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Warner Bros. were present at Licensing Expo 2016 in Vegas, with exclusive merchandise from Fantastic Beasts and a statement on further projects:

“As we head into Licensing Expo 2016 and look to the year ahead, we’re focused on forging new and innovative partnerships with premiere licensees and retailers, continuing to build strong franchises, and delivering great product and experiences to our consumers,” said Pam Lifford, president, Warner Bros. Consumer Products.

“By strategically leveraging our world-class franchises, we’ll continue to offer our new and seasoned partners more consumer engagement opportunities, best-in-class product and expanded fan experiences.”

Licensing.biz reports:

“To celebrate the film’s debut, Warner Bros. Consumer Products will roll out an all-new programme including a robust publishing push, apparel, toys and collectables, housewares, stationery and more.”

Warner Bros expand on this with a statement on how Fantastic Beasts will be marketed using ‘themed entertainment initiatives’:

• Fantastic Beasts Are Coming: The Wizarding World franchise has been captivating fans since the release of Harry Potter and is now expanding to include new characters, creatures and locations with the debut of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, hitting theaters November 18. To celebrate the film’s debut, Warner Bros. Consumer Products will roll out an all-new program that extends the Wizarding World fan experience with best-in-class products and partnerships. These cross-category opportunities will include a robust publishing program, inspired-by apparel, toys and collectibles, housewares, stationery and more.  

• Harry Potter’s Immersive World:  A global phenomenon, Harry Potter is one of the most beloved franchises around the world.  As J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World expands – from Harry Potter-inspired themed lands in Florida, Japan and Hollywood, to globally touring exhibitions and concert series – WBCP and its partners continue to deliver immersive high quality experiences to extend the journey for the legions of current fans and new generations to come.

Based on these new initiatives, a new Harry Potter Production team has been established by Warner Bros. The new team is called the Harry Potter Global Franchise Development Team (HPGFD), and will be dealing with all future Potter-related projects, including films, Warner Bros Studio Tour in London, theme parks and digital products (i.e. Pottermore).

Polly Cochrane will operate as Chief Marketing Officer of the team, as well as group marketing director for Warner Bros UK and Ireland.

Read more about the team here.

We look forward to seeing the new Fantastic Beasts merchandise!

Yesterday, an opening ceremony took place for the newest attractions at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Japan: Wand Studies and Wand Magic.

Information on the new attractions are below (thanks to Mugglenet for the heads up!):

Wand Magic                      

 A special Interactive Wand is now available at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Japan that offers guests the chance to cast spells. Guests will search for magical points hidden in several locations in the area based on the Wand Magic Map. To lead guests to a successful magical experience, Wand Assistants at respective locations will give personal interaction to each and every guest.

Wand Studies

This is a show-style attraction in which students of the four Hogwarts houses practice how to cast spells while receiving support from guests.

Actresses Alice and Suzu Hirose helped cast spells to greet fans and demonstrate the new experiences on offer, including Wingardium Leviosa and Locomotor (which was used to levitate the Weasley’s infamous Ford Anglia!).

Check out Mugglenet’s photos and videos from the event here, and be sure to watch Universal Studios Japan’s exciting video of the demonstration below!

ウィザーディング・ワールド・オブ・ハリー・ポッター™に新アトラクションが誕生！広瀬アリスさん、すずさん姉妹が新たな奇跡の“魔法体験”に感動！ #世界一の別世界へ #USJ https://t.co/OIf9ChjML3 https://t.co/NkgrVp0QUu

— ユニバーサル・スタジオ・ジャパン公式 (@USJ_Official) April 12, 2016

Adding to the torrent of great interviews from the grand opening of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Hollywood this week, SnitchSeeker have posted interviews with Tom Felton and Warwick Davis,  on which attraction they think should be added to the park.

Tom Felton stayed loyal to his character, saying he’d love to see Malfoy Manor, and even said he’d agree if he was asked to be involved in the process of making it!:

“I would like to see Malfoy Manor – obviously a bit biased there. I think it would maybe make a good ghost house or some sort of like spook train or whatever. There’s enough dark sides of that house to scare any child, I think. Yeah, there’s more look forward to. Something tells me this isn’t the end of it.”

On Fantastic Beasts, Tom Felton was confident that the newest venture in the cinematic Wizarding World will live up to Potter fans’ standards:
SnitchSeeker: What are your thoughts about the Fantastic Beasts series? What are you hoping to see, as a fan, as part of the series?
Tom: No expectations. I haven’t thought about it. I know it’s the dream team. You’ve got Heyman, Yates and Rowling back together, so they can’t really do much wrong, I don’t think. I have every faith in their ability to convert Jo’s work to the best of their abilities. I just think it’s exciting that she’s keeping the flame going, in a different sense. She’s creating more content.

SnitchSeeker: What would be your advice to that cast, just coming into this fan base, for Eddie Redmayne and everybody else?
Tom: I don’t think they need to take advice from us. We don’t share any similarities, really. At 9 and 10 years old, we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. They know exactly what they’re getting themselves into. And Eddie’s an Oscar-winning actor. The last thing he needs is advice from me.

Tom also spoke about his career choices, and projects he’s currently involved in:

SnitchSeeker: What do you have coming up, project-wise?
Tom: Something released? A few things this year. There’s an animation film called, Sheep & Wolves, there’s a British spy film called, Stratton and a film that I just did with Troian Bellisario, an American drama called, Feed. I have no idea when any of these films will be out, but I know they will be at some point. This year’s going to be mostly commercial.

SnitchSeeker: You pick so many different projects. How do you choose them? What motivates you?
Tom: Just people. I don’t particularly go for character or story. I mean, it all plays a part, but I’m more interested in working with people that I get on well with. I don’t consider the outcome to be the reward or the result. I just purely base it on my experience, and what comes out of it is really neither here nor there to me. If the Harry Potter films were a complete failure, I still would have loved them as much as I did. So yeah, just enjoying the experience.

Watch SnitchSeeker’s video of the interview below, and read the full interview here.

Warwick Davis also told us what he’d add – he takes a dark route, similar to Tom – it’d definitely be interesting to see some sort of haunted mansion-esque ride with the darker places in the Wizarding World featuring somehow!:

SnitchSeeker: If you had a voice in how to expand the Wizarding World here or in Orlando or even Japan, what would you like to see come to life?
Warwick: I would like to see Azkaban. I’m intrigued about what goes on in Azkaban. We hear about it but we never really get a chance to see in Azkaban. So I think that’d be interesting.

SnitchSeeker: How would you envision it?
Warwick: A dark experience, wouldn’t it be? It’d be spooky, kind of like a Haunted Mansion-type thing that they have at Disneyworld. You go through and it’s one of those exploratory rides that takes you through. Lots of shocks and stuff, and really into special effects.

Speaking on Fantastic Beasts and Cursed Child (which Warwick admitted he’d love to have a part in),  Davis seems just as excited as Tom, with all the trust in Jo Rowling and Jack Thorne to give us amazing stories, and links this to the abilities of the theme park to add to the Potter stories in ways we’d never imagined:

SnitchSeeker: So Fantastic Beasts and Cursed Child, it’s basically a new chapter in the entire Wizarding World. What are your thoughts on it – starting with Fantastic Beasts?
Warwick: Fantastic Beasts will, I believe, give us another glimpse into the Wizarding World J.K. Rowling’s imagined. That’s quite exciting, isn’t it? It’ll be a slightly different perspective of that world. I’m looking forward to seeing the movie.

