Books News

Harry Potter theme park draws thousands in opening weekend

Jun 19, 2010, 23:45 GMT

Handout photo shows many iconic elements from the Harry Potter books and films can be seen in the queue line of Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey Ð the marquee attraction of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. EPA/KEVIN KOLCZYNSKI /

New York - Thousands queued outside Universal Studios' new Harry Potter theme park in Orlando, Florida during its opening weekend to be among the first to experience the world of the boy wizard.

Potter fans joined the stars of the hit films, including Daniel Radcliffe who portrays Potter, for the grand opening Friday. Queues were up to two hours for some attractions at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, which also features restaurants and hotels, the Orlando Sentinel newspaper reported.

The 8 hectare park near Universal's other theme parks and Disney World was built in five years and is estimated to have cost some 265 million dollars.

The heart of the attraction is a Hogwarts Castle, in which visitors can take a 'forbidden journey' based on the books by JK Rowling and the spin-off films. Entrance fees are 79 dollars for adults and 69 dollars for children under 10 years old.