All the Gold in Gringott's: Universal's Harry Potter Theme Park Is Expensive

Muggles everywhere will be as warm as butterbeer to visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, a new attraction at Universal Orlando Resort starting May 28 -- until they realize a four-night package at the resort starts at $645 per adult. That's a lot of coin, so hopefully they all have a vault at Gringott's (that's the bank that stores all of Harry's gold, nonreaders.)

There are cheaper alternatives down the road, starting at $829 per family of four (that's without airfare), with rates higher on weekends. The chi-chi hotel at the resort starts at $1,548, but both come with early park admission and one three-day park pass. (The elaborate attraction cost Universal about $265 million, so I'm not surprised they're trying to get their money back.) To make it more attractive, they also throw in breakfast at the park's restaurant, the Three Broomsticks, a frog choir and talking hog's head, but I was saddened to hear the butterbeer would be nonalcoholic. BNET wrote about the new attraction last month and how it was Universal's newest volley at Disney World for Central Florida theme park supremacy.

While the vacations begin May 28, Universal Orlando still hasn't released an official opening day, which seems unusual for such a big unveiling with a lot of money behind it. Whatever the day, actors from the Harry Potter films are also supposed to be there,so says MuggleNet, a JK Rowling- and Harry Potter-obsessed fan site.

Experts said that Universal had to start somewhere to get the ball and cash rolling in.

"You build your marketing campaign around your big new attractions every year, so you have to build your marketing campaign. It has to be on the front of your brochure, and you have to deliver on that," Ray Braun, senior vice president for Economics Practice at AECOM, told the Orlando Sentinel.

Universal has been plastering Automobile Association of America offices with posters so that every child will point, scream and demand to be taken to Harry Potter's world. Now, at least they can hawk a vacation package and keep them quiet.