Harry Potter vs Walt Disney World
In my previous one park vs other park blog entry I talked about Disneyland Hong Kong vs. Disneyland Shanghai. (read about it here). Now I would like to have a look at two parks even closer together, two parks that might be fighting for a lot of kids; Walt Disney World vs. Islands of Adventure, or should we say vs. Harry Potter.
Disney World might have had the (big) edge on many levels, especially for the younger once, with IoA being more the teens and adult park (even with Seuss Landing), but with the coming of Harry Potter we might see a shift that could surprise many. There are already pictures of the new Harry Potter project starting to find their way on the web… and they look impressive (already and the project is far from finished).
Sure, they’ll “just” re-theme a couple of their signature rides to a Harry Potter theme (Dueling Dragons and the Flying Unicorn) but the re-theming of that part of the park might already be enough for many children to convince their parent to skip a day, or even multiple days, at Walt Disney World to visit the famous wizards. Of course there will be new stuff too, although a lot being kept in secrecy. The robocoaster has been rumored for a very long time and has been said to be part of a mayor dark ride inside Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. This will be the new signature ride for Wizarding World.
Will this be enough to get the park filled up? I think so. Well I am not a fan of Harry, I can still see the huge potential of this project. It’s a winner and 2010 might become IoA biggest year yet.
My prediction is that Walt Disney World will loose some guests to IoA. The biggest question however is what will Walt Disney World do to counter it? No big projects are planned for 2010, no answer to Harry Potter in the making. But even if they did, would people stay away from Hogwarts? Disney could make the best ride ever, children still will want to see the wizard. So maybe it isn’t that bad of an idea to sit back and watch… for now, until Disney does surprise us (again) with something big…
So what do you think will be the impact of Harry Potter on WDW?
July 11th, 2009 at 3:10 am
It has to have some impact; Universal just isn’t big enough to bring in a whole range of new guests to Orlando. Therefore they will increase their gate at the short-term expense of Disney and SeaWorld. The biggest factor is WHEN Universal can get ‘Harry Potter island’ up and running. If they make a big splash for Spring Break/Easter 2010, Disney could well feel the pinch more significantly. VERY interesting thought!
July 11th, 2009 at 3:32 pm
I’m waiting for confirmation of exact date or month that Harry Potter opens before booking for 2010 I usually go every 4 years but as I heard they would be building this area it will be nearly 7 years since my last visit but can’t wait to experience the attractions I have missed such as Mummy,Expedition Everest ect.
July 17th, 2009 at 9:12 pm
maybe it’s interesting to read this: http://thedisneyblog.com/2009/07/17/magic-kingdom-fantasyland-expansion-plans-leaked/
July 22nd, 2009 at 11:32 pm
My family love Harry Potter, my kids have grown up with Harry and his adventures. We were so disappointed that HP world went to Universal. Overall I think there is room for Disneyworld and Harry Potter. The attraction will bring in new guests and Disney is sure to benefit too. My concern at the moment is that the Disney parks need to take a big leap forward. The rides are great but they need serious investment in thrill rides to bring in the new guests. I have read about the planned expansion an to be honest its more of the same tame stuff for very young kids. We are e to visit Orlando again this year, but with a 16 year old daughter universal and Busch gardens look more appealing. Lets hope Disney are goig to surprise us all with major new rides and even a new park!