Universal Orlando Resort (USF, IOA, Epic) Discussion Thread

[ernierocker]

I'm quite interested in the attraction of this area. If you watch movie 7, how big of a chance will it be a indoor roller coaster or dark ride?

 

There are already photos of coaster track in this thread.

[vacoaster09]

The need for a Park-to-Park ticket to experience the Hogwarts Express has now been officially confirmed by Universal, in addition to confirming the inclusion of a new themed restaurant in Diagon Alley.

 

You have to be careful, they don't say you need a park to park ticket to experience the Hogwarts Express but in order to travel between the two. My guess is that all guest will board the train but upon arriving at other station there will be a queue line for the return trip and turnstiles to enter the park.. only those with park to park tickets will be able to proceed into the other park while those without will have to re-enter the queue for the return trip.

[jcrouse]

Do you think they'll add a ticket booth on each end for people to upgrade their day pass to a two-park pass on the spot? I would think some uninformed GP would get pretty upset if they had to haul their entire family back to the park entrance to upgrade their tickets so they can ride the Magic Train. Do they currently offer a ticket upgrade like that?

[DBJ]

Wow, that looks great! Very much looking forward to getting back to Florida after this is done to check it out.

[Garet]

The need for a Park-to-Park ticket to experience the Hogwarts Express has now been officially confirmed by Universal, in addition to confirming the inclusion of a new themed restaurant in Diagon Alley.

 

You have to be careful, they don't say you need a park to park ticket to experience the Hogwarts Express but in order to travel between the two. My guess is that all guest will board the train but upon arriving at other station there will be a queue line for the return trip and turnstiles to enter the park.. only those with park to park tickets will be able to proceed into the other park while those without will have to re-enter the queue for the return trip.

 

But wouldn't making it only park-to-park tickets benefit Universal, I can see all the die-hard potter fans upgrading their tickets if its the only way to get to experience the harry potter train.

[ernierocker]

Do you think they'll add a ticket booth on each end for people to upgrade their day pass to a two-park pass on the spot? I would think some uninformed GP would get pretty upset if they had to haul their entire family back to the park entrance to upgrade their tickets so they can ride the Magic Train. Do they currently offer a ticket upgrade like that?

 

That's the way I would guess they would do it. They could even theme the booths as train station ticket booths. So say, you buy a one-day, one-park ticket, you could pay the add-on price to do both Potter worlds in the train station.

[COASTER FREAK 11]

Do you think they'll add a ticket booth on each end for people to upgrade their day pass to a two-park pass on the spot? I would think some uninformed GP would get pretty upset if they had to haul their entire family back to the park entrance to upgrade their tickets so they can ride the Magic Train. Do they currently offer a ticket upgrade like that?

 

I think is 100% correct. It would be silly to not offer the ticket upgrade on the train platforms. No matter how they decide to operate the train, or how they decide to do tickets, I think there will be ticket sales on both ends.

[gisco]

I can see them putting the train outside both parks so a one park ticket holder could enjoy the ride. I can also see them making you have a park hopper so they can make the money. We'll just have to wait and see how they implement it.

[SharkTums]

^Exactly, I don't care what they do. If they 'force' people to buy a hopper, offer a Potter upcharge, check tickets at the station, etc. I'm just curious as to how they'll implement this with as crazy as JK Rowling is with keeping everything 'real'. You can't have a front line ticket employee selling tickets on a London Train platform so it will have to be an all new position.

[Skycoastin Steve]

And all this time, I just thought they were re-landscaping under the Dragons.

[robbalvey]

The need for a Park-to-Park ticket to experience the Hogwarts Express has now been officially confirmed by Universal, in addition to confirming the inclusion of a new themed restaurant in Diagon Alley.

 

You have to be careful, they don't say you need a park to park ticket to experience the Hogwarts Express but in order to travel between the two. My guess is that all guest will board the train but upon arriving at other station there will be a queue line for the return trip and turnstiles to enter the park.. only those with park to park tickets will be able to proceed into the other park while those without will have to re-enter the queue for the return trip.

 

But wouldn't making it only park-to-park tickets benefit Universal, I can see all the die-hard potter fans upgrading their tickets if its the only way to get to experience the harry potter train.

