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Wizarding World - Diagon Alley Discussion (Opens 2014)

  • Thread starter Thread starter floridianer
  • Start date Start date Sep 25, 2010

Poll Closed

  • Yes

    Votes: 154 88.0%
  • No

    Votes: 21 12.0%
  • Maybe

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    175
  • Poll closed Jan 18, 2011.
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Hatetofly

Hatetofly

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  • Jan 19, 2011
  • #581
Comcast as a whole has consistently been ranked one of the worst companies in customer service and satisfaction. Overall there just a terrible company all the way around. One of the main things is will Comcast invest money into the parks, many suspect given there track record...no.
 
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damond.themeparks

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  • Jan 19, 2011
  • #582
hatetofly said:
Comcast as a whole has consistently been ranked one of the worst companies in customer service and satisfaction. Overall there just a terrible company all the way around. One of the main things is will Comcast invest money into the parks, many suspect given there track record...no.
Click to expand...

ah ok then. but again what does it have to do with harry expansion?
 
Hatetofly

Hatetofly

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  • Jan 19, 2011
  • #583
Harry needs money to expand, Comcast will have to invest MONEY to make it happen.
 
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zbob1992

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  • Jan 19, 2011
  • #584
All I know is if they do expand the WWOHP it better have as much thought and detail as the original land. I don't want a Dinoland USA or Camp Minnie Mickey kind of job.
 
grizzlybarely

grizzlybarely

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Joined
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  • Jan 19, 2011
  • #585
zbob1992 said:
All I know is if they do expand the WWOHP it better have as much thought and detail as the original land. I don't want a Dinoland USA or Camp Minnie Mickey kind of job.
Click to expand...

Even if it has the same attention to detail as "Phase I", nothing left in the Harry Potter universe that I know of (Diagon Alley, Privet Drive, Knockturn Alley, etc.) has the same wonderment as Hogsmeade and Hogwarts. There is no location in Harry's world that is more majestic, so whatever is added, no matter the level of detail or talent of the designers, could "outdo" Hogsmeade and Hogwarts in the same department. IMO, the designers would need pursue a totally different emotion than Hogsmeade and Hogwarts. Maybe something scary or just plain weird, but if Phase II is to be more wonderment, it will pale in comparison to what is in place today.
 
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damond.themeparks

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  • Jan 19, 2011
  • #586
jmercer25 said:
Even if it has the same attention to detail as "Phase I", nothing left in the Harry Potter universe that I know of (Diagon Alley, Privet Drive, Knockturn Alley, etc.) has the same wonderment as Hogsmeade and Hogwarts. There is no location in Harry's world that is more majestic, so whatever is added, no matter the level of detail or talent of the designers, could "outdo" Hogsmeade and Hogwarts in the same department. IMO, the designers would need pursue a totally different emotion than Hogsmeade and Hogwarts. Maybe something scary or just plain weird, but if Phase II is to be more wonderment, it will pale in comparison to what is in place today.
Click to expand...

actually, if you look back in the thread (i cant remember what pages) me and TSSD came up with a pretty good attraction that would be almost as good as phase 1 if not better imo.
 
grizzlybarely

grizzlybarely

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  • Jan 19, 2011
  • #587
damond.themeparks said:
actually, if you look back in the thread (i cant remember what pages) me and TSSD came up with a pretty good attraction that would be almost as good as phase 1 if not better imo.
Click to expand...

I looked back a few pages and all I found was an idea for an attraction that's a walking tour of the Forbidden Forest. If I may critique...I honestly think it would be cool to meet the mythical creatures of the Forbidden Forest, but not in the Forbidden Forest. Obviously, yes that is where they reside, but all throughout the stories, the Forest is off-limits to students, let alone Muggles who are ill-learned and ill-equiped to protect themselves from such creatures. I can't imagine that we now allowed to meander this spooky place like a zoo. If we snuck into the Forest, maybe, but that's stealing some themes from FJ. Furthermore, we've already met several of the creatures mentioned in the current WWOHP, and we already bow to a Hippogriff in FotH.

