You give Muggles a bad name, that’s the way the Bon Jovi song goes, isn’t it? I’ve seen one Harry Potter film and that was the one with the giant snake. I haven’t read any of the books, but I do enjoy a good time and theme park experience. Packed away with all of this Hogwarts lack of trivia I decided to check out Harry Potter: The Exhibition. Harry Potter: The Exhibition in Atlanta is happening in the peach state until April 16. It’s a traveling collection of movie memorabilia, costumes, and an interactive rabbit hole of all things from the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
Actually, I stand corrected on the fact that I’ve experienced next to nothing from this world. I did see Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald and the Secrets of Dumbledore. The former movie left me completely underwhelmed and the latter one put me to sleep. It’s only because I saw wardrobe and props from those movies in this exhibit that I remembered that they were the start of the broader Wizarding World.
Having worked at Walt Disney World for two years I appreciate ‘good show’. This is the overall impression that a performance or exhibit has on you. If you can’t see cables, wires and the performers are knowledgeable, then it’s ‘good show’. If the people smell like coffee or cigarettes, aren’t polite or there are obvious glitches in the show’s presentation that are attempted to be fixed, then it’s ‘bad show’.
With all of that said, Harry Potter: The Exhibition is a great show. You can tell the caliber of a show by how well it’s received by the average visitor who knows nothing about its history or prestige. It’s also great when a ‘good show’ can change a person’s impression of intellectual property. In this case, ours changed from neutral/poor to good or I can see why people all over the world completely go bonkers over all things Hogwarts.
When you enter Harry Potter: The Exhibition you first go into a room that has a dozen or so computer stations. You’re asked to put in your name, email address, what house you belong to, and some other Harry Potter-centered question. It’s to enhance your experience during the exhibition, they say, and they are 100% correct. It’s not a lie. This is not some MLM scam, nor are they collecting your information for a timeshare in Omaha. I’m averse to putting my name into any form, especially so when I’m in a holding room until the show starts. It’s the really great shows and theme park rides that have holding rooms or queues where people are waiting, without realizing that they’re waiting.
In Harry Potter: The Exhibition, the main room opens up every five minutes to where visitors see a massive map of Hogwarts and beyond. When you look closely you’ll find names start to appear all over the map and in just a moment your name will pop up somewhere. The giant wall screen morphs into various classic Hogwarts scenes, like a snowy castle, a flying train or an enchanted forest. Even though you’re standing, the moving or vertigo effect that queues or attractions like that have is accomplished and you feel like you’re gently gliding along. The screen is about 12” tall and the room’s rounded edges accentuate the desire for guests to orient themselves, even if they know nada about Hogwarts.
As guests exit that room and turn left they’ll see the path that leads to the meat of the experience. Potterheads will know all about their house, which seemed to be a source of pride when attendees entered their names in the aforementioned kiosk. The costumes are presented in their respective house and displayed in a manner that’s more akin to a museum than a temporary exhibit. As guests continue exploring each house they’ll be a dozen or so additional kiosks, similar to the first one, where you can scan your wristband and play games. Those games add up in your personal account, as well as, your house team. Again, apparently, this is a big deal amongst Hogwartians so that they can ensure that Snape finally gets his victory or comeuppance.
There are some large-scale props or examples of scenes from the films. You can play a quick game of non-flying quidditch, with basketballs instead of the things they used in the movies, a dragon about 12’ tall, and more. Even as a complete Muggle and novice to all things Potter, the Harry Potter Experience has a natural feel in its exhibits like it’s leading to a grand finale. It does so in a way that the rabid Potterhead that went with us was satisfied and left them with continued fond memories of the books and movies, as well as, the exhibit.
Having spent a couple of years at the world’s biggest theme park, I was impressed by their gift shop. Shopping is one reason why people go to cons. It’s a chance to buy the super-rare shirt, the mugs that you’ve been jealous of or the jewelry that’s sublime enough to let people who know, know that you know too. The gift shop at the Harry Potter Experience was next level and has the biggest collection of Harry Potter memorabilia outside of Universal Studios. It’s also worth noting that the employees at the experience were all really well versed in intellectual property and could explain it in a way that our 11-year-old muggle could understand and get behind.
Our kids enjoyed their time at the Harry Potter Experience Atlanta. So far it hasn’t been enough to motivate the 11-year-old to read the books, but we’re hopeful. The 13-year-old avid reader has already said that he’s not interested in the books, but would like to see the movies. Their 13-year-old Potterhead friend was chattering about which part was their favorite, how cool it was to see the trolley that was actually used in the movies, and how the wands were reflective of each person who wielded them.
The entire time that you’ll need to do a deep dive into the Harry Potter Experience is about 75 minutes. It’s surprisingly immersive for all attendees, and will even engage those few people, like me, who know next to nothing about this franchise.
The Harry Potter Experience Atlanta is on display until April 16 and will then travel to another magical city.
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