West Coast Muggles will be able to experience the magic of Harry Potter firsthand when a new Wizarding World park opens Thursday at Universal Studios Hollywood. The fictional village will feel familiar to fans who have seen the movies based on J.K. Rowling's bestselling book series about the boy wizard.
Similar attractions exist at Universal Studios Florida, which opened Harry Potter's Hogsmeade in 2010, and Diagon Alley in 2014. The Hollywood version includes a snowcapped village, a stationary Hogwarts Express and even an Owlery—unique to this location.
There's also the famous Three Broomsticks restaurant and Hog's Head pub, where visitors can get their hands on Butterbeer or original draught beers and spirits created exclusively for the park. Throughout the village, park goers can enjoy various shops that Harry himself visited in the books and movies, like Honeydukes and Ollivander's Wand Shop.
The rides are similar to what's in Orlando, like the Flight of the Hippogriff roller coaster and a Harry Potter. There's also a new Forbidden Journey 3D-HD ride that uses Quidditch-inspired 3D goggles to immerse riders in a story with Harry and his cohort.
Rumors are circulating that the new ride is making people sick, but perhaps it’s just the Weasley twins playing a signature joke on park goers.