3 reasons why the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is the perfect blend of design to increase repeat visitors and revenue.
Now if you are a child of the 90s then you will have grown up reading of Harry Potter’s adventures with his friends as they navigated their way through school at Hogwarts and past various Dark Art activities, including a couple of run-ins with You Know Who. If you haven’t already guessed, I am a big fan of the books.
Then the world got to see the books come to life in the live-action movies that started in 2001. The impression they left on the world exceeded all expectations and the hope of a letter landing through your letterbox was everyone’s dream. Alas, I am still waiting for mine and the chance to study at Hogwarts. I mean just think about everything you could do if you had a wand and a Butterbeer in hand!
Well in 2010 I no longer needed to wait for that letter to visit Hogwarts as it opened to an eager set of guests in Orlando, Florida (the theme park capital of the world). This land, based on Hogsmede village, showcased the Hogwarts castle in all its glory. It was complete with a ride that allowed guests to wander through iconic sets such as the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, Gryffindor common room and the Herbology classrooms. Guests could admire the little details that brought the stories from the big screen alive further allowing them to experience it first hand before going on a forbidden journey with Harry. This was all set against the wintery backdrop of Hogsmede village and icons such as the Three Broomsticks and Honeydukes.
As the world expanded in 2014 to include Diagon Alley at Universal Studios Florida, guests were able to further their experience with the iconic franchise and live out their dreams of becoming a witch or wizard.
But with so many themed experiences around the world, why is the Wizarding World of Harry Potter the best and what makes its design so great?
- Emotional Connection
As I have said above, there are plenty of people who have grown up to love the world that was created by J K Rowling. They would connect with a certain character and take online quizzes to sort themselves into their houses (mine is Gryfinndor, obviously). Fans would head online to buy merchandise such as wands and robes to extend their enjoyment of the story and make it more real. People would leave the cinema and wish that the places could be real.
So when Universal Creative built this legendary place, it gave the fans a chance to live out their dreams and become a witch/wizard for the day. It allows them to run around the land dressed in a robe with a wand in hand and interact with the surroundings or team members to fully immersive themselves in that world.
This emotional connection makes the design stronger as it allows guests to connect to the experience on a deeper level giving it greater value. I have often walked around Hogsmede or Diagon Alley in Orlando and seen people crying because of how it made them feel. It connected them to a dream that they never thought could come true.
2. Detail, Detail, Detail with a commitment to quality
If you have had the chance to visit the lands in Orlando or somewhere in the world you will know that it is a treat for all the senses. Picture the scene. You walk into Hogsmede village and look upon the Hogwarts castle and the village. It is exactly what you have seen in the films or imagined as your read the books. This vision is confirmed by the sweet smell of Butterbeer that wafts through the street. The designers have cleverly used a soundscape that adds to the atmosphere and gives the impression of magical things moving or spells being cast. Just take a look into the windows of the shops to see things come to life and listen to the complimenting soundtrack. The creatives have added places that allow you to dine in famous locations. The Three Broomsticks or The Leaky Coldren are popular favourites serving some authentic British style meals that would have been commonly mentioned in the books. The taste of the food helps to transport you to the vision in your mind. Finally, the location is tangible and you can touch it. Everything from the rockwork on the Hogwarts castle to the wand collection in Olivander’s.
With all of these details, each has been delivered with a commitment to quality and detail. This keeps people immersed within the story and away from the thoughts of reality or possible complaints that the experience didn’t live up to expectations. Plus with each sense being catered for, each detail overlaps to provide a truly holistic experience for the guest.
The ability to create immersive opportunities is something every designer strives for. Even if the final product is not based on entertainment (e.g something to boost productivity), it should still go into great detail to provide additional value.
3. Multi-Layered Mediums
Now I am not saying anything new here, but the seamless integration of rides, entertainment, retail shops and food locations adds to its success. A guest doesn’t have to leave the land to be fulfilled with excitement, nutrition and souvenirs.
However, I found that The Wizard World of Harry Potter went the extra step here to excite and enchant guests.
As you wander through the lands, guests have the opportunity to cast spells at various locations to make interactive elements come to life. A simple ‘swish and flick’ of your wand outside a store in Diagon Alley will make the window display animate only for you. This is a great example of how personalised the experience can be for each guest.
As you move further through the lands, you can see the school choir perform as you head up to Hogwarts to walk through the legendary halls. If guests look closely they can see fine details related back to the films such as the artefacts in Dumbledore’s office. The keen Harry Potter fan will be able to indulge further in the experience than perhaps those with less knowledge, pushing further into the concept of personalisation and individual experience within the land.
Personalisation is now expected within design as it offers the chance for the guest to feel fully immersed and important in the narrative. This personalisation provides additional interaction and continued or repeat usage.
So what makes The Wizarding World of Harry Potter stand out?
Many themed entertainment companies are offering more detailed experiences for guests. As we all know this was pioneered by Walt Disney and since the building of Disneyland in 1955, the industry has progressed dramatically. However much of Disney’s original work in their parks was based upon fairytales and original concepts from the Imagineers.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter was the first expansive land to take shape that was based upon a successful franchise. As physical locations were pulled directly from the movies it allowed guests to experience the big screen in real life. The success of the land was solidified on the opening day (10th June) when excited guests could be waiting up to 8 hours just to enter Hogsmede Village.
Since then the world has seen many more themed experiences that are based upon successful franchises and allow guests to connect further to the big screen. Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disneyland is another great example of this. Seeing the Millenium Falcon in real life is every fan’s dream.
How do these teachings reflect other design mediums
Well, I have mentioned a lot about the need for personalisation, emotional connection and added value. For me, these are the critical trio for success within the design sector, no matter what the medium. I will agree that it is a careful blend of science and art to get the balance right
But, building a product that is personalised for each user and draws on an emotional connection through a strong narrative will ultimately add value which creates repeat users and increased revenue.
