Comments on: Rumor SPOTLIGHT for April 5, 2014: Unlimited FastPass+ versus Potter’s third phase – the battle for the future is heating up

By: JoshuaThomas

JoshuaThomas — Thu, 21 Aug 2014 10:30:28 +0000

I agree, Universal is settings themselves up for bankruptcy once Potter’s bubble pops.

By: KevyB

KevyB — Wed, 16 Apr 2014 20:25:38 +0000

DragoHarley Never. If you’ve read just a handful of articles on this site, you would know how exacting Rowling is. She’d never allow a hotel that doesn’t exist in her books to exist in Universal’s world. Period.

By: KevyB

KevyB — Wed, 16 Apr 2014 20:22:27 +0000

I don’t think ANY updates to the FastPass+ can ever be compared to what’s going on at Universal. People already planning on a trip to WDW will no doubt be delighted by improvements to that system, but it’s not something that will lure people to the parks. “Hey family, Universal Orlando is opening a whole new Harry Potter land with two rides so I think we — OHMYGAWD FastPass+ has improved slightly??? LET’S GO TO WDW!!!!!” That conversation will NEVER happen.

By: Arno Briffaut

Arno Briffaut — Thu, 10 Apr 2014 14:54:17 +0000

Phase 3 trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRq22NEb298&feature=youtube_gdata_player

By: BrianArmstrong

BrianArmstrong — Sun, 06 Apr 2014 17:59:32 +0000

DragoHarley I don’t see it becoming something that will go out of style. It is a crazy that has lasted top movies last and top books last and the harry potter series is definable as great (top). It also at the heart of it all is a theme park that has great rides and great experiences which is what you go for in a park and lets just say on an off chance in 10 years it doesn’t last it will have already paid for itself 10 times over (aka 250 million in first 4 months when hogsmede opened.) They is also a spin off coming hello more success and interest.

By: DragoHarley

DragoHarley — Sun, 06 Apr 2014 14:18:11 +0000

Well, I can give you a Potter anecdote that still makes me chuckle. My aunt is kind of a grump and tends to hate whatever the new “fad” is. I think it makes her feel morally superior. My cousins are much younger than me and they were at the perfect age for the Potter books back in the late-90s/2000s. I remember being in the mall with my aunt and uncle and cousins and passing a bookstore when maybe Goblet of Fire was out in hardcover and my aunt went on and on about how the book series would never even be finished because “no way that woman can think of 7 books of this witch stuff”. I think the first of the Potter movies was either coming out or announced because she also thought there would be at most two movies made and then everyone would lose interest.

She went on like this for over 10 years. Maybe 15 years. Every year, according to her, is going to be the year that Harry Potter becomes obsolete and everyone hates it or forgets about it. I think it was three Christmases ago that she started up saying that she “could have thought up Harry Potter” if only she had wanted, but she had better things to do at the time. “And in 100 years no one will know who Harry Potter is” she also says now.

I think it’s pretty good odds that Harry Potter “can last” so I do not think Universal is going to be in “big trouble” within my lifetime (I’m 34 and I never set foot in a Universal park until Hogsmeade opened and now I’ve been down to Orlando three times in as many years and I still haven’t had enough of Potter and I still get the same thrill every time I walk into Hogsmeade and feel like I am stepping into the books).

By: DragoHarley

DragoHarley — Sun, 06 Apr 2014 14:09:39 +0000

I’d like to know if a Harry Potter-themed hotel will ever be built at Universal. It seems like a no brainer to me. Why not build a Beauxbatons & Durmstrang Hotel? There’s a chapter in Goblet of Fire named that, actually. Picture it: two main buildings, one themed in a French style (Loire Valley chateau?) and the other themed like an Eastern European Castle. The pool could have the Durmstrang ship in it and be themed to a lake, with waterslides coming off the ship. So, families with girls could want to stay in Beauxbatons and families with boys could gravitate to the Durmstrang side. Maybe even have a third wing that’s more gender-mixed: theme it to the Salem School of Witchcraft and have J.K. Rowling expand the universe a bit and give more details about the American wizarding school (have it look like the House of the Seven Gables, but grander…maybe 70 gables instead of just 7).

