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

[BJCool]

From @bioreconstruct

Body-to-body log jam today to reach Harry Potter in IOA. Choice of a timed entry ticket, or waiting in a standby queue

Bypass bridge past the Wizarding World of Harry Potter also congested today.

From Florida Thrills Network

What is the newest and quite possibly the most popular island in the park had a major traffic jam during my visit. It seems Forbidden Journey had to close for technical difficulties and this no one was leaving the island to let more guests in, this caused a huge bottleneck in lost continent since Jurassic Park was an exit only route from the wizarding world. Return time tickets were being distributed nearby in the former queue for the Triceratops Encounter.

Photo of the new stage from Orlando Informer:

From @OrlandoInformer

Crowd control outside of [HASHTAG]#WWoHP[/HASHTAG]

No [HASHTAG]#WWoHP[/HASHTAG] return tickets needed today

The new [HASHTAG]#WWoHP[/HASHTAG] live performance stage is already completed

Secondary function for the new [HASHTAG]#WWoHP[/HASHTAG] live performance stage: much needed seating inside Hogsmeade

From @orlando_parks

The stage is complete:

 

[King_K.]

Potter is just the gift that keeps on giving for Universal. I actually love seeing these pictures and seeing how packed Islands is, especially after so many years of low attendance.

 

[Andy]

Potter is just the gift that keeps on giving for Universal. I actually love seeing these pictures and seeing how packed Islands is, especially after so many years of low attendance.

As do I! Love hearing its at capacity and this is just the beginning.

 

[JungleSkip]

Love the new stage. Looks terrific.

 

[Skipper Justin]

I agree. I love the themeing. I will miss the photo-op with the banners and the rock formation.

 

[Felipe]

The new stage is great :thumbs: Plus great added bonus of seating :thumbs: I am glad the holes are gone, but I agree that the texture/finish on the rock is ugly.

I was there on Friday, sometime around 1 and 2pm, and it was SO packed. I walked towards the WW from the LC side and I was re-routed through the temp bridge to JP where the stand-by line and return-ticket machines were. Well, the return time was for 7pm, so needless to say we decided to leave Islands and headed over to the Studios at that time. Also, apart from this, even the posted wait time for Dragons was 90 minutes, so that alone is enough to scare me away. I am glad I have an AP and can return whenever I want

So, I returned on Saturday night, around 10pm. There was a 30 minute posted wait for FJ, but it was walk-on for me because I went through the single rider queue. Actually, it was probably walk-on for anyone because when I got to the Sorting Hat, my brother and I, plus some lady who also went single rider, we all got to ride together on the same bench because there were no other Muggles around :shrug: Same thing with Dragons, which had a 10-minute posted wait time but was walk-on for both sides :shrug:

Anyhow, back to FJ, this was the first time I saw the new Floo Network effect, and it's definitely an improvement over the stone look. But there's still issues... I mean dead spots on the top part where you can clearly see the fabric/material they are projecting on (just like on Mummy, in the turn-table scene). Also, in the Dementors' soul sucking scene, they had some other people's pics projected. We were three, and they had pics up of two other guys that were definitely not any of us three on that bench :shrug:

Come on, Uni! You're doing so great overall! Get it together on these details!!

 

[BJCool]

Is this ice cream cart new? I can't recall ever seeing it before?

From Orlando Informer

 

[Cruiseshipfan]

Disney must be kicking themselves seeing this, when they missed their chance at getting it themselves.

 

[Hockeyman55]

Disney must be kicking themselves seeing this, when they missed their chance at getting it themselves.

Disney would have just screwed it up anyways and would have turned out nothing like this. Universal getting the rights to Potter was the best thing in the world to happen

 

[UNIrd]

Disney would have just screwed it up anyways and would have turned out nothing like this. Universal getting the rights to Potter was the best thing in the world to happen

Agreed. Even after our own budget cuts..

 

[bobwadd]

Is this ice cream cart new? I can't recall ever seeing it before?

From Orlando Informer

Yes, I believe it's new. At least I've never seen it before.

 

[Andy]

No it's been their for a while

 

[King_K.]

First time seeing that cart. I didn't even know they had Chocolate and Vanilla flavors, I thought they just had the Strawberry/Peanut Butter.

 

[bobwadd]

No it's been their for a while

I remember seeing a very small roll-around one with an umbrella but never seen that on before. Oh well. :shrug:

 

[blue180]

Its crazy! I was there these past 4 days!! We went Saturday and that was beyond packed. 2 hours in the standby line. However, we went the day after christmas, at around 10pm, and it was the best experience ever. Rode Harry Potter twice in 15 minutes, and was able to do the front row of the Hulk twice in 15 minutes too. It was weird how empty the park was.

 

[Aberforth Dumbledore]

Hey guys, maybe this is a stupid question or may have been answered before, but I have always wondered... What's inside the Hogwarts facade? Not the ride building, the castle. I once saw some construction pictures of the great hall windows and there was a light on and you could see the shadows of 2 workers.

 

[Disneyhead]

Hey guys, maybe this is a stupid question or may have been answered before, but I have always wondered... What's inside the Hogwarts facade? Not the ride building, the castle. I once saw some construction pictures of the great hall windows and there was a light on and you could see the shadows of 2 workers.

The Great Hall is empty. It isn't even actually a room. The walls stop about 18 inches above the show building roof and if you catch the sunset just right, from the Port of Entry, you can see the sun shining through the gap.

 

[grizzlybarely]

The Great Hall is empty. It isn't even actually a room. The walls stop about 18 inches above the show building roof and if you catch the sunset just right, from the Port of Entry, you can see the sun shining through the gap.

Even to elaborate on that, if you walk into the crevasse in the rockwork, you can look up into the Great Hall. Empty shell.

 

[Aberforth Dumbledore]

What about the other rooms and the courtyard? also does anyone understands why the Viaduct bridge doesn't connects both building? it just goes through the rock..

 

[Teebin]

What about the other rooms and the courtyard? also does anyone understands why the Viaduct bridge doesn't connects both building? it just goes through the rock..

Actually, you do not see inside the great hall from the crevasse in the rockwork, you look right up in the center of courtyard to the sky. There is no floor. Everything is just fake fake fake... it is for show only. The designers designed everything to look the way it does from multiple angles, they did not design it to make perfect sense.