SnitchSeeker: Have you poked J.K. Rowling to get her rolling there? Because we know there are goblins in Fantastic Beasts?
Warwick: You don’t know who to drop hints to, these days. I used to do that with Star Wars. That was my old trick. If there’s a character, I would hope that they would ask me to do something. As I said, I’m just excited that they’re actually going to make some more stuff that gives us another look into that world. 

As do things here in the Wizarding World. Forbidden Journey is a chance to experience further adventures – something you don’t see in the movies. So all of this stuff expands on it. The play in London will also do a little bit more of that, as well. It’ll be a slightly different glimpse into the world.

SnitchSeeker: So what advice would you give to the actors in Fantastic Beasts, as somebody whose been surrounded by millions of fans over the years? They’re about to hit that, as well.
Warwick: They’re certainly going to find it an interesting experience. And one I should imagine they’re preparing themselves for because, obviously, when we made the first Harry Potter film we knew the books were really successful, there were two books out at that point. 

We never had a concept of how successful the movie was going to be. And then the fact that we were going to go and make eight in total. So at this point I imagine they actually have some idea like, “Yeah, this could be pretty huge, this.” But, you never can tell, but they’re always going to be known for being cast members in Fantastic Beasts. That’s what’s going to happen.

In terms of projects he’s working on, Warwick is very secretive – SnitchSeeker try to get us some hints, but to no avail, unfortunately! We look forward to the eventual revealing of his role in films to come:

SnitchSeeker: So what’s coming up for you, project-wise?
Warwick: I’m in loads of stuff at the minute. Much of it I can’t talk about, which is a shame, but rules of secrecy exist quite prominently in the film industry now. There’s lots of exciting things, but stuff I can’t talk about. Sorry.

SnitchSeeker: Possibly back in Star Wars?
Warwick: Again, I couldn’t talk about it.

Again, see SnitchSeeker’s interview with Warwick below, and read the full interview with him here.

Catch more with Tom, Warwick and other Potter actors from the event here and here!

The red carpet event celebrating yesterday’s grand opening of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Hollywood took place on the 5th April.  Leaky fans were on the ground covering the event, which you can read about here, but of course there are more interviews with the Potter cast than we can count!

Here are some of the best below:

Entertainment Weekly sought after the actor’s questions for J.K. Rowling since the series finished filming.

James and Oliver Phelps wanted to know what happened to George after Fred’s death:

OLIVER: I think with George, it would probably be what does he do with the company. Like, does he expand it? Or does he just keep it as homage to his brother? Or does he go, we’re going to open it up elsewhere?

JAMES: Did he franchise it?

Oliver Phelps came up with a great theory regarding Fred’s ultimate fate, which he told Seventeen:

“I think he’d dive into the family business even more and try to make it even better in Fred’s memory, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Fred was a ghost in the shop.”

Tom Felton told Entertainment Weekly that he missed Draco, and had endless compliments for J.K. Rowling regarding the character:

“There’s a beautiful understanding between him and I, I think. I miss him. I miss him a lot. But Jo has such a wonderful way of making these characters so rich and full anyway. I suppose all the things that I don’t know are assumed. But I also know that Jo is an endless wealth of knowledge so if I ever have anything that was puzzling me, I know she’d be more than happy for me to ask her. You’ve got me picking my brains now. I’ll have to message her tomorrow.”

Evanna Lynch obviously had the most questions about Luna – being a huge fan of the books, she wanted to know more about Luna’s family:

“I think the big blank is her mom. I’ve always wondered what she’s like. We’ve just been told her name is Pandora and that she died doing an experiment, and I just wonder, I really am curious what was her relationship with Luna? Because obviously she’s so close to her dad, and I find that there’s always one parent that you have more in common with or that you confide in more, and I wonder … was that her mom? Or just what kind of person she was.”

Make sure you catch the full article from Entertainment Weekly here.

You can also read a hilarious exclusive interview with Tom Felton playing ‘Marry, Snog, Stupefy’ with Bustle here, and a snippet from the interview below:

“When given three names of Harry Potter characters, Felton must choose which he’d most like to marry, snog (kiss), and stupefy, which, according to Harry Potter wiki, to stupefy someone means to “render a victim unconscious and/or halt moving objects.” So basically, it’s a less morbid version of the “kill” option most muggles are accustom to.

But before I can give him three options, Felton declares: “I’d snog Bellatrix.” …. I remind him of the rules — I give you the three options, Tom — and we begin.”

MSN also spoke to Evanna Lynch, about the roles she is currently looking for, which appear to steer away from ‘darker’ roles in shows such as The Walking Dead:

“I really just want to do characters a I really love,” Lynch told AAP on the red carpet at the grand opening of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios in California.

“There are other scripts that come along and I see them but I don’t really have the passion unless I connect with the character.

“I am sick of zombie movies, all these things about undead people. I want things that make the world lighter rather than scarier.

“Everyone says it’s so good but I hate zombies and that kind of violence.”

She also commented on J.K. Rowling’s constant development of the wizarding world – which we know she is excited about and understandably wanting to be involved in! Evanna spoke about what she’d like to see from any sequels involving Luna:

“She (Rowling) has created another world and made it so rich and varied and interesting and I feel like it will never end,” Lynch said.

“I’d love if she did a sequel, I would love to know more about Luna and I feel like there is a lot more to explore.

“I would love a wildlife show with Luna and a documentary series.”

Read the MSN interview in full here.

She revealed her thoughts on whether she thought the pairing of Neville and Luna should have gone any further to Movie Pilot:

“Definitely not. I think he’s very much a homebody, a stay-at-home dad. And Luna wants to go out and explore the world and different creatures, and I think she wants to have several different relationships and not be committed forever. Neville would want a good sturdy wife who cooks, and that’s not her.”

Evanna also gave Extra a VIP tour along with James and Oliver Phelps, which you can view below:

Warwick Davis also attended the event, and spoke to Hollywood Life about the how he’d feel about appearing in Cursed Child. Of course, he’d be more than thrilled:

“To be back in something that has been created by J.K. Rowling and something that goes on to have a life beyond that is exceptional and it would be lovely to do that!”

“I love performing, I am an actor. This is what I love doing So however I manage that and have that manifest itself is a great pleasure!”

He also revealed his aspirations for TV:

“It would be to have a chat show, I mean that is my last bucket list to take on”

“I have done everything else in my career that I have wanted to take on and what I want to do but the chat show still remains elusively something that I would still love to do and a thing that I think I could do very well!”

Read the full interview at Hollywood Life here.

SnitchSeeker also caught up with James and Oliver Phelps to ask them about the theme parks, and about the newest ventures into the wizarding world (Fantastic Beasts and Cursed Child). They posted a video of the interview (below), and you can catch their transcript here.

Make sure you catch our full coverage of the event at this link!

Tuesday night, Harry Potter stars, Hollywood stars, the esteemed John Williams and many CEOs gathered to celebrate the red carpet premiere of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Universal Studios Hollywood. The new Harry Potter theme park opens today, April 7.

