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

[damo]

You know what would be HOT? If they modified the dueling dragon's ride somehow... so that instead of just dangling under the ride, you were "sitting" on a broomstick. That ride would be spectacular, you could look down and feel like you were actually flying a broom over hogwarts! Crazy.

Also, could someone post another link to the map that someone made. I couldn't find it.

Thanx so much!

I wouldn't be surprised if DD got new trains that are decked out more along the new storyline that goes with the ride.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Whoever mentioned that Wizard of Oz could not sustain a park in itself. There is a Wizard of Oz park here in North Carolina called "Land of Oz". It opened in 1970 and closed in the 80's. It reopened again in the 90's and reopens seasonally each year after that.

You've made my day. I used to love that park, when I was young. It was a shame they had to shut it down. I had no idea it had been reopened. Did you visit the park in it's early years? If so, how does it compare now? Have they added anything? Taken anything away? We're going to NC in early August, & we'll definitely be visiting LOZ.


On a different subject, I vote that any HP threads started in the future be closed, instead of merging with this one. This thread became way too confusing. JMO

 

[gtr2002]

new altered map

h**p://img515.imageshack.us/img515/8241/twwohpfinalru3.jpg

(please post, thanks)

 

[Metro West]

Pretty please...pictures, pictures for those of us stranded hundreds of miles away.

and great post. I am looking forward to the updates and how it comes together.

I was over there today for a while and all I could think about as Fire let go of the lift hill and started me on my journey was....WOW....just think what this area will look like in two years.

 

[Buzz Litebeer]

Is this why we have video games with LEGO Star Wars characters?

Well, there are also Harry Potter LEGO sets...

I'm thinking more of the Star Wars Dental Floss and Star Wars Bubble Bath type-products.

 

[Buzz Litebeer]

Will it be that you can visit classrooms or will you just pass by "windows" as you queue in line for the new ride? However, I can't imagine that the only way to experience Hogwarts would be to queue for a ride. Perhaps the ride is in the mountain and the dining hall and classrooms are in the castle above. Universal would only have to build one building but it would take care of 2 needs/attractions. Building up would be a great way to maximize what little space they have to fit everything in.

Well, here's a comparison between Hogwarts as seen in the films, and as seen in the concept art:

As you can see, it doesn't look like they're planning on constructing the entire castle -- just portions of it. Specifically, it looks like they're leaving off the bits I highlighted in yellow here:

I'm willing to bet that the parts of the castle facing the back of the park (where only "team members" can see it) will likely be unfinished.

I'd also love for them to have a big-ticket dining experience and show in the Great Hall -- my money's on a sorting ceremony where the guests would be sorted into different houses before the meal, and sit at their designated house's table for an all-you-care-to-eat meal served family-style (which is pretty much how the Start-Of-Term Feast is described in the books -- and depicted in the films). Sadly, I doubt that they'll be served by House-Elves. Alas, this is probably wishful thinking... but wouldn't that be something!

I know that I'm looking forward to buying a big box of Honeydukes chocolate and washing it down with some butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks in 2009.

 

[damo]

Well, here's a comparison between Hogwarts as seen in the films, and as seen in the concept art:

As you can see, it doesn't look like they're planning on constructing the entire castle -- just portions of it. Specifically, it looks like they're leaving off the bits I highlighted in yellow here:

I'm willing to bet that the parts of the castle facing the back of the park (where only "team members" can see it) will likely be unfinished.

I'd also be surprised if they don't have a big-ticket dining experience and show in the Great Hall -- my money's on a sorting ceremony where the guests would be sorted into different houses before the meal, and sit at their designated house's table. Sadly, I doubt that they'll be served by House-Elves.

The kids in the high school across the street won't get much of a view.

I listened to the entire podcast today and the creative control guy said he would like to see the common room, dark arts classroom and Dumbledore's office in the castle. It would be neat just to have it as the castle and not something else inside like a ride.

 

[Buzz Litebeer]

new altered map

I'll be really surprised if Hogwarts Castle is up by this fall.

