The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Hogsmeade (Orlando): Part 2

[Vyrus]

Losing a trip over watching Kat Williams? It depends on the joke I guess, but he's pretty tame compared to some other comedians out there. I guess they got all offended witht he pimp stuff and the feather..awww hell you're screwed if get caught watching Katt.

 

[gannonsmovieworld]

I'm tickled pink to hear that my guess of May 17 may end up being the correct date. I'm definently going to try to make it down there around the 19th to see if Softs are open. If the area is and I'm able to experience the ride I'll be sure to fill you all in. Honestly, even if the ride isn't open I'd be perfectly content to just stroll around Hogsmeade for the day.

and I'm sorry to hear about the trip being cancelled...that just flat-out sucks. sorry, man.

The 19th. Hmmmm... What day is that again? oh yeah, ITS MY BIRTHDAY! Enjoy your day in Hogsmeade on my birthday! Sometimes I wish I was at Uni right now.

 

[Cwoolboy]

Don't we all bro. This weekend I'm actually gonna be up at Disney...can't wait to see all the neat walls they put up near Fantasyland!!! (Maybe my dad will give me a boost when no ones looking so I can see how work is progressing). Anyways...I've got a fool-proof plan if they have the area blocked off for the 19th that includes stun guns, cloroform, rope, and industrial strength duct tape

OH, and in case I forget HAPPY SUPER EARLY BIRTHDY DUDE!!!

 

[TheDecemberists]

And its a christian school.

Goodness gracious, go watch Donnie Darko NOW!

 

[gannonsmovieworld]

Don't we all bro. This weekend I'm actually gonna be up at Disney...can't wait to see all the neat walls they put up near Fantasyland!!! (Maybe my dad will give me a boost when no ones looking so I can see how work is progressing). Anyways...I've got a fool-proof plan if they have the area blocked off for the 19th that includes stun guns, cloroform, rope, and industrial strength duct tape

OH, and in case I forget HAPPY SUPER EARLY BIRTHDY DUDE!!!

Thanks for the very early birthday wishes!

 

[Vyrus]

The 19th. Hmmmm... What day is that again? oh yeah, ITS MY BIRTHDAY! Enjoy your day in Hogsmeade on my birthday! Sometimes I wish I was at Uni right now.

Couldn't agree with you more, I'm in cubicle hell right now and I wouldn't mind being on the Hulk or Dragons right now, even a non-spinning CITH is better.

 

[crazyidea]

I know dreams are discussed on here so... last night I rode FJ in my dream!! It was intense and mostly to dark to see anything and a death eater was flying next to the vehicle through the majority of the ride and I was too scared to look at him and when I opened my eyes I saw a projection of voldemort on the wall. The vehicle was going really high and then swooping down however the restraints were on these big claws that held you by your arms and feet so you could be really open to the elements. When we got off people were talking about how cool it was and saying,"did you see the spider?" And I was like "no i missed it." So I got back in line, by the time I got to the front it had turned into the Simpsons ...Looking forward to a re-ride tonight !

I saw the werewolf on it too, quite frightening.

 

[violarum]

I have been dreaming about this place almost every other day for the past 5 - 6 months. I think I have a problem. :/

 

[gannonsmovieworld]

I know dreams are discussed on here so... last night I rode FJ in my dream!! It was intense and mostly to dark to see anything and a death eater was flying next to the vehicle through the majority of the ride and I was too scared to look at him and when I opened my eyes I saw a projection of voldemort on the wall. The vehicle was going really high and then swooping down however the restraints were on these big claws that held you by your arms and feet so you could be really open to the elements. When we got off people were talking about how cool it was and saying,"did you see the spider?" And I was like "no i missed it." So I got back in line, by the time I got to the front it had turned into the Simpsons ...Looking forward to a re-ride tonight !

I saw the werewolf on it too, quite frightening.

I love when I have dreams like that, (Even though its probabally nothing like the ride I'm dreaming about). It puts me into a world of fantasy. You can go upside down even if the ride doesn't, cut out parts of the ride you don't like and you can make your worst enemies fall off and never get to experience the attraction again. If something bad is about to happen to you, you can wake up. Its that simple.

V!olaplayer- You've been saying you have a proble about Potter ever since... I have no idea how long you've been saying that. But not to worry, I think anybody who talks on this forum has a mad obsession with anything to do with theme parks.

 

[Vyrus]

I haven't had a FJ dream yet, so still waiting for one of those, but I would consider myself a pretty diehard fan, I read all the books in a matter of 2 months, all while at work, while I was working, on my comptuer screen.

I love torrents, lmao.

 

[tribbleorlfl]

I don't know if this has been discussed or not, but do we know how the Olivander's experience is going to shake out yet? I believe it has been confirmed there will be a range of wands available in different price points (probably more selection in the higher price points), and that the higher tiered wands yield more special effects in the selection process.

