Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is a dark ride located in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter themed areas of Islands of Adventure in Orlando, Florida, and Universal Studios Japan in Osaka, Japan. The ride takes guests through scenes and environments in and around Hogwarts Castle from the Harry Potter series of books and films. Mark Woodbury, president of Universal Creative, described the ride as an in-depth look at the world of Harry Potter, which utilizes never before seen technology which transforms "the theme park experience as you know it". The original attraction at Islands of Adventure opened with The Wizarding World of Harry Potter section on June 18, 2010. An installation has also been announced for Universal Studios Hollywood, with it due to open in 2016.
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey uses KUKA robocoaster technology, which allows the seats to pivot while being held above the track by a robotic arm. However, the ride is not aroller coaster but a scenic dark ride. The experience includes a flight around Hogwarts castle, an encounter with the Whomping Willow and a horde of Dementors, and a Quidditch match. The ride drops, spins around, twists and turns, but does not turn upside down, though passengers sometimes lie flat on their backs. Over-the-shoulder bars are used to secure guests in their seats, and a single parabolic metal bar is used as a hand grip. At the conclusion of the ride, guests exit into "Filch's Emporium of Confiscated Goods" gift shop. As of May 2014, Universal Express Pass is not available for this attraction, but a single rider queue is available.