Review of new Potter Land

[TubaGeek]

I agree and I doubt anyone would disagree with that.

My point is that once the attraction opens and operates for many years its completely irrelevant how long they took to build. I see people discount Mine Train and call it a fail because it took so long to build. The same is being said about Avatar too. Comments like "the concept art looks good, but it won't open for 3 years". While it is disappointing to have to wait 2 to 3 years for something new, once the ride opens that long build time doesn't have an impact on my ride experience.

In that case, they would need to counter the length of the projects with a high NUMBER of projects. Universal is committed to multiple projects at a time, while Disney rarely takes on more than one big one at a time. If they could start one project a year, it wouldn't matter how long they took, as long as each year saw one of these projects completed.

 

[IndianaJones]

I think new FL is wonderful and well done over all. I think if they had opened the whole land all together circus area, SWMT, Ariel and Belle areas along with the new parade it would be a much bigger deal in peoples eyes. The staggered openings really sucked the wind out of NFLs sails. Opening it over 3 years really was a fail on Disney's part.

Quoted for truth.

I was actually at the opening of
New Fantasyland with my wife and we had a great time, but all we could talk about was how frustrating it was that it wasn't finished. That was more than a year ago.

 

[RandomPrincess]

The first section of NFL opened in 2012! People on there yearly vacations can have 3 trips before the whole thing is open.

 

[GoofGoof]

In that case, they would need to counter the length of the projects with a high NUMBER of projects. Universal is committed to multiple projects at a time, while Disney rarely takes on more than one big one at a time. If they could start one project a year, it wouldn't matter how long they took, as long as each year saw one of these projects completed.

Universal is growing at a staggering but unsustainable pace. It's great to witness and be a part of but we should all enjoy it while it lasts because it can't go on forever (see WDW pre-2000).

WDW is at a different stage in its life cycle. I hate to call it a mature product because there is plenty of room left for growth plus the very nature of a theme park requires periodic refurbishments and replacements, but WDW is not currently in a growth phase. Even so, in theory they should be able to open 1 new attraction per park each year with 1 of the 4 being either a D or E ticket. The other 3 could be minor things. This way if you visit every year there is at least something new in each park and at least 1 new major attraction. I don't think it would be practical to expand any faster than that over the long term. The current pace of new additions is frustrating and because Avatar seemed to be delayed and now any potential StarWars addition is also delayed we know the next couple of years will be lean. It sucks for the short term, but hopefully if SW Land is greenlit on the heels of AK 2.0 we will see at least a mini-growth period for 3 to 5 years in 2 of the 4 parks.

 

[Padraig]

Harry Potter has cross-generational appeal...whereas Avatar only appeals to furries. Universal's engineers are probably laughing their heads off at WDW's Pandora plans. They're certainly not shaking in their boots.

FYP
Geeks, Nerds and antisocials have much more interesting things to be getting on with.

 

[71jason]

Universal is growing at a staggering but unsustainable pace.

Everyone says this. Everyone--including me--also said you can't build an E-ticket in the middle of a park in under 12 months. Clearly Universal is rewriting the rules of what can and can't be done in the industry.

WDW is at a different stage in its life cycle. I hate to call it a mature product because there is plenty of room left for growth plus the very nature of a theme park requires periodic refurbishments and replacements, but WDW is not currently in a growth phase.

Bay Lake Tower, Grand expansion, Poly--that's a heck of a lot of growth. Meanwhile there are plenty of threads detailing the refurbishments and even basic upkeep not being done. As for attendance, you'd see a tremendous spike if Radiator Springs or Star Wars Land or a new Tangled or Frozen ride opened before Spring Break. Build it and they will come (and stay at your hotels, too).

But that would interrupt execs' career cycle and possibly interfere with their ability to cash out in 5 years.

 

[marni1971]

Not only that, there are plenty of old attractions around WDW that need updating in plenty of ways and a raft of them that could do with plussing.

If Futureworld were fixed that could and would be in lieu of a new attraction.

But this is a Universal thread.

