Credit: Inside the MagicIf you’re a Harry Potter fan looking to dive into the magic later this year, think again.
It’s been nearly 30 years since JK Rowling released “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” which means we’re approaching three decades of Harry Potter mania.
Related: ‘Harry Potter; May Remove ‘Fantastic Beasts’ From Canon, Reboot Could “Adopt” Trilogy
Since the first Harry Potter book’s release, fans of all ages have been captivated by the wizarding world.
The series – which follows a young orphan and his two best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, through their years at Hogwarts and fights against the evil Lord Voldemort – has raked in billions, with its adaptations and spinoffs boosting the entire franchise’s value to a whopping $25 billion 2016 (a number that has most likely surged in the years since).
A significant portion of this value can probably be attributed to its theme park attractions. Since 2010, Universal Studios theme parks worldwide have opened rides, stores, and restaurants inspired by the series under the name The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
The first debuted at Universal’s Islands of Adventure in Orlando, Florida, which has since served as the blueprint for near-identical lands in Universal Studios Hollywood, Universal Studios Japan, and Universal Studios Beijing.
This meticulously crafted area is built in the image of Hogsmeade, featuring iconic landmarks from the Harry Potter universe, including the towering Hogwarts Castle, the bustling shops of Hogsmeade, and three attractions: Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, Flight of the Hippogriff, and Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure (the latter of which is an Orlando exclusive).
Technically, the land also features a fourth attraction. However, this one is shared between Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida, where a second Harry Potter area opened in 2014.
The Hogwarts Express – which replicates the magical train journey taken by Harry and friends from London to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry – transports guests between Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley, a land based on the wizarding shopping street of the same name.
This ride features cameos from Dementors, Hedwig, Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane), and even Harry, Ron, and Hermione. (Unlike the films, only Ron is voiced by the OG actor, Rupert Grint, with other actors stepping in to fill the roles previously taken by Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson). For added realism, the attraction also features a recreation of King’s Cross station on the Universal Studios Florida side.
While this experience gets pretty close to immersing fans in the world of Harry Potter, there is one way Potterheads can have an even more franchise-accurate experience of the Hogwarts Express – by visiting the actual King’s Cross Station.
Related: Is a ‘Hogwarts Legacy’ Movie In the Works?!
Over the years, hordes of Harry Potter fans have made the pilgrimage to the London train station. The station typically caters to fans, even adding a Harry Potter gift shop selling similar merchandise to Universal Studios, as well as a faux-Platform Nine and Three Quarters, complete with a trolley halfway on its way through the barrier.
Come September 1 (the day on which Hogwarts students return to school), the station also typically throws a miniature celebration for fans. This involves a countdown to its 11 a.m. departure time, as well as a listing on the departures board.
Fans attend this celebration en masse every year – often clad in Hogwarts robes and bearing wands, much to the chagrin of actual commuters trying to navigate the already busy station mid-morning.
For that reason, this year’s September 1 celebration has officially been canceled. King’s Cross Station announced the decision via a press release, warning fans not to visit the station.
Come 1st September, fans are strongly discouraged from attending Kings Cross Station this year, as there will be no event, departure board or countdown held at the station.
However, the station has announced an alternative way to mark the occasion. King’s Cross has recruited reality star Sam Thompson to host a “specially recorded online program made in celebration of Back to Hogwarts,” which will go live on the official Harry Potter YouTube channel at 11 a.m. on September 1.
Fortunately, while there may be no in-person Harry Potter celebration this year (and, with this writer having firsthand experience of trying to navigate King’s Cross crowds at the best of times, we wouldn’t be surprised if discouraging fans from visiting becomes an annual occurrence), there are still plenty of fun wizarding adventures around the corner.
Next year will see Universal Orlando Resort add a third Wizarding World of Harry Potter area to the park – this time inspired by the Ministry of Magic. Meanwhile, Amazon’s Audible is currently working on a new audio adaptation with a cast of over 100 voice actors, while HBO is in pre-production for a seven-series reboot of the series.
Have you ever visited King’s Cross?