Harry Potter area

[muffyn]

anyone have pictures of the construction?

are there any satellite photos anywhere updated to show new construction?

 

[the Dark Marauder]

Anyone who rides Dueling Dragons (Fire Side could provide a better view, imo) or Unicorn *may* be able to get a view of some things. All that can be said is that there's a lot of dirt being moved.

 

[d4est]

This is set to open in late 09, right?

 

[tlinus]

I am pretty sure that was the timeframe....late 09 early 2010

 

[myprincessgirlisa]

Anyone who rides Dueling Dragons (Fire Side could provide a better view, imo) or Unicorn *may* be able to get a view of some things. All that can be said is that there's a lot of dirt being moved.

i recall seeing lots of dirt & trucks when we rode unicorn...so i would say that is a good one to try & see stuff on

 

[Heatmiser]

Won't be much to see for awhile. Here are the latest pics.

http://www.orlandorocks.com/info.as...r&location=ioa&type=Overview&sub=Construction

 

[TiggerandBelleFanMom]

Okay, guess it's a little early to see much!

I really, really, really hope Universal keeps in mind their MULTIPLE audiences when they build The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. My dd is 5, and therefore will be 6 when this opens. She LOVES Harry Potter with a passion, re-reads it all the time, watches the movies, plays imaginative games in which she is a character hanging out with Harry, Ron, Hermione, etc. She is NOT a big "thrill ride" person, and is somewhat prone to motion sickness. (She's never actually been sick on a ride, as we avoid questionable rides, but she has occasionally been sick on or just after airplane rides.) I will be so annoyed if they make this all about the thrills and not enough about the wonderful, compelling characters, places, and stories that make the Harry Potter phenomenon what it is.

Universal could do such an incredible job with this and make it an amazing interactive environment, with opportunities to interact with a lot of characters. I hope they can cater to people for whom Harry Potter means something like that, rather than just the opportunities to take a fast, loopy ride into the vaults of Gringotts or fly on some super-powered Firebolt-like ride.

 

[Metro West]

Okay, guess it's a little early to see much!

I really, really, really hope Universal keeps in mind their MULTIPLE audiences when they build The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. My dd is 5, and therefore will be 6 when this opens. She LOVES Harry Potter with a passion, re-reads it all the time, watches the movies, plays imaginative games in which she is a character hanging out with Harry, Ron, Hermione, etc. She is NOT a big "thrill ride" person, and is somewhat prone to motion sickness. (She's never actually been sick on a ride, as we avoid questionable rides, but she has occasionally been sick on or just after airplane rides.) I will be so annoyed if they make this all about the thrills and not enough about the wonderful, compelling characters, places, and stories that make the Harry Potter phenomenon what it is.

Universal could do such an incredible job with this and make it an amazing interactive environment, with opportunities to interact with a lot of characters. I hope they can cater to people for whom Harry Potter means something like that, rather than just the opportunities to take a fast, loopy ride into the vaults of Gringotts or fly on some super-powered Firebolt-like ride.

Oh I'm sure Universal will do just fine on this new area...nothing to worry about.

 

[Dollyrar]

I'm pretty happy with the theming and content of the area that I have heard about so far, and as a HP fan I am optimistic that Universal is taking it's time to ensure that this will be a truly world-class experience.
I think that Universal is (wisely) looking to expand it's audience to take some of the 'magic kingdom' crowd away from Disney for a day or two of their vacation, and I believe that they will do this by making the ATMOSPHERE of this land their priority, and by aiming more at the younger audience.
I don't think this land is being built for us. Don't get me wrong, I think we're going to love it, but I think Universal has a bigger plan.
Kids aren't focused on the issues we discuss on this board as grown up's. They don't remember the long queues in space mountain once they've rode it. They don't care that Stitch isn't as good as alien encounter was. They don't mind if an animatronic in Pirates isn't working correctly the day they were there.
What they remember is when they first spotted Mickey Mouse, and he waved at them and gave them a big hug. They remember seeing Stitch looking exactly as they remember in the dvd they've watched 200+ times at home. They remember being on Dumbo with their Mum and actually FLYING in the sky, in the most wonderful place they've ever been.
And this is exactly what they're going to remember about TWWOHP...
They're going to remember meeting THE REAL Hagrid in the forbidden forest, and having a picture taken with him to show their friends at home as proof that they were there. They're going to remember going into the shops at the village and buying bertie botts every flavour beans, just like Harry eats. They're going to remember seeing wizards doing REAL magic in Hogwarts castle, and if Universal (which I fully believe they are going to) build this land around family-orientated rides (ala fantasyland) to extend the breadth of their attractions at IOA away from their existing adult/teen thrill rides, they are going to make a ton of $$$.
I believe that JK Rowling would not have given the go ahead to a bunch of older IOA thrill-rides dressed up with the odd bit of loosely-related HP theming to them. Let's face it, if they'd have wanted to close Lost Continent for 3 months and rush-launch the attraction by dressing up everything with a tacky touch of HP in time for the launch of the last book (which with the upcoming movies or not, would have been the most obvious decision made by many marketing execs, striking whilst the iron is hot etc.), then they certainly could have done.
Most of all, I think that we are ALL gonna have a HELL of a lot of fun when this thing launches, it being the biggest change to our beloved Universal since IOA's launch, and at the end of the day, that's what it's all about kids x

 

[TiggerandBelleFanMom]

