Multi-Million Dollar Attraction Proves Why Laser Tag Must Go Beyond “Just a Game”

Blog by Nicole Lander

This Attraction Proves Why Your Laser Tag Business Must Go Beyond "Just a Game”

Walking through a Brisbane forest on a mild winter’s night, I was enthralled with marvelous sensory effects, impressed by the logistics, and amazed by the crowds. This is the Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience, and let me tell you — it was magical.

This experience connected people to the great outdoors, away from screens and into the storylines. This experience showed how it can be done brilliantly.

Harry Potter Forbidden Forest Experience Hagrid

Not just because of the nostalgia and a forest full of flying patronuses (or that patroni?), spooky spiders, and Hippogriffs.

But because of how well the entire experience was designed to captivate, immerse, and transport visitors into J.K. Rowling’s wizarding world.

Since 2021, the Experience has toured the United Kingdom, USA, France, Singapore, and now Australia.

I’m not alone.

It’s estimated that more than 2 million people have visited the experience internationally. As I wandered through the Mt Cotton misty woods, seeing Harry and Hagrid, and watching spiders scuttle out of tree stumps, I couldn’t help but think: This is exactly what we’re aiming for with Battlefield Sports.

Let me explain.

Harry Potter Forbidden Forest Experience Brisbane

The Story Begins in the Shadows & Explodes the Senses

The experience started with a simple forest path.

The production team transformed the Sirromet Winery’s woodland tracks into an enchanted oasis.

The entry plaza featured a guest services pod where visitors could scan their tickets and collect themed merchandise.

We got Gryffindor and Ravenclaw lanyards and a Harry Potter wand (more about the wand later).

"Savvy guests are demanding these types of experiences. When creating a completely immersive environment, one of the ways you do that is by tickling all the senses. You want to make it multi-sensory. We've got five senses. The more you can employ, the more immersive the guest experience becomes," said Chris Rokosz, Making Fun Media.

The entrance area also offered a variety of themed food booths.

We got the Cauldron Feast Lamb Stew and a Jumbo Smoked Turkey Leg from Drangonfire Roasts. So, the experience began with taste.

You can taste the adventure!

Harry Potter Forbidden Forest Experience food

Guests were encouraged to enjoy a Butterbeer from the Mulling Pot. (Complete with a souvenir Stein.) Muggles and wizards alike could toast marshmallows or relish a Hogwarts House Reveal Cake-Pop from Forest Fancies.

With dinner sorted, we went through the first merch shop and into the experience.

Now, I know you often see the gift shop at the end of the theme park attraction, but I was fascinated to see that the production team had also built one at the entrance.

Enabling patrons to purchase last-minute robes, wands, or whatever. Brilliant!

I thought it was incredibly clever of the organizers to utilize the existing topography. Just past the grand lantern arbor entrance, we were greeted by an enormous Harry Potter’s Patronus White Stag. This Stag was just one of the many fantastic photo ops.

Next, muggles and wizards walk over a causeway over a bog. This causeway is likely to be part of the original forest. I know this because it came with authentic stink. So, the experience included smell.

It was an opportunity to sniff out the immersion.

Harry Potter Forbidden Forest Experience lanyards

It didn’t take long before I was completely immersed.

The organizers cleverly used fog, ambient lighting, fantastic sound effects, and interactive props to turn the forest into a living, breathing part of the Wizarding World.

Harry Potter Forbidden Forest Experience LFX

I loved the dappled gobos (stencils overlayed spotlights) that created patterns on the forest floor. Each scene had a different pattern on the path.

I was also impressed with the digital images and video projections that dynamically changed the look of the woodland.

Staggering the LFX, with some placed on the edge of the path and others positioned many feet (or meters) into the forest, made the area appear larger and more complex.

So, the experience included sight.

Seeing is believing (and playing!).

But it wasn’t just about the lighting spectacle.

What stood out was the layering of sensory experiences — the sounds, the lights, the iconic voice snippets, the tactile props, and yes, the smells — all working together to blur the line between fantasy and reality.

The snippets of conversation throughout the Experience amped up the thrills.

Such as "It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live," said Prof. Dubledore.

So, the experience included sound.

Sound on, game on!

