Harry Potter’s “Deathly Hallows – Part 2” recently broke box office records in the USA by raking in 92.1 million dollars on its opening day in North America, surpassing the old record of opening day revenue by almost an astonishing $20 million. The film franchise’s luck hasn’t ended there, however, as the Universal Orlando Resort also recently announced that with the help of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal’s Islands of Adventure, attendance records have been shattered across the resort since the opening of the Harry Potter-themed land last summer. 

When first quarter statistics were released earlier this year, Universal announced that, during the first three months of the year, attendance rose an astounding 68 percent during the first three months of the year (from 1.7 million a year ago to 2.8 million in 2011), which marked the biggest attendance gains Universal Orlando had seen since the opening of Potter. Those marks also meant a financial rebound for the company as well, which lost $36.4 million a year ago but made $45.8 million in profit during the first quarter, a dramatic turnaround from its numbers in 2010. 

The news just keeps getting better for Universal, as second quarter earning and attendance marks were also recently announced. During the second quarter, 3.6 million visitors came to the Universal Orlando Resort, more than 1 million more than visited during the second quarter in 2010. This 41 percent jump in attendance also meant more revenue for the company as well, which made $97.8 million in profit during the second quarter months compared to the resort’s $2.8 million profit margin last year during the same time. Ticket revenue jumped nearly 60 percent, food and beverage sales escalated 53 percent and merchandise gains soared 82 percent, thanks largely to Potter merchandise. 

Since The Wizarding World of Harry Potter’s opening in June 2010, more than 13.4 million people have visited the Universal Orlando Resort. The $265 million dollar spectacle designed after Potter features rides, shops and eateries (butterbeer anyone?) based on the J.K. Rowling book and film series. Numbers figure to continue into the fall, as Universal also recently announced “A Celebration of the Harry Potter Films” event that will be hosted at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter this November.

Have you visited the Universal Orlando Resort since the opening of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter? If not, with the cooler temperatures and the lesser crowds of the fall beckoning, there is no better time than now to visit the Universal Orlando Resort!