However, how do you think which tiered wand a child gets is determined? Do you think the parent chooses which tier they want and pays first while waiting in line, or that the wand master selects based on the answers to their questions? I would hate to think a child would go through the magic of the wand selection process only to have their parents find out afterwards that is the most expensive wand available. Either there's going to be one unhappy kid when they don't end up with "the wand that selected them" or there's going to be unhappy parents when their entire day's food and merch budget is gone in one fwell swoop. Also seems to me it would put the wand masters in a more sales psoition than entertainment, and that there's probably be incentives (bonus or commission) to push the more expensive wands on unsuspecting families.

Also, has it been confirmed only people buying wands will be able to experience Olivander's, or will non-paying customers be able to watch (if not experience).

 

[gannonsmovieworld]

I haven't had a FJ dream yet, so still waiting for one of those, but I would consider myself a pretty diehard fan, I read all the books in a matter of 2 months, all while at work, while I was working, on my comptuer screen.

I love torrents, lmao.

I believe that your WWoHP dream will come soon if not tonight. Keep up the good work on being a great Potter fan. Thats what the WWoHP was made for. Diehard fans and money.

 

[Splatter]

It will likely go like this.

Parent of child or Guest interested sees a price listing of various types of wands.

Then they go forth and pay

Then the Wandkeeper let's them try out the Wand or Wands to make sure which one is right for them, triggering a few effects around the store as the child waves it.

 

[Cwoolboy]

I haven't dreamt about WWoHP yet, but have had several dreams involving Universal over the years, some of my most memorable ones occurred on the weeks leading up to my first trip to HHN (The dreams involved everything from me getting lost in the fog to waiting in line for Reflections of Fear). Most would consider these nightmares but for me they were some of the best dreams I've ever had. Maybe I'll start having dreams of HP near the middle of May...Once again I must urge everyone to remember that dreams are just that...figments of one's imagination, and while some things in dreams may come true that doesn't mean that we should consider them accurate predictions of things to come. I'd imagine the reason some are dreaming about HP was the same reason I dreamt about HHN...we were/are obsessing over one topic, so naturally those thoughts seep into our subconscious leaving our minds to create dreams in an attempt to make sense of these thoughts.


wow, long post.

just call me Dream Dr. Dan

 

[Jymmymack]

I don't know if this has been discussed or not, but do we know how the Olivander's experience is going to shake out yet? I believe it has been confirmed there will be a range of wands available in different price points (probably more selection in the higher price points), and that the higher tiered wands yield more special effects in the selection process.

However, how do you think which tiered wand a child gets is determined? Do you think the parent chooses which tier they want and pays first while waiting in line, or that the wand master selects based on the answers to their questions? I would hate to think a child would go through the magic of the wand selection process only to have their parents find out afterwards that is the most expensive wand available. Either there's going to be one unhappy kid when they don't end up with "the wand that selected them" or there's going to be unhappy parents when their entire day's food and merch budget is gone in one fwell swoop. Also seems to me it would put the wand masters in a more sales psoition than entertainment, and that there's probably be incentives (bonus or commission) to push the more expensive wands on unsuspecting families.

Also, has it been confirmed only people buying wands will be able to experience Olivander's, or will non-paying customers be able to watch (if not experience).

I don't think the price of the wand has anything to do with the special effects in the shop. UO has repeatedly mentioned that you don't have to buy anything to partake in the Ollivander's experience. After the process of the wand selecting the customer, they have the option to buy the wand that "chose" them, request a different wand, or not buy anything.

From MTV's coverage:

Even though the Ollivander's shop is technically a shopping experience, actually buying anything in the shop is not a requirement. If a guest goes through a wand-selecting experience, they are not obligated to buy the wand that "chose" them. According to Coup, the experience is as much of a draw to the shop as buying the wands.

But even though it sounds like it should take a while to go through the process, Coup estimated the wand-choosing experience should only take two to five minutes per guest. Since the shop stays true to the books and films, Ollivander's will be very "intimate" — meaning probably only 25 people can fit in at a time. Especially within the first few months of the park opening there will probably be a wait to get into the shop, but it seems like it would be well worth the time.

Coup also acknowledged that not all visitors will want to go through the wand-selecting process and said there are going to be other wand-purchasing options available. There are 13 Ollivander's wand varieties created by the "Harry Potter" films' production designer Stuart Craig and author J.K. Rowling that can be purchased, as well as 12 wands from Noble Collection and a build-a-wand area geared towards younger guests. Visitors can select items to put in the core of the wand and choose the wood to make their own unique wand.

