I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.

Is 2016 the best year ever for Harry Potter fans worldwide? Objectively speaking, probably not. But considering that this year has brought (and will bring) us The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Los Angeles, a new Harry Potter book, the release of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them in November, and the release of three (THREE) new Potter-based e-books by J. K. Rowling on September 6th… We think it’s fair to say that this year has been a great year to be a Potter fan.

And it just keeps getting better.

We all know about Universal Studios and their awesome immersive Harry Potter theme parks. Their spread is more than impressive: its largest park is in Orlando with other expansions in Tokyo and Los Angeles and additions are always in the works. In Orlando’s park, guests can hop aboard the Hogwarts Express to travel between Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade, where they can then shop in the Potter-inspired shops and ride the rides set in Hogwarts and Gringotts. Since 2010, they’ve been making Potter fans feel like they maybe didn’t miss their Hogwarts acceptance letters after all.

And then, we found THIS out:

Yes, Universal Studios filed a patent for a “Video Game Ride” where the riders can control the game’s process through the use of joysticks, steering wheels, or — you guessed it — wands. Gasp! Are we Muggles going to finally be able to test our magical prowess? Perhaps.

Though all of the information is not detailed out in the patent filing and we don’t even know if the game is actually meant for their Wizarding World parks, we Potter-heads have gone wild imagining the possibilities.

The patent gives an example of a “wizard-themed game” where riders can interact with both the ride and with other users to play a game wherein the riders can score points, solve riddles, and use wand skills associated with certain characters in order to progress through the ride. The ride can also be adjusted for different players’ ages and ability level.

Whoa.

Basically, Universal Studios is taking their partnership with Nintendo to a whole new (and completely amazing) level. While the current rides include 3-D imagery and immersive technology already, this new patent suggests that interactive rides are going to be the future of rides in the parks.

Mischief managed.

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Content Writer

When she is not figuring out what the middle button on her headphones is for, explaining the difference between Washington State and Washington D.C., arriving to the airport too early or refusing to use the Oxford comma, you can usually find Mary in the mountains, at a show or on her couch. Mary is a content writer at Fareportal and likes annoying her coworkers with weird GIFs throughout the day.