The magical school of Hogwarts and the fascinating shops of Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley are to be brought to life in an ambitious Harry Potter-themed park in Florida.

'The Wizarding World of Harry Potter' is due to open in spring 2010, according to Universal Orlando Resort, which has teamed up with Warner Bros Consumer Products.

The Potter films' production designer Stuart Craig and art director Alan Gilmore have been working with a corps of artisans from Universal Creative to build everything from the Three Broomsticks tavern to Zonko's joke shops and the cache of treasures confiscated by caretaker Filch.



Visitors entering Hogsmeade will encounter billowing steam and an iconic whistle as the Hogwarts Express pulls into Hogsmeade station, and can then head across the way to joke shop Zonko's, which stocks everything from Extendable Ears to Boxing Telescopes.





Next door, Honeydukes offers treats like Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, while weary visitors can enjoy traditional English food, Butterbeer and pumpkin juice at the Three Broomsticks and the Hog's Head next door. In The Owlery, owls await their next delivery and the Owl Post sends letters with a certified Hogsmeade postmark and sells official Harry Potter stamps.

Ollivanders wand shop is an interactive experience where the wand chooses the wizard, and Quidditch equipment, Triwizard apparel and Remembralls are for sale at Dervish and Banges.

For the thrill-seekers, the Dragon Challenge is a twin high-speed rollercoaster featuring iconic elements from the Triwizard Tournament, and the Flight of the Hippogriff is a family coaster simulating a Hippogriff training flight over Hogwarts castle.

In the castle is Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, a state-of-the-art attraction using new technology to bring the magic and characters of Harry Potter to life.