Hello all: long time lurker on this board, but after this morning I thought I would finally join up and give my report.
Been keeping up with all the rumors both here and on [HASHTAG]#potterwatch[/HASHTAG], after seeing Lukes post (thanks Luke!) I decided at the last moment to head out this morning and see if we were actually going to be allowed in.
Got parked about 8:55, and walking in saw the tweets that GPs were in fact being allowed in. Walking through LC to Potter, never saw so many yellow polos or security in the park - figured I was going to be asked for a room key but decided to keep walking and see what happened. Last yellow polo at gate to HP said to me "welcome to the HP preview".
Passed through the gate and stopped to look at the train. Then bathroom - and yes the audio was working, the girl was talking.
I should state at this point, I am not a HP fanboy: I have never read any of the books, and have never made it all the way through any of the movies. Wife and kids are fans, but I can not claim to be. I know enough from them and from the boards to make my way around the potterverse a bit, but if I get a name or place wrong youll understand. I am a huge theme park fan, have a long history in the TP business, and it takes a lot to impress me, story, ride, and the technical aspects all have to be there.
Got in line immediately for a butterbeer, didnt get to really enjoy the first one though because I walked back to FJ and it was posted at a 15 minute wait. And I overheard one of the TM's telling another guest that "Yes, that is pretty accurate right now". So I slammed the butterbeer down and got in line.
Im not going to give any spoilers: Im sure someone else will give a thorough ride description and if not then maybe Ill do one in the spoiler forum later, but my take on the building/ride: the queue could almost be an attraction by itself - this is what a themed queue should be! The ride - well, I called my wife and the way I described it was: I looked at my picture taken on the ride and I was smiling ear to ear. The last time I can remember going through an entire ride the first time and grinning ear to ear that way was when I was lucky enough to be in Disneyland when they were soft opening the Indy Jones ride!
Ive read a lot of descriptions of the ride - let me (without giving spoilers here) give my opinion: the vehicles and movement - amazing. You will spend a lot of time on your back or at least thinking you are. The feeling of movement combined with the effects and video is fantastic! The ride itself: yes I can see a bit of Spiderman, a bit of old fashioned fun-house, a bit of over the top animitronics, larger than life mind you, and some great suprises. The video screens are huge, but still intimate since you are much closer to them than in Spiderman for example, and there are no obstructions (people or seats in front of you). Feet dangling from benches reminds me of Soarin, but the KUKA arm motion isnt even a close comparison - it just puts Soarin' to shame!
Came off the ride and the wait time had increased to a whopping - 20 minutes! So, I rode it again. Just as good if not better the 2nd time, and spent more time looking through the show at the mechanics. Facinating is the word that comes to mind.
The load area: some are describing it as a Haunted Mansion style, I thought it reminded me more of Horizons benches with DC or Hulk restraints. Only thing I didnt particularly like was I found the back of the seat (right where the storage bin is) uncomfortable, right on my spine. Not too terrible but a bit of padding would have been nice. After the ride started though, I didnt notice it any longer - too much else going on.
Again - not knowing much about potter, or the potterverse, the story set-up in the queue (from Harry,Ron, and Hermoine) and the ride itself are easy enough to follow - so I totally disagree with the postings earlier in the forum that if youre not versed in the potterverse you wont understand the story.
After the ride I went into the owl post and the other store attached to it - (thought about going to a show at Olivanders because the line was not that bad - maybe 50 people, but decided to save that experience and the Hipogriff to do with my youngest daughter), did end up buying a hero Potter wand to take home, shop was very crowded and became even worse when an Olivanders show let out into the shops. Piece of advice here - walk around the building and enter from the back of the store, not from the main street. That way you can move through the shops in one direction and exit out to the street.
And yes, the AAA discount is in effect. Glad I have that card also.
I am not a big fan of coasters, Ive been on Hulk but never on DD, so I decided to skip DC for now and I would walk the queue with the family later when they could ride and I could just exit.
Walked into the 3 broomsticks at this point - mainly because I wanted something to drink, and didnt want to wait in the butterbeer cart line again, and I seemed to remember that someone said they were selling butterbeer in there also. I was suprised first to see that there was hardly anyone in there - maybe 20 people total sitting at tables and no one in the food line. I was told by two different greeters that they were serving breakfast still, and I was more than welcome to partake. So just to dispell another rumor (at least for today's soft opening), I and anyone there could have bought breakfast - not just the package holders.
Ordered a butterbeer, and asked out of curiosity (I mean, its like 1030 in the morning - and they were still serving breakfast, so I figured the answer was no), if they were selling the special beer. They were not at the food counter, but pointed me to the hogs head bar which...was open! So with a beer in one hand and a butterbeer in the other, I took some time to look around 3 broomsticks. Attention to detail here was excellent! And, yes, the boars head behind the bar does move!
Left 3 broomsticks and went to the joke shop and candy shop (both attached to each other). Didnt buy anything in there this trip except some pumpkin juice to take home to the family (4 bottles - 21 bucks for those keeping track - I do seem to remember its cheaper in a regular cup in the resturaunt though if you dont want the bottle, but I was getting them "to go".) These shops were not very crowded, but I still have to say that the Joke Shop felt very tiny, even with only about 6 other guests in it. I cant imagine what it will be like when there are real crowds.
I did talk to two or three TMs while out there, and they all (while of course not being able to confirm anything) agreed that I had a "really good chance" of GP softs again all this week.
One tidbit I picked up from one TM was that 3 broomsticks was not ready for lunch/dinner service yet. But as the next week or two went on, and they geared up, that would help with extending softs past the 10-11am mark. I left the area about 5 minutes before 11, and as of yet they were not forcibly kicking anyone out that I could see, but they were just in the process of putting up the "private event" folding sign between the fountain and the henna shop in LC - so I think they were getting ready to start the push - I didnt stay around but based on what I saw and how friendly and accomodating the TMs and managment were being to the guests, Im willing to bet it was another hour before the last folks left Hogsmede.
I have to say overall I was VERY impressed with the area. Theming was spot-on what I would expect, and was in my opinion a huge step up for Uni. I think the closest comparison would be the theming of Seuss being so spot-on what you would expect an area to look like just based on drawings in books.
Of course, seeing it like this without the summer crowds and the 3-4 hour expected waits and even with the shops feeling a bit overcrowded and small, I felt spoiled. If you can make it out to one of the softs during the week, and are lucky enough to be allowed in, by all means do it! I am seriously considering taking the chance again this week and hoping to be let into another soft, just because I am convinced as word gets out and summer rolls on, this place is going to be a mad-house for a good 6-9 months. Besides, the wife couldnt get off work today, so....good excuse to try again tomorrow with her!
(I just hope they do let GP in again tomorrow - I would hate for her to take off time from work just to be disappointed - any insights into tomorrow Luke?)
Quick shout out to a couple of folks on the board and on [HASHTAG]#potterwatch[/HASHTAG] that I have been following (lurking) and have come to appreciate their insights and accurate information - Luke here and kcardin09 on [HASHTAG]#potterwatch[/HASHTAG] (dont know your handle here). You two more than anyone were what convinced me to take a chance on today, and it was worth it. If either of you are in the area tomorrow, would like to figure a way to meet up if just to say thanks!
Thats it for my long-winded first post - hopefully I answered some of the questions that have been floating around today.
