Universal + Harry Potter...It's Official!

[damo]

It is the fact that they said "support buildings" that really makes me think that the area behind DD must have to be used.

I really can't see them using Sinbad either. It just seems silly to reduce the Lost Continent to one ride.

 

[keishashadow]

Well, there are also Harry Potter LEGO sets...

I'm thinking more of the Star Wars Dental Floss and Star Wars Bubble Bath type-products.

In planning our Star Wars weekend @ MGM, i'm shocked & dismayed to read on board that people were lining up before 5:00 a.m.; both for autographs & to get into the merchandise soundstage.

While we're big on SWs, the idea of waiting on line 4 hours to purchase something boggles my mind. ('course i do recall waiting in line on black friday for a Wii lol).

Not sure the harry potter fan base is into knick-knack collectibles as much; more a bookish/thinking man group? Was surprised that pin trading isn't a big deal @ U either (imo they've got a nice variety & quality). Perhaps a more youthful audience hankering for merchandise is all part of the master plan & Rowlings will sanction.

 

[mumzie2three]

Once again let me state that the actors in the Sindbad show have been told that the show and area is not going anywhere.

Boy, I hope you are right. My girls loved that show and were sad to hear it may go; of course their tastes may change by the time we go back.

 

[back2disney]

Of course, how fans will experience it is still up in the air. Will it be that you can visit classrooms or will you just pass by "windows" as you queue in line for the new ride? However, I can't imagine that the only way to experience Hogwarts would be to queue for a ride. Perhaps the ride is in the mountain and the dining hall and classrooms are in the castle above. Universal would only have to build one building but it would take care of 2 needs/attractions. Building up would be a great way to maximize what little space they have to fit everything in.

Building up or even down would be cool. (I still don't know how they did Spiderman). Its too bad that such a great park has so little room to expand, while Disney makes you walk miles and miles at Epcot & AK for just a few rides

 

[t-and-a]

Not sure the harry potter fan base is into knick-knack collectibles as much; more a bookish/thinking man group? Was surprised that pin trading isn't a big deal @ U either (imo they've got a nice variety & quality). Perhaps a more youthful audience hankering for merchandise is all part of the master plan & Rowlings will sanction.

I know for a fact that Harry Potter merchandise is HOT!!! There are almost as many Harry Potter merchandise collectors as there are Star Wars collectors. I say this because I have experience in selling both Star Wars and Harry Potter items. IOA is sure to sell a lot of HP items!

 

[Theme Park Diva]

It is the fact that they said "support buildings" that really makes me think that the area behind DD must have to be used.

I really can't see them using Sinbad either. It just seems silly to reduce the Lost Continent to one ride.

I made another vist to IOA today and found out more info. The reason they are saying that the employee parking will be used is because the road that is behind DD right now will be re routed through the parking lot and support buildings seen on Damo map. More streetscape will be done to DD. Right now as you can see on the map DD has vertually no themeing in the back. This will change. By re routing the access road it will also give them more space in the upper right hand corner of the map. This info is what is beleived by most of the employees I've spoken to.

 

[gtr2002]

I refer to my previous posted map
h**p://img515.imageshack.us/img515/8241/twwohpfinalru3.jpg

Quote from screamscape:

First I want to point out a few things to remember: Universal did mention that the Lost Continent would remain open while the work was done so to pull off a change of this magnitude we’re looking at a multiphase transformation that will allow the main pathway to remain open for normal traffic flow around the park. Also keep in mind that sometimes what you don’t see can be as important as what you do see when looking at the concept art. While Universal was willing to announce this new Island… they were not ready to go into details about the major new Potter themed ride. As such, we have not yet seen any concept artwork showing it off at all.
The best view of what the area will look like comes from the aerial view image of the owl flying over the area. Going through various aerial image systems, I’ve come up with what appears to be the best match for the point of view used in the artwork and added it to the image gallery. Following the yellow lines from artwork to the photo going left to right you can see Hogwarts going into the empty area on the left next to the Flying Unicorn in the middle and Dueling Dragons on the right. You can even see the bridge to Jurassic Park in the artwork as well. Following downward from there, we might assume that everything from the entry area of Dueling Dragons up until just before the gift shop at the exit of Poseidon’s Fury will be transformed into the Hogsmeade village area. From what I’ve read in a few other newspaper reports, this area will include a Three Broomsticks restaurant, a Hogshead Tavern where you can buy Butterbeer, Honeyduke’s where you can buy chocolate frogs and Ollivander’s where you can buy your own magic wand.
What we haven’t seen in the artwork at all however is any sign of the Sinbad stunt show building or even that area of the park. Since Universal wasn’t ready to give any details at all about the new Harry Potter ride, this leads me to believe that the attraction will go into the area currently used for the Sinbad show theater and possibly into the employee parking lot and park services area just behind. All the rumors I’ve heard for months now about this unknown ride still seem to be holding true, that you’ll take a ride in a flying car through the world of Harry Potter that will be accomplished via the Kuka robot arm technology attached to a mobile ride platform.
What we haven’t talked about lately is just what will happen to make existing attractions like Dueling Dragons and the Flying Unicorn fit into the overall potter theme. Looking at the artwork again, you can see a series of tent structures now attached to the front of the Dueling Dragons castle and even covering the drawbridge. Now also remember back to last summer when I heard that there was a guest flow study going on in the Dueling Dragons queue where for a short period of time, a crew member was filling the pre-show room with the stained glass windows and holding the riders there to view the pre-show story before allowing them to move on. It seems this was really a test to see how much of a time window they had to tell the new Potter themed pre-show story they want to tell. If the rumors are true, Dueling Dragons will now be a part of the TriWizard Tournament event as seen in the Goblet of Fire. Guests will enter the chamber and view the Goblet of Fire and possibly even the TriWizard Cup before the stained glass images come to life to tell you the new story. From the sound of things, the already incredibly themed dungeon chambers of the castle may remain fairly unchanged, though some believe that a few of the frozen knights could be removed.
Next door the small house that serves as the station for the Flying Unicorn may become Hagrid’s house and the ride renamed as the Flying Hippogriff, in reference to Hagrid’s pet / friend Buckbeak as seen in the Prisoner of Azkaban film. The pathway to this area will also likely serve as the entryway into the Hogwarts castle area. Given the size of Hogwarts castle and the fact that this area is already open empty land, I would expect that first phase of construction would begin here. Work in the Sinbad area is also likely to begin sometime after the end of summer if they choose to close down the show at that point in time. While the first press releases mentioned this new island would open in late 2009, I’ve seen a few that extend the window to Summer 2010, which makes me wonder if the Island may open in 2009, then perhaps the new ride may not be ready until 2010.

