Wizarding World - Diagon Alley Discussion - Part 2

[UNIrd]

Hogwarts Express is really unlike any other ride since we're basing its capacity like its "two" different attractions. If you look at its total capacity of 2400, that's not bad. Of course it'll be crowded like crazy opening week and during max times in the summer & holidays, but it shouldn't be all that bad on moderate to slow days. 2400 hundred people, if you compare it to "single" attraction rides, is decent capacity. This is a different animal so it's really not fair to say it's capacity sucks by comparing it to all the other attractions that have one entrance. I look at it as two entrances for one attraction to be fair. I'm sure it will be only listed as one attraction, not two, by Universal. It's "Hogwart's Express", not" Hogsmead Hogwart's Express" & "London Hogwart's Express".

It also remains to be seen if whether it'll have longer waits at IOA because of people wanting to get to Diagon Alley or at USF because of people wanting to exit. This is definitely a first so only time will tell.

 

[GGGhost]

The dome and the dragon are in the box .A guess from the shadows thrown .
The shadow looks dragonish .
The storyboards show the dragon on the dome but in the movie it blasts up through the dome.

They would not have the tail on if they were just installing dome?

Sorry if I'm misreading you, but did you miss the dragon install a few days ago? We saw the entire dragon (except for the wings) hoisted and installed in one piece without the dome in place. Then they quickly erected the scaffolding and scrim around it, presumably to install the dome under the dragon and add finishing touches.

picture via HTF:

 

[Accio Butterbeer]

If a queue/line for a ride ever needed some interactive or entertaining elements, it's Hogwarts Express. Hopefully they came up with some elements like Disney has with Haunted Mansion. Or if not interactive, at least some entertaining scenery in the lines?

 

[darkridelover]

8 people per cabin x 7 cabins per car = 56
56 people x 3 cars per train = 168 per train.
The trip from station to station is exactly 3 min 25 sec. (I asked a TM who is a trainer on the ride and it's easy to sit there and time it from turkey lake road) with unload/load that will put the turnover time at 5 to 6 minutes per trip.
168 people x 10(The amount of trips per hour with a 6 min turnover) = 1680 per hour
168 people x 12(The amount of trips per hour with a 5 min turnover) = 2016 per hour
The capacity for HE should be between 1680 and 2016 per hour per side.

Or 3360 to 4032 for total capacity both ways.

 

[Kevin38]

Sorry if I'm misreading you, but did you miss the dragon install a few days ago? We saw the entire dragon (except for the wings) hoisted and installed in one piece without the dome in place. Then they quickly erected the scaffolding and scrim around it, presumably to install the dome under the dragon and add finishing touches.

picture via HTF:

Yes I did miss that because I was @ the park for memorial weekend.
I saw it after they boxed it in

 

[Teebin]

8 people per cabin x 7 cabins per car = 56
56 people x 3 cars per train = 168 per train.
The trip from station to station is exactly 3 min 25 sec. (I asked a TM who is a trainer on the ride and it's easy to sit there and time it from turkey lake road) with unload/load that will put the turnover time at 5 to 6 minutes per trip.
168 people x 10(The amount of trips per hour with a 6 min turnover) = 1680 per hour
168 people x 12(The amount of trips per hour with a 5 min turnover) = 2016 per hour
The capacity for HE should be between 1680 and 2016 per hour per side.

Or 3360 to 4032 for total capacity both ways.

I concur. The recently proposed numbers don't add up given the train's somewhat known capacity. I think your numbers look good and that we are looking for an average 4K total per hr once they hit their stride.

 

[Quint]

Question: Is anyone here familiar with the wallpaper technique used to acquire the marble look on the columns inside Gringotts? I'll explain why I'm asking after I've collected more data.

 

[fryoj]

8 people per cabin x 7 cabins per car = 56
56 people x 3 cars per train = 168 per train.
The trip from station to station is exactly 3 min 25 sec. (I asked a TM who is a trainer on the ride and it's easy to sit there and time it from turkey lake road) with unload/load that will put the turnover time at 5 to 6 minutes per trip.
168 people x 10(The amount of trips per hour with a 6 min turnover) = 1680 per hour
168 people x 12(The amount of trips per hour with a 5 min turnover) = 2016 per hour
The capacity for HE should be between 1680 and 2016 per hour per side.

