New Details for Wizarding World Of Harry Potter Hogwarts Express CONFIRMED!
I love waking up to press releases regarding the expansion at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. We have been eagerly awaiting the opening of the addition which explores Diagon Alley, Knockturn Alley and Horizont Alley.
As we have discovered in January at the Celebration of Harry Potter event, the Hogwarts Express is far more than just a segway between the wizarding worlds. It will be a ride that has an experience that stands alone. New details released today confirm that the journey will submerse each rider with a unique view in each cabin.
Muggles will get to pass through Platform 9 ¾ and board the Hogwarts Express from King’s Cross Station in London at Universal Studios. The ride from Hogsmeade to Diagon Alley will also be different to ensure guests enjoy a new adventure.
A team went to great lengths to replicate the train itself using the same fabric for the curtains and cushions that you have seen in the films. The creators rode trains throughout the UK and worked with Warner Brothers to ensure that fans would not be disappointed with the 200 seat locomotive.
The entire ride to and from Hogsmeade will take 7 minutes according to the release. Several characters have also returned and will show up during the journey. Count on seeing the Weasley twins, Hagrid, Buckbeak and even a Dementor! (Pack a chocolate frog for the ride!) New scenes have been filmed exclusively for the ride and, yes, they are all Jo Rowling approved.
Here is the full press release for you to feast your eyes upon!
One of the most memorable and exciting experiences from the Harry Potter series will come to life at Universal Orlando Resort this summer. Imagine:
Being transported from the Muggle world to the wizarding world as you pass through the brick wall at King’s Cross Station to arrive at Platform 9 3⁄4
Watching in amazement as the Hogwarts Express pulls into the station – its billowing steam and authentic whistle beckoning you to hop aboard
Sitting in one of the train’s cabins with your family and friends and actually riding the Hogwarts Express – just as your favorite characters did in the Harry Potter films
Looking outside your cabin window and enjoying a scenic, breathtaking journey through the British countryside as you encounter magical creatures, some of your favorite Harry Potter characters…and even Dementors…
Since the very first Harry Potter film, every fan has dreamed of taking the same classic journey Harry Potter did aboard the Hogwarts Express. And this summer – they will get to live it.
Today, Universal Orlando revealed never-before-released details about the Hogwarts Express experience that will debut as part of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley – the all-new, magnificently themed land opening this summer. The train will connect the new land in Universal Studios Florida with The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade in Islands of Adventure – allowing guests with park-to-park admission to enjoy a real journey aboard the iconic locomotive.
Never before has this been done – creating an actual train ride experience to connect two spectacularly themed environments. The Hogwarts Express experience combines powerful storytelling, live special effects, lifelike animation and state-of-the-art technology to takeriders on the journey of a lifetime. Guests will enjoy two completely different experiences depending on whether they’re traveling to Hogsmeade or London.
Once seated in the cabin, guests will be able to look out their windows as an incredibly authentic and magical adventure unfolds before them. They’ll see Hagrid come alongside the train on his flying motorbike, Buckbeak the Hippogriff swoop gracefully over the black lake, the Weasley twins on brooms and up to their usual antics, the Knight Bus swerving through London traffic – and other special moments and surprises.
Universal’s Creative team has been working closely with Warner Bros., Stuart Craig and the production team from the Harry Potter films to create a sensational Hogwarts Express experience that the entire family can enjoy. The Creative team has gone to great lengths to ensure the experience is true to the books and films. Everything about the train is authentic – from the paint and the materials used to build it….all the way down to the whistle.
Still no official opening date, but it is all still promised to be unveiled Summer 2014.
