Harry Potter is arriving sooner than expected. What does this mean for WDW?

[Duckberg]

Disney's NEW Base

I'm hearing an interesting point about Disney moving away from older families/couples and setting their sites on girls and young families. I'm not if that is true or not, but if it is, that is a big mistake by Disney. Who has more disposble income, young familes or older couples. I know I have spent more in Disney as I get older. I would say at least double my cost today vs my very first trip and I have no kids. Now do I spend the same as a family of 4 with 2 girls, I don't know...

I remember the 90's Disney looking at newly married couples spending the honeymoon in Disney...That is were we ended up and look where it brought me. I will say, I have been looking at other vacation destinations lately.

Disney made his fortune on the now greying BOOMER generation. I'm one of them! Figures that to keep the Disney brand going/growing(?) well your post makes a lot of sense! Duckberg

 

[Computer Magic]

Ohh, I know only Disney knows for a fact how many people leave property... I was responding to people here using their 20% figure... I figure there are a lot of people who leave property.. Disney knows people will leave property... And sure, they will try to do what they can to keep them... Sometimes it works, most times, i dare say, it won't... There is just too much to do and see in the area... Again, the people who stay 7 days or longer, I believe, will leave property at least twice... Those who stay only 3 or 4 days, won't... And it is those people (the 3-4-5 day people) that Disney is going to have to keep on property somehow, instead of trying out the new HP area....

And as a consumer, I love competition... I love the fact Universal is finally doing something that seems to be worthwhile... I cannot get myself too excited over this though because I am not a die hard Potter fan... To me it makes no sense to get yourself overly hyped about something because, in the end, no matter how fun things are, there is going to be something that disappoints you.. probably something very small...

Do I want this to do good for Universal? Sure thing.. Cause then it may wake up the comatose mouse... Am I running to Orlando next year to see this new land?? No way!!!!! Will I try it out in 2011??? maybe...

I'm not a HP fan, dare I say, I have not watched any of the movies :lookaroun Don't know why, I love Star Wars and Lotr movies.

Disney have been coasting on their name far too long. Some of this is due to spending overseas and DVC. Maybe I'm the issue and visit too much, so there is not as much new.

As for 7 days stayers...My vist has increased to 7 days and I don't leave property. The parks and resorts keep me busy. I have been spending more time at the resorts. One way Disney works to keep people on property is by offering transportation. This includes to and from the airport and everywhere on Disney property. It is harder and takes more effort to get off property without a car. I have looked at a Mears transportation (dare I say Quick Silver) is costly and I don't trust a Taxi.

PS The fact that I have been looking at how to get off property, should be a message to Disney...

 

[Computer Magic]

Disney made his fortune on the now greying BOOMER generation. I'm one of them! Figures that to keep the Disney brand going/growing(?) well your post makes a lot of sense! Duckberg

exactly, Disney has made a fortune out of us( except I'm Gen-X), Disney shouldn't turn their backs on us now...we have so much to give, um spend...:lol:

 

[Lee]

LOL you missed the one night I posted with a new avatar and then quickly changed it back. I'm not saying it was concept art for the HP ride but maybe it was:zipit:

Awww, maaaannnn....and nobody grabbed a screen shot?:brick:
Seriously...I'm gonna need a heads up next time.:lol:

RRR is looking good for soft openings about the end of next week as long as nothing else takes them by surprise.

Very good! I'm going to be at Uni/SW next Thurs/Fri....maybe I can manage a ride.

 

[The Conundrum]

They hope....

You've been getting some bad info sounds like. An insider told me that the ride is already cycling through the show building! Although it is well over-budget and slightly behind schedule.

 

[glendroid]

I hadn't thought about what would become of this park after all the movies were finished, etc. Yes, the story of HP is timeless but it's just one story. Even the best story gets old after a while and people do lose interest as they move onto the next new and wonderful thing. That's a very good point. This is a park based upon one story, one series. It doesn't have the ability to be so diverse in story that it can appeal to a very broad range of guests who will have many different tastes. That's one of the great things about the Disney parks is that they all have ways of evolving, diversifying, and appealing to guests of all ages/interests as new movies or stories are brought to the mainstream while still embracing our beloved favorites. They have the advantage of utilizing multiple stories or movies to diversify themselves. I still don't see how HP's park can make that big of an impact on WDW in the short term and, after thinking about it like this, especially in the long term. :shrug:

To me though Harry Potter isnt just a series, to JK Rowling its also a universe!

Even down the road the can change this to focus more on the wizarding universe and not so much on JUST Harry Potter!

Theres so much more to it then just the boy and his friends

 

[The Conundrum]

Yeah, when WWoHP is open, I can see myself sacrificing a day (bai, DHS :lookaroun) and heading over to IoA for the first time. HP will require that.:lol:...I'm too big of a fan not to.

And life of Pi is fantastic.

whaaatttt? you've never been to IOA?

