Harry Potter Regrets

[Prototype82]

She has absolutely no reason to regret going with Universal. She was able to retain complete creative control. Universal did it and is doing it right. Disney would have found a way to screw it up...

I agree with this one hundred percent. And we'd be stuck with a broken Whomping Willow. :ROFLOL:

 

[Prototype82]

If you go to IoA and expect to fill an entire day in HP, you will be disappointed.

Um about that...That's what I practically do each time...

 

[The Duck]

The whole story sounded suspect from the start but as he told me about HP, I just smiled and nodded. I suppose that it's possible that Disney and Rowling discussed the possibilities but even if they did, the thought of her having "regrets" seemed ridiculous. But then again, how many Photopass guys are "insiders".

 

[lazyboy97o]

Even now, after it has been built, Rowling retains an unprecedented amount of control over the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. She approved everything that Universal did.

 

[Pioneer Hall]

Yes, I agree, haters always gonna hate.

I'm a Disney fanatic, but can give accolades where they are deserved. In my opinion, HP deserves huge credit. The ride was better than anything Disney has done since ToT/RnRC days. Yes, Everest is great, but I remember thinking "That's it?" when I left Everest for the first time...whereas I couldn't believe the HP ride I had just been on. It felt so new, so unique.

I love Disney World, as evidenced by the thousands I spend there per year, but HP has finally gotten me to spend a day outside of a Disney Park in over 15 years, and I will be returning to Universal with an additional 9 people in November for another day.

I too am a Disney fanatic through and through, and it took Harry Potter to get me to get back to Universal for the first time in nearly 10 years. Before I saw Harry Potter, I was very defensive about Disney and didn't want to give credit to what was there. Then I saw it, and well, the details of the entire thing blew me away. It really does seem to be the most complete themed experience in any of those central FL parks today. The shops, rides (except for the lack of theme on dragon challenge), the food, merch, etc all create an incredible experience. I think that sometimes a Disney fan community we have a hard time giving Uni a thumbs up.

I'm not a hater, but IOA and Uni just didn't leave me wanting to come back. I saw it, and now I'm done....but Disney on the other hand with all its flaws leaves me wanting to come back over and over again...

Please don't take this the wrong way since this is no way directed at just you or anyone else specifically (heck, even I get my blinders up a lot). It is clear that nearly all of us here have an emotional attachment to Disney, and as such allows us to look past its flaws and downsides. I used to be very much more so that way and until last year, I really couldn't get myself to admit there is a true competitor (as you can see above). I think that Universal has some great unique offerings even outside of WWoHP, and there is nothing that says we as consumers can't go and enjoy both.

 

[wdwfan22]

I suspect folks are going to get mad at me....

I took my daughter to HPW in November, 2011... she really wanted to go there. Thank God she also got 8 days at the WDW parks,

My impression of HPW - a whole lot of nothing. Three rides, very FEW shops that were not facades... we were done in three hours. My daughter, an HP fan nut, just wanted to get back to WDW. We are not going back.

agree 100%. We went and was like this is it. It's a nice neat themed area with only 1 new attraction and shops that are so small that they become more trouble than they are worth. It is a neat addition to Universal but it still wasn't enough for us to venture there every year. To each there own i guess.

 

[Jimmy Thick]

To say Disney could not have done justice to Potter is absurd, just more nit picking with nothing to validate such a statement.

Disney has more money and would have knocked it out of the park if they decided to do Potter, but decided it was not worth it and let it walk to Universal where its doing ok, but nothing like it was when it first opened.

Potter is a fad with no legs, unless Universal delivers at least one original attraction every year they have Potter, it will be a ghost town soon enough.

You can't say that about Disney in any of their parks.


Jimmy Thick-Potter=fail!!!

 

[Scuttle]

I think the only thing universal did wrong was to not give it enough space

There is a rumbling rumor going around that dragon challenge is gone and will be part of HP phase three. I believe that they are seriously looking into it, especially now that Dueling Dragons/Dragon Challenge don't even duel anymore and given how much land the ride takes up.

 

[disney fan 13]

I was in WWOHP about 4-5 hours ago and I can say for sure that FJ blew me away once again. After riding it two more times I can tell you that it does have some flaws but it is one of the best rides in Orlando theme and innovative wise...

 

[Prototype82]

There is a rumbling rumor going around that dragon challenge is gone and will be part of HP phase three. I believe that they are seriously looking into it, especially now that Dueling Dragons/Dragon Challenge don't even duel anymore and given how much land the ride takes up.

