Concept art showing Pig Pen's Mud Buggies (left), Charlie Brown's Kite Flyer (right), and Linus Launcher (in back). Image courtesy Knott's.

Charlie Brown's Kite Flyer will be a children's Wave Swinger ride, with 16 two-passenger swings that rise up to 18 feet off the ground. Watch for Charlie Brown in the kite-eating tree at the top.

Linus Launcher places 24 riders on "blankets," lying down for a spinner ride that rises up to 10 feet in the air.

Pig Pen's Mud Buggies is another kiddie spinner, where "six four-seater ATVs will spin, bounce, and bump up to 24 guests at a time, while Pig Pen looks on from his center perch."

To make way for the new rides, Knott's is removing the Snoopy Bounce, Charlie Brown’s Speedway, and the Log Peeler. The three rides will go in those old attractions' places — Kite Flyer in the Snoopy Bounce spot, Linus replacing the Speedway, and Pig Pen taking the Log Peeler spot. Knott's said that it will reopen the newly refurbished land in "early summer."

This article originally appeared at http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/201401/3849/. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this on a personal RSS reader (such as Feedburner) or on http://www.themeparkinsider.com, you are reading a scraper website that has illegally copied and stolen http://www.themeparkinsider.com's content. Please visit http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/201401/3849/ for the original version, along with all its comments.

Using the #IfIRanAThemePark hashtag, I offered a few ideas of mine, and then many of you responded with ideas of your own. Here are our Twitter followers' top 15 ideas from our @ThemePark feed, ranked by the number of retweets and favorites each idea elicited:

#IfIRanAThemePark I'd want my park to look like this.

#IfIRanAThemePark My in-park app would tell you the name of the song playing on the speakers nearest you. And let you buy it.

#IfIRanAThemePark Free WiFi throughout the park. Seriously, people, it's 2014 now.

#IfIRanAThemePark Christmas decorations would go up the day after Thanksgiving. No earlier.

#IfIRanAThemePark We'd never buy or install a spinner ride.

#IfIRanAThemePark Kids who meet the height requirement *exactly* go to the front of the line.

#IfIRanAThemePark All dark rides would include an original song.

#IfIRanAThemePark All food would be themed to its location in the park.

#IfIRanAThemePark Our employees never would have to take home or clean their own costumes.

#IfIRanAThemePark We'd create a custom ice cream flavor, available only in the park.

#IfIRanAThemePark We'll have plenty of benches throughout the park, and something interesting to see from every one.

#IfIRanAThemePark After-hours, hard-ticket event where everyone is *required* to come in costume and portray some character.

#IfIRanAThemePark It'd have a richly-landscaped, themed play area.

#IfIRanAThemePark All meals would be served on real plates, with real tableware.

#IfIRanAThemePark I would need to do a "research" trip to Tokyo Disney every year.

#IfIRanAThemePark It'd probably go bankrupt in a year, but it'd be a spectacular year.

Here are some our readers' top responses, again, ranked by retweets and favorites:

@futureprobe1982 — #IfIRanAThemePark No FastPass, no ExpressPass, no virtual queuing systems, period. Just lots of high-capacity rides to handle the crowds.

@Majrhavoc — #IfIRanAThemePark My Yeti animatronic would animate.

@futureprobe1982 — #IfIRanAThemePark It would be EPCOT Center, and I never would’ve ruined it in the 90s.

@Ademir818 — #IfIRanAThemePark I would not charge an arm and a leg for admission

@Jackintosh35 — #IfIRanAThemePark My annual pass would give me unlimited front of the line passes

@n8creative — #IfIRanAThemePark there would be only darkrides.

@JoeDrews — no lines. Only interactive waiting areas immersing you in the theme of the ride before you are called. #IfIRanAThemePark

@brettkyle — #IfIRanAThemePark Animatronics would take precedence over screens

@A_Coaster_Story — #IfIRanAThemePark I would never run a coaster with only 1 train.

@IndyMuttMom — Complimentary foot massages #IfIRanAThemePark

@thrillseekertx — #IfIRanAThemePark All my rides would have unique names, no exceptions. #whichViper #whichGoliath #whichSuperman

@SpaceScreamJohn — #IfIRanAThemePark every roller coaster would have on-board music

@urzishra — #IfIRanAThemePark make sure you can't see the parking lot from any of the rides.

@Majrhavoc — #IfIRanAThemePark I would not buy a Vekoma Boomerang.

@Stormin1977 — #IfIRanAThemePark I'd put full time restroom cleaners in each restroom.

What do you think about these suggestion? What would you do (or not do) if you ran a theme park? Let's keep the conversation going, in the comments, or on Twitter using the #IfIRanAThemePark hashtag.

And, by the way, if you actually do run a theme park, allow me to remind you that for any theme park improvement idea you see here on Theme Park Insider, you're free to take and implement it at your park.

This article originally appeared at http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/201401/3850/. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this on a personal RSS reader (such as Feedburner) or on http://www.themeparkinsider.com, you are reading a scraper website that has illegally copied and stolen http://www.themeparkinsider.com's content. Please visit http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/201401/3850/ for the original version, along with all its comments.

Is "CAT" Universal Studios Hollywood's current mascot?

Yeah, there's a lot of construction going on, as Universal has torn up about half of its Upper Lot as part of its ongoing $1 billion-plus "Evolution" plan to remake the Universal City property. This month, Universal tore down the old Doc Brown and Cantina restaurants, making them the latest in a growing string of closures in the park. Our Universal Studios Hollywood page might have the shortest list of attractions and restaurants of any major park in the world since we started accepting reader ratings and reviews of theme park locations back in 1999. As of today, the park has just 11 attractions and eight restaurants, all counter-service eateries.

Compare that with Universal Studios Hollywood's big Southern California competitor — Disneyland — which offers 44 attractions and 22 restaurants.

A simplistic calculation might lead you to think that USH offers just one-fourth the park that Disneyland does. But let's take a closer look at what's left inside Universal Studios Hollywood:

• Two walk-throughs (House of Horrors and the Universal Experience)
• One 4D movie (Shrek)
• Three live shows (Waterworld, Special Effects Stage, and Animal Actors)
• Five rides (Transformers, Jurassic Park, Simpsons, Mummy, and the Studio Tour)

What's missing from that list? How about spinners, or any other off-the-shelf amusement rides? We wrote yesterday in our #IfIRanAThemePark post about running a park without any spinners, the often low-budget carousel and scramble rides that parks often use to pad their attraction counts. Universal Studios Hollywood is just one of three major U.S. parks without any of those rides. (FWIW, Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios are the others. Universal Studios Florida used to be on the list, but dropped off when it added the Kang n' Kodos spinner ride to its new Springfield land last summer.)