EDIT: 500th post! :lol:
 
D

damond.themeparks

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  • Jan 19, 2011
  • #588
jmercer25 said:
I looked back a few pages and all I found was an idea for an attraction that's a walking tour of the Forbidden Forest. If I may critique...I honestly think it would be cool to meet the mythical creatures of the Forbidden Forest, but not in the Forbidden Forest. Obviously, yes that is where they reside, but all throughout the stories, the Forest is off-limits to students, let alone Muggles who are ill-learned and ill-equiped to protect themselves from such creatures. I can't imagine that we now allowed to meander this spooky place like a zoo. If we snuck into the Forest, maybe, but that's stealing some themes from FJ. Furthermore, we've already met several of the creatures mentioned in the current WWOHP, and we already bow to a Hippogriff in FotH.

EDIT: 500th post! :lol:
Click to expand...

haha well the idea was that the ministry of magic would provide tour guides and what not but whatever we dont even work at universal to make this happen anyways :lol:

and congrats for being the 500th poster ^_^
 
grizzlybarely

grizzlybarely

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  • Jan 19, 2011
  • #589
damond.themeparks said:
haha well the idea was that the ministry of magic would provide tour guides and what not but whatever we dont even work at universal to make this happen anyways :lol:

and congrats for being the 500th poster ^_^
Click to expand...

I'm not trying to hurt feelings or cast judgment or anything. I really do like the idea of meeting the mythical creatures. But I think the designers packed Phase I with so much detail because they understood they'd have one solid shot at a Wizarding World. If Diagon Alley happens for Phase II (which I still think is the only way WWOHP can expand), there can be a pet shop where students buy owls, cats, and mice, and there could be extra, mythical animals.
 
Vyrus

Vyrus

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  • Jan 19, 2011
  • #590
When it comes to Comcast investing into the theme park, you gotta remember that Blackstone is also a major holder of the piece of pie in USF. Not to mention, they are retaining all of the executives in the theme park division and its books, profits and debt is seperate from the main company. Comcast won't have to invest anything, they will just reap the benefits of the buyout.
 
youhow2

youhow2

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  • Jan 19, 2011
  • #591
hatetofly said:
Comcast as a whole has consistently been ranked one of the worst companies in customer service and satisfaction. Overall there just a terrible company all the way around. One of the main things is will Comcast invest money into the parks, many suspect given there track record...no.
Click to expand...

damond.themeparks said:
ah ok then. but again what does it have to do with harry expansion?
Click to expand...

hatetofly said:
Harry needs money to expand, Comcast will have to invest MONEY to make it happen.
Click to expand...

Isnt the park owned and operated by Blackstone AND NBC/universal? Blackstone will not have any of their shenanigans... And since to my knowledge Comcast has no experience operating themeparks, they will probably be willing to listen to what they have to do to make money.... Especially with all the crazy amounts of money potter is making now, I almost see an expansion as absolutely inevitable. What I AM concerned about though is USH... I saw those horrifying plans to pretty much turn it into a neighborhood with rides...
 
Hatetofly

Hatetofly

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  • Jan 19, 2011
  • #592
youhow2 said:
Isnt the park owned and operated by Blackstone AND NBC/universal? Blackstone will not have any of their shenanigans... And since to my knowledge Comcast has no experience operating themeparks, they will probably be willing to listen to what they have to do to make money.... Especially with all the crazy amounts of money potter is making now, I almost see an expansion as absolutely inevitable. What I AM concerned about though is USH... I saw those horrifying plans to pretty much turn it into a neighborhood with rides...
Click to expand...

I was being semi sarcastic trying to get a rise out of a few. But I still hate comcast :lol:
 
Vyrus

Vyrus

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  • Jan 19, 2011
  • #593
Thankfully down here in Miami Comcast ain't so bad, I've actually gotten a few things actually cause they are easy to scam :lol:
 
violarum

violarum

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  • Jan 19, 2011
  • #594
Okay, well, I have been giving a lot of thought to this whole thing, and I've deduced quite a lot. It's a doozy, haha.

