IMO HP is way overated

[damo]

That's what Three Broomsticks was supposed to have and it was announced.

Sadly it looks like it had been cut.

If it was announced for Three Broomsticks I am glad it was cut. I can't imagine a bunch of little kids running around with wands while people are trying to eat.

 

[Procrastinate]

You can't do that will Hogmeade. It just wouldn't be realistic and that's what the whole goal was here. The size of the area that they are working with also prohibits much of a size difference in the stores. When the crowds die down, those stores won't be so crowded. You can't base the size on the initial crowds.

That was kind of my initial point. Right now, diehard fans are impressed that it looks so real. Most people don't care, they just want the rides. Heck, a diehard fan told me she was unimpressed with Hogsmeade, butterbeer and the frog chorus. She wasn't willing to wait in line for shops. This is someone that has gone to every midnight book and movie release.

You need some shops and restaurants, of course. But in a few years, there will probably still be a 45 minute wait for FJ, but most people aren't going to walk into four separate stores. Get them in one and you might sell them something.

 

[Purseval]

Right now, diehard fans are impressed that it looks so real. Most people don't care, they just want the rides. Heck, a diehard fan told me she was unimpressed with Hogsmeade, butterbeer and the frog chorus. She wasn't willing to wait in line for shops. This is someone that has gone to every midnight book and movie release.

Crowd levels appear to indicate she is in the minority.

You need some shops and restaurants, of course. But in a few years, there will probably still be a 45 minute wait for FJ, but most people aren't going to walk into four separate stores. Get them in one and you might sell them something.

Look how many separate Disney stores are in Downtown Disney. They are spread out over a wide are and yet still don't seem to have any problems attracting customers. Do you really think it will be that much trouble to walk a few feet from one HP store to the next?

 

[tttessa]

I have read the books - to my children - never considered them to be more than an entertaining children's series - the language seems too shallow/simple for an adult book. I really am not asking to be flamed - just an opinion - I do know others disagree- and will always defend their right to do so. I personally actually prefer the films..

BUT The kids consider each other HPs biggest fans - along with the rest of the world.. so we are going in October. I expect it will be busy since the UK will descend on Orlando for our "fall" break. And we generally consider HP and JK to be "ours" so lots of diehard fans. We are going with open minds - believing neither the hype, nor the Disneyfied doubters..

I do agree with some of the postings here - the hype will die down I'm sure - there is bound to be lots of interest in the first year - the final films will see to the interest continuing for 2011, but then? Don't know if there will be the same levels of interest as say TSM - and I like Disney, but much prefer Universal - both parks.

I get that the shops are small for theming, to give the right feel - but I, like many others, would probably just walk on by if I had to line up - to get into a SHOP!! so they may just have shot themselves in the foot there - less money will be spent than could be - so I expect much of the merchandise will be sold in the general Universal stores anyhow.

Will write up the experience in our trip report when we get back at end of October - so will be interesting to see what it is all like - will it live up to the overall hype?? or is it a 1 trick pony with FJ and a load of theming.

 

[Friendly Frog]

What I envision would be a small store front area and a larger warehouse area in the back of the shop.

The front of the store would be the displays, and have the full cozy shop feel, but the actual merchandise for purchase and check out could be in the back area. The back would still be themed but just be larger. That way JK keeps it real in the front, and Uni could keep it reasonable ( for crowds and mobility impaired scooters/wheelchairs) in the back area. Win-win?

 

[Rip]

What I envision would be a small store front area and a larger warehouse area in the back of the shop.

The front of the store would be the displays, and have the full cozy shop feel, but the actual merchandise for purchase and check out could be in the back area. The back would still be themed but just be larger. That way JK keeps it real in the front, and Uni could keep it reasonable ( for crowds and mobility impaired scooters/wheelchairs) in the back area. Win-win?

To be honest, I don't think JK went for that idea. I highly doubt that it wasn't proposed to her by the professional bean counters.

 

[bumbershoot]

What I envision would be a small store front area and a larger warehouse area in the back of the shop.

The front of the store would be the displays, and have the full cozy shop feel, but the actual merchandise for purchase and check out could be in the back area. The back would still be themed but just be larger. That way JK keeps it real in the front, and Uni could keep it reasonable ( for crowds and mobility impaired scooters/wheelchairs) in the back area. Win-win?

That's how I envisioned it, too.

And it would totally go along with the wizard world...the shops they go into aren't teeny tiny things in the movies...and then picture the tents at the big Quidditch match, where the tents look very small, but then are magically bigger inside?

Surely they could have done this and made it seem real enough...

(but then...people say JKR wouldn't allow sodas b/c of the health but then there's cruddy chocolate in the "frogs", so there's not much logic going on there!)

