Harry Potter theme park set to open

 Ellen Gustavson/Staff Writer

Attention all muggles: Warner Bros. has joined Universal Studios Orlando to mix some magic into their resort. The Harry Potter park will open this summer of 2010.

The park, called The Wizarding World of Harry Potter will capture the multi-faceted Harry Potter world portrayed in J.K. Rowling’s iconic Potter books and the Warner Bros. movies.

Recent pictures show that construction of the park is coming along well, and there are still ideas they are working on turning into realities.

Some attractions already underway include The Dragon Challenge, a dual high-speed roller coaster that will travel through scenes from the Triwizard Tournament; Flight of the Hippogriff, a family-oriented roller coaster that travels all around the Hogwarts grounds; Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, which is said to debut a completely new technology that will bring the magic and characters of Harry Potter to life, though to where it journeys we have yet to find out; Hagrid’s Hut; The Forbidden Forest; and of course, the Hogwarts castle itself.

Tired of spending all your time at Hogwarts? Follow the path to the wizard village Hogsmeade, where you can visit a variety of the shops and hangouts, including Honeydukes, Zonkos Joke Shop and The Three Broomsticks, mentioned in the books.

Because the park is under construction right now, not all plans are final. Some more ideas for roller coasters revolve around Quidditch, the Whomping Willow and the Weasley’s flying car.

This is every avid Harry Potter fan’s paradise, so expectations for the park will be high. Universal Studios is working closely with J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. to ensure visitors will get the best Harry Potter experience possible.

Universal Studios Orlando is divided into two parks: Universal Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios. The Universal Islands of Adventure has various themed areas in one park — the latest of which will be The Wizarding World of Harry Potter an area estimated to be 20 acres.

The theme park is scheduled to open around the same time that the movie Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows comes out next summer, though there is no exact date yet. There is no doubt it will add even more popularity to the global Harry Potter phenomenon.