Just wrote the following article for my site and I thought I'd share it with you guys as a way to thank you for linking to my crowd calendar. Here it is:
Top misconceptions about the Wizarding World of Harry Potter
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is over a year old now. (By the way, I was there for the one-year anniversarycheck out the video at the bottom of the post.) Despite its maturity, there are still plenty of misconceptions that persist. Lets take a look, shall we
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is its own theme park
The oldest and still most prevalent misconception is that the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is its own theme park. This misconception was brought on originally by the fact that Universal Orlando branded the area as a theme park within a theme park, as you can see in this 2009 article from OrlandoSentinel.com:
Each of Orlandos theme-park resorts is promoting new attractions this year, but its something that wont open until next year that really has people talking.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, the $200million-plus theme park within a theme park that is scheduled to open by next summer in Universal Orlandos Islands of Adventure, has sparked a near-constant stream of speculation about just how the resort will bring Harry Potters universe to life.
Sometime in 2010 management got wise to all the confusion the a nifty-sounding claim created and dropped the term. However, the misconception continues now because of the next item on the list
You do/dont need a separate ticket to get into the Wizarding World
I have spent literally over 100 hours around and inside the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Thats why I know that the one issue that raises the most confusion for guests who are actually visiting the park is the WWoHP reservation and return ticket system. The confusion is brought on by the fact that, to this day, Universal Orlando does not publish a single piece of information about the systemtheres nothing on their website and nothing in print at the parks. Further adding to the confusion is the fact that the system is only periodically used, and the system itself has changed several timesin several significant wayssince it was first introduced.
To go back to the first item on this list, the over ambitious marketing terminology mixed with the need for some guests to some times get a separate ticket for entrance into the Wizarding World perpetuates the misconception that the Wizarding World is its own park.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is an all-new area
While the Wizarding World of Harry Potter was a $265 million expansion of Islands of Adventure, and it is now the largest island in said park, it is far from being all-new. In fact, of the three official attractions inside the Wizarding World, only Forbidden Journey was built from scratch. The other twoDragon Challenge and Flight of the Hippogriffhad previous lives as Dueling Dragons and Flying Unicorn. Before you cancel your travel plans, you will be happy to know that Hogsmeade Village is practically all-new. Speaking of Hogsmeade
Is it Hogsmeade Village is Diagon Alley?
Hogsmeade Village, the lower area of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, is not Diagon Alley. The tiny town with bent chimneys is meant to represent Hogsmeade Village. This misconception persists mostly because Ollivanders Wand Shop is located in Diagon Alley according to the Harry Potter books and movies. So how did it end up in Hogsmeade Village? Ive been told that the location in Hogsmeade is a franchise of the original Ollivanders. You have to applaud the successful small business owner.
The Wizarding World is the only place you can buy official wands
While were on the topic of Ollivanders, lets put to rest a two other misconceptions. First, Ollivanders Wand Shop at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is not the only place in the world where you can purchase official Wizarding World wands. When the area first opened, it is true that they only sold official wands inside the gates of Hogsmeade Village. However, that has changed considerably over the last year, and now you can purchase official wands throughout Universal Orlando, at the Orlando International Airport, and even online from Universal. (Visit this page to learn more about where to buy wands.) The other Ollivanders misconception
Everyone visiting Ollivanders gets to have the wand experience
I think most guests arriving at the Wizarding World know by now that the longest wait is going to be for Ollivanders. What many do not realize though, is despite the fact that your family may wait up to two hours in the sun to get inside Ollivanders, not every family entering the shop will get to have the wand experience. Indeed, only one lucky Muggle out of the group of about 20 people gets to have the wand choose him or her. Everyone else is a happy, or not-so-happy, spectator.
I have another five or so other misconceptions in the article on my site, but I'm going to cut off the article here so this doesn't become to large to post. If you want to see the rest, you can
click here.
Thanks again for sharing my Universal crowd calendar!