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

[Jmaff]

How's the Wizarding World doing lately? I've been missing it a lot . Thought of the HP theme out of nowhere in school and got mildly emotional.

 

[illumination]

A phase 2 expansion would require a major reworking of the back house of Universal Orlando or the demolition of most of the remaining lost continent. If its the second of the two I think they could do it and still leave PF and Mythos.My guess is that Gringotts goes where Sinbad stands now and Diagon alley along with the Leaky Cauldron goes where the games of skill are now, but IDK just guessing.

Exactly. They can keep the best parts of LC and still make plenty of room to expand WWoHP. Nobody cares about the stunt show and it takes up a lot of room. The entrance of IOA is similar in theme as LC, so it will seem like that area gets plenty of room still and will keep mythos and PF. I think the expansion would pay off for universal, it would really make it a must-see international destination for potter fans worldwide.

 

[Frogki]

How's the Wizarding World doing lately? I've been missing it a lot . Thought of the HP theme out of nowhere in school and got mildly emotional.

It's pretty good right now. They finally got Extendible Ears for sale lol...

 

[Felipe]

Haha, if you're talking about behind the current WWOHP, then no. Behind Dragons is the green houses for the plants on property, behind Hogwarts is a service road, behind that is Turkey Lake. If you're talking about a train between Jaws and WWOHP?! No way. Behind Jaws is Team Member Parking, Team Member Entrance, HR, Wardrobe, and a lot of other service buildings. I think a ride-able train is out of the question.

No, there's supposed to be this empty land on Universal property, but it's not near WWoHP or even IoA, I think. It's either by the Studios side or by the resorts, I'm not sure. But if we can take a train ride there, it could work.

 

[Andy]

The train IMO would never work, imagine the basic needs just to make this work. You have to install the train yeah no problem there except there is already a train in the WWoHP. Are you going to theme the land around the train route? What if the train goes down? Do you build a "themed walkway" as well?

A perfect example as to how and why this would never work is right in our back yard and its at Disney's Animal Kingdom. No one ever goes to the planet watch because it just takes up to much time and effort just to go and see it.

 

[jrongey]

the land is south of IOA along Turkey lake and I4. The plan for that parcel of land the last I heard was for two more hotels/water park but who knows at this point plans can always change.

 

[rewster]

The train IMO would never work, imagine the basic needs just to make this work. You have to install the train yeah no problem there except there is already a train in the WWoHP. Are you going to theme the land around the train route? What if the train goes down? Do you build a "themed walkway" as well?

A perfect example as to how and why this would never work is right in our back yard and its at Disney's Animal Kingdom. No one ever goes to the planet watch because it just takes up to much time and effort just to go and see it.

I have actually never seen it

 

[Andy]

I have actually never seen it

Ha! Yeah your not missing anything, wasn't it like 4-5 years ago they tried adding Animals and meet and greets to the area just to get people up there.

 

[StarTrekGeek]

Okay, take this with a grain of salt, but a very reliable friend has said that a WWOHP Phase II is a guarantee, and he is very confident in the person who told him this.

But again, take this with salt, because I have no idea where he is getting it from.

I posted a report from Screamscape on another thread. I think I should post it here...:

Park News - (9/18/10) While Universal has other fish to fry, it hasn’t stopped the rumor mill from already lining up the rest of the Lost Continent area attractions to be scrapped in favor a Phase II expansion to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Personally I don’t really see this happening as a complete transformation as the rumors indicate, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see an additional attractions added down the line.
Some of the more popular rumors going around that could come to light include changing the Sinbad stunt show into a Harry Potter themed live show and the transformation of the market into a Diagon Alley area, complete with a Gringots bank location. Universally (not a pun) everyone feels that Mythos will be left alone, but Poseidon’s Fury will eventually have to make way for something new. Could it be Potter based or perhaps something entirely unique? Time will tell…

I would love to see a WWOHP Phase II. :happy:

I believe it will just take over most if not all of the remaining LC. But there was some talk several years ago that the expansion would be where Jaws is.

I doubt Jaws will get the axe in the near future. It is one of the signature and popular attractions at USF.

Personally I would love them to build a Grongotts indoor coaster, which would be spectacular and possibly the only other idea they could go for. The upside and downside to HPotFJ is that it covers so many different types of rides in one that if they built anything specific to one of the technologies it would feel redundant. Such as:

A simulator ride in the Weasley's car
A ride on a broomstick during a quidditch match

I agree about a Gringott's indoor coaster! That would be so cool! :happy:

 

[Felipe]

The train IMO would never work, imagine the basic needs just to make this work. You have to install the train yeah no problem there except there is already a train in the WWoHP. Are you going to theme the land around the train route? What if the train goes down? Do you build a "themed walkway" as well?

