ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — It was a big day for Harry Potter fans as Universal Studios Florida gave a sneak peak of its newest Harry Potter attraction set to open this summer.
Universal Studios released a video on the park's YouTube channel Friday morning and by early this afternoon Channel 9's Mark Joyella found Potter fans who were fully up to speed on the new attraction.
The massive expansion will include a new ride between the existing Harry Potter attraction at Islands of Adventure, and the new Diagon Alley attraction opening this summer at Universal Studios.
"So, the genius way that the two are connected, of course, is by a Hogwarts Express," the YouTube video says.
Animations released Friday show how visitors will be able to ride the train from King's Cross Station in London to Hogwarts, even passing through the wall to platform 9 ¾, just as Harry Potter did in the films.
"This is a full-scale train experience that is authentic to what you see in the movie," said Mark Woodbury with Universal Parks and Resorts.
From the train, visitors will see the Knight bus swerving through London traffic, Buckbeak, the hippogriff, flying by and Hagrid greeting passengers at Hogwarts.
"I read all the books and saw all the movies, so it's really interesting that they can take it to a whole new level, and you can take the train," said one tourist.
The new addition is big for Universal, which has built a massive business around Harry Potter in Orlando.
WFTV
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