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Last month's blog divulged secrets about Harry Potter. This month, we'll go deeper and tell you about the hidden Easter eggs in the immersive Wizarding World at Universal Studios!
For those who may not know, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is a themed area spanning two theme parks—Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida—at the Universal Orlando Resort in Orlando, Florida. It's part of the larger park that's themed to the Harry Potter media franchise, adapting elements from the film series and novels by J. K. Rowling.
Okay. So let's get to it. 🧙♀️ Accio Wizarding World Easter eggs! 🪄
1. The Jaws ride used to be where Diagon Alley is today. Some clues about the former tenant remain. First, if you look in the Record Shop, there’s an album with “Here’s to swimming with bowlegged women” song by the Quint Trio, which is a reference to the Jaws movie and book.
2. Guests aren’t allowed into Mullpeppers Apothecary, but in but in the display window is a shark jaw bone that was used in the design area of the Jaws movie.
3. In Knockturn Alley, the shrunken heads sing songs. One song in the rotation is “Show me the way to go home.” This is the song Quint, Hooper, and Sherif Brody sang on the Orca just before Jaws attacked.
4. Flourish & Blotts bookstore has been mentioned in many Harry Potter books. Gilderoy Lockhart’s books are in the store's display window. The Monster Book of Monsters is in a cage in the store. You'll also notice there are several of Bathilda Bagshot's books tucked into a stack. 📚 She's the author who wrote Hermione’s favorite book Hogwarts A History. Two of Bagshot's books in the stack are Omens, Oracles, and the Goat and The Decline of Pagan Magic. One book many guests won’t recognize is The Secrets of the Darkest Art, which is the book Hermione used to learn what the Horcruxes are and how to use them. In the Harry Potter story, this book was restricted, making it seem dangerous. Now, it sits casually for sale in the park. 🤷🏻♀️😂
5. In Gringotts Wizarding Bank, there are 62 thousand crystals on the chandeliers. In the ride’s pre-show, check out Bill Wesley’s office and look at the two pictures. One is a wedding picture of his marriage to Fleur Delacour. The other is a photo from his family trip to Egypt mentioned in The Prisoner of Azkaban. This is a treat because it’s the only time you can actually see Charlie Wesley. 👀
6. In Diagon Alley, go to Borgin and Burkes, the store that carries cursed and forbidden items. Look through the window in the basement under the display window, before going into the store. The window pulses green. This is a spell flashing, meaning dark wizards are down there practicing magic.✨ We all know only one spell casts a green glow. They’re practicing the Killing Curse, Avada Kedavra! 😱
7. Borgin and Burkes has lots of props from movies. 🎥 Some are the cursed necklace Malfoy gave to Katie Bell, the Hand of Glory, and the Vanishing Cabinet. Malfoy repaired the sister cabinet in order to get the Death Eaters into the school. Malfoy practiced by using birds and then sending apples through the cabinet to see if his repairs were done and to make sure the cabinet worked. You can hear a bird if you listen closely to the cabinet, and if you touch the cabinet, you can feel the bird hopping around.
8. Look up while in Borgin and Burkes. You’ll see many trinkets, skulls, and props, 90% of which were used in the films. One is a troll’s leg umbrella stand. You’ll see this briefly in the movies and is mentioned in the books. It’s the thing Tonks kept tripping over when she entered Number 12 Grimmauld Place.
9. Borgin and Burkes also has another cabinet that shakes and waggles. There is definitely a Boggart in there! What would be your boggart? Let me know by sending an email or by commenting on Your Fantasy Portal Facebook page.
10. In the Hogwarts Express train station, the train that takes you between Hogsmeade and Daigon Alley, if you look at the tick board of arrivals /departures, the times are set to actual arrival/departure times in London.
11. On the Hogwarts ride, look closely at the Marauder’s Map in Filch’s office. You'll see the appearance of footsteps just like in the movie. You'll also find the Fanged Frisbee, mentioned in Order of the Phoenix, and Hermione confiscated one in later the book series.
Okay, so we've uncovered not 10 but 11 secrets about the Wizarding World!
I hope you enjoyed learning about The Wizarding World at Universal Orlando!
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