Harry Potter Park - What will WDW do?

[Mouseaholic!!!]

People at work were online looking at the new Harry Potter Park at US this morning. The website said it will open late 2009.

I wonder what Disney has in mind to compete when this opens?

Do you want to visit HP?

Will you split your stay between WDW an US?

Do you think Disney is worried?

 

[patsal]

I get the impression that Disney really doesn't care or something would have been announced. I plan on spending a 3 day weekend at US in between two 5 night DVC stays for my sumer vaction in 2010.

 

[Mouseaholic!!!]

The WDW nuts at my company are all over the HP website.

I suspect 2009 may not be a record-breaking year for WDW if the economy remains flat. I'm not sure they should be so willing to give in so easily. These people will be taking Iger's $$$$$ bonus to US.

 

[Brian_WDW74]

Some of "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter" will open in 2009, but it won't be completely open until 2010. In the meantime, Disney is making big plans for WDW's 40th Anniversary in 2011. I suspect that Disney will wait to announce those plans until right before HP opens. What better way to steal Universal's thunder?

And no, I don't think Disney is worried at all.

 

[Mouseaholic!!!]

I'm not sure the announcement of an anniversary in 2011 is going to steal much thunder in 2009 and early 2010.

I am sure this troubled economy is not making things easy for Disney's plans for challenging the completition (and I'm sure the economy is not going to help HP's opening either).

What's going to keep the guests from split stays with HP in 2009 and 2010?

Every day at HP is lost $$$ for WDW.....they work too hard with DME and dining options --- keeping us locked at WDW vs. wandering to US.

 

[larry_poppins]

Once the impact of Harry Potter hits, I expect Disney to close the MK early cancel entertainment pieces and raise prices! The fact that Disney is ignoring this does not surprise me. I plan on using my DVC as a dormitory for exploring Universal IOA in 2010!

Larry

 

[Condorman]

When Disney was about to open AK, Universal was opening their park as well. Disney had much bigger ambitions for AK including the Beastlie Kingdomme but decided to wait and see how the public reacted to US. When US did not open with the bang everyone expected, Disney saw no reason to expand AK and left it to become the half-day experience that it continues to be.

You will not see or hear any ambitious, concrete plans from Disney on WDW until they are done with the DCA expansion. By then, Harry Potter will have opened. Disney will either wait and see again, or have something in the works. I think it will be the former rather than the latter.

 

[Brian_WDW74]

I'm not sure the announcement of an anniversary in 2011 is going to steal much thunder in 2009 and early 2010.

I think it will. People on limited budgets who have been saving up for their trips to Orlando will then be left with a choice...go see HP in what will still basically be a 2-day park, or wait another year and see all the great stuff that Disney will be adding. While some will choose HP, I think the majority will stick with Disney.

What's going to keep the guests from split stays with HP in 2009 and 2010?

You said it. The economy. With Disney's current ticket structure of making additional days cost only $2 or so, not to mention the cost of gas to travel between the two parks, it will make more financial sense for guests on a limited budget to spend all their time at Disney.

I don't mean to imply that HP won't have a short-term impact on WDW. It will. But Disney is looking at the bigger picture.

 

[Mouseaholic!!!]

I think it will. People on limited budgets who have been saving up for their trips to Orlando will then be left with a choice...go see HP in what will still basically be a 2-day park, or wait another year and see all the great stuff that Disney will be adding. While some will choose HP, I think the majority will stick with Disney.



You said it. The economy. With Disney's current ticket structure of making additional days cost only $2 or so, not to mention the cost of gas to travel between the two parks, it will make more financial sense for guests on a limited budget to spend all their time at Disney.

I don't mean to imply that HP won't have a short-term impact on WDW. It will. But Disney is looking at the bigger picture.

Are you kidding ---- and entire new PARK! What is Disney going to offer in comparison.....a promise that the bathrooms will be clean this time?

Harry Potter is current day children's Mickey Mouse.....those families are going to RUN to HP. Look at all the HP books that sold ---- many of those books were read by children who will be begging to see Harry and Hogwarts. The parents will love the rides at US.


For me, I'm not a big fan of HP but my DH is. We will be there.


