I did not say it won't. I said it will. Please do not misquote me. And, if I may say so, because you love Potter so much, you're too eager to see a possible expansion happen to soon.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Hogsmeade (Orlando): Part 2
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I did not say it won't. I said it will. Please do not misquote me. And, if I may say so, because you love Potter so much, you're too eager to see a possible expansion happen to soon.
You guys really crack me up. Sure Potter is drawing huge crowds now, and will through next summer. But after that the numbers will start to drop. They will probably add some holiday overlay to TWWOHP to pump up the numbers through next Christmas. But you have to remember that even if they start construction right after the holidays this year, it would be difficult to have it open for Summer 2012. And I guarantee that by Summer 2012 Potter as it stands will NOT be the draw that it is now. So to keep the numbers up they will have to add something to the park. And given the publics response to Potter, Uni would be fools not to focus on that franchise.
But my guess is that if they do decide to expand Potter, they won't make an announcement until after next summer (even though I bet construction starts way before they make the announcement). Uni saw the 2009 numbers drop because they did announce potter and people delayed their Universal trips to wait until Potter opened.
But my guess is that if they do decide to expand Potter, they won't make an announcement until after next summer (even though I bet construction starts way before they make the announcement). Uni saw the 2009 numbers drop because they did announce potter and people delayed their Universal trips to wait until Potter opened.
^ But for all we know, they could have something planned already and could announce it tomorrow. Which would not be smart because, as Splatter said, people are going to continue to come for years with or without an expansion. Once attendance strats to drop significantly, then announce what they have planned, (whatever that may be) to get everyone hyped up and ready to return to UO.
- Feb 17, 2010
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On Google earth, i noticed that there is a decent amount of space to build something where the extended queue for dragon challenge is. Also, i remember a long time ago before the area was opened, they said that you will be able to visit the forbidden forest area. What happened to that????
The Forbidden Forest is inside of Forbidden Journey. Aragog is in the Forbidden Forest.
Sure people will continue to visit WWOHP for years to come, but the numbers will start dropping after next summer. Most people who want to visit it will have already done so. They will need additions to inspire most tourists to make return visits.
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And I never said that, so follow your own advice. I would love nothing more than the whole park to get a refurb and nothing more, it is WONDERFUL as is. However, looking at it from a business stand point, Uni want's to get more money and they're going to get it.
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This. Potter's a huge franchise. But it's already driven MILLIONS of people to go, and eventually the crowds are gonna start to thin. Sure, are they going to touch up the rest of the park as well? Of course. But Potter is half an island right now. So is LC. Let's play a game. Does LC have a staying power like Potter? No. Does LC have the merch that will fly off the shelves like Potter? No. I don't want to say it's definitely going to expand because no one can predict the future, but come on guys, LOOK at the statistics.
- Feb 17, 2010
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I know that its on the ride but Universal said that they would have a section in the "world"--- "On May 31, 2007, Universal (in partnership with Warner Bros.) officially announced the 20-acre (8.1 ha) addition re-creating Hogwarts, the Forbidden Forest and Hogsmeade, with a planned opening in 2009." So i guess the area of dragon challenge is the Forbidden Forest.
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Splatter you are just assuming that Universal is going to take a conservative, let's-sit-on-our-money, see-how-things-go approach. If they thought like this we wouldn't have WWoHP in the first place. That was a huge risk financially. They basically bet everything on Potter.
Plus we haven't really mentioned the influence of WB/JK Rowling. IMO they will pressure Universal to expand the land. They really want to impress the fans, and the land would be that much more impressive if it was a bit bigger. I think we can all agree that it needs more room to stretch out. The crowds are ridiculous in that compact space.
Plus we haven't really mentioned the influence of WB/JK Rowling. IMO they will pressure Universal to expand the land. They really want to impress the fans, and the land would be that much more impressive if it was a bit bigger. I think we can all agree that it needs more room to stretch out. The crowds are ridiculous in that compact space.
If WWoHP is a half Island, then so is TL and Suess because they're both smaller. And JP has less major attractions. HP is not a half Island; it is very full and complete at the moment.
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The area of trees beside the castle is the Forbidden Forest, I suppose.
WWoWP set up was not such a risk as an extension would be given the wider groups financial position. Talk about the law of diminishing returns.
When they set up WWoWP the rest of the park was failing and they had to try something with a heavier calculated risk otherwise it would be curtains.
They need a return to repay debt and they have a lot of it (debt that is). Any extension would be very incremental if return visitors drop off, just as Disney has done.
Well that's is the story if it is all about the money....and debt holders and shareholders will have the final say.
When they set up WWoWP the rest of the park was failing and they had to try something with a heavier calculated risk otherwise it would be curtains.
They need a return to repay debt and they have a lot of it (debt that is). Any extension would be very incremental if return visitors drop off, just as Disney has done.
Well that's is the story if it is all about the money....and debt holders and shareholders will have the final say.
i thought the WWoHP already paid for itself more than enough plus some? also it would be cool if that section was used for the FF. in the movies, the stadium and dragons were placed in the woods.
