Expansion of WWoHP

[Mouse Skywalker]

Interesting article by the Orlando Sentinel's Jason Garcia on the possibility of adding Harry Potter to other theme parks around the world. But the thing I found most interesting was the speculation at the end of the article about the possibility of expanding WWoHP in Orlando first.

Garcia says that Universal's deal with J.K. Rowling requires them to incorporate elements from the final book and two movies "Deathly Hallows". So maybe those elements would take over the rest of Lost Continent?

You can find the article here...

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2010-06-06/business/os-cfb-cover-universal-potter-060710-20100606_1_wizarding-world-harry-potter-universal-orlando

From Jason Garcia:

Even before Potter shows up in other theme parks, his presence could be expanded in Orlando. Scott Smith, a professor in the University of Central Florida's Rosen College of Hospitality Management, predicts that Universal will eventually opt to convert the rest of the Lost Continent section of Islands of Adventure into an expansion of Wizarding World.

Universal has already turned two Lost Continent rides into Potter-themed rides — the renamed Dragon Challenge and Flight of the Hippogriff roller coasters. That leaves only two significant attractions — Poseidon's Fury and the Eight Voyages of Sinbad Stunt Show — to anchor Lost Continent.

Some additions to Wizarding World are inevitable: Universal's deal with Rowling and Warner Bros. requires the resort to incorporate elements from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the final book in the series, which is to be split into two movies for release later this year and sometime next.

"Rather than showing all of your cards at once, you start 'em off with these three good rides and then open maybe something else every year," Smith said. "If they get this thing going in the right direction, then they'll start making other changes, and that's going to bring those people back that have done the other rides."

Universal executives, though clearly excited by Wizarding World's potential, say it's far too early to discuss whether to add more.

John Sprouls, Universal Orlando's chief executive officer, said the resort has "a lot of stuff we're looking at in the pipeline."

"Obviously, we want to see how it does here first," Sprouls said. "And then we'll see what else makes sense."

 

[BethEJo]

ah, that is interesting!

Thanks for sharing

 

[Becx N Gav]

Looks like they will try to re-coup a bit of the money they spent and then put it into the expansion. Good idea to get guests to keep coming back year after year though

 

[dpuck1998]

Judging from the movie, they have already included parts of the next two movies in the existing world. Three Broomsticks is from Deathly Hallows...right??

 

[Mouse Skywalker]

Judging from the movie, they have already included parts of the next two movies in the existing world. Three Broomsticks is from Deathly Hallows...right??

Oh that's right Don. They said that in the special last night too. They said Three Broomsticks was designed for the theme park before the movie.

 

[Golf4food]

Judging from the movie, they have already included parts of the next two movies in the existing world. Three Broomsticks is from Deathly Hallows...right??

No, the Three Broomsticks has always been in Hogsmead. In the Prisoner of Azkaban Harry sneaks in with the invisability cloak to overhear the discussion about Sirius Black and Ron has a crush on Madame Rosmerta, who runs the inn, and they all go in to drink butterbeer all the time. Nothing new there.

 

[Mouse Skywalker]

No, the Three Broomsticks has always been in Hogsmead. In the Prisoner of Azkaban Harry sneaks in with the invisability cloak to overhear the discussion about Sirius Black and Ron has a crush on Madame Rosmerta, who runs the inn, and they all go in to drink butterbeer all the time. Nothing new there.

Right, but doesn't it play a much more prominent role in Deathly Hallows? That's what I was thinking.

 

[dpuck1998]

They said in the special that they built it before building it for a the movie....didn't they? Maybe we are just seeing more of it than we have in previous movies?

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Judging from the movie, they have already included parts of the next two movies in the existing world. Three Broomsticks is from Deathly Hallows...right??

Three Broomsticks have appeared in 4 of the books, and was seen from the outside in movie version of The Prisoner of Azkaban. I'm pretty sure you see interior shots in Half-Blood Prince.

 

[Mouse Skywalker]

Oh that's right Don. They said that in the special last night too. They said Three Broomsticks was designed for the theme park before the movie.

They said in the special that they built it before building it for a the movie....didn't they? Maybe we are just seeing more of it than we have in previous movies?

Did you read my post!?! Or is there a banana in your ear???

 

[FlightlessDuck]

We were considering going to IoA instead of TL this year to see the Harry Potter island, but if they are going to expand it, I think we will wait for next trip.

 

[dpuck1998]

Did you read my post!?! Or is there a banana in your ear???

Did you say something

 

[FlightlessDuck]

I would be happy if they changed all of Lost Continent to the HP island.

Poseidon's Fury stinks.

 

[ADP]

Hopefully this is true. I think we were all hoping for more of a capital investment by Universal into WWoHP. Retheming more of the Lost Continent into WWoHP would be very welcome. I could see them converting the Sinbad theater into a Harry Potter show. Also, Poseidon’s Fury could be rethemed as well. A lot of potential.

I know Pete and crew discussed it during the last Unviersal show. It makes a lot of sense.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

From what I understand, the inn was designed for the park and then that design was used for Half-Blood Prince, which was the 6th movie, released last year.

 

[doconeill]

Like several other sets, we saw the inside of the Three Broomsticks as early as the third movie, but it was a different, larger set in the 6th. So I can believe that they used the set design for one as the other.

 

[MomofKatie]

It's the Hog's Head that is featured so prominently in Deathly Hallows (at least in the book, unless they changed it for the movies)- that's the pub that Aberforth Dumbeldore owns and where Harry and the others gain entrance to Hogwarts.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

It's the Hog's Head that is featured so prominently in Deathly Hallows

Oh, duh, yes. Of course, who knows how that's going to play out in the movie since the movies haven't mentioned Sirius's mirror ever.

 

[BriarRosie]

Glad we got the Three Broomsticks / Hogs Head Pub clarification out of the way.

I wanted to add that I'd be very happy if they bulldozed the SinBAD show and the Poseidon's Fury walk-through nightmare and put in some different element for WWOHP.

 

[dpuck1998]

Agree, sure would be nice to have more than one new attraction. If anyone saw the traveling HP exhibit, while small it was well done. You could actually go inside Hagrads Hut and they had some neat additional games and exhibits.