Wizarding World = Meh

[macraven]

No one knows. Or rather, those who know aren't talking... nothing has been announced, nor has the idea of a phase 2 even been publicly discussed. It's all speculation, but the belief is that WWoHP will eventually take over the Lost Continent area including the areas currently used by the Sinbad stunt show and the Poseidon attraction. All of which makes sense to me, but who knows what'll really happen...

but Mythos will still be there.

 

[schumigirl]

I hope they don`t lose the talking fountain.....I really like that, having missed it for years!!!

 

[damo]

Maybe we'll hear something during the big festivities this weekend about an expansion.

 

[zack123]

I hope they don`t lose the talking fountain.....I really like that, having missed it for years!!!

The talking fountain is a lot of fun. If they do have to take it out, it would be great if they replaced it with a HP-themed object that is similar.

It would be great to have a Sorting Hat that talks back to you - don't know if it could actually sort people though, so much of that is based on your personal attributes, which would be hard to determine.

Or a portrait you could actually have conversations with like in the books/movies.

Or maybe the castle spirits? Would love to see Peeves the Poltergeist play pranks on people.

 

[jnjusoioa]

Maybe we'll hear something during the big festivities this weekend about an expansion.

That could be, good thinking!!! We all know the expansion will happen so it would be nice to know what Universal's plans are, even more so for those of us who will probably never get to London to see the studios, that would be cool but I am sure I will never get to see it, but can't wait to see photos once it opens.

 

[macraven]

Mystic Fountain aka talking fountain will probably be on the chopping block.

that 'talking fountain' is in the middle of the bazaar section that leads into parry hotter.

i would hate to see Jurassic Park changed when potter is expanded.



i truly adore the Mystic Fountain.

i always plan to stay an hour when he is having his fun with the audience.
it is such a hoot!

 

[7SeasSailor]

I don't think that Harry Potter will disappear anytime soon.

 

[Sheaky]

I am flying in April 11, 2012. I am staying at AKL, but I am considering taking my 8 and 11 year old girls to Universal for Harry Potter. Would it be worth it going for the rest of the day we fly in? We arrive around 10:30.

 

[damo]

I am flying in April 11, 2012. I am staying at AKL, but I am considering taking my 8 and 11 year old girls to Universal for Harry Potter. Would it be worth it going for the rest of the day we fly in? We arrive around 10:30.

Spring break is crazy. It is tough to say how much you'll be able to get done.

 

[DisneyLoverUSA]

Mystic Fountain aka talking fountain will probably be on the chopping block.

that 'talking fountain' is in the middle of the bazaar section that leads into parry hotter.

i would hate to see Jurassic Park changed when potter is expanded.



i truly adore the Mystic Fountain.

i always plan to stay an hour when he is having his fun with the audience.
it is such a hoot!

My 3 kids were right up front and he started squirting them and kidding with them..played trivia with them and cracked jokes with him. It was an amazing little show. Who ever is behind the voice is very quick witted and comes up with really funny stuff in a split second.

The first time we passed it, it was making a water gurgling noise, really loud and whistling and snoring. I didn't know it was the fountain until we came back and it was talking. I video taped almost the whole time he was chuckling it up with my kids.

If I ever go back I will try to see the fountain again as well as WWOHP.

 

[DisneyLoverUSA]

My whole family are Potter fans and we loved WWOHP. It was just like in the movies. The crooked Chimneys, the snow on the roofs, the TINY little shops. And the Butter Beer was to die for. I wish they sold it in grocery stores. But I am curious why they won't give you a straw with the liquid one. They say because it will foam up real bad if you stick a straw in it. Why? If it is that unstable what could it possibly be doing to my stomach when I drink it? (It was really good though) I didn't TEST the tale that a straw will make a mess in the Butter Beer. We tried frozen and liquid and my family liked frozen while I liked original better. We didn't try Pumpkin juice because I don't like Pumpkin anything, let alone juice made from one.

DS bought a wand at a wand stand out in the open. Not at Olivander's. DH and son did go in the back door of Olivander's and look at the wands but there is no way we were standing in line 30 minutes to watch that nano second of a wand show. I watched it on You Tube and I got claustrophobic just seeing all those ppl jammed in there like sardines.

I have put a bug in DH"s ear that maybe some time next year he and I can go back CHILDLESS and see Sea World, Busch Gardens and go back to IOA and see WWOHP again. He loved it too. I don't have anything bad to say about it. But we also had great weather and low crowds (10/27-11/5)

OP it seems like you had super HIGH expectations for what was going to be there and when it didn't measure up you felt the let down. But even a tiny bit of research will turn up descriptions and pictures of what is back there and what isn't.

 

[PartofDisney'sWorld]

My whole family are Potter fans and we loved WWOHP. It was just like in the movies. The crooked Chimneys, the snow on the roofs, the TINY little shops. And the Butter Beer was to die for. I wish they sold it in grocery stores. But I am curious why they won't give you a straw with the liquid one. They say because it will foam up real bad if you stick a straw in it. Why? If it is that unstable what could it possibly be doing to my stomach when I drink it? (It was really good though) I didn't TEST the tale that a straw will make a mess in the Butter Beer. We tried frozen and liquid and my family liked frozen while I liked original better. We didn't try Pumpkin juice because I don't like Pumpkin anything, let alone juice made from one.

