danlb_2000
Premium Member
Just to keep the facts straight, London Harry Potter will have taken about 2 1/2 years to construct.
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Seven Drawfs Mine Train Clip
- Thread starter jl3283
- Start date
Just to keep the facts straight, London Harry Potter will have taken about 2 1/2 years to construct.
No it hasn't. I'm not talking about starting from Jaws demolition. I'm talking about once they laid the first pipe after jaws was removed.
dstrawn9889
Well-Known Member
how many years was it in planning, and how long had they stockpiled the steel for the construction?
The Little Mermaid is nothing more than Finding Nemo at Epcot, and the haunted mansion. Glad they built seven dwarfs mine train because if they didn't, then the line would be longer for gringot's because the parents would bring their kids to universal to see what real innovation looks like. I'm a big fan of disney, don't get me wrong, but they seem to forget to build rides for the people bringing the kids to the theme parks. Adults.
dstrawn9889
Well-Known Member
well if someone planned a home construction long enough, a trussplant can fab the house in such a way to go from slab to dried in in 24 hours... if well planned and staged, anything can LOOK like it took no time at all... no matter it took them 3 years to plan it out exactly to the 1/16th, that is all i am getting at
danlb_2000
Premium Member
Actual construction began no later then the beginning of June 2012, so that is at least 2 years.
bhg469
Well-Known Member
You are out of your pixie fluffing mind if you think forbidden journey is just a motion simulator. I rode it for the first time on Tuesday and it was a marvel! The video sections could be better but that ride and land is everything disney needs to be. The ride technology is light years beyond a swinging kiddie coaster.I agree with you. Just compare all of the beautiful photo ops of this new ride compared to anything that Uni has built in half the time. Most of their newest Harry Potter Alley is mostly facades surrounding another warehoused motion simulator. If Disney kept reimagining the Spider-Man ride, there'd be howls of protest instead of people waxing over how Uni is delivering rides that are so 'groundbreaking'.
Just sayin
I also saw progress of mine train on sunday. They could have had it open weeks ago, they are purposely delaying it to make sure to steal some potter thunder.
orky8
Well-Known Member
I agree they could have had this open weeks (actually, months) ago, but I think don't they are delaying because they want to steal Potter's thunder -- Potter is going to take all the wind out of the sails for any marketing Disney is able to pull off with this nice little addition. Potter is an entirely new land with two epic attractions. Mine train is going to open first and then, a few weeks later at this pace, Potter is going to open and draw all the buzz. Disney isn't doing themselves any favors here, unless they actually are starting to drink their own kool-aid and think this attraction has any chance of competing, from a publicity standpoint, with the buzz potter is about the generate. Anyone remember this:
http://www./wp-content/uploads/2010/06/54408252.jpg
Prepare for round 2 -- bigger and better. As much as I think the mine train is a great addition, it is not going to generate the kind of fervor Potter is about to just a few short weeks after the mine train opens.
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SJN1279
Well-Known Member
To me, Forbidden Journey is the most overrated attraction in Orlando. It is a motion sickness machine, that doesn't capture the magic of Harry Potter beyond the queue. The storyline is weak, it basically throws you in front of various monsters from the series and then onto your back repeatedly. I'm a Potter fan, but the ride is a huge letdown for me.
SJN1279
Well-Known Member
Round 2 won't generate the same fervor as round 1 either. Hogwarts was the weenie, Diagon Alley not nearly as much. That said Magic Kingdom will still outdraw Universal quite handily, Potter or no Potter.
orky8
Well-Known Member
I don't think you understand the point -- this isn't about outdrawing. Magic Kingdom will always (at least for the long forseeable future) be the number 1 theme park. But Dinsey just spent a couple hundred million probably on this attraction and any media attention is going to be short-lived and THEN unfavorably compared to Potter because of how long Disney has taken to open this thing.
I also disagree with your assessment that this won't generate the same fervor, but we'll just have to see on that one.
bhg469
Well-Known Member
Based on the excitement of the usually disney leaning bloggers, you may be completely off on this prediction. People that got to see the preview only got to see incomplete stores and parts of the land. They didn't even see the actual attractions and were gushing over the land. This opening will easily match and exceed the excitement that the first potter opening did. And I agree that disney will out draw in the grand scheme of things because tourists don't get it yet. I am telling everyone I know to go to universal, book a room at cabana bay eat at mythos and never look back. They all know me as a huge disney world fan, but my last trip I definitely saw the light.
Who cares about media attention? Do you think Disney is doing this to "generate fervor?". The parks are crowded, and crowd levels are higher than ever. The Mine Train isn't some sort of life saving attraction that the MK desperately needs to stay relevant. It's a great addition to the best and most popular theme park in the world.
The FOF parade and the Mine Train are two great additions that will significantly help the MK park. Heck, we just spent 10 days at Disney with neither of those attractions (and without Splash Mountain!). We still had an amazing time.
Universal can garner all kinds of media attention, but it's really kind of insignificant. Universal is a great theme park, but isn't going to ever come close to the MK, as long as Disney keeps pumping out great movies and entertainment.
GLaDOS
Well-Known Member
Universal knows that.
They don't care.
They're getting a better return on investment from their additions. They're making better profit margins and revenue. They don't care that Magic Kingdom is getting more people than them. They just care that what they're doing is working.
The only place attendance matters is in a ridiculous fanboi ing contest that doesn't matter to people in the real world.
Also, I look forward to you saying "I was wrong" when Diagon Alley is huge. Potter is still a juggernaut, and IoA's attendance gain from the past year will continue to prove that
GLaDOS
Well-Known Member
Tokyo Disney Sea is getting the Mine Train!?
orky8
Well-Known Member
I think the point flew way over your head...
(and if you don't think Disney cares about media attention, then well, I can't really help you. Media presentation for bleachers, anyone?)
bhg469
Well-Known Member
And I spent 4 days there. 2 more than anyone needs. If we didn't get the room at a discount we wouldn't have stayed there. The parks are not in a better place than 10 years ago. Universal is sstadily getting better while adding attractions. Disney may not be losing guests but they aren't gaining many either. And with Pandora still years away universal has 3 more attractions yet to open that we know about.
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SJN1279
Well-Known Member
Diagon Alley will be huge, but Potter is no where near as popular as it was in 2010. Books are done, movies are done, and a Harry Potter themed land is already opened. Many guests will also be upset that they have to purchase a two park ticket to experience the Hogwarts Express attraction.
The looming Hogwarts castle is impressive. Generic building facades will have no where near the same effect....
danlb_2000
Premium Member
The building facades are far from generic, they are a very accurate reproduction of what was seen in the movie.
bhg469
Well-Known Member
Have y
The new building facades are very nice in person and they only appear 75% complete. From the studios side they aren't supposed to be though..
First I'm not a potter fan but Rowling isn't done. She is writing new books in the potter universe. Second, the franchise is bigger than avatar. They didn't sell as many movie seats but the products are much more successful. A universal 2 park ticket is more appealing to me than a park hopper simply because transportation at disney is lackluster. Sure there are a few ways to get around but none are consistent or reliable.
The new building facades are very nice in person and they only appear 75% complete. From the studios side they aren't supposed to be though..