Disney takes a punch as Universal unleashes details of its Harry Potter land
Filed under: Extracurriculars, Travel, Celebs & Money
Disney has had its thunder stolen again. Just hours after it announced a major new expansion of the Magic Kingdom's Fantasyland, in 2012, its main rival Universal Orlando unleashed a host of details about its newest area: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, created with the participation of author J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros, is a new land being constructed all at once at Universal's Islands of Adventure park. Incidentally, that's the same park that also has an entire land based on Marvel Comics characters, which also draws guests away Disney using what is now, painfully, a Disney property.
Tom Felton, who plays Draco Malfoy, was on hand to help with the announcements, which were made in a live webcast. "It's going to blow some serious minds," he gushed of the assiduously faithful project, before finally giving an official opening date: spring 2010. That's ahead of the schedule that people had been expecting, and it gets the jump on Disney's giant new project by a full two years.
That means that next spring, Universal will become the hottest destination in Orlando, leaving Disney with nothing much major to promote for another two years. If the past year is any guide, Disney will likely prop up its attendance numbers with a run of package discounts and vacation incentives. Harry Potter may just have waved his magic wand over Disney pricing.
Universal broadcast an animated walk-through of the new land, which looks nearly exactly like the Hogsmeade of the movies. Among the attractions will be a Hogsmeade Station (complete with steaming Hogwarts Express locomotive), The Owlery and Owl Post (where owls roost and where guests can send mail "with a certified Hogsmeade postmark"), and the Oliivanders wand shop ("where the wand chooses you," although Universal didn't explain just how).
Souvenirs and food will also ape the books: Zonko's joke shop for Sneakoscopes and Extendable Ears, Honeydukes sweet shop for chocolate frogs and Bertie Bott's Every-Flavour Beans, Dervish and Banges for Quidditch equipment (read: tee-shirts), and the vaulted Three Broomsticks restaurant and The Hog's Head pub, serving Butterbeer and pumpkin juice. Expect souvenirs such as remote-controlled Golden Snitches
The land's two entangled roller coasters, Dragon Challenge, are really just a renaming of Dueling Dragons, which already exist, as is Flight of the Hippogriff, a kiddie-coaster "flight over grounds of Hogwarts" that used to be The Flying Unicorn.
Universal withheld one major aspect of Wizarding World: almost anything about the bazillion-dollar flagship ride, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. It will be housed in a huge facsimile of Hogwarts Castle, the base of which is already towering over Islands of Adventure. Universal promises "brand-new technology" that will dazzle "in ways you've never experienced before," but it's saving the details (except for the fact that there will be a Gryffindor's Common Room inside) for later.
Some rumors say riders will travel through the cavernous building in robotic arms. But Universal is waiting to tell. Perhaps we'll hear two days after Disney makes its next big announcement.
Tom Felton, who plays Draco Malfoy, was on hand to help with the announcements, which were made in a live webcast. "It's going to blow some serious minds," he gushed of the assiduously faithful project, before finally giving an official opening date: spring 2010. That's ahead of the schedule that people had been expecting, and it gets the jump on Disney's giant new project by a full two years.
That means that next spring, Universal will become the hottest destination in Orlando, leaving Disney with nothing much major to promote for another two years. If the past year is any guide, Disney will likely prop up its attendance numbers with a run of package discounts and vacation incentives. Harry Potter may just have waved his magic wand over Disney pricing.
Universal broadcast an animated walk-through of the new land, which looks nearly exactly like the Hogsmeade of the movies. Among the attractions will be a Hogsmeade Station (complete with steaming Hogwarts Express locomotive), The Owlery and Owl Post (where owls roost and where guests can send mail "with a certified Hogsmeade postmark"), and the Oliivanders wand shop ("where the wand chooses you," although Universal didn't explain just how).
Souvenirs and food will also ape the books: Zonko's joke shop for Sneakoscopes and Extendable Ears, Honeydukes sweet shop for chocolate frogs and Bertie Bott's Every-Flavour Beans, Dervish and Banges for Quidditch equipment (read: tee-shirts), and the vaulted Three Broomsticks restaurant and The Hog's Head pub, serving Butterbeer and pumpkin juice. Expect souvenirs such as remote-controlled Golden Snitches
The land's two entangled roller coasters, Dragon Challenge, are really just a renaming of Dueling Dragons, which already exist, as is Flight of the Hippogriff, a kiddie-coaster "flight over grounds of Hogwarts" that used to be The Flying Unicorn.