I was wondering if they'd take that as an opportunity to start from scratch there.

 

[Prototype82]

I was in WWOHP about 4-5 hours ago and I can say for sure that FJ blew me away once again. After riding it two more times I can tell you that it does have some flaws but it is one of the best rides in Orlando theme and innovative wise...

There is absolutely nothing like it. It never loses its excitement.

 

[flynnibus]

Disney has more money and would have knocked it out of the park if they decided to do Potter, but decided it was not worth it and let it walk to Universal where its doing ok, but nothing like it was when it first opened.

Funny.. Disney has more money, yet UNI has topped Disney numerous times. T2, Spiderman, Mummy, etc etc etc. You could go on for a long time. There is no built in advantage for Disney.. and thinking that is what leads to complatency.

Potter is a fad with no legs, unless Universal delivers at least one original attraction every year they have Potter, it will be a ghost town soon enough.

You can't say that about Disney in any of their parks.

Wow.. there's revisionist thinking. Did you miss all of disney's theme dinosaurs of the past they've had to tear out and replace??

Heck - you have all of Future World in EPCOT that had to be rebooted.

Tarzan, Gummi Bears... Disney's past is littered with attractions and areas that time moved past them.

 

[Timekeeper]

I too am a Disney fanatic through and through, and it took Harry Potter to get me to get back to Universal for the first time in nearly 10 years. Before I saw Harry Potter, I was very defensive about Disney and didn't want to give credit to what was there. Then I saw it, and well, the details of the entire thing blew me away. It really does seem to be the most complete themed experience in any of those central FL parks today. The shops, rides (except for the lack of theme on dragon challenge), the food, merch, etc all create an incredible experience. I think that sometimes a Disney fan community we have a hard time giving Uni a thumbs up.

Exactly. :sohappy: My post would have mirrored yours, so I'll just agree with you 100%.

It is clear that nearly all of us here have an emotional attachment to Disney, and as such allows us to look past its flaws and downsides. I used to be very much more so that way and until last year, I really couldn't get myself to admit there is a true competitor (as you can see above). I think that Universal has some great unique offerings even outside of WWoHP, and there is nothing that says we as consumers can't go and enjoy both.

Agreed, and, agreed.

Disney offers a nostalgic history that Universal will never be able to compete with (at least not in my lifetime), simply because of its age (and the fact that they did, at one time, offer a superior product). Over 75% of Disney's attractions are extremely dated, and don't have much of a draw other than that "magic feeling" that they create. Even when adding new attractions to the FLE, the best that they can offer is a Mermaid ride on par with the Seas with Nemo? :shrug: They could have done better, but decided not to. Regardless, guests (including me) still flock to the gates, because that "magic feeling" remains a worthwhile return on the investment of purchasing admission.

I enjoy both, and will continue visiting both. Just because someone enjoys the magic of a low budget, silent, black and white film (like The Artist) doesn't mean that they can't also enjoy a spectacular, multimillion dollar, 3D production (like Avatar).

A fan of Disney is inherently a fan of art, and should not isolate their perspective to just one "museum."

 

[flavious27]

On top of that, two of the three rides had been there previously so it's not like it was all new.

Same feelings. Uni put in a good amount of work to make the place look authentic, but there is something to be desired with what they added and took away. It also doesn't help with how they are adding the second potterland so far away from the first one.

I think the only thing universal did wrong was to not give it enough space

Agreed, they should have built on the land south of IOA instead of cannibalize one of the lands in ioa.

 

[surfsupdon]

Over 75% of Disney's attractions are extremely dated, and don't have much of a draw other than that "magic feeling" that they create. Even when adding new attractions to the FLE, the best that they can offer is a Mermaid ride on par with the Seas with Nemo? :shrug: They could have done better, but decided not to.

I agree. Like I said I love Disney and the Magic and emotional attachment I have there. But what Universal created into a part of their park is incredible. Yes, Disney has a HUGE expansion coming as well.....but the big ride is an Omnimover. And it's already been said the details are not on par with Mansion or Pirates.

Uni did it big, real big, with their addition.

 

[marni1971]

To say Disney could not have done justice to Potter is absurd, just more nit picking with nothing to validate such a statement.

Disney has more money and would have knocked it out of the park if they decided to do Potter, but decided it was not worth it and let it walk to Universal where its doing ok, but nothing like it was when it first opened.

Potter is a fad with no legs, unless Universal delivers at least one original attraction every year they have Potter, it will be a ghost town soon enough.

You can't say that about Disney in any of their parks.


Jimmy Thick-Potter=fail!!!

