shark6495 Posted February 10, 2010 Share Posted February 10, 2010 that may actually be one of my favorite rides at Universal... again I have not been back since oh 96? maybe around then. They were building Islands of Adventures at the time. And by building it I remember walking along a boxed in corridor and look out and seeing mud..... Plus Spider Man and Hulk were in the regular park and a behind the scenes tour..... oh the good old days.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted February 10, 2010 Share Posted February 10, 2010 The Super Bowl ad: http://adage.com/brightcove/single.php?title=64893292001 For those who have not seen it.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted February 11, 2010 Share Posted February 11, 2010 http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1631678/story.jhtml Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jzarley Posted February 11, 2010 Share Posted February 11, 2010 ^ No wonder people are confused and thinking this is an entirely new park instead of a new area in IOA. The author of the article obviously is... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted February 11, 2010 Share Posted February 11, 2010 Yeah...I wondered who would notice that first.... See also: http://www.hollywoodlife.com/2010/02/10/harry-potter-theme-park-sneak-peak/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shark6495 Posted February 11, 2010 Share Posted February 11, 2010 go gaga on their wizard sticks? man that article actually made me not want to go to IoA.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delirium_Guy Posted February 11, 2010 Share Posted February 11, 2010 Hopefully, Ripsaw won't get a reprofiling along with its remodeling.... Hopefully not. As of right now, there are no indications that is taking place. It got a major reprofiling several years ago when it went down for rehab. What I'd like to see them do is come up with a better lapbar system, ugh! Its horrible! - Todd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marlfox_21 Posted February 11, 2010 Share Posted February 11, 2010 I'm sorry, but I thought after the second movie, HP was just really boring and uninspired. It is not the movies that are amazing in the 1st place. It is the series of 7 books. The books are written in such a way that only someone too lazy to finish reading them could say that they are not from one of the most creative minds to ever touch paper. Her ability to put words together and create visuals is nearly unmatched. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RingMaster Posted February 11, 2010 Share Posted February 11, 2010 I thought the show building for the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride was big from the ground level--it looks even more massive from the air! Speaking of which, have there been any detailed rumors anywhere of exactly what this ride is expected to be like? I know it uses the new "robot arm" simulator vehicle, but I've heard very few details about the ride itself. (This seems to be a very well kept secret this time around...) I was there in late January and thought at the time late March for a soft opening seemed like a stretch, but who knows... (I'm frequently impressed by how quickly the later stages of construction can move--especially with motivated management.) From what I can understand, the Forbidden Journey utilizes the Kuka robotic arm (the Harry Potter dark ride was nicknamed Project Strongarm for this) and places it on a roller coaster track. Pretty much Spiderman taken to the next level (minus the 3D). Details on the actual plotline of the ride are still under wraps, but a scenic fabricator who worked on the attraction posted a Harry Potter ad on their website (which was taken down a few days after it was put up) which had concept art of the dark ride, most specifically, a portion of the ride layout themed to the Forbidden Forest with an encounter with Aragog (a giant spider from Chamber of Secrets who, along with a huge family of spiders, dwell in said forest). All in all, no one really knows what to expect from the ride until it opens in the Spring. No one's even sure what the actual ride cars will be themed to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RailRider Posted February 11, 2010 Share Posted February 11, 2010 I was shocked to see the Potter add during the SuperBowl. Universal needs to all out market blitz for Potterland so folks plan on going to it specifically and are not there for Disney and see the billboards for Potter. It will be interesting to see what the weeks ahead bring marketing wise for IOA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkroz Posted February 11, 2010 Share Posted February 11, 2010 EDIT: As always, I've rambled. Sorry! I am so worried about how this may work out: The Wizarding World is (as you said) being billed as its own park. At some point, no matter how you slice and dice it, it's three rides (two of which have been at the park, operating, for ten years). Yes, it's "all about the experience", but so are most of the Florida parks. Boil down Islands of Adventure (consistently called one of, if not the best theme park in the United