The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, a destination every Potterhead dreams of visiting, is getting a major addition. However, instead of adding on to its Diagon Alley neighborhood or Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Universal Orlando is making Hogsmeade even rowdier with the addition of a thrilling new Potter-themed roller coaster.
Fans of the twists and turns of the Dragon Challenge ride should get their fun in as soon as possible, because it's set to go on its final ride on September 5 to make way for the new coaster. According to Entertainment Weekly, the as-yet-unnamed attraction will "redefine the category" of roller coasters.
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"The new attraction will be one of the most highly-themed coaster experiences we’ve created," Universal Orlando wrote on its official blog. "It will combine a new level of storytelling with an action-packed adventure...and a few surprises along the way."
Universal didn't reveal any details on the ride itself, but Dragon Challenge did seem like a last-minute afterthought without any real theme of its own or anything to make it blend into its wizardy environs. Harry Potter rides on both coasts are integrating the latest and greatest tech, like the integration of 3-D and 360-degree projections.
Even with the technology at their fingertips, it's tough to guess where the ride's developers will take the park's guests. It's doubly tough knowing that the ride is set in Hogsmeade, which doesn't play that big of a role in J.K. Rowling's books. The town is best known for housing a tavern and the Shrieking Shack, so there's not much to go on.
It looks like engineers will have to take a book from the Hollywood location, which does away with any Rowling rules and tries to squeeze everything in any way possible. For fans everywhere, let's hope that they know better than messing up the Potter geography like they did in L.A., where Hagrid's Hut is just steps away from Ollivander's wand shop.
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