WWoHP - Diagon Alley is officially announced!

Well, Universal dropped a bomb on us this morning and announced the second phase of WWoHP! Full press release is below. Including high resolution art work!

THE ADVENTURE CONTINUES:
THE WIZARDING WORLD OF HARRY POTTER – DIAGON ALLEY
IS COMING TO UNIVERSAL ORLANDO RESORT

‘London’ and Diagon Alley Will Come to Life at Universal Orlando in 2014

World’s First Centrally Themed, Multi-Park Experience

ORLANDO, Fla. (May 8, 2013) – Building on the global phenomenon that is The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Universal Orlando Resort and Warner Bros. Entertainment today announced an expansion of historic proportion with the entirely new themed environment, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley.

Scheduled to open in 2014, the world’s first centrally themed, multi-park experience expands The Wizarding World of Harry Potter across both Universal Orlando theme parks and allows Universal’s creative team to bring an unparalleled vision to this unique project.  The new area will bring to life some of the experiences and places found in and around London in the Harry Potter books and films, offering brand-new adventures for fans and theme park guests from around the world.

Diagon Alley and ‘London’ will be located within the Universal Studios Florida theme park, which is adjacent to Universal’s Islands of Adventure theme park, where guests now experience Hogwarts and Hogsmeade.  The new area within Universal Studios will be just as expansive, immersive and authentic as the existing themed environment.

And – just like in the books and films – guests will be able to travel between ‘London’ and Hogsmeade aboard the Hogwarts Express.

Work on the new area is already underway.  When complete, it will feature shops, a restaurant and an innovative, marquee attraction based on Gringotts bank – all directly inspired by the fiction and films.

More details on The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley will be released over time.

To bring Diagon Alley and ‘London’ to life, Universal’s creative team is working closely with Warner Bros. and the production design team from the Harry Potter films – just as it did for Hogwarts and Hogsmeade.

"I'm so pleased that The Wizarding World of Harry Potter has proved so popular to date, and I'm sure that the attention to detail in creating the new Diagon Alley area will make this an even better experience," said J.K. Rowling.

“We are continuing the journey and adding an entirely new level of adventure,” said Tom Williams, Chairman of Universal Parks & Resorts.  “And we are bringing the same drive, commitment, enthusiasm and innovation to this project as we did to the first.”

“We are thrilled to offer the legions of fans the opportunity to embark on this new journey and experience Diagon Alley as it was brought to life in the books and films,” said Brad Globe, president, Warner Bros. Consumer Products.

“Our vision is to create two amazing theme park experiences that combine into one, complete, magical journey,” said Alice Norsworthy, executive vice president, marketing and sales for Universal Orlando Resort.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade opened at Universal’s Islands of Adventure in June 2010 as a fully immersive Harry Potter themed environment - bringing to life the bestselling books by J.K. Rowling and the blockbuster feature films from Warner Bros.  Since that time, it has become a global phenomenon, entertaining millions of people from around the world.

Visitors to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter are swept into the adventures of Harry Potter.  They can tour Hogwarts castle, shop in Hogsmeade and dine at the Three Broomsticks.  They can soar above Hogwarts with Harry, be chosen by a wand at Ollivanders, sample Butterbeer and much more.

About the Harry Potter Series
Harry Potter continues to be a global phenomenon. Each of the seven books by author J.K. Rowling has broken sales records, with the series to date having sold over 450 million copies worldwide and translated into more than 70 languages.  The Harry Potter films, produced by Warner Bros. Pictures, have grossed more than $7.7 billion to date worldwide at the box office, making Harry Potter the largest-grossing film franchise in history.

###

About Universal Orlando Resort
There are many ways to enjoy your Orlando vacation, but there is only one place where vacation becomes adventure:  Universal Orlando Resort.  It is a unique destination featuring two theme parks, Universal Studios Florida and Universal’s Islands of Adventure, three magnificently themed on-site hotels and a nighttime entertainment complex.  It’s the only Orlando destination where you are not just entertained – you become part of the most exhilarating entertainment ever created. You can soar above Hogwarts with Harry Potter, swing above the streets with Spider-Man, battle aliens alongside Agent J, and help Shrek save Princess Fiona in Shrek 4-D.  Now open:  the new, heart-warming and hilarious Despicable Me Minion Mayhem ride.  And coming soon: Transformers The Ride-3D.
Universal Orlando Resort is part of NBCUniversal, a Comcast company.

About Warner Bros. Entertainment
Warner Bros. Entertainment is a global leader in all forms of entertainment and their related businesses across all current and emerging media and platforms.  A Time Warner Company, the fully integrated, broad-based studio is home to one of the most successful collections of brands in the world and stands at the forefront of every aspect of the entertainment industry from feature film, television and home entertainment production and worldwide distribution to DVD, digital distribution, animation, comic books, video games, product and brand licensing, international cinemas and broadcasting.

HARRY POTTER, characters, names and related indicia are trademarks of and © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Harry Potter Publishing Rights © JKR.
(s13)

(c) Universal Orlando Resort 2013. All rights reserved.

