A nice batch of information concerning The Wizarding World of Harry Potter’s
Orlando expansion has come online, and it confirms a working Hogwarts Express, a new rollercoaster, and the closure of Poseidon’s Fury.
All of this came down
via Disney At Work:
Speaking to an employee within the organization, this is what I’ve learned over the weekend:
- Railroad engineers have been on property extensively designing a train track that would run backstage.
- You would be looking out of the train and seeing a video component as you went down the track. Whether that would be similar in technology to King Kong at Universal Florida remains to be seen.
- There is a roller coaster planned for the Jaws area.
- The individual was told to see Poseidon’s Furty [sic] for the last time soon as it was going away by February 1st.
All of this seems to add fuel to the speculation that a Diagon Alley with a Gringott’s Wizarding Bank roller coaster would take over where Jaws left off. Additionally, it is believed that a Hogwarts Express Train would connect from there to the current Wizarding World of Harry Potter attraction at Islands of Adventure.
Poseidon’s Fury is the area right outside the Hogwarts Express entrance of the Wizarding World. I personally have been saying that this area is begging to be closed. Its sole ride is very outdated (but kind of fun). The only thing going for it is the restaurant Mythos.
Potentially, the Poseidon’s Fury area could be used to to build the Hogwarts Express station platform, which visitors would board to get to the new area in Universal Studios where Jaws currently presides.
Universal confirmed
a few weeks ago that an Orlando expansion for the Wizarding World is indeed in the works, and that they are closing the Jaws ride in Universal Studios (though they have yet to confirm if this is due to Potter).