h**p://screamscape.com/html/ioa_-_project_strong_arm_0.htm

 

[Rachael Q]

We have the 2 park unlimited admisstion ticket that's good for 7 days. It hasn't been used yet, and has no expiry. It was $86.00

If it doesn't get used between now and then, what are the chances that Universal will honour this ticket once Harry Potter opens?

 

[damo]

We have the 2 park unlimited admisstion ticket that's good for 7 days. It hasn't been used yet, and has no expiry. It was $86.00

If it doesn't get used between now and then, what are the chances that Universal will honour this ticket once Harry Potter opens?

I'd say 100%.

 

[pilferk]

We have the 2 park unlimited admisstion ticket that's good for 7 days. It hasn't been used yet, and has no expiry. It was $86.00

If it doesn't get used between now and then, what are the chances that Universal will honour this ticket once Harry Potter opens?

I'd say, since HP is not a new "gate", 100%.

 

[palavra]

My husband and I can't wait! We were so excited to find out the Harry potter park was going to be so close to us (relatively anyway). My sister lives in Orlando-I hope she's getting ready for all the visits! I can't imagine what it will be like to actually feel like I'm at Hogwarts or in Hogsmeade!

 

[MummyAW100]

I am so happy about it. At first, when I heard this rumor I was mad that LC might be gone. But over time I started thinking the rumor was a great idea. trust me, the HP thing won't die down by the time this opens. At least case scenario, the final movie would come out in '09, but most likely 2010. My logic is this: HP1 comes to theatres in 2001, (correct me if I'm wrong), and HP2 comes in 2002. The movies take a break in 2003. HP3 comes in 2004, followed by HP4 in 2005. 2006 was another "off year" for the Potter movies. Now, HP5 is coming out in a month. My prediction is that HP6 will be around 2008 or 2009, while the last movie is released in 2010. If this is the rule of the thumb, the area would come out in the vicinity of or just after the last movie.

MummyAW100

 

[lindalinda]

bump

 

[Rachael Q]

Movie 6 - Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince is scheduled to begin filming this September, for release on 21 November 2008. (if all goes well with no delays).

Movie 7 - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, is currently scheduled for a June 2010 release.

Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Gint and Emma Watson, have all be signed for the remaining two movie. Other castings have not been confirmed.

 

[Oblivion]

This park will be so cool when it get opened!!

 

[calgarygary]

Bumping this up for others that are just learning about it.

 

[muffyn]

question.

there have been several aerial maps of the park with overlays of the 'proposed guesses' of what will be the harry potter complex. Now , what maps have been used for this? & just how often are they updated online? Just wondering if you can check it every so often to see the actual construction going on.

 

[ky07]

Don't want to make anyone mad but what is the big deal about harry potter and you have to realize that this is going to attract more little kids than adults so you wind up with a buch of kids swinging thier little wands and whining and crying all day.
sorry thats not my idea of a fun day at the park.

 

[ChrisFL]

Don't want to make anyone mad but what is the big deal about harry potter and you have to realize that this is going to attract more little kids than adults so you wind up with a buch of kids swinging thier little wands and whining and crying all day.
sorry thats not my idea of a fun day at the park.

Not necessarily, I know plenty of (geeky) adults who read HP, plus Universal needs more of the younger kid market because Disney still has quite a lock on that age group.

 

[GemmaPixie]

I agree with Chris- Im a Harry Potter geek and I'll be right there with the kids with my wand and clock on!! The kids won't annoy me....they can play games with me!