New Aerials: Courtesy of Scuttle

[BigThunderMatt]

Look how quickly the pace of construction on Potter 2.0 is moving...versus where we were at in the same time frame with FLE. In a year from the start of any actual construction, we had structures with no detail and pretty much nothing else. Meanwhile Potter has put up a massive structure and is laying tons of groundwork for an entirely new section of the park in less than a year.

 

[Clamman73]

Look how quickly the pace of construction on Potter 2.0 is moving...versus where we were at in the same time frame with FLE. In a year from the start of any actual construction, we had structures with no detail and pretty much nothing else. Meanwhile Potter has put up a massive structure and is laying tons of groundwork for an entirely new section of the park in less than a year.

I think the GF DVC is gonna take as long as Epcot Center took to build.

 

[BryceM]

Wow. The Wizarding World expansion over at Universal Studios sure came up fast!

 

[WED99]

Ok, I might be a bit slow her but...

Is Avatar taking over Camp Minnie Mickey still or?

 

[Tom]

Ok, I might be a bit slow her but...

Is Avatar taking over Camp Minnie Mickey still or?

Maybe. Nothing is official. But if Avatar happens, that's where it will go.

 

[yeti]

If you look closely there's tumbleweed blowing round in the Avatar lot.

 

[Patricia Melton]

Look how quickly the pace of construction on Potter 2.0 is moving...versus where we were at in the same time frame with FLE. In a year from the start of any actual construction, we had structures with no detail and pretty much nothing else. Meanwhile Potter has put up a massive structure and is laying tons of groundwork for an entirely new section of the park in less than a year.

Look at how junky everything around the Potter stuff looks though. I'm thrilled this construction is moving along so fast...but Universal should consider rehabbing the rest of the park in the future. The painted cement and cheap-looking, junky buildings need to go. Hopefully, they will.

I've always felt that DCA and Universal were sort of soul-sister parks in that both always felt thrown together on the cheap to me. I felt the same way when Universal just repurposed the roller coaster and turned it into a "Harry Potter dragon coaster". It's a shame they didn't bother trying to hide the metal track...so that there's just a random steel roller coaster structure smack dab in Hogsmeade. There's a great website out there called IdealBuildout where an architect actually drew up plans on how Universal could hide all that ugly steel track and make it look like it was mountains and forests. I hope they do that some day.

I am very, very impressed by what Universal is doing with Potter. I hope it's not a one-shot thing and that they keep on spending and building and eventually they remodel the rest of the park to get rid of the junky and tacky elements that are still there. Toon Lagoon and the Atlantis stuff/Sinbad should be revamped/removed for something better.

The Potter construction reminds me a lot of what happened in one of the neighborhoods near me. Someone bought a few lots and put up a few VERY beautiful new houses...but all the other homes on the block are very cheap-looking and junky in comparison. I think it's great that there are new buildings there...but I hope the trend continues and the junky looking ones that remain eventually get torn down and replaced with things that are the same quality of the new homes.

I think the biggest advantage that Universal has is that there is really no emotional attachment to anything in that park, so they can gut things and create something new as the future unfolds. They were able to remove the Jaws/Amityville stuff without much protest or fuss...and I think this means they can really do whatever they want in terms of construction without the kind of sentimental/nostalgia considerations that Disney has to content with.

I think this is a HUGE hidden advantage that Universal has long-term over Disney.

 

[BigThunderMatt]

Look at how junky everything around the Potter stuff looks though. I'm thrilled this construction is moving along so fast...but Universal should consider rehabbing the rest of the park in the future. The painted cement and cheap-looking, junky buildings need to go.

The last time I was in the parks (which was this past Thursday), nothing looked "cheap" or "junky". In fact everything looked top-notch. Fresh coats of paint, etc. Apart from the construction walls around Transformers, Potter, and the as-yet unannounced Springfield area, the park looked great. Islands was in just as good shape.

No one can honestly say that after Potter opened things didn't improve immensely at Universal. They even started to improve just BEFORE Potter opened. The only people these days that continue to bash Universal for the same old stuff are Disney fanbois who refuse to see what's staring them dead in the face: that Disney is "declining by degrees" as Kevin Yee so exceptionally put it, and Universal is improving exponentially.

 

[Patricia Melton]

The only people these days that continue to bash Universal for the same old stuff are Disney fanbois who refuse to see what's staring them dead in the face: that Disney is "declining by degrees" as Kevin Yee so exceptionally put it, and Universal is improving exponentially.

Universal is indeed improving.

But, Universal still needs to get away from painting concrete. That's something the cheap-o local amusement parks do. It reminds me of Chester & Hester's roadside attraction at DAK (but that was purposefully supposed to look junky).

When I look at the aerials of Hogsmeade, I think that area is gorgeous...but then I see the junky buildings that comprise that Sinbad/Atlantis area. They are so ugly and cheap looking.

So, within several steps at Universal things go from gorgeous (the Potter area) to incredibly junky.

I really hope the master plan is remove all the junky and bring everything up to Potter level.

I think the ugliest and junkiest part of MK is Tomorrowland...and the transition from FLE to Tomorrowland' is as jarring to me as the walk from Hogsmeade into the Sinbad/Atlantis junkiness. Disney needs to fix this too.

 

[The_Mesh_Hatter]

Wait, so you're saying you think Universal is junky... right?

