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#Post#: 7427--------------------------------------------------
Full Wizarding World Review
By: kamikaze ginny Date: September 15, 2011, 7:05 pm
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This past Monday I spent my morning at Islands of Adventure, or
more specifically Wizarding World. To say I was excited would be
a gross understatement and to say I was disappointed would
likewise be a gross understatement.
We arrived at the gates for rope drop, a little before 9 am, and
the second they started letting people in we made a beeline for
Wizarding World. Now, let me warn you that this article is going
to be chocked full of Rollercoaster Tycoon references - you've
been warned. Anyway, so I know enough about operating Theme
Parks to know that you ALWAYS put your best features in the BACK
of the park so people have to wade through tons of crappy rides
to get to them, and hopefully they spend money on drinks and
souvenirs and get shuffled into a show on the way. It's the same
concept as a grocery store... there's a reason milk is the
farthest thing from the check out. I digress, it seemed like we
were moving with the crowd towards the gates to Hogsmeade and
the rest of the park was a ghost town. I don't even remember
what lands we passed I was practically sprinting towards the
back of the park; using the little bit of Hogwart's I could see
as a guide.
I'd read a lot of reviews and run downs on some very reputable
Potter fansites *cough* Mugglenet/Leaky/Snitchsneeker* that
raved about how AMAAAAAZING WWOHP is and how the theming would
blow your mind and it was like you were *gasp* ACTUALLY THERE.
I'm a cynical person by nature so I didn't believe that but I
was pretty sure that I'd at least get that little kid feeling. I
was fully expecting to see Hogwarts and have that awesome gut
reaction a five year old gets the first time they see
Cinderella's castle. THAT DID NOT HAPPEN. Hogsmeade is a lot
smaller than I thought. I realize it's not it's own theme park
but it's really a lot of facades with maybe 4-5 shops including
the Three Broomsticks. Now, I'm not saying each building needs
to house something different but they should all be connected
and easy to walk through - even if you're putting the same
merchandise in each store (more on that later). Having closed
off stores or facades makes it very difficult to have people
properly move through the area.
The first thing I did, without even taking a moment to take in
Hogsmeade, was run up to Hogwarts and enter the Forbidden
Journey queue. Seriously, Hogsmeade was a snowy blur (I'LL TAKE
PICTURES LATER!!!!) and my poor fiance, who was holding all of
my bags, was trying to keep up. Only 10 minutes into the day and
FJ already had a 15 minute queue - but that was more than likely
due to the length of time it takes to get through the queue.
There's actually a line for people who just want to walk it and
take pictures. The theming in the FJ queue was pretty good. I
really liked the moving pictures they included but wished the
greenhouse area was a bit more interactive. My favorite queue to
go through is the Tower of Terror queue and that was the litmus
test I was using here. I'd say that some areas were a bit sparse
(greenhouse and area before that) and need to be livened up a
bit. When you actually get into the castle it vastly improves.
Besides the moving and talking portraits (the founders were the
best of these) you meet Dumbledore in his office who gives you a
brief speech about how they're letting Muggles into the castle
and then you're rushed into the next room where the trio meets
you and talks to you about a dragon that's gotten loose and
maybe we should go with Harry and Ron to check some of the
grounds out because we don't want to be stuck in Professor
Binn's class. Hermione has magicked us some floating cars. You
then pass the Fat Lady - which if I hadn't seen her in the
Behind the Magic Exhibit would have been awesome.
Unfortunately the queue is VERY dark and you can easily trip
inside the castle, and the music from outside and other areas
often overpowers the voices of the characters so unless you
really strain it's hard to hear what they're saying. I was glad
that they'd included some kind of story in the ride though. Ride
theming is always improved on when you have an actual plot to a
ride instead of say just a rollercoaster - this is something
Disney in particular does very well and why mild rides there are
adult favorites. It's all in the theming and Forbidden Journey
at least had that going for it.
I do have video of the queue and audio of the ride itself (had
to put away my camera and we also had to store our big bags in
lockers - pain in the ass).
The ride itself is awesome. They warn you from the get go about
potential motion sickness and they are not kidding, you get
whipped around, tossed backwards, and flung forwards; but that
makes it AWESOME. I'd say it's like nothing I've ever been on.