1. Universal is definitely giving this place an expansion. It's obvious.

2. It will be years until we receive word on it, though. I suspect that after a new ride arises (hopefully there's enough cash to build a new one in each park), we might get more insight. It will have to be at least two years, this one included.

3. The expansion will be smaller, but it can also not even be an expansion. There are areas (most of it, actually) that are absolutely perfect, but there are others that aren't. I like to think I'm one of the biggest fans of this area (205 rides on FJ to date, hehe), so I have a big idea on how much space there is and isn't. It would be highly beneficial to Universal if they redid Dragon Challenge into what I think would be a much better design (I'll post my ideas on how it would work on that thread some other time) and add a new scene or two into Forbidden Journey as well as work on adding more fog (!) and music (!) to the entire ride to give it the supposedly necessary update for Deathly Hallows. It would obviously require time off for the rides (4 months for FJ and 6 months for DC), but in the end, they could come across as being new experiences.

4. I highly disregard the fact that we'd be taken into Gringotts, Diagon Alley, or the Ministry. Those places are far, far away from Hogwarts and Hogsmeade. Hundreds of miles. You could say that we could travel by portkey, floo powder, or apparition, but those three means of travel would not work if you're trying to transport people by walking. By definition, these three means of wizard travel are not able to be accomplished by muggles, save FJ, but in that case, we are in a controlled area under the guidance of an enchanted bench. We could not accomplish these by simply walking into a 'portal' of sorts, so these places, while they would be immensely cool to walk through, would not work, at least not for J.K. and any hardcore Harry Potter fan. You could give the argument that the floor order in FJ isn't acceptable, but the rooms are all within the same castle. That's at least somewhat acceptable to the Potter fans. Putting in a new area like those stated, wouldn't be.

5. To elaborate on FJ, the facade would be updated in a similar style to a mountain backdrop that blends in with some added trees to the right of the facade in order to cover the show building. What is there now is unacceptable. Same for the greenhouse section. Many, many more trees would be added to separate JP (another thing would be to move the arch closer to the welcome center) from the queue, as well as an elongated rock facade with some extra towers (for example, see Prisoner of Azkaban in the scene where Black remarks on the castles beauty; you can see what towers would be added in that scene). Also, the JP side would have theming to JP itself with the FJ showbuilding section that faces JP being themed lightly to a research centre perhaps. The forced perspective wouldn't necessarily be ruined if it's done correctly.

6. I have an idea for a new attraction that can be implemented as part of this expansion. If you look on Google Maps, you can see that the Sinbad/Arabian area is quite large. An option would be to rid most of it to make way for the new ride, and retheme what's left back to a Greek styled area with a sign for LC. The new attraction would be a Hogwarts Express tour. This would require that the entire Hogsmeade station area be rethemed to add a new shop, and make the entrance a bit farther back. The relatively small new showbuilding for this tour would allow everyone to see the Hogwarts Express up close and enter the cabins. The head of the train would be farther down and would help mark the Northern entrance, not to Hogsmeade, but to the Wizarding World, as well as the entrance to the new Hogsmeade station, which would actually allow you to board the train. You would enter through a reproduced section of what is the DC locker area, and get a 'ticket' to board. Then, you would go along the 'path' (this part would be inside, and there would be overhead theming to replicate a 'sky' that would mirror the weather and time of day outside through a system that reads current weather conditions) and enter the train itself and explore the cabins and buy some candy, some of which you would not be able to find in Honeydukes, from the trolley lady. To exit, you just exit through the other side and go down another path to a smaller door to the right of what would be the train head. Surrounding you heavily on these 'paths' would be tall and thick pine trees that limit your field of vision to not allow you to see past them. In this new entrance plaza, a path would then also lead you to Hogsmeade village. Also in the new plaza and also in the geneal area of the Southern entrance (the one that's currently there), there would be huge rocks on either side that are akin to 'gates' that each have a fiber optic display implemented wherein the floor would sparkle (like EPCOT at night) and then these sparkles would join together with matching music to form "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter" on the rocks themselves, making for a more formal entryway. In the remaining space (because the showbuilding wouldn't be that large), on the land which used to host Sinbad, a new Greek-mythology-inspired attraction would be placed, most likely a heavily themed flat ride. Poseidon's Fury would be converted into an indoor ride in order to 'reinvent' LC.