Leaky had two very willing Leaky and Harry Potter fans, Christina and Jeasica, were on the ground for Leaky, covering the event as our volunteer freelance reporters! Christina and Jeasica were on the red carpet, asking our favorite Harry Potter stars, and several others, questions.

Many stars were in attendance for the event, and answered a few questions on the red carpet. As the press release stated, those guests included:

John Williams conducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, Warwick Davis (Professor Flitwick), Tom Felton(Draco Malfoy), Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood), and James and Oliver Phelps (Fred and George Weasley), Stuart Craig (Production Designer, Harry Potter films and “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter”), along with Hollywood celebrities, including Chris Hardwick (comedian/host, “Talking Dead”), Vanessa Hudgens (“Grease Live”), Sarah Hyland (“Modern Family”), Mindy Kaling (“The Mindy Project”), Jennifer Jason Leigh (The Hateful Eight), Alanna Masterson (“The Walking Dead”), Ed O’Neill (“Modern Family”), Thandie Newton (Crash), Greg Nicotero (Executive Producer, “The Walking Dead”), and Billy Bob Thornton, among others.

Also attending are Larry Kurzweil, President, Universal Studios Hollywood; Tom Williams, Chairman & CEO, Universal Parks & Resorts; Mark Woodbury, President, Universal Creative; Ron Meyer, Vice Chairman, NBCUniversal; Kevin Tsujihara, Chairman & CEO, Warner Bros. Entertainment and L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti.

Film director and producer Stephan Spielberg, who had an interest in adapting the Harry Potter books to film in the early stages of developing movie rights, was also in attendance. Spielberg was not chosen to direct or adapt the first Harry Potter film, as Jo and Warner Bros. felt Chris Columbus was a better fit. Mr. Spielberg was accompanied by Larry Kurzweil, Tom Williams, Mark Woodbury, and Kevin Tsujihara on the red carpet:

Jeasica and Christina conducted brief interviews with the stars. The video clips of this can be seen below.

The first is with Warwick Davis, talking about his favorite part of the Wizarding World theme parks. We were excited to watching John Williams conduct the L.A. Philharmonic Orchestra too!

[MORE VIDEOS COMING SOON]

The red carpet questioning was followed by a beautiful ceremony. The presidents and CEOs of Universal and Warner Bros, and the Mayor of Las Angeles gave speeches about the theme park and the magic it will bring to the Hollywood area. John Williams and the Harry Potter stars were introduced.

Leaky’s Jeasica and Christina had great seats to watch the introduction ceremony, and captured these clips of the speeches.

Tom Felton, Evanna Lynch, and Warwick Davis entered stage the same way all other guests and speakers entered. The Phelps twins–in proper Fred and George style–rolled in, driving the Weasley car:

The ceremony included a performance by the Hogwarts frog choir, and concluded with a magnificent light show on the castle that featured all four Hogwarts Houses, and was accompanied by John Williams conducting the L.A. Philharmonic!

One of the ever-mysterious Pottermore correspondents was at the event, reporting on the Harry Potter site’s behalf. They too, talked to stars and captured beautiful photos of the event.

Pottermore talked with Billy Bob Thornton on his visit to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. He was there with his daughter, who is a big fan of the series. Pottermore reports:

‘She’s really into it,’ Thornton admitted. ‘Half the stuff she talks about, I don’t know what it means. She and her best friend have secrets they won’t tell us about. I think they take something out of Harry Potter and they invent their own worlds.’

With a string of iconic roles under his belt, does Mr Thornton think he would make a good wizard?

‘Well, I’ve been called a wizard, and a few other things, so who knows? I’ve cast a spell or two in my time.’

Pottermore talked to other stars about who they thought were Hollywood wizards, saying:

‘Blake Lively,’ affirmed Jaime Camil, of Jane the Virgin fame. ‘I saw her Instagram today and she said she was up to no good.’

Comedian Chris Hardwick has clearly thought about this question before.

‘[George] Clooney is definitely a wizard.’ He announced. ‘It’s the smoky eyes. Clooney is definitely a guy that was, like, President of the Hogwarts school newspaper. President of everything.’

Pottermore also caught up with the Harry Potter cast, and talked to them about the nostalgia of visiting the Harry Potter theme parks. Pottermore reported:

‘You just feel immersed in it,’ James admitted. ‘You forget you’re not at Leavesden Studios filming. You still feel – I don’t mean to be cheesy – but the magical thrill of it.’ In full Fred and George style, James and Oliver even turned up to the bash in the iconic, blue Ford Anglia.

While Warwick Davies waxed lyrical about how much he loved the Butterbeer, Evanna Lynch, who is famously a huge fan of the books, was simply soaking in as much atmosphere as possible.

‘When I see new things in the park, I get excited and I feel spoiled that I get to go wherever I want,’ she enthused. ‘I love coming back here every time.’

‘It’s a bit like walking through your old school’, [Tom Felton] told us. Felton promised to return often, and recalled that, last week, he had wandered around for about an hour without anyone noticing. 

‘Hogwarts as a whole is a wonder to be around, so the fact that we have it a few meters behind us all is special.’

‘It’s my childhood,’ the actor added.

To read the entire Pottermore account of the night, and see the beautiful photos they uploaded, read the original article here.

You may view the entire ceremony here:

Wednesday, the the Harry Potter stars gathered for a media panel and one-on-one interviews, and the park opened to the general public (and press) in the very early hours of this morning.

Evanna Lynch told Leaky’s Christina, coming off the Ride of the Hippogriff, that she enjoys the out door rollercoaster. We do too, Evanna, we do too!

James and Oliver Phelps answered questions for Harry Potter’s official Facebook page. This video can be seen below:

Warwick Davis and Evanna Lynch were next in the Facebook hot seat. They too answered fans’ questions, and this video can be seen below:

Fox News reporters were also dressed up in their house robes, interviewing fans.

Tonight, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Universal’s Hollywood theme park is hosting their Red Carpet Premiere. Universal Studios has a live update available on their Twitter. The event has a live feed streaming through YouTube, which can be viewed below.

Leaky is proud to have two of our fans at the event, Christina and Jeasica,  volunteering as free lance writers for us. The press call is at 4:30 pm PT, so we will be hearing more soon.

According to the Wizarding World Press Release, the following people will be in attendance at the red carpet event:

Legendary Oscar, Emmy, Golden Globe, BAFTA and Grammy award-winning composer John Williams conducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra; Harry Potter film talent, including Warwick Davis (Professor Flitwick), Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy), Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood) and James and Oliver Phelps (Fred and George Weasley), Stuart Craig (Production Designer, Harry Potter films and “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter”), along with Hollywood celebrities, including Chris Hardwick (comedian/host, “Talking Dead”), Vanessa Hudgens (“Grease Live”), Sarah Hyland (“Modern Family”), Mindy Kaling (“The Mindy Project”), Jennifer Jason Leigh (The Hateful Eight), Alanna Masterson (“The Walking Dead”), Ed O’Neill (“Modern Family”), Thandie Newton (Crash), Greg Nicotero (Executive Producer, “The Walking Dead”), and Billy Bob Thornton, among others.

