Idea for Disney's Answer to IOA's Harry Potter Land

[MichaelMouse2379]

I have an idea on how Disney can combat the increased competition that will be posed by IOA's Harry Potter Land. I think WDW should build an entire land dedicated to Star Wars at the DS. Star Wars has just a big of fan following as HP if not more. True its not a "Disney" movie but since Disney has the rights to produce Star Wars themed attractions they might as well take full advantage of Star Wars Brand. I just think the opportunities with this type of Attraction(s) is endless, and not being utilized currently with Star Tours. I know with the current park size Im not really sure if there would even be room for something like this. What do you guys think?

[LaDracul]

I'm still wanting something based on "Kingdom Hearts", but a mention of an all-new Muppet project has me all atwitter....

[Jakk]

I have an idea on how Disney can combat the increased competition that will be posed by IOA's Harry Potter Land. I think WDW should build an entire land dedicated to Star Wars at the DS. Star Wars has just a big of fan following as HP if not more. True its not a "Disney" movie but since Disney has the rights to produce Star Wars themed attractions they might as well take full advantage of Star Wars Brand. I just think the opportunities with this type of Attraction(s) is endless, and not being utilized currently with Star Tours. I know with the current park size Im not really sure if there would even be room for something like this. What do you guys think?

Disney is planning alot for the new HP land in IOA. Current I am hearing rumors of a E-ticket "Incredibles" attraction at Magic Kingdom, and another E-ticket attraction (I'm hearing rumors of a Indy attraction, or some sort of Pixar attraction) at the Disney Studios, and finnaly a World Showcase E-ticket in Epcot. Honestly though I don't know if this is to fight the new HP land or not. But disney won't let Universal give Disney a little bruise.

[JPL]

Disney is planning alot for the new HP land in IOA. Current I am hearing rumors of a E-ticket "Incredibles" attraction at Magic Kingdom, and another E-ticket attraction (I'm hearing rumors of a Indy attraction, or some sort of Pixar attraction) at the Disney Studios, and finnaly a World Showcase E-ticket in Epcot. Honestly though I don't know if this is to fight the new HP land or not. But disney won't let Universal give Disney a little bruise.

Most of these rumours have been around long before HP land was announced by Universal. I don't think Disney will or needs to answer it until they see what happens. IOA was suppose to be a big threat to Disney attendance and it was a flop. Universal has become nothing more than a side trip for those visiting WDW. At most people spend a day or 2 there and it really doesn't effect WDW that much. The Disney was long overdue for some upgrades and it seems to be the next park that will get some attention this was in the plans already.

[aprilshowers93]

I think disney should build a really cool themed new resort to combat the HP land. If you are wondering why, I'll explain.

First of all, people will need to get it out of their systems. People are going to want to see the Harry Potter land and nothing disney does will stop people from spending one day at IOA. If disney builds a new ride or land, sure people will go to that particular disney park, but they might just go to the park with the new ride instead of another park, not spend an extra day. I f disney builds a new hotel however, that would encourage more people to stay on disney property and people would be less likely to spend 2 days at universal. I think the way to go would be a pirate themed hotel, only because it is such a big franchise and would probably draw in many of the HP fans, because my thought is many HP fans overlap with PotC fans.

[BrerSchultzy]

Most of these rumours have been around long before HP land was announced by Universal. I don't think Disney will or needs to answer it until they see what happens. IOA was suppose to be a big threat to Disney attendance and it was a flop. Universal has become nothing more than a side trip for those visiting WDW. At most people spend a day or 2 there and it really doesn't effect WDW that much. The Disney was long overdue for some upgrades and it seems to be the next park that will get some attention this was in the plans already.

Exactly... I have to agree that Disney is not exactly sweating over the Harry Potter Land at Universal. All it does is keep Universal as another side-attraction for Orlando. WDW is still the big draw.