I'm pretty happy with the theming and content of the area that I have heard about so far, and as a HP fan I am optimistic that Universal is taking it's time to ensure that this will be a truly world-class experience.
I think that Universal is (wisely) looking to expand it's audience to take some of the 'magic kingdom' crowd away from Disney for a day or two of their vacation, and I believe that they will do this by making the ATMOSPHERE of this land their priority, and by aiming more at the younger audience.
I don't think this land is being built for us. Don't get me wrong, I think we're going to love it, but I think Universal has a bigger plan.
Kids aren't focused on the issues we discuss on this board as grown up's. They don't remember the long queues in space mountain once they've rode it. They don't care that Stitch isn't as good as alien encounter was. They don't mind if an animatronic in Pirates isn't working correctly the day they were there.
What they remember is when they first spotted Mickey Mouse, and he waved at them and gave them a big hug. They remember seeing Stitch looking exactly as they remember in the dvd they've watched 200+ times at home. They remember being on Dumbo with their Mum and actually FLYING in the sky, in the most wonderful place they've ever been.
And this is exactly what they're going to remember about TWWOHP...
They're going to remember meeting THE REAL Hagrid in the forbidden forest, and having a picture taken with him to show their friends at home as proof that they were there. They're going to remember going into the shops at the village and buying bertie botts every flavour beans, just like Harry eats. They're going to remember seeing wizards doing REAL magic in Hogwarts castle, and if Universal (which I fully believe they are going to) build this land around family-orientated rides (ala fantasyland) to extend the breadth of their attractions at IOA away from their existing adult/teen thrill rides, they are going to make a ton of $$$.
I believe that JK Rowling would not have given the go ahead to a bunch of older IOA thrill-rides dressed up with the odd bit of loosely-related HP theming to them. Let's face it, if they'd have wanted to close Lost Continent for 3 months and rush-launch the attraction by dressing up everything with a tacky touch of HP in time for the launch of the last book (which with the upcoming movies or not, would have been the most obvious decision made by many marketing execs, striking whilst the iron is hot etc.), then they certainly could have done.
Most of all, I think that we are ALL gonna have a HELL of a lot of fun when this thing launches, it being the biggest change to our beloved Universal since IOA's launch, and at the end of the day, that's what it's all about kids x

Yes, yes, a THOUSAND TIMES yes! This is exactly the kind of thing I'm hoping for.

 

[goofy!]

Rode Unicorn on Tuesday for the sole purpose of seeing over the wall.

There was lots of dirt being moved. Closest to the wall by Unicorn there were 4 or 5 squares of raised dirt (about 5 ft square) with what looked like footings poured in the middle.

That was about it. Still nothing really interesting.

 

[Metro West]

Rode Unicorn on Tuesday for the sole purpose of seeing over the wall.

There was lots of dirt being moved. Closest to the wall by Unicorn there were 4 or 5 squares of raised dirt (about 5 ft square) with what looked like footings poured in the middle.

That was about it. Still nothing really interesting.

Yeah...next year should be very interesting.

 

[the Dark Marauder]

Rode Unicorn on Tuesday for the sole purpose of seeing over the wall.

There was lots of dirt being moved. Closest to the wall by Unicorn there were 4 or 5 squares of raised dirt (about 5 ft square) with what looked like footings poured in the middle.

That was about it. Still nothing really interesting.

That's because you're a muggle. Muggles see the dirt. Only wizards can see what's really there.

 

[goofy!]

That's because you're a muggle. Muggles see the dirt. Only wizards can see what's really there.

I am sure you are correct!

Perhaps the squares of dirt we muggles can see are really the supports for Hogwarts Castle. And the construction zone is just a clever way to keep Muggles out of the area

 

[micksterlee]

I was thinking I read some where that there will be no Harry Potter related characters by Rowling's request.

 

[heatherbelle]

I was thinking I read some where that there will be no Harry Potter related characters by Rowling's request.

ZI

I do hope you are wrong. That's the whole point, seeing Dumbledore and co doing magic.

Dollara, I love your post, it brought tears to my eyes. I see MK like that of a child. The first time I saw Spectromagic and the castle light up from main street (1990), and wish upon a star music started, that was it, I cried and lost it. It was so magical. At the time I was 25!

When I watch tinkerbell fly and that mushy music starts again, I still get tears in my eyes. Disney is so magical.

Lets hope that the new generation of HP fans won't be disappointed with Universal.

 

[damo]

There may be shows featuring the characters but you won't see Harry or whoever just walking around.

 

[Metro West]

Lets hope that the new generation of HP fans won't be disappointed with Universal.

They won't be...Universal has this one well in hand.

 

[Candice30]

ohh......i can't wait.

 

[TiggerandBelleFanMom]

There may be shows featuring the characters but you won't see Harry or whoever just walking around.

See, that does disappoint me a little. I'd like to walk into Ollivander's and see a shopkeeper who looks like Ollivander. I'd like to see someone wrecking havoc by pointing a wand at a wall of boxes. I'd like to see Weasley's Wizard Wheezes run by redheaded Fred and George, in character. Said characters can have minions who sell us overpriced souvenirs, and I would be fine with that.

I want to have an opportunity to dine in the Great Hall, and I want there to be a Sorting Hat. It would be awesome to have Dumbledore presiding, and Snape glaring over at the Gryffyndor (section of) tables.

I love the idea upthread of a Care of Magical Creatures with Hagrid of some kind.

The characters are a big part of what make HP so special, aren't they?