A perfect example as to how and why this would never work is right in our back yard and its at Disney's Animal Kingdom. No one ever goes to the planet watch because it just takes up to much time and effort just to go and see it.

Hmm... very valid points. So is LC the only option or could we be overlooking something?

 

[speckles]

WWoHP is well down however is very minimalist and commercially focused..can't see them taken it further with a larger footprint.

 

[jrongey]

I may disagree with some of you on the Planet watch in Animal Kingdom but I find it very entertainign whenever Im there.
Now to talk about WWOHP I would love to see it overtake the rest of LC( but if they do they must leave at least Mythos intact unless they come up with a very reasonable explanation to chaneg the Best Theme Park restaurant of what is like 6 years. I have no problem with them taking out Sinbad after watching it about 20 times it gets rather boring but I always seem to still laugh at the pretty corny jokes they stick in there every now and then. On Poseidons Fury the only reason i go to see it is for the water vortex which thankfully brought back because I refused to watch it after they took it out because with out the vortex it is just a very misty walkway and that was all. If they can come up with some really amazing attractions and new destinations that we could witness in the Harry Potter realm like has been talked about with Diagon Alley, knockturn alley, Gringotts bank, and the MOM( for muggles the Ministry of Magic). There is still so much they can do with this subject and with all of the money they made off of the merchandise for Phase 1 they would be highly likely to be thinking about extending HP's hold on IOA.

 

[rhino4evr]

hey all...haven't posted in months. Well If you remember, I had tickets to go to WWOHP on its opening weekend, but decided not to go after seeing the massive lines. It looks like I will finally make my way to the WW on my birthday! Nov. 20th. I can't wait...so have crowds been a lot more reasonable since summer ended? Have their been any changes to the ride (improvements, removal, etc)..what about the rest of the area. Do you still have to wait forever to get chosen for a wand?

Anyway, excited to finally see this place after months and months of build up, and then not going when planned .

--- Update ---

SO I just realized that the new Potter Film comes out on the 19th...this makes me a little nervous..do you think a bunch of fans will come to the park to celebrate it's release that weekend? Seems likely? Also, is Universal doing anything "extra" for the movies opening?

 

[Andy]

^Crowds by that time will of picked up from the quiet season and will be like that until January. Crowds or no crowds you still need to go, its such a great time. There are always ways to make it better for you and this forum has some great tips on how to manage the crowds on your trip. Also as far as Ollivanders go's I was there last week and FJ had a 20 minute wait and Ollivanders had nearly a 60 minute wait. Its the one thing I still have not done yet.

 

[rhino4evr]

yeah..im gonna go for sure, but I think I may go the 13th instead now. I think that will keep me far away from the "Thanksgiving holiday" crowd, as well as the Potter crowds that may be going to the park to celebrate the opening of the movie.

 

[youhow2]

Sooo... has teebin returned at all?


Anyways, ill probably be there around Christmas time. All this talk of expansion already is exciting...

 

[rhino4evr]

as far as this expanision talk goes...its seems way obvious that the LC is going to go the way of the dodo. The "Shows" at IOA, are probably the least popular attractions at the park. The Lost Continent..is pretty much "Lost" at this point, as it's extremely small and almost pointless compared to the rest of the park.

There are two ways Universal can go with this...the cheap or the more expensive way. The cheap way would to just make the stage shows into Potter themed shows..maybe re-theme Mythos (but keep the same menu).

Or they could go all out...tear down the Lost Continent and build more stores and a new "indoor coaster"..I like the idea of the bank vault coaster. I think Mythos should remain untouched..maybe just rethemed, like changing the names of some of the food, or offering more Potter themed deserts. It would stupid for the top theme park restaurant to be closed or removed.

 

[syenisch]

It will probably make a difference. The Citywalk theatre now has IMAX 3D I believe. I think seeing DH and then going into the WW or vice versa will be VERY popular.

 

[Vyrus]

I think they could rethem LC and change it to the Lost City and just keep Atlantis and Mythos....say goodbye to the arabian section of LC for sure, and the footprint for the Sinbad stage is more than enough space for an indoor coaster based on Gringotts...its now not a matter..but when this all happens.

 

[Andy]

The Arabian section and Sinbads footprint are plenty big for an large expansion while still leaving PF and Mythos alone. While I understand some probably don't want LC touched anymore if they leave PF and Mythos and take away Sinbad and the arabian section would anyone really be upset?