 

[IndianaJones]

Everyone says this. Everyone--including me--also said you can't build an E-ticket in the middle of a park in under 12 months. Clearly Universal is rewriting the rules of what can and can't be done in the industry.

Just to play devils advocate for a quick second. That was the third time they had built Transformers(I'm assuming that's the one you mean). So it makes the building just a bit easier.

But regardless I don't think you'd ever see the Mouse build something that fast.

Agree on your "if you build it, they will come point".

 

[FettFan]

So, if my math is right, and it probably isn't, Avatar (the movie) will have been out for 8 years before the expected completion date. Is it still relevant?

PotterLand opened 9 years after the first movie

Bad example, as Harry Potter maintained a popular momentum in the years between the first movie and the theme park. The seventh Harry Potter book, Deathly Hallows, was released in 2007, the same year that the theme park was announced. The film adaptation of Deathly Hallows did the Peter Jackson thing, but both installments were released after the land opened. WWoHP opened in June 2010, DH Part 1 was released in November 2010 and DH Part 2 was released in July 2011.
And to further mark its popularity, Deathly Hallows 2 is the fourth highest grossing movie of all time.

Potter author J.K. Rowling is working as screenwriter for a new series of movies in the Harry Potter Universe...."Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" takes place some 70 years before Harry Potter and should be released sometime in either 2015 or 2016.

 

[TubaGeek]

And to further mark its popularity, Deathly Hallows 2 is the fourth highest grossing movie of all time.

Yes, but Avatar grossed more, so it's clearly the more superior IP for a theme park.

 

[FettFan]

Yes, but Avatar grossed more, so it's clearly the more superior IP for a theme park.

Using that logic, The Phantom Menace was clearly the best Star Wars movie.

 

[FettFan]

It just seems to me that with the Potter films, along with Star Wars, are on fairly frequently. That being said, they are in the public mind. It just seems that Avatar isn't, that's all.

Precisely. If you walk up to a random person and say "May the Force be with you!", they will know what you mean. You might get stared at, but they will think its harmless.

If you walk up to a random person and say "I see you!", you're likely to get a taser to the face.

 

[twebber55]

If

Precisely. If you walk up to a random person and say "May the Force be with you!", they will know what you mean. You might get stared at, but they will think its harmless.

If you walk up to a random person and say "I see you!", you're likely to get a taser to the face.

If u walked up to me and said may the force be with you i would write it off as a geeky star wars fan an make fun of u

 

[71jason]

Just to play devils advocate for a quick second. That was the third time they had built Transformers(I'm assuming that's the one you mean). So it makes the building just a bit easier.

True, but before Transformers, I'd never seen trucks driving through a park during operating hours. I don't recall ever seeing 24/7 construction on an attraction (will never forget the welders' arcs during HHN). Putting aside the fact it was a clone, Universal changed the game in how attractions are built with that ride.

 

[JT3000]

Transformers' fast construction had much more to do with the fact that they wanted it built quickly, rather than it being a clone. Cloning an attraction makes a much bigger difference in money spent than construction speed. However, not only did they not try to spread the costs out over multiple fiscal years, they paid everyone extra to get it done quicker.

 

[Gabe1]

I think the main mistake isn't the time but the opening of the new land in stages. If they had opened NFL all at once along with the new parade it would be a much bigger deal.

Yeah I agree, but WDW constructs projects at the speed of a turtle in a barrel of molasses this century. Disney can't wait to unveil like Uni does. You loose that luxury being indecisive. And ultimately is 2 attractions and one lost worthy of waiting? So much of the NFL is Holy Rock, pretty but Holy Rock.

But this is what occurs when Disney budgets projects over a half a decade. If they fully funded NFL from the ground breaking it would be done. Dick Nunis has quipped to Iger he would have had it done already, I've built plenty of those (Mountain attractions). As arrogant as Iger can be with the parks, there really isn't a rebuttal, Nunis knew how to keep projects moving.

 

[flyerjab]

I just read through this entire post and had to chuckle. I just finished reading Gabe1's post at the top of this page and then glanced up at the title of this thread, having completely forgotten what it was supposed to be about - a review of the new Potter Land.

Funny how that happens.