It's official - It's Harry Potter

[rie'smom]

I just wonder if this park will stand the test of time as Disney has, the Harry Potter Books may be popular now (I do enjoy the books), but what about 50 years into the future. The big challenge for this park will be weather they stick more to the movies (which most people have seen at least one of, and which will be continued to be watched for years to come) or book theme (which because of the movies not as many people have read), and the amount of work and time that must go into the building and design to make the stuff look real. While on one of our Disney trips I have to go to the HP Park and see, I hope they have a gift shop that sells sugar quills.

JK Rowling has input,so I'm sure the park will be faithful to the books/movies.
I'm not worried about the test of time because these books are now considered classics. As for the test of time.Mickey has survived so I don't see why Harry won't.

 

[Friendly Frog]

I never read the books because I thought they were just for kids. Then, after going to see the movies I ordered all the books.

 

[snowbunny]

I never read the books because I thought they were just for kids. Then, after going to see the movies I ordered all the books.

The books are SO much better than the movies

 

[greenmyvalley]

I just heard about this, and I absolutely can't wait. Looks like I'll be postponing my trip another year.

 

[Madi100]

I just wonder if this park will stand the test of time as Disney has, the Harry Potter Books may be popular now (I do enjoy the books), but what about 50 years into the future. The big challenge for this park will be weather they stick more to the movies (which most people have seen at least one of, and which will be continued to be watched for years to come) or book theme (which because of the movies not as many people have read), and the amount of work and time that must go into the building and design to make the stuff look real. While on one of our Disney trips I have to go to the HP Park and see, I hope they have a gift shop that sells sugar quills.

I wonder the same thing. I've seen in many stores - Target, WB, etc., where HP stuff is on clearance. They come out with a new book or a new movie and it's popular, but it doesn't last. Can you buy HP stuff in Target right now? We are big HP fans, but I don't know that I see it being around forever.

 

[surfergirl602]

sub

 

[M&M's]

I know this is a dug up old thread, but I wanted to comment on it while it is still resurrected. The possibilities are endless for this park.

I for one am looking forward to going to The Three Broomsticks and getting a nice glass of butterbeer!

I think they should do Diagon Alley as well, although I don't see them skipping over this important part of Harry Potter's world. The souvenir possibilities are so numerous that they don't even need to make up shops that don't exist in the books. What young wizard or witch wouldn't want to go into Ollivanders to buy a wand that picks him or her? Or go into Eeylops Owl Emporium to buy a (stuffed) owl? Or go into Flourish and Blotts to buy some books about Witchcraft and Wizardry? Or into the new Weasley's Wizard Wheezes to get some practical joke stuff and other neat things? Or Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions to buy a robe to wear at Hogwarts? Or Quality Quidditch Supplies to buy a snitch or broom (and kids will want one because it's "magical"!)?

And that's just Diagon Alley shops. Although I'm curious how they will grant access to Diagon Alley, since you have to go through The Leaky Cauldron and tap the bricks in the back alley. I'm sure we'll have to give some leeway for the sake of crowd traffic control in some areas, as staying true to the book in this way would create quite the bottleneck!

 

[surfergirl602]

Gerard Butler. And he's an excellent actor too, with a gift for bringing his characters to life. Not nearly as good at choosing roles as Depp, though...

Ock, a lassie after me own heart.

 

[Christine43]

Aren't they including Diagon Alley in their plans, I had thought so and it certainly would be a big money maker for them. My son lives and breathes HP, everything he got for Christmas was HP themed. We will most definitely be there when it opens. I'm looking forward to it almost as much as he is.

 

[thefriendlyfloridian]

Look how far we've come!

 

[wildviper]

Look how far we've come!

I hadn't read this thread in 7 years.

 

[Stacy's a freak]

So Universal announced in 2007, built and opened Hogsmeade in Summer, 2010 (3 years), made a fortune and built and opened Diagon Alley in Summer 2014. So two amazing experiences in 7 years from original announcement.

Disney announced Avatar land in 2011, are taking their sweet time and now rumors have experienced delays and are projecting Avatar Land to be opened in 2018 (also 7 years). Go home Disney, you've been bested. (I'm sad to say this but you can't argue with the timelines).

 

[limabeanmom2003]

So Universal announced in 2007, built and opened Hogsmeade in Summer, 2010 (3 years), made a fortune and built and opened Diagon Alley in Summer 2014. So two amazing experiences in 7 years from original announcement.

Disney announced Avatar land in 2011, are taking their sweet time and now rumors have experienced delays and are projecting Avatar Land to be opened in 2018 (also 7 years). Go home Disney, you've been bested. (I'm sad to say this but you can't argue with the timelines).

Universal was in a different situation, IMO. They had to put a rush on HP to get people in the gates. It's worked. Disney doesn't seem to habe that problem, based on the last quarterly earnings. They can take the time and I have no doubt that what they put together will be awesome. Also, aren't they timing Avatar land with the 2nd movie? WDW's 50th is only 6 years away, and I hope that everything is done by then because I would anticipate huge events for the 50th and I wouldn't want major renovations taking place then. I wonder what the timeline will be for the studios. Will everything be done by 2021?

 

[Stacy's a freak]

Universal was in a different situation, IMO. They had to put a rush on HP to get people in the gates. It's worked. Disney doesn't seem to habe that problem, based on the last quarterly earnings. They can take the time and I have no doubt that what they put together will be awesome. Also, aren't they timing Avatar land with the 2nd movie? WDW's 50th is only 6 years away, and I hope that everything is done by then because I would anticipate huge events for the 50th and I wouldn't want major renovations taking place then. I wonder what the timeline will be for the studios. Will everything be done by 2021?

All good points. Disney is bursting at the seams with guests so they don't have the same motivation. I only hope that when people start going to Universal and NOT Disney (like us this year), they will realize that they have to step it up and on the double. They have to cater to impatient ones like me, after all (haha).

 

[limabeanmom2003]

All good points. Disney is bursting at the seams with guests so they don't have the same motivation. I only hope that when people start going to Universal and NOT Disney (like us this year), they will realize that they have to step it up and on the double. They have to cater to impatient ones like me, after all (haha).

My kids are begging to go to Universal to see the new HP stuff. We just got back from 8 nights at disney with park hoppers for the length of stay and I couldn't justify spending another $600 bucks for a day at the 2 universal parks. I promised them we would go in the future though. Maybe make a universal only vacation. I hear their resorts are great. As for disney, i wish they would build things faster. My kids are huge Star Wars fans and who knows if they will get to enjoy Star Wars in the parks while they are still kids.

 

[Stacy's a freak]

My kids are begging to go to Universal to see the new HP stuff. We just got back from 8 nights at disney with park hoppers for the length of stay and I couldn't justify spending another $600 bucks for a day at the 2 universal parks. I promised them we would go in the future though. Maybe make a universal only vacation. I hear their resorts are great. As for disney, i wish they would build things faster. My kids are huge Star Wars fans and who knows if they will get to enjoy Star Wars in the parks while they are still kids.

Yes, going to Universal for 1 day is awfully expensive! And since the Hogwarts Express train is a part of the experience, you're almost forced to buy park-to-park passes. The reason we did Universal and not Disney is because we knew we could do it in a shorter amount of time so that alone kept the price below Disney's - and that was our budget. I haven't really priced it out but I would guess that doing 8 nights at Universal and 8 nights at Disney would cost about the same. But we would definitely have been bored at Universal in that length of time - too long and not enough to see.