No Matter How Much You Rail On Potterland

[PeterPan09]

You're right...the author of the editorial did minimal research and trip planning. But, I think it could be argued that this is the "average" theme park goer, one who does not realize that a trip like this absolutely requires some pre-planning. I still think that Universal has only themselves to blame for bad press such as this because (1) they billed WWHOP as a theme park within a theme park, not a land within a theme park, therefore building up folks' expectations, and (2) they underestimated the interest in WWHOP and were not prepared for the crowd levels they got on opening day.

I think Universal may be listening....

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/os-universal-wizarding-world-crowds-20100710,0,2975752.story

 

[cxcelica]

Well said!

I totally agree....with number 4 the most, Episode I really is bad....I couldn't admit it for a long time!

Spot on. Plus Number 4/Episode 1 made a large sum of money at the box office but that doesn't take away from the fact that many people now looking back admit, it's just a disaster.

I think the true test and ability to measure the success of the Harry Potter "land/theme parK" will come in the next 8 months, once the summer rush is over. Is it strong enough to keep people coming once the initial excitement has worn off and will people coming back for repeat visits, or will it be similar to Episode 4 where once the initial thrill wore off people were just left shaking their heads saying "What was Lucas thinking".

 

[DisneyKevin]

According to local news...

People are complaining that the WWOHP is way too crowded and there is nothing to do but look around. Once people have ridden the new ride, they are just milling around.

Universal has taken steps to try to alleviate these problems.

They have stopped selling alcohol at Three Broomsticks.

They are forcing everyone to enter through the Jurassic Park adjacent entrance.

They are handing out tickets to people in line that must be given to the employees at the entrance of the ride in order to stop line jumping.

And my favorite....

Wait for it....

Day guests should arrive after 3pm. (This translates to "pay for a full day but only use it for a half day because the area is just too small)

 

[kbelle8995]

According to local news...

People are complaining that the WWOHP is way too crowded and there is nothing to do but look around. Once people have ridden the new ride, they are just milling around.

Universal has taken steps to try to alleviate these problems.

They have stopped selling alcohol at Three Broomsticks.

They are forcing everyone to enter through the Jurassic Park adjacent entrance.

They are handing out tickets to people in line that must be given to the employees at the entrance of the ride in order to stop line jumping.

And my favorite....

Wait for it....

Day guests should arrive after 3pm. (This translates to "pay for a full day but only use it for a half day because the area is just too small)

Oh Yeah. Can you say lame? Very good I knew you could.

A pity about the Hogs Head Brew which is actually a really good beer. I want to wait until January until I go back. After the holidays, maybe.

I love Harry Potter so it's just a real shame the way Universal is running this. Well at least they are doing something instead of just saying how they are a little stunned by how many people are showing up.

 

[Joshua_me]

They have stopped selling alcohol at Three Broomsticks.

They actually led with that story on our local Sarasota news.

"Harry may be flying high, but Potter's world will now be dry !"

Someone at the station must have thought that was clever...

 

[jcb]

I guess you can at least give Universal credit for responding to the crowd issues after the fact. It is better than ignoring them.

But with the popularity of the Harry Potter franchise and the intense marketing Universal has done, it simply boggles the mind to think they were so unprepared.

I like to think I (and my family) resemble the consumer they are aiming to attract to make WWoHP sustaining. I have read all the Harry Potter books (even if they are not on the Kindle) and seen all the movies though I'm not a rabid fan (no cape or wand for me). I have never set foot in Universal (I got close once in 2003). It has never before even tempted me. WWoHP would be the reason I might go but there is no way I will go until they manage the crowds and make FJ so that someone my height and weight (too tall and too big) can ride it.

So WDW, not Universal, will get my dollars this December.

 

[Uncleromulus]

I wonder if there isn't a Wizard wandering about Potterland who could secretly turn Butterbeer into that Hogs Head brew??
Seems pretty simple considering all that other stuff they can do.
And who would have to know??

 

[WebmasterPete]

This recent announcement by Universal about its attempts to manage the crowds just reinforces what I've been saying all along - they had no plan to begin with.

The whole 'we're surprised by the crowds' BS is even worse than Disney's 'we're removing things and charging more due to guest demand' line.

There are people in coma's who knew WWoHP was going to be popular and draw huge crowds, so why didn't the people responsible for it know? The fact is THEY DID KNOW, THEY JUST DIDN'T CARE. It's only because the second longest line in the park has been at guest services with people complaining that they're even addressing the issue at all.

I'll say it again - WWoHP is a fantastic area to visit, it's too bad its being run by morons. Wait before visiting - perhaps in a year or so they'll get their act together, but even that assumption is giving Universal's inane management more credit than they deserve.

Pete

 

[*NikkiBell*]

Gotta love how Lee Cockrell commented in this article. He was dead on.

