( CNN ) -- Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe said Friday he is already enjoying the new Harry Potter attraction at Universal 's Islands of Adventure theme park in Florida -- and he 's already ridden the thrilling dragon roller coaster five times . The star spoke to CNN on the opening of the park-within-a-park in Orlando , with Hogwarts Castle towering behind him . It 's `` pretty amazing , I have to say , '' Radcliffe said of the castle . `` It does appear to be kind of 700 ( feet ) of rock and castle . My personal favorite thing here is the Dragon Challenge . ... It 's been a while since I 've been on a roller coaster that terrifying , but I 've done it five times in the last two days , and I plan to go a couple more times today . '' Another ride , called Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey , features Radcliffe and other stars from the cast and simulates parts of the movie , he said . The park is perfect for any fans who want to live parts of the fantastical world of Harry Potter , he said . Radcliffe described seeing `` Crouching Tiger , Hidden Dragon '' when he was 10 and trying to simulate the movie 's surreal martial arts by running off walls up and down his street . At the park , he said , `` you are just kind of immersed in the world of Hogsmeade , the village from the movies . For any kids out there who were like me when I was a kid ... you can now just come here and live the movie , pretty much , but without all the danger involved . '' The attraction re-creates various locations , scenes and other elements from the wildly popular book and movie series . Harry Potter has now beaten out fellow Brit celluloid character James Bond as the top-grossing film series in history . Widespread industry speculation has it that Universal shelled out about $ 265 million for this Potter project , although officials are not confirming that number . Radcliffe , who turns 21 next month , has played the boy wizard since he was 11 years old -- about half his life . The final movie in the series finished filming last Saturday , and the opening of the park less than a week later is a nice way to punctuate his time in the role , he said . `` Suddenly , at the end of that , we get to come to an amazing park , '' he said . `` And it is amazing . When I was first told it was going to be a Harry Potter theme park , I was kind of thinking , well , that can go one of two ways . I was slightly trepidacious , because when you have been with something for 10 years , you are desperate -- you do n't want anything to take that legacy . `` And I promise you that I would not be here today if I did not think this place was absolutely phenomenal , which it really , really is . '' The Harry Potter books have been credited with getting children to start reading again . Radcliffe said that they have `` produced a generation of incredibly thorough , analytical , literate kids '' and that the books -- written by J.K. Rowling -- will have that as a legacy for decades . Radcliffe confessed he was n't one of those young fans of the books at first . `` I was n't a big reader when I was young , '' he said . `` When I got the part , there was a little bit of a deal made of the fact that the part had n't gone to an avid Harry Potter fan . '' After he got the part , however , Radcliffe said he started `` dutifully '' reading the books , and that 's when he `` got completely sucked in and obsessed , '' like so many other fans . `` It 's given me a love of literature and books , '' he said . With Harry Potter nearly behind him , Radcliffe said he plans to continue acting , but he 'll be selective about the roles he takes . `` I 'm in a very , very fortunate position where I 've got a job that I absolutely love , and I get paid incredibly well for it , '' he said . `` I 'm kind of amazingly lucky . ... And I think if you are in a position where you can afford to pick and choose very carefully what other parts you take and what other films or plays you do , I think you kind of have a duty to , because I 'm in a lucky position where I do n't have to do things just for the money . So I 'm going to enjoy being selective for the next few years of my career . ''
Attraction re-creates locations , scenes , other elements from book and movie series . Park-within-a-park is at Brit in Florida , Orlando . Final movie in the series finished filming 10 years . With Potter nearly behind him , Daniel Radcliffe says he 'll continue acting , be selective about roles .