Hogwarts Express (Universal Orlando Resort)
The Hogwarts Express is an 1,800 mm broad gauge cable railway, people mover, and attraction within the Universal Orlando Resort in Orlando, Florida, United States. The route runs 676 meters (2,218 ft) between Hogsmeade station in the Islands of Adventure theme park and King's Cross station in the London area of the Universal Studios Florida theme park. It provides a connection between the Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade areas which, together, form The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, based on the Harry Potter film series.
A Hogwarts Express train arriving at Hogsmeade station in Islands of Adventure
Platform 9+3⁄4 at King's Cross station next to Diagon Alley has a large roof based on London King's Cross railway station.
Trains pass over the Universal Orlando backlot between stations.
Curved projection system behind each compartment window
Universal Orlando Resort, often shortened to Universal Orlando, is a 541-acre (219 ha) theme park and entertainment resort complex located in Orlando, Florida. Following the opening of Universal Studios Florida in 1990, NBCUniversal moved forward with plans to expand from a single park into a large resort hoping to compete with Walt Disney World. In 1999, a second theme park called Islands of Adventure opened in addition to CityWalk, a shopping promenade and nightlife district that incorporates a variety of themed hotels, restaurants, and retail outlets. A third 30-acre (12 ha) water theme park, Volcano Bay, was added in 2017, and a fourth upcoming theme park, Epic Universe, is scheduled to open in 2025.
The Universal Globe, the icon of the resort, with the gates to Universal Studios Florida in the background
The Pharos Lighthouse marks the entrance to Islands of Adventure.
Panoramic view of Universal Studios Florida's lagoon, December 2005
Entrance sign to CityWalk from the parking garage