Originally Posted By dshyates Hans, I have seen 90-120 min. waits just to get into the shops and over an hour wait to get Butterbeer. So while the crowds are probably a little lionger because of the ride, I think the place would be a smash hit even if the ride weren't there. Universal created over 600 area specific peices of merchendise.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt Of course the lines are long for the other offerings because hordes of people are flowing through the gates to ride the ride. Naturally most of those visitors are captivated by the setting and want to explore and spending money in the area. From what it sounds like the merchandise and shops might be worth some time, but with the exception of hard core Harry Potter geeks nobody from outside central Florida is going to go to IOA just to buy a piece of HP merchandise. The ride is the real draw.
Originally Posted By Bob Paris 1 To borrow a refrain from the DCA apologists almost ten years ago......WHO CARES? It's adding visitors, spending time AND MONEY to the Universal resort. Hell, if the heroin monkey of 2001 could be considered a "hit" by people like jonvn and his ilk back then because people added ONE DAY to their trip to the DLR, then the WWOHP can be considered one too. And Hans, DO NOT underestimate the absolute RABID obsession of some of the HP fans wanting to OWN official and, up until now, unavailable merchandise from the HP universe. Case in point - I knew a lady who was pulled over for speeding by a cop. When he asked the obligatory, "Why were you speeding?" question, she replied, "I was just listening to my HP book on CD and it just got to the part where Harry kissed Cho and...." And this woman was about FORTY at the time and just listening to this scene on an audiobook(from a stroy she already knew and had read countless times)was enough to get her, shall we say, heart racing, causing her to drive recklessly. I have since lost contact with this woman but I know that given the chance, she'd drop a BUNDLE on getting her own wand, getting the chance to buy and drink some butterbeer and get some sweets. I guess it's a symptom of Disney's watering down(and oversaturating)their product lately but nothing they are creating is generating this kind of obsessive behaviour in people of both sexes and of all ages. It's the old "if you build it, they WILL come" mantra. Personally I hope Universal reaps a fortune from this. They deserve it.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt You sound slightly vengeful. I'm thrilled that Universal has a hit on their hands. Good competition is healthy for both the theme park industry and consumers. However, none of this changes the fact that most people go to theme parks for the rides not the shops and restaurants. IOA is no exception.
Originally Posted By dshyates Hans, I just think you understand the legions of Potter fans that are showing up for this thing. See, while I am a (minor) Potter fan, I am one of those that you are refering to. I went and rode the ride. And since I wnet during softs, the crowds were low, so I did cruise the shops. I didn't buy anything. But I don't think people showing up for the ride are going to wait 90 mins to get into a shop. Much less several 90 min lines to get into several shops. These are Potter fans. Yhey will wait 90 mins to get a chocolate frog. Then wait 90 min to get a wand, then wait an hour to get a Butterbeer. With this addition, for these fams, the shopping really is an attraction onto itself. There are even fans bringing their favorite Potter books who get a Butterbeer and then sit in the owlery reading.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt "Hans, I just think you understand the legions of Potter fans that are showing up for this thing." I'm not disputing that. Answer this: Do you think the the shops and restaurants would be equally as congested if the signature attraction weren't there?
Originally Posted By dshyates "Answer this: Do you think the the shops and restaurants would be equally as congested if the signature attraction weren't there?" Yeah, pretty much. Since those that are there for the ride aren't going to wait 90 mins. to get into the shops.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt So you're saying that if they built the area with just shops and restaurants (in a theme park mind you) without the HP ride it would be just as crowded? Please.
Originally Posted By dshyates Probably not AS crowded. But it is shocking to just about everyone, Universal included, that the Merchendise side of this expansion has been so popular. But it certainly doesn't hurt that they built a fantastic, highly themed, state of the art attraction
Originally Posted By dshyates But I do think that the popularity of the merchendising speaks more to the popularity of Potter than the fantastic job Universal did at creating a highly themed immersive environment. I can't think of any other property that would get this kind of response.
Originally Posted By dshyates Here is an interesting article about how Universal is dealing with the hordes of Potterheads. <a href="http://mobile.orlandosentinel.com/inf/infomo;jsessionid=40AB39B28771F95556F4.580?view=business_item&feed:a=sentinel_1min&feed:c=business&feed:i=54868495" target="_blank">http://mobile.orlandosentinel....54868495</a>
Originally Posted By Anatole69 I'm still very surprised that Universal built those shops so small. At least the wand shop deserved two merchandise areas with a false entrance to up capacity and maintain the charm of a small shop that they were aiming for. - Anatole
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo >>>>Of course the lines are long for the other offerings because hordes of people are flowing through the gates to ride the ride. Naturally most of those visitors are captivated by the setting and want to explore and spending money in the area. From what it sounds like the merchandise and shops might be worth some time, but with the exception of hard core Harry Potter geeks nobody from outside central Florida is going to go to IOA just to buy a piece of HP merchandise. The ride is the real draw.<<<< Um, I met someone yesterday who is going to fly the 3000 miles, with her top priority of buying a wand at Olivanders.
Originally Posted By dshyates The problem is most people are thinking of this from a theme park fans perspective. Where obviously the attraction is, well, the attraction. But the people showing up for TWWOHP, for the most part, AREN'T theme park fans. They are Harry Potter fans. And they just want to spend time in the rich environment created by J. K. Rowling and brought to life by Universal Studios. I have to admit that it is a little foreign toy way of thinking, being a Disney Parks fan. Since for me the lush environment is the icing on the cake. But to these people the environment IS the cake, and the ride is the icing.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo Funny, for me as a Disney fan, the environment has always been the cake too. That is why I hate things like the All Stars, Pop Century, Chester and Hesters and Toy Story Playland.
Originally Posted By dshyates 36 for 34 and Dave, I see what you are saying, but to me that is just Yucky tasting icing. And in Chester and Hester's case pretty tasteless cake to boot. As far as the resorts go, obviously themeing is most important since there aren't attractions. But amenities are cool.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo My point is, coasters are ok. But what will get me travelling in somewhere that gives me an amazing experience or sense of place. Whether that is Wilderness Lodge, The Venitian, or WWOHP. I have gotten to the point where rides are just a part of the attraction, and not as important as theme, cleanliness, service and entertainment.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt "Probably not AS crowded." OK, then we agree. That was all I was trying to say.
Originally Posted By hopemax In 1965, New Orleans Square opened. Pirates didn't come until the following year, and HM not until 1969. Maybe as much as we say, "people have changed," maybe it's not as much as we think. Maybe if you have the right "hook" (unlike generic CA in CA at DCA), shopping and dining can be a draw? Many of the people posting on the DIS Universal board, were very excited to visit WWoHP even though they knew they would be unable to ride the ride (size, medical conditions, pregnancy, etc). I too, think they should have found some way to make the shops bigger. It doesn't seem like Dragon Challenge needs as large of a queue as it has, so I wonder if there was a way to rebuild the queue/exit, to devote more space to the shops. And if they do expand the area to include Diagon Alley. And if they added Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor, I think I could spend all day there.
