A New Thrill Ride for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Universal Studios is definitely not one to sit back and let innovation and new things pass them by and that has been proven even more with the latest release of information about their plans for the future. Of course, not only is the entire park something that everyone is constantly enthralled with, but the "Wizarding World of Harry Potter" has done even more to attract new people at every turn.

Just this past week Universal Studios has announced their plans for upgrades to the Wizarding World that could result in a truly amazing experience for parkgoers. Of course, in true Universal fashion, they’ve refused to release much that would let you know what to expect, letting us know only that the "Dragon Challenge" will be closing on September 5th. At that point, the ride will start to be torn down to be replaced with something that they say will be one of the most highly themed coaster experiences they have ever created.

The epilogue of J.K. Rowling's final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and the finale movie of the same name, features an adult Harry Potter, Hermione and Ron Weasley as they all take their children to Platform 9 3/4, as Harry's middle son Albus heads off to Hogwarts for his first year in this magical school.

There’s no telling just what we can expect or what area of the Harry Potter world it will be drawn from. Of course, with so many different areas of the park already produced and so many of the biggest and most influential aspects of the story right there for us to explore, from the castle itself to the Hogwarts Express to Gringotts and even Knockturn Alley, there’s no telling what they could be pulling out of the (Sorting) hat this time around.

What can we really draw from the clues that Universal has let slip about their new plans?

- Action-packed adventure

- New level of storytelling

- A few surprises along the way

- Redefine the category of roller coasters

- Most highly themed experiences we’ve created

All of these points seem to tell us a lot, but the truth is that they raise more questions than anything. An action-packed adventure is how they describe many of their 3D experiences as well as their coasters. However, it has been named as a roller coaster so that’s one thing that we know for sure, though it could combine some aspects of 3D along with it.

The author often releases new Harry Potter short stories through the Pottermore website, including two short story collections that debuted this past fall, not to mention the hit play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, which is gearing up for its U.S. debut on Broadway in 2018.

A new level of storytelling that is one of the most highly themed experiences they’ve ever created could mean just about anything at all. Who knows what we’ll find from it but we’re hoping for a number of different great aspects. The surprises that come along too could really go a long way toward making it an even more intriguing and interesting story experience. The only other thing we know is that it has to fit in with Hogsmeade. Ever since Universal opened up the second half of their Wizarding World they’ve done everything they can to keep one side authentic to Hogwarts and the neighboring town of Hogsmeade and the other authentic to Diagon and Knockturn Alleys.

So what would we like to see? Maybe something that explores the Triwizard tournament would be fun, though arguably that’s what the Dragon Challenge was all about. Exploring the Shrieking Shack and the Whomping Willow might be interesting as well, or something that focuses more on the creatures of the world they’ve created. After all, is it possible that they’re creating something new because "Fantastic Beasts" and "Where to Find Them" is currently turning a whole new generation of Harry Potter fans?