Move Over, Orlando

[stgulik]

We'll soon have our own Hogwarts on the West Coast!

We visited Universal Studios in L.A. last week and got a big surprise:





For someone so mad about Harry Potter, I was totally taken by surprise. Maybe I need to open a newspaper once in a while.

We were excited to see buildings in Diagon Alley are well underway. This picture was taken from a walkway into the studio tour. Had to really maneuver around some poles, fences and trees to get this good a shot.



But Hogwarts's slip is showing. :-) As with the one in Florida, this Hogwarts is obviously designed to look like a full-sized castle from a distance. Still, I was surprised to see how big it really is. Visitor pics of the other Hogwarts didn't really give me perspective. We saw workers standing on the construction platforms, so the main tower on the castle itself must be at least 80 feet tall. In addition, you can see it's being constructed on top of a multi-story building that will later be disguised as a mountain.



Very excited for 2016! Hope I didn't ruin the illusion for anyone! :-(

Comments

[teddyradiator.livejournal.com]

Whoo hoo! I told TheHubs™ about it and he said, "Oh, we'll definitely have to go visit then!"

I'm glad you all had such a good time. I hope the batteries are all charged up and you feel rested and happy!

[beffeysue.livejournal.com]

That is exciting news! The pics do show how big the castle is.

[toblass.livejournal.com]

I've been telling everyone for the last year that we are headed to SoCal in 2016 for it. Can't wait!

[slr2moons.livejournal.com]

AWESOME!!!! XD

[candamira.livejournal.com]

Looks great, thanks for posting the pictures.
A Hogwarts in California. I see a whole new Hogwarts/CA-centered generation of fics coming ;-).

[stgulik.livejournal.com]

I've always toyed with a fic taking place in wizarding San Francisco...

[kittylefish.livejournal.com]

i had no idea! apparently you aren't the only one who should open a newspaper now and then! i'm so excited that i don't have to go all the way to florida to see it - i live in san diego, so it's just a hop and a skip, lol, no need to jump even. ;)

[arcanetrivia]

Yeah, I heard about this, gee, when it was just announced a couple years back, or something. I really dunno why they decided to go with the winter theme for Hogsmeade at both parks. Orlando and Hollywood are two of the least plausible places I can think of for a festive snow scene!