 

[Vyrus]

I don't think the price of the wand has anything to do with the special effects in the shop. UO has repeatedly mentioned that you don't have to buy anything to partake in the Ollivander's experience. After the process of the wand selecting the customer, they have the option to buy the wand that "chose" them, request a different wand, or not buy anything.

From MTV's coverage:

Even though the Ollivander's shop is technically a shopping experience, actually buying anything in the shop is not a requirement. If a guest goes through a wand-selecting experience, they are not obligated to buy the wand that "chose" them. According to Coup, the experience is as much of a draw to the shop as buying the wands.

But even though it sounds like it should take a while to go through the process, Coup estimated the wand-choosing experience should only take two to five minutes per guest. Since the shop stays true to the books and films, Ollivander's will be very "intimate" — meaning probably only 25 people can fit in at a time. Especially within the first few months of the park opening there will probably be a wait to get into the shop, but it seems like it would be well worth the time.

Coup also acknowledged that not all visitors will want to go through the wand-selecting process and said there are going to be other wand-purchasing options available. There are 13 Ollivander's wand varieties created by the "Harry Potter" films' production designer Stuart Craig and author J.K. Rowling that can be purchased, as well as 12 wands from Noble Collection and a build-a-wand area geared towards younger guests. Visitors can select items to put in the core of the wand and choose the wood to make their own unique wand. However, Coup and Universal weren't able to recreate all the elements of the "Harry Potter" wands.

If that is the case, I think that would be a pretty fun experience.

 

[Atticus]

I believe it has been confirmed there will be a range of wands available in different price points (probably more selection in the higher price points), and that the higher tiered wands yield more special effects in the selection process.

However, how do you think which tiered wand a child gets is determined? Do you think the parent chooses which tier they want and pays first while waiting in line, or that the wand master selects based on the answers to their questions? I would hate to think a child would go through the magic of the wand selection process only to have their parents find out afterwards that is the most expensive wand available. Either there's going to be one unhappy kid when they don't end up with "the wand that selected them" or there's going to be unhappy parents when their entire day's food and merch budget is gone in one fwell swoop. Also seems to me it would put the wand masters in a more sales psoition than entertainment, and that there's probably be incentives (bonus or commission) to push the more expensive wands on unsuspecting families.

Also, has it been confirmed only people buying wands will be able to experience Olivander's, or will non-paying customers be able to watch (if not experience).

Apparently all wands are NOT created equal.

Where was this "confirmed"? I can imagine this being VERY hard to sell and operate. Because they're not really selling wands.

If the wand itself was somehow special (a rare wood, inlined with a precious metal, used by the actual Dumbledore), then it is of a greater value. Or, perhaps, if it is actually "magical". Or, perhaps perhaps, if Universal really went to the trouble to make "better effects" for "better wands." In other words, the wand is the gateway to an enhanced experience at WWoHP. All of this is possible, but not in the show area of Ollivander's, I'm very confident.

I bet there will be special wands in the "store" section, on display or available to purchase by those who do not partake in the selection experience. But I can't imagine the selection process featuring tiers of wands that force parents into a greater purchase. Word-of-mouth would reveal Ollivander's to be a fleecing and that is bad for UO. Those who do get selected will have the memory value attached to their wand, because it "chose them", and that is what they pay for.

The collectors, fans, geeks, and would-be-wizards will probably have a seperate display case (maybe of "Famous Wands of Famous Wizards") where they can purchase specialty or "rare" wands that don't work for other masters. So, if it's your thing, perhaps you can have your very own Balsawood Sequin-Bedazzled Wand of Luna Lovegood's estranged niece -- for a hefty upcharge. :whoo:

--- Update ---

I don't think the price of the wand has anything to do with the special effects in the shop. UO has repeatedly mentioned that you don't have to buy anything to partake in the Ollivander's experience. After the process of the wand selecting the customer, they have the option to buy the wand that "chose" them, request a different wand, or not buy anything.

From MTV's coverage:

...............
Coup also acknowledged that not all visitors will want to go through the wand-selecting process and said there are going to be other wand-purchasing options available. There are 13 Ollivander's wand varieties created by the "Harry Potter" films' production designer Stuart Craig and author J.K. Rowling that can be purchased, as well as 12 wands from Noble Collection and a build-a-wand area geared towards younger guests. Visitors can select items to put in the core of the wand and choose the wood to make their own unique wand.

What he said.

 

[Splatter]

I think what will make the wands priced differently are their attractiveness and replicas to the ones from the films will be the highest. That is basically what the idea will most likely be.

 

[Jymmymack]

I'm guessing that all of the "selection" wands will be the same price, but like Atticus said, the store section will have different options and prices.

 

[gannonsmovieworld]

I think what will make the wands priced differently are their attractiveness and replicas to the ones from the films will be the highest. That is basically what the idea will most likely be.

So, cheap plastic or wood. Are all the wands supposed to wood? Was that confirmed?