Wizarding World - Diagon Alley Discussion (Opens 2014)

[Disneyhead]

After Potter opens it will be very difficult to obtain a one day/one park pass. They won't be available on their website, or on the menu at the ticket booth. The guest will have to specifically ask for one. And the ticket salesperson will explain the limitations of the pass. Expect a high pressure up-sale attempt if you try and buy one.

 

[JungleSkip]

Just wanted to put this here. It's from one of our new members, pheneix, over at Magic

I agree with the sentiment but there is a slight misunderstanding about the scope of Potter - Diagon Alley. The budget for this project was initially set at $560 million and is almost certainly going to sail past that ambitious figure.

Gringotts is going to be the most expensive dark ride ever built. More expensive than RSR. Also bears noting that RSR's immense expense was justified because the rockwork and theming that accompanies the ride is also critical to establishing the tone and scale of the entire Cars Land experience. It was money well spent to be sure. The money being spent inside Gringotts is... shall we say, more "focused" on delivering a ride experience to the people that are actually experiencing the ride itself. The results will speak for themselves.

Universal Creative is a very well run studio and they deliver exceptional product on a proper budget. Look at Springfield. But given the opportunity the run wild when expense is not a problem, they will seize it.

 

[rhino4evr]

ha..they do this already, but they aren't as bad as Disney. They literally try to upgrade your ticket every other sentence.

 

[retroeric]

After Potter opens it will be very difficult to obtain a one day/one park pass. They won't be available on their website, or on the menu at the ticket booth. The guest will have to specifically ask for one. And the ticket salesperson will explain the limitations of the pass. Expect a high pressure up-sale attempt if you try and buy one.

Not sure I like this idea. If $135 is the cheapest advertised price just to step foot into Universal, I think that's questionable strategy. I can see a lot of casual day-guests turning away from that extremely unattractive price.

 

[rhino4evr]

I wonder if they will sell a 1 day - 2 park pass cheaper, but raise the price of the 2 day 2 park pass to make up the difference? or vice versa

 

[ReelJustice]

I wonder if they will sell a 1 day - 2 park pass cheaper, but raise the price of the 2 day 2 park pass to make up the difference? or vice versa

Vice versa. The longer you stay, the cheaper you play. Also part of hotel building strategy and dining plan. Add all of those things together and the cost becomes palatable to a guest. See: Walt Disney World Resort.

 

[LBolt]

Trying to figure out a way to do Hogwarts Express on a one park ticket is just asking for trouble. Make it a two park ticket ride only and if you bought a one park ticket you can upgrade before you get in line and it even fits into the Train Station theme.

The bigger question in my mind is how/if Universal is going to recreate the whole walking through a solid brick wall to get to the platform.

 

[mahnamahna]

Just wanted to put this here. It's from one of our new members, pheneix, over at Magic

So $650-$700 million for Potter 2.0? HTF said about double so $450-$460 million should be the result. Either way, I'm expecting the greatest dark ride to ever hit the face of this earth for a price that astronomically huge from UNIVERSAL CREATIVE!! If it was Disney, I'd expect a lavishly themed Omnimover

 

[Frogki]

The bigger question in my mind is how/if Universal is going to recreate the whole walking through a solid brick wall to get to the platform.

I believe HTF or Disneyhead mentioned that it would be a very simple, yet very effective illusion in which the guest will actually be walking through a small hallway. I don't remember if they mentioned any details or not so maybe one of them could jump in and explain a bit more in depth?

 

[Skubersky]

I believe HTF or Disneyhead mentioned that it would be a very simple, yet very effective illusion in which the guest will actually be walking through a small hallway. I don't remember if they mentioned any details or not so maybe one of them could jump in and explain a bit more in depth?

I don't know how they plan to do it, but I would LOVE to see combination of digital projections and a forced perspective entry that looks like a solid wall when seen from a certain angle (like near the beginning of LABYRINTH). If they go with a mechanical effect that has to reset for each group, they'll need multiple entrances to handle the crowds.

 

[RonaldsModernLife]

Just wanted to put this here. It's from one of our new members, pheneix, over at Magic

:happy: Exciting!

I think the best thing they could do would be to remove the idea of "parks" entirely and just offer a Universal Orlando Resort ticket you present at the turnstiles. Charge the price of a one day, one park admission for one day two parks (lowering prices wouldn't happen but it's nice to dream), and go from there.

There is no way they are lowering the price, good try there but if they do remove the one park ticket, I can see them calling it a Universal Orlando Resort Experience ticket or something like that.

After Potter opens it will be very difficult to obtain a one day/one park pass. They won't be available on their website, or on the menu at the ticket booth. The guest will have to specifically ask for one. And the ticket salesperson will explain the limitations of the pass. Expect a high pressure up-sale attempt if you try and buy one.

That's interesting and could work. They market the 2 park ticket but if you are "in the know" you can ask for a one park ticket and deal with the back and fourth exchange of being up-sold.

