More Magic Coming Soon to Universal Orlando

in Theme Parks, Universal Orlando

A young boy wearing a 'Harry Potter' robe and glasses selects a wand.

Credit: Universal Orlando Resort

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter continues to grow.

Among the release of Hogwarts Legacy and rumors about new films coming to the franchise, Universal Orlando’s Wizarding World is growing along with it. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Universal consists of two areas, one in each park. Universal Studios has Diagon Alley, which offers Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts, the Leaky Cauldron, and several shops and shows. Guests at Islands of Adventure can wander through the village of Hogsmeade, riding Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, Flight of the Hippogriff, and Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure before grabbing a bite to eat at the Three Broomsticks and making their way through the shops.

hogwarts express at universal studios florida
Credit: Universal Orlando Resort

The Harry Potter areas in the Parks are incredibly immersive, where Guests can buy their school robes and other accessories, including a wand. Guests can decide if they want to purchase the wand of their favorite character, or get a wand that is personal to them. The wands also come in two types, non-interactive and interactive. The interactive ones are able to be used throughout the Wizarding World in both Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure in order to interact with the areas around them.

three young Guests visiting Hogsmeade at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Universal's Islands of Adventure at Universal Orlando Resort
Credit: Universal

The wands come with a map, showing witches and wizards what parts are interactive, what spells to use, and how to cast the spell. The Orlando Business Journal has announced that Universal has filed two new patents for their wand technology.

The first patent states,

System and Method for Tracking a Passive Wand and Actuating an Effect Based on a Detected Wand Path: The technology allows for a user with a handheld object such as a wand to use specific gestures to activate certain effects in their environment.

Hogsmeade Universal Orlando
Credit: Universal Orlando Resort

This seems like it could be improved technology for the wands as they currently are, allowing Guests to have an easier time using the interactive elements and environments in the Parks. The second patent seems a little different, stating,

Interactive Animated Character Head Systems and Methods: Identifies a system where an animated head on a character can respond to pre-determined signals from an interaction between the character head and the guest.

This seems like it will be something new altogether. The inclusion of “character head” almost implies that Guests will be able to interact with some sort of new character type coming to the parks. It could also just mean a brand new interaction with a different type of item than Guests have seen before.

The new patents show that the Universal Parks are hard at work trying to improve the interactive and immersive elements that they provide, allowing Guests to truly feel like they’re part of the world of Harry Potter.

in Theme Parks, Universal Orlando

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