I love the fact that everybody is saying how wonderful a "maneuver" this is for Universal...when all they are doing is what Disney has done for 50 years....keep building. Keep growing. Do more and do it well. Universal had been free-falling in popularity, and this will keep them back in the game. But it is no competition (except for a few local day trippers), and if anything, it may get more business for the Disney hotels and Downtown Disney.

[Remzlightyear]

HP land, like Universal and IOA in general, will be something to "see" or "check-out," but probably nothing to do repeat visits for. I don't know about you guys, but every time I visit the WDWR and "plan" for a side trip to Universal, I never end up going.

[battlefield2freak]

Most of these rumours have been around long before HP land was announced by Universal. I don't think Disney will or needs to answer it until they see what happens. IOA was suppose to be a big threat to Disney attendance and it was a flop.

thats exactly what they need to do and HP yes the series is coming to an end in a short few years. notice there will be only 7 books and 7 movies. 7 books are released and 5 of the 7 movies are out leaving 2. after all the movies are done HP will start to lose its popularity after a few years. i say disney shouldnt worry about HP ride since it wont stay as popular as WDW all togther. and a side note the new ride unless its been changed is going into the place where back to the future was. back to the future used to be in universal studios not IOA.

and the new resort to combat the HP ride will not even be very effective. most of the WDW resorts arent running at 90% capacity most months so why build a new one when htey havent filled up the old ones, and aside from that they jut finished saratoga and they have the option of finishing the other half of pop century, and on top f that the new DVC resort. also another point in making a resort would be it would cost a ton of money and take longer to build then it would a ride.

[BMan62]

I believe what you are seeing right now is a buildup to expansion. The team currently in control of the parks (WDW, at least) is starting some much needed restoration/renovation/upgrading to existing rides/shows/buildings.

In that these major steps are being taken, seemingly at the same time (to the disdain of many,) it will allow for minimal maintenance beyond the day to day operations. This will afford the group opportunity to put major $$$ and time into new rides/shows/park(s)/etc.

As has been stated previously in this thread, the HP attraction at Universal will be popular no matter what WDW adds. The key is to bring those coming down to the Orlando area to the Disney parks. That has never, really, been a problem.

[KevGuy]

Disney has the space theme with Star Wars, so I think the perfect thing to kick it up a notch would be to secure the rights to Transformers and integrate that into Disney!! I'd hate to see Universal latch onto that but I fear they will. Granted they have decided on the HP island, but if they are smart as that is already in the pipeline, they are looking for the next "big" thing and Transformers surely is one of the biggest things right now. In addition they have 2 more movies planned from what I heard so it will not be going away anytime soon. I think Disney would be able to do something at MGM and blow the competition away!! Star Wars, Power Rangers, now Transformers need to be added!!!

[aprilshowers93]

and the new resort to combat the HP ride will not even be very effective. most of the WDW resorts arent running at 90% capacity most months so why build a new one when htey havent filled up the old ones

I must agree. I have changed my mind. A resort wouldn't be worth the investment. As I said be before, people will check out Potterland, but after the first time, people will have seen it and the hype will slowly die down after the 7th movie is over. This is the reason I am glad Disney didn't get Harry. Disney is timeless, and HP is a fad.

Disney just needs to keep doing what they're doing, update the parks, and keep building new attractions to keep people interested and coming back for more.

[battlefield2freak]

right now im praising disney for there projects at WDW because the MK has been in long need of extensive rehabs nad refurbs for years. but i will say that since they are doing all this i would rather wait till they get it all done at epcot and MK before i come back since they ahve closed all my favorite rides and if the rumors true that space mountain could be closed for a 6 month rehad next year it definately doesnt make me want to go until thats complete. epcot in my opinion needs a more exciting ride in the world showcase area because i can get through all of the epcot park in less time it takes at MK since i dont normally stop at the worlds. after toy story mania is finished and the DVC is done they probably wont be doing any more construction work until they have finished a mojority of these refurbs/rehabs. after they get alot of these done and they should be before HP opens then disney will definately keep the crowds pouring in.