It's something of a cross between Soarin' and The Haunted
Mansion and the new Star Tours. You're moving on a track through
the ride but you're viewing a video screen and then while you're
focused on the screen you have real elements moving around you
like dementors, a dragon, and the whomping willow. I don't want
to give away the plot but let me just say it is worth it to wait
for this ride, you won't be disappointed. You're following Harry
on his broom, get thrown into a Quidditch match (surprise cameo
by Mr. Draco Malfoy), have a run in with the whomping willow (a
branch literally comes inches from your face), and are attacked
by dementors (this part actually freaked me out a bit). What's
great is the ride is totally in the dark and the screen doesn't
emit much light so the element of surprise is there for the
props that actually pop out at you. The synch for the motion is
very good as well, probably too good as you are a bit queasy
once you get off. Being a major Ginny fan I was really happy to
at least see her as I exited the ride. When you get back to
Hogwarts you're welcomed by Dumbledore and several students who
are cheering you on and letting you know you've shown great
bravery and are welcome back any time.
Caveat about Forbidden Journey: For those of you familiar with
the concept of Super-Hermione, she is alive and well in this
ride. Ron does pretty much zilch and Harry is there to guide you
but Hermione enchants your car to fly and saves you on several
occasions. Wizarding World of Hermione Granger and the Forbidden
Journey of Hermione Granger would have been more accurate
titles.
The ride empties out into Filch's Emporium of Confiscated Goods,
a souvenir shop selling ride photos as well as lots of stuffed
owls, dragons, and toys like omnioculars and remote control
snitches. There's also a nice selection of clothing. Don't worry
though, you can find this merchandise elsewhere in the park.
After we caught our breath and let our stomachs settle we
decided that Butterbeer was the next must do on the list. As we
exited Forbidden Journey we passed Flight of the Hippogriff but
decided to skip it because it's essentially just an HP themed
kiddy coaster. The queue time for FJ had already soared up to 45
minutes since we'd been on it. There are several Butterbeer
carts in the WWOHP if you can't find a seat at the Three
Broomsticks. I'd been itching to try Butterbeer since I first
read about it over a decade ago. I pretty much was expecting
some kind of mouth orgasm the second it hit my lips and so I
opted for the regular blend, being a purist. My fiance got the
frozen blend, not because he wanted it, but because I needed an
excuse to try both. We bought them in souvenir beer steins and
that cost us about $25 but IT WAS BUTTERBEER, so it was worth
it... Except butterbeer isn't really that tasty, at least the
regular kind. This might be a personal taste preference but I'm
not a huge fan of cream soda and essentially butterbeer is cream
soda with a thick butterscotch head. The head (frothy foamy
part) was delicious. It was like tasting butterscotch but in a
light aerie foam. It reminded me of something Marcel from Top
Chef would pair with something equally ridiculous like asparagus
chips or something silly. Once you get past the foam it just is
cream soda - very fizzy cream soda. I never imagined Butterbeer
as a carbonated beverage and while the foam was great I don't
want to drink a whole mug of butterscotch syrup. The frozen was
a lot better. It wasn't as strong a butterscotch flavor as the
regular and did not have any carbonation which made it easier to
drink and more like a frappe.
We took a while to look through Honeydukes and Ollivanders (just
popped our heads in, wasn't going to wait for the line) and the
Post Office. Nearly everywhere was selling the same merchandise.
Honeydukes had more candy and Ollivanders had more wands but
that didn't mean you couldn't find candy elsewhere or find wands
at the post office. The shops are incredibly small and crowded
and it took me forever just to get my Ginny wand and a Slytherin
tie for my sister because there is nowhere to move and everyone
is photographing everything. I was kind of at the end of my rope
at that point. The area is TOO SMALL the shops are TOO SMALL.
There isn't any flow between the shops and none of the
employees seem to be directing crowd traffic. These are rookie
mistakes and they should be rectified. Also, I don't have a huge
issue with merchandise being sold in every shop but there should
be some effort to stick to the shops theme. Don't sell wands in
the Post Office, don't sell Candy at Filch's - give people a
reason to look through each shop and a purpose.
We decided to go on the Dragon Challenge, not because I wanted
to, but because the fiance did. These are two coasters with
slightly different tracks that were just renamed and repainted
for WWOHP. The queue is the only part that attempts an HP
theme. It is a crazy queue too... underground and twisting and
hard to see. You come across a few odd HP props and then board
the ride and are launched into Sunny Florida totally shattering
whatever illusion of Hogsmeade you had in mind. There should
have been an effort to continue the theme while on the ride.
