Thursday, April 7th was the official grand opening of Harry Potter World at Universal Studios Hollywood, and it seems as though it could become a real rival to Disneyland.
Hollywood’s Harry Potter World is definitely a step up from it’s sister location in Orlando. Park designers say more technology went into it, and they strived to make it look even more realistic than it’s predecessor. J.K. Rowling worked closely with the team in Hollywood to make sure her books and movies came to life.
The $1.6 billion dollar park welcomed fans who’d been camped out since 2:30 am, and the crowd grew steadily throughout the day. Hogsmeade was packed with shoppers, restaurants were filled with customers, and Hogwarts was overflowing with students.
Some park goers did report a few technical difficulties here and there, but most didn’t mind, fully understanding that it’ll take a few weeks for the employees to get into the swing of things. But all issues aside, Harry Potter fans young and old all seemed quite impressed with opening day.
Some of the most impressive aspects of the park ranged from Moaning Myrtle’s voice being heard in the bathrooms, to magical rides through Hogwarts castle, to phenomenal actors who made the entire experience seem like the real deal.
But the most exciting part of the day would have to be two real life Harry Potter stars surprising fans who’d braved the cold night and waited in line to be some of the first to explore the park. James and Oliver Phelps, who play prankster twins Fred and George Weasley in all 8 of the Harry Potter movies, presented park goers with magic wands as a reward for being so dedicated. These wands, which fans can purchase in the park, can be used to cast spells and reveal hidden objects all throughout Harry Potter World.
Do you plan on taking a trip to Hollywood and getting in on the magic? Let us know in the comments or tweet us @CelebMix.