The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is Getting a New Roller Coaster
Expecto (patronum) big changes at Universal Orlando's Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The theme park announced Monday that it'll be opening a new coaster in 2019. The yet-to-be-named Islands of Adventure thrill ride will replace the mainstay Dragon Challenge.
Universal won't say much about Wizarding World's newest ride, but in a blog post announcement, it promised it will be "the most highly-themed coaster we've created. It will combine a new level of storytelling with an action-packed adventure... and a few surprises along the way."
What those lofty words actually mean is anyone's guess, but if the Wizarding World's action-packed robo-venture Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is any indication, the new coaster could be amazing. It'll occupy the space left by Dragon Challenge, which takes the last ride of its 18-year run on September 4. As The Orlando Sentinel reports, Dragon Challenge first opened in 1999 under the name "Dueling Dragons." Originally a part of the now-defunct Lost Continent section of the park, the ride was one of Islands of Adventure's very first coasters — that's more than a decade before Wizarding World opened its doors, and a full two years before the first Harry Potter movie even premiered.
Whatever the new attraction is, here's hoping that it's more unique than its predecessor. The Sentinel reports that Dragon Challenge's two trains used to deploy simultaneously, whizzing past each other at mind-bindingly close distances, but that feature was adjusted in 2011 out of safety concerns, much to the disappointment of thrill-ride enthusiasts.
H/T: The Orlando Sentinel
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| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
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Earn 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200K miles when you spend $150K in the first 6 monthsLIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus milesAnnual Fee
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Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month
