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

[amonuniversal]

If anyone has a picture of the Hogsmeade Postal Stamp can you please take a picture and post it on here. I am actually trying to prank my friend who is a huge Harry Potter fan and lives in California.

Actually I think it's called a Post Mark.

 

[Bryan]

they look like dis

 

[Tbad556]

As of two hours ago, there was no line to get into the WWoHP. However, the lines for butterbeer, stores, restaurant & Ollivanders were insane. That came from @Themeparkwriter.

Edit: The wait times for all three HP rides are back up on the mobile wait site: http://66.77.171.132/MobileWeb/IOA_WaitTimes.aspx

Forbidden Journey - 90 minutes
Dragon Challenge and Hippogriff - 5 minutes

 

[amonuniversal]

they look like dis

Thats perfect! Do you have those now? I want to get a more direct top view of it. That would help so much!

 

[Teebin]

they look like dis

Could someone fill me in. How is the WW making money with this postmark mail thing? Do they have to pay extra for the envelope and stationery? What is the cost?

 

[rinacee]

Could someone fill me in. How is the WW making money with this postmark mail thing? Do they have to pay extra for the envelope and stationery? What is the cost?

I'd like to know as well. I didn't check this out on Friday, and I'd like to do this in the future.

 

[WWoHP_news]

Thats perfect! Do you have those now? I want to get a more direct top view of it. That would help so much!

This image might help: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rblanding/4709899045/

 

[Jmaff]

Forbidden Journey is only an hour and a half on a Sunday afternoon...sounds like the best day of the weekend to try to catch it. How were the conditions yesterday for those who went?

 

[amonuniversal]

This image might help: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rblanding/4709899045/

Thank you so much!!

 

[TSSD]

Is owl post a working post office or can you just get the postal mark?

 

[The Captain]

I went on the 19th and I waited 3 hours to get into WWOHP and it was well worth it. FJ is the best ride ever, hands down and butterbeer was great. I loved it and I liked how I didn't have to wait for DC at all and single riders for FJ worked wonderful, I rode both 5 times.

--- Update ---

Forbidden Journey is only an hour and a half on a Sunday afternoon...sounds like the best day of the weekend to try to catch it. How were the conditions yesterday for those who went?

The longest I saw it at was 75.

 

[Cwoolboy]

Just got back from a long Massachusetts Trip. I know this is a dumb question, but did anything big happen while I was gone (in terms of any new info revealed about what goes on in the land). I'm so glad this thing is finally open, LET THE CROWDS TAKE CONTROL!!!

 

[Luke125]

Well I went to IOA yesterday at around 3:30 and I had no trouble getting in at all, there was no wait to get into the WWoHP. I was also able to ride Forbidden Journey 7 times with very little wait through the single riders que.

 

[Jmaff]

What the heck? lol

I was expecting 2-3 hour waits for both today and yesterday. Of course the island is crowded but the wait times are seemingly decent and not frustrating for opening weekend. Hopefully it isn't too congested this weekend. Thanks for the info guys.

 

[Teebin]

Just got back from a long Massachusetts Trip. I know this is a dumb question, but did anything big happen while I was gone (in terms of any new info revealed about what goes on in the land). I'm so glad this thing is finally open, LET THE CROWDS TAKE CONTROL!!!

you just missed the grand opening with all of the stars staying for four days. plus fist fights, people thrown out of the park. news coverage of such major crowds on opening day that few dare to go now. thus, Uni is freaking trying to balance and keep people coming. So, you didn't miss much at all.

Plus, JKR stripped down to a bikini to ride the FJ stating that she "wanted to feel it".

:wave:

(the line about JKR was a joke, the rest is true)

 

[atigeg]

My visit to WWoHP today made me realize it's going to make money for Uni but at a cost of sorts. The rest of the park was basically deserted, but WWoHP was out of control. Three Broomsticks line and store lines when to the Hogsmeade gate. Butterbeer cart lines went to Ollivanders (and I'm sure people were pissed when they got to the front and found out there was no frozen), and Ollivanders line extended to the Hogwarts Express. FJ was 120 and singles was to the stairs. That's a big crowd of people, but every person who is waiting is NOT spending money. There's a brief spending period for some things before it's off to the next long wait. Just a few more butterbeer carts would improve that (at least they added a wand cart). Not to mention, I have the feeling WWoHP is going to hurt spending in the other park areas. The food outlets were ghost towns although there were a handful of people in the big store. WWoHP is a crowd management nightmare...not at all efficient.

 

[Tbad556]

My visit to WWoHP today made me realize it's going to make money for Uni but at a cost of sorts. The rest of the park was basically deserted, but WWoHP was out of control. Three Broomsticks line and store lines when to the Hogsmeade gate. Butterbeer cart lines went to Ollivanders (and I'm sure people were pissed when they got to the front and found out there was no frozen), and Ollivanders line extended to the Hogwarts Express. FJ was 120 and singles was to the stairs. That's a big crowd of people, but every person who is waiting is NOT spending money. There's a brief spending period for some things before it's off to the next long wait. Just a few more butterbeer carts would improve that (at least they added a wand cart). Not to mention, I have the feeling WWoHP is going to hurt spending in the other park areas. The food outlets were ghost towns although there were a handful of people in the big store. WWoHP is a crowd management nightmare...not at all efficient.

I thought it was worth mentioning that Universal Orlando president, Bill Davis, mentioned in an interview on my local news channel yesterday that he had recognized the issue of butterbeer lines and that they are considering adding more stands or locations to purchase it.

 

[atigeg]

I just can't believe they didn't figure that out in the first place vs. having to go back and correct a pretty obvious oversight.

 

[Jymmymack]

My visit to WWoHP today made me realize it's going to make money for Uni but at a cost of sorts. The rest of the park was basically deserted, but WWoHP was out of control. Three Broomsticks line and store lines when to the Hogsmeade gate. Butterbeer cart lines went to Ollivanders (and I'm sure people were pissed when they got to the front and found out there was no frozen), and Ollivanders line extended to the Hogwarts Express. FJ was 120 and singles was to the stairs. That's a big crowd of people, but every person who is waiting is NOT spending money. There's a brief spending period for some things before it's off to the next long wait. Just a few more butterbeer carts would improve that (at least they added a wand cart). Not to mention, I have the feeling WWoHP is going to hurt spending in the other park areas. The food outlets were ghost towns although there were a handful of people in the big store. WWoHP is a crowd management nightmare...not at all efficient.

I think you're overlooking the most obvious thing. EVERYONE is buying there. They may not be buying in the other areas in the park, but they're selling out of stuff in the WWoHP. People are waiting HOURS to get into a store, I guarantee that they are buying. Universal is not losing money simply because there are fewer shoppers in other shops. They are still making A TON. They sold out of $300 brooms for crying out loud. They are selling more merch than they ever have before.

 

[Teebin]

I thought it was worth mentioning that Universal Orlando president, Bill Davis, mentioned in an interview on my local news channel yesterday that he had recognized the issue of butterbeer lines and that they are considering adding more stands or locations to purchase it.

People are the last ingredient in a theme park addition, and a very important one. They will solve what they can in the next few months. Including the unforeseen disasters that FJ might become right? This is what creates a theme park. It is why there are no skipper tours as it didn't work. AK... no boat tours, didn't work. No actors in JP... cost too much didn't work. Watch the products that disappear from Zonko's and other shops over the next year. If it doesn't sell, no matter how much you love it, it will be discontinued. I predict mini-chocolate frogs in mini boxes will be a new product.