Flight of the Hippogriff

"The Wizarding World of Harry Potter" section of Islands of Adventure opened in June 2010.  The "Wizarding World of Harry Potter" section of the adjacent Universal Studios Florida opened in July 2014.  Similar Harry Potter areas opened at Universal Studios Japan in July 2014 and Universal Studios Hollywood in April 2016.

J. K. Rowling originally was working with Disney to bring the Harry Potter franchise to Disney parks and signed a letter-of-intent in 2004, but a negotiated agreement was never reached.  Three years later, Universal Studios announced an agreement with Rowling and Warner Bros. to bring Harry Potter to the Universal parks.  There are stories floating around that Rowling made demands that the Disney corporation was unable to meet.  For example, she required that every building be small with normal-sized entrances while Disney really wanted massive shops with large entrances and exits.  This picture gives a little hint into the cramped and crowded feelings that one encounters in this area of the park.  Additionally, Rowling required nearly absolute creative control over the project in perpetuity, while Disney was unwilling to yield control over to Rowling.  The end result was that Universal Studios got a wonderfully immersive, if somewhat cramped, Harry Potter world that has increased the parks' attendance as well as profits.

©2020 by Joel A. Rogers.