The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Florida just got a wonderful addition in the form of Diagon Alley. As exciting as that is, though, there is still so much more from the book and film series that hasn’t been explored in a theme park, or at least not to their full extent.
I reflected on one of my all-time favorite series and considered what can still be added to the theme park lands to make them even more special.
1. Azkaban
Image © Warner Bros Entertainment Inc.
The Disney parks have their Haunted Mansions, so there’s no reason Universal Studios can’t have the prison for the magical community featured in Harry Potter. Azkaban’s guards, the Dementors, are elsewhere in the Wizarding World, but they would be best suited in a place specifically designed specifically to scare its guests.
Azkaban would also be a great home to speakers of Parseltongue as well as serpents like Lord Voldemort’s pet snake Nagina and the basilisk. In fact, most of the pieces of Voldemort’s soul would fit perfectly at an Azkaban attraction. Horcruxes such as Tom Riddle’s diary, Marvolo Gaunt’s ring, Salazar Slytherin’s locket, Helga Hufflepuff’s cup, and Rowena Ravenclaw’s diadem would make for great displays. Those, along with an animatronic of Lord Voldemort and maybe even one of Professor Quirrel, would be wonderful (and terrifying) additions to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter..
2. Godric’s Hollow
Image © Warner Bros Entertainment Inc.
The place of Harry Potter’s parents’ deaths would certainly be a worthwhile addition to the Wizarding World. This would make for another good home for Nagina, where it can depict her horrifying acts that took place there in Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows. Maybe Universal Studios’ Godric’s Hollow could even feature a replication of the tragic event that caused Harry Potter to receive his famous lighting scar.
3. Transportation
Image © Warner Bros Entertainment Inc.
The magic community in Harry Potter have some really fun, inventive ways of getting around. Universal Studios has a place where you can appear to walk through a wall, but it would be great to see other forms of transportation brought to the Wizarding World in some way. Examples of transportation include Floo Powder, Portkeys, Time-Turners, and Sirius Black’s Enchanted Motorbike.
4. Deathly Hallows
Image © Warner Bros Entertainment Inc.
The Harry Potter story isn’t complete without the Deathly Hollows that (spoiler!) brought Harry back to life. The Invisible Cloak has been in the books and the movies since Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, so wouldn’t it be wonderful if the Wizarding World could find some way to replicate its effects? The Elder Wand has been there since almost the beginning too, though in the background, so it would be exciting to see some kind of display of and presentation for the wand that was held by Dumbledore for most of the series. The Resurrection stone would top it all off.
5. Magic that would probably require a lot of special effects
Image: Warner Bros.
Even extravagant theme parks have budget restrictions at the end of the day. Some of the coolest acts of magic in the book and movie series would be difficult to make interactive at Universal Studios. I would love to get to design my own personal Patronus, like you can design your own ride at some attractions. It would be equally awesome for guests to learn which animal they would transfigure into if they were Animagi. Lastly, it would be wonderful to experience unseen events in the Harry Potter universe through a replication of pensieves like the one found in Dumbledore’s office.
6. A Quidditch match
Image © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
Conspicuously absent from The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is the wizarding world’s all-time favorite sport (with the exception of a brief appearance in Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey)! It might be a little low-tech for Universal Studios, but I like the idea of an arena where visitors can play Quidditch as designed for common Muggles (read the rules here). If that’s not an option, certainly guests should be able to enjoy a mechanical flying broom ride that features an epic match in the Quidditch World Cup.
7. House rivalries
Image © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
Sure, Hogwarts exists at the Harry Potter theme park, but what about the famous rivalries between Griffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin? Yes, the Sorting Hat is an awesome part of the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey attraction, but why isn’t it being worn by guests and choosing which house each of them belong to? Quizzes to find out which house you belong to are fun, but it would be so much better to find out from the same source that told Harry Potter, Ron Weasely, Hermione Granger, and friends. I don’t know about you, but I want to have a feast at four long tables for each of the houses, and for Dumbledore to announce a winner out of them based on some kind of competition. What do you think? Post your thoughts in the comments below.
This was fun to think about but, of course, it would take lot more work to create what I outlined than it was for me to write about it. I hope, though, that we see some of these ideas from Harry Potter become a reality in the not-too-distant future. The Wizarding World has come a long way in recent years, but there’s always room for more Potter-themed attractions.
