How is harry potter land doing?
Universal Orlando: Status report?
From Kathy Barr
Posted September 14, 2010 at 1:10 PM
I would like to know how business has been since the opening of harry potter world?
^It is still crazy and crowded but an amazing experience altogether!
From Ray Karch
Posted September 14, 2010 at 2:09 PM
Considering the collection of butterbeer mugs, chocolate frogs, magic wands, and assorted other merchandise I came home with, I would say they probably have already made their money back--and then some. It was a shopping frenzy the likes of which you would not expect in this type of economy. Not to mention the planeloads of tourists from England who paid extra to get into the park TWO hours early.
Even with it being generally slow now that school's back, it's still the busiest section of the park and I've seen it go to hour waits for forbidden journey within the last week - although ollivanders is always longer for some crazy reason. Plus they're selling some of the potter merch in the universal store out at citywalk and that little section of the store is often very crowded as well from the locals who cant afford to visit the park but still want the robes and such (personally, I would trade a $99 robe for a park ticket any day of the week but to each their own)
Seem to be getting conflicting messages about wait times - there's another discussion here (how busy is universal in sept) and people are saying that the longest lines they've seen are 40 mins for FJ and 10 mins into olivanders. Maybe weekends are busier.
We were there last weekend, all rides were walk on except FJ. It had a 60 minute wait. The masses gather in the HP section of the park and it is very busy back there.
From Tony Duda
Posted September 15, 2010 at 4:33 PM
Last Thursday the 9th, in the early afternoon. I rode FJ twice each about 40 minute wait and the wand shop line was about 4 shows long (~20 people a show). The park crowds were very light except for WWOHP which was still only medium crowded. At Spiderman, the single rider line was closed but it was still only a 10 to 15 minute regular line.
The big secret to FJ is the wait time is rarely what is posted. It moves much faster.. My wife and I went on last week and the queue board said 30 min wait and we were on in no more than 15.
At times there is a longer wait to get a mug of butterbeer!
Mark's got it right, pretty much. Just take the posted time for Forbidden Journey, cut it in half, and you've got the actual wait time. The queue moves incredibly fast most times, and the only time you get congestion is when newer people pause to look at the queue elements. After you get past the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, the line never stops.
Which, interestingly, isn't much reassurance, since once you get past the classroom, the ride is about half a minute away. ;P
Some interesting news has come out of mugglenet. They posted an article stating(and they are always pretty accurate) that universal has posted a survey asking people weather they would visit again to go to a double in sized harry potter land.
here is the link - http://www.mugglenet.com/app/news/show/3783
Now, thats not to say mugglenet isnt a little bit biased... but very interesting!
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