I'm going to Universal next week to see Harry Potter. Why? I have no idea. lol I know it's going to be brutal with the crowds in heat, but this will be one of the few opportunities I have to venture off site and go. I'll be sure to report back on how things are going over there.

 

[WaltD4Me]

That article was hilarious. They are using MASKING TAPE to create a pathway? Masking. tape. seriously? They are handing out little "admit one" tickets that you can buy yourself at any party store? Wow. It boggled my mind when I read that Universal was "scrambling to get drink carts out" on opening day, but the masking tape takes the cake. I don't care if it is total incompetance or if it's because they don't care...(I think it's some of both) but I won't be going anywhere near HP world, land, ville, whatever it is for a looooooooooooooong time, if ever. I put ALOT of time and effort into planning my vacations and I won't be going anywhere that doesn't seem to be putting in much time or effort into to making sure I have a good time.

 

[RachelsMommie]

I agree, Pete.

We're waiting until our 2012 trip to visit US. We're trying to decide if we should do a split stay and do 1 or 2 nights at one of the US resorts and 6 nights at WL or just head over to US as a day guest. Who knows...I wish the hotels were a more competitive price at US.

 

[kbelle8995]

This recent announcement by Universal about its attempts to manage the crowds just reinforces what I've been saying all along - they had no plan to begin with.

The whole 'we're surprised by the crowds' BS is even worse than Disney's 'we're removing things and charging more due to guest demand' line.

There are people in coma's who knew WWoHP was going to be popular and draw huge crowds, so why didn't the people responsible for it know? The fact is THEY DID KNOW, THEY JUST DIDN'T CARE. It's only because the second longest line in the park has been at guest services with people complaining that they're even addressing the issue at all.

I'll say it again - WWoHP is a fantastic area to visit, it's too bad its being run by morons. Wait before visiting - perhaps in a year or so they'll get their act together, but even that assumption is giving Universal's inane management more credit than they deserve.

Pete

I never buy this "we never saw this coming" Bull this is all the HP fandom has been talking about for years. I went on this other message board and said I went. Many were jealous and want to go too.

The "We never saw this coming" is either incredibly naive and short sighted. Or knew about the masses and are trying to maximize crowds while they have their attention. Which seems incredibly insulting to Harry Potter and its fandom.

Bravo Pete. As usual you are right on the money.

 

[Joshua_me]

They are using MASKING TAPE to create a pathway? Masking. tape. seriously?

Well, duct tape might have looked tacky.

 

[connie1042]

We went to Harry Potter last week. We got in line and decided that we would just wait until later in the day. When we went back about 4 there was no line. But it was crazy busy in side the main part of WOHP. Here are my thoughts, not that they count for anything, but here goes. The new ride was very very good. Some in our party went on the other two rides, but I had no interest in them. The que for the new ride went very fast. We never stopped moving. Posted 90 mins., was in at 40 min. Shops, to small, the only one I got in was the candy shop and joke shop. Not worth it for a sucker with a Harry potter sticker on it that you can buy anywhere. The jelly beans are just jelly bellies. The boxes are cute ,but not worth the money.
My big complaint! How is this attraction Handicap Accessible? The shops are so small, 20 people can't walk around without bumping into someone. How would a person in a wheel chair maneuver in these shops? None of the rides in there are assessable.
So I have been there and will not go back for many years. They are losing a boat load of cash by not having the stores hold the crowds. My daughter wanted a shirt and a wand.Picked up a shirt at the front of the park. No wand. There was no way I am going to wait an hour to spend my money, by waiting in a line that does not move!!

 

[lugnut33]

I don't see where that article is negative in any way, afterall who didn't expect there to be crowds. WWoHP is doing exactly what USO wants, which is bringing people into the park.

 

[MaleficentandGoons]

Can someone show me where they say they aren't serving beer at the Tavern? Forgive me but it's a Tavern yes? How can they just stop serving beer and how does that stop crowds?

 

[Joshua_me]

Can someone show me where they say they aren't serving beer at the Tavern? Forgive me but it's a Tavern yes? How can they just stop serving beer and how does that stop crowds?

It doesn't stop the crowds, it just helps them not get so unruly.

Crowded, over-heated park guests are upset enough, I'm sure adding alcohol into the mix wasn't helping.

