Hogwarts Castle — The Wizarding World in America
Universal Studios Orlando and Hollywood
Hogwarts may be in the UK in the Harry Potter universe, but the real Hogwarts Castle is located right here in the United States!
Soaring one hundred and fifty feet high but made to look much much higher, Hogwarts Castle in Universal Studios Florida is a full-scale replica of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the Harry Potter movies. Complete with turrets and towers including the famed Gryffindor common room, Hogwarts Castle charmed visitors to the park since 2010 when the Wizarding World of Harry Potter opened.
The castle, itself, though it looks like it, is not made of stone, but instead, like other theme park castles, has a steel frame while the base was made to look like weathered rock. Engineers even had to start over on the “stone” base of Hogwarts Castle when Warner Brothers, the studio who made the Harry Potter movies, ordered it changed as a preliminary version did not look real enough.
Inside Hogwarts Castle
The inside of Hogwarts isn’t actually a full-scale replica of the castle, but is actually a line for the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride. But what a line it is!
The queuing line is as magical as the Harry Potter world itself. Guests to the Universal Studios Wizarding World of Harry Potter first enter through the base of Hogwarts and as the line winds through, takes “muggles” through such familiar places like Professor Sprout’s Greenhouse, the Gryffindor Common Room where Harry and the rest of his Gryffindor schoolmates stayed, the Grand Staircase complete with talking paintings, and Professor Dumbledore’s office. Professor Dumbledore, himself, greets visitors to his office from a seemingly magical screen.
At the end of long wait is the centerpiece of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter called The Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, a motion-based ride that takes guests through the world of Harry Potter starring Harry Potter himself.
Once guests are seated on an enchanted bench, powered by KUKA robo-coaster technology, guests are whisked away through various harrowing scenes including a broomstick ride around Hogwarts Castle, a Quidditch match high in the air, a trip through the Forbidden Forest where Aragog the Giant Spider dwells, and an encounter with the Dementors, who Potter fans would tell you are not to be trifled with. A Dementor’s “kiss” sucks the soul of a victim leaving only a bodily husk behind. The films’ stars Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson reprise their roles as Harry Potter and Hermione Granger in the adventure.
Beginnings
The Harry Potter phenomenon first started in the 90s when a young mother on welfare, J.K. Rowling, first dreamed up of a boy wizard named Harry during a crowded train trip from Manchester to London. Without a pen to write down her ideas and too shy to ask for one, Rowling dreamt of Harry for four long hours until she got home to her London public housing flat. Since then, the Harry Potter franchise took off to stratospheric heights with hundreds of millions of copies in print and billions of dollars in film receipts.
The plans for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter started not long after the first movie in the Harry Potter franchise, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, first appeared in theaters. In 2002, Universal Studios executives came up to Warner Brothers to press for the idea of a Harry Potter theme park. It turned out Universal Studios executives didn’t know of spells like the mind-controlling Imperius spell as J.K. Rowling also negotiated with Disney for the Harry Potter theme park rights. Rowling agreed to Universal Studios’ offer after Disney refused to give her the creative control or financial commitment she wanted.
In 2010, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter finally opened to eager park-goers and the addition of this new star attraction lifted the fortunes of Universal Studios. Park attendance had been falling throughout the 2000s after a lack of new rides and attractions failed to excite park goers. But like Harry Potter saving Hogwarts from the evil Lord Voldemort, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter rejuvenated Universal Studios increasing park attendance over fifty percent since the Wizarding World’s opening. The Wizarding World has already expanded to Osaka, Japan and Universal Studios Hollywood in California. So America has not one Hogwarts but two!
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
Beyond Hogwarts Castle, guests get to travel to Hogsmeade, the quaint magical town seen in the books and movies. Park-goers get to go on such attractions like the Flight of the Hippogriff rollercoaster ride, Ollivanders magic wand shop where the wand chooses its wielder, and Filch’s Emporium of Confiscated Goods for toys and Harry Potter merchandise. Park-goers can also eat and drink in the Harry Potter universe including the famed butterbeer and pumpkin juice at the Hogsmeade restaurant. J.K. Rowling herself approved the butterbeer recipe. After taking a sip of the sweet concoction, Rowling smiled and with an approving nod to Chef Steven Jayson, Vice-President and Corporate Executive Chef for Universal Parks and Resorts, she said “Yes Chef, that’s it.”
In 2014, Universal Studios Florida expanded the Wizarding World of Harry Potter with the addition of Diagon Alley. Fans of the books and movies know Diagon Alley as the secret London street accessible only to wizards and witches, but now even muggles get to visit this magical place. And by magical, Diagon Alley takes it literally! Guests can wave their magic wands and their surroundings react — that is, if the correct spell is cast!
The star attraction is the Gringott’s bank with a fire breathing dragon seen in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows perched atop. Inside Gringott’s is the death-defying roller coaster ride, Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringott’s making the Wizarding World of Harry Potter even more of a must-visit.
In 2019, Universal Orlando unveiled the Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, the latest addition to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Billed as the first ever “storycoaster,” step into a motorbike or sidecar seat and be whisked through the Forbidden Forest. Guests will take a class with Professor Hagrid, the “Care of Magical Creatures” teacher at Hogwarts, as you travel through the forest at death-defying speeds! Even the line is fun. You’ll experience the sights and sounds of Hagrid’s hut, which any “Potterhead” knows lies at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. “I would be willing to wait three to four hours in line for this ride,” Potter superfan Amy Syth gushed to USA Today.
Hogwarts Castle casts its spell over Universal Studios Orlando and Hollywood making it a theme park castle not to be missed!
