Tag: Universal Studios

View All Tags

/ / / / / / /

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]

/ / / / / / /

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.

more ›

/ / / / / / /

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.

more ›

/ / / / / / /

Inside and All Around Universal Orlando's Halloween Horror Nights 2011

Where: 1000 Universal Studios Plaza [map], Orlando, FL, United States, 32819
October 19, 2011 at 10:08 AM | by | Comments (0)

Universal Studios Orlando is in the midst of its annual spooky-fest, Halloween Horror Nights. Each fall crowds converge on the park to experience the transformation; during the day the park welcomes guests of all ages to experience Shrek 4D, ride ET's bike, and hug Curious George while at night—for 15 nights every fall—the park turns itself into a big screen-like horror movie.

Eight writers work year round to come up with the themes and schemes that inhabit Universal's annual Halloween Horror Nights. While the details, both cinematic and thematic, are incredible, you have to wonder if maybe the eight writers got a little too intricate with some of these ideas (Spanish fort run by a mutinous undead crew of Columbus' missing fourth ship—we are looking at you). After all this isn't Lost. However, despite some of the themes being a bit convoluted, some are just downright scary (Saws n' Steam), some are incredibly visually compelling (Nevermore), and some just might be the future of fright (The In Between house).

We toured all eight haunted houses and here's what we think, in order from scariest to not so scary:

more ›

/ / / / /

Got 'Visit a Haunted Mexican Village' on Your Bucket List?

September 9, 2011 at 9:48 AM | by | Comment (1)

The calendar just turned to September, but it’s already time to start thinking about the end of October and thus, Halloween. Stores already have bags of the sweet stuff lining the shelves in advance of trick-or-treat season, and the folks at Universal Studios are ready to scare us silly.

Out in Hollywood it’s only a few more weeks until the frightening bits move into the park, and as in past years there will be plenty of mazes, scare zones, and even a special "backlot experience."

more ›

/ / / / / /

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:

more ›

/ / / / / /

And the Next Movie Universal Studios is Turning into an Attraction is...

May 19, 2011 at 11:22 AM | by | Comments (0)

It was almost this time last year that Universal Studios Orlando's Wizarding World of Harry Potter opened, and we're not ashamed to say our time at the park created some of our most memorable and fun moments from 2010.

Instead of resting on their laurels, Universal just announced more improvements and new things coming to their Orlando park, although these won't be ready until next year. The biggest deal is that the movie Despicable Me will become a 3D "experience" ride to replace the Jimmy Neutron one already in place. Here's the lowdown on that:

more ›

/ / / / / / /

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.

more ›

/ / / / /

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.

more ›

/ / / / / / /

World's 'Merriest' Coasters: The Incredible Hulk During Grinchmas at Universal Orlando

December 2, 2010 at 9:07 AM | by | Comments (0)

Even though Florida is hardly known for its winter weather, it hasn’t stopped theme parks like Universal Studios Orlando from getting into the holiday spirit. In addition to their lineup of rides and attractions, there’s plenty of trees, lights, as well as red and green versions of everything. While it’s a little difficult to string lights from a booming steel roller coaster, the surroundings still make one of its coasters one of the best this holiday season.

The Incredible Hulk Coaster sits around the corner from Harry Potter and his friends at the Islands of Adventure Park, and there’s really no way to miss it as it’s got to be one of the largest structures present within the park. In line for the coaster you think that all is going well, except that once you pass through an unattended science experiment, things get a little crazy—Santa needs to remember not to bring this kid a chemistry set next year. Buckle in and the coaster accelerates up to 40mph in just two seconds—while going up hill—and that’s when you’re turned into the Hulk.

more ›

/ / / /

Universal Studios Hollywood to Get an Infusion of New Attractions...Eventually

December 1, 2010 at 10:35 AM | by | Comments (0)

It’s easy to pick out the world’s best Universal Studios theme park, as there’s only one with an entire wizarding world devoted to Harry Potter. The theme park out in Hollywood—despite being the only one with an actual movie and television studio—must be getting a little jealous of its brother in Florida so it’s out to change a few things.

A new long term plan for Universal Studios Hollywood spills a few secrets about where the park is headed over the next 20 or so years, and reveals that as many as seven new rides and attractions might be joining the park's lineup. Known as the "NBC Universal Evolution Plan," it means some of Jack Donaghy’s colleagues are looking to spend $3 billion to create new spots to spend cash at CityWalk as well as new places to film a little television and movie stuff.

more ›

/ / / / / /

The Top Three Theme Parks Celebrating Halloween

October 14, 2010 at 10:36 AM | by | Comments (0)

If you’re looking for a side of spooky with your fall theme park trip, there’s plenty of ghouls and ghosts hiding at parks across the country. While many parks are quick to put scarecrows and pumpkins by the ticket gates, there are only a few that have scares that rival their roller coasters. We took a look at three of these parks, and here’s what we found:

· Howl-O-Scream at Busch Gardens Williamsburg:
Despite the park’s big plans for the next few summer seasons, there’s still plenty of cash left over to celebrate the season. Howl-O-Scream has arrived at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, and, after dark, the park transforms into a place with plenty of frightening features. Just one of six haunted houses is Hunted, and here visitors make there way through 17th century Germany to search through the remains of long lost werewolf hunters. The park rates this one as five pumpkins out of five pumpkins—so we’ll take that as a good sign.

There’s plenty of shows where you can sit down and catch you breath, but just make sure you don’t miss some of the other haunted houses like Bitten and Catacombs. Tickets for the fall fun costs $64 if you order online, and that gets you access to the park for the whole day—as the scary stuff only comes out at night. Now through Halloween the park is open on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, so start planning your trip.

more ›

Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy (Revised 08/01/2011). © Condé Nast Digital. All rights reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Condé Nast Digital.
Ad Choices