Disney's Reaction to Harry Potter Details?

[rubysparky77]

New details about Universal Orlando's Wizarding World of Harry Potter and its signature attraction, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, have just been released, and it sounds like this attraction will offer one of the most immersive experiences offered by any theme park.

http://www.mugglenet.com/erichpfjreview.shtml

Harry Potter is going to attract enormous crowds to Islands of Adventure and the Universal Orlando Resort in general, reducing the number of visitors Disney normally counts on.

What do you think Disney is going to do to compete? Summer Nightastic and the Fantasyland expansion, as great as they sound, might not be significant enough to challenge Harry Potter. Do you think they might have something planned that they were waiting to announce for when ride details about HP and the Forbidden Journey were revealed?

 

[TalkingHead]

What do you think Disney is going to do to compete?

Add a couple of "E-ticket" Meet and Greets. I can hardly wait!!

 

[sponono88]

thank you for the link. it sounds like the queue alone will be very impressive! can't wait to hear more about the ride.

 

[Omnimover]

What do you think Disney is going to do to compete?

At the moment? Nothing. They'll just sit back and enjoy the surge in their own attendance that all those people visiting the Orlando area for Harry Potter brings. They know that 95% of those planning trips to visit Harry will make WDW a stop on that trip as well. Universal will get big press for the summer, but the money will be spread around. To paraphrase an advertising slogan: "When theme parks compete, everybody wins."

All that being said, that article just made me salivate for Forbidden Journey about 8 times what I already was. I'll be curious to see what kind of safety restraint they'll be using. The article author made a pretty big deal about the warnings about ride intensity.

 

[RandySavage]

A couple more reviews and press release.

http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/2...to-open-june-18-details-about-hogwarts-emerge

http://feltbeats.com/2010/03/24/universal-orlando-unveils-harry-potter-and-the-forbidden-journey/

The press release says the entire Forbidden Journey experience, including queue, pre-shows & ride takes "about an hour."

The early reviews are making the queue alone sound extraordinary - and I am not a Potter book or film fan in any way.

Obviously, it is to early to know, but this is seemingly to 2010 what Indiana Jones Adventure or Tower of Terror were to the mid-1990s: a bar-raising, game-changing mega-attraction that will draw big crowds.

It will be very interesting to see how this effects WDW's bottom line.

Categorizing WDW tourists:

1. A family that would have otherwise gone elsewhere, say, the Grand Canyon, plans a special trip to WDW because of Potter. Disney bottom line up.

2. A family plans a trip to WDW regardless of Potter but will now spend at least one day at IoA instead of, say, DHS. Disney bottom line down.

My family falls into the 2nd category. We are going to WDW regardless in 2011. We will spend at least 1 day at IoA because of Potter fans in the family (and it looks like it will be amazing). Without Potter, we would have stayed on WDW property for the entire 5 days.

Here's hoping for significant damage to WDW's bottom line that starts an "arms race". Dust off that Beastly Kingdomme model, Glendale!

 

[RandySavage]

Double post

 

[King Panda 77]

A couple more reviews and press release.

http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/2...to-open-june-18-details-about-hogwarts-emerge

http://feltbeats.com/2010/03/24/universal-orlando-unveils-harry-potter-and-the-forbidden-journey/

The press release says the entire Forbidden Journey experience, including queue, pre-shows & ride takes "about an hour."

The early reviews are making the queue alone sound extraordinary - and I am not a Potter book or film fan in any way.

Obviously, it is to early to know, but this is seemingly to 2010 what Indiana Jones Adventure or Tower of Terror were to the mid-1990s: a bar-raising, game-changing mega-attraction that will draw big crowds.

It will be very interesting to see how this effects WDW's bottom line.

Categorizing WDW tourists:

1. A family that would have otherwise gone elsewhere, say, the Grand Canyon, plans a special trip to WDW because of Potter. Disney bottom line up.

2. A family plans a trip to WDW regardless of Potter but will now spend at least one day at IoA instead of, say, DHS. Disney bottom line down.

My family falls into the 2nd category. We are going to WDW regardless in 2011. We will spend at least 1 day at IoA because of Potter fans in the family (and it looks like it will be amazing). Without Potter, we would have stayed on WDW property for the entire 5 days.

Here's hoping for significant damage to WDW's bottom line that starts an "arms race". Dust off that Beastly Kingdomme model, Glendale!

Just wondering whether you will be staying at a Disney resort oir offsite?

 

[Tinkwings]

Personally I have no desire to ever leave the parks on my trip to Florida....sure I would love more awesome new attractions at WDW....but to me staying in the magic it beholds is what makes my trip most relaxing. Think the only way I would consider going to Universal is if I by some fluke won a free trip to go just there....that isn't going to happen....:animwink:. So I am content to listen to a friends take on the new Universal stuff whom loves WDW very much and is going to be checking out HP on a trip down for a wedding this summer. That is about the extent of my curiousity about the whole thing.

