The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, opening
April 7, brings to life the quaint town of Hogsmeade from author J.K.
Rowling's 'Harry Potter'.
Comcast
Corp-owned Universal Studios Hollywood has introduced new rides
capitalizing on the box office success of franchises "Transformers,"
"Despicable Me" and "Fast & Furious," as well as expanding "The
Simpsons" attraction. (Photo: Screen grab)
From
the cobblestone alleyways to the snow-capped roofs, fans of "Harry
Potter" will be able to immerse themselves into a new "Wizarding World"
attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood, and the theme park is betting
on their purchasing power.
"The Wizarding World of Harry Potter," opening
April 7, brings to life the quaint town of Hogsmeade from author J.K.
Rowling's seven-part "Harry Potter" books and subsequent films, and it
caps off a five-year revamp across the park.
Comcast Corp-owned Universal Studios Hollywood
has introduced new rides capitalizing on the box office success of
franchises "Transformers," "Despicable Me" and "Fast & Furious," as
well as expanding "The Simpsons" attraction.
But the "Wizarding World" is what the theme
park is banking on. Comcast reported a revenue increase of 27 percent to
$3.3 billion from its Orlando, Florida, and Hollywood, California
locations in its 2015 year-end report.
The company said revenues were bolstered by
Orlando's new "Harry Potter" world, which features two lands, Hogsmeade
and Diagon Alley, connected by the Hogwarts Express train. An additional
ticket is required to visit both lands in one day.
Hollywood's "Wizarding World" features two
rides, one within the castle-like structure of the Hogwarts school and
the other an outdoors rollercoaster, alongside intricately detailed
shops and restaurants such as Honeydukes sweets, Ollivanders wands and
The Three Broomsticks.
Visitors can purchase a vast assortment of
"Harry Potter" merchandise, from quills for under $10 to interactive
wands for around $50 and full Hogwarts school robes from around $100.
"We've always aimed to be as authentic as we
can be, even down to the name of the shops. They're called shops, not
stores," supervising art director Alan Gilmore told Reuters.
"It has to be an experience of stepping into Scotland and England."
"Harry Potter," about an orphaned boy wizard
in a magical world hidden within present day England, has sold more than
450 million books globally. Warner Bros' eight-part film franchise has
grossed more than $7 billion worldwide.
Tickets for Universal Hollywood, which cover
all the park's attractions, range from $90 to $239 for front-of-line
passes, varying according to seasonal demand.
Overall attendance at Universal Hollywood,
visited by 6.8 million in 2014 according to figures from the Themed
Entertainment Association, trails far behind Walt Disney Co's Disneyland
in Anaheim, Southern California, which drew nearly 17 million that
year.
Disneyland is building a new "Star Wars" land
after the success of December's "The Force Awakens," the third
highest-grossing film worldwide in history.