[Callum]

Anyone planning or want to go there when it opens on June 18th in Orlando, Florida?

There was a preview event last night and the reviews have been amazing!

There are many shops that you can’t walk in that are still interactive as you walk by. Spintwitches was probably my favorite. It has a Quidditch set with a Quaffle, two Bludgers bouncing up and down trying to get free and a Snitch that’s seen flying about the shop inside (via hologram). The level of detail here is top notch. Dogweed and Deathcap has exotic plants in the windows that move while Tomes and Scrolls has an enchanted quill that magically writes names in a book of future Hogwarts students. Other shops include Wiseacres Wizarding Equipment and Outages Cauldrons. We were told that many of the props in the window are actually from the Harry Potter movies.
Dragon’s Challenge looks great. Before you walk into the castle you walk through a forest with banners advertising the challenge and see the Weasley’s crashed car. Once you enter the que you walk into the Champion’s Tent with the Goblet of Fire in the center. The goblet has smoke/mist shooting up out of it lit by blue LEDs from inside. You then see the Triwizard’s cup, along with the 3 golden eggs. You then enter a hallway filled with floating candles above you. This was probably my favorite room of this ride. The rest of the line is very similar to the Dueling Dragon’s line, except at the end you choose to battle between the Chinese Fireball or the Hungarian Horntail. Once in the station there are shadows of dragons flying projected onto the tent above you.
The que for Flight of the Hippogriff takes you past the pumpkin patch where you hear Hagrid warning students to stay out of the forest. You then pass Hagrid’s hut which looks almost lifesize. The station is filled with ropes/tools etc. As you leave the station there is a HUGE animatronic of a Hippogriff on his nest. He bows at the train as you pass by (we of course bowed back). Let me tell you, this thing looks amazing. The feathers look real and I’m pretty sure it blinked.
Overall I was very very much impressed. This is obviously the first night so I’m sure there are bound to be things added (hopefully it snows outside). The costumes for the employees all look great. I think my favorite are the Forbidden Journey costumes. They are full black robes just like in the movies. It’s just an entire experience that anyone who knows anything about Harry Potter will fall in love with.

[Ninastar]

omfg! I might be able to go there next year!!

[King Gizzard]

Only if Harry and the Potters have a gig there

[InOne]

I wouldn't go but I bet it will be great for kids. They'll spare no expense.

[Patrick]

ROFL

Yeah right, It would be far tooooooo dear.
Would love it though.

[Callum]

I'm going in July

[Vicky.]

I think Im going in october

[King Gizzard]

Wheres the nearest portkey anyway?

[Callum]

Originally Posted by Nate

Wheres the nearest portkey anyway?

It's hidden in Dumbledore's office

[Callum]

Opened yesterday to huge crowds.

I'm going next month Hopefully crowds will have died down a bit by then but still I'll wait hours even days if I have to.

[Princess]

I'd love to go there

[BOOSH]

I want to go!!!!!!!
But my nimbus two thousand broke

[Callum]

I will be there in less than a month, so excited!

[BOOSH]

Lucky!!!!!!!

I don't even have a passport

[bansheewails]

I hate queues , love universal though.

[MissKittyFantastico]

I'm going in September, can't wait!!

[Callum]

I recently visited there and it was absolutely incredible there!! Hands down my highlight of the holiday. Hogwarts castle was amazing, it looks exactly like Hogwarts from the movies and it's huge too. I bought loads in Hogsmeade, spent so much but I'm glad I did. I got 2 wands (Neville, Snape), Chocolate frogs, Marauder's map, Bertie Bott's every flavour beans, sneakerscope, remembrall, Gryffindor scarve among lots of clothes and other merchandise. Forbidden Journey is my favorite ride ever! Not scary at all but it was such a good representation of the films, I went on it twice and the ques were huge but the ride was well worth the wait. First time, the ride broke so I had about a 2 and a half hour wait in the scorching sun but it's good because in the que you see all stuff from the films. Was going to go on again a third time but it broke again and wasn't repaired until the next day. (it breaks often, be prepared!) They have the trio and Dumbledore speaking to you once your in Hogwarts and it felt so realistic. Plus they have the talking portraits of the Hogwarts founders! I can't wait to go back there but be warned the ques are painful. There's other rides there - Flight of the Hippogriff and Dragon Challenge. Hippogriff is quite babyish but I enjoyed it because you get to walk past Hagrid's hut and Buckbeak in the que. Dragon Challenge is a floorless coaster which has loads of inversions and there's two "dragons" and at one point in the ride you have a near collision with the other "dragon"! I felt sick after it but glad I went on it, even though it was probably the most intense coaster I've been on. Even to get in the shops, you have to wait. I also advise not to drink Pumpkin Juice, the bottle itself is nice but the drink I thought was disgusting. The shops are so authentic and I was actually in awe the first time I stepped foot in Hogsmeade because it actually felt like I was in the films. Loved it so much, it definitley lived up to my expectations.

[Princess]

That sounds amazing!!

[MissKittyFantastico]

Ahhhh Callum you've just made me even more excited now if that's possible haha!

I hope the queues will be a bit better when we go (in 3 weeks time), with the kids being back in school and that. It sounds amazing, glad you had such a good time

[Shaun]

My friend went - I'm jealous. Apparently they have Butterbeer and she got a chocolate frog and a tankard... *should have told her to get me something*

[Callum]

Originally Posted by Kitty

Ahhhh Callum you've just made me even more excited now if that's possible haha!

I hope the queues will be a bit better when we go (in 3 weeks time), with the kids being back in school and that. It sounds amazing, glad you had such a good time

Yeah they probably will be, I chose a bad time really because it was holidays not just for people in the UK, but the Americans as well. I really want to go back at a quieter time because although I had an amazing time there, even in Hogsmeade alone the crowds were massive and it was pretty hard to have a proper look at the shops when there were so many people there.

[Chels]

OMG I so wanna go there! <3

[Chels]

Originally Posted by BOOSH

I want to go!!!!!!!
But my nimbus two thousand broke

You can borrow my Firebolt if you want, fastest broom currently available

[Braden]

I've heard alot about this, it seems great!

[Beastie]

I would love to go!!