6
Credit: Universal Orlando ResortUniversal Orlando Resort is home to many thrilling attractions, but the most magical experiences can be found in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter resides in both Universal Studios Florida and Universal’s Islands of Adventure and the two are connected together by the Hogwarts Express, which can be ridden by Guests who possess a Park-to-Park ticket.
In Diagon Alley at Universal Studios Florida, Guests can experience Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts, as well as many unique experiences like Ollivanders Wand Shop and The Leaky Cauldron. At Hogsmeade in Universal’s Islands of Adventure, allows Guests to take in the magical sight of Hogwarts and enjoy rides like Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, Flight of the Hippogriff, and Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure.
While the immersion is certainly magical, many Universal Orlando Guests say they’ve noticed one attraction is getting to be a bit outdated.
In a recent Reddit thread, user U/Phoenician_Dashcam said they noticed that Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, located in Hogwarts, needed upgrades both in animatronics and the screens used for portions of the ride.
“The whomping willow animatronic was completely inoperative during my stay,” the guest said. “I remember riding this in Hollywood and that whomping willow really appears to come very close to you! It’s a great effect when it’s operational. There were also a few projectors that appeared to have dead pixels that were distracting. In general, the projections looked a bit washed out and a bit dated.
“I would love to see some LED screens replace the projectors, similar to the 8K screen that is used in the Bourne show. I feel like the increased contrast and resolution could seriously improve the realism of the video scenes. Also this gives Universal some time to fix the whomping willow.”
Another user said they believe this ride makes them nauseous because of the lower resolution of the projections.
“This is one of the few rides like it that makes me nauseous, and I think it’s only because of the lower resolution/quality of the projections.”
Universal Orlando Resort performed a slight refurbishment to the attraction a couple of years ago, but the story and technology remained largely the same. The Resort is constantly looking to update its attractions and experiences, however, and maintaining the Wizarding World is always at the top of the list.
Universal Orlando Attractions Currently Undergoing Refurbishment
Revenge of the Mummy (Universal Studios Florida)
Revenge of the Mummy, the popular dark coaster that shut down in January, will remain closed for the month of March. As we’ve previously reported, Revenge of the Mummy is undergoing massive refurbishments and will be closed until late summer 2022. At this point, Universal Orlando has not announced if we’ll see a retheme, but there are some rumors that major changes are coming to the attraction. Some have shared rumors the ride could become a Universal Classic Monsters attraction, but with the Classic Monsters expected to be included in the all-new Epic Universe when it opens, this probably isn’t the case.
Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges (Universal’s Islands of Adventure)
Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges will close on Friday, February 25 and will not reopen until later in March. Right now, the scheduled reopening date is Saturday, March 19. Don’t expect any major retheme with this closure, this is just for scheduled maintenance.
Caro-Seuss-el (Universal’s Islands of Adventure)
The Caro-Seuss-el has been closed indefinitely now for over a year and will continue be closed in the month of March. The attraction is undergoing major refurbishments as it was reported it had roof issues. Right now, there is a large gray cover around the attraction, but no reopening date has been set.
Poseidon’s Fury (Universal’s Islands of Adventure)
Poseidon’s Fury has been closed since the pandemic, but the good news is that the walkthrough attraction is set to open in the near future. Universal Orlando has not set an opening date. There were rumors that the attraction could reopen in February and there have been Universal Team Members spotted around the attraction’s area, but no reopening has happened yet.
Universal Orlando Resort is full of fun experiences and thrilling attractions that you can’t miss. Outside of Diagon Alley, Universal Guests can enjoy Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit, MEN IN BLACK Alien Attack, Transformers: The Ride, Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem, E.T. Adventure Ride, and more at Universal Studios Florida.
Islands of Adventure has some fantastic attractions, as well, like The Incredible Hulk Coaster, Doctor Doom’s Fearfall, The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, Jurassic Park River Adventure, the all-new Jurassic World Velocicoaster, Skull Island: Reign of Kong, Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, and more! Volcano Bay is also open for those who want to get their splash on, and at the moment, Epic Universe is under construction with a potential 2025 opening date. Epic Universe is set to be the largest Universal Park in the world when it opens.
Are you planning to visit Universal Orlando Resort soon? Let us know in the comments.
If you want to visit Universal Orlando Resort, you can today! Click here to get your vacation started! You can go to Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure, then eat some dinner and grab a drink at CityWalk. Want to take a splash? Volcano Bay is ready for you. With so many fun events like Mardi Gras, Halloween Horror Nights, and more, Universal will give you an action-packed adventure like you are in the movies! And, who could forget about the Wizarding World of ‘Harry Potter’ where you can experience rides like ‘Harry Potter’ and the Escape from Gringotts and Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure! Also, in the latest Universal Parks News, the Epic Universe is currently under construction and set to open in 2025. Or, how about a trip to Universal Studios Hollywood to experience the movies?