mikejs78
Premium Member
Are there any actual plans to utilize any of this space?
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Galaxy's Edge popularity vs Potter's popularity
- Thread starter mergatroid
- Start date
Are there any actual plans to utilize any of this space?
There’s always plans. If they happen is another matter.
danlb_2000
Premium Member
Pretty much everything circled in red is fair game now since it has been released from the conservation easement. The exceptions of course are where the new entrance road and the gondola line cut through this area.
NearTheEars
Well-Known Member
That’s probably what worries me the most. Potter really only needed to recreate the sets to wow the fans. But GE will require a large amount of cast/streetmosphere actors to make it work. and they are definitely aplenty in the concept art, but aren’t you afraid that they will eventually start tightening the screws on the budget?
BrianLo
Well-Known Member
Why did you just preface that statement?
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BrianLo
Well-Known Member
I saw someone define the Harry Potter generation as 12-22, that's not true. It was 12-22 when the land came out, now that generation is 20-30 - there is a definite drop off amongst people who were in high school when the books really started to take off in popularity (those born in 85/86 were the line). Now that's not to say we did not manage to make our parents, our aunts, our uncles etc. read the books as a result - at least I did - but as someone who toes that line I find it very strange that anyone within the 1975-1985ish cohort were a little too old and yet not old enough to pick up the craze.
Personally, I love Potter more than Star Wars. Problematically Potter is still a book series, despite the successful translation to movies and theme parks. Until JK starts writing more books though, there is a very large, very real segment of fans that it just doesn't jive with in the same way. One could say those with butts in the seats in 77 maybe feel the same now - but to them SW still was a film franchise before it was anything else.
Star Wars is an older and a bigger franchise though. Even if I do like Potter more it would be insane to suggest other. It simply has been more relevant in more generations for a longer period of time. Nothing quite sticks with you in a crazy nerd-obsession way than what clicked in your formative years. Star Wars has just had more time.
Now here's the rub:
1. Potter's biggest generation (myself at the upper end at the time) really did not have disposable income in 2010. Star War's biggest generation does right now. I was enthusiastic for the Potter theme park announcement well before I was really following the theme park community - but of course it was many years before I personally would see it. It was a matter of when my family went, not when I had disposable income to go and do so.
2. Universal was suffering at the time. We are not talking about Universal today under Comcast - to compare Disney's marketing machine of 2019 to Universal's of 2010 is apples and oranges.
3. To compare Disney's baseline Annual Passholders and tourist visitation numbers in 2019 to Universal's in 2010 is also a David and Goliath situation.
*The only thing stopping SW:GE from blowing the proverbial doors off is a general leeriness of opening day crowds from both a better trained public perspective and a Disney crowd management perspective. Both Disney and the public know it's going to be huge and may implement rolling invites or stay home until it dies down a bit to compensate. Universal did not have that, no one really understood what a phenomenon Hogsmeade would be, everyone showed up opening day without a second thought.
Personally, I love Potter more than Star Wars. Problematically Potter is still a book series, despite the successful translation to movies and theme parks. Until JK starts writing more books though, there is a very large, very real segment of fans that it just doesn't jive with in the same way. One could say those with butts in the seats in 77 maybe feel the same now - but to them SW still was a film franchise before it was anything else.
Star Wars is an older and a bigger franchise though. Even if I do like Potter more it would be insane to suggest other. It simply has been more relevant in more generations for a longer period of time. Nothing quite sticks with you in a crazy nerd-obsession way than what clicked in your formative years. Star Wars has just had more time.
Now here's the rub:
1. Potter's biggest generation (myself at the upper end at the time) really did not have disposable income in 2010. Star War's biggest generation does right now. I was enthusiastic for the Potter theme park announcement well before I was really following the theme park community - but of course it was many years before I personally would see it. It was a matter of when my family went, not when I had disposable income to go and do so.
2. Universal was suffering at the time. We are not talking about Universal today under Comcast - to compare Disney's marketing machine of 2019 to Universal's of 2010 is apples and oranges.
3. To compare Disney's baseline Annual Passholders and tourist visitation numbers in 2019 to Universal's in 2010 is also a David and Goliath situation.
*The only thing stopping SW:GE from blowing the proverbial doors off is a general leeriness of opening day crowds from both a better trained public perspective and a Disney crowd management perspective. Both Disney and the public know it's going to be huge and may implement rolling invites or stay home until it dies down a bit to compensate. Universal did not have that, no one really understood what a phenomenon Hogsmeade would be, everyone showed up opening day without a second thought.
smile
Well-Known Member
while its emergence elsewhere wouldn't quite be astonishing, i'd wager it's because there are currently no plans or reason for its inclusion in either mk, epoct, or ak; let alone bb, tl, or wwos
Why did you just preface that statement?
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Because a SWL in Paris Studios would be a huge boon to that struggling park, just like for DHS.
BrianLo
Well-Known Member
I jumped to conclusions prematurely about Anaheim. But yes other resorts would fulfill that 'expansion'.
righttrack
Well-Known Member
Potterland (sic) is like building Star Wars land in 1990. More of a long investment than short. In ten years, it will definitely pay dividends when that generation starts taking it's children to Orlando. I know my opinion on this is nothing special but just chiming in. Star Wars will overwhelm Orlando and bring new people into Anaheim. The Star Wars Generation starts at ~50s now. That's the people who saw Star Wars in theaters as children/teens. Owning the whole vertical for Disney, movies, comics, books, TV Shows, Theme Parks is quite the feat. If you think about Universal all they own is the right to put Potter in theme parks. Huge difference.
Not really. Potter is a modern day phenomenon. A modern day Star Wars IP circa 1983.
For the record, I enjoy them both.
Thus begins the next generation that will never know Star Wars as anything but a Disney franchise.
danlb_2000
Premium Member
Potterland is already paying significant dividends to Universal.
Hogsmeade starting doing that before the end of 2010.
Frankiepopsicles
Active Member
@marni1971 Is Phase 4 for DHS still expected to happen between 2023-2024
RollerCoaster
Well-Known Member
The grand opening had little to do with the overall success Harry Potter has brought to Universal Parks worldwid.
However, trust me, you're wrong about this. Star Wars' grand opening will be huge and well attended. There are rabid fans of Star Wars, just as there are for Harry Potter. There is little difference in how passionate each fan base is.
righttrack
Well-Known Member
I do too. What we don't know if what Potter's "legs" will be. Will JK Rowling be able to consistently introduce Potter to the next generation like Lucas was able to do with Star Wars? If so, I completely agree, it's an IP equivalent to Star Wars circa 1983. If not, it's Goosebumps circa 1999.
Turtle
Well-Known Member
Lol im going to play devil's advocate but the only thing in Diagon Alley is an underwhelming coaster with terrible CGI and Butterbeer ice cream. (with that said, butterbeer ice cream is the best thing I've had in a theme park)
Cameron1529
Active Member
It is an interesting comparison to make. Star Wars is a so called relived and revived phenomena at the present, with the franchise being relived and revived through the newer Star Wars movies and Disney’s Hollywood Studios contributing to this (not saying in any way it died or lost its appeal) So the spread Star War movies etc have is far greater than Harry Potter. But it does raise questions as to if this increases the fan base?? I don’t know the statistics or numbers on this but I would think it does. Harry Potter hasn’t been around as long but undoubtedly still has the same class and prestige and Star Wars, so it too has a solid fan base.