Again, we come to the issue of storytelling. Rides need to have
a purpose and a plot in order for them to be successful in a
themed area. Being a high thrill ride isn't enough in this
caliber of a park. I expected something like this at Six Flags
but when you're talking about this AMAAAAZING Harry Potter theme
park there needs to be a consistent effort to maintain a Potter
theme.
Needles to say I was pretty much done after that, and there
really wasn't much else to do. I hear Ollivander's was
interesting but it's basically a ploy to get someone to buy a
wand, and no thanks, I wasn't up for Sunday Roast or the Great
Feast at The Three Broomsticks; not in 90 degree weather. I know
it probably sounds like I'm a picky and easily aggravated person
at this point but that is not the case. I was in Orlando to
enjoy the theme parks and I normally do - at Disney World - this
was my first off property visit to Universal since I was seven
and I was not impressed. I immediately called a cab back to WDW.
I don't mean to make this a comparison but the two parks are in
direct competition with each other and I can't help but think
that WWOHP is going to have a rough go in Islands of Adventure.
No other parts of IOA have a lot of crowds, it's just Wizarding
World. Even though Forbidden Journey was amazing it isn't enough
to sustain the area. It needs to be both expanded and
streamlined. The flow of people needs to be better managed and
there just has to be more to do. Wizarding World could survive
on it's own as it's OWN theme park, but when you can hear the
theme to Jurassic Park and see Seuss Landing from Hogsmeade
you're shattering the illusion.
I would not go back unless it was seriously expanded and
modified. It just isn't worth the money. I've loved Harry Potter
since the first book came out in 1998 and I've dreamed of seeing
Hogwarts and drinking butterbeer for 13 years now, and while I'm
sure my high expectations played into my disappointment, I know
that I still get a giddy excitement when I see Cinderella's
Castle despite having been to Magic Kingdom dozens of times and
I did not get the slightest tinge of that when I was in
Wizarding World. Perhaps Orlando only has enough room for one
magic castle.
HTML http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lrinelaXmC1r2py95o5_250.jpg
IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEE MORE OF MY TRIP TO WIZARDING WORLD
INCLUDING PHOTOS AND VIDEOS PLEASE SEE:
HTML http://fideliuscharm2011.tumblr.com/tagged/wizarding+world
#Post#: 7431--------------------------------------------------
Re: Full Wizarding World Review
By: Hermes_The_Exile Date: September 15, 2011, 7:13 pm
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Compelling and rich.
#Post#: 7448--------------------------------------------------
Re: Full Wizarding World Review
By: kamikaze ginny Date: September 15, 2011, 7:48 pm
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Well I'm glad someone read it!
#Post#: 7513--------------------------------------------------
Re: Full Wizarding World Review
By: Gina Date: September 15, 2011, 10:54 pm
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Thanks for the lenghty review Dayna. I'm still intrigued and do
plan to get myself there within the next year or so but at least
I know now that I don't even need to plan a whole day for it.
I'll do a nice Disney vacation and plan to stop by WWOH. I'll
also have to prepare myself for the crowd. It sounds like you're
sort of like me in that aspect. I lose my cool very quickly in
crowds. They annoy the crap out of me!
#Post#: 7529--------------------------------------------------
Re: Full Wizarding World Review
By: linedancer Date: September 16, 2011, 12:42 am
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" Wizarding World of Hermione Granger and the Forbidden Journey
of Hermione Granger would have been more accurate titles."
This made me laugh.
You sound so much like my husband (definitely not an insult, I
assure you :)) He likes things in order, crowds to be
controlled, merchandise to be sold in the correct stores, etc.
Me? I'd be happily pushing my way through the crowds, looking at
the exact same stuff a million different times (usually trying
to find the cheapest version) and standing in a 45 minute line
no problem. It's always interesting when we go to theme parks
together because he has seen all he needs to see way before I'm
finished.
I do plan to visit WWOHP, although I won't be making special
plans just for that park. Back in 09 we did a 5 day Disney World
vacation and had a blast. We hope to go back in the summer of
'13 although Steven (my husband) does have drill with his Army
unit in December in Orlando! So, I'm trying to figure out a way
that me and the kids can just stow away in his luggage or
something.