[Horizon93]

I agree that the HP attraction will not have a negative effect on WDW. Disney is not a reactive park operator. It started the theme park concept and is the best at it. They should continue to do what they do and continue to grow.

[MichaelMouse2379]

Ok, I think I should have phrased this differently cause my main point is getting lost.

Yes I agree that HP probably wont have a negative effect on WDW and WDW doesnt need to be reactive to US/IOA HOWEVER, when I saw IOA adding this land it made me wish WDW did something like this with Star Wars. I had thought about this Idea for awhile and never thought Disney fully uses the Star Wars brand to its fullest potential. I just think WDW would be better served doing something similar with Star Wars that IOA is doing with HP.

[battlefield2freak]

for disney to make a entire land based off starwars then why dont they just move the entire star tours to tomorrowland. which i dont want to see happen but an entire star wars land would be going to far with star tours whose popularity is very slowly declining each year which is why its in need of a major rehab soon. instead of a starwars land id rather see an new ride built at MGM for a disney/pixar movie. something inovative and unique. if you have been to dollywood in the past 2 years then you will know the ride im getting ready to talk about. you know that ride that u get in a seat and a harness comes over you and then slowly pulls u to the top before locking into place then tips over and stars to rotate you while the water is squirting at you? disney could do a incredibles movie ride using a ride like that. they could make it look like u have been frozen in that little ray and he starts swinging u back and forth like in the movie. that was just a quick post on what popped in my head after remembering that ride at dollywood if i had more time i would probably go into details about it.

[CaptainJessicaSparrow]

I think a lot of people don't realize that most Guests who visit Orlando tend to stay for a week at minium. During which, they typically go to both Universal and Orlando which I know by talking to them, while staying at Disney resort. Universal's Harry Potter addition will be a great benefit to Orlando as a whole, for both Disney and Universal because most Guests do come for both, visit both and spend money at both. After all, if you're going to go on vacation, why not go all out and hit all of the parks in Orlando? I know the concept might be hard to believe, but not everyone comes to Orlando just for Disney, especially a lot of those Guests from abroad.

And Harry Potter is not really a fad, because the same thing has been said for Star Wars. The movies ended, the books aren't written by George Lucas anymore and yet Star Wars Weekends is still an extremely popular event at MGM.

I don't think Disney will have to do anything major for the Harry Potter area. They'll be fine without it.

[wedway fan]

Ok, I think I should have phrased this differently cause my main point is getting lost.

Yes I agree that HP probably wont have a negative effect on WDW and WDW doesnt need to be reactive to US/IOA HOWEVER, when I saw IOA adding this land it made me wish WDW did something like this with Star Wars. I had thought about this Idea for awhile and never thought Disney fully uses the Star Wars brand to its fullest potential. I just think WDW would be better served doing something similar with Star Wars that IOA is doing with HP.

have to say- i hadn't read your posts at all before posting this exact idea on another thread ("star wars character meals" in the dining section). i think it's exactly the kind of thing disney studios needs, whether you want to call it a response to harry potter or not.

the star wars franchise appeals to the kids at WDW and the parents who bring them there. the story line has all the elements of a great disney story, and the characters are so well known they could easily be adapted for so many uses- meals, dining, attractions, merchandising, etc.

don't think it will ever happen, but i think it's a terrific idea.

[lockedoutlogic]

Here's a few fundamental truths about the vacation Mecca known as "orlando"....

1. All the tourist sites benefit from each other far more than they ever suffer....the thought that Disney tries to beat Sea World or Universal is wrong and will never be true.
The fact is...every new opening floods the entire town with more business...
Kinda like Target is always within a mile of Walmart...and Home Depot and Lowes are across the street from each other...
Consumers are basically lemmings without as much fur...

2. Disney is the king of the roost and in no way threatened by Universal. Think of it in practical terms: many people go to orlando an skip Sea World and/or Universal...but practically no one skips WDW. They were the first...they are the busiest...they have the biggest reputation...and it would take an act of congress to ever significantly affect that...

