The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Hogsmeade (Orlando): Part 2

[dreamcat]

The two that I saw were off side the exit of Forbidden Journey and I think there was one on the back patio of Three Broomsticks....I'm basing this off of what the smokers in the group said

oh my rowling, please do NOT smoke in those locations. The smokers were not supposed to be doing that. There are no smoking areas in the wwohp.

disneyhead, that has got to be the funniest wand comment.

 

[Tbad556]

I thought maybe today would be a soft opening but it doesn't make sense

the tm preview wasn't a typical preview, if they weren't allowed to ride, I don't see guest riding yet. they probably don't have enough hours logged and are probably running the ride around the clock to reach it

The only thing I could see happening today is a soft opening of everything excluding FJ, similar to the TM Previews.

 

[giant4203]

Wow Great news, did you actually get into the loading station?? if so can you please describe it!

yuppers we got to go through the loading station....I can't really describe beyond what's been seen...loading very much looked to resemble like haunted mansion and rides like that...unfortunately I can't say any more...I wish I could hehe

 

[Teebin]

Oops... this question was just answered above. Too bad they have limited what you can say about it.

 

[VacationTalkRocks!]

I too am curious about the details of Colleendoll's upcoming trip. Did you make a reservation after March 25th for a non-package visit before grand opening? What have you been recently told by Universal?

Also (and I'm sorry to those of you who are sick of it) I want to make one (and I promise only one) posting in regards to the 'gasp' Great Wand Issue of 2010. My children are 7 and 10. Yes, they have loved; not romantic love, but still love (and quite possibly the most pure and complete kind of love there is.) Yes, they have lost an important mentor. Yes, they have had life-long friendships pushed to the point of breaking. Keep in mind--Harry was only 10 when the first book started and all of this supposedly happened to him.

My kids are HUGE HP fans. My daughter started reading the first book when she was 7. She has read all 7 books about 7 (or more) times each- we have now lost count. She has dressed as Hermione for the past 4 Halloween's in a row. Her room is decorated in HP with a life-sized cut out of HP on her door. My 7 year old has just started reading the books and is almost finished with Goblet of Fire. He is already captivated and completely transformed. Will they experience powerful emotions if the wand were to choose them? Absolutely. So don't begrudge any kid in line who does get to experience it first hand--they may be as big of a fan as you are.

With that said, any teen or adult in line who wants to should also get a chance at the experience--and I wouldn't begrudge one who did. I personally would love to have the experience, but as a parent I would be just as happy to watch both of my kids do it. One kid and not the other though would be horrible, because the one who didn't woulld be heartbroken.

Not everyone in the shop will want the experience. If there is one or two adults with every child in line the adults will be happy to watch their son/daughter (or niece/nephew etc) do it, which brings the percentage of the people in the line who want to be chosen down. With TM nights it was all adults and therefore pretty much everyone in line would have wanted to do it and in the three hours they were given that would not have been impossible, so yes they probably did only choose one or two per group. But who knows how it will go when it is a more general group where maybe 50% of the group really wants to do it. And as has been said befor,e the FJ will also be open with its 3, 4, 5, 6hr(?) long queue to also whittle down the queue for Olivander's. So, it may not be an issue at all and I still think it's possible that everyone who wants to be chosen will be able to do so. Let's wait and see what the reports are next Friday when the first package people get in there.

And by the way, my children are neither spoiled nor whiny nor entitled--and if they had never heard that the "wand will choose you" they probably wouldn't mind as bad simply watching someone else get chosen like a show. But in all of our excitement about our upcoming trip we've been reading everything we can get our hands on about WWoHP and they've already been daydreaming and talking excitedly about the wand choosing them. To not have it happen now would be a tremendous disappointment. So I stand by what I said before that if it really is just a show and not a personal experience for everyone who wants it, Universal needs to start right this second letting everyone know what to actually expect. Expectations make or break any experience.

 

[giant4203]

oh my rowling, please do NOT smoke in those locations. The smokers were not supposed to be doing that. There are no smoking areas in the wwohp.

disneyhead, that has got to be the funniest wand comment.

oh gotcha....yeah I only saw people confining to these areas so I assumed that they were smoking locations hehe

 

[VacationTalkRocks!]

Hey, I have been waiting forever to have a wand choose me, and if they choose some 6 year old snot nosed brat instead of me, I'll just pick up the little $?!& and headbut him! BAM!!!! Life lesson learned.

No, seriously. I don't really care how they handle this wand thing. But they have been talking about it being a personal intimate immersive experience. So I assumed it would be a one on one thing. I even think I recall Alan Gilmour talking about it as a one on one thing. I also seem to recall someone saying there would be more than one Shopkeeper.

I don't remember anyone at the Pow Wow saying anything about it being a group thing. Maybe the smiles dude can pop in and tell us how they handled it during the Pow Wow.

Totally agree Disneyhead! (except for the headbut thing .)
Okay and now I really am done posting about this. Seriously.

