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filkertomJ. K. Rowling has given the go-ahead for a Harry Potter theme park in Florida.
It's probably pipe-dreaming, because our ideas certainly won't mesh with theirs, but... what would you want in a Harry Potter theme park/hotel? First thing for me is that you cannot get there by car. You have to ride the Hogwarts Express.
I'm also imagining four themed hotels, one for each Hogwarts House; at least two or three shopping areas patterned after Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade; and an IMAX Quidditch game, from a broom's-eye view. Many more ideas, but let's hear yours.
It's probably pipe-dreaming, because our ideas certainly won't mesh with theirs, but... what would you want in a Harry Potter theme park/hotel? First thing for me is that you cannot get there by car. You have to ride the Hogwarts Express.
I'm also imagining four themed hotels, one for each Hogwarts House; at least two or three shopping areas patterned after Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade; and an IMAX Quidditch game, from a broom's-eye view. Many more ideas, but let's hear yours.
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(no subject)
Date: 2007-05-31 01:41 pm (UTC)The thought of one of the Grand Masters of Horror pleading for a characters life just makes me giggle.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-05-31 01:57 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-05-31 01:57 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-05-31 03:00 pm (UTC)One of those motion-capture rides (like Star Tours at Disney) where you ride a broomstick in a quidditch match.
A "Haunted Mansion" style tour of the Riddle House.
A whomping willow ride.
The Potions Room Ice Cream Parlor, with the various 'potion bottles' having assorted syrups, toppings, etc.
A hedge maze.
A "Forbidden Forest" type ride, with assorted animatronic critters to see. (Something as cool as the Jurassic Park ride at Universal)
An undersea ride for the lake, complete with squid attack and hostile merpeople.
And someplace nice for adults to sit down at. The restauraunt by the bayou ride/pirates of the Caribbean at Disney, while overpriced (duh) was actually very peaceful and relaxing.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-05-31 03:01 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-05-31 04:58 pm (UTC)Heeeeee yes yes yes! I was just thinking "something with potions".
(no subject)
Date: 2007-05-31 03:00 pm (UTC)http://mugglenet.com/viewer/?image_location=/officialpw_poster.jpg
http://mugglenet.com/viewer/?image_location=/officialpw_hogsmeade.jpg
http://mugglenet.com/viewer/?image_location=/officialpw_castle.jpg
(no subject)
Date: 2007-05-31 03:14 pm (UTC)That's going to be a marketing conundrum. How are you going to market the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff hotels, when most of the books' main characters are Gryffindor and Slytherin?
On the other hand, "Potterville" [snort] may not have to be a BIG attraction, maybe added inside of another resort. Example: THE STAR TREK EXPERIENCE, two rides, a restaurant bar and a shopping area inside of the Las Vegas Hilton.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-05-31 05:26 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-05-31 05:29 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-05-31 10:35 pm (UTC)Honestly, my brothers both insist they're Ravenclaws, and they're not fannish. ;]
(no subject)
Date: 2007-06-02 12:31 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-05-31 03:24 pm (UTC)A feasting hall with several randomly appearing dishes. Probably would work like a buffet restaurant except that, instead of you going to the food display, food would be offered to you. By waiters dressed as house elves if they couldn't do it any "magic" way.
Hurt yourself with Umbridge's magic pen! No...scratch that one.
Telephone booth elevators.
Definitely a few attractions that look mugglish on the outside and enchanted on the inside.
The Weasly car haunted ride through the forbidden forest. Displays of spiders and centaurs coming at you and all that.
Transform the Boggart and win!
(no subject)
Date: 2007-05-31 03:28 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-05-31 07:35 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-05-31 08:03 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-05-31 03:38 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-05-31 03:47 pm (UTC)If they wanted a full-on outdoor roller coaster, along the lines of The Hulk and Dueling Dragons, I think a battle with the Basilisk would be great... As you stand in line for the ride, it would take you through the underbelly of the Chamber of Secrets, and the ride itself would be on the Basilisk, fighting with it.