Also attending are Larry Kurzweil, President, Universal Studios Hollywood; Tom Williams, Chairman & CEO, Universal Parks & Resorts; Mark Woodbury, President, Universal Creative; Ron Meyer, Vice Chairman, NBCUniversal; Kevin Tsujihara, Chairman & CEO, Warner Bros. Entertainment and L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti.

Please stay tuned to Leaky for more!

As the USA Today reported through their Twitter and SnapChat, they toured the new Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Universal Studios Hollywood with Harry Potter’s Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy). Yesterday, after the wave of social media updates, USA Today put together a full article of the pre-opening tour of the park that Tom also gave some lucky fans!

The article includes a video introducing Tom and showing a time-lapsed clip of the different parts of the Harry Potter park that they toured. The video shows Tom and the USA Today news correspondent going through Zonko’s Joke Shop, Honeydukes, buying wands at Ollivander’s. Take a look:

USA Today also uploaded a series of images, a few of which can be seen below. The article stated:

He might have played villainous Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter films, butTom Felton’s appearance in person at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Hollywoodbrought pure joy to fans.

One euphoria-frozen fan even burst into tears as Felton, 28,  walked the grounds of the major attraction, which officially opens Thursday.

For the British actor, who now resides in Los Angeles, it was emotional stepping back into the world he inhabited for eight Harry Potter films.

“It is really cool to have a place like this to come back to,” says Felton. “Every time I get homesick, I can come here and re-live a bit of my childhood.”

Tom Felton, with years and years of background knowledge having spent his childhood on a set very similar to the parks, gave USA Today and fans suggestions of what needs to be done with their time spent in the Wizarding World park: fans must get a Butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks, getting a wand at Ollivander’s, purchasing robes (or Hogwarts school wear) at Gladrags Wizardwear, and getting some sweets and toys at Zonko’s/Honeydukes.

Tom Felton described his experiences on set compared to those at the theme park, saying:

Felton inducted USA TODAY’s reporter into Malfoy’s Slytherin house with an impromptu robe ceremony (and lethal tie-fitting) at Gladrags, the Hogwarts wizarding apparel store. The robes are legit: Felton pointed out the hidden, built-in wand holder and pockets.

“When we were filming, they sewed these pockets up because I would put chocolate and sweets in there,” says Felton.

Honeydukes candy is a hit with Hogwarts students and Felton, who enjoyed the chocolate frog and Bertie Bott’s Every-Flavour Beans. Proceed with caution, though — some of the unique jelly bean flavors are gross.

“It’s a fun game, you give them to your friends — the good ones first and then the bad ones,”  says Felton, chewing away. “I think I just tried earthworm.”

It is also important to explore Hogwarts. Even if one does not want to ride the Forbidden Journey, fans can walk through the castle in a separate line market out for “Castle Tours.” Tom Felton walked through the castle in the Hollywood park, feeling “joyous and happy.”

More photos of the day, and the entire USA Today article, can be read here.

On April 7, this coming week, Universal Studios Hollywood will be laying down the red carpet for the grand opening of the new Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park. It is a highly anticipated event with many special guests.

A few Harry Potter alumni have already made their way to the park to enjoy the magic it has to offer before the grand opening unleashes much loved chaos with thousands of adoring fans waiting to be immersed in a world they have grown to love through books and films.

Evanna Lynch loves the wizarding candy from Honeydukes, and posted a picture of her blue tongue on her Instagram:

USA Today showed Tom Felton around the park, and documented their magical day on SnapChat and Twitter:

Draco Malfoy is giving us a tour of #WizardingWorldHollywood! Follow on @Snapchat https://t.co/7uXZl0RDLW pic.twitter.com/g18JxLMDef

— USA TODAY Life (@usatodaylife) March 31, 2016

Want a peek at @UniStudios‘ #WizardingWorldHollywood from @TomFelton? Follow us on @Snapchathttps://t.co/7uXZl0A2nmpic.twitter.com/dUM8YUfD48

— USA TODAY Life (@usatodaylife) March 31, 2016

Similarly to it’s Orland location, Universal Studios theme parks expect to strengthen their financial position with the opening of the Harry Potter park. As Fortune Magazine and many other news sources noted last week, the Potter parks have been a large source of income for Universal Parks. Fortune reported:

From the cobblestone alleyways to the snow-capped roofs, fans of Harry Potter will be able to immerse themselves into a new “Wizarding World” attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood, and the theme park is betting on their purchasing power.

[The] “Wizarding World” is what the theme park is banking on. Comcast CMCSA 0.13% reported a revenue increase of 27% to $3.3 billion from its Orlando, Fla., and Hollywood, Calif. locations in its 2015 year-end report.

The company said revenues were bolstered by Orlando’s new Harry Potter world, which features two lands, Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley, connected by the Hogwarts Express train. An additional ticket is required to visit both lands in one day.

The full article may be read here. The grand opening of the park is expected to be as wonderful as the opening for the park in Orlando, and we hope that Universal will not disappoint–with John Williams in attendance, how could they?

Leaky is looking for a devoted fan going to the theme park grand opening, who would like to freely volunteer to be free lance writer for the event! Please contact [email protected] if you are interested. Thank you!

This morning, Pottermore released the list of special guests that will be attending the opening of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Universal Studios Hollywood.

Among those in attendance are Harry Potter stars, Warwick Davis, Tom Felton, Evanna Lynch, James Phelps and Oliver Phelps for the red carpet Grand Opening on April 5.

For this Wizarding World, they are bringing in the most magic they can. The actors will be joined by very special guest, the brilliant John Williams. The Oscar Award-winning composure of Hedwig’s Theme and other movie scores we know and love so much, will be joining the others on the red carpet. We certainly hope a full orchestra will be following in toe, and Mr. Williams will take up the baton to provide the music for the night!

Pottermore reports:

“A new magical world is lying in wait. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter opens on 7 April at Universal Studios Hollywood.

“And to celebrate, Harry Potter actors…will be on the red carpet at the Grand Opening on 5 April.

“They’ll also be joined by a very special guest: Oscar-winning composer John Williams, who scored the first three Harry Potter films, including the iconic Hedwig’s Theme.

“Following in the footsteps of Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Japan, the Hollywood attraction will bring back some of the fans’ favourite rides, as well as a few new surprises.

“For example, the ride Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey – which is featured at both the Orlando and Japan theme parks – will bring new state of the art 3D-HD technology for the first time in the US, promising visitors a trip with a, well, whole new dimension. The Flight of the Hippogriff will be Universal Studio Hollywood’s first outdoor rollercoaster.

“Until the opening day, you can obsessively check for updates on Universal Studio Hollywood’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages while you wait.”

Rumours are flying about The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando hosting a Yule Ball, amongst other exciting potential holiday additions.

The Orlando Informer started the hype, with reports of a research survey revealing plans to add to or modify holiday offerings at the park, specifically around the Christmas period (a Yule Ball, therefore, would be perfect!):

“The special holiday party, which the survey explains would hypothetically take place on select December nights, would include special performances, ride access, a delicious holiday treat, and non-alcoholic beverages. Pricing was a large topic when surveying about this event, with the survey asking how much is too expensive and too low.”