Those are my thoughts on which I've wasted multiple sheets of paper trying to deduce what the best options would be for this 'expansion'. I have loads of concept art for this, but I don't feel like uploading it all, haha. I hope you all give insight!
 
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Vyrus

Vyrus

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  • Jan 19, 2011
  • #595
Those are pretty good idea, but they purposely made the entrances to the WW with a sign saying Hogsmeade and not WW because they wanted to make it authentic and not the theme parkish. Granted the branded merch within the are have the logo, but when you walk in and see a sign that says Hogsmeade, it puts you in the right frame of mind much better than a WW sign.
 
violarum

violarum

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  • Jan 19, 2011
  • #596
Well, again, saying "Welcome to Hogsmeade!" is really an authentic idea, but sometimes people need some more magic, pun intended, to help guide them. The sign, obviously, would be an incantation that Harry placed to guide us muggles (well... you muggles), and would only 'appear' instead of stand there. The rocks' fiber optic display would mark the entrance to the WWoHP, and the Hogsmeade arch to the entrance of Hogsmeade.

Also, in Rowling's idea, she had the station completely seperate from Hogsmeade, so this would add to the authenticity.
 
grizzlybarely

grizzlybarely

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  • Jan 19, 2011
  • #597
v!olaplayer said:
Okay, well, I have been giving a lot of thought to this whole thing, and I've deduced quite a lot. It's a doozy, haha.

1. Universal is definitely giving this place an expansion. It's obvious.

2. It will be years until we receive word on it, though. I suspect that after a new ride arises (hopefully there's enough cash to build a new one in each park), we might get more insight. It will have to be at least two years, this one included.

3. The expansion will be smaller, but it can also not even be an expansion. There are areas (most of it, actually) that are absolutely perfect, but there are others that aren't. I like to think I'm one of the biggest fans of this area (205 rides on FJ to date, hehe), so I have a big idea on how much space there is and isn't. It would be highly beneficial to Universal if they redid Dragon Challenge into what I think would be a much better design (I'll post my ideas on how it would work on that thread some other time) and add a new scene or two into Forbidden Journey as well as work on adding more fog (!) and music (!) to the entire ride to give it the supposedly necessary update for Deathly Hallows. It would obviously require time off for the rides (4 months for FJ and 6 months for DC), but in the end, they could come across as being new experiences.

4. I highly disregard the fact that we'd be taken into Gringotts, Diagon Alley, or the Ministry. Those places are far, far away from Hogwarts and Hogsmeade. Hundreds of miles. You could say that we could travel by portkey, floo powder, or apparition, but those three means of travel would not work if you're trying to transport people by walking. By definition, these three means of wizard travel are not able to be accomplished by muggles, save FJ, but in that case, we are in a controlled area under the guidance of an enchanted bench. We could not accomplish these by simply walking into a 'portal' of sorts, so these places, while they would be immensely cool to walk through, would not work, at least not for J.K. and any hardcore Harry Potter fan. You could give the argument that the floor order in FJ isn't acceptable, but the rooms are all within the same castle. That's at least somewhat acceptable to the Potter fans. Putting in a new area like those stated, wouldn't be.

5. To elaborate on FJ, the facade would be updated in a similar style to a mountain backdrop that blends in with some added trees to the right of the facade in order to cover the show building. What is there now is unacceptable. Same for the greenhouse section. Many, many more trees would be added to separate JP (another thing would be to move the arch closer to the welcome center) from the queue, as well as an elongated rock facade with some extra towers (for example, see Prisoner of Azkaban in the scene where Black remarks on the castles beauty; you can see what towers would be added in that scene). Also, the JP side would have theming to JP itself with the FJ showbuilding section that faces JP being themed lightly to a research centre perhaps. The forced perspective wouldn't necessarily be ruined if it's done correctly.

