Lost Continent to become Hogwarts?

[yaytezIOA]

from screamscape

Lost Continent Transformation - (1/29/07) The latest report at the About.com Theme Park page caught my eye yesterday. While this publication normally stays away from “rumors” (hey, that’s my job anyway…) they’ve posted a doozy!! Their “highly credible source” tells them that plans are underway to retool an entire existing Island to tie it into a “hugely popular” children’s franchise by 2009 or 2010.
Ironically, I had heard a rumor about just such a project about 6 weeks ago, but it sounded a little over the top so I sent it to the back burner to see if anything else popped up. The rumor was such a big one that even I wasn’t willing to go out on the limb and proclaim it to be the real deal at the time, which is saying a lot.
Say what you will, but after you’ve seen about a hundred different variants of just which theme park chain is finally laying claim to the Harry Potter franchise, you’d be skeptical too. Yes… there it is, I said it. If the story about About.com is connected in any way to the rumors I heard in late 2006, this may be the biggest theme park score of the decade.
The rumor I had heard at the time claimed that the Universal Orlando bigwigs were sending out the maintenance and cleaning crews to scour the entire Lost Continent area of the park and make it really sparkle because they had a group of VIPs coming in that they really wanted to impress. If all went well, the visit was a final piece of a puzzle that would see the Lost Continent become rethemed to the world of Harry Potter. They would keep Dueling Dragons and Flying Unicorn of course, but Sinbad and Posideon’s Fury would be replaced with new attractions, and the midway area possibly rethemed as Diagon Alley. Certainly this would be big enough news to warrant such a long delay in new attractions at IOA, and something to really put this park on the map again. Anyone know more?


Dont know if I agree with this idea.....LC is my favorite land of any theme park ever......

 

[patster734]

I wonder what they'd do with Mythos and The Enchanted Oak Tavern if this is true.

 

[damo]

Universal and Hogwarts? Does Universal own any rights to that stuff?????

 

[yaytezIOA]

Rights can be purchased, which I think is whats going to happen. JK Rowling is said to be holding out for the right attraction, and this sounds like it could be it....but time will tell.

 

[damo]

Sounds like a lot of things would have to be changed and I don't know that GE would be willing to drop that kind of money. I would hate to see them change the architecture of Sinbad and Poseidan's Fury and I'm not sure how Mythos would fit in. I can see Diagon Alley being interesting and a new ride would be great but it seems like a very large scale change instead of just the addition of a new great ride.

 

[maggiew]

I think this would be fun!!

Maggie

 

[kellymonaghan]

But it's my best guess. Glad to hear someone has heard it whispered.

I've listed some other choices on my blog at...

http://theotherorlando.com/blog/

What do you think?

 

[diseyore]

I heard that until attendance picks up they aren't going to add much or spend money on the park.

 

[goofy!]

I thought I had read that JK Rowling had signed a letter of intent with Disney last year?

 

[yaytezIOA]

Sounds like a lot of things would have to be changed and I don't know that GE would be willing to drop that kind of money. I would hate to see them change the architecture of Sinbad and Poseidan's Fury and I'm not sure how Mythos would fit in. I can see Diagon Alley being interesting and a new ride would be great but it seems like a very large scale change instead of just the addition of a new great ride.

Whats the old addage? You have to spend money to make money.
In actuallity it wouldnt be THAT much of a change to the half of the park closest to JP. Its the mythical section that will have to change the most, and the whole section near Sinbad that would most likely get the Diagon Alley switch. I hope they go more on the books and leave those crappy movies alone. The books have so much potential.
And how can you attract more crowds without new attractions? They havent added one since what, 2000? They completed one....but its not anything really special. Personally I say they do the long awaited JP ride and give it the attention that it really needs instead of changing anything......BUT what they will most likely do is ride the HP wagon which will reach full force about 2010 because of the last movie coming out. It makes sense financially, and HP is a name known throughout the world. BUT the main attraction of LC is what? Dueling Dragons.....just dont screw with the queue.

 

[diseyore]

I agree that you need to spend money to make money, but apparently GE hasn't received that message yet. They are of the old school to make cuts and see what happens. I have seen other companies follow this policy and they were bought out.

I really hate to see this happening, I hope it is not a sinking ship.

 

[kirbsam]

now a harry potter based theme park would be more like it. there is just too much potential for one land. a hogwarts section, a diagon alley section, knockturn alley section, the dark arts, quidditch, the forbidden forest, house elves, goblins and other creatures...the possibilities are endless.

 

[damo]

Whats the old addage? You have to spend money to make money.
In actuallity it wouldnt be THAT much of a change to the half of the park closest to JP. Its the mythical section that will have to change the most, and the whole section near Sinbad that would most likely get the Diagon Alley switch. I hope they go more on the books and leave those crappy movies alone. The books have so much potential.
And how can you attract more crowds without new attractions? They havent added one since what, 2000? They completed one....but its not anything really special. Personally I say they do the long awaited JP ride and give it the attention that it really needs instead of changing anything......BUT what they will most likely do is ride the HP wagon which will reach full force about 2010 because of the last movie coming out. It makes sense financially, and HP is a name known throughout the world. BUT the main attraction of LC is what? Dueling Dragons.....just dont screw with the queue.