I don't get why there is so much discussion or questioning over this. It's not like multi-day park tickets or park hoppers are anything new to Orlando parks.

 

Both Disney and Universal have had them for years, decades even.

 

Sure, it will be interesting to see how they "theme" this whole thing, but I doubt it will be any more/less confusing to someone as buying a one-day ticket to Magic Kingdom or buying a multi-day, multi-park ticket to ride the Toy Story ride at Hollywood Studios and then to go ride the Toy Story ride at Magic Kingdom.

 

How many years have MK and Epcot been separated by a "train" to get from one park to the other, each requiring a separate admission. It's functionally no different. The only difference will be what wrapper Universal puts around it.

 

--Robb

Edited May 8, 2013 by robbalvey

[RCT3Bross]

^ My best guess is that Universal has both 1 park and 2 park tickets. So they are wondering how they are going to prevent people who bought the 1 park tickets from entering the train and enjoy both parks. With Disney it goes from park entrance to park entrance you are completely out of the park and have go to through the gates. The concept like we know it here will be from within one park to the other.

[robbalvey]

^ What are you not understanding here? They already have 1 and 2 park tickets. The two parks are already separate admission. When you get from one park to the other, there will be an entrance gate. No different to the front and back entrances of Epcot.

 

If you don't have a park hopper, and you don't want to upgrade to a hopper you turn around and get back on the train.

 

This is how it has worked in Orlando FOR DECADES!!!

 

The only difference here is the "wrapper" and for this case, it's the train station. Remember how train stations have gates? And you can buy train tickets at a station? Yeah...

 

Why is this concept confusing????

 

--Robb "I really can't believe the movie Idiocracy is coming true!" Alvey

Edited May 8, 2013 by robbalvey

[Sir Clinksalot]

Yeah, I'm not seeing where the confusion is coming from.

 

As a big fan of Harry Potter I'm very much looking forward to this. Still haven't seen the current Potterland but I definitely think we'll be making a trip to see all of this next year for our daughters HS Graduation present or something.

[Mrlittle]

The news sounds good to me. Not that we didn't know it was coming. The restaurant intrigues me. As far as the tickets go. I like to see Universal just sell 2-Park tickets. Just find a good price and drop the single park tickets. They can make up the ticket prices with butterbeer sales. I mean if your going to the resort for vacation, your going to hit both parks. Then you would not have to worry about checking tickets or adding a ticket office for the train. I also wonder if they have a butterbeer idea for the new area.

[robbalvey]

^ The thing is though, you have to understand the Orlando market. There are a lot of groups, schools, etc, that will do an outing to Universal or IOA, etc. There is a VERY wide range of different people, all with different agendas that come to Orlando.

 

If you offer only a two-park ticket, you're essentially "leaving money on the table" for a someone or a group that doesn't need it, doesn't care about having to see "all of Potter", etc.

 

Orlando is a very different type of "theme park market" than anywhere else in the world. I have some faith they'll figure out what works best for all their different types of customer.

 

--Robb

Edited May 8, 2013 by robbalvey

[televisedconfession]

You know, I'll be very curious to see the Visit Orlando tourist statistics for the 2014 season. After the first park opened in 2010, Orlando's visitation broke all sorts of records. I was at a Florida Attractions meeting once, where they called it the 'Potter Effect'. I'm wondering if we'll see the visitation hit the same levels in 2014. Personally I feel the heavy weight of the "must see" phenomenon has died off, and opening a second won't do as well, though it will still be a big hit! I could be wrong though. Potter is still a big hit with kids and families!

[RCT3Bross]

^ What are you not understanding here? They already have 1 and 2 park tickets. The two parks are already separate admission. When you get from one park to the other, there will be an entrance gate. No different to the front and back entrances of Epcot.

 

If you don't have a park hopper, and you don't want to upgrade to a hopper you turn around and get back on the train.

 

This is how it has worked in Orlando FOR DECADES!!!

 

The only difference here is the "wrapper" and for this case, it's the train station. Remember how train stations have gates? And you can buy train tickets at a station? Yeah...

 

Why is this concept confusing????

 

--Robb "I really can't believe the movie Idiocracy is coming true!" Alvey

I'm not saying that I don't get it. You aether have a 2 park ticket or you will not be allowed to visited the other park.

