Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure Construction Discussion

[Imperius]

Universal usually announces an attractions replacement pretty quickly but any details can take a while. Here's a timeline for Diagon:

December 2, 2011: Universal announce Jaws closure
December 6, 2011: Universal announce a HP expansion is coming
January 2, 2012: Jaws closes
January 25, 2012: Universal announce HP will replace Jaws and that the HE will connect the two lands
May 8, 2013: Universal announce that the expansion will be based on Diagon Alley and should open in 2014
January 23, 2014: Universal announce the name of the main attraction (Gringotts)
June 18, 2014: Diagon media peviews
July 1, 2014: HE soft opens
July 3, 2014: Diagon soft opens
July 8, 2014: Diagon officially opens

You can take from this what you want but I can see Universal aiming for a summer 2019 opening date if they turbo on.

Yeah I can't wait that long. I think Universal would be smart to announce something to shush the people who are just saying this will be another simulator and so on. I understand they probably won't, but I'm hoping.

 

[Nick]

For the track demolition, here's a timeline for Hulk.

August 14: Closure announced
September 8: Ride closes
November 5: Track fully removed (Not including footers, launch tunnel or station)
August 4: Reopens

It will be interesting to see if Universal go down the same route with Hulk and just trash the ride or if they'd be interested in selling it as it's probably in better shape than Hulk was.

Do Universal need the money or the hassle of safely demolishing this ride to sell on or do they just bring the heavy equipment in and get going?

If they want to get this done in a timely manner, they'll just trash the coaster.

 

[Scott W.]

Thinking about it a bit more, if DC struggles to get a 30min wait time on a Sunday in the height of summer in one of the world's busiest parks in it's most popular area, I can't see anybody wanting to buy it. Plus, you'd need to buy both tracks because they're not worth it individually and if you can afford both and have the land to spare, why not just build a better coaster for less plus with less maintenance costs.

I guess the next question would be, will the building that hosts the queue remain or is everything going?

 

[NJBrandon]

I would imagine everything gets leveled to the ground and it's a fresh build.

 

[shiekra38]

For the track demolition, here's a timeline for Hulk.

August 14: Closure announced
September 8: Ride closes
November 5: Track fully removed (Not including footers, launch tunnel or station)
August 4: Reopens

It will be interesting to see if Universal go down the same route with Hulk and just trash the ride or if they'd be interested in selling it as it's probably in better shape than Hulk was.

Do Universal need the money or the hassle of safely demolishing this ride to sell on or do they just bring the heavy equipment in and get going?

If they sold track pieces in Port of Entry at IOA, I would buy it..

 

[quinnmac000]

I would imagine everything gets leveled to the ground and it's a fresh build.

 

[shiekra38]

Universal usually announces an attractions replacement pretty quickly but any details can take a while. Here's a timeline for Diagon:

December 2, 2011: Universal announce Jaws closure
December 6, 2011: Universal announce a HP expansion is coming
January 2, 2012: Jaws closes
January 25, 2012: Universal announce HP will replace Jaws and that the HE will connect the two lands
May 8, 2013: Universal announce that the expansion will be based on Diagon Alley and should open in 2014
January 23, 2014: Universal announce the name of the main attraction (Gringotts)
June 18, 2014: Diagon media peviews
July 1, 2014: HE soft opens
July 3, 2014: Diagon soft opens
July 8, 2014: Diagon officially opens

You can take from this what you want but I can see Universal aiming for a summer 2019 opening date if they turbo on.

I pray they don't have the issues and delays they had with Gringotts...I remember them being essentially 'forced' to open Diagon to catch the summer crowds - Gringotts was not ready at the time haha

 

[Joel]

I wouldn't call the InvertPow or the SFX "Standard coasters".

Honestly, I stand back at the SFX position; as I did originally in the past. Either way, as I said at the beginning; when the coaster begins to go vertical; that will be where we will see on what manufacturer it is and what the coaster type it'd be.

