Tag: Harry Potter

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Wrapping up Winter Break with The Wizarding World?

January 2, 2012 at 4:22 PM | by | Comments (0)

Not only have we entered 2012 this week, but it's also the last few days of winter break for schoolchildren. If we're talking about college-age kids, then they've got a little longer. Regardless, this is the last dash time for family vacations at the theme parks in Orlando, FL...specifically at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

We've been a few times now since it opened 1.5 years ago, and each time we return with photo galleries and tips aplenty. If you're about to jet down to hit the park or are contemplating a last-minute mini-vacay, here's everything you need to know:

· Changes to ticket prices & ride seating
· Our complete, first-hand survival guide to the Potter park
· Photos from November 2011
· Photos of the all the FOOD
· Inside the Forbidden Journey castle & ride
· The souvenirs! Oh man, the souvenirs.
· Photos & video of the Hippogriff and Dragons roller coasters
· Even more photos (from the night before opening)

[Photo: Jaunted]

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BREAKING: Universal Studios Hollywood to Get Its Very Own Wizarding World of Harry Potter

December 1, 2011 at 3:32 PM | by | Comments (0)

Not gonna lie—our June 2010 visit to the opening of Universal Studios Orlando's Wizarding World of Harry Potter is definitely a highlight of our travels from the last few years. To some that might sound perfectly stupid since we're adults and can just as easily jet off to Phuket as to Orlando, but to those who've been and also found themselves similarly taken in, the sentiment is shared.

That's why today's news that Universal Studios Hollywood will get a Wizarding World of its own in 2014 or 2015 is so thrilling. That means, if all goes according to plan, that in a span of five years the United States will have become home to two Harry Potterlands selling chocolate frogs, running roller coasters and otherwise thumbing their nose at the UK, which doesn't even have one to call its own.

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Celebrate the Harry Potter Films One More Time at Universal Orlando's Wizarding World

November 11, 2011 at 12:24 PM | by | Comments (0)

As the final Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 makes its way to the DVD today, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando is hosting “A Celebration of the Harry Potter Films” this weekend.

Special vacation packages (which were sold out an hour after going on sale this summer) will give fans a chance to attend Q&A sessions and autograph signing events with Harry Potter cast members, including everyone's favorite ginger Rupert Grint. There will also be red carpet arrivals, galas and screenings of all eight movies at the AMC Universal Cineplex 20 at Universal CityWalk.

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Accio! Harry Potter Tour Tickets Go On Sale October 13

August 23, 2011 at 10:07 AM | by | Comments (0)

We know that the The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is awesome, but if you need a little something extra to get your Harry Potter fix you might just need to cross the pond. We’d heard that Warner Brothers was working on some sort of Harry Potter museum, and it looks like there’s finally a tentative opening date—Spring 2012.

There’s no rides or attractions here, so it’s hardly a theme park; however, unlike the Potter fun in Florida this is where the movies were filmed—so it’s like the real deal.

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Where To Get Your Harry Potter Fix Now That All The Movies Have Been Released

July 15, 2011 at 4:20 PM | by | Comments (0)

The last Harry Potter film may be hitting the big screen today but there will still be plenty of ways for fans to get their fix. Harry Potter tourism is booming. Here in the U.S. we're lucky enough to have The Wizardly World of Harry Potter, which just celebrated it's one one year anniversary in Orlando.

In the UK, a huge Harry Potter Museum is in the works at the studio where the movies were made, along with an on site Harry Potter-themed hotel.

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What You Need to Know as The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Celebrates One Year

June 20, 2011 at 5:27 PM | by | Comments (0)

Has it already been a year then? Universal Studios' The Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park just celebrated its first anniversary, after opening last June to much fan fare and continuting right through the winter and spring with crazy crowds. We were there on opening day, and although we're adults who travel around the world all year, being in the midst of that excitement still counts as one of the coolest things we did in 2010. The Wizarding World absolutely has the Jaunted seal of approval.

So, if you're heading down this summer for an icey mug of Butterbeer, a ride on the Chinese Fireball Dragon and maybe even a chocolate frog, there's a few things you need to know one year in:

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The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Celebrates Its Millionth Mug of Butterbeer

January 6, 2011 at 12:29 PM | by | Comments (3)

Who would've guessed that, prior to the Harry Potter phenomenon, so many people would be willing to shell out $13 each for a frothy souvenir mug full of a sweet swill that tastes like a cross between butterscotch and shortbread cookies? Butterbeer, a favorite warming drink taken straight from the Harry Potter books, has been adapted as a cold and frozen drink at Universal Studios' The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and today they announced that they've now sold over 1 million Butterbeers to visitors since the theme park-within-a-theme park opened back in mid-June, 2010.

