Universal Studio’s Harry Potter theme park has attracted crowds of potterheads from all around the world, and has great reviews. The only criticism many people have is that the park is too small! But that may be about to change. Orlando Sentinel has the rest of the story.
Construction is now well underway in Universal Studios on what industry followers widely believe will be the next phase of Wizarding World — a second Potter land, likely themed to London, rising on the former site of the Jaws ride and its Amity Island-themed setting. Universal, for its part, has not confirmed that the work is Potter-related, though it has said Wizarding World will be “significantly expanded” in Orlando.
Although no opening date has been set, most expect the second phase of Potter will debut sometime in 2014 or 2015. The closer that moment gets, the greater the threat that travelers will once again opt to defer their visits to the resort.
Universal already appears to be taking steps to ensure travelers don’t wait. Just two months after finally confirming last December that it would expand Wizarding World, the Orlando resort unveiled a laundry list of additions for 2012.
…”The one factor beyond their immediate control is how aggressive the Harry Potter franchise will be in sustaining its Beatlemania-like appeal,” Johnson said. “The Harry Potter collection of films will be released on DVD in September, but it won’t be long until this next generation of muggles will be relied upon to sustain the wave.”
Who has visited the theme park in the past, and what did you think of it?
I visited the park in August of 2010 and enjoyed every bit of it; although I do agree with people who say that it left you with that feeling of “they could have done so much more…”. There were waiting lines just to go into the stores, all of which were full to the brim, and the lines were terribly long in proportion with how long the roller coaster rides lasted. Even so, people of all ages willingly waited in the summer heat because of what the Harry Potter fandom means to them.
I’m thrilled that they might be expanding that section of the park because it honestly felt as though there simply wasn’t enough for so many thousands of visitors to enjoy at one time.