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To quell crowds, Universal halts liquor sales at Wizarding World of Harry Potter
It's been almost a month since the Wizarding World of Harry Potter opened, and folks are still waiting, and waiting, and waiting to see the new attractions at Universal Orlando Resort.
In fact, more than 500,000 people have ridden the Wizarding World's centerpiece ride, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. (But rest assured, none of them were obese.)
As the Orlando Sentinel reported, Universal is having to get creative to handle the crowds. One of their more creative moves is halting the sale of liquor in the Hog's Head tavern at the theme park.
Now you might think that liquor sales were halted to keep the crowds from lingering over another round, but that's not the case. The prime culprit is butterbeer, the nonalcoholic brew described in the books as tasting "a little bit like less-sickly butterscotch."Apparently, the bartenders at Hog's Head need to spend more time pouring butterbeer to keep up with the demand, so Universal has taken mixed drinks off the menu.
Beer and wine is still for sale, and park officials say the liquor ban is temporary.
I can attest that the butterbeer is wonderful stuff - golden, creamy and smooth, and probably, probably, worth the wait.
Bonus trivia note about drinks inside the Wizarding World: Know what else isn't for sale? Soda. Sodas are of course sold elsewhere in the Islands of Adventure theme park, but not inside the Harry Potter section.
By the way, it's still weird to see photos of people dressed for the Florida heat walking around Hogsmeade with its snow-topped roofs. It doesn't feel funny when I'm there, it just looks funny afterward in the pictures. Just me?
[Photo credit (top): Flickr user Digital Rampage]
[Photo credit (middle): Flickr user gordontarpley]
I can attest that the butterbeer is wonderful stuff - golden, creamy and smooth, and probably, probably, worth the wait.
Bonus trivia note about drinks inside the Wizarding World: Know what else isn't for sale? Soda. Sodas are of course sold elsewhere in the Islands of Adventure theme park, but not inside the Harry Potter section.
By the way, it's still weird to see photos of people dressed for the Florida heat walking around Hogsmeade with its snow-topped roofs. It doesn't feel funny when I'm there, it just looks funny afterward in the pictures. Just me?
[Photo credit (top): Flickr user Digital Rampage]
[Photo credit (middle): Flickr user gordontarpley]
Filed under: North America, United States
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Lauren Jul 13th 2010 10:42AM
My husband and I were in Orlando at the end of June and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter was everything I'd hoped it would be and more! As a fan of the books and movies I was beyond excited to visit the park and cried when I first walked into Hogsmeade! The Forbidden Journey was the best ride we rode on our trip and unlike anything I'd ever experienced before; unfortunately it made me very very nauseous but it was worth it :) Butterbeer is soooo good! I prefer it frozen and wish I could drink it again right now. We spent some time relaxing and sipping on Butterbeer at the Hog's Head pub! It was wondeful!!! I also loved the attention to detail. For example, a little boy asked if he could purchase Voldemort's wand and the salesperson looked immediately horrified and said "we do not speak his name", the boy then asked "do you have any of 'he who must not be named's' wands?" and the salesperson cheerfully replied "why yes we do". I strongly suggest that people visit the Wizarding World later in the day, which is what we did. We were warned that earlier in the day there are thousands of people trying to get into that part of the park but later on there are "only" hundreds which is still alot but... It was still crowded when we arrived after dinner and we never did make it into Olivander's but our wait for the Forbidden Journey was only about an hour and a half and once you're inside Hogwarts, you won't care because it is absolutely amazing!!! The moving paintings were my favorite! I could not get over how real they looked! I can't say enough about how amazing the Wizardnig World truly is and I would go back today if I could! It is a must see for Harry Potter fans!!! :)
Melted Mother Jul 24th 2010 1:51PM
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (WWHP) was, indeed, perfectly detailed, and amazingly like walking into the books. It was just as we'd hoped, except for one major flaw, the WEATHER. Our family was so overwhelmingly hot we could hardly function. I would have cheerfully paid twice as much for a trip to a more temperate climate. If you are cold, you can put on a jacket (maybe buy one). If you are overly hot, you can get sick. A side trip to an Orlando hospital to pass a kidney stone happens to as many as 10 Orlando tourists a day (that's only at the hospital we ended up at). After forking over thousands to fly from California to Florida just to see WWHP, we decided we would have MUCH rather they built the WWHP in the UK. We saw so many families (many with lovely English accents) who were looking overheated, disappointed, and frustrated, just like we felt. We couldn't even spend time cooling off browsing in the stores to buy Potter merchandise, because you had to WAIT to get into the stores! Perhaps someone would turn a lovely Scottish pasture into a Wizarding World? We'd be there in a flash. It rains nearly every day in Orlando, a hot steamy kind of rain, so weather isn't a reason to go TO Orlando, it's a reason NOT to go. I am of the opinion that Florida is so green and clean because it is washed every day in HOT water (rain).
If you've just GOT to see the Wizarding World, try to wait til the crowds thin, and be sure to stay at a Universal Resort so you can take advantage of the earlier park entry, and the Express pass. It's worth the extra $. Just be sure to get trip insurance, in case of a medical emergency caused from excessive heat. You might think 94 is hot, but the humidity and hot sidewalks radiating heat makes it feel more like 100+, all day long. You'll wish you could do an 'aguamenti' charm to cool you and your fellow Potter fans off, because all the sweet butterbeer in the world isn't enough to do the job in torrid Florida. I'd rather order hot butterbeer to warm up somewhere in the UK.
Do be sure to visit the Three Broomsticks, you can also refill your mugs there with Pumpkin Juice. And the less known seating area behind the Three Broomsticks is a good place to get a photo of the 'lake' with the Hogwarts Castle behind it. If you need to make a phone call and can't hear yourself think, there is a quieter alley like place behind Honeydukes which also has the decorated windows for a good photo op. Honeydukes is great, but Bertie Botts beans are only fruit flavored, not the Every Flavor you might have gotten elsewhere. We were pleased with the Clippings black licorice, and are keeping our chocolate frog box and trading card, though the frog actually did 'hop' out (we dropped it!). It was too hot, anyway, though, and the chocolate was all melty by then.
A last-but-best tip: Go to Popeye and Bluto's water ride and get soaking wet before visiting the Wizarding World, you'll be cooler while you wait and inch through the crowds.