States) and you've essentially got three coasters, three water rides, and two dark rides. As far as "e-ticket" attractions, that's about it. Most Florida parks break down the same way, resulting in a lot of the overall experience being in shops and restaurants. But after claiming there's a complete park waiting for visitors... Let's not forget, Universal's marketing department has gotten itself in trouble before... Remember that Universal Studios Escape mishap that ended up leaving Islands of Adventure with less than expected (and less than deserved) attendance for years? And now this - though the ideas of a "Harry Potter park within a park" was quickly pulled from marketing, its now fixed in people's heads that the Wizarding World is some kind of new theme park by Universal. The article Terpy quoted above even mentioned 'the new park opening on Universal's Island of Adventure,' as if there's one giant Island of Adventure complex that houses multiple theme parks. I think the marketing department has to do some cleaning up right now. Mark my words, I'll be there shortly after opening, as I'm sure many others will be as well. But the extraordinary wait times that will build when three rides (only one of which is new) are touted as an entire theme park dedicated to one of the world's hottest trends... Wow. Though I'm sure Universal Express Pass won't be accepted at HPATFJ, I'm not even sure it'll do much good at the rest of the rides... Imagine the line for Spiderman when guests encounter a four-hour + wait for Harry Potter... On another note, I'm extraordinarily happy to see Dudley under rehab. Islands was, is, and likely will remain my favorite theme park, but it is starting to show its age (nothing to be ashamed of after ten years). Jurassic Park is quite literally depressing from how its fallen into disarray, Hulk is rusting and badly in need of some wheel tightening or something, and the Lost Continent (once the most prominent and incredible of the Islands) is left with two slowly-decaying shows as its only attractions. A park-wide rehab is extraordinarily necessary (and indeed, probable) since the last decade has been spent improving the Studios (Mummy, Simpsons, Men in Black, Rocki, Blue Man Group, etc.) while Islands has been left to skate on its "ahead of its time" slogan. As it is today, though, time is catching up, and hopefully Potter will lead the park back into the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RailRider Posted February 11, 2010 Share Posted February 11, 2010 I would be shocked if IOA doesn't look refreshingly new this year with Potter opening. Like Vortex did with DB opening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RingMaster Posted February 11, 2010 Share Posted February 11, 2010 I was shocked to see the Potter add during the SuperBowl. Universal needs to all out market blitz for Potterland so folks plan on going to it specifically and are not there for Disney and see the billboards for Potter. It will be interesting to see what the weeks ahead bring marketing wise for IOA I've know they've been marketing Potterland like crazy in the UK for weeks now, yet them just now starting to market the 'park' nationally is a bit of a gamble considering it was announced two years ago. Though, with all due respect, Uni rarely does national commercials anymore; the last one I remember seeing was way back when Blue Man Group came to the Studios (I have yet to see a commercial involving The Simpsons Ride, but Shrek 4D still gets all the glory whenever they DO air a spot). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted February 11, 2010 Share Posted February 11, 2010 Add to all this, IF the NBC Universal sale to Comcast goes through (and no one knows how likely that is), the park will have a new owner (along with its current partner, Blackstone). How long Comcast (or XFinity as it wants to be known) will keep the parks and how much it will be willing to invest in them (as opposed to how much profit it wants to divert from them) are both huge unknowns. There are those who would say the Comcast deal is very, very unlikely. It could have a huge effect on Uni's theme parks if it happens... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jzarley Posted February 11, 2010 Share Posted February 11, 2010 My gut feeling is that the Comcast deal (XFinity--really? Do they really think changing the name will make people forget how frequently the cable goes out? <g>) will ultimately go thru. (Yeah, the congressional committee is rattling the cages right now, but that's not unusual at this point in the process.) However, I think that puts more of a question on what will happen to the parks than if the deal did not go thru... Back when Comcast was trying to take over Disney (and helping seal Eisner's fate at the same time), Comcast said their plan for the Disney parks was to either sell them to a third party, or spin them off as their own IPO. If they were so ready to get rid of the theme park business at Disney, where parks/resorts are a very important component of the overall enterprise, what does that say about NBC/Universal where they don't have nearly the business unit importance? Since Blackstone has a "right of first refusal" if NBC/Universal wants to unload their share of the parks (at least for Orlando...not sure what would happen to Hollywood), hopefully they would acquire the remaining 50% and fold them into their growing theme park empire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diamondback FOF Posted February 11, 2010 Share Posted February 11, 2010 go gaga on their wizard sticks? man that article actually made me not want to go to IoA.... I remember a Gaga lady singing about something of the sort... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtl2013 Posted February 15, 2010 Share Posted February 15, 2010 I just saw the commercial for the Harry Potter area of Universal. I have to say, their recreation of Hogsmede Village looks intense! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delirium_Guy Posted February 19, 2010 Share Posted February 19, 2010 A little more information regarding the opening..... http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/features_orlando/2010/02/universal-offering-harry-potter-packages-that-kick-in-may-28.html - Todd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtl2013 Posted March 7, 2010 Share Posted March 7, 2010 Has anybody gotten any new info on the Potter part of Islands of Adventure?? like if they are on schudual, and things of that nature. I just want to know, because i will be going down for thanksgiving, and will definatley be going there and checking out all the potter themed things! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delirium_Guy Posted March 7, 2010 Share Posted March 7, 2010 Has anybody gotten any new info on the Potter part of Islands of Adventure?? like if they are on schudual, and things of that nature. I just want to know, because i will be going down for thanksgiving, and will definatley be going there and checking out all the potter themed things! You should be safe. Last I heard, they had ramped up construction with longer hours and some additional crews to speed things along. Dragons have finally shut down for their final transformation, which is tentatively scheduled to last through March 17, I believe. When I was there yesterday, Hogsmeade is very quickly closing up the gaps. Rumor has it that the first phase (Hogsmeade)will soft open in late March / early April in an effort to grab attention from the busy Spring Break crowds. We'll see soon enough! - Todd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtl2013 Posted March 8, 2010 Share Posted March 8, 2010 thanks for the info! im excited either esy, because we are going to disney as well as universal, in the 5 days of the trip, so if I cant get to the potter park, well i will just have to deal with it....haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delirium_Guy Posted March 8, 2010 Share Posted March 8, 2010 thanks for the info! im excited either esy, because we are going to disney as well as universal, in the 5 days of the trip, so if I cant get to the potter park, well i will just have to deal with it....haha You said you are going to Universal and that if you didn't make it to the Potter Park you'd have to deal? You DO realize Wizarding World of Harry Potter is just a re-theme of the existing Lost Continent section located in Universal's Islands of Adventure, right? :-) So if Universal is on your agenda, so is Potter! It is NOT a new theme park....despite what Universal's marketing team may be telling you :-) - Todd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkroz Posted March 8, 2010 Share Posted March 8, 2010 It is NOT a new theme park....despite what Universal's marketing team may be telling you :-) - Todd More like, despite what they used to say and then quickly pulled... But it's a bit too late, because news stations and publications ran with it. Though there is no official opening date yet announced, Universal does have special Harry Potter vacation packages (including breakfast at the Three Broomsticks, a commemorative ticket, etc) that go into effect May 28th, 2010. Last I heard, Rowlings team had filed legal documents with Universal that promised it would be open by June 18th or thereabouts (probably because it was originally to soft-open in December, and still hasn't). Perhaps that was done because of the grand-opening-atrocity that was / is Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit next door. As I recall, it was slated to be open for Spring Break 2009, but only recently began to operate its moving walkway (and still doesn't have all of its trains on the track)! Of course, even if the official grand opening date does come around to be May 28th, it may soft-open before that. The rides are just advertised as being in "technical rehearsal," so you're not guaranteed to get every single effect in working order (but then again, when are you?) and the ride may stop and start throughout the course, etc. I would be wary of them opening the big ride (Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey) for an extended length as a soft-opening, but as Delirium Guy said, it wouldn't be unreasonable to see Hogsmeade and Dragon Challenge open for spring break. I'm currently planning on being at Universal Orlando from the 19th to the 26th of May, but might push that back a few days so I have more of a guarantee. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtl2013 Posted March 8, 2010 Share Posted March 8, 2010 Oh yeah haha, sorry. I kinda forgot for a second. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted March 19, 2010 Share Posted March 19, 2010 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RingMaster Posted March 25, 2010 Share Posted March 25, 2010 061810 Yet another date to add to your calendar of growing events in the theme park world, as today, Universal Studios unveiled the Grand Opening date for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Islands of Adventure to be June 18th, 2010. Later today, details will emerge on their new dark ride, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, being hailed as the most groundbreaking ride ever created since Spiderman, on the official Wizarding World website. However, a few of the HP fansites already have detailed reports on the ride, so if you want to remain surprised about it (or just wait to hear it straight from the horse's mouth) then DON'T click on these links: http://www.the-leaky...hogwarts-emerge http://www.mugglenet...pfjreview.shtml http://www.snitchsee...une-18th-71678/ 061810 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jzarley Posted March 25, 2010 Share Posted March 25, 2010 ^ It sounds fantastic. (I never could resist reading a spoiler ) I really hope this expansion turns things around for Universal Orlando...they had a miserable drop in attendance last year. (Obviously, a good portion of that can be attributed to the economy, but I wonder how many others postponed trips waiting for the opening of Harry Potter?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkroz Posted March 25, 2010 Share Posted March 25, 2010 Universal's marketing team is on crack. I mean, think about it: They have one of if not the best themed amusement park in the United States, even in the Americas, with Universal's Islands of Adventure. When it first opened, they really screwed up the marketing with "Universal Studios Escape." No one understood that it was a resort, and that Islands of Adventure was a second gate (they went to the other end of the marketing spectrum when they "inadvertantly" advertised the Wizarding World as a third gate). But ever since it opened in 1999, what have you heard about Islands of Adventure? Likely, nothing. The only new attractions it opened in a decade were a teacups ride (Storm Force Acceleration) and a Vekoma kids coaster (The Flying Unicorn). In over a decade, that's literally all. The marketing halted. And for a while, the park continued to glide on its own merits. Spiderman, The Hulk, etc. drew folks in. But now, the park's "grandeur" has fallen; Hulk is, by most accounts, unridable but for the front row; Poseidon's Fury's water Vortex (the thing that made it stand out) is gone; the paint was (until recently, thanks to Potter re-invigorating the park) chipping and fading across the park... Sure you might say "Well they didn't really add anything because they were saving up for Potter!" While the restaurants and shops and all will be fantastic, once its all said and done there's only one more attraction in the park: Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. Dragon Challenge (Dueling Dragons) and Flight of the Hippogriph (Flying Unicorn) both already existed in the park... I am SO excited for The Wizarding World and very pumped for the new ride, don't get me wrong - I'm just pointing out how ridiculously the park was marketed and handled. It reminds me of Six Flags Worlds of Adventure. The only difference is, Six Flags could only "coast" for so long after it's massive expansion (X-Flight, Batman: Knight Flight, Superman: Ultimate Escape, and The Villain all in two years) and Universal's larger initial investment (Spiderman, Dueling Dragons, incredible themeing, Seuss) has allowed it a longer period. When I went in January, the park closed at 5, and everything was a walk-on by 2. I know that's sort of typical for January, but in a park like Islands, it shouldn't be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted March 25, 2010 Share Posted March 25, 2010 And who owns a good part of Universal in Florida? Blackstone. Just something to ponder...that and NBC Universal...the latter is selling to Comcast.... The future of Universal Theme Parks is very much in doubt. More so than that of Cedar Fair, in my humble opinion... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RingMaster Posted March 25, 2010 Share Posted March 25, 2010 Which one would hope Mr. Potter and his Pals should be Universal's ticket to finally getting attendance up at the park (in Orlando, at least). Despite the lack of concrete details surrounding the actual technology behind the ride, you have to admit it sounds as if it'll be the next great leap in the dark ride experience, much like Spiderman did more than 10 years ago (even though only one knock-off was created outside Uni). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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