Wizarding World - Diagon Alley Discussion - Part 3

[illumination]

I walked into that room and asked about it. It is right next to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. You are placed in front of a green screen and you get six different videos with different backgrounds. I think they said it cost around $60-$70. I didn't do it, but I was told that I could try it out and view 2 videos for free.

What is the purpose of that? I thought that it was so you could have a "moving picture" in a digital picture frame?

 

[adjjb]

Doesn't seem like Gringotts is running at all. The delayed opening is more delayed.

 

[TylerDurden]

Yesterday we spoke with a sales associate, and a manager at one of the shops, and they said they were having trouble keeping sizes in stock for most pieces of apparel. My friend was looking for a large in a pair of Gryffindor sweatpants, and they were already sold out of XS-L.
Another person we ran into claimed to have spent upwards of $300 by noon. However, when I purchased a Dark Mark scarf in Borgin and Burkes, I had no trouble paying and speaking with the associates for about five minutes sooo....

Ok, thats absolutely ridiculous. Universal knows how many people will be coming in and buying tons of merchandise. Hell, they can even control how many people are inside at one time. They had queue lines in every shop to prepare for the masses of people who would be coming to the stores. And they seriously cant keep up with 2 days worth of merchandise? Stuff like that makes it seem like Universal still doesnt know what theyre doing. If they really want to be the big dogs in Orlando, they not only need to bring in huge crowds, but also be able to support them. This just proves my point in the Expansion thread that they simply cant handle more parks and infrastructure yet. I mean, they cant even hold enough merch for their biggest expansion ever.....

 

[IzzyB]

Ok, thats absolutely ridiculous. Universal knows how many people will be coming in and buying tons of merchandise. Hell, they can even control how many people are inside at one time. They had queue lines in every shop to prepare for the masses of people who would be coming to the stores. And they seriously cant keep up with 2 days worth of merchandise? Stuff like that makes it seem like Universal still doesnt know what theyre doing. If they really want to be the big dogs in Orlando, they not only need to bring in huge crowds, but also be able to support them. This just proves my point in the Expansion thread that they simply cant handle more parks and infrastructure yet. I mean, they cant even hold enough merch for their biggest expansion ever.....

If this is one or two items, I am ok with this. Sometimes you order more than you actually get. Sometimes items are on back order. However if this is the majority of items then that is Uni not handling things properly. I understood not being ready for phase 1. No one could predict how popular it would be (even Disney underestimated the popularity of it), but for Phase 2 they should have known from day 1.

 

[TylerDurden]

^rinacee said the manager she talked to described trouble keeping up with "MOST items of apparel". And apparently, not just mediums or XL's, but the full range of sizes between XS and L. Having that many sizes out for anything plus a hard time keeping up with "most" items after only two days is a big fail, especially after you have done this before. Just because Universal spends a ton of money now doesnt make them prime parks--they have to know what theyre doing with all these people.

 

[freediverdude]

I bought a ridiculous amount of merchandise there, and I don't usually buy much merch anymore. There's just something about the Harry Potter stuff being different, that makes you want to buy it. Universal won't be able to haul the money to the bank fast enough, lol. I think like I saw somebody else post, you're so giddy getting off the ride, you'd buy a phone book if it said Gringotts on it. Here, I'm crying, take my credit card!

 

[JungleSkip]

^rinacee said the manager she talked to described trouble keeping up with "MOST items of apparel". And apparently, not just mediums or XL's, but the full range of sizes between XS and L. Having that many sizes out for anything plus a hard time keeping up with "most" items after only two days is a big fail, especially after you have done this before. Just because Universal spends a ton of money now doesnt make them prime parks--they have to know what theyre doing with all these people.

I'm sure the TMs were exaggerating

 

[TylerDurden]

I bought a ridiculous amount of merchandise there, and I don't usually buy much merch anymore. There's just something about the Harry Potter stuff being different, that makes you want to buy it. Universal won't be able to haul the money to the bank fast enough, lol. I think like I saw somebody else post, you're so giddy getting off the ride, you'd buy a phone book if it said Gringotts on it. Here, I'm crying, take my credit card!

Lol, exactly, and thats what they should have been expecting. I dont know, I cant get my head around how Universal wouldnt be prepared enough to carry enough apparel to last them 2 days knowing superfans would be doing exactly what you described.

 

[UNIrd]

Lol, exactly, and thats what they should have been expecting. I dont know, I cant get my head around how Universal wouldnt be prepared enough to carry enough apparel to last them 2 days knowing superfans would be doing exactly what you described.

IF it's true, they have a lot of unique items of merchandise to keep in stock. This is not DisneyParks® 2014 sweatshirts. There might really be overwhelming demand for certain items whose popularity can't be predicted. I'm sure they're working on it.

Disney is a merchandising genius and they couldn't keep anything Frozen in stock anywhere. Doesn't mean they don't know what they're doing either.

 

[rinacee]

I'm sure the TMs were exaggerating

They probably were, but I did notice quite a few items were out of specific sizes throughout different stores. The pants were out of XS-L (but had plenty of XXL) and some of the girl shorts in another shop were out of Mediums. They probably WERE exaggerating, but I did see what they were saying here and there.

 

[JungleSkip]

They probably were, but I did notice quite a few items were out of specific sizes throughout different stores. The pants were out of XS-L (but had plenty of XXL) and some of the girl shorts in another shop were out of Mediums. They probably WERE exaggerating, but I did see what they were saying here and there.

