INSIDE: Cedar Fair’s CEO bullish on Calif.’s Great America See page 51 TM & ©2016 Amusement Today, Inc. May 2016 | Vol. 20 • Issue 2 www.amusementtoday.com Immersive land raises the bar for park theming Harry Potter crowns makeover of Universal Studios Hollywood AT: Dean Lamanna capped, costume character- makeshift stage to officiate the
[email protected] populated Hogsmeade Village. Wizarding World’s unveiling. The darkly majestic Hog- “Today is a very exciting UNIVERSAL CITY, Ca- warts Castle, set appropriately and historically significant day lif. — For thousands of Harry against an overcast sky, both for us,” Kurzweil said. “This Potter book and movie fans in loomed and beckoned — a incredible event to celebrate Southern California and be- brooding, 200-foot-tall magnet the opening of The Wizarding yond, the arrival of The Wiz- promising not only new ex- World of Harry Potter marks arding World of Harry Potter periences but the coming-true the pinnacle of years of hard at Universal Studios Holly- of so many popular fiction-in- 4See POTTER, page 8 wood (USH) happily ended spired dreams. five years of anticipation. Despite the cloud cover, it Hogwarts Castle — the In fact, many who were was clearly one of the sunni- 200-foot-tall centerpiece lucky to have purchased the est days in the career of Larry of The Wizarding World advance (and sold-out) tickets Kurzweil, president of USH. of Harry Potter — was had camped outside the park’s He could hardly contain his en- aglow with fireworks and entrance in hopes of being the thusiasm as he welcomed Harry lighting effects during its first to set foot inside the new Potter film stars Warwick Davis VIP preview on April 5.