Hogwarts at Universal

It will open in April, or maybe in May.

It will have real snow and magic wands, or not.

Real or plastic owls might take your mail.

There's so much speculation about the spring opening of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando that you need a magic spell to figure out what's real.

So what is real? Here's a rundown.

Rumor: It's an entirely new park. Fact: Not true. The area devoted to J.K. Rowling's wizardly boy is a new 20-acre section of Universal Orlando's Islands of Adventure Park. The attraction reportedly is costing $265 million to create.

Rumor: It's opening in May. Fact: Other than saying it'll open this spring, Universal is holding the exact date secret. But May is the consensus of park watchers.

Rumor: You'll have to pay extra to get into the Harry Potter section. Fact: Not true. If you have a ticket to the Islands of Adventure Park, it's included (Universal also has a separate Universal Studios park). "U-Select," a new ticket pricing scheme, was just released. It offers one-day, one-park tickets for $79 for adults and $69 for ages 3-9. A two-day, two-park ticket is $135 for adults and $122 for children. A new three-day ticket is $140 for adults and $125 for children. That deal is to entice guests to stay more days at Universal.

Rumor: Every attraction will be brand new. Fact: It will seem that way. The new gray Hogwarts Castle towers over the park, charming and ominous and already visible from the Orlando I-4 freeway. Inside, guests will encounter Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, an attraction still veiled in mystery but which is purported to be a ride controlled by robot arms.

Nearby, a shopping area called Hogsmeade Village, created to look exactly like the village described in the book, will contain shops and restaurants.

Guests probably won't realize that two older roller coasters will also be part of the Harry Potter magic. The old Flying Unicorn family coaster becomes Flight of the Hippogriff. The twin Dueling Dragons coaster is being repainted and re-themed into Dragon Challenge.

"Rumor is that the spot where the sacred book sat in Dueling Dragons, they are going to have movie props and the real Goblet of Fire from the movies," Yates says.

Rumor: There's going to be a real post office, and owls (maybe real, maybe animatronic) will take your mail. Fact: Universal confirms there will be a post office with an owl theme and a Hogsmeade postmark. Its front window will feature a loud-talking Howler, which in the book is a bad-tempered red envelope that explodes if you don't open it. Sadly, trained owls won't be swooping down and taking the mail for real.

Rumor: Once Harry Potter opens, it will be hard to get a ticket because Universal will be so crowded. Fact: Universal won't comment on expected crowd levels, but park watchers predict a crush the first few months.

"There will be Disney fans who want to see what the excitement is about, but the vast majority are millions of Harry Potter fans, who are going to make a pilgrimage for this, to see how they brought the books to life," Yates says. "You are going to have to expect really long lines all over the park."

Rumor: You'll be able to eat and drink items Harry had in the books and buy Harry products. Fact: It's true. You'll be able to drink pumpkin juice and butterbeer, buy Quidditch equipment and Remembralls.

Rumor: Guests will use magic wands in the park. Fact: The rumor has some truth to it. "One thing that Universal is really good at is atmosphere. You are going to see wizards walking by; one thing I heard is that the wizards will duel with special effects," Yates says. "And you'll be able to buy magic wands and the rumor is you can wave your wand around and make certain things happen."

Zap! If only there were a spell to shorten the lines.

Rumor: Universal will offer special Harry Potter packages that include lodging and tickets. Fact: True, but Universal has not released any information on that yet.