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

[The_Bled]

^Ahh yes this moment, for me a moment three years in the making!

The second I was in there, I prayed that everything went great that day in there, and I'm surprised it did!

 

[Disneyhead]

WAY before the helicopter shots were "The Nassal" shots.

 

[YETI PINTRADER]

June 4th - Going into IOA during the maybe soft openings and then hearing the team members telling us, "you're almost there, it's open." Waited three years to hear that and it was worth it.

 

[Manx27]

About five days before the grand opening, we went to find the wall in LC down and WWOHP wide open (and practically empty!) What a great surprise!

My favorite moment, however, was when I went to the park by myelf one day, had a full English breakfast and finished the last book of the series on the patio of the Three Broomsticks in the shadow of Hogwarts.
I know I'm a giant nerd for planning that all out, but I don't care. How many other people can say they did that?

(Yes I know I've posted this picture before

 

[rinacee]

Oh God, don't make me think about it. I'll get emotional again.

Okay, sos, the first time I walked in, the music, the damn music, made me reach this surreal moment of "I am in the actual Wizarding World".

I found the song, too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ts8A43MJe4k

THE SECOND I walked in, I just heard 1:25 and I was gone.

Then, of course, you cue my deaths and crying.

If that had been playing when I walked in, I would have cried too...such a beautiful song. I mean, they ALL are...but that one especially. I actually didn't cry on opening day, but I came close to when I was running up the stairs from the drop-off area near the parking garage. I started power-walking towards City Walk and I saw the banners hanging up saying something like "experience the journey" and I almost lost it. My brother was making fun of me...he just doesn't get it. For fans of the series, this was just so important to us. For me, I grew up with this story. It taught me life lessons and how to cope with situations I'd never been in before (the death of my grandparents and other things)....I felt so attached to the books. To actually be able to see, touch, taste and hear the Wizarding World was just incredible. I'll never forget that rush of excitement when I finally got through the gate...I didn't know what to do first, so I ran to the conductor and got a picture. He acted so appropriately that I really felt I was standing next to the Hogwarts Express.
It's so hard to pick a favorite moment, because all the little moments have added to the experience as a whole. Like I said before, JW and the Three Broomsticks patio are high up there...but there were so many special little moments sprinkled throughout.

--- Update ---

About five days before the grand opening, we went to find the wall in LC down and WWOHP wide open (and practically empty!) What a great surprise!

My favorite moment, however, was when I went to the park by myelf one day, had a full English breakfast and finished the last book of the series on the patio of the Three Broomsticks in the shadow of Hogwarts.
I know I'm a giant nerd for planning that all out, but I don't care. How many other people can say they did that?

(Yes I know I've posted this picture before

I think I replied to the first time you posted this...but that's just too cool. To finish it while in Hogsmeade...for lack of a better word, that's magical.

 

[Tbad556]

I have several favorite moments from the journey to the WWoHP.

- The day the project was announced. I was stoked.
- The Nassal shots and the Helicopter shots
- The constant construction shots and walking past the construction
- The Powerade Bottles
- The first time I stepped inside the island and the first time I rode FJ. Nonstop smiles.
- The Grand Opening streams (Both June 16th and 18th)

 

[rinacee]

I have several favorite moments from the journey to the WWoHP.

- The day the project was announced. I was stoked.

I remember when I first found out about it, I freaked out...because I had JUST moved to Florida. I was thanking my lucky stars we didn't move to any of the other places we were considering...It made me a little less sad about moving.

 

[TSSD]

So many great memories. My favorites though have to be:
The first time I stepped into the park
The Helicopter shots
The live streams on both the 1th and the 18th
The first time I went on this site.
The only reason I found OU was because mugglenet.com posted a link to one of your photo updates, so I have this project to thank for me being on OU, and all the great memories I've had here

 

[grizzlybarely]

Our theme park detectives uncovering eensy weensy details about the island. Like when we discovered Universal was interested in a snow effect, we all freaked out ("OMG IT'S GOING TO SNOW AT HOGSMEADE ALL THE TIME!"). Jocks have football, teeny-boppers have Twilight, we have theme parks.

 

[Obi Ubamba]

Walking through the gates of Hogsmeade for the first time during Hotel Previews, seeing the line all the way to the butterbeer cart for FJ, and then hearing the music and the conductor as I moved along. Great memories! :happy:

 

[pat_naughty05]

Its hard to believe that its been over three years since the project was first announced. I remember being up really late one night in May 2007, and seeing members of these boards making posts that implied that they knew something big was about to happen. And sure enough, within minutes, we had the announcement of one of the most pivotal expansions in theme park history.

