The Wizarding World of Harry Potter to open on June 18th!

by Scott Carmichael on



As promised, Universal Orlando just revealed the highly anticipated opening date for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter – June 18th 2010.

The opening date announcement also revealed some more information on the biggest secret in theme park rides – Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. This ride is described as the “first-ever combination of advanced robotic ride system technology with innovative, immersive filmmaking”

Sounds impressive, and according to Universal, this is part ride, part robot – which certainly makes it sound like the kind of ride I could really enjoy.

Our friend Jason Cochran from Walletpop sat down with Mark Woodbury, President of Universal Creative, who is the lead brain in charge of developing Universal’s attractions for an interview. The interview is a “must read” for any Harry Potter fans, as it explains in detail how the theme park experience will be – which is as close as you can get to it until June 18th.

Grand opening date of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter to be revealed next week!

by Scott Carmichael on

March 25th is a date many Harry Potter fans around the world have been waiting for – on that day, Universal Orlando will reveal the opening date of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

The park has slowly been revealing its secrets, but the opening date was the one big detail they kept from us.

As you can see from the picture above – 12 PM EST is when you’ll want to have your browser at the Universal Orlando Harry Potter site. In the meantime, that site is a fantastic place to get a sneak preview of what you’ll find once the doors open.

Though the Wizarding World may not be open yet, watch the clip below for 13 ways to save money at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, brought to you by Jason Cochran and WalletPop.

Universal Orlando resort reveals its first Wizarding World of Harry Potter vacation package

by Scott Carmichael on

Even though the exact opening date has not been revealed, Universal Orlando just revealed its first Wizarding World of Harry Potter vacation package.

Starting at $645 per adult ($1,548 for a family of four), guests can enjoy the new resort with the following benefits:

  • Four-night accommodations at one of Universal’s three on-site AAA Four Diamond hotels: Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, HardRock Hotel and Loews Royal Pacific Resort
  • Three days admission to Universal Studios and Universal’s Islands of Adventure theme parks (park-to-park not included)
  • Complimentary Universal Express access to bypass the regular lines at select theme park rides and attractions (a $70 value per person, per day)
  • Early park admission to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
  • Traditional British breakfast at the Three Broomsticks
  • Commemorative ticket for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
  • Good for travel beginning May 28, 2010

Notice that last line? This obviously gives a bit of a hint as to the opening date, but Universal is quick to point out that the date was only set to help consumers plan their vacation, and that it does not represent the opening date. The current time frame is still “Spring 2010”.

To learn more about the available vacation package options, head on over to the Universal Orlando web site.