Carnival rides might soon be coming to Universal Studios Hollywood, with the debut of the Super Silly Fun Land area that will stand next to the park's new Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem ride that will open in April. But for now, Universal stands as a test case, a response to the once-hypothetical question: What might a theme park be like without all the filler?

Even Disney's California Adventure, during its billion-dollar refurbishment, left more on its table than Universal Studios Hollywood has. This is a park stripped to its foundation, awaiting the additions that will transform it into something very different than it's ever been. Within a few years, Universal on its Upper Lot will have complete lands devoted to Despicable Me, The Simpsons, and Harry Potter. The Evolution plan calls for new attractions to replace Special Effects Stage, Animal Actors, and Waterworld, as well — clearing space for up to two additional themed lands. (Shrek's days likely are numbered, too.) The new Universal Plaza provides the park with a much-needed physical focus, a place to "hang out" and simply enjoy the energy around you. Universal always lacked that central design focus, before.

Universal could use some better "placemaking" on the Lower Lot, with more impressive facades for Mummy and Transformers, as well as creating some social spaces for people to sit and enjoy their time in the park. And a signature table-service restaurant somewhere in the park would help, too.

But, for now, hey, this is the moment of calm before the chaos, the chance to visit Universal's core attractions before the expansion crowds this park with millions of additional visitors a year. If you've visited USH recently, please share your thoughts about the park's transformation, in the comments.

This article originally appeared at http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/201401/3851/. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this on a personal RSS reader (such as Feedburner) or on http://www.themeparkinsider.com, you are reading a scraper website that has illegally copied and stolen http://www.themeparkinsider.com's content. Please visit http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/201401/3851/ for the original version, along with all its comments.

With Fastpass+, visitors staying at one of Walt Disney World's on-site hotels can make ride and show reservations in advance of their visit to the Walt Disney World Resort. Guests not staying on-site can make reservations the day of their visit, using kiosks located throughout the park.

Unlike the old Fastpass system, you don't get a paper ticket with a return time when you make a reservation at one of these new kiosks. Your return time now is associated with your park admission ticket (or MagicBand, if you're staying at a Disney hotel) in a central database. So you just touch your ticket or MagicBand to the Fastpass+ stanchion at the attraction's entrance at your designated return time, and you're good to go.

That means that some visitors using admission tickets they bought years ago will need to swap their old tickets for the new chip-carrying ones. Even if you're not planning to use the Fastpass+ system, you'll need the chip-enabled tickets to get past the parks' new entrance system. So if you're using old no-expire tickets for your next Walt Disney World visit, plan to arrive earlier to make that switch at any park ticket booth.

Two other big changes from the old Fastpass system: You can select (and change!) your return time — it's no longer the take-it-or-leave-it next-in-order time that Fastpass gave you; and (here's the big one) you're limited to just three reservation return times per day. Right now, all three Fastpass+ reservations have to be in the same park, but that's expected to change eventually. But the new three-reservations-per-person limit will change the way that many experienced Disney visitors will go through the parks.

Under the old system, you could get just one Fastpass per admission ticket when you entered the park. You could get another Fastpass two hours after that (or less, if your Fastpass return time was less than two hours in the future). By devising or following sometimes complicated schedules through the park, many well-informed Disney visitors could get half-a-dozen to a dozen, or more, Fastpasses during the day.

Since it's a change from the familiar, Fastpass+ might seem more complex than the original Fastpass system. But since you're limited to just three FP+ reservations per day, and can make them all at once, the new system actually simplifies a Disney World visit considerably. Forget about sending one member of your party ahead with a handful of your admission tickets to go get Fastpasses for everyone, several times a day. If you're staying at a Walt Disney World hotel, you can make all your reservations online, before you leave home. And if you're not, you can take care of all your reservations for the day at once, when you enter the park. You don't need to keep track of when you're eligible to get another Fastpass, or hike all the way across the park to get the Fastpasses for the ride you want reservations on next, either. You can make or change Fastpass+ reservations at any Fastpass+ kiosk, or, if you're staying on-site, with Disney's My Disney Experience mobile phone or tablet app.

Even though you can use only three Fastpass+ reservations per day, but that doesn't mean you can only make three reservations. Remember, you can change Fastpass+ reservations. So if you get to a location where you have a Fastpass+ return time, and see that the ride or show is a walk-on, don't waste one of your three return times by using it then. Look for a nearby kiosk, or cast member with a iPad, and switch that reservation to another attraction — one with a more substantial wait time.

For visitors, the point of Fastpass+, like Fastpass before it, is to save you time waiting in line. So you'll want to use your three reservations on things that otherwise would have demanded a long wait time during your visit. In addition to popular rides with traditionally long waits such as Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Soarin', Test Track, Midway Mania, and Rock 'n' Roller Coaster, consider spending your Fastpass+ reservations on things such as reserved viewing spots for the Magic Kingdom fireworks and slow-moving character meet 'n' greets, if those time spots are available.

If you're not staying on-site, you'll improve your chances of getting these most useful reservations is you go to one of the Fastpass+ kiosks as soon as the park opens. Here's where you will find the kiosks:

Magic Kingdom

• Main Street — Town Square Theater
• Tomorrowland — Stitch's Great Escape
• Fantasyland — Storybook Circus
• Fantasyland — Mickey's Philharmagic
• Frontierland — Near the restrooms next to the Diamond Horseshoe

Epcot

• Future World — Next to the wait time tip board
• Future World — Innoventions West Breezeway
• Future World — Innoventions East Breezeway
• Future World — Mission: Space
• Future World — Soarin
• World Showcase — International Gateway

Animal Kingdom

• Discovery Island — Creature Comforts
• Discovery Island — Disney Outfitters
• Africa — Kilimanjaro Safaris
• Asia — Kali River Rapids
• Asia — Expedition Everest
• Dinoland USA — Primeval Whirl

Hollywood Studios

• Hollywood Blvd — Next to the wait time tip board
• Sunset Blvd — Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
• Animation Courtyard — Voyage of The Little Mermaid
• Streets of America — MuppetVision 3D

Keep in mind that you might find a shorter wait to use the kiosks by heading to the back of the park, if you're not among the first in to use the ones nearest the front.