Because I think that Disney World is becoming junky because all the junky additions to the parks are making them seem junky. All the additions are just incredibly junky and ruined by junky sight lines. The hotels are even junkier. The rooms and bathrooms are just the junkiest of any I've stayed at! And don't even get me started on the restaurants. Those are the most junkiest of them all.

 

[nytimez]

Wait, so you're saying you think Universal is junky... right?

I disagree with her - strongly - if her overall point is that Universal/IoA is junky. However, if she is referring to the spot right outside Potter Land, I agree - the carnie games ARE junky. They're junky at Universal, and they're junky at Animal Kingdom and they're junky at DCA.

 

[Merlin0402]

junkyjunkyjunkyjunkyjunkyjunkyjunkyjunkyjunkyjunkyjunkyjunkyjunkyjunkyjunkyjunkyjunkyjunkyjunky

 

[Tom Morrow]

Universal is indeed improving.

But, Universal still needs to get away from painting concrete. That's something the cheap-o local amusement parks do. It reminds me of Chester & Hester's roadside attraction at DAK (but that was purposefully supposed to look junky).

When I look at the aerials of Hogsmeade, I think that area is gorgeous...but then I see the junky buildings that comprise that Sinbad/Atlantis area. They are so ugly and cheap looking.

So, within several steps at Universal things go from gorgeous (the Potter area) to incredibly junky.

I really hope the master plan is remove all the junky and bring everything up to Potter level.

I think the ugliest and junkiest part of MK is Tomorrowland...and the transition from FLE to Tomorrowland' is as jarring to me as the walk from Hogsmeade into the Sinbad/Atlantis junkiness. Disney needs to fix this too.

I'm not really sure what you mean. Disney uses basically the exact same "detailed facade covering plain building" technique that Universal does. There are parts of Universal's Studios that are pretty ugly... but the park makes up for it by having several great attractions that are kept up well.

 

[JT3000]

Look at how junky...

You really love that "word," don't you?

Universal should consider rehabbing the rest of the park in the future. The painted cement and cheap-looking, junky buildings need to go.

You should send them a letter asking them not to paint the cement next time.

I think the biggest advantage that Universal has is that there is really no emotional attachment to anything in that park

Speak only for yourself.

They were able to remove the Jaws/Amityville stuff without much protest or fuss...

There was PLENTY of protest over Jaws' closure. You didn't notice because you weren't paying attention, because you hate Universal.

Universal is indeed improving.

But, Universal still needs to get away from painting concrete. That's something the cheap-o local amusement parks do. It reminds me of Chester & Hester's roadside attraction at DAK (but that was purposefully supposed to look junky).

Oh, well at least Disney has a convenient excuse for its "junkiness." That's good.

When I look at the aerials of Hogsmeade, I think that area is gorgeous...but then I see the junky buildings that comprise that Sinbad/Atlantis area. They are so ugly and cheap looking.

I see what you mean.

I mean look at that. The building's falling apart. How junky.

 

[marni1971]

Still looking for painted concrete....

Awesome photos. Comcast is right to be proud.

 

[RSoxNo1]

You really love that "word," don't you?



You should send them a letter asking them not to paint the cement next time.



Speak only for yourself.



There was PLENTY of protest over Jaws' closure. You didn't notice because you weren't paying attention, because you hate Universal.



Oh, well at least Disney has a convenient excuse for its "junkiness." That's good.



I see what you mean.

I mean look at that. The building's falling apart. How junky.

You can see the show building pretty easily on this though - while this view looks great there are others that are less spectacular.

Still looking for painted concrete....

Awesome photos. Comcast is right to be proud.

There's painted concrete in Marvel Super Hero Island and Seuss Landing. I think it's easier thematically than say stamping the concrete or having a river of crap flow through it, but it's not really out of place in those locations.

 

[BryceM]

Universal is indeed improving.

But, Universal still needs to get away from painting concrete. That's something the cheap-o local amusement parks do. It reminds me of Chester & Hester's roadside attraction at DAK (but that was purposefully supposed to look junky).

When I look at the aerials of Hogsmeade, I think that area is gorgeous...but then I see the junky buildings that comprise that Sinbad/Atlantis area. They are so ugly and cheap looking.

So, within several steps at Universal things go from gorgeous (the Potter area) to incredibly junky.

I really hope the master plan is remove all the junky and bring everything up to Potter level.

I think the ugliest and junkiest part of MK is Tomorrowland...and the transition from FLE to Tomorrowland' is as jarring to me as the walk from Hogsmeade into the Sinbad/Atlantis junkiness. Disney needs to fix this too.

Gosh, you're so right. Universal is so junky. Junky, junky, junky. You mentioned The Lost Continent looking junky...

So junky. I can't tell if I'm walking through a carnival or one of the world's greatest theme parks! Junky, junk, junk, junky!

 

[Atomicmickey]

Is it just me, or does the size of the HP expansion um, 'Dwarf' that of "the largest expansion in Magic Kingdom history"?

 

[lazyboy97o]

Still looking for painted concrete....

Awesome photos. Comcast is right to be proud.

Is not there still slurry throughout the Magic Kingdom?

 

[Scuttle]

Is it just me, or does the size of the HP expansion um, 'Dwarf' that of "the largest expansion in Magic Kingdom history"?

The size is pretty amazing. I can't get over that show building and how far along it is. If they keep this pace up I seriously wouldn't be shocked if they beat 7DMT to open.