Alohomora! Universal Pulls First Look at Hogwarts Theme Park Out of a Hat

 
Over at Jaunted, they’ve got the first images of what promises to be a new Mecca for children and emotionally stunted adults (e.g. us), “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” at the Universal Studios Orlando theme park. Seeing as how Spider-Man his superhero friends from Marvel will soon be heading down the highway to Disney World, there’s now room at the Orlando family fun park for the spires of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry torn right from the pages of J.K. Rowling’s novels (or Warner Bros. movies, whichever you prefer). True, Universal Studios resorts are not exactly the most cultured, mature places to spend the day. But we’d be big, fat liars if the image of these towers rising above south Florida didn’t get us just a little bit (ok, a whole lot) excited. We understand that the faux Hogwarts will be home to a multi-media amusement ride of some sort, but we’re wondering how they’re going to replicate the school’s famously Scottish weather under those tropical skies.
 

There are other ways to live the movies, of course. If you taste is more “North by Northwest” or “Casino Royale” than “The Sorcerer’s Stone”, pick up one of our Film + Travel guides to find the real places and buildings in your favorite flicks.