Wizarding World - Diagon Alley Discussion (Opens 2014)

[DragonSlayer]

It looks so fantastic! :happy: Glad to see it done justice, and the finish is looking better and better all the time.

Obviously the perspective plays tricks to a certain extent, but you do wonder how that large a show building will be concealed by Diagon Alley! :look: Obviously from street level inside there it'll be fine but... Well we'll see. Once we see the inside I probably won't even care, never been hugely bothered by FJ's show building.

 

[bobwadd]

Great pics HtF !!!

 

[JungleSkip]

It looks so fantastic! :happy: Glad to see it done justice, and the finish is looking better and better all the time.

Obviously the perspective plays tricks to a certain extent, but you do wonder how that large a show building will be concealed by Diagon Alley! :look: Obviously from street level inside there it'll be fine but... Well we'll see. Once we see the inside I probably won't even care, never been hugely bothered by FJ's show building.

The waterfront should be lined with trees over on that side, and I think the show building may only be visible from the area by FFL.

 

[violarum]

I just vote for new map designs when this opens... I feel like the ones we have now are a tad too cheap-looking, like all the Disney ones. The cartography of the maps of our parks just doesn't really impress me? I want creativity and functionality.

Also, for concealing the showbuilding, I'm praying for the London skyline backdrop I drew into my small rendering. And the trees should cover it on the right side, but if they don't (probably won't from a distance), the FFL side can be themed to a London factory of sorts, perhaps.

 

[Hatetofly]

Yup. Thank you!

So you two were sitting what like 5 seats down from me?

 

[Teebin]

Teebin's boring construction detail of the day: The black rubbery stuff we see in the wall cracks is most likely 'backer rods' which are basically similar to the foam you see around hot water pipes except they are solid. They are used to limit the amount of caulk needed to seal the gap. Caulk will be next and probably final.

Backer Rod:

 

[violarum]

Will the caulk appear seamless between the concrete or will it stand out a bit or be in a different color?

 

[Teebin]

Will the caulk appear seamless between the concrete or will it stand out a bit or be in a different color?

I would guess that it will appear exactly like the seams in the wall in London. I am not sure how one would describe that look except for slight separations between the granite blocks.

 

[bobwadd]

Teebin's boring construction detail of the day: The black rubbery stuff we see in the wall cracks is most likely 'backer rods' which are basically similar to the foam you see around hot water pipes except they are solid. They are used to limit the amount of caulk needed to seal the gap. Caulk will be next and probably final.

Backer Rod:

:thumbs:

 

[rhino4evr]

Looks like the waterfront will be ready by December...that's when I expect the announcement. I mean they have a towering structure in the park, and no one is supposed to know what they are building officially? Crazy. At this point it seems obvious that Universal is waiting to steal Disney's thunder. If they move fast enough they may even have Potter 2.0 open when the Dwarves coaster opens.

Universal is straight up trollin.

- - - Updated - - -

no sure if this has been answered, but what are they going to do with that "Seafood" box in the middle of the lake? I am assuiming they will tear it down and re-theme it? What is it for?

 

[Teebin]

no sure if this has been answered, but what are they going to do with that "Seafood" box in the middle of the lake? I am assuiming they will tear it down and re-theme it? What is it for?

It is a projector covering for Universal Cinematic.

 

[pinkfrost]

I didn't follow the initial phase of WWoHP construction; how early in the process did Universal announce its plans?

I remember seeing signs for the WW when I visited in 2009, but I believe Hogwarts was fairly recognizable at that point, IIRC.

 

[JungleSkip]

Announcement came in December 2007 (if I remember correctly), which was before construction.

 

[Brian G.]

Nope. May 31, 2007.

 

[JungleSkip]

Nope. May 31, 2007.

Either way...before construction.

 

[pinkfrost]

Thanks for the clarification, guys!

 

[quickfire609]

Announcement came in December 2007 (if I remember correctly), which was before construction.

It was done before construction because at that time attendance was at an all time low. They want to ride the initial wave of the attendance boost as long as possible, before announcing what is essentially another attendance boost.

 

[Vyrus]

If I were a betting man, I think we're getting our announcement EITHER in November OR February, they want to wait until HHN is over, or they wait until "The Year to Be Here" is over and make an announcement in Feb like they did this year.

 

[JungleSkip]

If I were a betting man I don't think you'll hear about Potter until late next year.

 

[DK745]

Are they going to announce everything at once, or do it separately so each can have its own time in the spotlight (and have an announcement up its sleeve to counter anything Disney might do.)

Or maybe they won't even announce anything at all until it's completed. "We're finished: it's open now!"