Oh I'm sure they ran out of things here and there. But with very few soft openings and the amount of exclusive merch, there's bound to be miscalculations on what will be popular and what won't be

 

[Disneyhead]

From what I understand is they have plenty of merchandise stock. But they are having trouble keeping the shelves/racks in the stores stocked. Overnight restocking is insufficient. They are working on it.

 

[IzzyB]

IF it's true, they have a lot of unique items of merchandise to keep in stock. This is not DisneyParks® 2014 sweatshirts. There might really be overwhelming demand for certain items whose popularity can't be predicted. I'm sure they're working on it.

Disney is a merchandising genius and they couldn't keep anything Frozen in stock anywhere. Doesn't mean they don't know what they're doing either.

Now this is a little different. First off, Uni should know they would sell a lot from phase 1, so they knew coming in what they needed to do to keep stocked up. Unique items or not, they had a basis from Phase 1. So if they are truly not being able to keep large number of items in stock, I agree it is a fail. However, one salesperson saying this does not make it true. So I am not on the panic fail button yet.

Disney not keeping Frozen items in is because Disney (nor anyone else) can predict the how successful a movie is going to be. So for Animated films they produce and stock so much merchandise for that film. Until the film is released they don't know whether it will be a huge success or a total failure. If it is a success they will run out of items because they stock up for an average film. That way if it is a failure they are stuck with a ton of merchandise. You can't really make the two comparisons because we know HP is a success and we know Phase 2 would bring in high level of crowds.

 

[TylerDurden]

From what I understand is they have plenty of merchandise stock. But they are having trouble keeping the shelves/racks in the stores stocked. Overnight restocking is insufficient. They are working on it.

If thats the case, thats better, but means theres a lack of training or lack of adequate employees. TMs are supposed to stock the shelves throughout the day, there should be TMs doing that consistently instead of working registers. If the immediate store stock closets arent full, thats a logistics error that sounds like it can be easily corrected but is still inexcusable. If youre not into rides, you go to WWOHP to shop; if you cant do that, what did you wait five hours for? Its a pretty big problem. I mean, obviously one day here or there the stores will run out of stuff, but that day shouldnt be this soon, when the hype is at its peak.

 

[Prototype_82]

Opening day was incredible. Only waited 2 hours for Gringotts- I cornered an undercover imagineer who had his head in his phone in the queue, and I got to shake Mark Woodbury's hand after the ride and tell him how absolutely earth-shatteringly amazing Gringotts was...

 

[JungleSkip]

Disney not keeping Frozen items in is because Disney (nor anyone else) can predict the how successful a movie is going to be.

Disney is still running out of Frozen merch. The film's been out for 8 months.

 

[UNIrd]

Now this is a little different. First off, Uni should know they would sell a lot from phase 1, so they knew coming in what they needed to do to keep stocked up. Unique items or not, they had a basis from Phase 1. So if they are truly not being able to keep large number of items in stock, I agree it is a fail. However, one salesperson saying this does not make it true. So I am not on the panic fail button yet.

Disney not keeping Frozen items in is because Disney (nor anyone else) can predict the how successful a movie is going to be. So for Animated films they produce and stock so much merchandise for that film. Until the film is released they don't know whether it will be a huge success or a total failure. If it is a success they will run out of items because they stock up for an average film. That way if it is a failure they are stuck with a ton of merchandise. You can't really make the two comparisons because we know HP is a success and we know Phase 2 would bring in high level of crowds.

These are new merchandise items that were just released to the public days ago. I'm sure they are gauging demand and will supply it appropriately. If you would have told me they would not have been able to keep $30 wooden sticks and pygmy puffs on the shelf during Phase 1, I may have laughed in your face. Obviously that was proven otherwise.

The speed at which some people want to cry fail about anything here is pretty wacky.

 

[IzzyB]

Disney is still running out of Frozen merch. The film's been out for 8 months.

Interesting. Every time I go to any Disney store or Norway in Epcot I feel I see too much merchandise for frozen. lol

These are new merchandise items that were just released to the public days ago. I'm sure they are gauging demand and will supply it appropriately. If you would have told me they would not have been able to keep $30 wooden sticks and pygmy puffs on the shelf during Phase 1, I may have laughed in your face. Obviously that was proven otherwise.

The speed at which some people want to cry fail about anything here is pretty wacky.

I already said I was not pulling the panic/fail button on this one. Because I am not sure it is an actual issue. I just said IF it is widespread and more than just they are not stocking the shelves often enough, then it would be a fail. Because they should have known and stocked enough. Let's face it, they will eventually sell this stuff, especially clothing. But based on what Disneyhead said, I don't think this will be an issue soon.

 

[TylerDurden]

Disney is still running out of Frozen merch. The film's been out for 8 months.

They cant keep up with demand. At least Universal could have been prepared, like Izzy said.

 

[aheying7]

Opening day was incredible. Only waited 2 hours for Gringotts- I cornered an undercover imagineer who had his head in his phone in the queue, and I got to shake Mark Woodbury's hand after the ride and tell him how absolutely earth-shatteringly amazing Gringotts was...

I'm so happy to hear that! I've been avoiding the actual reviews thread for Gringotts because of spoilers. I was worried because most of the reviews for Gringottts in here have just been ok.