The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

[disneyismyname]

Well my grand opening trip is going down the tubes! My brother, who is the only one thats coming with me & is a major HP fan, was just called back to his job after almost 2 years of unemployment! Glad he has a job now and everything..but I really doubt the factory will let him off to go. He goes back this coming Monday..so I'm hoping he has a cool supervisor or he'd be on shut-down. If not...I'm going to have to take my mother.....

 

[Metro West]

Well my grand opening trip is going down the tubes! My brother, who is the only one thats coming with me & is a major HP fan, was just called back to his job after almost 2 years of unemployment! Glad he has a job now and everything..but I really doubt the factory will let him off to go. He goes back this coming Monday..so I'm hoping he has a cool supervisor or he'd be on shut-down. If not...I'm going to have to take my mother.....

That's too bad...I hope everything will work out for you.

 

[bubba's mom]

If not...I'm going to have to take my mother.....

Well..I guess that's better than not going? My mother went on vacation w/ us in '08. All I can say is NEVER AGAIN!!! She will not be attending any more of our vacations....


The other thing I wanted to mention was the store at the exit of FJ. I hope it's better laid out and bigger than the Terminator gift shop at the exit of the show. That has got to be one of the WORST designs in that park It takes FOREVER to get out of T23D!

 

[damo]

Well..I guess that's better than not going? My mother went on vacation w/ us in '08. All I can say is NEVER AGAIN!!! She will not be attending any more of our vacations....


The other thing I wanted to mention was the store at the exit of FJ. I hope it's better laid out and bigger than the Terminator gift shop at the exit of the show. That has got to be one of the WORST designs in that park It takes FOREVER to get out of T23D!

The difference would be that for Forbidden Journey people would be coming out in groups of 4 instead of an entire auditorium of people. Maybe it is more the size of the Mummy or MIB gift shops.

 

[wheezywhizzy]

That's a good point...are costumes going to be allowed? I saw this on another board and no one knew the official answer.

I'm going to say no...Universal doesn't allow costumes but they MAY make exceptions for WWoHP.

Has anyone heard what the official answer is?

I would say no too but who knows. It probably depends on what the costume consists of.

However, I'd say anyone who decked out (robes and all) is completely nuts because it's Florida in the middle of June. It's going to be sooo extremely hot. I wouldn't recommend wearing a costume to ANYONE. Child or Adult.

 

[rjvose17]

Are you staying on site at one of the three hotels? Did you book your room before March 25, 2010? The reason I am asking is that I was told and judging by other posts so were other people, that if you booked the onsite hotel before that date you would be intitled to a preview. They also said there was no quarantee everything would be up and running.

Waiting on pins and needles for the answer...hopeful!

No, we have a condo, i've been calling the parks since we booked. The reservationist at US talked us out of the HP package originally. I was willing to pay but they told us it wasn't needed. We booked way back in Dec. before the announcement. So I am just going to hope to get lucky. We have 14 day ticks and are staying there for two weeks. So Ill just keep popping in and checking. Let me know if anyone hears!! Thanks!

 

[Colleendoll]

No, we have a condo, i've been calling the parks since we booked. The reservationist at US talked us out of the HP package originally. I was willing to pay but they told us it wasn't needed. We booked way back in Dec. before the announcement. So I am just going to hope to get lucky. We have 14 day ticks and are staying there for two weeks. So Ill just keep popping in and checking. Let me know if anyone hears!! Thanks!

I made plans back in February for my children to celebrate their birthday in WWOHP and those plans included a week at a beach front condo. I didn't think there would be an issue with getting in. Since then I booked a room at Hard Rock Hotel for the last half of that week.

I wish you Good luck with your plans! Let us know how it goes.

 

[KerriK85]

No, we have a condo, i've been calling the parks since we booked. The reservationist at US talked us out of the HP package originally. I was willing to pay but they told us it wasn't needed. We booked way back in Dec. before the announcement. So I am just going to hope to get lucky. We have 14 day ticks and are staying there for two weeks. So Ill just keep popping in and checking. Let me know if anyone hears!! Thanks!

i was talked out of the package too! we are annual passholders so the lady told me not to waste money on the HP package, the only good it would do is give us breakfast reservations. but, we booked the hard rock before the date announcement so we are getting into the WWHP early still, phew! what i was really happy about was that universal had spoken with me when i called about this issue, and they called me back to let me know rules were changing and they are letting the early hotel bookers in.

 

[the Dark Marauder]

Dear Muggles:

You are going to LOVE HP when it opens. That is all I am allowed to say.

-your Resident Marauder

 

[Don Pacho]

Courtesy of http://screamscape.com

2010 - The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - (5/20/10) Wow... Universal has partnered up with Virgin Atlantic and now have a Wizarding World themed Boeing 747. Check it out parked at Orlando Intl. Airpoint

.