If you are staying on-site, you might think that you don't need to get up early to beat the crowd any longer, now that your Fastpass+ reservation times are secured in advance. You could sleep in, but you'll be missing what might become an even better time to ride the park's most popular attractions, as Fastpass+ pulls many "day visitors" straight to the kiosks first thing in the morning, keeping them from the attraction queues.

Over the next months, we'll learn how Fastpass+ affects guest flow through the parks, as hard-core Disney fans are now limited to three reservations, and Disney keeps fine-tuning the distribution of Fastpass+ times among hotel guests and day visitors as well as how much capacity to leave for visitors in stand-by lines.

Our question for you is this: Which system do you think you will prefer? Would you rather have seen Disney stick with the old, take-it-or-leave-it paper Fastpass system, or more flexible, online, but limited-to-three-total Fastpass+ system?

We're pushing the leaners here, with no options for "Neither" or a Universal-style unlimited front-of-line pass. We're asking you to pick one or the other, based on your experience and what you've read about the systems.

Let's hear your thoughts about Fastpass+, in the comments.

This article originally appeared at http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/201401/3852/. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this on a personal RSS reader (such as Feedburner) or on http://www.themeparkinsider.com, you are reading a scraper website that has illegally copied and stolen http://www.themeparkinsider.com's content. Please visit http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/201401/3852/ for the original version, along with all its comments.

Drake played a Disney World cast member at Hollywood Studios' Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular and did a solid job capturing the hopeless enthusiasm that theme park employees have to bring to the show when working with an audience volunteer, uh, doesn't go so well.

It might be worth noting that Saturday Night Live airs on NBC, which is owned by Disney's archrival NBCUniversal, and the whole audience volunteers schtick traditionally has been more Universal's thing. But Universal's been backing off that in recent years, so hey, why not spoof the Disney show?

What did you think?

This article originally appeared at http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/201401/3853/. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this on a personal RSS reader (such as Feedburner) or on http://www.themeparkinsider.com, you are reading a scraper website that has illegally copied and stolen http://www.themeparkinsider.com's content. Please visit http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/201401/3853/ for the original version, along with all its comments.

We looked at Universal's version of Kings Cross station last week. This week, we'll examine the upcoming Hogwarts Express ride.

In the Harry Potter books and movies, the students of Hogwarts travel to and from the school via the Hogwarts Express train, which leaves Kings Cross station in London at 11am on September 1, with additional trips between Kings Cross and Hogsmeade stations at the end of the fall term, the beginning of the spring term, and the end of the year. Some students don't bother taking the Hogwarts Express home for the Christmas holidays, and opt instead to remain at school for the break.

In Pottermore, author J.K. Rowling explains that the Ministry of Magic devised the Hogwarts Express to solve the problem of how to transport hundreds of students to and from Hogwarts without detection by Muggle, and while protecting the castle's security.

Where exactly the Hogwarts Express came from has never been conclusively proven, although it is a fact that there are secret records at the Ministry of Magic detailing a mass operation involving one hundred and sixty-seven Memory Charms and the largest ever mass Concealment Charm performed in Britain. The morning after these alleged crimes, a gleaming scarlet steam engine and carriages astounded the villagers of Hogsmeade (who had also not realised they had a railway station), while several bemused Muggle railway workers down in Crewe spent the rest of the year grappling with the uncomfortable feeling that they had mislaid something important.

Some Harry Potter fans remain curious whether the Hogwarts Express truly is the only means of transport to and from Hogwarts. After all, it seems a bit silly for young wizards and witches in, say, Edinburgh, to have to travel to London to board the Hogwarts Express, only to ride back to Hogsmeade in the Scottish Highlands. Of course, to reach Universal Orlando's Hogsmeade, you will have two options: Ride the Hogwarts Express from Kings Cross station in Universal Studios Florida, or just take the old way of walking in from Islands of Adventure's front gate. ;^)

The Hogwarts Express will be the first amusement attraction that carries visitors from inside one theme park to inside another. As a result, you will need to have a park-to-park ticket to ride the Hogwarts Express. (There's ticketing space designated in the blueprints for Kings Cross station where you can upgrade your single-park ticket to park-to-park, should you wish to ride.) Universal has two Hogwarts Express trains, both pointed toward the Hogsmeade station, that will shuttle back and forth between the parks on an elevated track though Universal Orlando's backstage area. (The track splits in two for a bypass in the middle, to allow the trains to pass one another.)

You won't see the backstage area while on board, of course. The "windows" on Universal's Hogwarts Express won't really be windows — they will be digital screens made to look like windows, upon which Universal will show images of the English countryside and Scottish Highlands, visually recreating the trip between Hogsmeade and Kings Cross. With digital technology in play on the train, Universal will be able to throw a bit of special effects excitement into the trip as well, including a Dementor attack inspired by the Dementors' appearance on the Hogwarts Express in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. It's not yet known if Universal will offer multiple special effects programs on its Hogwarts Express, creating the possibility of encountering a different experience on each ride.

In addition to the Kings Cross station in Universal Studios Florida, Universal is building a station for Hogsmeade next to the Sindbad theater, extending the original Wizarding of World of Harry Potter to the east within the park.

The 'real' Hogwarts Express - the 'Jacobite' train. Photo courtesy West Coast Railways

If you'd like to ride the "real" Hogwarts Express, West Coast Railways in Great Britain offers an 84-mile round-trip from Fort William to Mallaig in Scotland, along the same tracks featured during filming for the Harry Potter movies, on the same type of train used as the Hogwarts Express in the films.

Previously:

• Kings Cross station

This article originally appeared at http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/201401/3854/. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this on a personal RSS reader (such as Feedburner) or on http://www.themeparkinsider.com, you are reading a scraper website that has illegally copied and stolen http://www.themeparkinsider.com's content. Please visit http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/201401/3854/ for the original version, along with all its comments.

Universal will unveil more details about the new land in a webcast on Thursday morning. Check here on Theme Park Insider for coverage and a wrap-up of the webcast.

