Universal Hit With Surprise Competition After New Harry Potter Land Revealed
For the first time, Universal Destinations & Experiences is facing competition in the Harry Potter theme park landscape. A newly announced expansion at LEGOLAND Deutschland Resort will bring a full LEGO Harry Potter land and themed hotel rooms to Germany. While Universal continues to operate its six popular Wizarding World lands across Orlando, Hollywood, Japan, and Beijing, multiple other companies are moving forward with new immersive offerings for fans of the fantasy franchise.
A Growing Harry Potter Universe Outside Universal
Warner Bros. and J.K. Rowling have spent the last decade broadening the reach of the Wizarding World franchise beyond Universal-operated attractions. The Warner Bros. Studio Tour London is consistently booked, and productions of “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” are both touring and permanently staged in London and on Broadway. Traveling exhibitions, such as “Harry Potter: The Exhibition” and “Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience,” welcome fans at locations around the world. Now, the franchise is entering new territory as companies outside Universal develop permanent theme park lands.
Warner Bros. has already confirmed a Harry Potter land in its own Warner Bros. World theme park in Abu Dhabi. With today’s news from Europe, fans can expect even more places to explore magical settings inspired by the franchise.
LEGO Harry Potter Land Announced for Germany
On Monday, Merlin Entertainments and Warner Bros. Discovery Global Experiences confirmed that LEGOLAND Deutschland Resort will build an all-new LEGO Harry Potter land. This will be the first time LEGO’s top-selling Harry Potter toys and video games come to life inside a theme park. The expansion will also introduce the world’s first hotel rooms themed to Harry Potter.
“Partnering with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Experiences is the ultimate showcase of what we do best – transforming the world’s most iconic brands into memorable, immersive experiences for millions of guests,” said Fiona Eastwood, Chief Executive Officer of Merlin Entertainments. “This partnership launches at our Resort in Germany and marks Merlin’s largest-ever single investment into an existing site.”
Peter van Roden, Executive Vice President of Warner Bros. Discovery Global Experiences, added:
“Working alongside Merlin Entertainments and the LEGO Group over the years has always led to unforgettable and unique experiences for fans and we are thrilled to extend the partnership with one of our most beloved franchises. This new destination will allow fans to step into in the familiar LEGO Harry Potter aesthetic they have been constructing for years and physically experience the wizarding world like never before.”
LEGOLAND has not released further details about potential attractions or the construction timeline, but expects to share more within the next 12 months.
Universal Watches New Competitors Emerge
LEGOLAND operates 12 theme parks worldwide, including three in the United States. It remains unclear whether licensing agreements would permit any Harry Potter offerings in the American parks, as Universal maintains strong control over the franchise in the United States. Still, the new European land and the Abu Dhabi project signal a notable change: for the first time in years, Universal is not the only theme park company building permanent, large-scale Wizarding World destinations.
Have you ever visited The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at a Universal theme park? Share your favorite memories with Disney Dining in the comments!