I want it to be an SFX ride, but the Dynamic Attractions announcement said it's a multi-theme park deal and I don't think this could fit in Hollywood, right?

But we could also translate that announcement to mean more than one brand of theme park, aka HP at UO, GotG at Epcot. @Disneyhead can you confirm or deny it's an SFX?

 

[Andysol]

You can take from this what you want but I can see Universal aiming for a summer 2019 opening date if they turbo on.

I pray they don't have the issues and delays they had with Gringotts...I remember them being essentially 'forced' to open Diagon to catch the summer crowds - Gringotts was not ready at the time haha

I don't believe Universal will open it on their schedule. Even if they could open for summer- if SWGE isn't opening until the Fall- they'll wait to go up directly against it with a simultaneous open.

While it won't compare favorably - at all - to an entirely new land with two attractions and dining that is SWGE, they will get some positive press due to the "land" comparisons of the entirety of WWoHP vs SWGE- in which WWoHP will be better overall (simply due to size, quantity of attractions and scope if nothing else).

If it opened before SWGE- every article would mention "to compete with Star Wars land set to open this fall". Disney would be getting press from Universals opening. Better to just go simultaneously id think.

 

[Mad Dog]

I don't believe Universal will open it on their schedule. Even if they could open for summer- if SWGE isn't opening until the Fall- they'll go up directly against it with a simultaneous open.

While it won't compare favorably - at all - to an entirely new land with two attractions and dining that is SWGE, they will get some positive press due to the "land" comparisons of the entirety of WWoHP vs SWGE- in which WWoHP will be better overall (simply due to size, quantity of attractions and scope if nothing else).

If it opened before SWGE- every article would mention "to compete with Star Wars land set to open this fall". Disney would be getting press from Universals opening. Better to just go simultaneously id think.

Sounds to me like Universal is doing the one two punch against GE. Open the Potter expansion, that will probably include more than just the coaster and basically look like a land for marketing purposes, and follow that up about 12 months later with Nintendo. Those two, in combination with one another, will be more than enough to keep Universal's momentum going through the GE opening. I think both Disney & Universal will prosper from all of these lands opening simultaneously. Tourists will schedule vacations specifically for these expansions, and there will surely be a lot of resort hopping up and down I4.

 

[Andysol]

Sounds to me like Universal is doing the one two punch against GE. Open the Potter expansion, that will probably include more than just the coaster and basically look like a land for marketing purposes, and follow that up about 12 months later with Nintendo. Those two, in combination with one another, will be more than enough to keep Universal's momentum going through the GE opening. I think both Disney & Universal will prosper from all of these lands opening simultaneously. Tourists will schedule vacations specifically for these expansions, and there will surely be a lot of resort hopping up and down I4.

Totally agree. Their success isn't mutually exclusive. One succeeding certainly helps the other as well.

Universal's main strategy here will be to keep them top of mind as an "also" when discussing visiting SWGE.
"I want to see the (new) Harry Potter land too when we go!" Is what they are banking on.

 

[Alicia]

Totally agree. Their success isn't mutually exclusive. One succeeding certainly helps the other as well.

Universal's main strategy here will be to keep them top of mind as an "also" when discussing visiting SWGE.
"I want to see the (new) Harry Potter land too when we go!" Is what they are banking on.

Plus, if it's anything like the last two Potter openings in Orlando, people will come from around the world to make their pilgrimage and to say they were among the first. HP is literally the only thing in the world Universal could do that would actually create lines as long as Star Wars to get in. Very good timing on their part.

 

[JungleSkip]

Universal's main strategy here will be to keep them top of mind as an "also" when discussing visiting SWGE.
"I want to see the (new) Harry Potter land too when we go!" Is what they are banking on.

Yea, I think this is a great idea. Nintendo and Potter Ride 3 are more of a draw than TRON and Avatar to the GP. It ensures Universal will continue to at least get a day from the Mouse in people's vacations.

