host and film reviewer Jonathan Ross was among the early visitors to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando Resort, Florida, this summer.

Ross visited the headline-grabbing new attraction with his family who, at the Hog’s Head pub, tasted the popular beverage Butterbeer – a frothy drink, reminiscent of shortbread and butterscotch, served only in Hogsmeade.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, inspired by J.K. Rowling’s characters and stories, celebrated a grand opening on June 18. It has been described by many delegates who attended this year’s Pow Wow trade show in Orlando as one of the most spectacularly impressive and technologically breathtaking entertainment experiences ever created.

Selling Long Haul’s managing editor Alan Orbell was among the trade visitors given an early preview of the attraction, shortly before it opened to the public.
He commented: “As one of the few people on the planet who has never read a Harry Potter book nor seen a Harry Potter film my pre-opening visit to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter was something of a revelation.

“As impressively precise (I assume!) as was Universal’s creation of the village of Hogsmeade, it was merely a forestaste of the state-of-the-art animatronics, computer graphics and every other modern technological marvel – plus, apparently, a little magic - that made up the Hogwarts experience.

He added: “The seemingly everlasting winding pathways before boarding the ride were an indicator of the hordes to come to this cast-iron certainty for success.”

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