Is Brisbane's new Harry Potter forest experience worth the galleons?
For Potterheads and fans of Fantastic Beasts it's a pretty enticing brief. Basically, it's a walk through a real-life forest featuring all the most iconic scenes from the film franchise set to a nostalgic soundtrack with plenty of photo opportunities.
The experience has toured across the world with a reputation for selling out. So, will Brisbane's take live up to the hype? We headed to the opening night to find out.
Now, it's best to get on the record up front that we are not the biggest Potterheads. Yes, we've seen the movies and read (some) of the books. But on a scale of muggle-status to having a Deathly Hallows tattoo, we sit somewhere in the middle.
The drive to Mount Cotton takes about 45 minutes from inner-city Brisbane, so don't forget to factor that in. We were pleased to find the parking process super straightforward with heaps of signage to navigate the property in the dark.
From the get-go we were serenaded with Hedwig's Theme as we wandered through lantern lit entryways. The experience begins in an outdoor food court where we fuelled up with Harry Potter classics like butter beer and not-so-classics (chicken tenders and chips).
At an eye-watering $24 for three mediocre chicken tenders and a handful of chips, we would recommend eating before the event.
But, novelty bites like cake pops that reveal which Harry Potter house you're in are worthy of the splurge.
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