 

[cigar95]

And it would totally go along with the wizard world...the shops they go into aren't teeny tiny things in the movies...and then picture the tents at the big Quidditch match, where the tents look very small, but then are magically bigger inside?

"Inside bigger than the outside" is a theme that appears throughout the entire series - it's part of the Christological symbolism that Rowling uses. (The roomy cars are yet another example besides those you mention.)

It would be a challenge to duplicate this concept in the park - they could do it in the shops along the outside edge of the park, but more difficult to do it in those on the lagoon side, where there's less room to hide a larger structure.

 

[MaleficentandGoons]

That's how I envisioned it, too.

And it would totally go along with the wizard world...the shops they go into aren't teeny tiny things in the movies...and then picture the tents at the big Quidditch match, where the tents look very small, but then are magically bigger inside?

Surely they could have done this and made it seem real enough...

(but then...people say JKR wouldn't allow sodas b/c of the health but then there's cruddy chocolate in the "frogs", so there's not much logic going on there!)

Chocolate isn't as bad as Soda and honestly the frogs are in the book! The book never mentions there being soda in the Wizard World and if you really NEED a soda so bad you can fill up your souvenir cup at the three places outside WWOHP.

 

[bumbershoot]

Chocolate isn't as bad as Soda and honestly the frogs are in the book! The book never mentions there being soda in the Wizard World and if you really NEED a soda so bad you can fill up your souvenir cup at the three places outside WWOHP.

We don't drink HFCS soda, so we definitely don't "need" it b/c non-HFCS soda is harder to come by. I actually quite like her decision for the soda.

And of course the chocolate frogs are in the book. The ingredients were up to interpretation.

But everyone was saying that she made her decisions based on *health* reasons, NOT to stay true to the books. I don't remember muggle beer being served in the books, but it is/was there. And if she wanted health to be behind the food decisions, she should have used proper chocolate.

If she's staying true to the books she should have MADE them figure out a way to make things small on the outside and big on the inside.

I'm sure I will LOVE WWOHP, even if they are still not giving ingredients for butterbeer (can't risk the possibility of corn syrup based products with DH and DS) and we can't get that drink, and I'm hoping that our timeframe in mid-December will make the crowds inside of stores low enough that it's not a problem...but I still see very little actual, sustained logic in the decisions that were made for the place. Including why the stores are so small inside.

 

[damo]

We don't drink HFCS soda, so we definitely don't "need" it b/c non-HFCS soda is harder to come by. I actually quite like her decision for the soda.

And of course the chocolate frogs are in the book. The ingredients were up to interpretation.

But everyone was saying that she made her decisions based on *health* reasons, NOT to stay true to the books. I don't remember muggle beer being served in the books, but it is/was there. And if she wanted health to be behind the food decisions, she should have used proper chocolate.

If she's staying true to the books she should have MADE them figure out a way to make things small on the outside and big on the inside.

I'm sure I will LOVE WWOHP, even if they are still not giving ingredients for butterbeer (can't risk the possibility of corn syrup based products with DH and DS) and we can't get that drink, and I'm hoping that our timeframe in mid-December will make the crowds inside of stores low enough that it's not a problem...but I still see very little actual, sustained logic in the decisions that were made for the place. Including why the stores are so small inside.

I think the biggest reason that the stores are so small is that there is a lack of space. There is the lagoon on one side and Dragon Challenge on the other. The Three Broomsticks needed a lot of room and so did the restrooms. There just isn't room left for any huge stores.

 

[Phoenix41]

That's how I envisioned it, too.

And it would totally go along with the wizard world...the shops they go into aren't teeny tiny things in the movies...and then picture the tents at the big Quidditch match, where the tents look very small, but then are magically bigger inside?

Surely they could have done this and made it seem real enough...

(but then...people say JKR wouldn't allow sodas b/c of the health but then there's cruddy chocolate in the "frogs", so there's not much logic going on there!)

They seem about the same size in the movie to me. None of the shops look huge and the shelves and things are pretty close together as well. I didn't find the shows to incredibly small anyway. The only shop I thought was a bit to small was Filch's and part of the reason for that is the CONSTANT traffic due to the FJ exit being there. It's still pretty small but it wouldn't of been uncomfortable if there wouldn't have been all the riders in there.

As for the soda thing if people want to drink it then they will. However, I believe the decisions were hers to make so I'm happy with whatever she wanted. And Chocolate is way more healthier than soda. Dark Chocolate (which I noticed a big portion of the chocolate in Honeydukes is dark chocolate) is actually good for you in moderation of course.

 

[luvthemouse71]

I can't wait to see it...staying on Disney property but am taking a day just to see this.