Fifteen years after Harry Potter's first big screen adventure, Universal is enchanting a new generation of Muggles with its most spectacular conjuring trick yet -- a theme park in the heart of Hollywood.

The "Wizarding World of Harry Potter" follows similar money-spinning ventures in Florida and Japan, but is set to be the most technologically advanced so far, incorporating state-of-the-art 3-D effects with the traditional fun of the fair.

Opening at Universal Studios beneath the Hollywood hills on Thursday, it is the latest attraction in a burgeoning film industry sideline which has become so lucrative executives are beginning to design sets with future theme parks in mind.

The last Harry Potter film was released five years ago but the character's appeal remains as strong as ever, with fans eagerly awaiting stage show "Harry Potter And The Cursed Child," which opens in London this summer.

Meanwhile a spin-off movie trilogy is due to hit the big screen, starting with "Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them" later in the year.

The new Harry Potter attraction marks Universal's fourth foray into the boy-wizard's universe, with two Orlando launches and an opening in Osaka, Japan, seeing the company increase visitors by up to 30 percent.

Harry Potter's enduring appeal was evidenced by Universal's announcement that Thursday's opening had sold out days ahead, marking the first time ever that the park has had to halt online ticketing transactions.

The attraction, which boasts the forbidding Hogwarts castle as its iconic focal point, transports visitors into the visual landscape of J.K. Rowling's books and the Warner Bros films that followed.

The attention to detail is impressive, from the fading patinas on the slate-gray stone blocks that make up the aged rustic Hog's Head tavern to the painstakingly worn edges of the stained furniture.

The quaint fictional village of Hogsmeade bustles with the chatter of merchants on the cobblestone streets and a pub packed with thirsty patrons under a snow-capped roof.

If all that sounds like the run-of-the-mill theme park, the signature "Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey" ride combining state of the art 360-degree 3-D special effects, live-action thrills and groundbreaking robotics, is anything but.

Among an international pack of reporters and photographers seeking their inner wizard at a preview on Wednesday were a number of stars from the films, including Tom Felton, who played Draco Malfoy, and Warwick Davis (Professor Flitwick).

"Even though I've experienced much like this, having worked on the films, for me coming to 'Wizarding World' is a more magical experience," said Davis, whose filmography includes several "Star Wars" episodes, "Labyrinth" and "Willow."

"These environments are more immersive because you can walk into somewhere like the Three Broomsticks from Hogsmeade and it exists in reality, whereas when you make the movies these locations and sets are quite separate."

From the wizarding world to a galaxy far away, check out Disneyland's Star Wars theme park.