 

[Disneyhead]

I want it to be an SFX ride, but the Dynamic Attractions announcement said it's a multi-theme park deal and I don't think this could fit in Hollywood, right?

But we could also translate that announcement to mean more than one brand of theme park, aka HP at UO, GotG at Epcot. @Disneyhead can you confirm or deny it's an SFX?

Nope. I still have no clue about the ride system.

I do know Universal has a fair amount more to share about this whole thing.

And the plan is to bookend SW:GE with Universal's 2 biggest IPs. Open Potter before SW:GE, then open Nintendo after SW:GE and before the 50th. Then open the 3rd gate just after the 50th when WDW has gone back on autopilot.

 

[shiekra38]

Totally agree. Their success isn't mutually exclusive. One succeeding certainly helps the other as well.

Universal's main strategy here will be to keep them top of mind as an "also" when discussing visiting SWGE.
"I want to see the (new) Harry Potter land too when we go!" Is what they are banking on.

Nope. I still have no clue about the ride system.

I do know Universal has a fair amount more to share about this whole thing.

And the plan is to bookend SW:GE with Universal's 2 biggest IPs. Open Potter before SW:GE, then open Nintendo after SW:GE and before the 50th. Then open the 3rd gate just after the 50th when WDW has gone back on autopilot.

Side note: I was at Disney last weekend and I saw a good deal of Hogwarts house and Digaon shirts while I was there..Also, Universal is very much in people's minds when waiting in line for attractions at Disney..It is interesting to see and drastically different to say 2008

 

[k_peek_2000]

I was in attendance when he took the stage at the parks panel. He was very clearly drunk. Maybe that was needed to show excitement for Pixar Pier.

He's literally drunk during every presentation and at every press event.

I would imagine everything gets leveled to the ground and it's a fresh build.

It took Knott's 3 weeks to dismantle Boomerang (a standard Vekoma boomerang). DC will definitely be scrapped.

 

[rhino4evr]

I think the main difference here is that the families that have been to "potter land" have already been, and opening another ride under the same IP will have diminished returns, regardless how popular.

Harry Potter is also an aging IP, unlike Star Wars which has a new film release every year, and seems to be more popular than ever. I don't think Fantastic Beasts was the big hit they were expecting either.

Magic kingdom doesn't need Tron to attract insane crowds. Avatar will be old news by the time these open.

I think Nintendo land has the real chance of bringing a lot more families, especially considering the popularity of the switch.

Now if UOR ever gets that iron man flying coaster off the ground, then we are talking.

 

[shiekra38]

He's literally drunk during every presentation and at every press event.

I have a terrible picture of him violently vomitting drunk on stage while the Fantasmic! theme plays and everyone is silent in horror

I think the main difference here is that the families that have been to "potter land" have already been, and opening another ride under the same IP will have diminished returns, regardless how popular.

Harry Potter is also an aging IP, unlike Star Wars which has a new film release every year, and seems to be more popular than ever. I don't think Fantastic Beasts was the big hit they were expecting either.

Magic kingdom doesn't need Tron to attract insane crowds. Avatar will be old news by the time these open.

I think Nintendo land has the real chance of bringing a lot more families, especially considering the popularity of the switch.

Now if UOR ever gets that iron man flying coaster off the ground, then we are talking.

HP is forever....and also JK is coming out with new books..

 

[Imperius]

I honestly done see HP as an aging IP. While there aren't any new HP movies coming out FB does well enough, the books are still being read by new generations of children, HP weekends on TV are like every month still, and so on. It will continue since the source material is classic and people will keep esxperiencing it in book form and movies.

 

[k_peek_2000]

Harry Potter is also an aging IP.

100% Untrue. Harry Potter has an entire generation(ish) of people who grew up and still love the movies/books. Many of these people are now becoming old enough to introduce the stories to their kids. It's a cash cow for a reason.

The fans will come no matter what it is. Nighttime Lights at USH is a perfect example. It's a simple (but very well made) 4 minute show, and because of it, the WWoHP has been more packed this summer than it was opening summer.