Universal + Harry Potter...It's Official!

[damo]

There is already a sorting hat at the park entrance. It sends the people from the Disney side of these boards to a separate special park where smoking, beer drinking trolls toss trash on the streets as they abuse the guests.

Ah, you fit in so well here.

 

[Notatourist]

What's going to be very interesting is rerouting people who work there. Ack!

 

[ChrisFL]

As for the train to the employee parking lot and new attraction, I would venture to guess that area will also include shopping and possibly additional dining options.

ooh, a train to the employee parking lot, thats nice...at MK you have to take a bus to employee parking!

 

[ADP]

Our mock-up including the parking lot area.

Hey Damo! What's up with this?? I can't believe you did this....What are you doing on these boards!? You need to be in Orlando on Universal's Design Team!

The one thing I would love to see some day is an on-site hotel based on Hogwarts near the Harry Potter themed land. ...Now that would be awesome!

 

[gtr2002]

Hey all, first post. This is what has been being discussed on other related forums and links (see below)

"h**p://img358.imageshack.us/img358/8103/ioawwohpek7.jpg"

My understanding is that work will commence Sept/Oct this year on the new development area to the rear of the park where the major new attraction will be situated in a newly constructed area (Strongarm). The development of the area between Flying Unicorn and Jurassic Park into Forbidden Forrest will also commence late this year/start of next year. I assume the thinking behind this is minimal peak season disruption. This includes rethemeing of Flying Unicorn which will close during this period and the development of a new restaurant facility and shops/attractions within this area.

The redevelopment of Sinbad into a new Potter themed attraction will begin early summer 2008 (Apr/May?). I have been unable to find further details of this however on various sites I have found rumors of an “Interactive Adventure Show”.

The main redevelopment of Dueling Dragons to Hogwart’s Castle and the main Lost Continent plaza to Hogmeade’s Village will run through Sept/Oct 08 to Mar/May 09, again I assume to minimize disruption in that area.

Also, in the pic below has anyone else noticed what seems to be track which i have highlighted in red?

"h**p://img367.imageshack.us/img367/415/newridejm0.jpg"

I have included some press releases where some info has been referenced


Various Google Searches (postcount too low apparently!)

 

[Fan2CSkr]

Hey all, first post. This is what has been being discussed on other related forums and links (see below)

"h**p://img358.imageshack.us/img358/8103/ioawwohpek7.jpg"

My understanding is that work will commence Sept/Oct this year on the new development area to the rear of the park where the major new attraction will be situated in a newly constructed area (Strongarm). The development of the area between Flying Unicorn and Jurassic Park into Forbidden Forrest will also commence late this year/start of next year. I assume the thinking behind this is minimal peak season disruption. This includes rethemeing of Flying Unicorn which will close during this period and the development of a new restaurant facility and shops/attractions within this area.

The redevelopment of Sinbad into a new Potter themed attraction will begin early summer 2008 (Apr/May?). I have been unable to find further details of this however on various sites I have found rumors of an “Interactive Adventure Show”.

The main redevelopment of Dueling Dragons to Hogwart’s Castle and the main Lost Continent plaza to Hogmeade’s Village will run through Sept/Oct 08 to Mar/May 09, again I assume to minimize disruption in that area.

Also, in the pic below has anyone else noticed what seems to be track which i have highlighted in red?

"h**p://img367.imageshack.us/img367/415/newridejm0.jpg"

I have included some press releases where some info has been referenced


Various Google Searches (postcount too low apparently!)

Posting pics for you.

 

[patster734]

Hopefully they'll have a passholder event when this opens!

 

[msgrimm23]

i cant wait i show the blue prints it looks cool

 

[Fan2CSkr]

There is already a sorting hat at the park entrance. It sends the people from the Disney side of these boards to a separate special park where smoking, beer drinking trolls toss trash on the streets as they abuse the guests.

 

[damo]

Hey all, first post. This is what has been being discussed on other related forums and links (see below)

"h**p://img358.imageshack.us/img358/8103/ioawwohpek7.jpg"

My understanding is that work will commence Sept/Oct this year on the new development area to the rear of the park where the major new attraction will be situated in a newly constructed area (Strongarm). The development of the area between Flying Unicorn and Jurassic Park into Forbidden Forrest will also commence late this year/start of next year. I assume the thinking behind this is minimal peak season disruption. This includes rethemeing of Flying Unicorn which will close during this period and the development of a new restaurant facility and shops/attractions within this area.

The redevelopment of Sinbad into a new Potter themed attraction will begin early summer 2008 (Apr/May?). I have been unable to find further details of this however on various sites I have found rumors of an “Interactive Adventure Show”.

The main redevelopment of Dueling Dragons to Hogwart’s Castle and the main Lost Continent plaza to Hogmeade’s Village will run through Sept/Oct 08 to Mar/May 09, again I assume to minimize disruption in that area.

Also, in the pic below has anyone else noticed what seems to be track which i have highlighted in red?

