Although British author and philanthropist J. K. Rowling wrote her first Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in 1997, and the last of the seven-volume fantasy series was published in 2007, the brand remains as popular as ever. New Harry Potter attractions and experiences continue to launch across the globe, with wizarding worlds now coming to Universal Epic Universe and Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi.
These will join myriad existing Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts offerings, from the Warner Bros. Studio Tour sites in London and Tokyo to the immersive lands at Universal’s theme parks around the world.
“Ultimately, the Harry Potter books are really great stories that stand the test of time. As a brand, it’s evergreen. The original generation that read the books when they first came out and saw the films when they were first released, they’re now wanting to share that story with their children, and their children’s children,” Geoff Spooner, senior vice president and general manager of Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making Of Harry Potter, told blooloop.
Keep reading to find out more about Harry Potter’s footprint in the world of location-based entertainment.
Harry Potter: Visions of Magic
Harry Potter: Visions of Magic is an interactive art experience inspired by the wizarding world. Currently in Cologne, Germany before a tour of Europe, the travelling attraction is a partnership between Warner Bros. Discovery’s themed entertainment segment and NEON, a global experience entertainment company.
In this immersive experience, guests discover environments based on locations from the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts series. For instance, the Ministry of Magic and Newt’s menagerie. Multi-sensory works are created with responsive video content, striking architecture, and unique soundscapes. Interactive technologies allow visitors to illuminate the invisible, exposing magical visions that bring the entire experience to life.
“Art and technology have been masterfully harnessed and brought together with the wizarding world to create a truly magical experience that puts the franchise on display like never before,” said Peter van Roden, senior vice president of global themed entertainment at Warner Bros. Discovery.
“Harry Potter: Visions of Magic embodies the immersive power of storytelling and the enchanting allure of the Wizarding World, inviting fans to celebrate the mystical realms they’ve cherished for years,” said Ron Tan, executive chairman and group CEO of NEON.
Harry Potter New York
The world’s first flagship Harry Potter store opened in New York in 2021. This themed retail experience features interactive elements, themed areas and handmade props. There is also a vast collection of Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts merchandise.
Technology is utilised across the innovative shop. Highlights include an interactive wand table and enchanted keys that unlock exclusive facts, stats and videos.
Karl Durrant, VP and general manager of Warner Bros. retail destinations, told blooloop:
“We are bringing the best of our retail offer, we’re bringing the best of our theming, and we’re bringing entertainment together in one space. We truly believe the Harry Potter Store New York is unique. There really isn’t anything else like this anywhere in the world; we believe it will be a first in the marketplace.”
Harry Potter: The Exhibition
This travelling Harry Potter exhibition has been making its way across the US and Europe since its launch in 2022. The attraction celebrates the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts films, as well as the wider wizarding world, using immersive design and innovative technology. It is now open in Macao, Barcelona and New York City, and launching in Munich in May. More cities will be announced soon.
The themed exhibition features 25 galleries containing costumes and props in recreations of sets like the Great Hall at Hogwarts and Hagrid’s hut. Guests can use RFID wristbands to activate unique experiences in each gallery based on their visitor profile.
“Harry Potter: The Exhibition uses best-in-class immersive design and technology to deliver an unforgettable personalised experience, and we are so proud and excited to bring this exhibition to life,” said Tom Zaller, president and CEO of Imagine Exhibitions, a leader in worldwide travelling exhibitions and entertainment.
Harry Potter: Magic at Play
Another touring attraction inspired by the wizarding world is Harry Potter: Magic at Play, currently in Seattle. Created by Original X Productions and Warner Bros. Discovery, the experience offers interactive and sensory activities for young visitors. Guests can attend classes at Hogwarts, play in Hagrid’s pumpkin patch, and explore the Forbidden Forest.
Magic at Play brings the magical world of Harry Potter to life in a “hands-on and tactile way that gives all ages but especially our younger guests the ability to experience and play”, said Van Roden.
“From the moment guests arrive, they are immersed in Harry’s story and are an active participant in their own journey through innovative play, experiential sets, games and more.”
A Forbidden Forest Experience
This nighttime woodland experience is brimming with magical creatures and wizarding wonders from the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts films. Currently in Singapore and Melbourne, Australia, it was created by Warner Bros. Discovery in partnership with Thinkwell, the global experience design and production firm.
Along the immersive trail, guests encounter Hippogriffs, centaurs, unicorns, Nifflers, and more. These are brought to life as custom computer animations and life-size dimensional figures. Visitors can interact with these magical characters and even cast their own spells. After their journey through the woods, guests find a welcoming village where they can eat pasties and drink Butterbeer.
Craig Hanna, chief creative officer at Thinkwell, told blooloop:
“We looked at all the Forbidden Forest moments to see what we could bring to life for our guests, how we could make the experience unique and special, and what interactivity we could bring in so people could lean into the experience and participate in it.”