Specific ideas relating to the Wizarding World are as follows:

• A nighttime show at Hogwarts Castle using 3D projection, lights, and more (included with park admission)
• Holiday party in both Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley on select nights in December, including delicious holiday treats and beverages (separately ticketed event)
• Yule Ball and Great Dance Hall Dinner – “guests wear dress robes and dine/dance at a festive holiday Yule Ball with themed music, dancing, food and beverages.” (separately ticketed event)
• Special holiday performances by the Frog Choir, London Street Buskers, and other holiday themed surprises in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Whilst these (*very exciting*) proposed ideas aren’t set in stone in the slightest, the mere presence of the surveys suggests that Universal want to know what guests are interested in the most. Getting the word out and encouraging them to make it happens seems the least we could do to get us all a fantastic Yule Ball, as a US alternative to the amazing events held at the Warner Bros. Studio Tour in London.

We’d love to attend, and I bet you would too!

Read more about ideas proposed by the guests here, and let us know any ideas you have via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!

Universal Hollywood’s The Wizarding World of Harry Potter have just announced a very exciting competition, called The Hogsmeade Hunt!

Scour participating websites for wizarding items, and for each item found, you’ll be automatically entered to win a VIP trip for 4 to Universal Studios Hollywood (where you can see the new Wizarding World of Harry Potter), and daily instant giveaways of Harry Potter Collectible Hero Wands!

The competition is unfortunately only open to residents of the US and District of Colombia. It ends on the 21st March, so get playing! Partner websites to find the ‘wizarding items’ on are listed below:

Enter your details here, and check out the rules here.

In the run up to the April 7th opening of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Hollywood, the theme park is planning ahead to try to manage operations around this time.

Their new pricing policy will reflect popular demand, so will charge higher for this period of massive fluctuations in visitors (attendance jumped almost 30% in 2011 after the installation of a ride at the Wizarding World in Orlando, and after new installations in 2014 revenue was boosted by double digits).

LA Times reports:

“Under the pricing policy launched Tuesday by Universal Studios, tickets bought at the gate remain $95. But visitors who book tickets online for low-demand days — such as a weekday in February before Harry Potter opens — can save up to $20.

“During weekends and peak demand days during spring break or summer, parkgoers save only $5 by booking online.

“Universal wants people to plan ahead, which will help it manage its operations. Parkgoers can lock in prices by buying tickets online for dates through the end of September. People who procrastinate might see online prices fluctuate depending on last-minute demand.

” “Demand-based pricing not only helps maximize ticket revenues, but also provides a tool to shift price-conscious consumers to less-busy days,” said Michael Erstad, senior consumer analyst at New York-based ITG Investment Research. “Spreading visitations throughout the week may help improve the overall customer experience at the park.” “

Basically, if you’re wanting to be one of the first to see the Wizarding World in Hollywood, be prepared to pay their high prices. Alternatively, plan around these high-demand dates and go at a period expected to be less crowded!

Unfortunately, this last weekend, Leaky wasn’t able to attend the Harry Potter Celebration in Orlando. However, we do have marvelous Harry Potter fans who follow our site, and we invited them to share their experiences of the celebration.

Chelsea Kleven, a Senior Production Editor for a Central Florida newspaper, was the first to share her experience with us. The following review of the Harry Potter celebration is written by Chelsea Kleven. (Click to enlarge photos)

I had no expectations for the Harry Potter Celebration weekend. My friend Amy and I had heard about the Harry Potter Celebrations before, but had never been to one. We live an hour from Universal Studios and both have annual passes to the park, and this year, we decided to see what it was all about. We figured it would be over-crowded and impossible to do anything all day, but since we have been to the park and experienced this many times before, we didn’t mind.

Amy and I both work for a daily Central Florida newspaper. I’m a designer, and she has a design background but now works on special projects and social media. We are both HUGE newspaper nerds, which inspires our love for the Daily Prophet (even though it seems Daily Prophet is written by many crooked journalists in the books.)

We headed straight for Hogsmeade Village when we got to the park, though we normally go to Diagon Alley first (that way you can ride the train from King’s Cross to Hogwarts like you would at the start of a school year. We’ve given this a lot of thought.)

When we looked up the schedule for the Celebration events, we discovered there was a graphic design panel happening in about 45 minutes in Hogsmeade. Perfect! We had just enough time for a ride Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, and run over to the panel. 

For as big of a Harry Potter fan and design nerd as I am, I had absolutely no prior knowledge of Minalima, the graphic design duo behind the Harry Potter films. Their talk was short and sweet, but still awesome. I had no idea what being a graphic designer for a film was like.

They began with a short video showing clips of their work as seen in the films. They discussed how many people don’t realize how every paper, poster, package … everything!…has to be created by a graphic designer. 

Minalima spent a large amount of time creating a realistic world for these characters to interact in, but often, their work is rarely seen in the final film. For example, they said they spent 7 months working on all of the elements for Fred and George’s shop, when it was only seen in the film for about a minute and 30 seconds.

They weren’t bitter about this at all though. They seemed thrilled to have been a part of the films, and lucky to help bring authenticity to the magical world. Another example of their hard work was how they designed all of Hermione’s books for Deathly Hallows. However, the books, too, were never even seen in the film. All they got was a sound of the books falling over in Hermione’s beaded bag. 

They discussed how the parks were such a dream for them, because they were now able to show their work in a place where people were able to really stop and look at it. Park-goers could pick up boxes, look at advertisements on the walls of Diagon Alley, and really absorb the detail that went into everything.

The duo also discussed their favorite pieces to create, which were the Daily Prophet and The Marauders Map. The Daily Prophet is my absolute obsession, so I was busy snapping hundreds of pictures of all of the close-up images of the Daily Prophet and didn’t absorb much of what was said about it.

As far as the Marauders Map, they really reiterated how they wanted to pump the personality of the characters who created the map into their design. It wasn’t about their personal design aesthetic, it was about bringing authenticity to the object. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs were crafty and intelligent, and they wanted the map to be a reflection of those qualities.

The map was drawn BY HAND based off of architectural maps that had been created for the set. The hand drawings were scanned in and developed into what you see on film. When the map was  first created, there was a small mistake on it. They had included the Room of Requirement. Someone on the team realized that the room was not supposed to appear on the map, and went back through the whole process to take the room out.

After the graphic design panel, Amy and I headed over to the other park where the Harry Potter Expo was located. After chatting with some people at the design panel, we learned there was a wall covered in Daily Prophets at the expo and we had to check it out. We went first to Diagon Alley and had lunch at the Leaky Cauldron, complete with a Dragon Scale beer, and (it is our tradition on every visit) we sat on the stoop of the Daily Prophet office and took a photo.

We didn’t have to wait very long to get into the expo, though it was pretty crowded. We caught a glimpse of people being sorted into houses by the sorting hat on the way in. 

The expo wasn’t quite as large as we were expecting. There was a large stuffed Fluffy you could take photos with, and a large Fawkes perched from the ceiling. A giant Lego replica of Hogwarts and some other movie props were on display. A wall blank wall was available for fans to write “What Harry Potter means to you.”

There was a booth handing out posters of the cover of the illustrated Sorcerer’s Stone, and a place to take a Quidditch themed photo. At the Pottermore booth, there was a large map of the new wizarding schools around the world. [Click to enlarge photo]

Minalima had a booth set up as well, which was where the Daily Prophet wall was. Amy and I took about 394 photos in front of it. Mira Mina and Eduardo Lima were there signing prints they had for sale. They also had a spread of some of the movie props they had designed, such as a copy of Advanced Potion Making, a stack of Qibblers, and pamphlets on “When Muggles Attack.”