 

[Buzz Litebeer]

I listened to the entire podcast today and the creative control guy said he would like to see the common room, dark arts classroom and Dumbledore's office in the castle. It would be neat just to have it as the castle and not something else inside like a ride.

Perhaps... but I think it's taking up too much space and is too much of a draw for it to house only a few static set walk-throughs. As big as it is, I can't imagine it not housing shops (Hogwarts School Stores, for example), a restaurant (The Great Hall Feast), and an attraction -- perhaps the new dark ride? They could call it "Journey Into the Forbidden Forest"... guests would travel in horseless carriages (ok, thestral-drawn) though the forest on a path Hagrid has declared to be "safe". There, guests are menaced by Acromantulas, werewolves, dementors and separatist centaurs... only to be saved thanks to the timely interventions of Hagrid, Fang, and Grawp (which would give them a chance to recycle the Kong animatronics ).

 

[damo]

Perhaps... but I think it's taking up too much space and is too much of a draw for it to house only a few static set walk-throughs. As big as it is, I can't imagine it not housing shops (Hogwarts School Stores, for example), a restaurant (The Great Hall Feast), and an attraction -- perhaps the new dark ride? They could call it "Journey Into the Forbidden Forest"... guests would travel in horseless carriages (ok, thestral-drawn) though the forest on a path Hagrid has declared to be "safe". There, guests are menaced by Acromantulas, werewolves, dementors and separatist centaurs... only to be saved thanks to the timely interventions of Hagrid, Fang, and Grawp (which would give them a chance to recycle the Kong animatronics ).

But that would never happen INSIDE the castle. I think they are trying to keep the integrity of the school intact. I think if there is a ride in the castle it will have to be about something that would actually happen in the castle.

 

[muffyn]

looking at the satellite views, they are so cool. does anyone know when they are taken or are they updated.. so we could possibly see the change in the area over the next 2 years?

 

[robvia]

I dunno, everyone has taken the one picture and over laid it onto the existing satellite picture. This is great, but the press release said they'll be using the employee parking lot.

The area directly across from Deuling Dragons is not the parking lot, but is actually used for animal care. I have a horse and know what a muck stall looks like. People say where are horses at Universal? They're in the parades, and the mess has to go somewhere.

So most drawings put the castle in the land behind Pizza Predatoria, and then have a train going to the employee parking lot for a ride. Do you think JK would allow the train to go somewhere other than the castle? No. So what if the castle ends up in the employee parking lot? What if that picture is something they told an artist to draw and said, 'Here, put all this stuff on one page and don't worry where it goes.'

The video said 'over 20 acres' and the press release said the employee parking lot would be used. I think the castle will go in the corner. What they can basically do, is take the trains from Earthquake, move them next to Sinbad, and have them run out to the castle. They could put the entire thing indoors. Then it can't be rained out during the summer when it rains every day at 4pm.

 

[Colleen27]

I have mixed feelings about this one. I read a comment in the newspaper that compared Harry Potter to the Wizard of Oz, that they were both classics and would be around for many years. That may be true. However, who would want to go to a Wizard of Oz theme park? Back in the 1930's, when the big movie came out, there would probably have been a market for one, but at this point, you might get one good attraction out of it, not even a whole section of a theme park.

So let's say HP has the same staying power as WoO. How much interest will there be ten years from now? Will HP be more of a nostalgia classic, and the kids, tweens and teens be totally into something else? Until the series is over, and we move ahead 10-15 years, we won't know if it has any staying power at all, or if there will be a new "hero" with escapades to follow.

Harry Potter isn't really comparable to Wizard of Oz at all. If I were going to draw a parallel with a time-tested movie franchise, it would be Star Wars. Wizard of Oz is a classic in its own way, but Harry Potter, like Star Wars, follows the hero cycle of classic mythology and thus appeals to a far wider audience. You don't have to be a member of the generation that saw Star Wars when it was new to be a fan, and you don't need to be a die hard fan to understand the appeal. That's why the patterns of hero's journey stories have persisted from the legends of Odysseus and Arthur through to films like Star Wars and Harry Potter - the themes appeal to basic human nature and as such are not as easily relegated to the category of passing fad as most books and movies, especially those intended for children.