 

[DisneyJoe]

2. A family plans a trip to WDW regardless of Potter but will now spend at least one day at IoA instead of, say, DHS.

Some of these type will add a day to their WDW trip to visit IoA, others will replace a WDW day, as you suggest.

Many of those who are already at a WDW resort may not necessarily move to a Universal resort just for one night...

I see some impact to the WDW bottom line, but I believe it will be minimal.

 

[Monty]

I think Disney will most likely benefit by HP. In my case [an option that wasn't considered] I'll be staying two weeks on-site at WDW in August instead of my usual one in order to include HP in my trip. WDW might lose a little because I'm staying in a Value this time, but being as I'm staying longer and probably eating more on property, they'll still come out ahead.

Universal benefits as well by us getting two premium APs for our stay. Their premium tickets are the best fit for our plans.

 

[Figment632]

Add a couple of "E-ticket" Meet and Greets. I can hardly wait!!

Yup there is no competition FLE will not compete. This would only be part of a way to compete, to really compete they need something big in each park. The following would compete with WOHP with out a doubt imo.

1. MK: FLE, and Indy in AL
2. DHS: Expand Pixar STudios
3: DAK: MI, Journey to the Center of the Earth
EC: Add a new country or an E Ticket to WS. Or JII over haul.

If they did this all at once forget about HP.

 

[xdan0920]

I fall into another category. The category of Disney has already lost me for a minimum of 1 night every trip down. Beginning last year I have made a commitment to spend at least 1 day and night at Universal.

I used to be a Disney snob always looking down my nose at Universal, but with all TDO's decisions being poor ones lately, I decided to check out Uni. Soooo glad that I did. They have a nightlife spot for adults, they have many new rides that are all immersive and quite excellent. A lot of their established rides that are comparable to Disney rides, such as the raft rides, are much better. I still love the mouse, but Uni has got me at least part time. WWoHP will probably have me spending two full days at Universal rather then 1 day and a night.

And thats not going to change in 2012 with the addition of 5 year old girl forest.

 

[Dinoman96]

If you read my Dark Times topic, you how I feel right now. I thought Harry Potter would tell Disney to get off their fat and stop playing World of Warcraft....but it isn't doing much. :/

 

[bstiles]

I work with people who are huge HP fans and plan on going to IOA just for Potter. They have no intentions on going to disney, they are under the impression that disney is for family and little kids.

 

[NewtoDisney2009]

The HP ride looks AWESOME!!!! I'm so excited that it takes "about an hour" as well. I think it will be an incredible experience. Disney is going to have to step it up!

 

[Figment632]

The HP ride looks AWESOME!!!! I'm so excited that it takes "about an hour" as well. I think it will be an incredible experience. Disney is going to have to step it up!

Don't worry you can mee every Princess under the sun in WDW!

 

[DisneyJoe]

I work with people who are huge HP fans and plan on going to IOA just for Potter. They have no intentions on going to disney, they are under the impression that disney is for family and little kids.

These people wouldn't go to Disney anyway, so Disney isn't "losing" them to HP.

 

[Thrill Seeker]

I am beyond stoked for Harry Potter. Forbidden Journey sounds like the most incredible attraction ever designed and I cannot wait to ride it. Wizarding World will draw huge crowds from all over the world to see the masterpiece of a land that Universal has created.

The impact that it has on Disney will be substantial, but I'm 90% sure Disney will not try to come back with any surprise announcement. Besides, since Disney owns Marvel, they will get a portion of every ticket sold to Islands of Adventure.

If Harry Potter proves to be a stronger force than Disney expected, I can see them announcing a new E-ticket perhaps in the fall. I'd say all signs point to Epcot or Animal Kingdom for that, since those two parks need new attractions. No guarantees though...

 

[Animaniac93-98]

I work with people who are huge HP fans and plan on going to IOA just for Potter. They have no intentions on going to disney, they are under the impression that disney is for family and little kids.

I was just talking to a friend yesterday who said that she's been to Florida every year pretty much, but has never been to WDW because her parents think it's just for kids (though she wants to go).

We're very biased when it comes to our feelings of WDW.

However I wouldn't be able to guess the size of those who just go to Universal or how many are WDW goers who will alter their trips to accommodate a Universal visit.

This summer will be very interesting.

 

[ChrisFL]

The impact that it has on Disney will be substantial, but I'm 90% sure Disney will not try to come back with any surprise announcement. Besides, since Disney owns Marvel, they will get a portion of every ticket sold to Islands of Adventure.

Um, are you sure about that? I thought they only got a cut of Marvel merchandise sold in IOA