The Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Attractions (Part 1)

 

16 - Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts

(Height: 42")

Go on a tour of the famous Wizarding bank, Gringotts.....but be warned. Getting in is impossible, but getting out is much harder!

QUEUE:

At the end of Diagon Alley is the white-marble building of Gringotts, which towers over the land. A large Ukrainian Ironbelly dragon sits on top of it, breathing fire from time to time.

Then, guests go into the building itself. They move through the lobby of the bank and see the goblins at the stands. They then pass by the main stand and move through the halls. They might hear Harry, Ron, and Hermione nearby, plotting to retrieve a Horcrux from the vaults.

PRE-SHOW:

Soon, they enter Bill Weasley's office. There, Bogrod the goblin greets them and thanks them for opening an account at Gringotts. He then assigns Bill Weasley to give them a tour. Guests then enter into an elevator, taking them seven thousand feet below the surface.

Guests pass through the vaults of Gringotts, feeling as if they've gone underground. They might pass by some familiar vaults, such as Vault 713. Then, they are sent to the loading area, where they board their mine carts and put on some safety goggles.

RIDE EXPERIENCE:

The ride starts out smoothly, but then a break-in happens and alarms go off. Bill is separated from the guests and bars come down. Bellatrix Lestrange then shows up, accusing the guests of breaking into her vault. She then severs the tracks and sends them going down.

They reunite with Bill near the Thief's Downfall waterfall. There, they see Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Griphook. Before they can explain what they are doing, trolls come up and relocate the minecart. However, one of them falls down, bringing the carts with them.

They continue going through the vaults and find Bill near the Lestrange vault, where a giant dragon is breathing fire. They are then redirected into a tunnel, where Griphook sells them off by saying how there was a break-in. They then go into the vault itself, where Nagini lunges at them from a shelf. Bellatrix and Voldemort appear and threaten the guests. They bring them into a room of lava, planning to torture the guests for information on Harry Potter. However, Harry, Ron, and Hermione appear riding the dragon and shoo the villains away.

The last thing guests see before heading back to the loading station is Bill. The dragon is flying away in the background while he says: "Gringotts. It's the safest place in the world."

POST-RIDE:

Guests get off their carts and dispose of their glasses. Then, they take a passageway to the Goblin Vault, a gift shop near Gringotts bank.

17 - Hogwarts Express

This train transports guests from one part of the Wizarding World to the other, showing them amazing sights along the way.

QUEUE:

There are two stations: one in London and one in Hogsmeade. In London, guests go through King's Cross Station, viewing departure times, luggage, and advertisements for Muggle Attractions in London. Then, when they get to a spot between platforms 9 and 10, they go through to Platform 9 3/4. This is where they board the Hogwarts Express and find a compartment to sit in. For Hogsmeade, it is less impressive since they simply go into the station and board the express. When getting off the train, guests will pass by different things. It will be luggage in Hogsmeade and the beauty advertisement from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in London.

RIDE EXPERIENCE:

The ride is different both ways. When going from London to Hogsmeade, they pass by the Weasley's Ford Anglia in London. Then, they pass by Malfoy Manor, where dark forces are seen. A dementor boards the train, but Harry shops it away with a patronus. They then see Hogwarts, passing through the forest and seeing Grawp and the centaurs on their way to the station. They are then greeted by Hagrid before heading into the station.

When going from Hogsmeade to London, they go through the forest, seeing unicorns and thestrals, before going out into the lake. They see Buckbeak the hippogriff and the Weasley twins as well. They then pass through Otterly St. Catchpole, where they see the Burrow and the Lovegood house. Spiders appear on the window, but it's okay. They're just candy. Then, they go through London, seeing the Knight Bus as they do. They are greeted by Mad-Eye Moody before entering the station.