According to our friends at MuggleNet, the occasion is being celebrated today as the park staff hand out vouchers for free Butterbeer to Wizarding World visitors.

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The Best Jaunted Field Trip Of 2010 Is...

December 30, 2010 at 1:08 PM | by | Comments (0)

It's that time of the year again, the time when the year just plain ends. Alas, we can't just let 2010 go that easily, especially since travelers spent it both up in the air and up in arms over a crazy range of topics, encompassing everything from nudie scans to tarmac delays. Needless to say, we're ready for 2011, but first we're taking a brief look back at the best of 2010 with the Jaunted Travel Awards,—or as we fondly refer to them—The Jauntys.

We write about travel all day here at Jaunted, and rest assured we're out there living it as well. We're a very mobile group of writers, all afflicted with the severest wanderlust, and thus it's no surprise that our archives are full of "Field Trips." Jaunted Field Trips are what we call week-long series of travel writing, where a Jaunted writer reports back from all corners of the globe, complete with photos, anecdotes, and tips to help you plan a trip to the same spot. The vast majority of these trips come out of our own pockets, and any exceptions are noted.

Of the many great series from 2010, the one that stood out for us was our front- and behind-the-scenes trip to opening day of Universal Studios Orlando's The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

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A Huge Harry Potter Museum is Coming to London in 2012

November 19, 2010 at 2:15 PM | by | Comments (0)

As if an entire amusement park wasn't enough, the Harry Potter franchise will include a museum by 2012. Warner Brothers has recently purchased Leavesden Studios in London, where all of the Potter movies were filmed, and is planning to open a Harry Potter Museum on the site.

Two new soundstages are being built to house movie memorabilia, including sets like Hogwarts and Hogsmeade, as well as personal memorabilia from the cast and crew.

Rupert Grint, who plays Ron, said they are even planning to recreate something far less fantastic: "They are going to make replicas of our dressing rooms in the Harry Potter museum in London. It's kind of a weird thought but it's such a special place, because I spent more time there than in my own home and to know it's going to live on is really great," He said.

Get ready Muggles; the museum is scheduled to open Easter 2012.

[Photo: EliteChoice]

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Harry Potter Has His Own Plane and You Can Fly on It

September 15, 2010 at 3:44 PM | by | Comment (1)

Okay, so we don't know how we missed this back in June—probably because we were too busy reporting on the theme park opening itself—but AirTran partnered up with Universal Studios to promote the newly-opened Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando with some new livery. The paintjob went on one of the airline's Boeing 717s, and although there's not Harry Potter on it, his hand is pictured almost coming out of the jet's engine to case magic from a wand pointing towards the nose.

We think we learned long ago that flying in an airplane isn't magic, but this is still a cute livery idea. The disembodied hand is a little unnerving, perhaps AirTran should have paid a little more to get Harry's likeness up on the tail? If Southwest can put Sports Illustrated supermodel Bar Refaeli on the side of one of their jets, then AirTran should be able to get a teenage boy on theirs.

We think there needs to be yet another Harry Potter movie: Snapes on a Plane!

If you're flying to Orlando International Airport anytime soon, keep an eye open for the magical wand plane and let us know if the hand creeps you out too.

[Photo: FlyingJ21]

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Maintaining a Wizarding World is Expensive: Universal Ups Ticket Prices

August 16, 2010 at 9:01 AM | by | Comments (0)

Is your theme park budget kind of hurting now that Mickey Mouse raised prices to access his kingdom? If so, you’re going to be a little short if you also want to visit Shrek, Spiderman, and Harry Potter as Universal Studios has gone the way of Disney when it comes to ticket prices.

Reacting to the parks right down the interstate, Universal Studios Orlando raised the price of a single park ticket to a whopping $82 per adult. No luck to save money by purchasing multi-day tickets either, as those passes are going up around $5 on average, depending on the length of the ticket. It’s pretty much across the board whether you’re ordering online ahead of time or waiting in line at the ticket booth—so do a little online banking to ensure you have enough cash for you and the crew before you leave for the park.

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Seattle Gets Its Very Own Harry Potter Exhibit

August 13, 2010 at 8:31 AM | by | Comments (0)

Universal Studios is the new mecca for all things Harry Potter, but if it’s just too far—or too expensive—to squeeze into the last few months of summer we have another option coming to Seattle this fall. The Pacific Science Center is getting the final things in place to welcome a Harry Potter exhibition starting on October 23.

The exhibit brings all sorts of props and costumes from the movies to the masses, but please remember to look and not touch. All items on display will be included within settings inspired by the Harry Potter films, so it will be just like stepping inside of the movies. Get ready to walk through the Great Hall as well as the Gryffindor common room. Unfortunately, we don’t think there will be any Butterbeer in the gift shop to whet your whistle on the way out of the exhibition.

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