A Trip into the Dark Forest would be wonderful if it was done in the half roller coaster, half simulator style that the Spiderman ride was done in.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-05-31 04:07 pm (UTC)Now if we could park the car in Georgia and get a Hogwarts Express ride to Orlando, that would be some ride--I'm sure there is some rail-side places in Florida that could provide some forrest scenes.
-Ryan
(no subject)
Date: 2007-05-31 04:21 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-05-31 09:51 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-06-01 11:01 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-05-31 04:33 pm (UTC)A 3-D maze, where the walk ways and stairs move around.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-05-31 05:00 pm (UTC)TOTALLY.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-05-31 04:48 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-05-31 05:09 pm (UTC)When I was little we had a Birds of Prey Center not to far from our house, and you could go and the bird trainers would show you their owls and hawks and explain all the cool sciencey stuff and it was one of my favourite places in the whole wide world.
They could have owl trainers, and even put on Owl Shows that fit into the Potter mythology so as not to break the magic. And have a little owl zoo.
OR the owl zoo could be a part of a whole Magical Creatures zoo (run by Hagrid) that would be part fantasy and rides/attractions and part actual zoo, with owls and snakes and cool things like that!
But I wanna see owls. I love owls.
>.>
(no subject)
Date: 2007-05-31 05:14 pm (UTC)The shopping areas mentioned of course need to include lots and lots of costume stuff and hats. Madam Malkin's Robes. And Ollivander's wands. And "pet shops" with stuffed animals. And Florean Fortescue's ice cream shop. And especially pubs like the Three Broomsticks and the Leaky Cauldron, with butterbeer.
And oh oh oh, a Flourish & Blott's. Must have quills and ink in addition to books!
A live animal show (put on by professional trainers, like at Universal Studios etc, not like a petting zoo) with owls, cats, rats, toads (can you train toads?) and maybe a big black dog. :)
Some sort of broomstick ride.
"Classes" people can go join (always in progress). Herbology class, in a greenhouse with animatronic plants. Potions class, in a dungeon-looking area, really a kids' art play area with paints. Divination class, with crystal balls containing various and changing holographic projections. Maybe the whole "class" thing could be joined as all one walkthrough, aimed at younger kids.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-05-31 06:06 pm (UTC)http://jimhillmedia.com/blogs/jim_hill/archive/2007/04/16/monday-mousewatch-wdi-hopes-that-its-living-character-initiative-program-will-help-make-up-for-the-loss-of-both-harry-potter-as-well-as-kuka-s-robotic-arm-technology.aspx
And in all honesty, although there is big money behind it and two megacorps (Seagram Universal and AOL Time Warner) there's been a shaky history behind most "announced" Florida theme parks. The struggling "Holy Land Experience" - the second Bible-themed park here - isn't inspiring. "Ringling Bros. and Barnam and Bailey Circus World" morphed into the equally unimpressive "Boardwalk and Baseball." And "Little England" took a lot of investor money before it went bankrupt.
Besides, since Rowling wants to stop writing Harry Potter books, and will likely kill him off in Book 7 to make sure no one else writes them either, I don't think there will be a lot of people wanting to go to such a park.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-05-31 11:51 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-05-31 10:21 pm (UTC)The main entrance HAS to look like the entry to Hogwarts.
There would be House-themed wings within the main hotel, though.
I want to *see* the Audio-animatronics folks do the Whomping Willow!
(no subject)
Date: 2007-05-31 10:40 pm (UTC)The ceiling of the main hall! Starscapes, glorious sun when it's raining -- they can do it all, with the right projectors ...
And, of course, there'd be a family (or two, in different parts of the park, on the payroll), all with bright red hair, enjoying an outing.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-05-31 11:58 pm (UTC)And I'd like to be in the Ravenclaw group; Ravenclaw just sounds frickin' cool.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-06-01 04:09 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-06-04 12:22 am (UTC)