IMO HP is way overated

[lilpooh108]

And there you go. That is the reason you most likely didnt get the hype. The hype is not because of the rides(although FJ is stunning), but it is about those small shops, those fake facades, Hogwarts, Three Broomsticks ect. What is so amazing about the WWoHP is that it allows fans to walk through, eat and shop in Hogsmeade. Of course that wont mean much to those who are not true Potter fans, and sure they may see it as a waste of space but to the fans, it is worth all the hype.

It's hard to explain to those who only know the movies and not the books, because Harry's world was always shown to them in vivid color and special effects. But the books were published years before the movies and many of us had only our imaginations and JKR's words to show it to us. Those who only know the movies wouldn't understand why being able to sip a butterbeer in the Hogshead is so special, they wouldn't understand why standing in front of the fake facades and seeing a quill write on it's own or stepping into Ollivanders would make someone tear up. Most of the adult fans you see walking around the WWoHP with wide eyes and who are hyping this place up have grown up with Harry in his world, and now we finally get to step into it with him. So yes, it is because it is connected to Potter that makes these small shops and rethemed rides so special, because that is the whole point in it. I can honestly understand why some people just dont get it, but that doesnt mean that it is not worth the hype it is receiving. For someone just going for the theme park aspect of it all, they wont understand how someone can spend hours just looking at every widow, get giddy at the idea of standing in front of Hogwarts or just be content to sit in the Owlery and take it all in. For the Potter fans it's not about the themepark, it's about a day out in Hogsmeade, a day we really never thought we'd get to experience. And that is where the hype comes from.

Wow, great post. I agree completely. The "hype" from fans is the fact that something you once imgained actually coming to life. We all pictured the stores through reading the words in the book...and it would be fun to step into the world. I think Hogsmeade itself was a character in the series. What a great way to bring the books to life.

Since OP never read the books, the experience HAS to be different for him.

I mean, if you've never grown up with Pooh or Mickey and you saw them for the first time, wouldn't you think that they're just a bunch of people dressed up in furry costumes? You wouldn't understand why people schedule entire meals (i.e., character breakfasts/dinners) just to see them...same with WWOHP.

 

[Jaxx1980]

What Fairyprincess said was SO true!

Of course if it was say a Simpson land instead, i would really not be intrested in seeing Springfield etc at all. I really don't like Simpsons, but many many do. Of course i will still try the simpson ride when i go back next year, but probably won't like it as much as maybe Simpson fans.

Harry Potter on the other hand has a very special place on my heart.
I think i'm not ashamed to say that i am a 30 year old guy who loves Harry Potter.
I started reading it when I was about 22. The books took me out of my Real life and into this amazing fanatsy world. I have suffered form depression on and off for most of my life, and Harry Potter allowed me to escape at times.
That may sound a liitle sad and pathetic maybe, but for me it was wonderful, and still is...

The films for me don't do the books justice at all 'only my opinion' JK Rowling goes into such a deeper depth and desription of the World Of Harry. As others have said. Fariyprincess summed this up very well.
For me it will be so amazing to be able to step into this world for a day or more Seeing Hogwarts will be so amazing.

I understand that many have said that the shops are far too small etc. This will be hard for crowds which will be difficult.
This said I am SO SO pleased that JK Rowling didnt just take a huge check and say to universals go ahead. I think the fact that she is so so protective over Harry and been strict , is why we have such an authentic place.
I can't wait to see it myself. I just wish that we had a hogwarts hotel or something lol.

PS. really hope they expand soon lol

 

[Virgderon]

I complained in another post that the entire area is too small for the crush of people that are visiting , but that does not diminish the achievement of building something so beautiful.

We had the hour early entry, and used that time to do Ollivanders and explore the stores and look in the windows. Smartest thing we could have done. That's where the magic is, and it helps so much to not have a crowd of people trying to look in the same window.

We got a butterbeer with no wait, and even had time to chat it up with the two employees at the cart.

About 10 minutes before they opened to the general public, we headed over to FJ. It was posted as 45 minutes, but it was not that long.

I really recommend using your early entry this way if you want to see the details of the area. FJ will be there , and if you pop in the line right before the general public does, you will have less than an hour wait. Or, if you go at 6 pm or later, you should have less than an hour wait.

As far as the ride goes, I enjoyed the que line way more than I enjoyed the ride.

 

[NLD]

The films for me don't do the books justice at all 'only my opinion' JK Rowling goes into such a deeper depth and desription of the World Of Harry.

Totally, completely agree. The movies are actually extremely disappointing, to me... THEY are overhyped IMO. Azkaban was the best because it didn't quite rush through as much as the others... but the movies generally sacrifice so much for the sake of getting through the plot, that they have severely suffered and really miss most of the magic of the books.

But the books... ahhhhh, the books. They're classic children's lit and I believe will endure a long, long, long time. Rowling is a master writer, and the books can be enjoyed on so many levels. Greek mythology and drama, Shakespeare, psychology, religion... it's all there.