I think I forgot to mention this, but I got to spend a few hours in the Wizarding World late last month. Unfortunately, it was more of a tease than anything, but I did get to sample Butterbeer and I was also able to ride FJ once. Those were the two things I was looking forward to the most, and I must say that I was not disappointed with either one. Butterbeer is simply delicious. I have been craving another glass ever since we left. FJ, on the other hand, was an experience that is simply beyond words for me. You see, the first time that I visited Universal Orlando was in 1998, when Islands of Adventure and CityWalk were under construction. The level of excitement that I built up to come back and visit the new park was overwhelming, and my first experience at my current favorite theme park is something that I will never forget. Now, as incredible as IOA is, I have been DYING to see something new created in this gem of a park. And now, the addition that UO chose is more than I ever expected. I mean, I was honestly content with the Van Helsing ride that was supposed to happen a few years ago, so I never expected anything of this scale! There is nothing like it anywhere else, and I can't wait to go back and get the full experience.

 

[Manx27]

If that had been playing when I walked in, I would have cried too...such a beautiful song. I mean, they ALL are...but that one especially. I actually didn't cry on opening day, but I came close to when I was running up the stairs from the drop-off area near the parking garage. I started power-walking towards City Walk and I saw the banners hanging up saying something like "experience the journey" and I almost lost it. My brother was making fun of me...he just doesn't get it. For fans of the series, this was just so important to us. For me, I grew up with this story. It taught me life lessons and how to cope with situations I'd never been in before (the death of my grandparents and other things)....I felt so attached to the books. To actually be able to see, touch, taste and hear the Wizarding World was just incredible. I'll never forget that rush of excitement when I finally got through the gate...I didn't know what to do first, so I ran to the conductor and got a picture. He acted so appropriately that I really felt I was standing next to the Hogwarts Express.
It's so hard to pick a favorite moment, because all the little moments have added to the experience as a whole. Like I said before, JW and the Three Broomsticks patio are high up there...but there were so many special little moments sprinkled throughout.

--- Update ---


I think I replied to the first time you posted this...but that's just too cool. To finish it while in Hogsmeade...for lack of a better word, that's magical.

Thanks...it really was cool.

 

[Jakemeister]

Nothing has been able to top this. Nothing. I went to Universal on my birthday in hopes of trying to check out the soft openings. They were only letting regular park gets in sporadically at best. I saw some security lady and she said they had just let some regular guest in I thought she was just crazy so I went and asked my friend who was event staff and they in fact were. Nothing was better than that. I couldn't have asked for a better b-day.

 

[mantaguy]

So many great memories. My favorites though have to be:
The only reason I found OU was because mugglenet.com posted a link to one of your photo updates, so I have this project to thank for me being on OU, and all the great memories I've had here

I also have this project to thank for bringing me to OU. Thanks WWoHP!

I remember when I'd log on and see twenty new pages on the thread each time some little thing got released.

 

[Andy]

^What about the days when 20 something pages were added and nothing was released.

 

[mantaguy]

There's one thing that I've been thinking about though that's not very good for the WW. It's the only island without an original musical score that transitions and shifts as you travel through the island. I love all the music from the movies, but they could have made some new songs and at lease been more selective and done the shaping of the music that the other islands do.

 

[Jmaff]

Strong Arm Systems...


And looking back on the 3 years of anticipation...it honestly gets me welled up. I'll never forget when I first started lurking around here in mid 2008 and finally joined last Fall. Too many good memories to post. All the fun of waiting had to come to an end eventually, like all things do...but this will hold a special place in my heart forever.

 

[rhino4evr]

highlight for me was the day the helicopter shots appeared online, and we got our first "inside" look at the new area. It made me realize that OU was the "real deal" forum for Orlando theme parks. The only other site I visit is Screamscape, and I find most of the news on this forum before it even appears there.

I still havent actually visted WWoHP, but I will soon!! (Nov. 20th!)

 

[ductapemyheartt]

The highlight for me was when they started letting people in a few weeks before the grand opening and videos of the shops and the Ollivander's experience were posted online...I definitely shed some tears watching it...

Then of course, my first moment stepping into Hogsmeade on the 22nd of June at 7.00 am, crying, and then heading straight to FJ. My little sister and I held hands the whole time on the ride, we were so nervous and excited. We kept squealing throughout the queue at things like the Pensieve and the mandrakes and people were giving us strange looks...

 

[rinacee]

I went on Sunday! Had an absolute blast! I went on FJ for the second time, and enjoyed it a lot more than I did the first time for whatever reason...wait times were not bad at all! I watched 25 minutes for FJ at around 5PM...Ollivander's was very mild, I'd estimate 30 minutes...DC was, as always, nearly a walk-on. FOTH was only about 5 minutes. All the waits around the park were extremely low.
It still amazes me, even though I've been there three times now. As corny as this may sound, one thing that always makes me feel emotional or just overwhelmingly happy is hearing people speak in foreign languages, and the only words I recognize are "Harry Potter" or "Hogwarts".

--- Update ---

I forgot to mention that FJ broke down right after we got out of the bench! I was so relieved we got off the ride when it happened...I have no idea how long it lasted.