The Wizarding World of Harry Potter expansion has been confirmed, but not by the source you'd expect. The announcement didn't come from Universal Orlando Resort, but rather from Orlando mayor Buddy Dyer during his "State of the City" address.
Although details of the new Transformers ride currently under construction at Universal Studios Florida were confirmed by the park last year, the construction zone in the old Jaws/Amity area has remained shrouded in mystery. While construction plan filings point toward a Gringott's-themed indoor roller coaster and a Hogwarts Express train connecting the park with Islands of Adventure, home to the original Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Universal officials have kept the details close to the vest.
That all changed today when Dyer talked about Transformers, which opens in 2013, and offhandedly mentioned that a Harry Potter expansion will open the following year, along with a previously announced resort hotel aimed at bargain budgets. Unlike the resort's existing hotels, the new property won't include express line access.
Click the video toward the bottom of this article to hear Dyer's speech, including his perhaps inadvertent announcement of the fact that Harry is coming to Universal next year. He mentions the new attraction about 14 minutes in.
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