Platform 9¾
Platform 9¾ – replete with its magical brick wall and disappearing luggage trolley – can be found at King’s Cross, London. This recreated scene from the Harry Potter series is visited by more than 2 million fans every year.
Also at Platform 9¾ is a Harry Potter shop, styled to look like Ollivanders wand emporium. This was the first-ever Harry Potter shop to open in the world outside of a themed visitor attraction.
Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi
The only Harry Potter attraction yet to be opened on this list is the upcoming land at Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi. Announced by Miral in 2022, the new land will be a first in the Middle East. Fans of the franchise will find themselves in iconic locations from the wizarding world. Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, chairman of Miral, said the company is “excited to be bringing this spellbinding first to the Middle East and the world in the future”.
“The wizarding world offers something for fans of every age to enjoy,” added Pam Lifford, president of global brands and experiences at Warner Bros. Discovery. The Harry Potter books and films “continue to captivate and inspire hundreds of millions of fans around the world”, Lifford said. “Together with our lands at Universal Parks, this will add a wholly new and spectacular destination for fans to immerse themselves in.”
Miral’s CEO, Mohamed Abdalla Al Zaabi, told blooloop:
“I don’t want to compete with others, but I think, in terms of what we do at Miral, this will be the next level of our projects. I always tell my team that every time we should deliver something better than before, and that is what we have done with Warner Bros. World, Ferrari World and Yas Waterworld. It will certainly be a very immersive experience. I’d love to see new types of rides – I’d love to see more thrill rides. I want to push more.”
Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo
Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo – The Making of Harry Potter is a new permanent attraction for Japan.
Through detailed immersive interactives like stepping into a Quidditch game and casting a Patronus, the new studio tour allows visitors to experience filmmaking magic. Visitors can see props, costumes, special effects and models used to make the iconic films. In addition to famous sets like Diagon Alley and the Great Hall at Hogwarts, there are exclusive sets such as the Ministry of Magic.
“You can visit the Ministry of Magic and Diagon Alley and you can explore your favourite parts of Hogwarts Castle. You can venture into the Forbidden Forest, you can step onto the Hogwarts Express at Platform 9¾,” Spooner told blooloop.
“We’ve got some fun interactives that you can experience, and you can get up close with all those exquisite costumes and props from the films. We’ve also been able to show how the special effects evolved from Harry Potter to the Fantastic Beasts films. And, of course, everyone should be reassured that you do get to ride a broomstick!”
Warner Bros. Studio Tour London
This London-based attraction is the original Harry Potter studio tour. Since opening in 2012, the venue has welcomed more than 18 million visitors.
The facility documents more than 10 years of behind-the-scenes filmmaking secrets and contains iconic sets, authentic props and original costumes from the films. Sets at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter include the Forbidden Forest, the Great Hall, Platform 9¾, Diagon Alley, the Gringotts Wizarding Bank, and Professor Sprout’s greenhouse.
Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood
Unlike the aforementioned studio tours, this site in Hollywood is not exclusively focused on the wizarding world. Still, it does include magical attractions inspired by Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts, including Harry’s cupboard under the stairs at Privet Drive and the Great Hall, where guests can wear the Sorting Hat.
Guests can also practise wand moves, make potions, visit the herbology classroom, and explore Newt Scamander’s shed.
Wizarding worlds at Universal Orlando
Universal Orlando is already home to two wizarding world-themed areas – Diagon Alley at Universal Studios Florida and Hogsmeade at Islands of Adventure. The resort will also soon house a Ministry of Magic land at Universal Epic Universe.
At Diagon Alley, guests can dine at the Leaky Cauldron, see a wand choose a wizard at Ollivanders wand shop, and take a thrill ride on Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts. With a park-to-park admission ticket, guests can travel between Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade on the Hogwarts Express.
In the Hogsmeade land, visitors can discover a snow-capped village with enchanted shops and a cosy tavern, and discover the corridors and classrooms of Hogwarts.
Attractions on offer in this Wizarding World of Harry Potter include Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, a thrilling coaster ride through the Forbidden Forest and the grounds of Hogwarts. Flight of the Hippogriff is a family-friendly coaster, while Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is a motion-based dark ride.
Over at Universal Epic Universe, the new Ministry of Magic land is based on 1920s Paris in the Fantastic Beasts film franchise and the British Ministry of Magic from the Harry Potter series. In a conference call in 2019, Comcast execs said: “In some of our parks, Harry Potter drives an incremental attendance of two million people.”
Harry Potter at Universal Parks
Universal Studios Hollywood, Universal Studios Japan, and Universal Studios Beijing are also home to wizarding worlds. These parks contain many Harry Potter attractions. Highlights include an Ollivanders wand shop, the Three Broomsticks restaurant, and the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey and Flight of the Hippogriff rides.