Universal withheld one major aspect of Wizarding World: almost anything about the bazillion-dollar flagship ride, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. It will be housed in a huge facsimile of Hogwarts Castle, the base of which is already towering over Islands of Adventure. Universal promises "brand-new technology" that will dazzle "in ways you've never experienced before," but it's saving the details (except for the fact that there will be a Gryffindor's Common Room inside) for later.
Some rumors say riders will travel through the cavernous building in robotic arms. But Universal is waiting to tell. Perhaps we'll hear two days after Disney makes its next big announcement.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
9-16-2009 @ 6:05PM
samantha said...
i cant wait to go see it when its done
Reply
9-16-2009 @ 7:11PM
John said...
Disney World hasn't really done anything to blow my mind for years, about time someone sent them stumbling back.
Reply
9-16-2009 @ 8:54PM
Zippertheslipper said...
I am all juiced up reading this about the Harry Potter theme section at Universal and I was hoping that they would come out with a theme location from the movie Doom, which starred The Rock.
Reply
9-17-2009 @ 8:41AM
Dan said...
I don't know but I think that anything that will bring tourists back to Orlando will be a good thing for all of us in Florida including Disney. This state is hurting pretty bad right now. We have record numbers of foreclosures, huge unemployement rates, and we rely heavily on tourism which is suffering because people around the world are putting vacations on hold or taking them more locally. IF Harry Potter gets more people to make the trip to the area I am sure the mouse will figure out a way to get them to visit him while they are in town.
Reply
9-17-2009 @ 10:14AM
Ed said...
I was excited when I heard Universal's Islands of Adventure was adding the Harry Potter area. However now that the official review is out it appears there will be only 1 "new" ride Harry Potter and the forbidden Journey, the other 2 have been or still are operating in the park now.....The Flight of the hippogriff ride is nothing more than a reconstruction and dress up of the flying unicorn ride, and the Dragon challenge is nothing more than the Dueling Dragons renamed. I know there will be interactive stores and the restaurants will look great ect, but we love rides more than anything, and opening a whole new Island and actually having only 1 new ride is disappointing in my opinion. Disney could have had Harry Potter theme park rights in 2006 but for whatever reason didn't go through with it. I'm sure if Disney would have gotten the rights it would not be refaced or renamed rides in its attraction's...Again our family of 4 love Universal and Islands of Adventure this is just my opinion as a fan, and we will be back however as a fan im a little disappointed they could have done so much more. As for the spring 2010 opening, 4 words Hollywood Rip-ride rocket, also due for a spring 2009 opening (we went in July 2009) it didn't open til late August I believe.
Reply
9-17-2009 @ 1:44PM
max said...
We just came back from orlando and went to disney and uni, and disney is still so far ahead of uni for real customer service and cleanliness. Uni was dirty, flys everywhere you eat, garbage cans overflowing, expensive.
Reply
9-26-2009 @ 10:40AM
circus tim said...
Just as the movies were a let down from the books, so will the park be a disapointment to readers, No animation can match the human mind. The Harry Potter franchise will draw from around the world, and I predict a lot of magicians will use park as backround for tv specials, and that will sell a lot of props in magic shops
Reply
9-26-2009 @ 4:00PM
Pansy said...
so how much will admission be then?? It is so expensive now I cannot think of what the price will be then.......we took 2 granddaughters and a grandson to universal last month and it cost over $500.00 to get into the two parks for the day ....and they closed at 6pm.......I would of thought they would of been open till at least 9pm...........it rained and we missed going to the second park......but i have to say the Simpson ride was awesome as was the Spiderman!! Please get rid of "Twister" what a disappointment.
Reply
9-27-2009 @ 2:38AM
Ron said...
Disney has become a waste of time and money. Every time my family convinces me to give it another try I get disapppointed with gigantic lines to get into rides that last 5 minutes. Crowds of people bumping into me at every turn. Paying $5.00 for a slice of Pizza or $7.00 for a turkey leg or $4.00 for a coke. etc etc. Disney is all about making stockholders rich. Period end of discussion. Its about their bottom line. Dosney reminds me of the airlines who have reduced the size of the seats in their planes to squeeze a few more bucks out of the public. Who cares how uncomfortable the public is, because it is all about profit, profit and more profit.
I for one shall never return to Disney, to me it is a huge rip off and a waste of hard earned money.
Walt Disney would be ashamed at what the greedy board members have turned Disney into.
I love some of their movies. At least I can pop in a DVD in the peace and quiet of my home, aside from that. Disney World and Disneyland are memories
I for one shall never return to Disney, to me it is a huge rip off and a waste of hard earned money.
Walt Disney would be ashamed at what the greedy board members have turned Disney into.
I love some of their movies. Disney World and Disneyland are memories of places that used to be great 35 years ago.
Reply