Star Wars - a 30 year old story now - is still popular enough to bring out countless fans for Star Wars Weekends at MGM (not to mention the bigger gatherings that took place this year for the 30th anniversary!). I think Harry Potter will fall into that category too, as time goes by. I don't know that it could sustain its own park in the sense of the Oz park that has been talked about, but as a subsection of a park that already has quite a bit to offer? I don't see this being a bad investment for Universal, that's for sure.

 

[kenban]

looking at the satellite views, they are so cool. does anyone know when they are taken or are they updated.. so we could possibly see the change in the area over the next 2 years?

Normally they are several years out of date and its not something that is updated very often. There are companies that sell current updated images online but normally you have to purchase several square miles at a time. I suspect about the fastest we could get updates is every 6 to 12 months and each set of photos would be several thousand dollars.

EDIT: I should point out there is an easier and cheaper way to get good photos from the air. Just take a Helicopter tour for example this company its only $35 per a person.

 

[mumzie2three]

Harry Potter isn't really comparable to Wizard of Oz at all.

I disagree. I find it comparable in several ways. First of all they are both a series of books. Secondly the theme of friendship and love is comparable. Plus there is the magical element in both stories (witches in one and wizards in another).

 

[gtr2002]

I dunno, everyone has taken the one picture and over laid it onto the existing satellite picture. This is great, but the press release said they'll be using the employee parking lot.

The area directly across from Deuling Dragons is not the parking lot, but is actually used for animal care. I have a horse and know what a muck stall looks like. People say where are horses at Universal? They're in the parades, and the mess has to go somewhere.

So most drawings put the castle in the land behind Pizza Predatoria, and then have a train going to the employee parking lot for a ride. Do you think JK would allow the train to go somewhere other than the castle? No. So what if the castle ends up in the employee parking lot? What if that picture is something they told an artist to draw and said, 'Here, put all this stuff on one page and don't worry where it goes.'

The video said 'over 20 acres' and the press release said the employee parking lot would be used. I think the castle will go in the corner. What they can basically do, is take the trains from Earthquake, move them next to Sinbad, and have them run out to the castle. They could put the entire thing indoors. Then it can't be rained out during the summer when it rains every day at 4pm.

There has been no official or *supposedly* official mention of a train being used. This is only speculation and, as I wouldn't really class this as a major attraction, i'm sure if it were to be included, it would have been shown on concept art. If you look at this image (h**p://img515.imageshack.us/img515/8241/twwohpfinalru3.jpg) you can see that the new ride will be in the car park and incorporate a rethemed sinbad. According to various other *supposedly* official sources, the car park (with the removal of the highlighted buildings) will pretty much become the forbidden forest. Whether or not the forest will be indoors or not has not been made clear. My *opinion* is that we can expect a similar indoor/outdoor layout to Jurassic Riverboat with possibly a walkthrough of the forest then into sinbad were the Kuka will be. That building is about the right size for a few well themed arms. I also think it is highly unlikly that the layout will differ majorly from the concept art as everything else seems to fit (Hogsmeade, Flying Unicorn (Hippogriff), DD, DD Castle, Bridge to J Park.)

 

[spatenfloot]

I disagree. I find it comparable in several ways. First of all they are both a series of books. Secondly the theme of friendship and love is comparable. Plus there is the magical element in both stories (witches in one and wizards in another).

There are no monkeys in Harry Potter! And no one gets hit with a house.

 

[Buzz Litebeer]

There are no monkeys in Harry Potter! And no one gets hit with a house.

...yet...

 

[Theme Park Diva]

Once again let me state that the actors in the Sindbad show have been told that the show and area is not going anywhere. Universal needs to add more not take away from what they have. Lost Continent will be Mythos, Poseidan, Sindbad and the fountain plus all the vendors and games in Sindbad village (Big Money Makers). I also have heard nothing about the lots behind DD being used. Employee parking could mean any area that currently parks cars. The lot behind DD is not really an employee parking lot. It is used for support personel.

 

[gtr2002]

the first video released clearly states that the area at the back used for emp;oyee parking and support buildings will be used.