3. Disney would never realistically be able to respond to any development across town. The only cases where they may have even attempted to were in 1989 with the opening of MGM (the park opened with almost nothing and is still far short of the 2 older established parks at WDW...a work in progress 20 years old) and maybe rushing the schedule to open AK in 1998...undoubtedly to trump IOA's 1999 opening (again...the hurried schedule resulted in an unfinished park that is still a major location for needed upgrades almost 10 years later)
The point is...Disney's development process for it's attractions is extremely long....even simple rides take over 5 years from concept to opening day...and if they go with cheaper or faster ideas...you get Magic Carpets of Aladdin...and Chester and Hester's Dinorama...
I don't think we need to go into further detail.

Disney will continue to implement new rides and attractions on its own schedule...and we will see about one ever year...as always.
Harry Potter is all the rage...but if Rowlings is telling the truth and she's done with it....by the time universal tries to exploit it...it will already be in the twilight of the harry potter generation.

The suggestion of a star wars land would be a thrill to alot of people 40 and younger....
...but Star Wars isn't what it used to be....the new movies damaged an almost mythical pop culture phenomenon and showed that it could be bested in many ways by films such as the Matrix, Spiderman, and Lord of the Rings....
Besides...Lucas and Disney have repeatedly butted heads and failed to use the star wars franchise properly over the years...star tours is an embarassment...and they put it in four parks!
I don't think an outside owned creative franchise such as anything from Lucasfilm would ever get the royal treatment behind a disney owned ticket reader...
IF they didn't do anything in the 90's to capitalize on perhaps the 3 most anticipated new films in the history of movies....
...what would they use the theme for now?

[larworth]

The issue isn't who will still be king of the hill, but rather will Disney's attendance growth be impacted because more people decide to spend a day at Universal. A few percentage points difference in growth can have a big profit impact on the parks. We don't need a reduction, just flat or low growth to get Wall Street's attention.

I thought most of WDW's evolution since EPCOT has been reactionary. Church street station becames a hit - they built pleasure island. Wet and wild popular -they built water parks. Mini golf popular - they built fanta.... Off-site hotels grow - they add a bunch of on-site rooms. Universal announces a studios park - they rush MGM to the market with limited attractions. BGardens has an animal park - we get AK with limited attractions so it can open before IOA. Sure there are more.

I sure hope they react again. I think they have enough time to greenlight some of the more decent quality attractions that have been sitting in the queue.

[battlefield2freak]

The issue isn't who will still be king of the hill, but rather will Disney's attendance growth be impacted because more people decide to spend a day at Universal. A few percentage points difference in growth can have a big profit impact on the parks. We don't need a reduction, just flat or low growth to get Wall Street's attention.

I thought most of WDW's evolution since EPCOT has been reactionary. Church street station becames a hit - they built pleasure island. Wet and wild popular -they built water parks. Mini golf popular - they built fanta.... Off-site hotels grow - they add a bunch of on-site rooms. Universal announces a studios park - they rush MGM to the market with limited attractions. BGardens has an animal park - we get AK with limited attractions so it can open before IOA. Sure there are more.

I sure hope they react again. I think they have enough time to greenlight some of the more decent quality attractions that have been sitting in the queue.

disney has not been acting reactionary since eppcot. MGM was already being planned in the early 80's before universal announced there orlando park. and walt disney had wanted to have on site resorts at DLR but then all the builidng started happening around the resort so when he was mapping out the WDW park he wanted to have enough land for on site resorts. and why would you go off site if there is disney hotels on site with transportation to all the parks and hotels. and also walt had wanted to do somehting with animals so thats why AK is there not because Busch made a animal park. when disney does somehting most people dont realize the time they out in for designing. take EE for example, they sent a crew of researchers to nepal for 1 year and then came back and made the final plans for it and then started construction. all of that happened since 2001 '02. they have rarely acted reactionary and they will not need to react to HP.