Dateline takes you to Universal Orlando this week as we look back at the Celebration of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando Resort. We were lucky enough to attend this magical event and have some stunning photos to share.

, Dateline Universal Orlando – Celebration of Harry Potter
We sat in on a Q&A with the actors from the films. Here is Viktor Krum, played by Stanislav Ianevski.
, Dateline Universal Orlando – Celebration of Harry Potter
Next up were Fred and George Weasley, played by the Phelps brothers.

, Dateline Universal Orlando – Celebration of Harry Potter

, Dateline Universal Orlando – Celebration of Harry Potter
Ginny Weasley, played by Bonnie Wright.

, Dateline Universal Orlando – Celebration of Harry Potter

, Dateline Universal Orlando – Celebration of Harry Potter
The cast shared some great stories about how much they enjoy visiting the Wizarding World at Universal, as it is much more realistic than the sets they worked on!

, Dateline Universal Orlando – Celebration of Harry Potter

, Dateline Universal Orlando – Celebration of Harry Potter
Next up was the opening ceremony of the event, which was star-studded, and concluded with a live orchestra playing music from the films synced to the movies.

, Dateline Universal Orlando – Celebration of Harry Potter

, Dateline Universal Orlando – Celebration of Harry Potter
We were then shuttled over to Hogsmeade, where we got to see the first public showing of the Nighttime Lights at Hogwarts Castle.

, Dateline Universal Orlando – Celebration of Harry Potter , Dateline Universal Orlando – Celebration of Harry Potter , Dateline Universal Orlando – Celebration of Harry Potter , Dateline Universal Orlando – Celebration of Harry Potter

, Dateline Universal Orlando – Celebration of Harry Potter
This show uses high-tech, cutting-edge projections to display all four Hogwarts houses on the castle.

, Dateline Universal Orlando – Celebration of Harry Potter

, Dateline Universal Orlando – Celebration of Harry Potter
Slytherin!

, Dateline Universal Orlando – Celebration of Harry Potter , Dateline Universal Orlando – Celebration of Harry Potter

, Dateline Universal Orlando – Celebration of Harry Potter
There are two shots of fireworks during every show.

, Dateline Universal Orlando – Celebration of Harry Potter

, Dateline Universal Orlando – Celebration of Harry Potter
The show is narrated by the Sorting Hat.

, Dateline Universal Orlando – Celebration of Harry Potter , Dateline Universal Orlando – Celebration of Harry Potter , Dateline Universal Orlando – Celebration of Harry Potter

, Dateline Universal Orlando – Celebration of Harry Potter
Overall, this show is a little short, but a ton of fun. The projections and music are spectacular. It has to be short, because if it weren’t, the congestion in the area would get very difficult to deal with.

This celebration is always one of the best weekends of the year at the resort. It is amazing to see the enthusiasm the Potter franchise continues to elicit from the fans. I certainly think it all warrants Universal continuing to expand the Wizarding World. What about you?

Cory Disbrow
Cory likes Walt Disney World so much, he recently packed his bags and moved to Orlando. Cory is a photographer and writes MiceChat's Dateline Disney World columns every Friday.