WWoHP London Waterfront: Now Open! (partially)

Today, Universal Orlando opened up the first section of the forthcoming second phase of the wildly successful Wizarding World of Harry Potter.  While the project has yet to  be announced, guests can already walk through a faithful recreation of London's Victoria Embankment spanning from San Francisco to Men In Black.  The new walkway has been opened to help alleviate the heavy crowd flow of Halloween Horror Nights and to allow for work to finally begin on laying out the foundations of Diagon Alley.

Our friends at Amusement Pics have gotten the first photos of the area.  Check them out on their Universal page here: http://www.amusementpics.com/UONN12.htm

Check out the rest of Amusement Pics' update here

The waterfront is not fully complete.  Still to come are ornate lamps, copper lion heads, and a park area.  In the meantime, guests can enjoy a nice new view that has never been available.  Originally, the area was occupied by Amity buildings.  The new area should be a great place to catch Universal's Cinematic Spectacular (#Cinespec), and the Halloween Horror Nights Horror Tributes (#HHNCinespec) in the lagoon.

Next week, myself, Sean, and Nick will be visiting Universal Orlando.  Be on the lookout for us and do not be afraid to say hello!

Potter Waterfront Plans 7/23/12

Parkscope friend and fanboi deity, "Lee" has provided us with the plans for the new London Waterfront.

©2012 Universal City Development Partners LLC.  All Rights Reserved.
Please credit Lee and us when you use it.

As you can see, the waterfront will a nice smooth arc with pillars which resembles the Albert and Victoria Embankments found in London.  What is new is that it appears that there will be water or planters between the new waterfront and London.  There also appears to be a fountain feature (or a plinth for a statue).  This should look very nice when complete and should make people forget about the very cluttered Amity waterfront.  It will also be a nice place to watch Cinematic Spectacular from.

So far, two segments of the new wall have been poured, and they are currently working on the third.  There are eight segments of the new wall in total.  The reasoning for the dewatering seems to be apparent now because they will be doing considerable work to this area.

Perhaps a few details can be gleaned from the little of London/Diagon Alley we can see in the picture as well.

Hope you enjoyed this nice surprise.

Follow us @Parkscope on Twitter.

UOR Permit Update 7/18/12: Project 7685

After a bit of a permit drought (Hogwarts Express et al have been issued), we now have a new permit and it's seemingly for Potter.  All Potter permits for Universal Studios have had a project number in the 7000 range.  This new permit has a project number of 7685 and is for "Pre-engineered metal builing system."

No clues are available as to what this is.  The current fee amount is for a commerical building under the Florida Building Code and is $5,356.01 .

Please follow us on Twitter @Parkscope and myself @CaptMichael87.  We are also now on Facebook.  Tell your friends (and maybe even your enemies.)

WWoHP2: Hogsmeade Construction Update 7/12/12

Mr. X was in Hogsmeade today to get one last Butterbeer before returning home to countdown the days until Parkscope Weekend in October.  While walking through Lost Continent, he noticed that the construction walls had been expanded all the way to Sinbad from the psychic tent.  According to Mr. X, you cannot see anything happening from the park side of the wall, but last weekend, Teebin at Orlando United said work had begun.  Sadly, much of this project will be invisible to us without helicopters.  Expect the psychic tent and other buildings to come down once crews clear the landscaping in the way in the area behind the walls.  Universal probably once to squeeze every last second of use out of these buildings while they wait for demolition to near.

In addition to the construction walls, the South Florida Water Management District issued the dewatering permit to Universal which will be used to dewater the areas where Hogsmeade Station and Platform 9 3/4 will eventually be.

Also, this morning, we found the mass grading permit for the Hogsmeade expansion that was filed back in May.  Today, a building permit was added for walls that are related to the grading project.  One would assume that means construction walls.

Now, pictures and a nifty diagram!

©2012 Google Earth.  All Rights Reserved.

London Waterfront Construction 7/12/12

Mr. X is at it again.  This morning he got pictures of the first section of the new London sea wall along Universal Studios Lagoon.

It looks as if Universal may be recreating the area called Albert Embankment in London.  Here is a picture for comparisson:

Please follow us on Twitter @Parkscope.

Universal Century Part 3: USF Revival

As invited media members were enjoying Disneyland Resort’s Media Day for Cars Land, Universal Creative was flying sight-balloons above Soundstage 44 at Universal Studios Florida.  Later that night, Back to the Future props were removed from the area.  The next day, a demolition permit was fast-tracked through the City of Orlando.  Apparently, there is yet another new attraction coming to the Studios.  Universal Orlando and Comcast mean serious business, and they are in the midst of their own Disney California Adventure remodel for Universal Studios Florida.

© 2012 Universal Orlando. All Rights Reserved.

One could make an argument that the revival of Universal Studios Florida began in 2008 with the opening of Simpsons.  Another argument could be made for 2009 and the opening of Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit.  However, there is no doubt that the Studios' own extreme makeover is now underway.  So far, this year has seen the addition of Cinematic Spectacular, Superstar Parade, new character dining experiences, and Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem.  This year has also seen the closure and demolition of Amity and Jaws.  And starting this week, Soundstage 44, the former home of Hercules and Angela Lansberry, is being demolished to make way for another new attraction.

