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

[frequency]

The economic impact is way more than the 9-10000 people that are in the island at any one time. Lots of people are coming to Orlando for this, and they will be spread across both Universal parks, and the Disney Parks as well. They will be flying and paying taxes to do so, and driving in and buying gas. Eating at restaurants and buying lots of souvenirs (more taxes). Tourist dollars that increase in a down economy are impact dollars.

 

[speckles]

Economic impact for Universal does not need to be and actually because of capacity can't be the same as Disney. It just needs to be a great return on investment and revitalize the Universal Parks, it needs to be busy over summer as there are off seasons at Universal and that will not change.

The economic impact will be substantial, I will go to Orlando three times this year, once in May on spec. of getting in earlier lol and the other week before softs and finally in October with some mates.

If it wasn't WWoHP I would not be traveling to Orlando this year at all. Visited three years ago and without this major development I would not have been visiting again with all due respect to the region.

There must be a lot of world travellers who will be encourage to make a return trip to Orlando because of this one project.

 

[floridianer]

Did someone post that link already?? If so, SORRY... But I find this site to be very informative

http://www.examiner.com/x-2200-Orlando-Theme-Parks-Examiner

 

[rinacee]

I have a question... Can you just do the queue of the dragon duel and not ride the ride itself? I want to go so bad and take pics and such but I don't want to have to ride it! I hate rollar coasters! LOL

You can. I've read a couple reviews of the place and have heard some people say they walked the queue and then exited. I think Inside the Magic mentioned it in their podcast...but I could be wrong about who it was.

 

[Homerunkingnl09]

Has anyone heard of it having a soft opening today?

 

[Tbad556]

Has anyone heard of it having a soft opening today?

There most likely will be no more soft openings for TWWoHP. Today and tommorow are both special events and will be occupied all day. Here's an example from the CF 13 News team: http://tweetphoto.com/27481963

 

[rhino4evr]

just booked my tickets to Orlando...next Monday! Can't wait.

 

[Tbad556]

According to @CFOnDemand, package holders are able to get into TWWoHP today. No word on softs. @CFOnDemand is providing live updates all day from the media event.

 

[honeybee8200]

I so hope that someone can post the events online on youtube or something. It sucks not having a sound card in my laptop. Ugh.

Thanks for all the great pictures everyone! I'm amazed to think that tonight starts the grand opening.

I'm going to have to think of a name for my Pygmy Puff, as well as my daughter and one we are bringing home for my other daughter.

 

[rinacee]

I so hope that someone can post the events online on youtube or something. It sucks not having a sound card in my laptop. Ugh.

Thanks for all the great pictures everyone! I'm amazed to think that tonight starts the grand opening.

I'm going to have to think of a name for my Pygmy Puff, as well as my daughter and one we are bringing home for my other daughter.

I've finally decided on my name: Perry! I remember someone saying on here that they should be getting purple ones in, so if they do, I'll probably get one of each and name the purple one Ettie. But I want the pink one to be Perry so it can be Perry the Pink Pygmy Puff.
I hope someone posts them online too, just so I can watch the GO event again. I fear that even with gigantic screens, I won't be able to see because of my height.

 

[JungleSkip]

Never said it wasn't greatly themed. I don't see the huge lines in the stores like there were a week ago. They still have open rooms over 4th of July someone posted a little while ago. It will make Universal a good amount of money. 2 years from now it won't bring in the type of money it does now. But guess what, the Magic Kingdom is never slow, even in the off season. Today the park wasn't even that busy. Summer has already started and Universal is using 1 parking garage and they can't even fill that. Never said it wasn't a great addition. I'm just being a realist when it comes to comparing an area(attraction) to a whole park.

To bad the Magic Kingdom is basically a POS at this date in time and a sad, sad shell of what it used to be. And this is coming from a Disney CM.

 

[Vyrus]

^True, it seems since the higher ups at WDW are soo cheap, that the best they can do to try and "out class" Potter was an expanded meet and greet area and a new little mermaid dark ride that does not compare to the HP dark ride.

They could have been more spectacular with the SM and HM upgrades, but they didn't and now they are shaking in their boots cause of Potter.

And as far as the garages being empty, check them again after Friday. The casual fan DOES NOT KNOW about soft openings, technical rehearsals, or any of the other information we read up on here. They see June 18th, and thats the only date they think they can go on and beyond. Period. So for you Disney fanatics on here who think HP won't do anything for UO, think again and check back again in a week and see what happens. You think the parks are empty cause there are no lines on the ride, it is because everyone is in HP. So just wait until more people start coming next week. Some states aren't even out of school yet either.