6. I have an idea for a new attraction that can be implemented as part of this expansion. If you look on Google Maps, you can see that the Sinbad/Arabian area is quite large. An option would be to rid most of it to make way for the new ride, and retheme what's left back to a Greek styled area with a sign for LC. The new attraction would be a Hogwarts Express tour. This would require that the entire Hogsmeade station area be rethemed to add a new shop, and make the entrance a bit farther back. The relatively small new showbuilding for this tour would allow everyone to see the Hogwarts Express up close and enter the cabins. The head of the train would be farther down and would help mark the Northern entrance, not to Hogsmeade, but to the Wizarding World, as well as the entrance to the new Hogsmeade station, which would actually allow you to board the train. You would enter through a reproduced section of what is the DC locker area, and get a 'ticket' to board. Then, you would go along the 'path' (this part would be inside, and there would be overhead theming to replicate a 'sky' that would mirror the weather and time of day outside through a system that reads current weather conditions) and enter the train itself and explore the cabins and buy some candy, some of which you would not be able to find in Honeydukes, from the trolley lady. To exit, you just exit through the other side and go down another path to a smaller door to the right of what would be the train head. Surrounding you heavily on these 'paths' would be tall and thick pine trees that limit your field of vision to not allow you to see past them. In this new entrance plaza, a path would then also lead you to Hogsmeade village. Also in the new plaza and also in the geneal area of the Southern entrance (the one that's currently there), there would be huge rocks on either side that are akin to 'gates' that each have a fiber optic display implemented wherein the floor would sparkle (like EPCOT at night) and then these sparkles would join together with matching music to form "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter" on the rocks themselves, making for a more formal entryway. In the remaining space (because the showbuilding wouldn't be that large), on the land which used to host Sinbad, a new Greek-mythology-inspired attraction would be placed, most likely a heavily themed flat ride. Poseidon's Fury would be converted into an indoor ride in order to 'reinvent' LC.

Those are my thoughts on which I've wasted multiple sheets of paper trying to deduce what the best options would be for this 'expansion'. I have loads of concept art for this, but I don't feel like uploading it all, haha. I hope you all give insight!
Click to expand...

Totally agree with your DC point. DC's queue is a huge downgrade from DD's queue. I just saw a picture of Pyrrock and Blizzrock and almost shed a tear.

I think your ideas are pretty fun. I was looking at that Arabian section and it could work. Nudge Fountain and the plaza a little east. A ride or Diagon Alley could fit there.
 
R

Roxy91

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  • Jan 19, 2011
  • #598
v!olaplayer said:
It would be highly beneficial to Universal if they redid Dragon Challenge into what I think would be a much better design (I'll post my ideas on how it would work on that thread some other time) and add a new scene or two into Forbidden Journey as well as work on adding more fog (!) and music (!) to the entire ride to give it the supposedly necessary update for Deathly Hallows. It would obviously require time off for the rides (4 months for FJ and 6 months for DC), but in the end, they could come across as being new experiences.
Click to expand...

While I think everyone would agree that DC needs to be redone, I just can't see much if anything being done to FJ. And there is no way in heck Universal would close
FJ for 6 months. Not happening.
 
D

damond.themeparks

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  • Jan 19, 2011
  • #599
Roxy91 said:
While I think everyone would agree that DC needs to be redone, I just can't see much if anything being done to FJ. And there is no way in heck Universal would close
FJ for 6 months. Not happening.
Click to expand...

actually, they wouldnt have to. they would probably build all the animatronics/sets behind FJ and then in a matter of maybe a week (maybe even less if they work all day) they would just have to tear down the back of FJ and combine it. i would think maybe when you fly through the forbiddean forest, you could fly through another section of it with other animals just to slow the mood down a little bit. like maybe see a unicorn or something then right before you leave, you pass over an angry troll swinging a giant tree trunk.
 
S

Splatter

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Joined
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Messages
2,613
  • Jan 19, 2011
  • #600
They would still have to to reprogram the ride and incorporate all of those elements. Forbidden Journey is what it is for a long time if not forever in its existance...and that is ok because it is a great attraction.

Again, investment vs earnings. A new scene for a ride so many people have yet to go on and want to ride as it is anyway is hard to promote.

Its fun to imagine, but being realistic is another thing.
 
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