Announced in 2011, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter expansion has been widely talked about and anticipated by Universal Studios and Harry Potter fans alike. The original attraction opened in 2010 in Islands of Adventure, and the park has seen guest attendance go up dramatically. Seeing the success of the Harry Potter area in Islands of Adventure, Universal Studios immediately began thinking of ways to have both parks be successful. The answer came in 2011, with the declaration of a planned Harry Potter expansion into Universal Studios, set to open sometime in 2014.
The expansion in Universal Studios definitely has people talking. With a new attraction based on Gringotts Bank, more shops to explore, and even a working Hogwarts Express, this expansion has lots in store. The Hogwarts Express train will transport guests between both parks, which is a pretty cool innovation for Universal. If Universal’s creative team can keep the new expansion as authentic as the Islands of Adventure area, there is no doubt that Universal will be gaining a huge profit.
However, there are some concerns with the expansion. Ticket prices have already gone up over the past few years, and it’s speculated that this was due to the Islands of Adventure Wizarding World. There’s a chance that ticket prices may rise again after the opening of the expansion. True Harry Potter fans will probably be willing to pay the price, but I’m not sure if that will be said for regular Universal park-goers. Another concern is how they are going to regulate the Hogwarts Express, since it travels between the parks. It’s speculated that guests will need to have a two park pass in order to ride the train, but some people might want to simply ride the train, but have only purchased a one park pass. These are the concerns that Universal will have to address. Overall, however, this expansion is shaping up to be a huge hit.