*takes a deep breath*

:rant:
rant over

 

[JungleSkip]

They could have been more spectacular with the SM and HM upgrades, but they didn't and now they are shaking in their boots cause of Potter.

Whoa, now! The HM upgrade was something spectacular. WDI really pulled something great off with that one.

But I agree, the Space Mountain one was a pathetic "refurb".

 

[Vyrus]

Whoa, now! The HM upgrade was something spectacular. WDI really pulled something great off with that one.

But I agree, the Space Mountain one was a pathetic "refurb".

No all they did was replace the spider scene with stairs and the attic scene, and fix the speakers on the cars. They didn't do the overlay with Nightmare Before Xmas, they didn't add any new lighting effects in the ballroom or graveyard scene. They cut ALL of it out to save money.

 

[IzzyB]

The comparison is in the ECONOMIC effect, not the attendence.

I know they are comparing economic effect, but no way there is a comparison. MK made Orlando. Orlando would not be what it is today without MK being built. I am sorry, the only hotels that MIGHT be built because of the people coming to see WWOHP might be a Uni hotel. But we won't see a ton of hotels and stuff being built because of WWOHP. Now will we see better tourism over the next year, yes. Will that be good for Orlando, yes. But it will not have such a major impact that they are talking about. Especially with the economy the way it is. Now would we see a decline instead of increase if WWOHP were not built, probably. There is no denying it will have an impact on the local economy, just not like MK did.

 

[Obi Ubamba]

The bottom line is that Uni is improving and WDW is staying the same/getting worse.

 

[JungleSkip]

The bottom line is that Uni is improving and WDW is staying the same/getting worse.

Unfortunately Uni needs to improve on a much quicker pace than it has been. I mean, this is the first significant addition to IoA since it opened.

--- Update ---

No all they did was replace the spider scene with stairs and the attic scene, and fix the speakers on the cars. They didn't do the overlay with Nightmare Before Xmas, they didn't add any new lighting effects in the ballroom or graveyard scene. They cut ALL of it out to save money.

Nightmare was never going to happen. It was never in the cards for Orlando, and it never will be. And trust me, you are way uner valuing all the work they did to that ride. Binurial sound was added in a lot of places, tehre were a lot of lighting changes through out the ride, etc. Things are always going to get cut from projects no matter what company is doing the project.

 

[IzzyB]

No all they did was replace the spider scene with stairs and the attic scene, and fix the speakers on the cars. They didn't do the overlay with Nightmare Before Xmas, they didn't add any new lighting effects in the ballroom or graveyard scene. They cut ALL of it out to save money.

OK, I go to Disney all the time and have been on the HM several times. I didn't even know the refurbed it. When did the refurb open? If it is that new I probably have not been on it, the last time I was on it was December. The last couple times in MK we did not go on it because we were in other parts of the park.

 

[JungleSkip]

OK, I go to Disney all the time and have been on the HM several times. I didn't even know the refurbed it. When did the refurb open? If it is that new I probably have not been on it, the last time I was on it was December. The last couple times in MK we did not go on it because we were in other parts of the park.

It was done in '07. If you were on it before, I find it almost impossible that you didn't notice how freaking great it looked, compared to how it looked from 2000-2006.

 

[Vyrus]

And I agree it does look great, just with they had done more ESPECIALLY with the SM refurb, but either way lets get :focus:

I think Uni will build and open up a "value" resort in the near future and guess what every WWoHP is ALREADY having a big impact on Orlando. There are two BIG HP cons coming one this year and one next year. That brings in a ton of money to both the hotel and restaurant business, not to mention the convention center is being used.

All of those people will go in DROVES to WWoHP and spend A LOT of money.

And as far as this being the first significant upgrade to IOA I have to agree and disagree. The first major attraction added was the High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Ride. I deem it a major addtion because it always have a 45+ minute wait. I know it was part of the original plans, but it was added in later. Storm Force was also added in later as well and Pteradon Flyers was also added after the park opened as well. So they have added a few things here and there, but this is a MAJOR expansion to the park moreso than just an addition. IOA for a good 5 -7 years after it first opened was continually considered a top 5 theme park in the world, they DIDNT have to add anything. But now that attendance is going lower they needed a shot in the butt and HP is giving it to the park a swish and flick of the wand.