DS bought a wand at a wand stand out in the open. Not at Olivander's. DH and son did go in the back door of Olivander's and look at the wands but there is no way we were standing in line 30 minutes to watch that nano second of a wand show. I watched it on You Tube and I got claustrophobic just seeing all those ppl jammed in there like sardines.

I have put a bug in DH"s ear that maybe some time next year he and I can go back CHILDLESS and see Sea World, Busch Gardens and go back to IOA and see WWOHP again. He loved it too. I don't have anything bad to say about it. But we also had great weather and low crowds (10/27-11/5)

OP it seems like you had super HIGH expectations for what was going to be there and when it didn't measure up you felt the let down. But even a tiny bit of research will turn up descriptions and pictures of what is back there and what isn't.

You should try the Pumpkin Juice. I hate everything pumkin too, but I LOVE the Pumpkin Juice! It tastes more apple-ish to me than pumpkin.

 

[DOOM1001]

You should try the Pumpkin Juice. I hate everything pumkin too, but I LOVE the Pumpkin Juice! It tastes more apple-ish to me than pumpkin.

It tastes like hot apple cider with pumpkin thrown in and chilled,tried it once and I won't be getting it again,not horrible but just not my favorite taste.Now Butterbeer is great.

 

[jnjusoioa]

So I guess there were no big announcements made this weekend for the Wizarding World. Such a shame. Was just curious, since I know I am not alone in my Harry Potter obsession, what do other fans do to keep themselves interested and amused after reading the books so many times and watching the movies?? Any advice would be helpful. Thank You.

 

[SnapesGirl]

But I am curious why they won't give you a straw with the liquid one. They say because it will foam up real bad if you stick a straw in it.

Yes- this is very true! I made the mistake of putting a straw in the liquid one and it went everywhere. The foam on top just started bubbling and expanding.. it was a like a mini volcano! Not sure why though!

 

[cigar95]

So I guess there were no big announcements made this weekend for the Wizarding World. Such a shame. Was just curious, since I know I am not alone in my Harry Potter obsession, what do other fans do to keep themselves interested and amused after reading the books so many times and watching the movies?? Any advice would be helpful. Thank You.

There are lots of good books out there *about* the books that might give you interesting new ways to think about them. I'd recommend books by John Granger, Elizabeth Baird Hardy, and/or Travis Prinzi.

All three of them also enjoy email correspondence with their readers - something that Rowling could never hope to find the time to do.

 

[jnjusoioa]

There are lots of good books out there *about* the books that might give you interesting new ways to think about them. I'd recommend books by John Granger, Elizabeth Baird Hardy, and/or Travis Prinzi.

All three of them also enjoy email correspondence with their readers - something that Rowling could never hope to find the time to do.

For real, oh my, where do I buy these?? This will just further my obsession I am sure but can hardly wait.

 

[jnjusoioa]

There are lots of good books out there *about* the books that might give you interesting new ways to think about them. I'd recommend books by John Granger, Elizabeth Baird Hardy, and/or Travis Prinzi.

All three of them also enjoy email correspondence with their readers - something that Rowling could never hope to find the time to do.

Hi There, did an amazon search for these authors and saw so many books, are there any that you recomend?? Which ones would you start with?? Also are they in any kind of order? Thank you so much.

 

[TDC Nala]

The detail and theming are magnificent but the area is very small and is going to be very crowded, as that's what people are coming to see. It's easy to say don't waste time waiting in line for Ollivanders until you arrive and you have someone in your party who REALLY wants to see Ollivanders. And I've never seen a line to get into a theme park store just on a regular day before - but they have them at WWOHP and people are gladly waiting in line to go shopping. You can buy a lot of the merchandise elsewhere in the park without bothering to enter the stores...so I think a lot of them just want to see the stores.

I think a lot of guests are expecting a bigger area and not just a small section of a theme park but once you get it in perspective they have done wonderful things with that section.

I think a better example would be Star Wars. No new films have been out in decades and there were never any books

There are loads of books based on the Star Wars universe, it's just that the books are based on the films, instead of the other way around (does it really matter if the books came first?). And there is the animated series, the Clone Wars. Both my nephews love Star Wars.

 

[cigar95]

Hi There, did an amazon search for these authors and saw so many books, are there any that you recomend?? Which ones would you start with?? Also are they in any kind of order? Thank you so much.

I would start with John Granger's "How Harry Cast His Spell" - it's a good overview of the whole Harry Potter world, and what it is about the stories that made them so popular. Also includes a book-by-book series of chapters on how each individual book includes the various themes.

If you're really into literature and analysis, "Unlocking Harry Potter" is one that John has referred to as "The English Major's Geek Guide to Harry Potter."

And then if you're a big fan especially of the last book, "The Deathly Hallows Lectures" is all about . . . .. well, you can probably figure that one out.

One thing to be careful of with Granger is that he keeps rewriting his books and giving them new names - so I would steer away from anything older than about 2006, because there's probably a newer version of it.

The best book by Prinzi is probably "Harry Potter and Imagination", which tells us a lot about storytelling - it will teach you about how to enjoy some other stories in the same way you enjoyed the Potter books, by talking about what was so captivating about Harry's tale.

I will also have to admit that I've not read any books by Elizabeth - I just know her through some of her blog postings. (In fact, now that I look at her titles on Amazon, she doesn't have any Potter books at all. Her CS Lewis book is supposed to be very good, I understand.)