The rich level of detail in the park, inspired by J.K. Rowling's books and the Potter films, is authentic and exciting enough to thrill hardcore fans and casual visitors alike. There's butterbeer ice cream, an outdoor performance stage, and a Hogwarts Express train that takes visitors to Universal's original Harry Potter area, which opened on the other side of the park in 2010. Attendance at Universal Orlando Resort has jumped over 50 percent since 2009, to 15 million annual visitors in 2013, according to Andy Brennan, an industry analyst at IBIS world, a market research firm. To see both the new and original Potter areas, guests must buy a two-park ticket — $136 for adults, $130 for kids — because Diagon Alley is located at the Universal Studios park, while the original Wizarding World attraction is at Universal's Islands of Adventure park. [...] even if the new park doesn't draw as many visitors as the first, the Potter attractions have helped position Universal as a leader in the theme park industry, especially in the hyper-competitive Orlando park corridor, according to Dennis Speigel, president of the International Theme Park Services trade group.
Reported by SeattlePI.com 1 hour ago.
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