http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lt-_zL0KFHoendofvid
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By Mailonline Reporter
Welcome: Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint greets teams of fans pouring into the the Wizarding World of Harry Potter which opened to the public in Orlando, Florida, today
Thousands of people queued for hours today to get into the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando on its opening day.
Daniel Radcliffe and other stars from the movie greeted excitable fans at the minipark as they finally got to enter the magical theme park.
Aerial photos of Universal Orlando showed thousands upon thousands of people waiting hours to get through the gates.
Going wild: Thousands of fans brought along their cameras to capture photos of their special day
The park was admitting guests to the 20-acre (8-hectare) Wizarding World area in waves, so it did not appear overcrowded from the inside.
But the queue to enter the Wizarding World backed up through Universal's Islands of Adventure park, where the Harry Potter area is located, all the way to the Universal entrance at City Walk, according to Robert Niles, editor of ThemeParkInsider.com.
'It's absolutely jampacked,' said Niles in a phone interview.
Patient: Aerial photographs show the huge queues outside the resort
Magical: Hogwarts Castle and the village of Hogsmeade can be seen in view as the visitors walk through
'The entire Islands of Adventure theme park and City Walk are just one long queue to get into Harry Potter.
'The number of people here for this is clearly in the tens of thousands. These are passionate fans.'
The Wizarding World brings the popular Harry Potter books and movies to life with rides, shops and detailed reproductions of the fictitious village of Hogsmeade, the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and the steam-belching Hogwarts Express train.
Good to see you: Oliver Phelps, Radcliffe (2nd L), Michael Gambon (back R) and Bonnie Wright (far R) mingle with the fans
Having a blast: Visitors check out the shops as they walk around the village of Hogsmeade
Radcliffe, who plays the boy wizard in the movie series, was joined at the opening by Warwick Davis (who plays Filius Flitwick), Bonnie Wright (Ginny Weasley), Matthew Lewis (Neville Longbottom), Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy), James and Oliver Phelps (Fred and George Weasley), Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) and Michael Gambon (Albus Dumbledore).
'What Universal Orlando has done with Harry Potter is really, really fantastic,' Radcliffe said at the opening ceremony.
'We're all kind of very grateful that the next part of the Harry Potter legacy has been so well-done and so well-made.'
Casting their spell: Actors Tom Felton, who plays Draco Malfoy, and Michael Gambon, who plays Dumbledore
Fun day out: A young Potter fan wears the character's trademark glasses and holds a wand aloft as Radcliffe, right, chats to another fan about losing your teeth
The park's marquee ride, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, is filled with special effects as it takes guests on a flight through Harry's life, including encounters with Dementors and a dragon, and projections of characters from the film like Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts.
The park also has two roller coasters, Flight of the Hippogriff and Dragon Challenge, as well as themed stores like Honeydukes confectionary and Ollivander's Wand Shop.
'We have brought to life a cultural phenomenon that has captured the hearts and minds of millions of people around the world,' said Bill Davis, president of Universal Orlando Resort.
The Orlando Sentinel reported that Universal received a vague bomb threat Thursday night, but that 'appropriate precautions' were taken and it was being investigated.
Fireworks time: Oliver Phelps and Jamie Phelps, who play Weasley twins Fred and George, had their hair dyed ginger especially for the grand opening (their natural hair colour is brown)
Refreshments: Visitors drink butterbeer, a beverage featured in the Harry Potter books and films
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[starttext]
By Mailonline Reporter
Welcome: Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint greets teams of fans pouring into the the Wizarding World of Harry Potter which opened to the public in Orlando, Florida, todayThousands of people queued for hours today to get into the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando on its opening day.
Daniel Radcliffe and other stars from the movie greeted excitable fans at the minipark as they finally got to enter the magical theme park.
Aerial photos of Universal Orlando showed thousands upon thousands of people waiting hours to get through the gates.
Going wild: Thousands of fans brought along their cameras to capture photos of their special dayThe park was admitting guests to the 20-acre (8-hectare) Wizarding World area in waves, so it did not appear overcrowded from the inside.
But the queue to enter the Wizarding World backed up through Universal's Islands of Adventure park, where the Harry Potter area is located, all the way to the Universal entrance at City Walk, according to Robert Niles, editor of ThemeParkInsider.com.
'It's absolutely jampacked,' said Niles in a phone interview.
Patient: Aerial photographs show the huge queues outside the resort
Magical: Hogwarts Castle and the village of Hogsmeade can be seen in view as the visitors walk through 'The entire Islands of Adventure theme park and City Walk are just one long queue to get into Harry Potter.
'The number of people here for this is clearly in the tens of thousands. These are passionate fans.'
The Wizarding World brings the popular Harry Potter books and movies to life with rides, shops and detailed reproductions of the fictitious village of Hogsmeade, the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and the steam-belching Hogwarts Express train.
Good to see you: Oliver Phelps, Radcliffe (2nd L), Michael Gambon (back R) and Bonnie Wright (far R) mingle with the fans
Having a blast: Visitors check out the shops as they walk around the village of HogsmeadeRadcliffe, who plays the boy wizard in the movie series, was joined at the opening by Warwick Davis (who plays Filius Flitwick), Bonnie Wright (Ginny Weasley), Matthew Lewis (Neville Longbottom), Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy), James and Oliver Phelps (Fred and George Weasley), Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) and Michael Gambon (Albus Dumbledore).
'What Universal Orlando has done with Harry Potter is really, really fantastic,' Radcliffe said at the opening ceremony.
'We're all kind of very grateful that the next part of the Harry Potter legacy has been so well-done and so well-made.'
Casting their spell: Actors Tom Felton, who plays Draco Malfoy, and Michael Gambon, who plays Dumbledore
Fun day out: A young Potter fan wears the character's trademark glasses and holds a wand aloft as Radcliffe, right, chats to another fan about losing your teethThe park's marquee ride, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, is filled with special effects as it takes guests on a flight through Harry's life, including encounters with Dementors and a dragon, and projections of characters from the film like Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts.
The park also has two roller coasters, Flight of the Hippogriff and Dragon Challenge, as well as themed stores like Honeydukes confectionary and Ollivander's Wand Shop.
'We have brought to life a cultural phenomenon that has captured the hearts and minds of millions of people around the world,' said Bill Davis, president of Universal Orlando Resort.
The Orlando Sentinel reported that Universal received a vague bomb threat Thursday night, but that 'appropriate precautions' were taken and it was being investigated.
Fireworks time: Oliver Phelps and Jamie Phelps, who play Weasley twins Fred and George, had their hair dyed ginger especially for the grand opening (their natural hair colour is brown) 
Refreshments: Visitors drink butterbeer, a beverage featured in the Harry Potter books and films [endtext]
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