Nothing to be ashamed of, being an adult and liking the Harry Potter series. I was a literature major and have some awfully "serious" and "adult" favorite books and writers (Joyce, Nabokov) and absolutely LOVE the HP books.

Rowling really created a comprehensive, consistent WORLD with those books. Similar to Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. Quite an achievement for a writer.

So yeah... I can see why HP fans are excited.

And that being said... I think I need to convince my sister to spend a day of our upcoming Disney trip at IOA / WWoHP. Heck maybe I'll just buy her ticket for her so she can't balk at the added expense.

 

[inkkognito]

I don't think you have to be a HP fan to really like WWoHP. I'm not; couldn't even get through the first book, and only saw the first movie till right before I went to WWoHP, when I watched the one that it is most closely themed to (the one with Buckbeak...can't remember the name). I still find WWoHP to be a wonderfully magical place, especially at night. The theming is amazing, even if you don't know anything about Harry. It's fun to explore, look in the windows, etc., and the FJ is a marvel of technology. I know it's not for everyone, but I'm a person who was never much of a Harry fan and who has been won over.

 

[mousermerf]

Elephant in the room: Sour grapes on the part of "Disney fans" who don't want to see another company doing well in the same field.

There was always going to be that factor no matter how well executed WWOHP was. No matter how big, no matter how many rides, no matter anything. Analysts realize this - that's why gains related to WWOHP are projected to be higher next year rather then this year as the grudge is worn down by good word of mouth. By gains i'm talking increased attendance to IOA and the Universal resort as a whole per day (both parks).

That was all known before Potter ever opened. So for now we have to go through the mental contortions as people adapt. You know, denial, bargaining, anger, depression, acceptance. Hooray for people acting predictably.

And any arguments of what is lacking at WWOHP can be found at Disney. It's like accusing it of not being perfect - no crap, nothing is perfect.

 

[Planogirl]

I agree that there is that negativity from Disney fans in SOME cases. A few are even saying that supposedly people are disappointed by the WWOHP. I see virtually nothing but praise with only a very few voicing some kind of disappointment. Is it perfect? Likely not but like already stated what is?

I already said this on another thread but I don't get the constant nastiness. I like both resorts and just can't wrap my mind around the fact that others like one so much that they'd constantly criticize the other in some odd sense of being faithful. Faithful? These are businesses eager to make money and I'll be faithful as long as I enjoy their product. I would never just attack something else because I'm faithful though particularly when I haven't even seen the other place like so many.

Anyway, enough of that. I, as always, hope that both Universal and WDW are wildly successful!

 

[inkkognito]

Fortunately not all Disney fans feel that way. I am a certified Disney fanatic, to the point of literally moving next door to Disney World and I've also been on 75 Disney cruises. But I have always enjoyed Universal too and love WWoHP. I don't see why some people are so black and white and you have to hate one if you love the other. They both do some things well and some things badly...such is life. WWoHP is actually drawing me to Uni a lot more than I was going recently.

 

[Jaxx1980]

I like disney but for me I am more of Uni fan.
That said some things I feel one park may do better than other, but over all its what suits one person that is the main thing.

I said on another Thread. Even tho i am yet to go to WWoHP, what uni has done here is nothing short of amazing and I don't think I have heard many people disagree. The majority seem to be impressed which is great

On a side not when we were talking about books and the details they go into. I always find it wierd when a film seems different to my imagination.
Harry and Herm are pretty spot on in the films 'except Herm has bushy hair in books'. however i may be on my own here. But i really don't like Rupert as Ron at all.. he comes accross a bit of an idiot and not how I feel Ron trully is in the books. Love Ron in books but not in films lol. again.. only my opinion..
Also a fair few people said the Dementors in FJ not how they imagined.
I imagine them as kinda like the Ring Wraith in Lord of the Rings.

Anyway was just wondering if your imaginations run wild like mine when you read and things sometimes differnt in films.

 

[damo]

I like disney but for me I am more of Uni fan.
That said some things I feel one park may do better than other, but over all its what suits one person that is the main thing.

I said on another Thread. Even tho i am yet to go to WWoHP, what uni has done here is nothing short of amazing and I don't think I have heard many people disagree. The majority seem to be impressed which is great

On a side not when we were talking about books and the details they go into. I always find it wierd when a film seems different to my imagination.
Harry and Herm are pretty spot on in the films 'except Herm has bushy hair in books'. however i may be on my own here. But i really don't like Rupert as Ron at all.. he comes accross a bit of an idiot and not how I feel Ron trully is in the books. Love Ron in books but not in films lol. again.. only my opinion..
Also a fair few people said the Dementors in FJ not how they imagined.
I imagine them as kinda like the Ring Wraith in Lord of the Rings.

Anyway was just wondering if your imaginations run wild like mine when you read and things sometimes differnt in films.

I totally agree about the Dementors and the Lord of the Rings.

The person that I can't get used to in the movies that is so different from what I imagined is Ginny.

