Would you say the WWOHP theming is an attraction in itself?

[Magpie]

This thought occurred to me as I was answering another thread...

Would it be fair to say that the theme of the WWOHP counts as an attraction? I mean, I paid to go see the Travelling Exhibition when it was in Toronto, and I never once felt ripped off that there weren't rides. I paid to see the props up close. My husband said it felt like we were looking at historical artifacts, not props. It was surprisingly magical.

And from everything I'm reading... just walking through the WWOHP, I'm going to get to see the Monster Book of Monsters again - and this time it moves! Things apparently happen in shop windows (I read something about keeping an eye on the music shop window?). I can only imagine how many other little details I'll recognize from the books. Or my daughter - she's practically memorized them, so it'll be really fun watching her reaction to all the sights. Meanwhile, I can have a butterbeer and watch live performances by students... actually I REALLY want to see those boys from Durmstang!

So, those of you who've been there, would you say the theme of the WWOHP counts as an attraction in it's own right? Or would that only be the case for HP geeks, like me and my family?

 

[damo]

Just admiring the details definitely makes it an attraction in itself. That will just blow people away.

 

[Bradsdadg]

The theming and overall ambiance is the main reason why I want to go!! That and the cool shops...

 

[inkkognito]

I wouldn't pay full theme park admission just to see it, but it is remarkably detailed and themed and you can spend a ton of time there just admiring the shop window displays or sipping butterbeer outside the owl post with the birds overhead. I rarely do anything else in IOA when I go there now, although I do like to pop over to USF for a Rockit, Mummy and MiB ride. I guess WWoHP is no different than any other richly detailed theme park "land," but it has the built-in Harry hook that will cause people to spend more there vs. a generic area.

 

[glocon]

I guess it depends on how much you get into the whole Harry Potter craze. It for sure was for me and my 13 yr old son. You ARE in Hogsmead. That in itself is beyond anything I could have dreamed. FJ is great too though. But I loved walking through Hogsmead and the strores just as much as I enjoyed FJ. Hogsmead is like a fantasy come to life, it is just that good. Except for being too small, it is everything we could have hoped for. If all you like are rides, and you don't care about theming, you may not love it as much as we did, but if you have always wished to visit Hogwarts and Hogsmead, you will be thrilled.