Two Vr Games Are Now At The Harry Potter Nyc Store And Here’s How They Work
If you’ve got $34 and some free time in NYC, there’s some virtual reality waiting for you.
Russell Holly
Russell Holly is a Managing Editor on the Commerce team at CNET. He works with all of CNET to assemble top recommendations as well as helping everyone find the best way to buy anything at the best price. When not writing for CNET you can find him riding a bike, running around in Jedi robes, or contributing to WOSU public radio’s Tech Tuesday segment.
Since it opened a month and a half ago, everyone who has been fortunate enough to enter the capacity-limited Harry Potter store in NYC has been treated to a visually stunning experience. But starting July 15, two new sections of the store will open to explore on-site, but in virtual reality — Harry Potter: Chaos at Hogwarts and Harry Potter: Wizards Take Flight. I was invited to take an early look at these experiences and learned about what it takes to build these experiences for such a broad audience.
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Franklin D Roosevelt State Park
Located in the grounds of FDR State Park, Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience will take place within the woodlands of the estate. Access will be via the entrance on Taconic State Parkway. Please note that this is an outdoor trail, conducted in darkness hours. Staff and signs will guide guests from the parking lot to the start of the trail.
Do you need more information? Maybe you can find the answer here.
Getting to Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience in WestchesterTraveling from Manhattan and BronxTraveling from Queens and Long IslandTraveling from BrooklynTraveling from New Jersey
Was The New York Harry Potter Vr Ride Worth It
I thought the ride was really cool. It is fun, I mean you actually get to cast spells and use a wand while riding on a broom. It was a cool experience to blast a few death eaters.
However, I thought the price of $37 was a little expensive for the experience. I wanted to have this experience so no regrets. I dont think I would do it again.
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How Do I Purchase Tickets In
At Harry Potter New York, you can buy tickets with help from a VR Host who can help find the right experience and available time slot thats best for you and your group. Tickets can be purchased for same day or for a date in the future, subject to availability. Online booking is the best way to secure a ticket for your preferred time slot, and to ensure that you and your group can all experience Harry Potter VR together.
First Stop: The Wand Table
After finding a few enchanted keys, I ventured straight to the Character Wand Table. Because, after all, every aspiring witch or wizard needs the right wand. An interactive wand experience brings your favorite Harry Potter character to life when you pick up their wand.
If youre looking for a wand to add to your Harry Potter collection, you could spend an entire day in this wand shop. The shop showcases more than 50 wands inspired by the characters, locations and props originally brought to us by J.K. Rowlings imagination. Marshall assumed he could grab wands from all his favorite characters. He was mistaken!
Quidditch fans will be delighted to discover the Golden Snitch wand, exclusive to Harry Potter New York.
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How Much Do The Products Cost
Now, lets talk about prices!
You can get some stationery items like pencils, pens, and notebooks for about US$ 2, US$ 8, and US$ 15 respectively.
As for sweets, a Chocolate Frog costs US$ 12 and Every Flavour Beans are US$ 12 in the paper wrapper or US$ 22 in cute tins.
The wands, which can be of various characters like Harry, Dumbledore, and Hermione, or just from the houses of Hogwarts, cost US$ 38.
Keyrings and other small souvenir items cost about US$ 10.
How Does The Harry Potter Vr Ride Work
I decided to go on Wizards Take Flight. An employee checked my ticket and had everyone in my time wait at a specific location. We were guided down the stairs to the ride.
Once we entered the ride we were given a briefing. We had to put on virtual reality headgear and gloves. There are lockers where you can put all of your belongings while you ride.
There are six seats with wands. You can choose whatever seat you would like.
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Harry Potter New York Lower Level
And theres even more to be found on the lower level. Even if you have no problem with stairs, we recommend taking a ride on the elevator at least one way. Its set up to look like a fireplace connected to the Floo Network!
Downstairs, youll find some of the darker merchandise, along with books, jewelry, robes, cosmetics, art prints, and a variety of items you can personalize, in the Things That Must Be Named section.
Also downstairs is the gathering area for Wizards Take Flight, one of the two VR experiences. The entrance to Chaos at Hogwarts is on the main level that experience actually takes place on the stores third floor.
Harry Potter New York Opens New Round Of Tickets For Vr Experiences
Posted by Jessica Lancaster | Aug 5, 2021 | Fantasy, Live Events | 0 |
If youre ready to immerse yourself in the Wizarding World of Hogwarts, nows your chance. The Harry Potter flagship store in New York has just opened the next round of ticketing for its VR experiences.
Fans can choose between two all-new interactive virtual reality experiences, Chaos at Hogwarts and Wizards Take Flight. You can find out more about each of these experiences below.
