Wizarding World of Harry Potter Expansion Announced - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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Wizarding World of Harry Potter Expansion Announced
Universal Parks and Resorts and Warner Bros. have announced that they plan a "significant expansion" of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando Resort. No further details were revealed.
The announcement was made concurrently with the announcement that The Wizarding World of Harry Potter will also be coming to Universal Studios, Hollywood.
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Great news! I am not sure where they have the room, but I think adding a non-thrill ride for people who can't/won't ride them would be a good addition! Let us know when you have more details, Dave.
Beth, the rumor mills (and Screamscape) are predicting that the expansion will be the "London" side of the Harry Potter universe, including King's Cross Station where you'd go to Platform 9 3/4 to board the Hogwarts Express that would then take you to Hogsmeade.
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Very interesting and I did wonder if that had something to do with the annoucement about Jaws closing, although looking at Google maps, I can't see how they'd link the two, without demolishing a heck of a lot of buildings.
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No problem re-purposing the Jaws lagoon... they'll transport everyone to Hogwarts using the Durmstrang ship. Or maybe portkey. Flue Network? Side-along apparition? Enchanted motor vehicles? Kestrels? Knight Bus? Flush toilet? (JKR has quite a thing for novel modes of transportation, doesn't she?)
Too bad Disney didn't get the HP franchise. It would have been so easy to re-theme Wildlife Express to Rafiki's Planet Watch into Hogwart's Express to Hagrid's Hut (Care and Feeding of Magical Beasts and Herbology would fit perfectly) and update Triceratop Spin with hippogriffs and kestrels. Soarin' Over Hogwarts would have been E-ticket all the way.
It's a world of witches a world of charms
And a Potter spell only stuns or disarms
Where the dragons take flight
And the basilisks bite
It's a Wiz World after all!
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I really need to read these books - as most of this thread all sounds like goobly gook to me!
Don't worry, you're not alone in that... although I'm with Dave - it would've been amazing if Disney had got the franchise and I can see how Rafiki's Planet Watch would've worked out perfectly for that.
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DH and DD pointed out that Jaws is in one park and WWoHP is in the other. How could they make new HP stuff in US and connect ( we figure by train) without everyone having to have park hoppers? No more single park tickets?
I suggested in another thread it'd be like boarding the Disneyland Monorail in DTD - use your park pass to access Platform 9 3/4. Maybe they'd all become two-park tickets, but I suspect that, if they essentially turned two parks into one, folks would say, "Why should we pay $120 to go to Universal, when one day at Disney is so much cheaper?" I suspect Disney could have a marketing field day with this one - picture of Cinderella Castle on one side, with a big $85, and a picture of Hogwarts on the other side, marked $120. Captioned: "Walt Disney World Resort: More Magic per Galleon!" In the end, you can only experience so many attractions in a day. It comes down to, "Do I want to pay $140 extra so my kids can ride the Hogwarts train?"
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I've heard from a friend that works at IOA (and local rumor mills) that they will be doing away with the Sinbad and Poseidon's Fury area of the park to expand the WWoHP. Whatever they do, it will be epic, because WW is amazing.
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Brandi
Bakelins chillin' at the pool after a fun week at Disney!
I'm glad to hear they are expanding because WWoHP is the only thing getting me to go to US/IOA next year. I'm wondering where they are going to put the new area at US Hollywood . . .
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I too went on google maps to scope it out, and all i can see are a lot of buildings between the two
although I'm with Dave - it would've been amazing if Disney had got the franchise and I can see how Rafiki's Planet Watch would've worked out perfectly for that.
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