Disney's showing a bit more about the development of its new "Festival of Fantasy" Parade, stepping off this spring at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom.

If you've visited SeaWorld San Diego, you've seen the construction as the park rebuilds its entrance for its 50th anniversary. The new "Explorer's Reef" debuted March 21. Here's the park's latest promotional video:

Finally, some Theme Park Insider site news. If you haven't yet heard, this morning we debuted a new Discussion Forum. You no longer have to wait for an editor to approve new discussions — they'll go live immediately. And that's just one of the improvements to our new forum. (Here's an overview.) If you've got a question, a trip report, or an observation you'd like to share with your fellow theme park fans, please go ahead and start a new discussion. We think our readers are one of the best communities online and we hope you will make good use of our new forum.

This article originally appeared at http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/201401/3856/. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this on a personal RSS reader (such as Feedburner) or on http://www.themeparkinsider.com, you are reading a scraper website that has illegally copied and stolen http://www.themeparkinsider.com's content. Please visit http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/201401/3856/ for the original version, along with all its comments.

Concept art courtesy Universal

While there is a good chance that Universal will, indeed, reveal most, if not all, of the land’s secrets tomorrow – the new Wizarding World is opening this summer, after all – it’s also just as likely that the company will decide to only divulge the bare necessities in an effort to drag out the marketing phase as long as possible. Recognizing this, here is a list of the most pertinent or, simply, most salivating details that Universal can offer up to us, put in descending order for a little dramatic effect and theatrical flair. (Why seven? That’s how many books there are in the series and, well, why not?)

Agree or disagree? Let us know in the comments section.

7. When is the (real world) date?

The most basic piece of information that Universal could ever cough up just so happens to also be one of the most frequently asked questions currently making the theme park rounds: just when is Diagon Alley going to open, anyway? Realistically speaking, this could be the only concrete piece of information on tomorrow’s webcast, delivered amongst a plethora of new concept art and “testimonials” from the films’ cast and crew. If so, everyone’s sky-high expectations may come crashing down hard, but at least we’d be able to walk away with something substantial to pin our hopes on – and the real countdown can begin in earnest.

6. Setting foot inside Diagon Alley

Beyond the specifics of ride names, attraction types, or food and beverage menus, there is the more ephemeral desire that keeps would-be Wizarding World tourists glued to their computer screens: a glimpse, no matter how fleeting, of just what Diagon Alley will look and feel like. We got our first glimpse just last month, and a steady stream of over-the-construction-wall photos has been keeping us buoyed since, but something more official is in order. Universal really can just show off more detailed concept art and score some major points, but rolling out the exact layout of the land, replete with every attraction and (at least) shop name, would be ideal.

5. What, if anything, will happen to Hogsmeade?

Some of the most exciting rumors from the past few weeks have absolutely nothing to do with the new Wizarding World and everything to do with the first: Hogsmeade over at Islands of Adventure is supposedly going to be seeing some changes itself, starting as soon as this summer. The biggest culprit seems to be Zonko’s Joke Shop, which has some impeccable theming (and lovely in-jokes) but not the most compelling lineup of souvenirs, as its sales have consistently lagged behind Honeydukes’s sweets and Dervish and Banges’s wands (the fact that Zonko’s offers mostly Weasleys products, and that Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes is expected to open at Diagon Alley in just a few short months, doesn’t help much, either). Current scuttlebutt has the joke shop shutting down and being replaced by a brand-new venue, possibly an expanded Honeydukes.

And lest Zonko’s feel lonely, whispers indicate that Universal may also axe the Ollivander’s wand “show” there, given that (a) there is no Ollivander’s “branch location” in Hogsmeade in the novels/films and (b) the real Ollivander’s Wand Shop will be opening, bigger and better than ever, in Diagon Alley. Would anything replace the one-room experience at Hogsmeade? The webcast may tell us tomorrow.

4. When is the (in-world) date?

Hogsmeade is, according to Universal Creative, officially set “in a moment frozen in time” sometime between the start of book/movie four, Goblet of Fire, and the end of book/movie five, Order of the Phoenix (although careful analysis shows that it actually takes place during the first half of Goblet, what with dragons running around and all). It has been suggested that, due to contractual obligations, Diagon Alley will be moved to later in the timeline and be placed amongst the last two books/three movies, Half-Blood Prince and Deathly Hallows (Parts 1 and 2), a time when the dark wizard Lord Voldemort is openly waging war in the magical community and even ultimately ascends to power over it.

Such a setting causes some excitement – Harry, Ron, and Hermione being on the run as fugitives could very well be part of the story of the Gringotts Bank ride – but also some complications, as taking a leisurely stroll down a deserted Diagon Alley with all of its shops boarded up isn’t the most ideal scenario for a theme park land. Just how the designers manage to strike a balance between these two will be fascinating to see – and exciting to experience. Here’s to hoping we’ll get our first glimpses tomorrow.

3. Shedding light on Knockturn Alley

Although never officially announced by Universal, there have been enough insider accounts and, even, possible locations on leaked blueprints to confidently say that the illicit, dark wizarding alleyway will be making some sort of appearance in the new Wizarding World. We may know where and what it is, but we have absolutely no clue as to how it will function. Borgin and Burkes, the only “visited” location at Knockturn, would seem to be the most likely presence in the sub-area, which would mean that shopping is a given (just imagine buying cursed necklaces or an animated Hand of Glory!) – but what of a walk-through experience, in which guests may make use of the store’s “confidential valuation service for unusual and ancient wizarding artifacts”? Or might some sort of show be staged there, using the location as a backdrop? Or will Universal go the Disney route and use the elaborate venue as a character meet-n-greet, possibly with the likes of Hagrid (less likely) or Mr. Borgin (very possible)? If Universal really wanted to turn some heads and kick the hype of its expansion into overdrive, it’d start right here.

2. Riding the Hogwarts Express

Once both Wizarding Worlds are open and the Hogwarts Express shuttles visitors back and forth between them, it will be literally the only game of its kind in town, offering a unique, seamless experience between multiple locations. And, indeed, the King’s Cross Station show building is already a mammoth structure, hinting at an impeccably immersive queue (if Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is anything to go by) and even promising some sort of magic at the entry point to Platform 9¾. Just how Universal is going to pull all this off – and, even more importantly, just what type of adventures will be had once aboard the train – is a complete unknown. Rumors hold that there will be a possible Dementor attack on the way to Hogsmeade, but what could happen on the way back is a blank slate. And will the revolutionary attraction really employ a randomized ride experience, like Star Tours: The Adventures Continue? It’s hard to imagine a more explosive announcement during the webcast, which means smart money should go here.