Tons of potential. And these other “wizarding schools” have never been featured in the movies or the books, really. So they could be novel creations for the Universal resort…and guests staying there would be like students sleeping in the dorms at these schools…and then hopping on boats themed to Potterverse and going over to the parks.

I know I’d pay a deluxe-hotel room rate to stay in a Potter themed hotel like this. Gladly so.

By: Marc N Kleinhenz

Marc N Kleinhenz — Sun, 06 Apr 2014 13:38:38 +0000

BrianArmstrong That’s an excellent question. Hopefully we’ll find out soon.
~M.

By: Bev Loose

Bev Loose — Sun, 06 Apr 2014 08:14:16 +0000

When my kids were small it was Disney all the time but now they’re teens they prefer Universal & Busch Gardens. Since Harry Potter opened Universal beats Disney hands down & when we go back in October it’s very unlikely that we’ll do Disney at all!!

By: Todd Losey

Todd Losey — Sat, 05 Apr 2014 21:13:38 +0000

Way to much harry potter, I like it but not a huge huge fan, let’s hope the popularity of Harry potter can last or universal is in big trouble.

By: Beverly Neumann Smith

Beverly Neumann Smith — Sat, 05 Apr 2014 20:44:21 +0000

We go to WDW every year and throw in Universal every 2-3 years. In January we are doing both and I am way more excited for Universal than Disney. Not thrilled with some of the recent changes at Disney – Magic Bands, Fastpass+, Disability Access Card, price increases, dining cancellation policy etc.. When we went to WDW this past December it was just a hassle touring the parks. I must say whenever we go to Universal we always comment on how much more relaxing it is compared to Disney. Can’t wait !!!

By: Cheryl Reeve

Cheryl Reeve — Sat, 05 Apr 2014 20:30:58 +0000

I love both, but for the first time Universal is winning the battle for me. Will still go to Disney but not spending as many days as we normally would, Universal has our main attention this time.

By: Annette Conway

Annette Conway — Sat, 05 Apr 2014 19:54:14 +0000

The main attraction for me at Universal is definitely the Harry Potter area and without this I would be unlikely to visit however really looking forward to visiting the Hogwarts Express, Gringotts and Diagonal Alley on next visit plus WDW.

By: Ingrid Unsworth

Ingrid Unsworth — Sat, 05 Apr 2014 19:44:01 +0000

Fast pass has messed everything up for us now in Disney, so it's Universal all the way for our family! Can't wait!!!

By: Melissa Stewart

Melissa Stewart — Sat, 05 Apr 2014 19:03:13 +0000

Love Disney but NOTHING beats the Universal Express Passes.

By: BrianArmstrong

BrianArmstrong — Sat, 05 Apr 2014 18:54:38 +0000

One question I have is once you use up your 3 FP reservations how is the tier system going to play a role will you be able to make a reservation for any ride that is still available regardless of what tier it is in?

By: BrianArmstrong

BrianArmstrong — Sat, 05 Apr 2014 18:52:29 +0000

The battle between the 2 parks is and always has been clear… example hollywood studios could be renamed park disney created once it hear Universal Studios is building a park. The loosen of restrictions for disney is great for the most park yes there are still downsides but it benefits people like me (or anyone who spends time on these sites) to get the most out of there trip because you can plan your trips so you get the most out of the trip possible. As for Harry Potter world bring it on anything HP I am in. If you are adding for rides then even better. I said in another article (things people are going to complain about HP Diagon Alley) that I would rather have 2 great rides then 5 mediocre ones. However, the 2 rides are projected as going to be great and adding 3 more can only be an improvement if nothing else sends people to different rides so less wait times.

By: Cristin Dixon

Cristin Dixon — Sat, 05 Apr 2014 18:44:30 +0000

This is my perfect matchup. Disney and potter.

By: Twila Miller

Twila Miller — Sat, 05 Apr 2014 18:41:30 +0000

Universal Studios cannot be beat (imo) and they’ve always offered express passes to on sight guests! Love USO!