 

[Frogki]

I just have to go off topic for a moment and say that it is just hilarious to read the speculation at the beginning of the rumors. It's especially interesting to read when we first learned that the expansion was to be in Uni instead of IoA, and how people did not think it was going to measure to expectations. Also - a certain Kong rumor was discussed even at this point, but in a different attraction.

Anyway, I think the ticketing talk is really old. Yes it's an issue. Yes it has to be dealt with. But I honestly don't think it's that big a deal. If you're going to Universal for Potter (and let's not kid, when this opens, that's what everyone who plans a Uni trip will be going for), you're going to want to go to both parks anyway.

 

[UK-Trigg]

I thought it was mentioned that you would be able to ride HE with a one park ticket, you just had to re-queue to get back to your original park instead of entering the new park. where as a two park ticket would enable to go from park to park vie HE.

 

[Andy]

Most people (over 75%) already buy two park tickets anyway.

It's even higher than what most would expect.

After Potter opens it will be very difficult to obtain a one day/one park pass. They won't be available on their website, or on the menu at the ticket booth. The guest will have to specifically ask for one. And the ticket salesperson will explain the limitations of the pass. Expect a high pressure up-sale attempt if you try and buy one.

Bingo, you will specifically have to ask for a 1 park 1 day ticket.

Just wanted to put this here. It's from one of our new members, pheneix, over at Magic

I've been saying about Gringotts

So $650-$700 million for Potter 2.0? HTF said about double so $450-$460 million should be the result. Either way, I'm expecting the greatest dark ride to ever hit the face of this earth for a price that astronomically huge from UNIVERSAL CREATIVE!! If it was Disney, I'd expect a lavishly themed Omnimover

With respect to everyone involved I've never really cared about the budget but I knew it was by far the largest Creative has ever had to play with. On top of that there still using cost cutting measures to stretch the massive budget even further. The numbers I've heard mentioned are between 460-500 million for Diagon alley. Does not mean I'm correct in anyway shape or form. Again it's just what I heard.

But! One last thing before I finish to confuse the hell out of everyone. During Phase 1 things were cut and scaled back to counter certain aspects that were going well over budget. This is somewhat custom now a days by robbing Peter to pay Paul to complete a large scale project. This was the norm for old owners Blackstone. Now with new owners Comcast at the helm things get plussed not scaled back. So it's very possible the budget was increased by Comcast during the construction phase in order to add more effects and options that were originally considered unnecessary.

 

[rhino4evr]

I thought it was mentioned that you would be able to ride HE with a one park ticket, you just had to re-queue to get back to your original park instead of entering the new park. where as a two park ticket would enable to go from park to park vie HE.

this idea seems to have been shot down by the press announcement that mentioned that "Multi-Park pass holders" will be able to ride the HE! or something simialr.

 

[Andy]

this idea seems to have been shot down by the press announcement that mentioned that "Multi-Park pass holders" will be able to ride the HE! or something simialr.

Or again it's just advertised as such...

 

[neoshinok]

I don't know how they plan to do it, but I would LOVE to see combination of digital projections and a forced perspective entry that looks like a solid wall when seen from a certain angle (like near the beginning of LABYRINTH).

I agree, a practical static effect is the way to go. I thought of the exact same part in Labyrinth. Talk about a movie that needs theme park representation!

EDIT about 1:12 in the clip

[video=youtube;f2xVZiGOw-o]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=f2xVZiGOw-o#t=69s[/video]

 

[mahnamahna]

It's even higher than what most would expect.



Bingo, you will specifically have to ask for a 1 park 1 day ticket.



I've been saying about Gringotts



With respect to everyone involved I've never really cared about the budget but I knew it was by far the largest Creative has ever had to play with. On top of that there still using cost cutting measures to stretch the massive budget even further. The numbers I've heard mentioned are between 460-500 million for Diagon alley. Does not mean I'm correct in anyway shape or form. Again it's just what I heard.

But! One last thing before I finish to confuse the hell out of everyone. During Phase 1 things were cut and scaled back to counter certain aspects that were going well over budget. This is somewhat custom now a days by robbing Peter to pay Paul to complete a large scale project. This was the norm for old owners Blackstone. Now with new owners Comcast at the helm things get plussed not scaled back. So it's very possible the budget was increased by Comcast during the construction phase in order to add more effects and options that were originally considered unnecessary.

Well that has to be the best news I've heard on this project yet!! I kinda figured it'd be expensive since there's supposed to be a mini-ToT elevator style ride BEFORE you board the coaster. It sounds like this will be the most lavishly themed area in USF by far! Can't imagine how beautiful the lagoon will look once London and Kong are done!

 

[ulto]

I kinda figured it'd be expensive since there's supposed to be a mini-ToT elevator style ride BEFORE you board the coaster.

Are we sure that the moving elevators are still part of the queue?

 

[neoshinok]

Are we sure that the moving elevators are still part of the queue?

They'll be simulators, but very convincing ones.:-X