 

[TSSD]

To vactiontalkrocks, I too read the books when I was 7, but only the 5 that were out at the time. Looking back, I would have grasped Sirius' death better if I was older. And no, they could not be as big an HP fan, did THEY wait for the 6th and 7th book at midnight? Did THEY wait at midnight for the 6th movie release? Well I have., There is no way that they can appreciate the 6th and 7th book at 7. No way. Now, can I just ask one more question? can we stop :deadhorse: and stop talking about ollivanders.

 

[dreamcat]

oh gotcha....yeah I only saw people confining to these areas so I assumed that they were smoking locations hehe

oh man that worries me haha. I think its because no one was there, I dont know or maybe just for previews because you all could not leave.

Vacationtalkrocks, I would love to see your kids be among the ones chosen so I wish them luck, as well as everyone else that is a fan and will take away a great experience.

 

[d a n n y]

Can somone expalin the whole wand thing to me? What do you mean by "it chooses you," ?

 

[Jymmymack]

Can somone expalin the whole wand thing to me? What do you mean by "it chooses you," ?

In the HP universe, the wand must "fit" with a user in order to make spells work correctly or more effectively. In the shop Ollivander's at the WWoHP, someone will be chosen by the wandkeeper to try different wands. The first couple won't work, and whatever spells you "cast" won't function (the illiusion is created by special effects in the shop), but eventually they will have found a wand that "fits" leading to some other special effects.

 

[retroeric]

Sorry if this has already been addressed earlier in the thread, but in that video of the film's stars touring WWOHP, there's a very brief shot of them getting off the FJ ride vehicles and saying the ride was "unreal". Did they really ride or was that just staged? I had heard that no one other than people working on the ride have ridden it.

 

[Bryan]

Can somone expalin the whole wand thing to me? What do you mean by "it chooses you," ?

you hold a stick in your hand and they make the lights come up and blow wind at you lol

 

[giant4203]

Oops... this question was just answered above. Too bad they have limited what you can say about it.

I'm actually limited myself...they didn't explicitly say but I don't want to get in trouble for posting something that I probably shouldnt hehe

 

[frequency]

To vactiontalkrocks, I too read the books when I was 7, but only the 5 that were out at the time. Looking back, I would have grasped Sirius' death better if I was older. And no, they could not be as big an HP fan, did THEY wait for the 6th and 7th book at midnight? Did THEY wait at midnight for the 6th movie release? Well I have., There is no way that they can appreciate the 6th and 7th book at 7. No way. Now, can I just ask one more question? can we stop :deadhorse: and stop talking about ollivanders.

Wow, pot I'd like to introduce you to my little friend, kettle.

 

[Teebin]

Sorry if this has already been addressed earlier in the thread, but in that video of the film's stars touring WWOHP, there's a very brief shot of them getting off the FJ ride vehicles and saying the ride was "unreal". Did they really ride or was that just staged? I had heard that no one other than people working on the ride have ridden it.

I would say that yes, they actually rode the ride and yes, that particular scene was staged to some degree. Everything about their visit was staged. On the 20th the picture of the five of them just inside the main entrance was taken at 9:30am, testing butterbeer 10:18am and in front of the hogwarts gates 10:52 am. Very tight schedule and at least two different still photographers.

 

[DisFreakBrent]

Teebin since you answered ley me edit so my post wasn't a waste.

I enjoy the humor of those who think just because the TM preview ended last night its ready for public soft. I mean you don't think they may do small tweaks or still have things to do? Yeah maybe just a bit so to think just because TMs were in there last night that automatically you can get in today for sure is a bit silly. But I hope everyone waiting around over there has a nice day & drink lots of water its a hot one out lol

 

[allimac]

Can any body give me any glimmer of hope that my Harry Potter mad kids will get in. We leave in about 12 hours for our flight from UK and I have wasted hours over the last month searching for any hope, we booked after Universal started selling packages for the 28th May but our budget did not stretch to the package, we are staying off site. My kids are devastated, we wont be able to afford to come back from UK, we have used our life savings to pay for this holiday. We are in Orlando until 6th June.

 

[frequency]

Start talking to your kids about all the other stuff at Universal. Seriously, its a great park with tons of really cool stuff. I don't know if you will get in WWOHP, and I really think hanging around and spending all your time hoping for it would ruin your vacation. I would check every day, and check places like this message board. Thats your best bet.

 

[The_Bled]

Can any body give me any glimmer of hope that my Harry Potter mad kids will get in. We leave in about 12 hours for our flight from UK and I have wasted hours over the last month searching for any hope, we booked after Universal started selling packages for the 28th May but our budget did not stretch to the package, we are staying off site. My kids are devastated, we wont be able to afford to come back from UK, we have used our life savings to pay for this holiday. We are in Orlando until 6th June.

If you're there until June 6th you should be able to catch a soft opening! :thumbs: