DisneyDining Disney Dining Plan and Reviews
Ever wish that you could have the Parks experience while at home? Luckily for me and my fellow New Yorkers, we now have that.
Living in New York City has many perks for any Disney and Universal fan. We have total access to an incredible assortment of Broadway shows like The Lion King, Aladdin, and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. This newest attraction is truly the cherry on top of NYC’s already massive cake.
Harry Potter: The Exhibit in NYC opens to Guests today, May 19. Luckily for me, the Disney Dining team was invited to see the press experience a day early.
‘Harry Potter: The Exhibition’ Hits the Ground Running in Manhattan
For me, this Wizarding World exhibition felt like a perfect blend of a museum and an attraction. Die-hard fans of the movie will melt over an incredible assortment of costume and prop pieces, while Parks fans will appreciate the interactive elements of the attraction.
When you first arrive at the exhibition, you are met with a massive assortment of merchandise in the lower lobby. Nothing besides a few t-shirts is exclusive to the exhibition, but still, this is by far the largest Harry Potter merch store in the city. I did, however, feel like there was missed opportunity to have Butterbeer frozen or on tap (they only had the bottled kind.)
Once you are ready, you will head upstairs via the escalator to enter a room full of kiosks. Here, you will scan a wristband to create a customized profile. You will pick your preferred house, patrons, and wand. These choices will help guide you throughout your experience in the exhibition and allow you to earn points for your house.
Entering the Exhibition
Once you have entered the exhibition, you will head out on a self-guided tour through the many themed rooms. There are certainly some attraction-like elements, but none that truly compete with anything available in the Orlando or Hollywood Universal Parks.
What was incredible was the massive amount of costumes, props, and set pieces you could look at up close.
There were also plenty of mini-experiences with authentic props along the way that could earn your house points.
These included choosing a wand, making a potion, getting a fortune, pulling a mandrake, playing ‘Quidditch,’ and recreating the Battle of Hogwarts.
These were definitely entertaining and certainly added a park-like element.
My favorite part of the Exhibition was the set recreations. Things like Hagrid’s Hut, Umbridge’s Office, Harry’s under-the-stairs room, the Hogwarts Classrooms, and the Great Hall all standouts.
Make Your Way to Herald Square
While I wouldn’t say it competed with the Universal Theme Parks, this exhibition is definitely an incredible addition to NYC. The pop-up is in Herald Square at 50 w. 34 Street. Tickets will start at $29 for adults. This is a touring exhibition, so you never know if it will be in your city soon!