 

[Mouse Skywalker]

One thing most articles are saying is that shops are small. Good thing I'm not claustrophobic Sadly, I will be in those crowds shopping w/ my niece who will be with us....babysitting her heart out earning $ to spend there

When I was on the press tour on Sunday, we were in a shop with Creative Director Alan Gilmore. He was pointing out details in the shop, and I noticed there was only room for one in a merchandise aisle. There was no way I could get past him. The shops are very well detailed, but they are going to be crowded.

I see Olvanders holds 25 comfortably. Has anyone ever seen a line at the theme parks to get into a shop?

Ollivander's holds 25 comfortablely? Hmmmm, I guess so. I wouldn't want to put much more than 25 in there. There were lines waiting to get into the shops during the Pow Wow private party on Monday night.

Did you take that to mean that FJ wouldn't be open for the "preview" and that they would wait until the grand opening for FJ to be up and running?

No, I wouldn't take it to mean FJ wouldn't be open for the "previews". I think they just didn't want to open it this weekend, and gave us a PR line.

Hey Gang! I wanted to point you to this weeks DIS Unplugged podcast. Senior Correspondent Dave Parfitt - Mouse Skywalker, discussed details of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

http://www.wdwinfo.com/podcast/roundtable182-051910.mp3

Thanks Aaron!

I'd tend to agree with you -- I feel that the "having to save some things until the grand opening" was more a public relations line than anything else so they wouldn't get all kinds of questions about it. I'd be very surprised if package holders as well as the general public don't get to soft open Forbidden Journey starting end of next week.

I would think it would be open.

I think mostly they are saying that Olivander's is really small. It has to be to maintain the atmosphere since you will experiencing the wand choosing.

All the shops are small. I don't think the Owlery is any bigger than Olivander's. Plus, you have to go into the Owl Post to purchase the wand that was selected for you in Olivander's. You buy it and pay for it in the Owl Post. So you go into Olivander's, have your wand selected for you, and then have to open the door to get into a crowded Owl Post. Go into the Owl Post to buy your wand. We'll have to see how that goes.

I don't mind if the shops are small I can be patient...But then again I'm going the wk after grand opening...hopefully the crowds won't be as bad as predicited...I can dream...

The shops are absolutely gorgeous - inside and out.

I agree Olivander's has to be kept smaller; but I don't think that's the store that is at the end of the FJ ride is it? What is mainly making me nervous is this passage in the blog about the Pow Wow tour:

We weren’t shown the loading area or the ride vehicles; rather we were escorted down what I took to be either the chicken exit or VIP entrance (it has stairs, but I’m pretty sure I saw an elevator there too) and into the store. They could not have made this store any smaller and expected it to handle the flow of guests. It could barely handle the few guests who were in there at the time. It’s a huge congestion point. No one is going to have time or space to shop. They’ll be jostled by everyone just trying to make it to the exit.

No, it was Filch's Emporium of Confiscated Goods that was at the end of FJ. All the shops are pretty much the same dimensions of tight aisles. There's cool stuff in Flich's though.

Lots of cool merchandise to buy throughout the Wizarding World.

 

[Princessmom2]

Thanks for all the great info--I foresee my children spending lots of money at Universal!

 

[DisneyGerry]

Got some Bertie Bott's beans; HoneyDuke's Chocolate bar, and a Pygmy Puff. No chocolate frogs yet

 

[Claymax]

Got some Bertie Bott's beans; HoneyDuke's Chocolate bar, and a Pygmy Puff. No chocolate frogs yet

Would you do me a huge favor and list the flavors in the Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans please?

I heard that they are not using Jelly Belly anymore and that the flavors had changed. I'd love to know what flavors they have this time.

Thanks!

 

[ADP]

Ollivander's holds 25 comfortablely? Hmmmm, I guess so. I wouldn't want to put much more than 25 in there. There were lines waiting to get into the shops during the Pow Wow private party on Monday night.

That's what the article was saying...Crowd control should be pretty interesting the first 6 months after the grand opening. I'll be there for the grand opening and plan on posting pictures....That's if I can get my IPhone and camera out of my pocket.

Thanks for the updates Dave. We really appreciate it.

 

[DisneyGerry]

 

[RC Fan]

Dear Muggles:

You are going to LOVE HP when it opens. That is all I am allowed to say.

-your Resident Marauder

Coming from you that is very exciting to hear! Can't wait!

 

[DisneyGerry]

 

[Claymax]

Thanks so much!

Oh me old eyes can't see that very well. I tried saving it and enlarging it but it washes out.

Could you and attach it or email it to me?


For everyone else, I've been pestering Gerry about this all morning and he's been great about it. Thanks DG!

 

[Selket]

If someone still has the packaging from the HP candy - does it say on the allergen warning whether it contains or "may contain" or "made in factory" for peanuts/tree nuts? It would be cool if my son who has nut allergies could eat it but I am doubting!