1. Opening Gringotts’s vault

If Universal wants to have the best possible reveal it can, maximizing press coverage and enthusiast chatter for the next five (or so) months until opening day, it only needs to do one thing: talk about Gringotts Bank.

It’s been over two years since the Gringotts ride was initially leaked, and we still have more questions than answers on what will not only be the centerpiece of the new Wizarding World, but will also easily become the flagship ride of all of Universal Orlando Resort (and all of Orlando, as well? Just possibly). Rotating ride vehicles, massive 3D projection screens on giant KUKA robotic arms, and the most breathtaking queue ever devised are all in the works, but what of the narrative that will tie them all together into one (hopefully) cohesive whole? It’s been suggested that visiting Muggles will be on the market for a subterranean bank vault of their very own when something goes terribly wrong, but the story could just as easily be lifted directly from Deathly Hallows (Part 2), when Harry, Ron, and Hermione sneak into the Voldemort-controlled bank to steal away one of his precious Horcruxes. If Universal can confirm even just a few of the details just listed, hint at the ride’s premise, and then – best of all – grandly announce its name (the latest intel points to “Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts,” which is, all things considered, rather bland), it’ll have a slam dunk on its hands, regardless of whatever other tidbits it may (or may not) have announced.

Sound good? We’ll find out in less than 24 hours…

Marc N. Kleinhenz has written for 22 sites, including The Huffington Post, Orlando Informer, and Orlando Attractions magazine. He’s co-created and -hosted two podcasts and has even taught English in Japan. He also likes mittens.

This article originally appeared at http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/201401/3857/. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this on a personal RSS reader (such as Feedburner) or on http://www.themeparkinsider.com, you are reading a scraper website that has illegally copied and stolen http://www.themeparkinsider.com's content. Please visit http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/201401/3857/ for the original version, along with all its comments.

Universal Creative President Mark Woodbury welcomed Senior VP Thierry Coup and Harry Potter actors James Phelps (Fred Weasley), Matthew Lewis (Neville Longbottom), and Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood) for the webcast, which confirmed the names of the attractions, restaurants and shops in the new land.

Matthew Lewis, James Phelps, and Mark Woodbury

Attractions

Concept art of the Gringotts exterior, complete with fire-breathing dragon

Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts— Woodbury revealed the name for this roller coaster-like dark ride through the caverns and vaults underneath Gringotts Bank. We first revealed the details of this ride back in December 2011.

Concept art of the Gringotts interior

Hogwarts Express— A train ride that will connect Diagon Alley with the original Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Hogsmeade, in Universal's Islands of Adventure. Riders will board the Hogwarts Express in Universal Studios Florida through the Kings Cross station adjacent to Diagon Alley.

Evanna Lynch with Thierry Coup on the Hogwarts Express

Ollivander's — Diagon Alley's version of the wand shop show in Hogsmeade will include more "wand chooses the wizard" theater rooms, to reduce the long waits often found over in Islands of Adventure.

Restaurants

The Leaky Cauldron — Diagon Alley's main restaurant will serve a variety of English-inspired fare, though Universal did not reveal any specific menu items today. (Got any menu suggestions?)

Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour — Located near the entrance to Gringotts.

Shops

Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes — Zonko's at Hogsmeade will close and its merchandise will instead come to this expanded joke shop in Diagon Alley.

Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions — "where guests will find a variety of wizardwear from Hogwarts school uniform ties, scarves and jumpers, to authentic wizard’s robes and character costumes"

Wiseacre's Wizarding Equipment — Located at the exit of the Gringotts ride.

Scribbulus — "featuring authentic writing implements and products such as feather quills, ink and inkwells, bookmarks, journals, parchment paper, seals, stationery sets and postcards"

Magical Menagerie — "features a collection of plush animals, such as owls and Hippogriffs"

Quality Quidditch Supplies — "offering a wide assortment of apparel and equipment including Quidditch sweaters, brooms, Golden Snitches, Bludgers, Bludger bats, Quaffles and more"

Borgin and Burkes — the centerpiece of Diagon Alley's Knockturn Alley section. "A shop specializing in the Dark Arts that will offer a wide variety of Dark objects, such as Death Eater masks, skulls, and other sinister items"

Woodbury did not provide a specific opening date for the expansion, simply offering "summer" as the opening. He also said that more details about the new land will be revealed later. Universal also today revamped its Harry Potter website to include the new information about Diagon Alley: universalorlando.com/harrypotter.

This article originally appeared at http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/201401/3858/. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this on a personal RSS reader (such as Feedburner) or on http://www.themeparkinsider.com, you are reading a scraper website that has illegally copied and stolen http://www.themeparkinsider.com's content. Please visit http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/201401/3858/ for the original version, along with all its comments.

Warm Butterbeer? Let's go to the meme:

Warm Butterbeer might be more authentic to the United Kingdom, as many popular English and Irish beers are served warm, or, at least, room temperature. But the weather in Orlando more often than not calls for cold, even frozen, drinks.

We've not yet heard from anyone fortunate to try one of the warm Butterbeer samples this morning. (If you did, we'd love a photo and your thoughts, via themeparkinsider@gmail.com!) While we await feedback, let's put this new idea to a vote:

As always, thank you for being part of the Theme Park Insider community. And one more reminder, please take a look at our new and improved Discussion Forum, which we opened this week. Thanks again.

This article originally appeared at http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/201401/3859/. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this on a personal RSS reader (such as Feedburner) or on http://www.themeparkinsider.com, you are reading a scraper website that has illegally copied and stolen http://www.themeparkinsider.com's content. Please visit http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/201401/3859/ for the original version, along with all its comments.

Universal has created an excellent interactive "walk through" experience on its Harry Potter website, but it only allows you to walk up the main path of Diagon Alley. It doesn't give you much information about the relative location of other features in the land. And good luck getting it load, with the traffic it's been getting the past two days!