#Post#: 7531--------------------------------------------------
Re: Full Wizarding World Review
By: Eva Date: September 16, 2011, 12:55 am
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Thanks Dayna.
The rolling on the floor tantrum my friend and I had, when we
first heard WW world was going to be opened, because we knew
we'd most likely never go there, seems somewhat pointless now.
#Post#: 7572--------------------------------------------------
Re: Full Wizarding World Review
By: kamikaze ginny Date: September 16, 2011, 8:47 am
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[quote author=Eva link=topic=831.msg7531#msg7531
date=1316152530]
Thanks Dayna.
The rolling on the floor tantrum my friend and I had, when we
first heard WW world was going to be opened, because we knew
we'd most likely never go there, seems somewhat pointless now.
[/quote]
You're paying $85 (nearly $95 after "fees") to go on one ride.
All of the merchandise is available online. I'm glad I went
because it would have bothered me if I didn't but unless you
NEED to see it, skip it, I'm sure they'll expand it in the
future.
[quote author=linedancer link=topic=831.msg7529#msg7529
date=1316151733]
" Wizarding World of Hermione Granger and the Forbidden Journey
of Hermione Granger would have been more accurate titles."
This made me laugh.
You sound so much like my husband (definitely not an insult, I
assure you :)) He likes things in order, crowds to be
controlled, merchandise to be sold in the correct stores, etc.
Me? I'd be happily pushing my way through the crowds, looking at
the exact same stuff a million different times (usually trying
to find the cheapest version) and standing in a 45 minute line
no problem. It's always interesting when we go to theme parks
together because he has seen all he needs to see way before I'm
finished.
I do plan to visit WWOHP, although I won't be making special
plans just for that park. Back in 09 we did a 5 day Disney World
vacation and had a blast. We hope to go back in the summer of
'13 although Steven (my husband) does have drill with his Army
unit in December in Orlando! So, I'm trying to figure out a way
that me and the kids can just stow away in his luggage or
something.
[/quote]
It took us maybe 1 1/2 - 2 hours for all of Wizarding World
keeping in mind we skipped the Wand Chooses the Wizard thing due
to long lines and did not grab a bite to eat (although it's
probably standard theme park food). I don't really like
Universal so that's why I left. I basically paid $85 for one
ride :D. Have you ever done Disney with a day at Universal?
It's kind of a pain in the ass. If you don't have a rental car
you either get the Mears Shuttle which is $16 roundtrip per
person but they only have designated times to pick you up or you
can get a cab. Cab would probably be cheaper with more people.
It was about $45 one way for a cab. I hated IOA so much we took
the shuttle there (paid in full for it) and then I wanted to
leave before the shuttle came back so I opted for the cab.
If I were you (as tempting as Disney is) I'd wait until 2013.
First off, December is one of the worst and most expensive
months to visit WDW. It's extremely crowded due to the holidays.
Second, they're adding on an addition to Fantasy Land that will
be completed in 2012 and 2013 based on the ride. It's going to
include a new Snow White Dwarves mine roller coaster, the
Beast's Castle, Belle's village (hey girl!), Ariel/Prince Eric
castle, Sleeping Beauty's cottage, a new Be Our Guest
Restaurant, and you'll be able to meet each princess in her own
area... I think they're adding a new Dumbo area too. Basically,
if you have little kids they'll LOVE IT (hell I love it). I
could see them building it while I was there and it looks
amazing. I think it's their response to the boom WWOHP is
getting at Universal, and honestly this expansion is HUGE. It's
going to more than double the size of Fantasy Land. I'm pretty
sure Hogwarts and Hogsmeade will be pretty empty once this
opens. They're also adding a Value Resort with Family Size
suites. It has Little Mermaid, Cars, Finding Nemo, and Lion King
rooms. Each room has a kitchenette, living area, pull out, and
one-three bedrooms but at Value Resort prices. The mock ups
they've shown online look really cool and the rooms that are
already built are very nice looking.
HTML http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/297648_10150314349974629_513819628_7632042_1616664630_n.jpg
----> I took this picture over the wall they had for
construction, it's the top of Beast's Castle. When I went on
Dumbo I could see more and it's basically going to be like being
in the movie. I'm going with my sister the summer she graduates
from HS (2013) and seriously debating having a Disney honeymoon
next fall... but IDK if that is like WAY too much Disney.
**now anyone that reads this article is going to realize just
how biased I am when it comes to Disney vs. Universal.
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