Oh, I totally agree that they need to spend money but are they willing to spend that much? If they are going to do it, I hope they do it right and don't just adapt what there is to kind of fit the theme.

I wonder what the Disney people are thinking about this rumour?

 

[DiscoverUSF]

Wasn't there a rumor some time ago that Disney was looking into a Harry Potter attraction?

 

[friendnc]

LC is our favorite land. I hope they're not throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

 

[Thematic]

Hrm...I wonder what Potter themed attractions they could put in?

Let's see...

Hogwart's Acadamy -- meet characters from the series, interactive magic show "classes", a Potter museum with artifacts from the series?

Quidditch -- Soarin' only with broomsticks (with un-Potterlike seats attached)?

Sinbad replaced by some kind of House competition, with the audience split between the four houses? (watch the scuffles break out as everyone scrambles to joing Gryffindor or Slytherin...maybe it would be best to let people decide their own allegience)?

They could keep the Alchemy Bar and have surly ol' Snape running the tap. Heh heh heh.

 

[PlutoLuvr]

I think this would be a brilliant idea. And the LC is one of my most favorite sections of all the parks in Orlando, but I don't think they'd have too much of a major remodel on their hands. The area is already mystical and magical in its theming.

The HP series is a golden ticket. I personally can't get into them (prefer true crime and American history myself), but the kids nowadays go nuts for HP. All I hear from folks with young children is, "IOA doesn't have much for the younger kids." I think something like HP would be just what IOA needs to attract kids too old for Dr. Seuss, but too young/small for the thrill rides.

And the merchandising!!! Just think of all the nine-year-olds in the HP store, "Mommy, can I have that?"

I also can't help but think that the HP series will be extremely nostalgic as today's youth grows older. This, I believe, is something that USO/IOA needs to bring into the parks soon. There's plenty of nostalgia for older folks (Jaws, Terminator, Popeye, JP, Spiderman, Hulk -- comics, I'm speaking of), but I've often wondered what will entice the current 11-year-olds to return with their families/friends in, say, ten years. The kids in my family, ages 5 to 10, aren't even allowed to watch most of the movies that USO/IOA bases its attractions on.

And I can't imagine they'd do anything radical to Mythos. Isn't this restaurant voted the best in the world in theme parks? Maybe change the name? And even the current name Mythos made me think for years it was a Greek restaurant, LOL. I just never felt like a heavy fish soup or baklava in FL heat for lunch, so I never even ventured over to check out the menu. You can imagine my surprise when I didn't even see a gyro on the menu!

 

[robvia]

I heard that until attendance picks up they aren't going to add much or spend money on the park.

Really? Actually, the opposite is usually true. Parks don't add new rides or change things until attendance drops. That's why BGT added Sheikra, because attendance dropped. SWF hasn't added anything recently, because attendance is up. People are taking a day away from Disney and trying SWF and Universal for the first time. So Universal and SWF have an automatic stream of new visitors. It's very frustrating, because to get a park to add a new ride, attendance has to drop. Usually happens every 4 years when Disney adds a major ride like Everest. The merchandising is what the parks really want, that is, people spending money on souvineers.

A roller coaster theamed to Gringots Bank would be fun.

 

[AlexandNessa]

The HP series is a golden ticket. I personally can't get into them (prefer true crime and American history myself) ....

Me too! But, can you imagine Ted Bundy Land or Al Capone's Empire? What kind of attractions would there be? Ride the light in the electric chair? Scarface, The Musical?

I have not seen a single Harry Potter movie, and someone once gave me a nice copy of one of the hardcovers which I haven't even opened. I don't see all the hoopla in HP either, but if it's all the rage with the kiddos these days, I'm all for it. It would breathe some new life into IOA and maybe (just maybe) we would stop having to answer "So, what can my young kids do at Universal?"

If they do this, and "Hogwarts" is all the rage, I do hope that they would evict the Timeshare sharks from that area. They sure wouldn't need any obvious negative attention at the unveiling.

 

[PlutoLuvr]

Me too! But, can you imagine Ted Bundy Land or Al Capone's Empire? What kind of attractions would there be? Ride the light in the electric chair? Scarface, The Musical?

I have not seen a single Harry Potter movie, and someone once gave me a nice copy of one of the hardcovers which I haven't even opened. I don't see all the hoopla in HP either, but if it's all the rage with the kiddos these days, I'm all for it. It would breathe some new life into IOA and maybe (just maybe) we would stop having to answer "So, what can my young kids do at Universal?"

If they do this, and "Hogwarts" is all the rage, I do hope that they would evict the Timeshare sharks from that area. They sure wouldn't need any obvious negative attention at the unveiling.

If any park anywhere did a Al Capone/mob "world" to one of their parks, you'd find me firmly planted in the eateries enjoying some vino, some pasta with real authentic tomato gravy -- meatballs and sausage on the side please, NEVER ground up in the pasta itself -- followed by a canolli session. Rides? What rides? Just keep pouring, just keep pouring, just keep pouring (methinks I have a new theme for a Nemo ride, too)

And, yes, the timeshare sharks would need to go. The mobsters could take care of that, too, the "old fashioned" way