Leaderboard

What ~ an ~ awesome thing to experience! And I'm curious - how much for a wand? Thanks for a great tour through it all!

With the park closing early and this being my only full day off from work, I pushed against my own exhaustion to experience something that had been intriguing me since I first found out I would be going to Singapore. Harry Potter: Visions of Magic is billed as an interactive art experience. At a high level, it reminds me of a mix between those immersive projection room attractions, (to a degree) some of the TeamLab experiences (which I'd get a chance to see one on this trip) and in a not-subtle way, the interactive wand experiences found in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter locations across the globe. The experience is a separate-ticket offering within the Resorts World Sentosa complex. It allows you to scratch that Harry Potter itch in lieu of a Wizarding World of Harry Potter realm found in the park next door. You are equipped with a wand upon entry that can be used to illuminate your way through the experience. Unlike the interactive wands in the Universal parks, this wand features a touch-sensitive trigger and a lit wand tip to show you're triggering the magic. Not unlike other immersive art installations, the experience is mostly done at your own pace, with you being allowed to go back and revisit almost all rooms along the way. The Knight Bus is the formal kickoff to the experience and features a transportive introduction to the journey ahead... Once inside the Knight Bus, the inside is far more spacious as the outside facade lets on. Next up is Grimmauld Place... The rooms range in size throughout the experience but most of them are covered in interactive projection surfaces. This room represents (and transforms between) the two Ministries of Magic seen on film across the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts franchises, the British and French ministries. We start here in the French ministries with references abound from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. But soon after the room transforms into the more recognizable green and black tile hues of the British ministry. The Hall of Prophecy feels like something someone went to a TeamLab installation and decided that they could accomplish the same kind of effects with a Potter sequence. Throughout the room are prophecies with embedded targets, that when you point and activate your wand, they set off effects, visible and auditory. This was easily one of the most layered rooms in the experience with the most unique interactive points to find. Leading into the Chamber of Secrets is a door that fully replicates the iconic mechanisms from the film. The Chamber of Secrets is a neat room to explore but it had less trigger points than I would have hoped. One of the few rooms in the experience dedicated purely to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Having been spoiled by Knockturn Alley in Universal Studios Florida, this section was a little underwhelming. But there were some neat effects to be triggered. Darkness... Where might this lead? It leads to the Room of Requirement, in fact. Tons of triggered effects within this room, revealing recognizable props from the films... As well as some other effects that I wasn't familiar with from the movies. But lots of notable props. The finale room uses projection and artistry to present the final battle between Harry Potter and Voldemort, playing across this room with this center Pensieve being the focal point. Harry on one side... The Dark Lord on the other... As in the story/films, Harry wins and we are returned to Hogwarts where we can trigger fireworks effects with our wands, representing the four house animals. Is it even a Harry Potter attraction if there isn't an insane variety of merchandise to choose from? And yes, they sell (non-interactive) wands here. Also in the attraction's shop is a Butterbeer Bar that serves the namesake beverage plus other themed treats. You can even buy a bottled variety of Butterbeer here. So much to choose from! I stuck to the traditional Butterbeer... Having tried it at Universal and non-Universal locations (like the Harry Potter Studio Tour London) alike, I wsa curious to see if the formula would be any different. I'm not sure if it is catered to more local taste profiles, but compared to the stateside versions I've enjoyed, this version was surprisingly bland and watery. Harry Potter: Visions of Magic is a great experience for Potter fans. It is probably a little too niche for more casual guests but as a fan of the franchise, I enjoyed it and the hour and a half diversion it provided me. I tried a local shawarma chain in the Sentosa complex and washed it down with a delicious and refreshing Coca-Cola. After a long day out it was time to go back to the hotel and rest before the next day's work.