Today we're back at Universal Studios Hollywood for a look at some of the non-Wizarding World goings on around the park. But don't worry, we noticed some new details in Wizarding World during it's technical rehearsal that we'll share with you as well. If you missed any of our potter updates be sure to check them out especially our Photographic Tour of Wizarding World Hollywood. Written by Gregg Condon We'll start out in CityWalk where the Universal Store is still undergoing it's expansion and refurbishment. And you can see where all of the Potter Merchandise will be. Lots of work going on where the Globe is. It's still there for photo ops but wasn't spinning. They are really preparing for the crowds that will be descending on the park starting April 7. Inside the Studio Store is now closed as all of the merchandise is moved over to the new store. The walls are down around the new shop and facades and it looks fantastic. The stores should open any day now. Lots of little touches and easter eggs for Universal Studios. it'll be fun finding them all. Not really surprising there will also be a Starbucks. And it's a pretty good sized one. Moving down to the lower lot, Jurassic Park is still closed for it's lengthy refurb. They are doing a lot of painting and freshening up. It's great to see this now 2nd best ride at the park getting some love. =) Whatever this is is looking good. =) We of course had to share some pics of Wizarding World. It was open for Technical rehearsals all weekend. Don't sit under the owls. (love these little touches) So there have been a lot of posts about issues people have with Wizarding World and the nearby buildings and lands that you can see from Wizarding World. Apparently people don't remember that this area was an Amphitheater about 2 1/2 years ago and that Universal Hollywood is a VERY small park. At the end of the day, our biggest issue is them selling crappy beer in Wizarding World. No self respecting Wizard (or brit) is going to drink this crap. In a land that doesn't even sell soda or regular bottled water you'd think people could walk out of the land to get their crappy beer. (we don't count the Boddingtons in that) Moving on, we got to experience our first breakfast in Wizarding World and it was incredible!! Eggy Bread, American Breakast and a Sticky Toffee Pudding for dessert. ;) Oh, and breakfast comes with a drink, and yes, you can get Butterbeer!! More little details, this time in the Hogs Head. It's going to take us quite awhile to see everything. Shucks. =) Funny thing about these Technical Rehearsals. First off, as we've said before, they could not happen at all depending on what is going on inside such as filming, private parties, etc. But even more than that, somehow people in the park don't seem to realize that the land is actually open to the public. Wait times for Forbidden Journey and Hippogriff have been very reasonable, the longest we've waited for Forbidden Journey is about 20 minutes, and that was because the ride broke down. So if you get a chance, be sure to try and get out to one of these rehearsals. Because once the full media onslaught takes place and April 7 rolls around, it's going to be crazy!! A couple of Studio Tour notes. Fan Made Lyon Estates signs are back on the tour, in the same location as the previous signs. The fountain in Court of Miracles is back. The entire Little Europe area looks great after it's recent refurb. Maybe we'll get some HHN mazes down here this year? And lastly, the all new digital sign is up at the Lankershim entrance. It looks absolutely spectacular. Alright, that's going to wrap it up for this update. We won't be back at the park this weekend (as of now) but we're quickly winding down on things to update at the park. Once Wizarding World opens we'll of course have all of the media night event posts and we are plan on going opening day, but after that we're likely going to take some time off from the park to avoid the craziness. But we'll of course have lots of other updates. =) Thanks again for reading, we hope you enjoyed the update. As we promised we have some new AMAZING pictures from Matt from Wizarding World Hollywood. We mean ... AMAZING. If you missed our update from last weekends first Technical Rehearsals be sure to check them out here. We also posted a whole bunch of pictures of the Food of Wizarding World that the park sent us yesterday here. But the main attraction is the pictures below. Enjoy!! We'll let these speak for themselves. Time to disembark from the Hogwarts Express and be sure to enjoy your visit. Let's take a look around Hogsmeade Village shall we? Send a letter by Owl Definitely want to spend more time looking at all the details on our next visit. Yes, we'll take them all please. Thanks. Be sure to visit the Public Conveniences in Hogsmeade. You may just hear a friend roaming about. Quidditch anybody? A little black and white action ... Hagrids hut Nerd Shot! Some great detail shots of Hogwarts. Sunset over Hogwarts The light is shining down on Wizarding World Goodnight from Hogsmeade. Please respect the Spell Limits. Thanks again to Matt for these AMAZING pictures. We hope you enjoyed them as much as we enjoyed putting them together for you. We'll be back at the park this weekend to try some more of the yummy food and of course more Butterbeer so be sure to follow along. We'll also have a general park update early next week. Also, keep in mind, Wizarding World is still in "Technical Rehearsals" which means it may not open every day depending on what other things may be going on inside. It also won't always open with the park, so it's best to plan your day around waiting a bit. We always do our best to update when it opens each day on our social media channels. So be sure you are following us. Today Matt went up to be among the first people to experience Wizarding World Hollywood and he sent in some great pics. We're going to start off with a trio of SPECTACULAR DSLR pics that he sent us this evening. We'll be uploading more. And then below that we'll share the pictures we shared today. We're pretty much going to let the pictures speak for themselves. Photo's by CoasterMatt Saturday February 13 Pictures by Gregg Condon More pics of Wizarding World (cell phone pics taken on Feb 13). Click any of the pictures below to see a larger version. Also our full queue walkthrough of Forbidden Journey (also taken via cell phone). We'll do a full HD walkthrough on a future visit. The pics via cell phone pic that we uploaded earlier. Regarding Wizarding World "Technical Rehearsals" We have NO IDEA when the next one will be, could be tomorrow, we'll certainly keep our ears perked for news however. Best bet is to check #PotterWatch on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. We'll try and keep you updated on the latest but remember, openings are not guaranteed until April 7 so if you head to the park be prepared to wait, and bring your patience. |
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