Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure Construction Discussion

[Mad Dog]

Seriously though, is there anything better than sitting around a fire pit with a few friends and a smokey bourbon?

(I know you're a beer guy. West Virginians drink beer when we're not drinkin'. )

Yep, my very good friend. We have a nice fire pit on the lower terrace. And UK Trigg, Samantha, and you (if you can fit it in then) will be experiencing it next August, with a few bottles of Jim Beam and BBQ ribs.

 

[Disneyhead]

Yep, my very good friend. We have a nice fire pit on the lower terrace. And UK Trigg, Samantha, and you (if you can fit it in then) will be experiencing it next August, with a few bottles of Jim Beam and BBQ ribs.

Giving some Brits a tour of real Appalachia is soooo tempting. But Mark, Bob, and I at a honest to God moonshine distillery sounds...YouTube worthy! Our Kenny and Dolly Road Trip Vlog would be Epic.

 

[UK-Trigg]

Seriously though, is there anything better than sitting around a fire pit with a few friends and a smokey bourbon?

(I know you're a beer guy. West Virginians drink beer when we're not drinkin'. )

I like West Virginians

 

[Teebin]

So are they going to keep the queue building or will that be torn down? Has this already been discussed? I wouldn’t put it past Universal to keep it and use it. Poor old queue.

 

[epcyclopedia]

The queue really stands in the way of rerouting Hogsmeade traffic so the area flows better, so I'm hoping it gets torn down. Right now, they're early enough into it that we can assume they're taking the track down first before going after the building.

FL law says they get a tax exemption for the new work if they keep one of the walls though - that's how Mermaid was built on the old 20KLUTS site.

 

[cameronw99]

So are they going to keep the queue building or will that be torn down? Has this already been discussed? I wouldn’t put it past Universal to keep it and use it. Poor old queue.

The queue always seemed temporary. Random movie props and blank walls. Hope they start from scratch

 

[epcyclopedia]

The queue always seemed temporary. Random movie props and blank walls. Hope they start from scratch

Well, that aspect was built over a much more elaborately decorated queue for Dueling Dragons. For the record, those staiend glass windows and the book are animated.

 

[Matt N]

That looks great! Dragon Challenge had a nice queue line with multiple Harry Potter theming elements, such as the Goblet of Fire and the Ford Anglia, but I personally felt it was a lot of walking aimlessly through dimly-lit corridors with only the occasional fire exit sign and the stone walls as things to look at. Did these corridors have theming when the ride was known as Dueling Dragons, or was that supposed to be ambient and I just have very poor taste in queue lines?

 

[Cheezbat]

That looks great! Dragon Challenge had a nice queue line with multiple Harry Potter theming elements, such as the Goblet of Fire and the Ford Anglia, but I personally felt it was a lot of walking aimlessly through dimly-lit corridors with only the occasional fire exit sign and the stone walls as things to look at. Did these corridors have theming when the ride was known as Dueling Dragons, or was that supposed to be ambient and I just have very poor taste in queue lines?

The line was way more themed and decorated at Dueling Dragons. There were so many skeletons and knights...both charred and frozen...it was so much more fun to walk through that line before Potter.
Still, it was a super long queue line that probably could've gotten away with being about half the size it was. Two high capacity B&M coasters move fast enough that the line was hardly ever more than 1/4-1/2 the way through the building.

 

[Mad Dog]

Mark (UK Trigg) just finished a 30 km walking tour of HP Potter London sites. :thumbsup: Gotta be some sore puppies there.

 

[Joel]

The queue really stands in the way of rerouting Hogsmeade traffic so the area flows better, so I'm hoping it gets torn down. Right now, they're early enough into it that we can assume they're taking the track down first before going after the building.

FL law says they get a tax exemption for the new work if they keep one of the walls though - that's how Mermaid was built on the old 20KLUTS site.

Not sure if this matters for zoning/code on their own property, but keeping the walls also grandfathers the building into zoning laws at the time of the build right? I know they do that down here in South Beach; if they tear down and rebuild they can't get the same footprint as the original building since zoning /code requires certain distance from water/sidewalk space, etc.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

So are they going to keep the queue building or will that be torn down? Has this already been discussed? I wouldn’t put it past Universal to keep it and use it. Poor old queue.

Seems like Uni will just start fresh.

 

[Disneyhead]

They just poured a tower crane foundation between Hagrid's Hut and the DC queue building. So I'm going with Teebin on a ground up build.

 

[Teebin]

They just poured a tower crane foundation between Hagrid's Hut and the DC queue building. So I'm going with Teebin on a ground up build.

Oops not I! I thought they might keep the queue. Let’s all see what happens next... hold our breath, gird our loins etc. :saywhat:

 

[Alicia]

I hope they lose the whole old queue. Makes me too sad walking through it knowing what it used to be like. The best part was that they at least kept the air conditioning cold in the ice room.

 

[twebber55]

They just poured a tower crane foundation between Hagrid's Hut and the DC queue building. So I'm going with Teebin on a ground up build.

not wasting anytime or as i like to call it "typical Universal"

 

[shiekra38]

The dragon's queue was fantastic in its first incarnation...After Potter it just didn't have the same feeling...

 

[Scott W.]

I read the wildest rumour that HE could be closing but I'm thinking the only way this would be possible is if construction could interfere with the ride running or even wilder, a relocation of the station and it would be a temporary closure.

 

[Alicia]

I read the wildest rumour that HE could be closing but I'm thinking the only way this would be possible is if construction could interfere with the ride running or even wilder, a relocation of the station and it would be a temporary closure.

Interesting tidbit. One would hope it would be for less than a week of true.

 

[Imperius]

Yeah I don’t see HE closing unless it’s for a different entrance to Hogsmeade. People might be confusing HE closing with removing the train photo op.