"h**p://img367.imageshack.us/img367/415/newridejm0.jpg"

I have included some press releases where some info has been referenced


Various Google Searches (postcount too low apparently!)

those tracks are Dueling Dragons.

 

[damo]

Hey Damo! What's up with this?? I can't believe you did this....What are you doing on these boards!? You need to be in Orlando on Universal's Design Team!

The one thing I would love to see some day is an on-site hotel based on Hogwarts near the Harry Potter themed land. ...Now that would be awesome!

That's my son's doing. He'd love to be on Universal's Design team and is studying engineering and design to do exactly that.

 

[damo]

Hey all, first post. This is what has been being discussed on other related forums and links (see below)

"h**p://img358.imageshack.us/img358/8103/ioawwohpek7.jpg"

My understanding is that work will commence Sept/Oct this year on the new development area to the rear of the park where the major new attraction will be situated in a newly constructed area (Strongarm). The development of the area between Flying Unicorn and Jurassic Park into Forbidden Forrest will also commence late this year/start of next year. I assume the thinking behind this is minimal peak season disruption. This includes rethemeing of Flying Unicorn which will close during this period and the development of a new restaurant facility and shops/attractions within this area.

The redevelopment of Sinbad into a new Potter themed attraction will begin early summer 2008 (Apr/May?). I have been unable to find further details of this however on various sites I have found rumors of an “Interactive Adventure Show”.

The main redevelopment of Dueling Dragons to Hogwart’s Castle and the main Lost Continent plaza to Hogmeade’s Village will run through Sept/Oct 08 to Mar/May 09, again I assume to minimize disruption in that area.

Also, in the pic below has anyone else noticed what seems to be track which i have highlighted in red?

"h**p://img367.imageshack.us/img367/415/newridejm0.jpg"

I have included some press releases where some info has been referenced


Various Google Searches (postcount too low apparently!)

I don't think Dueling Dragons' castle will be converted to Hogwarts. It doesn't work into their picture or the plan. Take a look at my photo with the conceptual artwork worked in. It works exactly. I believe that Hogwarts will be completely on its own beside Flying Unicorn. http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=18943882&postcount=136

 

[ChrisFL]

this is all fun to think about...I just wish there was a good recreation of IOA on Rollercoaster Tycoon 3, then we could really get to work changing things to see how it would look.

 

[lindalinda]

Looking at the concept pics of hogwarts, the scale with the "people" shown it looks huge. it looks like there is an open area after the entrance. i think there will be several things inside. Besides a restaurant, maybe a tour of the whole thing, classrooms, staircases, dungeons, owlery etc. Kind of like the swiss family robinson treehouse.....but way way better.

 

[MorningGlory]

damo, thanks! I was looking at the promo pics and sat pics and couldn't work it out. Your overlay looks perfect

If ever I needed a reason to return (apart from Discovery Cove, Warbirds Adventures, KSC and a dozen other things that slipped my mind) this will be it.

You could almost hear the conviction in the statements from the Universal people - they simply cannot afford to screw this up. To do so could screw up the whole of UO because of the negative publicity.

For that reason, plus perhaps more significantly JK's input, I think this is going to be the place for all others to envy.

Now, wouldn't it be amazing if Disney attempted to emulate it by building a whole LOTR world

 

[Eoywin]

I'm pretty geeked to here about this - my co-worker told me about it this morning, but I'm kinda sad that I'll have to break it to her that it's not a whole HP theme park but a part of IOA.

I've never been to UO or IOA - we are going to UO for the first time on our trip in September/October - not doing IOA because it didn't appeal to me as much as UO and the Disney parks.

I'm going to try and convince the hubby that we need to go back sometime after the HP stuff opens - looks very cool!!

 

[damo]

this is all fun to think about...I just wish there was a good recreation of IOA on Rollercoaster Tycoon 3, then we could really get to work changing things to see how it would look.

I asked my son if he had heard of one, but he hasn't.

 

[goofy!]

I don't think Dueling Dragons' castle will be converted to Hogwarts. It doesn't work into their picture or the plan. Take a look at my photo with the conceptual artwork worked in. It works exactly. I believe that Hogwarts will be completely on its own beside Flying Unicorn. http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=18943882&postcount=136

Which is backed up by the FAQ on the Universal site that says that guests will be able to visit their favorite places both within the castle and on the grounds. If the castle is the queue for DD, it might be hard to also have areas you can visit in it.

 

[ChrisFL]

I really doubt the castle would be the queue for DD, though it would be strange to have 2 castles that close to each other...

Anyway, yes, I've seen a lot of news sites reporting it as a new theme park entirely...that will cause some confusion

 

[Fan2CSkr]

I wonder if they will keep part of the current DD castle structure and expand upon it. Make it Hogwarts but also an area dedicated for the queue. It really doesn't make any sense to have two castles. Unless the coaster will get a new queue all together that wont be castle related.