Soundstage 44 has not been used in many years, and it was last used as a Haunted House for Halloween Horror Nights.  On May 17th, permits were filed to prepare the building for this years Halloween Horror Nights.  On June 11th, a mysterious Notice of Commencement was filed for a building at the Studios for demolition and partial build-out.  We at Parkscope suspected it may be for Soundstage 44, but there was not enough information available at the time.  Then, things quickly got more interesting as the week went on, and on Friday,a demolition permit clearly designated for Soundstage 44 was filed and approved.  Sources were caught off guard, but after having some time to get their bearings straight, they have heard that Soundstage 44 project is on a very aggressive timetable.

© 2012 LA Times. All Rights Reserved.

Since June 15th, the Internet has been abuzz with the news of Soundstage 44's impending demise.  Everyone wants to know it will be.  Much of the speculation centers around the recently opened Transformers: The Ride 3-D at Universal Studios Hollywood and Singapore.  The attraction has gotten rave reviews and was recently described as "better than Spider-Man."  Many have held that Transformers is unlikely because it is too similar to Spider-Man, and that is a valid point.  Transformers' main distinguishing features are the elevators that enable the showbuilding to have a smaller footprint which makes it a prime candidate for the Soundstage 44 plot.

What is clear, is that something new is coming to Universal Studios Florida, and it is coming very, very fast.  If Universal really does have an aggressive construction schedule, we could possibly see the Soundstage 44 replacement before Phase 2 of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter opens in the former Amity area.  On top of Potter and Soundstage 44,  there have been rumblings that Kidzone is due for a complete redo, Fear Factor Live is due for a replacement after its current contract runs out, and the plot between Men in Black & Simpsons is in play.  Earlier this month, there was talk of future expansion at the Studios taking place behind Disaster and Diagon Alley.

© 2012 Universal Orlando. All Rights Reserved.

The additions that Universal Studios Florida has received this year are just the beginning if insiders are to be believed. Think back to where the park was last year, and look ahead to what it will be like in 2015.  In 2010, Universal Studios Florida was very similar to the California Adventure of 2007, but in five years, the former could match or even better the latter after its makeover.  Diagon Alley is the Studios' Cars Land; Cinematic Spectacular is its World of Color; Despicable Me is its Midway Mania; etc. Universal Studios is getting the California Adventure treatment without the fanfare.

The next five years should be very exciting for fans of Universal Studios Florida.  Comcast has seen what quality can do with the success of Potter at Islands of Adventure.  Investment and quality additions eventually increase the bottom line.  Add exciting things, and guests will come.  The Studios has already seen attendance bumps from its new entertainment offerings.  This summer, hours have been extended to accommodate the increased interest in the park.  Barring any surprise announcements by Disney, Universal Studios Florida should be poised to overtake Disney's Hollywood Studios when its revival is complete.

This article is Part 3 of Parkscope's Universal Century series.  Part 1 can be found here. Part 2 can be found here.

Follow @Parkscope and @CaptMichael87 for future updates on #USFrevival

UOR Permit Update 6/13/2012: Gringotts

Permit to layout the foundation for Project 7542 (Thought to be Gringotts) was issued today!  Previously, it was only under review like the others we have been telling you about.

This means we should start seeing visible progress on the former Jaws site very soon.  Expect to see wooden stakes and colored tape initially.  This is the first step towards Potter beyond demolishing and grading the former Jaws/ Amity plot.

As you may remember, the layout for Phase 2 of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter was leaked in February:

© Universal City Development Partners LLC. 2012. All Rights Reserved.

Yesterday, Universal filed a permit for a construction fence with the Orlando Comptroller.  The fence is for something in USF, most likely Potter construction.

Follow @Parkscope and @CaptMichael87 on Twitter and keep checking our blog for future updates!

UOR Permit Update 6/1/12 Hogwarts Express Confirmation

Happy June everyone!  Universal City Developers dropped what may be a huge gift on us today: 3 new building permits.

First things first, the most exciting ones.  Projects 7717 and 3641 both reference stations.  Insiders have told us that the Wizarding World of Harry Potter will feature a Hogwarts Express train experience between Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure connecting Phase 1 with Phase 2.

©2012 Universal Orlando. All Rights Reserved

Project 7717:
North station 7717; Foundation layout and details for primary structural system.

Project 3641
South station #3641: Foundation layout and details for primary structural system.

Project 4691
Connector #4691: Foundation layout and details for primary structural system

4691 may be related to the Hogwarts Express as well.  Notice "Connector."  This may be for the layout of the track connecting North (Kings Cross) and South (Hogsmeade) station.

Other notes:  The Connector permit cost the most. North Station second most.  South Station least.

Earlier this year plans were posted on the South Florida Water Management District.  Kings Cross (North Station appears at the bottom:

©2012 Universal City Development Partners.  All Rights Reserved.

As always, follow @CaptMichael87and @Parkscope on Twitter for updates.  For discussion of WWoHP Phase 2, visit Orlando United: http://www.orlandounited.com/forums/showthread.php?4925-Wizarding-World-Phase-II-Discussion