What I guess is confusing here is that off course both 1 park and hopper park ticket holders are allowed in the park, but only the hoppers ticket holders are allowed to hop. This train will be a hopper transportation form within isle of adventure to inside Universal studios and back. I guess they're wondering when and how they going to check if you are a hopper. Like you have a "conductor" checking your ticket before entering and you are free to leave inside the other park, or all guest are allowed to take the train and they make a back entrance and to enter the other park, what means 1 park ticket holders are forced to take the train back.

Personally I hope they do it the first way because the second force the 1 park ticket holders to go from one queue line to another.

[Mr. Starr]

Kind of a strange announcement (timing-wise), and the expansion was already announced alongside the USH announcement, so all today really confirmed was its location and vague attraction details. I'd imagine they'll handle this like the original WWOHP, and release specifics in a number of months. I don't see this having quite the effect that the original land had, but it will sure bring in a large amount of crowds.

[Sir Clinksalot]

My guess is you won't be able to get in line for the train unless you have a park hopper ticket. Unless there is some kind of "turn around". I don't think it's going to be like the DL Monorail where they just let you "ride". Who knows where the train station is going to be exactly. Maybe to fit the theme, when you buy your "Park Hopper" they'll give you a special train ticket?

 

I honestly don't see this being any more difficult to figure out than park hopping at USO now or at DL/DCA. While yes, you do have to exit one of those parks to enter the other, they are so close together as it is.

 

I look at this train exactly how I look at the boat from DHS to EPCOT.

[lipeconrado]

i'm wondering how this hogwarts express will be

i think they'll make it like the king kong ride at Universal Studios Hollywood, with some 3D stuff, a movie-clip or whatever

i don't think the train will just pass by the "backstage" of the parks and have nothing in special

 

gooooosh, im so excited to come back

[robbalvey]

^ What are you not understanding here? They already have 1 and 2 park tickets. The two parks are already separate admission. When you get from one park to the other, there will be an entrance gate. No different to the front and back entrances of Epcot.

 

If you don't have a park hopper, and you don't want to upgrade to a hopper you turn around and get back on the train.

 

This is how it has worked in Orlando FOR DECADES!!!

 

The only difference here is the "wrapper" and for this case, it's the train station. Remember how train stations have gates? And you can buy train tickets at a station? Yeah...

 

Why is this concept confusing????

 

--Robb "I really can't believe the movie Idiocracy is coming true!" Alvey

I'm not saying that I don't get it. You aether have a 2 park ticket or you will not be allowed to visited the other park.

What I guess is confusing here is that off course both 1 park and hopper park ticket holders are allowed in the park, but only the hoppers ticket holders are allowed to hop. This train will be a hopper transportation form within isle of adventure to inside Universal studios and back. I guess they're wondering when and how they going to check if you are a hopper. Like you have a "conductor" checking your ticket before entering and you are free to leave inside the other park, or all guest are allowed to take the train and they make a back entrance and to enter the other park, what means 1 park ticket holders are forced to take the train back.

Personally I hope they do it the first way because the second force the 1 park ticket holders to go from one queue line to another.

 

You're really over complicating something that is not complicated at all. I'm not even sure you know what you're talking about at this point. Please just stop responding. Thank you.

[Hilltopper39]

My guess is you won't be able to get in line for the train unless you have a park hopper ticket.

 

I look at this train exactly how I look at the boat from DHS to EPCOT.

 

The difference (I think) is that to ride the boat between the Studios and Epcot you have to exit the parks, you can't board the boat (or any of the Disney transportation) from inside the parks. With Disney's transportation you don't need any sort of park ticket at all to ride, you can just ride the boat from Epcot to the Dolphin to the Studios to the Boardwalk for free all day if you want.

 

My guess is that to experience the train between parks, since the train will be loading from inside of the park gates, you will have to have a multi-park "park hopper" ticket before you get in line.

 

Regardless of the technicalities of the ticketing this is a pretty ambitious project that I'm exciting to see come to life.

[brattius]

OH! Just announce Springfield already!! I wanna be able to actually walk into and order a Flamingo Moe!

[cfc]

OH! Just announce Springfield already!! I wanna be able to actually walk into and order a Flamingo Moe!

 

If you're nice, maybe they'll give you a "Flaming Moe" to go with that "flamingo."