Concerning islands and half islands, I think you guys arguing that there are half islands at all should look at it more from a "what does the island have to offer" standpoint rather than an area standpoint. It's how the utilize the space rather than how much space there is that makes the money. If you look at it like that, then Jurassic Park is the smallest island and Seuss Landing the largest! Stand alone, Harry Potter has 13 things to offer, and the Lost Continent has just as much as MSHI and Toon Lagoon. Give or take a few, all of the islands have a decent amount of things to them, so in my eyes you'd have to only have maybe 2 shops, 2 attractions, and two eating establishments and nothing else to offer to make it half an island. If you took away the Lost Continent you'd take away 11 things to keep guests occupied, and even if you matched that number with things you added to the Wizarding World in the expansion, that would give Harry Potter 20+ things to do, making it more of a "Harry Potter's Islands of Adventure" than a well rounded park like it is right now. So should they expand? I don't think so. (Which completely contradicts what I said a while back in the Wizarding World expansion thread, but let's just say I've changed my ways). Here are the numbers attraction, shop, eating establishment, etc -wise. And as a note, I didn't include Green Eggs and Ham, The Aggro Circus Stunt Show, and Triceratops Encounter.
Marvel Superhero Island:
2 Restaurants + 4 Attractions + 4 Shops + Meet&Greets = 11
Toon Lagoon:
4 Restaurants + 3 Attractions + 3 Shops + Meet&Greets = 11
Jurassic Park:
4 Restaurants + 4 Attractions + 2 Shops = 10
Wizarding World of Harry Potter:
2 Restaurants + 3 Attractions + 6 Shops + Frog Choir + Beaubatton&Durmstrang Students = 13
The Lost Continent:
3 Restaurants + 2 Attractions + 5 Shops + Mystic Fountain = 11
Seuss Landing:
3 Restaurants + 6 Attractions + 4 Shops + Meet&Greets = 14
Marvel Superhero Island:
2 Restaurants + 4 Attractions + 4 Shops + Meet&Greets = 11
Toon Lagoon:
4 Restaurants + 3 Attractions + 3 Shops + Meet&Greets = 11
Jurassic Park:
4 Restaurants + 4 Attractions + 2 Shops = 10
Wizarding World of Harry Potter:
2 Restaurants + 3 Attractions + 6 Shops + Frog Choir + Beaubatton&Durmstrang Students = 13
The Lost Continent:
3 Restaurants + 2 Attractions + 5 Shops + Mystic Fountain = 11
Seuss Landing:
3 Restaurants + 6 Attractions + 4 Shops + Meet&Greets = 14
You have some good points but I couldn't help thinking that one new Harry Potter attraction would likely keep more guests occupied than 11 LC shops/attractions.
I want the islands to be roughly the same size, and I don't want Potter to be like half the park or something, however I do think it should be larger than the other islands. Not by much, maybe 1 1/2 times the average size of the others (including space for guests and number of attractions). But you have to remember it is the star attraction of IoA and the resort as a whole now. Not to mention the whole "theme park within a theme park" and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The land needs to be bigger than the other islands because it gets far more traffic. Plus two of the main attractions in the land should barely even count IMO because they were already there. And they are too specialized to appeal to a majority of the masses that come there (Hippogriff is aimed at small children while DC is aimed at thrill seekers. Only one ride if you're interested in neither of those.) WWoHP needs some room to breathe, at least one more restaurant (btw where did you get the two restaurant number, last time I checked there was only one), 1-2 more rides, and an interactive area.
In the meantime, before they think about expanding Potter they really need to refurbish the whole park and try to bring it back to its former glory. It is really jarring to go from the themed perfection of the WW to the rest of the park where effects don't work and a paint job is needed. WW is fresh, shiny and new while the other lands feel so tired. So do that, then expand Potter, and once that is done, I would love for them to add to the other lands to make the park feel more balanced. With money they just made from the WW expansion.
I'll make a longer reply to your post in a moment, but I used the term restaurant loosely and did count the Hog's Head among other similar purchasing stations for food and beverage that aren't carts on the side. Either way, it's another area/thing to do to keep guests occupied.
"Although they won't discuss specific plans, Universal executives say additions to Wizarding World will happen at some point. The resort's licensing contract with Warner Bros. requires it to incorporate elements from the final Potter films, the last of which will open in theaters in July."
Straight from the Orlando Sentinel. This proves that something will happen. How big, no one can tell. But they are going to be adding to it at some point.
Straight from the Orlando Sentinel. This proves that something will happen. How big, no one can tell. But they are going to be adding to it at some point.
I'm not saying it won't happen, I'm saying that I don't think that they would trash a whole island and the eleven crowd eaters for either unnecessarily doubling the size of the island or only adding a few drawing factors that will inevitably lose the huge numbers it draws now. Just like the Wizarding World will cool down in numbers soon, the expansion would as well, so if they sacrifice the eleven factors for less than that (and it'll have to be or Harry Potter will be twice the size of any other island) then over time you'll have the Lost Continent, but with less crowd eating potential. Maybe they'll either find the room to expand without damaging another island, or maybe they'll just lose a small part of LC to add equal crowd drawers, but not the whole island.
Harry Potter will die down eventually. Which is why it makes sense. HP makes so much money right now. Imagine, if you will, it's died down to an extent. Families say "I'm not going to be heading back there for a while now". An expansion would make a return trip more worthwhile. And Sweeney, LC is NOT a people eater rotfl. It's ALWAYS dead aside from a few kids playing the carnival games and people looking in the shops. Mythos is an exception. And do you really think that Harry Potter has less potential than a generic myths and legends island...
Just to point something out, the Hogsmeade arch on the LC side was designed to look a little Arabian in architecture, so that the transition isn't so jarring. If they were to change up that part of LC, that Arabian style architecture would look totally out of place.
Really? Your clinging to a thread there. The arch looks like it fits Hogsmeade and the pictures I've seen don't look Arabian. It would not look out of place, don't waste your breath trying to convince me of that...
