The Boy Who Lived saved all of you unknowing Muggles from He Who Must Not Be Named. Americans pay tribute to this teenager each day. We visit the themed land that recreates the wonders of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Hogsmeade, and Diagon Alley. As No-Majs, you are simply incapable of understanding everything that takes place in these themed lands. Please allow me, an Auror from the Ministry of Magic, to enlighten you on a few of the powerful enchantments on display. Here are a few magical facts about the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
Many Harry Potter creatures are hidden in plain sight
The engineers at Universal Studios have a bit of a chip on their shoulder. They know that they live in the shadow of Disney’s Imagineers, and they want to prove that they’re anything but second-best. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter provided these Muggles a chance to breathe some magic into the lives of theme park tourists. To create the most authentic experience possible, park planners at Universal knew that they’d need to add a few guests from Harry Potter lore to the parks.
Some of these characters from the books are easily visible. The Magical Menagerie shop is home to a Crumple-Horned Snorkack. These things are so rare that Luna Lovegood made it her mission in life to see one, but author J.K. Rowling has confided that Lovegood never did. Any No-Maj who wanders into the shop can see it, though.
Others are less obvious. For example, you won’t see house elves at The Three Broomsticks. If you look up in the rafters, however, you’ll see shadows of them dancing. When you want to see the best-known house elf, head over to 12 Grimmauld Place. Watch the windows above the door for long enough and you’ll witness him peeking out the window every couple of minutes. The Potterverse is all around you when you visit the Wizarding World.
The snake does tricks
Magical Menagerie is much more than just a store. It displays some of the most magical tricks in the entire themed land. One in particular is a lovely tribute to the Harry Potter movie franchise. In the first film, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, the Boy Who Lived visits a snake. To Harry’s surprise, the snake can understand him. You can watch the clip above.
At Magical Menagerie, Muggle engineers have recreated this scene! You just never realized it. When you walk up to the snake and talk, its motions will mirror the ones from the film. It will even speak in Parseltongue with you, although you won’t know it unless you’ve studied Parseltongue, too. You can compare the interactions in the movie vs. the ones at the store that I’ve linked below.
Moaning Myrtle is everywhere
That’s only a slight exaggeration. A more precise statement would be that Moaning Myrtle is in every bathroom. Whenever you’re visiting Hogsmeade and nature calls, you’ll hear Myrtle moaning. It doesn’t matter whether you’re in the men’s or women’s bathroom at the time. Universal programmed audio of her lamentations into the sound projectors in all the bathrooms. So, you will hear a ghastly cry anytime you use the facilities. It sounds kind of horrible until you think about the sounds that you’d otherwise hear in these places. Moaning Myrtle doesn’t seem that bad by comparison.
Some members of the Potter tribe didn’t participate
One of the most wonderful aspects of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is its frequent guests. The Muggle actors who portray members of the Potterverse love seeing their characters brought to life at the themed land. Many of them participate in special events like A Celebration of Harry Potter, where they are honored guests.
During the construction of the major attractions at the Wizarding World, Universal hired many of the cast members to return to their role from the movies. Almost all of them happily accepted, which is why you’ll find adorable pictures of the Weasley Twins sampling the goods at Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes. A couple of thespians weren’t interested in reprising their roles, though.
When you board Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, you will hear the voices of the entire cast, something you can confirm on IMDB. For Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts, legendary No-Maj Daniel Radcliffe chose not to participate. The voice of Harry Potter comes from Adam Sopp, a British bloke best-known for portraying the character in the videogame series.
That IS Emma Watson’s voice on the ride, but she too chose to pass on the second dark ride/roller coaster. Universal employs archival footage for her appearances. It’s strange that actors as busy as Helena Bonham Carter and Ralph Fiennes took the time to work on the ride, but the two main leads chose to pass.
Hogwarts is the most accurate building possible
Muggles lack the ability to apparate structures, and even if they could, we wizards have need of Hogwarts on a daily basis. You’ve likely noticed that our educational facility seems to have a crisis every few months.
Since you Yanks couldn’t have our Hogwarts, you built your own. It is the most realistic version of the real thing that a non-magical being could construct. The engineers thought of everyone. They use forced perspective to narrow the view at the top of the castle. You can’t see the rest of the Universal or Orlando skyline, only what a wizard could see from the top of the castle.
Other touches permeate the inside and outside of Hogwarts. You’ll hear sage advice as you pass by the famous Sorting Hat. Animated newspapers tell fascinating stories about the happenings at Hogwarts. When you stand in line at Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, spend part of your time reading these headlines for a special bit of entertainment.
Perhaps the best aspect of the castle interior is the talking pictures. An idea taken directly from the stories, the subject of each painting has a special personality. Some of them are still obsessed with their houses. You’ll even hear them recite how many points that their group has during the current semester! As a filthy Muggle, you should understand that some of the paintings, especially the Slytherin ones, will dislike you and hurl a few epithets your way.
The Wizarding World is like living in a world filled with magic
J.K. Rowling, the most gifted of all No-Majs, consulted on countless details at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. She stressed a desire to build a believable, immersive substitute for the magical portion of London. Several of her requests are an everyday part of the themed land.
For example, you don’t have to use Muggle money. You can (and should) exchange your useless American dollars for the much more valuable Gringotts bills. For some reason, the enterprising gnomes at the Gringotts Money Exchange desire human money and will trade some Gringotts capital in exchange for it. You can then wander around the Wizarding World, using the true currency of the land to pay for your meals and merchandise.
To perfect the illusion that you’re in the greater London area, Universal even went to the trouble of importing Brits to Orlando. Yes, those accents that you hear from the employees are legitimate. It’s akin to Disney’s practice of hiring residents of their native countries to work at the various World Showcase pavilions. Since these people are from England, however, you shouldn’t mention Voldemort’s name to them. They remember the unexplainable horrors that took place during his ascension and will have no part of any conversation involving that name!
The food at the Wizarding World is the real deal, too. Universal selected a chef who would respect the origins of the cuisine. This person spent roughly three years mastering the dishes mentioned in the Harry Potter books and movies. When you eat any food here, its roots trace back to Rowling! Why, Universal even gave the author the final say on the version of Butterbeer that you drink.
Perhaps the ultimate sign of respect at this themed land is the Hogwarts Express. Since our kind has used this magical train for many generations now, it’s well-worn. The version that you’ll ride at Universal Studios is only a few years old. To avoid it looking too new, engineers added a weathered look to the Hogwarts Express to reflect that it has transported wizards for many decades. It’s respectful touches like this that cause those of us in the Ministry of Magic to appreciate that you Muggles aren’t all bad.