 

[MrandMissVacation]

We just returned from our vacation to Orlando. We did two days at DW and five at Universal. I planned this trip over eight months ago. My mom is a huge HP fan and was probably going to be the only time to take her with my family due to health problems. We prepared ourselves to take our time and see what we could type of attitude. I also plan our Disney trips the same way: be educated and flexible. This is a vacation afterall and sometimes nothing replaces dumb luck.
We took advantage of staying onsite at Portofino Bay Hotel to gain early access to the park. We greatly reduced our wait time for the major rides by doing this ( same for Disney early entry). I was bummed about not being able to use the FOTL pass benefit that was verbalized to me when I made he hotel reservations ( I know another debate). I found the area very well done in terms of theming, but could do with more 'characters' for interaction. The ' world' is small and should be expanded.
The draw and volume was greatly underestimated. The shops were so crowded that I predict several incidents will occur if it is not addressed. We visited the area twice at opening and once about 1.5 hrs befor closing. The wand shop/ owl post area is just insane. No order or crowd control once you are inside. Universal is LOSING money because of this. Even though people are pushing around to get what they want many more ( like me) just gave up making any more purchases because it just wasn't worth fighting crowds. In fact we gave up trying to just get a wand (you can get one without going through the wand show) when lo and behold the wand my daughter wanted was sitting on a shelf all by itself as we were making our way out. Now I know it was left there by someone who didn't eventually want it, but we decided that the story of the wand choosing US is a better way to look at the experience. Standing in line for an attraction, even the extra ticket 'one in one out method's at least have some semblance of control. If I sauntered to WWOHP and was faced with a 3-4 hr wait I would leave.
I will say that all the employees are trying very hard to be pleasant and glad you are there.
I can see this area expanding to allow for some extra special experiences. Perhaps a dining hall with a sorting hat type of show. I saw a group of very young children dressed in HP robes near the train and the conductor ( one of the few characters doing interactions) performing some kind of impromptu wand ceremony for these young wizards. It was very cute and I can only imagine how memorable that will be for them for years to come.

Last words: I'm glad we went, but it will take a huge overhaul of crowd control and more attractions to get me to go back. The most important thing was experiencing everything with my family and having my children be able to remember my mom running around the parks with us.

 

[WaltD4Me]

I don't see where that article is negative in any way, afterall who didn't expect there to be crowds. WWoHP is doing exactly what USO wants, which is bringing people into the park.

Yes, it is bringing people into Universal, but is it really going to keep bringing people in? Long term? Without expanding, I don't see it bringing in these kinds of crowds for long. I'm a pretty big HP fan...not rapid, but I've read all the books more than once and seen the movies a few times, I was excited about HP and now I'm not. And it honestly has nothing to do with Pete's reviews or rants. I can see for myself that it looks very cool, but there isn't much there. I'm not a big enough fan to want to buy alot of merchadise, maybe a pin or two and a mug, but no robes or wands for me, so the shopping doesnt interest me much. The coasters look okay, but I can ride a rollercoaster anywhere. So I ask myself, is FJ enough to get me to go? No, not for me. I realize the economy is bad, but I think Universal could have done so much more and made $$$ so much more. Right from the beginning I was disappointed in two re-themed rollercoasters, the possibilities with HP are endless and they just re-themed two of their exsisting coasters? It's just disappointing.

 

[DisneyKevin]

We just returned from our vacation to Orlando. We did two days at DW and five at Universal. I planned this trip over eight months ago. My mom is a huge HP fan and was probably going to be the only time to take her with my family due to health problems. We prepared ourselves to take our time and see what we could type of attitude. I also plan our Disney trips the same way: be educated and flexible. This is a vacation afterall and sometimes nothing replaces dumb luck.
We took advantage of staying onsite at Portofino Bay Hotel to gain early access to the park. We greatly reduced our wait time for the major rides by doing this ( same for Disney early entry). I was bummed about not being able to use the FOTL pass benefit that was verbalized to me when I made he hotel reservations ( I know another debate). I found the area very well done in terms of theming, but could do with more 'characters' for interaction. The ' world' is small and should be expanded.
The draw and volume was greatly underestimated. The shops were so crowded that I predict several incidents will occur if it is not addressed. We visited the area twice at opening and once about 1.5 hrs befor closing. The wand shop/ owl post area is just insane. No order or crowd control once you are inside. Universal is LOSING money because of this. Even though people are pushing around to get what they want many more ( like me) just gave up making any more purchases because it just wasn't worth fighting crowds. In fact we gave up trying to just get a wand (you can get one without going through the wand show) when lo and behold the wand my daughter wanted was sitting on a shelf all by itself as we were making our way out. Now I know it was left there by someone who didn't eventually want it, but we decided that the story of the wand choosing US is a better way to look at the experience. Standing in line for an attraction, even the extra ticket 'one in one out method's at least have some semblance of control. If I sauntered to WWOHP and was faced with a 3-4 hr wait I would leave.
I will say that all the employees are trying very hard to be pleasant and glad you are there.
I can see this area expanding to allow for some extra special experiences. Perhaps a dining hall with a sorting hat type of show. I saw a group of very young children dressed in HP robes near the train and the conductor ( one of the few characters doing interactions) performing some kind of impromptu wand ceremony for these young wizards. It was very cute and I can only imagine how memorable that will be for them for years to come.

Last words: I'm glad we went, but it will take a huge overhaul of crowd control and more attractions to get me to go back. The most important thing was experiencing everything with my family and having my children be able to remember my mom running around the parks with us.

This is eloquently stated.

Thanks for this perspective.