CHAOS AT HOGWARTS
After missing the Hogwarts Express at Kings Cross Station, Dobby helps get us to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Students! Dobby needs your help. Journey through Hogwarts Castle, cast spells with your wand, round up Pixies, discover hidden secrets, and nd whether you and your friends can manage the Chaos at Hogwarts.
WIZARDS TAKE FLIGHT
Take flight into the wizarding world on your own broom. Fly freely in the skies above Hogwarts before meeting Hagrid at Knockturn Alley. Then battle Death Eaters over the city of London, casting spells with your wand as you try to escape through the clouds to the safety of Hogwarts Castle.
Tickets are available now for experiences running August 16th September 12, 2021.
Pre-booking your reservation is highly recommended, as the tickets are for specific time slots and can sell out. Tickets cost $34 and can be purchased online here.
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Harry Potter Store Standort
Der Harry Potter Store befindet sich sehr zentral hinter dem ikonischen Flatiron Building. Bei einem Besuch des Ladens, macht es auch Spaß, die Umgebung zu erkunden. Sie können den Madison Square Park oder den italienischen Markt Eataly besuchen. Auch das New Yorker Fotomuseum Fotografiska ist nur wenige Gehminuten vom Harry Potter Store entfernt.
Um Ihr Harry Potter Erlebnis perfekt abzurunden, empfehle ich Ihnen, Tickets für die beeindruckende Show Harry Potter and the Cursed Child am Broadway zu buchen.
Neben dem Harry Potter Store, gibt es noch viele weitere Spielzeugläden in New York zu besuchen.
Harry Potter Store New York
New York is considerably more interesting than I expected.- Newt Scamander
- Harry Potter Store New York
Harry Potter New York is the first official Harry Potter flagship store in the heart of New York City next to the iconic Flatiron building at 935 Broadway.Now open, the storehouses the largest collection of Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts products in the world, from pocket money items to rare collectibles. Spanning three floors and over 20,000 sq. ft., the flagship store offers exclusive lines, magical photo opportunities and lots more!
Are you planning a visit to Harry Potter New York?Our newly-opened flagship store is operating a virtual queuing system check our website for more info.
If you cannot visit our magical experience at 935 Broadway, you can shop from a hand-picked selection of Wizarding World products and Harry Potter New York exclusives in our online store.
Stay up to date on all the exciting news from Harry Potter New York by signing up to our newsletter and follow us on , and .
935 Broadway
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The Harry Potter Nyc Flagship Store: An Amazing Hot Mess
In early 2020, Warner Brothers announced that a giant, 20,000+ square foot Harry Potter flagship store was going to open later that year, next door to the Flatiron Building, in lower Manhattan.
Wizarding World, the U.K.-based official online entity for Harry Potter fans, reported that when the first-of-its-kind experiential store opened, fans would, be able to peruse everything, from Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans to personalised robes, along with rare collectible items, hand-signed artwork, and exclusive ranges. The space would also offer new interactive experiences as well as cool photo opportunities.
Of course, COVID put the kibosh on the store opening in 2020, but Harry Potter New York finally had its launch in early June 2021.
Meanwhile, Joe and I had a 32-hour stopover in NYC on July 9-10, so we decided to check it out.
The bottom line is that its a mixture of being amazeballs and an operations nightmare. Heres the good, the bad and the ugly.
The good
Aesthetically, the store is beautiful, with theming everywhere that almost makes you feel like youre at Hogwarts, Olivanders, Dumbledores office, etc. It has several rooms with 15 themed areas, each of which focuses on the things you could buy. Works of art. Items that represent each Hogwarts House. Candy & Butterbeer. Wands. Books. Items having to do with the Dark Arts. You name it.
The bad
The one bad thing about the store? THE LINES!
The ugly
Isnt that special?
But back to those 551 people in front of us.
Harry Potter Virtual Reality Experiences At The Harry Potter Store In Nyc
There are two Harry Potter virtual reality experiences. If you book a VR experience, you dont have to wait in the virtual queue. One VR experience, Wizards Take Flight, is downstairs near MinaLima. I saw another on the main floor in the mandrake room. How much does it cost for Harry Potter virtual reality experiences? The tickets are $34. They are only available through the website. They are 30-minute experiences. Heres what you can expect at the Harry Potter virtual reality experiences. And here is one persons experience, with even better video.
The store asks you to arrive 30 minutes before the VR experience, so you can check in and select your avatar. If you are late, they may not be able to accommodate you. If you want to do both VR experiences, allow at least 60 minutes between start times, and know that you cant book them at the same time you have to book one and then go back in to book the other.
Most of the Harry Potter merchandise made sense: clothing, notebooks, candy, stuffed animals, wands. But Le Crueset? I thought that was weird. Also, Deathly Hallows make-up brushes? They had nail polish as well, themed to go with the house colors.
Heres another prop from the movies the golden snitch. They also had Death Eater masks.
The photo below is a little blurry, but its the Floo Networks destination. What I really liked, though, was the snake coming down from the ceiling in this Slytherin section.
