Since IOA has apparently removed the dragon theme from dueling dragons,...

[Mr Ferret 75]

Such a shame that one of the best themed queues in theme park history is going to be changed. Of all the work that IOA needs, I don't think that changing the theme of DD should have been anywhere near the top of the list. But they are pretty desperate right now and Potter is really the biggest thing they have ever done. If this is a hit, they can take a nice chunk away from Disney, especially with European guests. But if the reaction to Potter is subpar, who knows what will happen to the resort.

I personally dont see how tthis will take a "huge chunk" from Disney. I travel thousands of miles each year over from the U.K. and never spend more than a day in each of the Universal parks even with HP this may not increase the amount of time spent there drasticaly (even though the dw is a Potter fan).
Can't see the mouse being overly worried about this new land because it will just draw more bodies down to Florida and more bodies in the area means more for all the parks not just the original destination.
Competition is a good thing and only serves to better the experience for u all...
(climbs down off soapbox and gives the next person a hand up)

 

[heliumalias]

Dueling Dragons = Triwizard Tournament Ride (ie: First Tast, Dragons)

This was exactly what I was thinking when I saw all the construction there this summer. As for how it'll affect Disney... I know a LOT of people who will go to Florida just because of HP but the fact is that they won't just go there and if HP was your #1 place to go (horror!) then Disney would probably be the number 2 so really it's a win-win situation. I loved the DD theming but IOA needed something new (it was getting a little dull) and out of everything that already existed it's probably the easiest to convert. Personally I thought they'd have got rid of the Poseidon thing and Sinbad and put HP there.

 

[kap91]

Dueling Dragons = Triwizard Tournament Ride (ie: First Tast, Dragons)

That would be the correct answer. Nope can't reveal the source.

 

[wvdisneyfamily]

Are you refering to DAK's dragon attraction or to one that may be more in the vein of the main villain in a movie that was recently released on blu-ray?

Ha! :ROFLOL:

 

[Pete C]

So I wonder if they are going to have the lake and the maze to flesh out the entire Triwizard tournament theme.

 

[Philo]

So can we expect some more Harry Potter looking dragons? No, I don't mean dragons with glasses and a lightning shaped scar....

 

[hardcard]

Since IOA has apparently removed the dragon theme from dueling dragons,...quote]

Source?

Last time I was at IOA was Aug. 19 on my vacation, the Dueling Dragon theme was quite prevalent.

When did Universal and IOA remove the theme? If the theming was removed, that's quick -- less than 2 months.

Source is the Universal.. This has been known for months.. It's part of the Harry Potter re-theme...

I hate when people immediately jump to the source crap... this isn't the new york times...

 

[Since1976]

That's weird that they would remove the dragons from the ride, especially since Harry Potter features dragons. Or maybe they're just adding dragons which look more like the ones from the movies.

 

[Pete C]

One other thing I will miss from that area is the Enchanted Oak restaurant. Unfortunately it's already been demolished. That place's theming was just fantastic. It really looked like a restaurant carved out of a giant tree with all sorts of amazing detail inside. It felt like you were eating in some place out of Lord of the Rings.

 

[marni1971]

^ I Know. I was gutted. I`d only eaten in there a few weeks previous (on the Flying Uni`s last afternoon) - being 4000 miles away makes a few weeks previous seem like I was there seconds from demolition.

 

[Timmay]

You can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs.

I have no reason to believe what is being put up will not be far better than what was there...and what was there was pretty darn good.