As long-time Theme Park Insider readers know, I first saw the plans for Diagon Alley back in December 2011, and have seen more detailed versions of the land's blueprints since then. I agreed not to publish those plans, but with Universal's recent announcement, I think it's fair if I share my own (crude) attempt at a map of the land.

The main entrance (and exit) for the land will be through the Leicester Square Station facade. I've left the area for Knockturn Alley blank, but that's simply because my limited drafting skills do not allow me to reproduce the elaborate, twisting collection of paths and stairways you will find in that section of the new land. Do note that Knockturn Alley will be covered, as will the Carkitt Market area, so even in Florida's afternoon thunderstorms, Diagon Alley will provide not just mood-appropriate settings, but protection from the elements.

I've also not included detail about the various facades you will find on these buildings, simply because I don't have space on this page to accommodate that level of detail. The Ollivander's building will include facades for the Daily Prophet, Wands by Gregorovitch, Flourish and Blotts, and more. (The Hogsmeade Wizarding World also includes multiple such "fake" storefronts.)

As I mentioned yesterday, plans call for a beverages stand in the middle of the Carkitt Market area, which I suspect will be Diagon Alley's version of the Butterbeer cart. There might be additional portable merchandise and food and beverage stands in that market area, as well.

The sketch above also should provide you some idea as to the relative location of the Hogwarts Express to the rest of the land. Platform 9 3/4 will be a bit of a hike through Kings Cross station from the entrance on the London waterfront. Plenty of room for a long queue there!

In yesterday's presentation, Universal Creative President Mark Woodbury teased more details to come about Diagon Alley. One detail Universal's not yet mentioned has been the new interactive wand that it's been developing, which would have the ability to trigger multiple "magical moments" within Diagon Alley. Knockturn Alley is designed to be filled with these interactive elements, as are some of those other false storefronts I mentioned above. Whether this functionality is ready for the opening remains unclear, but Universal is working on it for the future of the land.

This article originally appeared at http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/201401/3862/. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this on a personal RSS reader (such as Feedburner) or on http://www.themeparkinsider.com, you are reading a scraper website that has illegally copied and stolen http://www.themeparkinsider.com's content. Please visit http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/201401/3862/ for the original version, along with all its comments.

Decoy Detonators

As a reminder, Decoy Detonators are black horn-like objects designed to create a diversion from the user. After being dropped, the decoy runs a fair distance away, makes a noise like a loud bang, and releases clouds of black smoke. The Decoy Detonator makes an appearance in the film Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1. If you recall, this enables Harry to break into Delores Umbridge's office at the Ministry of Magic. It serves the same purpose as in the book, but in the film the device is made a little more exciting by multiplying itself and causing widespread confusion. However, one could that this was a magical effect added later on by Harry or Hermione, similar to Geminio. In LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7, both Fred and George Weasley have Decoy Detonators as controllable "pets." In the Magic Mischief game in The Road to Hogwarts Sweepstakes, Decoy Detonators can be used to distract an enemy to continue in the game.

Quote from the event: "When you need a diversion, just drop one of these and it will run off, create a loud bang, a terrible smell and some black smoke. That is definitely the Decoy Detonator."

Not much to go on here, but check out these ideas on how to make your own non-mobile version of a Decoy Detonator at home.

Umbridge on a Unicycle

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was where this item made its first appearance. If you recall Fred and George Weasley's shop, Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, features a toy version of Dolores Umbridge that rides around on a unicycle across a tightrope, balancing with buckets of liquid, saying phrases such as "I will have order," and "I really hate children." It is unknown if it was a decoration, or for sale. Now, we have an idea of what it might have been because of the quote from yesterday.

Quote from the event: "Next we have the Umbridge on a Unicycle, which is on a prominent display at the Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. This miniature Delores Umbridge on a Unicycle travels aimlessly about spouting useless information just like Delores herself."

The important words here are "prominent display." My guess is that this will not be something you can buy, but actually something to view or marvel at while inside the store.

Nose-Biting Teacup

As a refresher, the Nose-Biting Teacup looks just like any ordinary teacup. However it has actually been jinxed to bite the nose of anyone who tries to drink out of it. Ron Weasley and Harry Potter each bought one at Zonko's Joke Shop on a trip to Hogsmeade in 1994. Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes also carried its own version of this product, so one would expect this will be an actual item you'll soon be able to purchase at Universal Orlando.

Quote from the Event: "Tired of your friends stealing your tea? Serve them one of these and that will stop that real quick."

Skiving Snackboxes

As would be expected of Fred and George, one of the first things they invent for their joke shop is a way of escaping from classes. Skiving Snackboxes, which are under development throughout Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, gives them that escape. Typically, a Skiving Snackbox is a candy with two colored ends; eating from the one end will bring on some sickness, eating from the other end will cure it. In order to secure the fastest escape from class, illnesses caused by Skiving Snackboxes are designed to be dramatic. Skiving Snackboxes we expect to be found at Universal include versions of Puking Pastilles, Nosebleed Nougat, Fever Fudge, and Fainting Fancies.

Quote from the Event: "Can I start and say they won't make you sick...unless you quite eat a LOT and go on the Forbidden Journey or something. It's kind of...whenever we speak to anyone about the Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes Joke Shop...they always say I wish I could have a snack box…. As you can see they are pretty authentic looking. Um, so I can't wait to...I am strangely intrigued to see what the Puking Pastilles taste like."

"Also these were...our favorite props from the whole movie. So when we learned earlier that these were going to be available we were really excited." 

Although I am sure these recipes are quite different from what you will actually be able to enjoy at Universal Orlando, I did find these interesting and I hope you will too. ThemeParkInsiders.com is not responsible for any results of making or eating these magical items at home!

Puking Pastilles: In the movie, this makes the eater vomit within seconds of eating it. The orange ends are to make the eater vomit and the purple ones to stop them. You can find a make at home version here. Eat the orange half of these double-sided candies at home, and you'll experience a strange queasy feeling due to the unfortunate combination of anise (black licorice flavor), garlic, and sugar.  Once you have felt the impacts of this gut twisting flavor, it is said that you can calm your tummy with the delightfully minty purple half.

