The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter Is Coming To The West Coast
by Sean Comer
Make vacation plans now, Harry Potter devotees: The Boy Who Lived is going bi-coastal.
Variety reports today that Universal Studios and Warner Bros. will put up a combined $200 million to duplicate the Florida Universal Studios theme park's "The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter" at the Universal Studios Hollywood park.
Since opening on June 18, 2010, the Orlando, FL attraction has been a bona fide tourism, attendance and merchandise-sales booster that NBC Universal brass believe could give Disneyland's upcoming "Cars Land" attraction some competition.
The original boosted Islands of Adventure attendance 20 percent after six months in operation, and 41 percent after a year. That provided Universal Studios Orlando and Islands of Adventure with the biggest attendance boost since 2004, with more than 7 million total visitors checking out the attraction since its opening.
The current Orlando location replicates such well-known settings from J.K. Rowling's seven novels and the subsequent eight blockbuster films as the town of Hogsmeade and the towering Hogwarts Castle where the titular boy wizard underwent his seven yeras of matriculation.
Rides include "Flight Of The Hippogriff" and "Dragon Challenge." But since Universal Studios Hollywood has less available space for the attraction than Islands of Adventure at Universal Studios Orlando, questions my arise about just where the attraction will fit. The currently under-construction 3D "Transformers" ride being built to replace the former "Backdraft" attractionis already set to open in spring 2012 on the park's lower lot.
The Variety report speculates that other older attractions may have to meet their ends to make way for the new "Wizarding World." NBC Universal is reportedly eyeing a 2015 opener for the attraction. There's no word yet on how this planned attraction impacts rumored consideration of a "Wizarding World Of Harry Potter" to be based in South Korea.