There was a cool display of school letters hanging from the ceiling and trailing on the floor, that was previously featured in their gallery exhibit last month. The graphic designer in me was overjoyed.

There was a studio tour at the expo as well, but the line was incredibly long so Amy and I decided to skip it. And it was lucky we did, because when we left we realized the cast Q&A panel had just begun nearby. We stood towards the back of the crowd, but we still could not believe we were actually seeing the cast answer questions. We had no expectations going into the day of even catching a glimpse of them, so it was an awesome surprise.

Overall the day was amazing. There had been a lot more to do and see over the whole weekend, but we were completely happy with the little bit we got to experience. Maybe next time we’ll try and see more of the events – I highly recommend making a visit!

The final live stream from Universal Orlando’s A Celebration of Harry Potter was broadcast today. The live Q&A featured a panel of members from Universal Orlando’s creative team, who were there to talk about bringing the magic and wonder of the films to life in the theme park. The live stream itself was quite short, and can be watched below.

https://www.periscope.tv/w/1YqGozLMBWlKv

Today’s Q&A related to yesterday’s prop discussion in that many of the props used in the films were recreated for the theme park. A few fascinating tidbits were revealed, including that there are 106,000 props in the theme park version of Diagon Alley, and 29-30,000 in Hogsmeade. Universal Orlando’s official Twitter account also posted a few interesting pieces of information during and after the live stream:

This panel discussion marked the final official event of A Celebration of Harry Potter, but if you’d like to relive some of the glorious details from this magical weekend, take a peek at Pottermore’s highlights.

Trip Advisor and Universal are hosting a Wizarding World Sweepstakes called “The Ultimate Harry Potter™ Trip Around The World.”

One grand prize winner will have the chance to visit all of the Wizarding World theme parks (starting at the grand opening of the Hollywood location, then unto Orlando and Japan) and end their adventure at Warner Bros. Leavesden Studio Tour: The Making of Harry Potter.

Fans may register for a chance to win this sweepstakes on the Trip Advisor website, here. Good Luck!

Last Friday, IGN published an interview with Rupert Grint covering everything from his latest appearance in Moonwalkers to his attendance of A Celebration of Harry Potter next week. Entertainment Weekly published an interview on the same day, and extracts from both can be read below.

During the interviews, Grint spoke about working with Fantastic Beasts actor Ron Perlman – hopefully we can expect to hear more about Ron Perlman on the set of Rowling’s newest screenplay!:

IGN: You and Ron Perlman together is an interesting pairing. He seems like such an intense guy in his onscreen presence. What’s he like to work with?

Grint: I remember first meeting him. He’s such an imposing guy. He’s huge. He’s Hellboy! So I was kind of quite scared. He’s really sweet and hilarious and has so many stories. He’s hilarious and fascinating to be around and he’s really funny as well. You don’t really associate him with comedy but he was cracking us up, especially in that scene where he’s tripping acid. I remember it took us a few takes to get that right.

Much alike his recent interview with IMDb, Grint spoke about the differences of working on a huge budget film like Potter, to working on a smaller film like Moonwalkers:

IGN: Having worked on movies with big special effects sequences, was it fun to do a film where you’re purposefully trying to portray a goofy side to it, with these guys trying to pull this stuff off, bouncing around on wires, out of control?

Grint: Yeah, that was one of my favorite scenes, I think, was messing around with wires in an astronaut suit. We were surprised how easy it is to recreate the moon. It really did look very realistic. It was a very different experience from Harry Potter, but in a way I find it a lot more fun. it’s quite exciting. The story for this whole film is very spontaneous and had this crazy energy where you never knew what was going to happen next or what was around the corner so it was very exciting to work with.

He was also asked about his opinions on Fantastic Beasts and Cursed Child, and no longer being a part of the cinematic (and theatrical) process of building the Wizarding World:

IGN: The first teaser for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them was recently released. Is it interesting for you now, having been a part of Potter for so long, to sit back and observe and just be a spectator?

Grint: It wasn’t a thing I had thought a lot about until now, when things kind of started to move. It’s a weird feeling but also it’s great. It’s an amazing testament to J.K. Rowling that it’s kind of living on even more. It’s exciting. I’m really looking forward to seeing it and it’s going to be really different. It’s a different perspective and a different side to the magical world. I’m looking forward to it. It’s an amazing cast. Ron’s in it – Ron Perlman! It’s very surreal but I’m looking forward to it.

IGN: I imagine it’s also pretty surreal for you that the Harry Potter play is happening. Again, it’s a testament to what Rowling has created, and there will probably be a lot of people that portray these characters down the line, but is it strange for you that someone else is playing Ron Weasley for the first time?

Grint: Yeah. It’s kind of weird. It will be very strange to watch. I’m looking forward to it. it’s very fresh and it feels like a new thing. It didn’t feel like that long ago we were filming the last film. it’s great that it’s living on. It’s all really exciting.

He also says he’s excited to be attending A Celebration of Harry Potter next week, and that he’s still astounded by the loyalty of Potterheads:

IGN: You’re appearing at and event at the Wizarding World in a couple of weeks in Orlando, and obviously see the fandom has not gone away. I’m guessing there were moments in the middle of it where it was a bit overwhelming. Now, in some ways, are you able to appreciate it a bit more?

Grint: Completely, yeah. When we were filming it, you don’t get a huge sense of that because you’re in that moment and it’s a laborious kind of routine. You get lost in that. Since we’ve finished, it’s really amazing to see how loyal [fans are] and people haven’t really forgotten about it, which is amazing. It makes you feel very proud to be a part of it. It’s great. I’m looking forward to Orlando. It’s great to see everyone still really excited and enthusiastic about it.

Rupert also spoke about the ‘unusual’ type of film Moonwalkers presented itself as, saying that he was surprised by the end result:

IGN: This is a fun, unusual concept. How did they first describe Moonwalkers to you and what was your reaction?

Rupert Grint: It kind of blew me away. It was just ridiculous. I had known about this conspiracy theory before because I’m into all manners of conspiracy and this just seemed like so much fun. I can really see it. I met the director [Antoine Bardou-Jacquet] and he’s crazy himself, very French, and he just had this vision. It was great fun. I was working with two amazing actors, Robert Sheehan, who I’d worked with before, and Ron Perlman, who was great. It was this crazy kind of two months in Belgium. It was good fun.

IGN: The film opens and it’s quirky comedy, but then it gets pretty intense on the action side. Is that appealing to you when a movie can take a quick veer like that?

Grint: I didn’t realize it was that violent until I saw the finished product. At no point was I concerned with how graphic some of the violence is, so it was quite a shock when I saw that. But yeah it just adds to the craziness and stupidity of it. it’s a lot of fun. It’s an hour and a half of mayhem.

During Entertainment Weekly’s interview, Rupert also discussed conspiracy theories, and how Moonwalkers make him feel differently about their plausibility:

“It felt really free and spontaneous,” Grint says. “We had the freedom to do what we wanted. You get that sense watching it that it was fun to make.”