Nosebleed Nougat: Nosebleed Nougat, also known as Blood Blisterpod, was designed to make the eater's nose bleed heavily within seconds of eating it. Eating the orange sweet would cause the nosebleed, while the purple sweet would stop it. In this version, the red side delivers a blood-inspired flavor rather than a bloody nose.  It starts out tart and gets salty while delivering a hint of umami.  Opposite the red side is a nice vanilla banana flavor that's a pleasant counterpoint to the sensations created by the red.

Fever Fudge: Inspired by the inventions of the Weasley twins in the Harry Potter books, these two-sided confections are the perfect blend of hot and cool.  Eating the red half will cause the heat to rise in your head.  Cool the heat by biting into the blue half.  This version of Fever Fudge may not affect muggles as strongly as it does wizards. Get the recipe here.

Fainting Fancies were also mentioned, and you can find out how to create these at home by clicking here.

This article originally appeared at http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/201401/3863/. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this on a personal RSS reader (such as Feedburner) or on http://www.themeparkinsider.com, you are reading a scraper website that has illegally copied and stolen http://www.themeparkinsider.com's content. Please visit http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/201401/3863/ for the original version, along with all its comments.

Disney and Universal both are developing alternates to the traditional room key for guest access on their properties. Disney's already started rolling out its MagicBand system, which integrates a room key, theme park admissions, charging privileges, and reservation management in an RFID-enabled wristband. Meanwhile, Universal has filed a patent application for a system that could use cell phones and/or wristbands to replace theme park admission media and reservation tickets. (Universal Orlando's hotels are operated by Loews Hotels.) SeaWorld's also begun enabling the use of cell phones for theme park admissions.

But here's the question: Would theme park fans rather have a dedicated "thing" for admission access, such as Disney's MagicBand, or would they prefer simply to use their cell phones for those tasks? It's literally a billion-dollar question, as Disney's said to have invested that amount in its "NextGen" project, for which the new MyMagic+ access system is the centerpiece.

The answer to that question will help resolve whether Disney made a costly mistake in pushing ahead with MagicBands, rather than waiting for the hospitality industry to develop a industry standard for the use of cell phones as room keys. If Starwood's trail works well, the chain could move to implement the system at its other brands, including Sheraton, Westin, Four Points, and W Hotels, which likely would push other major hotel operators to introduce the same functionality at their properties.

After all, the upside for hotels in supporting phone-based key media is to get the hotels out of the business of maintaining physical key media, as well as to reduce the amount of labor hours devoted to checking in guests at each of its hotels. Hotels would need to maintain some on-site personnel to handle problems and other customer service, but much of check-in support could be automated or handled by a central office, as airlines now do.

Switching one form of hard media (room keys) for another (wristbands) minimizes that payoff for hoteliers. You can still handle some of the check-in arrangements in advance, as Disney does with MagicBands, but you're still paying for all those wristbands. Why would Disney spend a billion dollars to do this?

Let's go to the medicine cabinet and pull out Occam's razor. Either Disney is impatient and/or foolish… or MagicBands are intended to support much more than admission and key media, justifying the extra expense in developing this custom system.

That's a hypothesis we've offered before, but that sometimes get lost in fans' complains about MyMagic+. Sure, you could use a cell phone to get into your room, or a theme park, or to confirm your reservation time at a ride, restaurant, or show. But what if a theme park wanted to enable something to react to you, without requiring you to do anything more than enter a designated area?

Mobile technology experts long have predicted that manufacturers would equip mobile devices with RFID and NFC tags, and release programming structures to enable their use in applications. But who will makes the rules and exercise the control over that access? The manufacturer? The user? The application developer? The manufacturers, developers and/or users collectively, via government?

By developing its own system with MagicBands, Disney becomes the manufacturer and developer, consolidating its control of the use of the system. And Disney's limiting its users ability to control their MagicBands. You can make reservations, but can't turn them on or off or limit which readers can access them, they way you might with a cell phone-based system.

Fans can argue about privacy, though businesses long have tracked customers on their businesses property (say 'Hi' to the security cameras, everyone!), but fans also ought to admit that such as system opens immense potential for creative use by park designers. Imagine attractions, even landscapes, that adapt to the visitors within them. How about a Star Tours-like ride that, instead of selecting randomly from 54 potential ride combinations, is designed to deliver a combination that no one on the ride has experienced before? How about interactive park signs that change to point you toward the location of your upcoming reservation time? Or a Men in Black-like ride that offers more advanced levels of play for experienced riders? The gamification of theme parks could begin.

Would that be possible with an admission system based upon another company's cell phones, regulated both by industry convention and potentially more restrictive government rules? Maybe, but maybe not. That's something fans should consider as they look toward the future of theme parks, and vacation travel in general.

Let's get the conversation started:

This article originally appeared at http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/201401/3864/. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this on a personal RSS reader (such as Feedburner) or on http://www.themeparkinsider.com, you are reading a scraper website that has illegally copied and stolen http://www.themeparkinsider.com's content. Please visit http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/201401/3864/ for the original version, along with all its comments.

Celebrating the Chinese New Year at Hong Kong Disneyland

Speaking of Disney and China, work progresses on Shanghai Disneyland, in preparation for an expected opening late next year. Disney's topped off the first of its two hotels for the new theme park, and has "gone vertical" on construction for the park's "mountain" attraction.

With so many knock-offs of existing Disney attractions already in China, Disney's not about to give the copy-cats a head start by revealing too much about what visitors will find in its Shanghai park. But we've heard that the "mountain" now under construction in the park will be a copy of California Adventure's Grizzly Peak, and will be joined in the park's Adventure Isle land by the new, global version of the Soarin' attraction.

We've already heard about the centerpiece Gardens of Imagination, which will stand in front of the park's Enchanted Storybook Castle and provide the home for Shanghai Disneyland's carousel and Dumbo rides. A boat ride will be included in the castle itself, and a copy the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train from the Magic Kingdom is said to be in the plans for Fantasyland, as well, joined by Peter Pan and Winnie the Pooh rides.

A Toy Story Playland, a Pirates of the Caribbean ride (with a unique ride system), and a Tomorrowland featuring a Tron lightcycle-themed roller coaster, Stitch Encounter and a Buzz Lightyear ride round out the initial line-up for the park, which is expected to open in late 2015.

But for now, may you find good fortune in the "Year of the Horse." (Hey, maybe that's a good sign for this family of former Denver residents!)