Every 100ft or so, there was something delightful

Every 100 feet (30m) to 150 feet (50m), there was something new and delightful to behold: small details and enormous installations.

Harry Potter Forbidden Forest Experience giant

Some small, like the placement of hundreds of various gold coins scattered across the grass around suitcases filled with animatronic Nifflers and shiny objects.

Some grand like a ginormous sleeping giant or life-sized Ford Anglia (not flying but looking cool, anyway).

At one point, I stood under a canopy of eucalyptus trees, and a bewitching white unicorn and a golden foal emerged from the darkness. It was breathtaking — not because it was flashy, but because it felt authentic.

That’s the secret.

Why SFX, LFX, and Props Matter (Even Outside the Wizarding World)

At Battlefield Sports, we talk a lot about “immersive gaming.”

But immersion isn’t just a buzzword — it’s a combination of high-quality props, dynamic sound effects, and purposeful software that make players feel like they’re in the game.

Think about it:

Our live-action gaming guns are built tough. Designed to work either indoors or outdoors. The taggers are designed to feel authentic in your hands, from the weight and grip to the integrated scope and sensors.
Our live-action gaming SFX ensures that every shot, every reload, every hit is heard in real time.
And our live gaming LFX can transform the experience, flashing supply crates and the predator muzzle flash add realism. Just like the Forbidden Forest transformed a suburban woodland into a magical experience, our laser tag systems can turn (almost) any location — bushland, urban terrain, school camp, or sports field — into a compelling story world.

Another big takeaway from the Forbidden Forest? The power of brand consistency. From the moment you entered the forest to the final gift shop at the exit, the Harry Potter brand was meticulously honored. The fonts, the music, the costumes, the staff — everything aligned with the JK’s world.

Harry Potter Forbidden Forest Experience the forest at night

That’s the benchmark.

At Battlefield Sports, we’re proud to have built a brand that lives and breathes immersion, innovation, and edge-of-your-seat excitement.

And it shows — from our rugged, outdoor-tough laser tag gear to our patented SATR software that adapts to any genre: fantasy, zombie, or battle royale.

When your brand experience is seamless and your tech delivers on the promise?

That’s when customers become fans.

Harry Potter Forbidden Forest Experience Hippogriffs

Logistics & Staff

Whether you're managing a pop-up laser tag event across town or relocating a massive production across the globe, logistics are essential.

I reckon that crew labelled every lantern, every statue, puppet, and animatronic.

So, when they pack up and move the production to another city, another country, they can recreate the experience with the same detail.

Checklists on top of checklists!

One thing I did notice throughout the experience was that there were plenty of ticketing, food, and retail staff, as well as some extras to manage the queues. But there were no live actors. There were no Professor Snape or Dumbledore lookalikes.

Harry Potter Forbidden Forest Experience Landers

This likely meant that the production team could employ local staff.

But that did not mean that the experience was not interactive. Several spots across the trail allow guests to put their magic powers to the test.

Using your wand, you can cast interactive spells like “Incendio” to light up the lamps along the forest, or “Colovaria” to change the color of hundreds of glowing mushrooms.

So, the experience included touch.

Feel the thrill.

Likewise, the Battlefield Sports live-action gaming engine, “SATR3,” uses patented technology to enable interactive games with fewer staff.

Its “lock-out” features mean you can do this with limited training.

Final Thoughts: Magic is in the Details

“Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light,” said Albus Dumbledore in Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban.

While official box office figures have not been released, Perplexity reports that the average ticket price is about $64, with deluxe packages around $97. If 10% of patrons opt for the VIP deal, then the estimated turnover is $135 million.

When you factor in the food and themed merch (at a guess, giving a 40% bump), the total revenue would be around $188 million. I’ve got to give it to Warner Bros. for delivering this irresistible experience for insatiable Potterheads.

Walking through the Forbidden Forest reminded me of something important: people don’t just want games. They want stories.

They want connection.

They want to believe — even if just for an hour or two — that they’re a wizard, or a hero.

Gamers don’t just want fun. They want meaningful mayhem.

They want to believe they’re the hero in a live-action story. So, whether you're designing an enchanted forest or your next summer camp program, never underestimate the power of great technology, layered immersion, and unforgettable props. Because when the tech works, the story shines.

And in our case? The battlefield comes alive.


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