(from the Orlando Sentinel blogs)
Muggles have invaded the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
Those mere mortals attending the Orlando International Pow Wow, a travel and tourism industry group, were invited Monday to glimpse parts of the new attraction that’s set to have a grand opening at Universal’s Islands of Adventure on June 18.
What they saw: the high level of detail throughout the area, inside and out, which is designed to reflect the vision of the Harry Potter filmmakers. What they didn’t see: the mobile portion of Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, the new dark ride still shrouded in a bit of secrecy. Folks did get a gander at the extensive queue of Forbidden Journey, which is housed in the signature piece of WWHP architecture, Hogwarts castle.
And they were able to swig butterbeer, pumpkin juice or Hog’s Head Brew, all made especially for Universal Orlando.
More new details of the attraction were on display. Visitors could explore Ollivanders and purchase a wand or buy candy from Honeydukes or any number of souvenirs from the Potterverse.