Now that you mention the economy.....one way to save $$$$ on travel is to cut it short by a day or two. Now with HP you can bundle your tickets with US AND Seaworld (a GREAT park by the way)......stay 5 days instead of 7.....Disney tickets are obscene at 4 or 5 days. US/Seaworld bundled tickets will give people PLENTY to do at fabulous parks.

Personally.......I think Disney will be a fool to ride on it's reputation right now. The tourist $$$ is simply too precious.

 

[Vijoge]

People at work were online looking at the new Harry Potter Park at US this morning.
I wonder what Disney has in mind to compete when this opens?

Do you want to visit HP?

Will you split your stay between WDW an US?

Do you think Disney is worried?

I'm not a big US fan, went there once and wasn't impressed, but we do love Harry Potter. Yes, we will go.

Won't split a stay-we'll just go for the day.

No, Disney is definitely not worried.

 

[Brian_WDW74]

Are you kidding ---- and entire new PARK! What is Disney going to offer in comparison.....a promise that the bathrooms will be clean this time?

Well, see, it's not an entire new park. It's merely the retheming and slight expansion of the current Lost Continent portion of Islands of Adventure. In Disney terms, it's somewhat like the transformation of Mickey's Birthdayland into Mickey's Toon Town Fair, albeit on a grander scale.

If it was indeed going to be a whole new park, I'd agree with you that Disney might have cause to be worried. But since The Wizarding World of Harry Potter will just be another themed area inside IOA, along with Seuss Landing, Marvel Super Hero Island and the rest, I think Disney has got more than enough planned to handle this one addition to Universal Studios.

 

[lsutiggergirl]

Disney has nothing to worry about. It's not like it's a whole park dedicated to HP (although it should be), it's just a portion of Islands of Adventure. My DH and I will be planning a trip to see the new HP and we'll probably just book a quick weekend to Universal Studios and definitely stay on site there to skip the lines! I love that!

 

[lsutiggergirl]

Looks like great minds think alike Brian...we had just about the same post a minute apart!

 

[DisFlan]

I'm not a big US fan, went there once and wasn't impressed, but we do love Harry Potter. Yes, we will go.

Won't split a stay-we'll just go for the day.

No, Disney is definitely not worried.

That's us, too. We aren't big US fans, but we WILL go for a day to see HP - depending on reviews. I hope they don't muck it up/make it too cheezy etc. We're DVC so we probably won't be staying at US.

By the time HP opens, I'd guess Disney would have something new in the works anyway. I don't think they're sweating HP all that much.

DisFlan

 

[Brian_WDW74]

Looks like great minds think alike Brian...we had just about the same post a minute apart!

I'm glad you've got my back!

Let me just state for the record that I am a HUGE Harry Potter fan and definitely plan on visiting IOA after the new area opens. I hope that it's done right and turns out to be a great success. But I honestly don't think that this one addition to the park will have much of an impact on WDW in the long term.

 

[ears4all!]

I'm with ya...

since it is not a whole park, it shouldn't worry Disney too much.

 

[Vijoge]

It's not like it's a whole park dedicated to HP (although it should be)

Now for that I'd be tempted to split a stay!

 

[Davey-D-99]

We have been discussing our second visit to WDW for early 2010...
My kids absolutely want a split stay with Universal this time just to visit the HP themed area. Probably an 8 night stay with 3 or 4 nights at US. Disney will not be able to keep us for the entire stay next time...kids are huge HP fans.

 

[doubletrouble_vb]

Disney should be a little worried. Their current offerings have me back to my late 90's touring plan of a little of Disney and a little of Universal. As it stands Universal is a two and a half day park for me. One day at US and one day plus a sit down lunch at IOA/City Walk. I then MIGHT do a third day of favorite rides/missed shows for half a day. If HP is even halfway decent it'll be three full days....plus I haven't been to Sea World in years and I definitely want to go back. As it stands now I could easily do my favorite things at WDW as filler days for cheaper Universal/Sea World/other stuff trips until such time Disney delivers something that means I'll want to stay on site for a few days (and right now the only thing that is looking like that would be a huge sale on rooms).

 

[Topo Bella]

I'm a big Harry Potter fan but can't imagine cutting out one of my WDW days to go there. Instead, I think it is more likely is that we'll add a day to our trip.

It is actually wonderful to think that a family can spend an entire week in Orlando and not run out of things to do.