So blind.

And you think that Space Mountains refurb budget wasn't mutilated either?

 

[Lee]

:ROFLOL:
Rowling regrets nothing. She got a magnificent land built from her books and has retained complete creative control. Not to mention a huge financial windfall.

The regret lies in the executive suites in Burbank.
Why do you think Iger is willing to throw a huge amount of money at a film property that has nowhere near the potential drawing power of Potter? It's because he realized that he made a tremendous blunder by letting HP go and now wants something comparable as his legacy. Sorry, Bob....Avatar (if ever built) ain't it.

Disney dropped the ball. Anyone who is the least bit objective can see that. If they had given JKR what she wanted, as Uni did, they would be booming right now.
Instead they are facing the prospect of an underwhelming Fantasyland addition opening a bit before a massive Potter Phase 2 for which they have no ready response.

Disney is losing the PR battle in central Florida right now and many inside will tell you that they don't have any idea how they are going to get past it other than by continuing to sell a huge dose of "magical" nostalgia. The real magic seems to be happening up the road, while Disney continues to sell "memories".
It will be interesting to see how long Disney clings to the nostalgia business model, promoting it's parks not by consistantly adding to and plussing the parks, but by relying on past guests wanting to return to "make new memories" and "remember the magic" of past visits.

I love them, but they can (and should) do better.

 

[Pioneer Hall]

Exactly. :sohappy: My post would have mirrored yours, so I'll just agree with you 100%.



Agreed, and, agreed.

Disney offers a nostalgic history that Universal will never be able to compete with (at least not in my lifetime), simply because of its age (and the fact that they did, at one time, offer a superior product). Over 75% of Disney's attractions are extremely dated, and don't have much of a draw other than that "magic feeling" that they create. Even when adding new attractions to the FLE, the best that they can offer is a Mermaid ride on par with the Seas with Nemo? :shrug: They could have done better, but decided not to. Regardless, guests (including me) still flock to the gates, because that "magic feeling" remains a worthwhile return on the investment of purchasing admission.

I enjoy both, and will continue visiting both. Just because someone enjoys the magic of a low budget, silent, black and white film (like The Artist) doesn't mean that they can't also enjoy a spectacular, multimillion dollar, 3D production (like Avatar).

A fan of Disney is inherently a fan of art, and should not isolate their perspective to just one "museum."

I think Uni has a bit of a nostalgic connection to those in my age group (and those after me). I was about 3 when Uni opened, and thanks to my dad's job at the time, we always spent a day there on our Disney vacations thanks to some comp tickets. His new job which came right around when IoA opened unfortunately stopped this. It would be a long 10 years until time we would get to IoA, and just two months ago I went back with my dad to Uni for the first time in nearly 12. We had a great time riding Jaws one last time and ET. I would imagine that younger generations have some of these nostalgic attachments as well (especially since most of them are Disney fans) and will continue to go back. WWoHP only personifies this by bringing more and more people into the park. Should HP have the lasting power of Star Wars, then these generations will want to share this with their kids years down the road (and contrary to some belief here, the franchise is yet to show slowing down).

 

[draybook]

Funny.. Disney has more money, yet UNI has topped Disney numerous times. T2, Spiderman, Mummy, etc etc etc. You could go on for a long time. There is no built in advantage for Disney.. and thinking that is what leads to complatency.



Wow.. there's revisionist thinking. Did you miss all of disney's theme dinosaurs of the past they've had to tear out and replace??

Heck - you have all of Future World in EPCOT that had to be rebooted.

Tarzan, Gummi Bears... Disney's past is littered with attractions and areas that time moved past them.

Well said. Having more money doesn't guarantee a better park. Heck, look at Dinoland. All the money Disney has and you have a mini-carnival sitting in one of their parks.

 

[Disneydreamer23]

I was there in October and I am not a HP fan I have seen the movies but I did like the rides I thought they were fun I like Butter beer but the only problem I had was the size of the ride. Come on IOA there are bigger people out there. My husband is 6'7 and 320 pounds but he isn't fat he is very tall and muscular and My husband fits on every ride at Disney.. the Coasters like Everest R&R ETC they just tell him to sit in an ODD number row. Universal he was excited to try a new coaster. didn't happen he cant fit on the hulk the one coaster that's red( i forgot the name , the one that's always breaking) and not to add to it both of the potter rides. I rode them I wanted to try them out but it was hard with out my husband I felt bad! So over all I liked it but i cant go back again bc I don't want to leave out my husband. I thought universal should have made them bigger If Disney can do it so can IOA