Grint says he’s always been interested in conspiracy theories. Despite Moonwalkers’ obvious farcical aspect, he says it did make him think twice about the real life moon landing. The film, in fact, remains slightly vague about whether the actual moon landing was successful or not.

“The conspiracy was something I’ve always read a lot about, but I kind of dismissed it,” Grint says. “Filming this, it gave me a few second thoughts. Our fake moon was easy to make, and a lot of the film is pretty ambiguous either way. That’s quite a human instinct as well, coming to your own conclusions that not everything you’re told is real.”

Entertainment Weekly also discussed Rupert’s views on the extensions to the Wizarding World universe in their interview, and apparently it makes him ‘feel kind of old’ – we’re with him on that front – Deathly Hallows was finished by Rowling nine years ago last week, and this year marks the 15th anniversary of The Philosopher’s Stone!:

“It feels very strange not to be involved in that world anymore,” Grint says. “It’s nice to see it from a different angle. I think both projects are both kind of reinventing it. They kind of feel like their own things, which is really cool. It’s really amazing to see it move on and still be relevant to people.”

Grint, for one, is happy to see the franchise continue to stay relevant even after he has moved on.

“It makes you feel kind of old,” Grint says. “I never would’ve dreamed this. You thought people would just forget about it. I meet new people every day and see that new generations are discovering it. It makes you proud to have had a part in it. I’m really looking forward to the play, and the cast of Fantastic Beasts is amazing. It’s gonna be great.”

Read more from IGN’s interview here, and Entertainment Weekly’s article here. Make sure you see Moonwalkers – now out on Netflix, and watch out for more updates from A Celebration of Harry Potter!

Hypable is reporting that plans for a Wizarding World theme park expansion in Universal Hollywood were hinted at last week.

The LA Times reported that a Diagon Alley expansion would be placed right next to Hogsmede, leaving fans wondering how they will incorporate a ride on the Hogwarts Express. Answering many frequently asked questions, the LA Times said of the expansion:

Is there room to grow in California?

It’s not inconceivable to imagine the powers that be at Universal wondering where they would put a Diagon Alley sequel in Hollywood should Wizarding World prove as popular on the West Coast as it has on the East Coast.

While space is tight at the Hollywood park, a Diagon Alley expansion of Wizarding World is reportedly envisioned for the Waterworld stunt show arena location, according to a source who has seen the blueprints. 

However, Hypable picked up on rumors that fans have discusses, placing the Diagon Alley expansion further away. Though a large, steep hill may prove too hard an obstacle to overcome. Hypable reports:

According to Harry Potter canon, these two areas of the Wizarding World are far apart. Given how much effort Universal has put into the detail of their Wizarding World lands, we hope they’ll dream up a way to make these two fit nicely together.

Or maybe Diagon Alley won’t go right next to Hogsmeade. Universal Hollywood fans on USHForums.com have heard from their own sources that Diagon Alley plans are being discussed, and one person claiming to have a source says plans called for the expansion to be built in the lower lot where The Mummy ride stands. That would separate Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley by a very large hill — a steep one that a train probably couldn’t travel on.

The new Wizarding World of Harry Potter–Hogsmeade open in Hollywood this April.

In anticipation of Universal Orlando’s Celebration of Harry Potter weekend and upcoming vacation season, my sister has written a special touring report for witches and wizards heading to the Wizarding World this year.

Now that the lines have died down slightly, it is completely possible to follow in Harry’s footsteps and experience all that Universal Orlando’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter has to offer in one day.

I come from a family of theme park vacation planners and our typical plans aim at maximizing fun while minimizing walking and lines. This is not that plan. This plan attempts to fully immerse you in the wizarding experience the way it unfolded for Harry. You should get to everything you want to do, but wear comfortable shoes and bring ibuprofen because you will spend some time on your feet.

Logistics

First, you will need to invest your child’s college savings in a single day 2-park ticket that includes access to both Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. It is a lot to spend on one day, but it is the only way to experience the Hogwarts Express ride between the parks. I justified to it to myself that I could always go to one park or the other on a subsequent trip and my sister really needed me to write this report. Do whatever it takes to relieve your guilt and purchase this ticket. To whoever is reading this, thank you for your part in clearing my conscience.

You may have heard about Universal’s locker policy for certain rides. They are free for the duration of the rides that require them and we did not face much frustration, so feel free to bring whatever you want to carry to the parks – including lots of snacks and toys for the kids. Just kidding. We all know you have to be eleven for admission to Hogwarts and that is about the age required to get through this single day plan successfully.

I do recommend bringing as many photo-taking devices as possible. Feel free to dust off your old point and shoot if you don’t want your phone to die before the galleon shot.

One word of warning is regarding the security “process” recently instated. Unless you want to wait in a long line walking in place on a mobile walkway, I suggest parking at least 45 minutes before opening. After getting through, head right and enter through Universal Studios.

London

Your Wizarding World journey will begin as it did for Harry – in London. Take a brief look around the telephone booths (dial MAGIC for a message from the Ministry) and cabbies’ shelters. You can also try asking an employee where you can find Diagon Alley. I overheard one who responded they had “no idea” – silly muggles.

Diagon Alley

When you reach jolly good status, head “through” the brick wall into the most magical theme park land I’ve ever experienced. Join the group of people standing right inside and take it all in. You will be annoyed by these people later, but for now – enjoy the view.

So much traffic being blocked for this.

Just like the first time Hagrid brought Harry to Diagon Alley, your first step is to get proper wizard currency at the Gringott’s Money Exchange. If you know you will buy something later or you like making poor souvenir investments, you can purchase wizard notes in $10 or $20 increments. Even you don’t want to exchange, it is worth checking out.

Now with pockets full, it is time to shop! Begin at Ollivander’s Wand Shop and experience the wand selection process before choosing one of your own. Universal now has the option of interactive wands that allow you to “cast spells” with certain wand movements that is very fun.

At mid-morning, make your way to King’s Cross Station.

It is time to enter your first year at Hogwarts, but don’t worry, the school year always has a pesky way of ending, and you will be back to explore more of Diagon Alley later. Watch fellow classmates head through the wall to platform 9 ¾ before you find your compartment and enjoy the ride.

Hogsmeade

Ride Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey and then head to the Three Broomsticks for lunch.  Be sure to have some Butterbeer – available hot, cold or frozen. Then catch the last two attractions in Hogsmeade, Flight of the Hippogriff and Dragon Challenge, before taking in the shops.

With all of your Hogwarts hijinks behind you, it is now dark times for Harry Potter– and you must once again board the Hogwarts Express, this time without the anticipation of return– as you seek to destroy Voldemort.

Return to Diagon Alley

Upon your arrival back in London, stop for a conversation with the Knight Bus driver and head back to Diagon Alley through those pesky bystanders I warned would eventually annoy you.

Take a detour through Knockturn Alley to feel the gravity of the situation before proceeding to Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringott’s.

The line will be horrible, and I might recommend going the single rider route for this one as they seemed to be able to peek in for the interesting parts of the queue, but I don’t know for sure.

Part of said line.

What I do know is that this ride is a fantastic pinnacle to a great day and is worth any amount of time your body will allow.

After saving humanity you deserve to tuck in at the Leaky Cauldron. We tried Bangers and Mash and the Pie Combo, and both were delicious. Also, props to Universal for their efficiency with this restaurant. They direct those from a single line to the next available register and find you a seat, which really took away the stress usually involved with theme park dining.

