What my Niece has heard (She's a CM)

[Tinker'n'Fun]

Many of the workers are speculating on the announcement and changes that are coming. As for the announcement they are pretty sure that part of the FantasyLand project will be opening parts as soon as March 2012 and on the other front (Universal) Harry Potter World will go through a major expansion that extends to both parks via the existing ride.

I thought I would put it out there and see if my niece and her friends were right. Also the 24 hours open was a given she says as they are aware of "longer shifts".


Okay, now I just sit back and wait to see if we are on target or if we missed it by a mile!

 

[ChrisFL]

To me that sounds quite feasible.

The Harry Potter stuff is all but confirmed now (see screamscape's latest update)

The part about most of Fantasyland opening by March...if you've seen the construction pictures, they're working FAST(!) and I thought for sure they were pushing up the timeline to open stuff sooner.

 

[jpgpmpcp]

I hope part of Fantasyland opens in March!!! We will be there March 13-20 and would love to experience it

 

[skiingfast]

The first phase of the FLE is confirmed by Disney to be open in the
Summer. Since this was stated a couple days ago I doubt they are on target for Spring Break.

 

[Golf4food]

The first phase of the FLE is confirmed by Disney to be open in the Summer.

Meh, summer starts in April in Florida anyway.

 

[sweetmarieT]

My familys going in Feb. My youngest is super excited for Harry Potter World and her wish is to meet Harry Potter, get her wand and wear her very own Slytherin robe.

 

[ASteelersMidget]

My familys going in Feb. My youngest is super excited for Harry Potter World and her wish is to meet Harry Potter, get her wand and wear her very own Slytherin robe.

So you're going to Disney, US, and IOA???

 

[eeyorethegreat]

My familys going in Feb. My youngest is super excited for Harry Potter World and her wish is to meet Harry Potter, get her wand and wear her very own Slytherin robe.

You can not meet[/I] Harry Potter at the Wizarding World. You might want to make sure she is managing her expectations on that one. She can see the actors in Forbidden Journey but she can't actually meet any of them.
Since the post was a little confusing, you realize Universal and Islands
of Adventure are not Disney theme parks right?

 

[DanBoris]

The first phase of the FLE is confirmed by Disney to be open in the
Summer. Since this was stated a couple days ago I doubt they are on target for Spring Break.

Actually parks of the Storybook Circus section are confirmed to be opening mid-February.

As for Harry Potter, Universal officially announced the expansion of it in Orlando at the same time they announced it was coming to Universal Hollywood, and although not official it's seems pretty clear it will be expanded to Universal Studios with some additions to the Islands of Adventure Side. There is a persistent rumor that there will be a Hogwarts Express train connecting the two parts, but this has not been confirmed yet.

Dan

 

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

...and on the other front (Universal) Harry Potter World will go through a major expansion that extends to both parks via the existing ride.

Actually, there is no existing ride between the two Universal Orlando parks. The rumored train would be something entirely new.

BobK/Orlando

 

[Dznefreek]

My familys going in Feb. My youngest is super excited for Harry Potter World and her wish is to meet Harry Potter, get her wand and wear her very own Slytherin robe.

You do know there are no walk around Potter characters . . . . . .

 

[lafogg]

My familys going in Feb. My youngest is super excited for Harry Potter World and her wish is to meet Harry Potter, get her wand and wear her very own Slytherin robe.

It sounds like your family will have a wonderful fun-filled trip! I hope it's is everything you and your daughter are looking forward to--I'm sure it will be better!!

Leslie

 

[mike the canuck]

The part about most of Fantasyland opening by March...if you've seen the construction pictures, they're working FAST(!) and I thought for sure they were pushing up the timeline to open stuff sooner.

Where can I see the most recent pics of the Fantasyland construction?

 

[anthony2k7]

Where can I see the most recent pics of the Fantasyland construction?

mousesteps had the most recent iv seen

http://www.mousesteps.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=735&Itemid=65

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

Actually, there is no existing ride between the two Universal Orlando parks. The rumored train would be something entirely new.

BobK/Orlando

My niece works for Disney and was more excited about this rumor more than anything else. I have not been there nor do I understand the park/ride, but it is a ride that is already in existence and will take you from one park to the other. She made it sound like a MAJOR change that would require quite some time. Now I will need to read more over here, and look at the sites provided with some of the information already out there.

I took pictures of the construction via Dumbo in December, I will upload them here. Some one can tell me if they are really ahead of time if my pictures are good enough.

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

Here are my pictures, sorry, I am not a great photographer.

 

[ASteelersMidget]

My niece works for Disney and was more excited about this rumor more than anything else. I have not been there nor do I understand the park/ride, but it is a ride that is already in existence and will take you from one park to the other. She made it sound like a MAJOR change that would require quite some time. Now I will need to read more over here, and look at the sites provided with some of the information already out there.

I took pictures of the construction via Dumbo in December, I will upload them here. Some one can tell me if they are really ahead of time if my pictures are good enough.

Wait. She works for Disney and has inside knowledge on Universal and IOA? I'm confused.....

 

[DanBoris]

My niece works for Disney and was more excited about this rumor more than anything else. I have not been there nor do I understand the park/ride, but it is a ride that is already in existence and will take you from one park to the other. She made it sound like a MAJOR change that would require quite some time. Now I will need to read more over here, and look at the sites provided with some of the information already out there.

I took pictures of the construction via Dumbo in December, I will upload them here. Some one can tell me if they are really ahead of time if my pictures are good enough.

There are no existing rides at Universal that would make sense for conneting the parks together, especially not rides in the Harry Potter area. Wizarding world has two roller coasters which wouldn't work, and extending Forbidden Journey for that purpose would be totally impracticle, not to mention that they couldn't afford to close that ride for any period of time until Phase 2 is complete.

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

Wait. She works for Disney and has inside knowledge on Universal and IOA? I'm confused.....

She originally did the College Program and made many friends. She came back and finished her degree, but realized her heart is in Disney. She is trying to make it down there. Many of her friends that were in the college program now work at Universal and IOA, many of the other hotels/resorts in the area. So she has a little bit of information from each area. And as I stated, it is in the rumor area, because, while she felt they were confirmed information, in reality, it really is just a rumor.

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

There are no existing rides at Universal that would make sense for connecting the parks together, especially not rides in the Harry Potter area. Wizarding World has two roller coasters which wouldn't work, and extending Forbidden Journey for that purpose would be totally impractable, not to mention that they couldn't afford to close that ride for any period of time until Phase 2 is complete.

You could be 100% correct. I am just relaying what she said to me, and since I have never been there, I am just a messenger.... BUT, the ride Forbidden Journey sounds familiar and the one I think she said would be the connection and that the whole Harry Potter area would be extended at the other park that it currently is not in. So I guess we will all just sit back and see. She did tell me to wait to go to see Harry Potter until the changes were made, so I think she really believes what she told me. She knows that it would be a once in a lifetime for me and would want me to get my moneys worth!