 

[Jaxx1980]

Lol its funny as Ginny kinda what i expected. Lupin looked a bit cooler in my mind than he did in the films.

 

[NLD]

I still can't get over the movie-Harry having blue eyes. His green eyes in the book are such a big deal.

Most wildly off-the-mark character, though, for me... Sirius Black. Sigh. Movie version just not at all right.

 

[Phoenix41]

I still can't get over the movie-Harry having blue eyes. His green eyes in the book are such a big deal.

Most wildly off-the-mark character, though, for me... Sirius Black. Sigh. Movie version just not at all right.

The Green Eyes are a big deal. In the beginning they actually made Dan wear contacts but they bothered his eyes (he was having a reaction to them). Dan is such a great Harry it's easy to overlook. I'd rather have a blue eyed Dan than a green eyed someone else.

 

[NLD]

they actually made Dan wear contacts but they bothered his eyes

Makes sense, and definitely not worth bothering his eyes just to have them green. Still feels a little odd.... but usually half-way through a movie, I forget.

 

[Phoenix41]

Makes sense, and definitely not worth bothering his eyes just to have them green. Still feels a little odd.... but usually half-way through a movie, I forget.

Yeah, I was bothered by it at first too because it is a bigger deal in the books (just like the Weasley's being ginger). However, after I found out that they'd tried it with contacts it made it much easier to overlook. I give them kudos for trying and not just simply writing it off as his eye color being not a big deal.

 

[indimom]

I agree, the movies rarely fit what i had in my head from reading the books. But Snape was spot on and I don't think they could have found an actor better suited to playing that part. The one thing that bothered me the most about the movies??? The Whomping Willow. That dorky/fake looking tree just drives me nuts. I expected a "real" willow tree that happens to be mobile and able to defend itself. Oh well, they can't please everyone!

 

[DOOM1001]

I just visited WWoHP for the first time and from everything that I had been hearing I was ready to consider it a failure if the main Forbidden Journey ride was not amazing.After doing parts of two days in the Potter area my conclusion is that the Potter area is not a bomb but is definitely way overhyped.The Forbidden Journey ride is very good but the video parts are a bit fuzzy,the Kuka robotic arms work great for the ride and while it is a good fun ride it's not as great as it was made out to be,for example the whole thing about the queue line being amazing and a big part of the ride is not correct,I could go without standing in line in a hot greenhouse and the talking characters in the pictures,Meh!Now on to the other attractions, Dragon Challenge same ride with a less interesting inside queue as well as an uglier entrance,they should have at least painted the tracks another color.Three Broomsticks,while not ugly inside is no big deal and compared to Enchanted Oak it loses on every aspect especially most of the food,I think the only thing I liked is the Strawberry peanut butter ice cream.I tried the Butterbeer regular style and thought it was good but they need to serve it cold otherwise I'm not buying it again.Pumpkin Juice I just didn't like it, I bought it for the cool bottle but it was basically cool apple cider with maybe some pumpkin somewhere in there,again it was not cold and I understand they're selling a lot of it so it doesn't have time to get cold but given that I really didn't like it and that it was not cold I felt like I spent $6.25 on a souvenir(the bottle).The stores are ridiculously small,lines to get in stores that even once you get inside you have no space to even look at the items as you keep bumping into people seems like a Fail to me especially as the few stores were far from a big deal to me,much less cooler merchandise than I expected.The Tri Wizard show seemed short and kind of worthless.Flight of the Hippogriff is one ride that did improve it's queue area.In the end the Hogsmeade area and the castle are pretty amazing,that along with a very good new ride (not perfect) makes the the WWoHP area an overhyped success mixed with several fails.

 

[Timmy Boy]

^Sorry 100's of millions of dollars weren't spent to your liking.

 

[Purseval]

It's just one of the givens that you are going to have people blinded by DD's, their Disney Delusional glasses where skies are cloudy and the world is a grim place until they enter the Magic Kingdom where, for a few thousand dollars, skies are blue, birds sing and everyone behaves like perfect angels. Just keep in mind that Disney, the company that set the standard in animation for 6 decades, was so overwhelmed by new competition that it essentially shut down operations. It couldn't compete so it bought the competition. Now Pixar is animaton and Disney is a footnote.

WWOHP has done to the theme park what Pixar did to the animation studios. It has a level of detail that is so far above anything Disney has done it's laughable to try and compare them. Only this time Disney can't buy its way out. But the DD people can't think like that. They have far too much time and money invested into the "Magic" to believe anything at all could possibly be better. To think otherwise would be like admitting they were duped, and that isn't going to happen. So let them criticize and take their bitter words as a tacit admission that the bar has been raised.

 

[DOOM1001]

^Sorry 100's of millions of dollars weren't spent to your liking.

I liked it,just thought it was overhyped.I do think it has some flaws also throw in the huge summer crowds which don't make for the most enjoyable visits.I'll be back in a month or two after the crowds go down.