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How To Visit Harry Potter New York
The first thing you should know about Harry Potter New York is that you cant just show up and shop at least not yet. Because of its popularity, they are currently handling shoppers with a virtual queue system. In the morning, they set up a sign outside the store with a QR code. Those who want to shop must scan the code and enter a virtual queue. If you do this, youll receive a text message later in the day when its your turn to return and enter the store.
This likely means youll have to make two separate trips to the store, once to scan the code and once to enter, or otherwise plan to spend a lot of time in the area while you wait for your turn to enter. There is one way to get around this awkward requirement, though. Harry Potter New York just opened two VR experiences in mid-July, and if you have a ticket for one of those, you can enter the store ahead of your reservation, or stay in the store afterward to do your shopping.
We tried out the Harry Potter VR experience read about that here!
However you get in, the Harry Potter New York experience is a must for any fan of the Wizarding World! Lots of unique merchandise to browse, great photo ops, actual props from the films, and delicious treats, including New Yorks first Butterbeer Bar!
Harry Potter Store New York City: More Things To Know
No need to walk through bricks at Platform 9 3/4. The NYC subway will deliver you to Harry Potter New York just fine. Although the Hogwarts Express would be more interesting.
To comply with lingering pandemic issues and manage the crowds, this flagship store utilizes a virtual queuing system. Arriving at the store, youll scan a QR code to join the virtual queue. Youll be notified when its your turn to experience the magic. Go early because once the queue numbers are full, no additional guests will be allowed in.
Additionally, the store currently operates at reduced capacity to ensure physical distancing. Masks are required for entry regardless of vaccination status.
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Impressions Of A Mere Muggle
I must confess. I never read the Harry Potter books and only saw a couple of the movies.
My kids and grandkids, however, have read and seen All Things Harry Potter. After catching up on some of the characters and visiting this store, I have to admit, Im a fan.
So if youre looking for me in the next few months, Ill be busy reading all the novels. Then, Ill no doubt return to the Harry Potter shop to start my own collection.
Now, wheres my Butterbeer?
Best Time To Visit New York City
New York City can be visited year-round, as each season has its own charm. If you want to be able to walk outside, then avoid visiting the city during the winter months. Spring and Fall are the best seasons to visit New York City and the perfect time of the year to be in the city as the first one brings nice weather and green colors to Central Park and the latter the fall foliage and its magnificent color show.
Do you have any questions about visiting the Harry Potter flagship store in NYC? So, leave it here in the comments and Ill love to answer.
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Diagon Alley Mini Backpack
$75.00
Get ready for your next year at Hogwarts with this stylish teal colored miniature backpack from Loungefly. Everything you could expect to see on your shopping journey to Diagon Alley can be found here! Potions, robes and other magical supplies adorn the all-over print of the main body of the bag, while stunning die cut artwork of textbooks, an owl and the Sorting Hat feature prominently on the front pocket. From the exquisite stitching to the Hogwarts crest charm zipper tab, no detail of this backpack has been left untouched!
Hogwarts Starry Night Spirit Jersey
$65.00
Show your support and celebrate Hogwarts with this Hogwarts Starry Night Spirit Jersey. The shirt features an all-over star design printed on the material and is complete with a Hogwarts Crest in puff glitter print on the front chest. The long-sleeved shirt features a Hogwarts Crest in a white design on the front chest, with the Hogwarts school motto Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus presented underneath which translates to Never tickle a sleeping dragon’.
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Personalise Your Own Famous Witch Or Wizard Card
Join or log into the Harry Potter Fan Club for the best experience.Unlock exclusive access and special offers on your Harry Potter favourites and products from around the Wizarding World through the Harry Potter Fan Club.
By clicking ‘proceed’ you consent to sharing your name, email address, membership status, Hogwarts house and wand between Wizarding World Digital LLC and the Harry Potter Shop for the purpose of providing services to you, personalising your experience, to send you customised offers, and for other purposes outlined under our privacy policy.
In order to unlink your Harry Potter Fan Club account from the Harry Potter Shop, please contact us.
What Products Are Available For Purchase
Alongside the main collection of Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts products, Harry Potter New York offers a range of brand collaborations including Spirit Jerseys, Loungefly handbags, and Pottery Barn Teen, among many other fan favorites. We also offer a range of exclusives to Harry Potter New York.
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What Is Harry Potter New York
Harry Potter New York is the worlds only official Harry Potter flagship store in the heart of New York Citys Flatiron district offering an unforgettable, immersive experience for Wizarding World fans.
The store sets a new standard of themed shopping experiences, combining breath-taking design, exciting interactive elements and exclusive products inviting fans to experience the Wizarding World in a brand-new way. Spanning three floors and over 21,000 sq. ft., the store houses the largest collection of Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts products under one roof.