Comments on: The Hogwarts Express Goes to Orlando

By: vikki

vikki — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 16:07:31 +0000

The harry potter franchise will be huge for a good number of years to come, my husband and I plan to go visit orlando in the very near future for this.

By: Mike Kendall

Mike Kendall — Sun, 02 May 2010 18:20:41 +0000

Great post Kyra,

Even with the Harry potter saga coming to an end, I suspect this attraction will remain popular for years to come. Just look at the haunted mansion attraction…also based on a movie.

By: Kyra Glass

Kyra Glass — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 05:29:41 +0000

The nature of it being a sub-park makes it a little more complicated then that. The castle leads into a ride and both would need to be logically repurposed. The entire village of Hogsmeade with restaurants and shops would have to be re-purposed, as would the two independent rides. Either the entire park would need to be re-purposed for another text that made logical sense with its infrastructure or each section would have to be broken into a different theme which would undermine the integrity of the park. This makes the licensing, and the life of the franchise, more crucial.

By: Tim Anderson

Tim Anderson — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 19:13:25 +0000

Right, it can be erased or its meaning evacuated ala the Cinderella castle at Disneyland. For many it’s simply a castle. However, this is a massive capital investment that needs to show some direct ROI for the licensing. The castle can remain a castle, but whether or not it remains Hogwarts is dependent on justifying the purchase of licensing.

By: Jonathan Gray

Jonathan Gray — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 17:57:29 +0000

the (profit-related) beauty of something like this, though, is that it can be repurposed with ease. Castles aren’t likely to go out of fashion anytime soon (20 centuries and going strong!), nor is magic, so the whole thing could probably be made into a different castle and ride in the future if it fails. The Simpsons Ride was the Back to the Future Ride, and that’s a harder stretch. But it’s a massive payoff to having a franchise based on a deeply derivative product

By: Erin Copple Smith

Erin Copple Smith — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 17:13:09 +0000

In that grand academic tradition of “This isn’t really what you’re talking about, but your discussion makes me think of something in my own research area”…

…I’ve been captivated by NBC’s cross-promotion of the attraction’s opening. There were several plugs on the Today Show, including an airing of the long-form promotion. Awkwardly, they first showed a long-form promotion for the Olympics, and then moved right into the Wizarding World promo, which made it seem like spectators would see Harry, Ron & Hermione swishing down the slopes in Vancouver. The whole thing just reeked of “We are NBC and we are trying to eke out every last little bit of promotional opportunity we can from these two cash cows that are currently part of our conglomerate arsenal.” Personally, I’m still waiting to see the Biggest Loser contestants go on a fitness speed-walk around the Wizarding World in a future episode (they were at the Olympic training facility in last night’s ep).

By: Kyra Glass

Kyra Glass — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 16:14:18 +0000

Opening an attraction amidst a recession is certainly potentially a risky proposition. However,anecdotely, I was in Disney World just last spring (when the recession was deeper) and it was still pretty crowded. Because this Wizarding World of Harry Potter is part of the larger Universal Studios group of parks if anything I think the new addition would add interest in a slow time for the park. While the economic pitfalls are certainly present, if anything it seems like a smart strategy in more difficult economic times- to create something new and something with a huge built in fan base.

By: Tim Anderson

Tim Anderson — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 13:29:37 +0000

Here’s a practical question that I have no answer to but I have to ask: as important as this particular iteration of paratext is, how much of its fate depends on macroeconomic issues. I know that my family is in no position to make a trip to Orlando and I know many others who cannot do it as well. We are opting for local fare (anything within a 3 hour drive) when we go out as a family. It seems to me that this kind of destination creation is coming at a very precarious moment in economic history and if it fails it may not be because it does not connect with fans.

By: Sarah Jedd

Sarah Jedd — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 02:08:24 +0000

I want to go to there.

I like your 3 options very much and think #2 is a really excellent point. I mean, think about Sesame Place– it appeals to generation after generation of fans, and it seems like the HP park will, too. As a HP fan, I am excited about sharing the books with my own kids (one of whom is named Harry, for goodness sake) and about taking them to the park. A rite of passage for geeks and their little geek offspring.