Or 3360 to 4032 for total capacity both ways.

If you compare the two parks daily attendance combined to just Magic Kingdom, and they said Disney said they were going to put in a ride that had 3360-4032 capacity per hour, it would be considered pretty epic. Even 2400 per hour would be pretty good. Not quite apple to apples, but I wouldn't be too worried.

 

[Gambit]

BTW they started painting the 2 large columns white the other day.

 

[Teebin]

Question: Is anyone here familiar with the wallpaper technique used to acquire the marble look on the columns inside Gringotts? I'll explain why I'm asking after I've collected more data.

It wouldn't usually be wallpaper or anything like that.. but a faux painting technique. Are you suggesting they wrapped the columns in a digitally printed covering, much like the stuff they put on cars and buses? Are there seams? Oh dear, oh well, oh dear... oh.

 

[Miketheboss]

What would be smart is if universal opens the path between both parks so people can walk from park to park faster. Guests can take the train ride to IOA, and walk back to Uni. It may lessen the wait for the HE.

 

[Quint]

It wouldn't usually be wallpaper or anything like that.. but a faux painting technique. Are you suggesting they wrapped the columns in a digitally printed covering, much like the stuff they put on cars and buses? Are there seams? Oh dear, oh well, oh dear... oh.

If one of the bits I've heard is true from this past weekend, they will need to be redressed. I'm trying to sort the rumors from the facts...

 

[Nick]

What would be smart is if universal opens the path between both parks so people can walk from park to park faster. Guests can take the train ride to IOA, and walk back to Uni. It may lessen the wait for the HE.

They would never do that. They would have to set up security/ticket booths (which really isn't worth it). That path is really only used for special events or if someone rents out a soundstage. The public is rarely routed back through there.

 

[jtsalien]

They would never do that. They would have to set up security/ticket booths (which really isn't worth it). That path is really only used for special events or if someone rents out a soundstage. The public is rarely routed back through there.

And you lose foot traffic through City Walk.

 

[knokout1]

What would be smart is if universal opens the path between both parks so people can walk from park to park faster. Guests can take the train ride to IOA, and walk back to Uni. It may lessen the wait for the HE.

They won't want people to miss all of the City Walk/Entrance gift shops/food options.

 

[Nick]

And you lose foot traffic through City Walk.

Yeah, this. First and foremost.

 

[brianlo]

8 people per cabin x 7 cabins per car = 56
56 people x 3 cars per train = 168 per train.
The trip from station to station is exactly 3 min 25 sec. (I asked a TM who is a trainer on the ride and it's easy to sit there and time it from turkey lake road) with unload/load that will put the turnover time at 5 to 6 minutes per trip.
168 people x 10(The amount of trips per hour with a 6 min turnover) = 1680 per hour
168 people x 12(The amount of trips per hour with a 5 min turnover) = 2016 per hour
The capacity for HE should be between 1680 and 2016 per hour per side.

Or 3360 to 4032 for total capacity both ways.

Something is off with those numbers. I can't recall what changed, but we crunched them a while ago with more solid info from HTF and it's no where close to that in actuality. I think the turnover is pushing more like ~8 minutes.

I recall those numbers were what we were originally anticipating and it was the 1200 number that by comparison was disappointing. It's actually not as bad as I recall, but it's also not ideal.

 

[badlactose]

It wouldn't usually be wallpaper or anything like that.. but a faux painting technique. Are you suggesting they wrapped the columns in a digitally printed covering, much like the stuff they put on cars and buses? Are there seams? Oh dear, oh well, oh dear... oh.

That seems so bizarre if this is the case. Surely they knew that any sort of plastic applique or wallpaper wouldn't be nearly as durable as painting a faux marble finish on to the columns? And painting it wouldn't have been that difficult (look at the painted columns in the Be Our Guest restaurant).

 

[fryoj]

I have no knowledge about what they did, but it sounds like he might be describing a vinyl wrap. If thats the case and you die the seam, it would pretty much last forever and be cheap. And if the graphics were done right, I'm not sure you wouldn't know it wasn't real unless you touched it.

 

[The_Bled]

Gringotts is really, really far behind I'm hearing. If you go to early softs, you probably will not be riding it. Most likely just walking through the queue. I'm talking really behind.