Dude the Jurassic Park land and the Spider-Man ride are going to blow your mind away

 

[The Conundrum]

Except for those of us who couldn't possibly care less about Harry Potter.

I like Universal, but IOA could have a roller coaster that included a one-on-one with God, and it wouldn't be as good as any WDW park. Unless you're into thrill rides, IOA is about a 4 hour park. And if you want to do thrill rides right, you may as well just drive an hour south to Busch Gardens.

If IOA is a 4 hour park waht does that make DAK and MGM? 2 hour parks? :lol:

 

[Lee]

You've been getting some bad info sounds like. An insider told me that the ride is already cycling through the show building! Although it is well over-budget and slightly behind schedule.

None of which necessarily contradicts what I hear.:shrug:
I'll defer to whyalightbulb on account of him actually being inside the Potterbox.

 

[The Conundrum]

None of which necessarily contradicts what I hear.:shrug:
I'll defer to whyalightbulb on account of him actually being inside the Potterbox.

I'd be shocked if there running into any serious problems since Universal has been planning this ride system since at least early 2004 that I know of (when it was proposed for a Van Helsing dark ride) and Harry was finalized in 2007 and they still have a year to go before opening. So they have had plenty of prep time.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

You'd be missing out on the 2 dark rides in the world and tons of other top quality rides. And I still like US better ! You're missing out. At least try it.

Maybe after I win the lottery or my oldest son becomes a self-made bazillionaire by the time he's 21 like he says (because he wants to take care of his pitiful old mom)...when money and time are not an issue and I can go to US without cutting into time I want to be at WDW... LOL!

Who knows? Like I said, I've learned to never say never. I've been bitten in the hiney too many times on that one.

 

[Lee]

I'd be shocked if there running into any serious problems since Universal has been planning this ride system since at least early 2004 that I know of...

As I hear it, it isn't so much the system itself they are having some issues with, but what they are doing with the system. They are taking that Kuka arm into areas it hasn't been before.

 

[The Conundrum]

As I hear it, it isn't so much the system itself they are having some issues with, but what they are doing with the system. They are taking that Kuka arm into areas it hasn't been before.

yea the REALMS OF MAGIC :sohappy:

 

[SirGoofy]

As I hear it, it isn't so much the system itself they are having some issues with, but what they are doing with the system. They are taking that Kuka arm into areas it hasn't been before.

I yearn to hear something like this post said about Disney again.

But then again, at least someone is doing something innovative!

 

[maggiegrace1]

Yup, it's amazing how close minded people can be. If this exact same expansion was coming to DHS, people would be wetting themselves over here.

My pants would be dry..I would honestly not really care if it was at DHS or at Universal..because I am not a fan of HP..:shrug:..just like I am not a fan of American Idol and will avoid that also...I have no interest.

Not everyone is close minded and hates Universal because it is the competition..some people just have no interest in it because they do not have anything there that appeals to them.

 

[Lee]

I yearn to hear something like this post said about Disney again.

Yeah...the irony.
Tony B. was using the same type system to try some innovative things a while back....

 

[Missing20K]

As I hear it, it isn't so much the system itself they are having some issues with, but what they are doing with the system. They are taking that Kuka arm into areas it hasn't been before.

I'll admit I'm don't know as much about the technology as I probably should, but are they essentially taking the Kuka arm, and sticking it on a track?

 

[sweetpee_1993]

To me though Harry Potter isnt just a series, to JK Rowling its also a universe!

Even down the road the can change this to focus more on the wizarding universe and not so much on JUST Harry Potter!

Theres so much more to it then just the boy and his friends

I'm a chick therefor I zero in on the human story, the part where he's a poor young boy just growing up with all the adversity...and then how he arrives at his happily ever after of course. What can I say?


Um, I don't know if it makes any difference in this anywhere but the last the length of my family's trips was 5, 7, and all the rest 10 days. With exception to the time I was sick with the flu and needed a good selection of meds and the few times we needed random things from like Walmart I still haven't felt the urge to leave the property. Also, I've learned that if you need drug store items that you don't find on-property there are local drug stores who deliver. Oh, and I grew up in Central Florida so I-Drive is forever fixated in my mind of the place **not** to go. I have actually considered a few times going to Orlando to Sea World & Discovery Cove but I wouldn't want to go to those parks during a WDW trip. If I could only take one vacation and had to choose between the two, that's a no-brainer. I'm still going to Disney World.

 

[tahqa]

Do you work at Universal? When is Rockit going to be up and running for the public?

Rockit was testing today, looked like one car at a time.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

My pants would be dry..I would honestly not really care if it was at DHS or at Universal..because I am not a fan of HP..:shrug:..just like I am not a fan of American Idol and will avoid that also...I have no interest.

Not everyone is close minded and hates Universal because it is the competition..some people just have no interest in it because they do not have anything there that appeals to them.

Amen. Fist-bump. Eeeexactly!