Wizzarding World of Harry Potter Phase 2 on the way.

[Timmy Boy]

We just came back from our visit to WWOHP and after all that hype, I was disappointed.
They had a huge chance and missed it.
Sure the themeing of Hogsmeade and Hogwards are nice. But thats it.
The Shops are far to small. No fitting room to try the clothes you like to buy.
Right behind Hogsmeade, the first thing you see is the bare steel of RollerCoaster Number one. Direction to Hogwards you see the bare steel of Coaster Number two.
And "worlds best themepark attraction" FJ is nothing new. Its the same they already did at the spiderman ride. Just another theme.
Far not innovative.
And the most disappointing thing. From the moment you stand in front of Hogwards, you see the big buildings that normally should be hidden.
Things, that Disney would have done better

Okay, I can see your points here. If you're used to being at Disney, where almost ALL of their roller coasters are hidden by theming, then I can see where you'd feel like the magic didn't exist.

Before the Hogsmeade transformation, Dueling Dragon's was much more visible in the area. Now, when walking through Hogsmeade, you can't see it, UNLESS you're looking for it, such as at the entrance, or in line at Hippogriff. However, if you GO looking for track and supports (when you're not in line for it) then you can't say how "you see it everywhere" when you went looking for it.

Hippogriff is stil as visible as Flying Unicorn was, but it is designed as a small attraction. Barnstormer is almost the same layout, and it is out in the open as well. In my opinion, Primevil Whirl is uglier than both Dragons and Hippogriff.

The shops are small, yes. I feel that this is a downfall in the area because it increases the motive to shoplift and people do not want to buy things because they do not want to wait in line. I know Universal's reasoning was because Rowling wanted to keep in authentic. I also think it's because they were pressed with space. It's probably a mixture of both, but I don't know.

However, your report on FJ not being innovative at all? I truly think that even the most die-hard Disney fan, who breaths, eats, and says only Disney would find that ride impressive. Not for the storyline (which I agree is all over the place and does not flow) but for the ride technology.

When you say "the ride is nothing, not innovative at all", I wonder what the programmers would say if he overheard that. You know, the team who actually programmed the ride vehicles. Some of their responsibilities included (but are not limited to):

spent months on that ride,
riding it 1,000's of times,
working 1000's of hours
program the ride movements of the arms into the computer
make sure the arms don't get too close to objects
make sure it is timed with the animation inside the building
make sure it is timed with the domed carousels
make sure the ride stops quickly if there is a Emergency Stop initiated
make sure the arms can be reached via ladder and/or platform in case of an emergency
program the audio into the vehicles
program the lighting that triggers at certain points
program the ADA platform into the vehicles so that they know where to go.
program the track switches to move in and out of position within 7 seconds between vehicles.
Be sure that sprinklers are installed in the building
build fire evacuation routes in case of an emergency
Programming the release and lock mechanisms for the harnesses on almost 50 ride vehicles

This ride is the only type of ride in the entire world. The technology seen in that ride had to be introduced for the first time, and other parks and engineers for theme park rides are looking at that ride and are very impressed with it. That's just the ride. Then the queue had to be designed, the actors had to be filmed and effects timed with them, such as the snow and storm, and the moving book in Dumbledore's Office.

So, point is, a LOT of hard work went into that ride. I wonder how the people responsible for building that ride would feel if they were awaiting your response afterwards, and you pointed up your nose and said "not innovative. Disney would have done it better."

 

[nytimez]

You are quite right that Disney didn't want it.

But Disney DID want it -- very badly. They spent a lot of money wooing JK Rowling only to not get the rights. They can play it however they want in hindsight, but the reality is -- as the other Pete points out -- the company wanted it in the worst way. And Eisner was in fact livid at not getting it -- not only angry over missing out, but angry because he felt he had a deal or something close to a deal with Rowling, only to lose to Universal in the end.

 

[pilferk]

But Disney DID want it -- very badly. They spent a lot of money wooing JK Rowling only to not get the rights. They can play it however they want in hindsight, but the reality is -- as the other Pete points out -- the company wanted it in the worst way. And Eisner was in fact livid at not getting it -- not only angry over missing out, but angry because he felt he had a deal or something close to a deal with Rowling, only to lose to Universal in the end.

From what I've read (though I don't know all of it to be true):

Disney (under Eisner) was, on multiple occasions, CLOSE to deals with Rowling, as far back as 2003. In each instance, something intervened. First it was Rowling's reticence to deal with Disney based on their dealings with Henson (and his estate) and Milne's estate. She worried that similar issues would crop up with Disney when it came time for her heirs to assume control of the Potter holdings. THEN it was the very exacting specifications that Rowling wanted put into the contractual language (similar to the ones in her movie deal). THEN it was the very exacting specifications that Rowling demanded be included in the park, itself. Ultimately, from the reports I've read, it was DISNEY (and Eisner) who decided to take a pass. I don't know if all that's true, but that's what I've seen published.