Finally, finish up your shopping and explore Diagon Alley, which is really a different experience at night. Here are some of the great products available.

On your way out, feel free to block the entrance of Diagon Alley one last time for that goodbye shot to last you until you can save enough sickles to return.

See here to learn more about the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando Resort and start planning your own adventure.

Universal Studios Hollywood posted a video to YouTube today to announce that the opening date for the newest Wizarding World of Harry Potter will be April 7th, 2016. Check out the whimsical video announcement below, in which Evanna Lynch, all dressed up in a Ravenclaw scarf, illuminates Hogwarts with a wand and delivers the exciting news (joined by Alan Gilmore, Art Director for the HP films).

If you’d like more information about the park (which thus far seems very similar to the Hogsmeade portion of the Orlando WWoHP), click here to visit the website.

Universal Studios Hollywood as posted a tantalizing tweet on their Twitter. The picture in the tweet teases fans about a “big update” about the Wizarding World of Harry Potter park opening in Univeral Studios SoCal location this spring.

A big update is on the way for #WizardingWorldHollywood on 12/8! Look for the spellbinding announcement… pic.twitter.com/NA1GGrcmtl

— Universal Studios (@UniStudios) December 1, 2015

With the recent release of a “first look” video on Universal Studios Hollywood’s official YouTube page, and the creation of an interactive website that allows fans to virtually explore and learn about the new park, a lot of information has been revealed.

Except the opening date. Universal has promised the park will be opened by Spring 2016. With much big news already released, this seems to be the only logical “big reveal” left untold. However, as Universal promises, more will be revealed next week, on December 8. Please stay tuned to Universal Studios’ official Twitter, YouTube page, and Leaky for this big announcement!

Universal Studios Orlando have released more details about their third annual A Celebration of Harry Potter, taking place at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Orlando in 2016!

“Explore The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™ – Hogsmeade™ at Universal’s Islands of Adventure®and Diagon Alley™ at Universal Studios®. Dine at the Leaky Cauldron™ and the Three Broomsticks™, see a wand choose a wizard at Ollivanders™, then ride Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts™, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey™ and other thrilling attractions. With your park-to-park admission, you can even ride between both lands of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™ on the Hogwarts™ Express°” 

A Celebration of Harry Potter™ is an unforgettable event where the magic of Harry Potter™ continues, and it’s only at Universal Orlando Resort.

Behind the Thrills reports the guest list, who will be taking part throughout the event, and in Q&A sessions:

• Rupert Grint  (Ron Weasley)
• Matthew Lewis (Neville Longbottom)
• Katie Leung (Cho Chang)
• Bonnie Wright (Ginny Weasley)
• Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood)
• Pierre Brohanna (Head Prop Maker for the film franchise)
• Eduardo Lima and Miraphora Mina of MinaLima (established the visual graphic style of the films)
• Paul Harris (wand combat choreographer for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix)
• The creators and talent that have made Harry Potter: The Exhibition a global touring phenomenon.

Guests will also be able to attend wand combat classes and take part in a huge Expo!

“Make your way through interactive displays in this one-of-a-kind collection of Harry Potter™ themed props, movie sets, artwork and more. This year we’re excited to welcome back Harry Potter™ The Exhibition, Warner Bros. Studio Tour London, MinaLima, Pottermore and Scholastic as part of A Celebration of Harry Potter™ Expo.”

Universal have also announced details of various panels and demonstration events on their website.

The event will be held in Universal Studios Orlando from January 29th – 31st 2016. Read more and purchase tickets on the Universal Studios website here, and take a look back at last year’s event below!

According to Variety, Universal Studios has signed a contract for a new Hollywood-style theme park set to open near Beijing. The park is a joined project between Universal Parks & Resorts and Beijing Shouhuan, a corporation of four state owned companies. The deal for the new park was signed last week in the New York offices of Comcast NBCUniversal by Brian Roberts, chairman and CEO of Comcast Corp., and Yu Xuezhong, the general manager of Shouhuan.

The park will be located in the Tongzhou disctrict to the East of Beijing. Variety reports that the park is planned to be built in two phases. The first one being a 300 acres area, with the entertainment area and the first ever Universal-branded hotel. The second area of 1000 acres is planned to add a further theme park, a water park and five additional hotels.

Variety refers to the concept art released last year stating that the park appears to be set to feature “attractions including Wizarding World of Harry Potter, including Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley, Transformers, Revenge of the Mummy, Jurassic Park, and DreamWorks Animation’s Madagascar.”

The park is scheduled to open in 2019.

The Leaky Cauldron at Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley needs your vote to be ranked Best Amusement Park Restaurant.  USA Today has nominated 20 restaurants from theme parks across the United States and is asking readers to select their favorite to create a ranked list.  As of this morning, the Leaky Cauldron is ranked #2.

Harry Potter fans will love tasty British fare, such as fish and chips, cottage pie and bangers and mash at this pub located in Diagon Alley. The Leaky Cauldron was carefully-crafted to ensure authenticity after years of studying Harry Potter books and movies as well as typical British pubs. Of course, Butterbeer — the popular wizarding beverage — is available for purchase.

Several of our Leaky Cauldron staff have good things to say about the restaurant.  Emma Pocock says, “The Leaky Cauldron has a great atmosphere, and really adds to the ‘English village’ vibe they’ve got going in this section of the park – the food is great, too! It really feels like you’re walking into the real thing, but the weather’s probably hotter.”

Alysha McLeod writes, “Stepping into The Leaky Cauldron is like being whisked into Harry’s world by a portkey. The atmosphere is incredible, and the food is wonderful. It’s a nice change of pace from most theme park food–everything is so comforting and homemade-tasting. The Yorkshire pudding and minted peas were a particular highlight for me.”

Finally, Catherine writes, “When eating at the Leaky Cauldron, I found myself expecting to see Harry, Ron and Hermione, sitting at a table in the corner, huddled away with their glasses of Butterbeer. The extraordinary attention to detail makes one feel as if they have actually stepped into the world of Harry Potter; with every glance around the room I found something new. The family atmosphere, excellent witches and wizard on the wait staff, and good English food made the Leaky Cauldron exactly how I imagined it would be. One of the best parts of my visit to Diagon Alley was enjoying a Butterbeer at the Leaky Cauldron (and hugging the cracked Cauldron, of course). On my last night in Diagon Alley, as the park was closing, I specifically bought a Butterbeer from the near-empty Leaky Cauldron restaurant, and sat on the window sill, watching muggles and magical folk trickle back though the brick wall, while the music and the lights remained alive. It was a truly magical experience, and The Leaky Cauldron deserve to be voted America’s #1 Theme Park Restaurant.”

Each person can vote once daily until July 7 to support the Leaky Cauldron restaurant.  Thanks Robert Martinez Jr. and Marianella Zapata Noriega for letting us know that our shared namesake has made this list!

See here to cast your vote.

I recently completed the 2009 visitor's site map for the Chessington World of Adventures theme park. It was pretty labour intensive & challenging involving site visits & lots of photo reference. It had to be an accurate representation of the park & rides, while being easy to use as navigation for the guests.

Rod Hunt www.rodhunt.com

Final map with park information


Final artwork