The 2018 edition of Universal Orlando Resort’s “A Celebration of Harry Potter” started this weekend and an opening night of special announcements, live orchestra performances, and celebrity appearances was capped off with a special showing of the newest addition of Universal Orlando’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter – “The Nighttime Lights at Hogwarts Castle”.
“The Nighttime Lights at Hogwarts Castle” is latest Harry Potter theme 3D Projection Mapped experience added the Universal Orlando Harry Potter experience. And Friday night we took part in an early presentation of the show.
The show features the houses of Hogwarts opening with a narration by the Hogwarts Sorting Hat.
The lights go dim briefly as you conceptually try on The Sorting Hat and houses are presented in projections on the Hogwarts Castle.
First house featured is Ravenclaw (and Matt’s house apparently, as he learned this weekend. More on that later). Blue and bronze lights surround Hogwarts accompanied of course by imagery of the Eagle.
Next, Hufflepuff. Yellow, black and silver cover the castle leading up to the reveal of the Badger.
Our viewing crowd favorite, Slytherin, is next with eerie green lights and sliver highlights with plenty of Serpents.
The final house, and home to the saga title character, Gyffindor with scarlet and gold lights and the Lion wrapping then entire structure.
Hogwarts and the four houses close out the show in a grand finally complete with pyrotechnics.
It’s hard not to compare “The Nighttime Lights at Hogwarts Castle” with 2017’s holiday show “The Magic of Christmas at Hogwarts Castle”, the holiday show set a very high bar for nighttime entertainment at Hogsmeade. As a comparison to the Christmas show, “Nighttime Lights” falls just a touch short. However, that is when comparing the two.
Looking at “The Nighttime Lights at Hogwarts Castle” alone, it’s a fun, colorful, entertaining show and a must see for Harry Potter fans. It’s a great edition to not only the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, but the to the ever increasing night time entertainment at Universal Orlando Resort. I enjoyed from both a technical and new, and slowly learning Harry Potter fan perspective as well.
“The Nighttime Lights at Hogwarts Castle” is scheduled run through February 2018 at Universal Resort Orlando with more dates expected to be added in the future. For more details, see our article covering the original announcement of the edition to Hogsmeade here.
Our report on “A Celebration of Harry Potter” 2018 continues with a special podcast episode wrap up by Matt and Shelby as they discuss the event from two very different perspectives. Look for that episode soon right here on NEOZAZ.com!