I'm sure Eisner (and Iger, since the deal with Universal got done in '07, after he had taken over as CEO) was hurt at not being able to get a deal done. Just as he was with Pixar. Ultimately, that kind of thing seems to be at least partially the reason Eisner was shown the door. Still, given the restrictions Rowling was asking for (but doesn't appear to have insisted on when dealing with Universal Studios...that, or she simply relaxed her requests at that point), I"m not sure it would have been a GOOD deal for Disney. Maybe she would have relented, once Iger was at the helm, if he could have reassured her (much as he did Pixar). Maybe her concepts/expectations were tempered by her negotiations with Disney, by the time she got to the table with Universal. I don't know. But I don't think, once Disney passed, that she went back to them when negotiations with Universal started up. Maybe...and maybe Disney simply didn't listen at that point. Again, I don't know.

 

[perdidochas]

Why is it, when I read posts like this, I wonder if that person has actually visited or is just repeating what they think is there.

I mean FJ is nothing at all like Spiderman, and there are not "big buildings" that should be hidden anywhere in Hogwarts

Edit: I always hear "Disney would have done it better", if that was the case, JK Rowling would have went with Disney, clearly they wouldn't have, or she would have chosen them.

Just came back from IOA and Harry Potter. While the earlier poster may not have described it well, she is exactly right. When you are in the massive slow line for FJ, you get taken out of HP, not by the tediousness of the line, but by being able to see the warehouse that is Hogwarts castle. For some odd reason, the themed brick walls stop about 10 feet short of the top of the creme yellow colored warehouse. In addition, the FJ queue (at least on December 22), takes you into Jurassic Park (the back of Pizza Predatoria), and the warehouse that FJ is in. It's disconcerting to walk within 3' of a No Parking sign while in queue. IMHO, the problem is that for some reason (again, at least on Dec. 22), a lot of time was spent in line outside of Herbology, then we rushed through the inside area to get on the ride. Exactly opposite of what should have been done. Admittedly, Hogsmeade was magical, but some very simple things should have been done to maintain the magic.

 

[perdidochas]

I don't think that FJ is that much like Spiderman. Fitting rooms? There are lots of shops at WDW that don't have them. The Future World buildings at Epcot are visible from the World showcase and vice versa.
As we've posted previously anyone looking for disappointment will find it and that goes for any theme park including Disney World.

By buildings, I think she meant the warehouses that are the rides. Disney camouflages these very well. For example, Pirates of the Caribbean is mostly contained in a warehouse on the other side of the railroad tracks from the rest of the MK. The entrance, however is in Adventureland.

The warehouse that contains FJ is not totally concealed. For example, the brick wall on the side of the castle comes about 10 ft short of concealing the warehouse. It's disconcerting to see the creme yellow of the warehouse peaking above the Hogwarts castle walls.

 

[raidermatt]

By buildings, I think she meant the warehouses that are the rides. Disney camouflages these very well. For example, Pirates of the Caribbean is mostly contained in a warehouse on the other side of the railroad tracks from the rest of the MK. The entrance, however is in Adventureland.

The warehouse that contains FJ is not totally concealed. For example, the brick wall on the side of the castle comes about 10 ft short of concealing the warehouse. It's disconcerting to see the creme yellow of the warehouse peaking above the Hogwarts castle walls.

Disney did camouflage these very well in the past. Now, Disney is far less concerned with sightlines. Take a walk around World Showcase for the proof.

That doesn't excuse Universal for those issues with Potter, but if it's a compare and contrast deal then Universal did very well compared to modern Disney.

I'm not going to argue whether Potterland and specifically FJ is innovative or not. In the end, one could claim that every attraction is in one way or another derived from something else.

Whether it's Spiderman 2.0 or not isn't the point. FJ is a well executed E-ticket attraction. Better executed than any attraction Disney has created in a long time. Combined with the rest of Potterland it is a significant undertaking and again, was very well executed. Perfect? No. An example of classic Disney at it's best? No. But still pretty good and a definite couple of cuts above what Disney has been doing.

 

[raidermatt]

I am in complete agreement, there has to be good competition to produce results.

Not true. It is true of how today's Disney has chosen to operate, but there was a time when they considered THEMSELVES to be their primary competition. That their mission was to outdo what DISNEY had done in the past, not wait to see if they needed to up the ante in order to outdo anyone else.

 

[MrShiny]

Disney did camouflage these very well in the past. Now, Disney is far less concerned with sightlines. Take a walk around World Showcase for the proof.

Not sure what you are referring to. I personally find it amazing how well hidden Soarin' is for instance.

 

[raidermatt]

I don't find it any better hidden than most of the things in WW. Then there's the hotels that dwarf the Eiffel tower, and now the hot air balloon visible from Downtown Disney.

How significant these are is another question, but again, as a comparison to WW they both have issues.

 

[Timmy Boy]

Soarin

 

[nytimez]

Soarin

You mean that's not a snowcapped peak in northern Quebec?

 

[pilferk]

You mean that's not a snowcapped peak in northern Quebec?

Or the home of the Toronto Blue Jays??!!

 

[nytimez]

Or the home of the Toronto Blue Jays??!!

Y'know, it does kind of look like that. All they need is a little forced-perspective model of the CN Tower and boom, it's still Canadian... eh?