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Oh no! One Harry Potter attraction is going to be closed for refurbishment. Here are all the details.
Refurbishment
There are several truths about refurbishment. One is that it is necessary for theme parks to refurbish their attractions. It keeps everything looking great and running to its best potential. Moreover, it ensures that the attractions are safe for visitors who want to experience them. After all, no one can have a great time if they are worried that an attraction could put their safety in jeopardy.
Another truth is that even though they are necessary, refurbishments can be extremely disappointing. This is especially true if you have a once-in-a-lifetime trip coming up and one of the attractions you really wanted to enjoy is down.
Harry Potter
The latest refurbishment might really disappoint a lot of theme park visitors. That is because it affects The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando.
The Harry Potter-themed areas in both Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure are world-renowned and draw countless Harry Potter fans to Universal annually. A refurbishment involving Harry Potter can be very disappointing indeed.
To complicate matters, this is a refurbishment that will affect BOTH Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. It will also affect travel from one park to another for those who have park-to-park passes.
The Hogwarts Express is closing for refurbishment. This is the train that carries visitors between Hogsmeade Station in Islands of Adventure and King’s Cross Station in Universal Studios. The attraction is such a fun part of BOTH parts of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
When The Hogwarts Express is down, visitors wishing to travel between parks must exit one park and walk to the other. This is a quick walk that can be accomplished in under 10 minutes, but it is nowhere near as charming as the Hogwarts Express (although it can certainly be a bit quicker depending on wait times).
Refurbishment Dates
The refurbishment is set for December 10-16, 2023. It is brief, but it likely affects many travelers during their visit.
Note that this refurbishment will ONLY truly affect those who planned to use Park-to-Park tickets during their visit to Universal Orlando. You cannot ride the Hogwarts Express without them. Some guests with multi-day trips planned purchase 2-Park tickets for the singular purpose of getting to experience the Hogwarts Express.
If you were planning to do this, and you are visiting during the refurbishment, you might want to buy 1-Park tickets instead and visit the parks on separate days. However, if you planned to visit both parks in one day anyway, you should carry on regardless.
The Hogwarts Express will be closed from December 10-16, 2023.
Does the closure of the Hogwarts Express affect your visit to Universal Orlando? Let us know in the comments. And, be sure to pass this along to those who are hoping to visit so that they can schedule around it or manage their expectations if they already have firm plans to visit during this date range.
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