This article originally appeared at http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/201401/3865/. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this on a personal RSS reader (such as Feedburner) or on http://www.themeparkinsider.com, you are reading a scraper website that has illegally copied and stolen http://www.themeparkinsider.com's content. Please visit http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/201401/3865/ for the original version, along with all its comments.

The Duffy Bus.

Step aboard and enjoy all the furry fun!

Inside the Duffy Bus. Photos courtesy the Tokyo Disney Resort.

From February 20 through March 31, the Duffy Bus will be making promotional appearances around Japan. Mickey's "Teddy Bear" first became wildly popular in Japan, and Duffy dominates the merchandise sales at Tokyo DisneySea, where there's a Duffy-themed show and restaurant in the "Cape Cod" section of the park's American Waterfront land. Here's Tokyo DisneySea's press release, for those of you who read Japanese, and the Google Translate version, for those who would like to laugh at a machine's attempt to translate Japanese to English.

All aboard for Duffy! ;^)

This article originally appeared at http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/201401/3866/. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this on a personal RSS reader (such as Feedburner) or on http://www.themeparkinsider.com, you are reading a scraper website that has illegally copied and stolen http://www.themeparkinsider.com's content. Please visit http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/201401/3866/ for the original version, along with all its comments.

Magic Kingdom has the distinction of having a monorail between the parking lot and the park’s entrance. It has cast members who place a folding ramp, so one can get the wheelchair inside the monorail. But this option is far from perfect; in order to get into the monorail station, one must deal with a long and steep ramp, and the same kind of ramp awaits at the other station next to the park. I know people in wheelchairs who prefer to take the ferry boats because there is no big ramp.

Universal Studios Orlando send guests with an ADA license plate or tag to the parking lot area that is at the same level as the walking bridges that connect to CityWalk. There are moving sidewalks, but wheelchairs are not allowed. The trip to the two theme parks is a long one as one has to cross CityWalk.

Finally, Busch Gardens Williamsburg has the most challenging entrance of them all. Between the parking lot and the park’s entrance, there is a very steep hill. My advice: go sideways when going down. When going up, well, I hope you have Schwarzenegger’s arms or someone who really loves you.

Do you use a wheelchair, or travel with someone who does? Tell us about your best and worst experiences getting from your car to a theme park's front gate.

This article originally appeared at http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/201402/3867/. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this on a personal RSS reader (such as Feedburner) or on http://www.themeparkinsider.com, you are reading a scraper website that has illegally copied and stolen http://www.themeparkinsider.com's content. Please visit http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/201402/3867/ for the original version, along with all its comments.

Visitors to Diagon Alley will see the Gringotts facade rising at the end of alleyway, with a fire-breathing dragon atop. You're visiting Gringotts to open an account and get your own vault but, of course, because this is a theme park, you can expect something to go terribly wrong. (Update: Perhaps it should have gone without saying, but if you don't want to know what happens, for heaven's sake, quit reading this post now!)

The Gringotts Bank exterior, from the Harry Potter films.

Walking inside the bank building, you'll step into a small Entry Hall with three chandeliers before entering the Bankers Hall, the elaborate main hall filmed inside London's Australia House for the Harry Potter movies. The Bankers Hall will be lined by animatronic goblins behind the tellers' desks. From this room, the queue will split, with the regular queue heading outside to a large supplementary queue located behind the Gringotts show building. Universal wants to keep the line of waiting visitors out of Diagon Alley, given its tight spaces, so the back-of-house, exterior queue will expand as needed to keep the start of the line at the Entry Hall. Universal Express pass holders will skip this exterior queue and go straight from the Bankers Hall into a hallway of Gringotts offices, where the "regular" visitors will end up after navigating the exterior queue.

The offices will include a Security Office where you'll have your picture taken (yes, more souvenir sales!), before ending up in Bill Weasley's office. Here the queue will split again, though both lines will see the same show in this office. Bill Weasley (portrayed by Domhnall Gleeson in the movies) will appear in his office, much as Christopher Walken appears on stage next door at the Disaster! attraction. Weasley will welcome you and tell you about how to get your own vault at Gringotts. After his presentation, the doors on the far side of his office will open, leading your half of the queue to one of the two waiting elevators.

These elevators will take you down 30,000 feet to the subterranean Gringotts vaults — juuust like those "hydrolators" at Epcot's The Living Seas used to bring you up from the bottom of the ocean. ;^) Once "down" at vault level, you'll pick up your 3D glasses in a tunnel-like room, before climbing a spiral staircase to the load platform. (I'm still looking into what the wheelchair bypass will be.)

The loading area is a large cavern, with stalactites hanging from the ceiling. (You'll find a child swap waiting area off to one side, in a holding cell.) There are two track channels for the ride and the ride vehicles are twin, 12-person, open-air cars, arranged in three rows of four. Each row is placed slightly higher than the row in front of it, in a "stadium seating" effect. The look of the cars is very Victorian, with a smokestack on each car, individual lap bars, and six Dolby speakers per seat for on-ride audio.

The ride vehicle for Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts

You're to ride your car down to see your newly opened vault. After the load platform, the two track channels merge to the south, then bearing to the left and entering Scene 1. In this scene, you'll face a brick wall, with two tunnel entrances, to the left and right. You're really facing a 3D screen, though, and here's where it all starts to "go terribly wrong."

Bellatrix Lestrange and Voldemort appear, cursing you and declaring that you'll never emerge from the vaults alive. Actuators will make your car bump up and down before the track below the first of the twin cars will drop, coming to rest at a 40-degree angle. Then, the track under the trailing car will begin to rise, matching the 40-degree angle of the leading car.

Within a moment, the car then drops 70-80 feet into the tunnel, for a kinetic ride section through a stalactite-filled cavern, with a small bunny hop and a hard right turn before we hit a block brake in preparation for the next scene. On a 3D screen, a car with Bill Weasley pulls alongside us, then we're also joined by another car, with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Trolls attack, knocking Bill, Harry, Ron, and Hermione out of the way before attacking us. Shaker tables rattle the cars before we go through the Thief's Downfall, with its fogscreen and water spritzers.

Perched on the edge of a cliff, trolls attack again, knocking us off the cliff as the motion base shakes our car, simulating a free fall. Fortunately, Bill Weasley comes to our rescue, saving us before we hit the cavern's bottom. Unfortunately, the white dragon from the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is waiting for us, attacking us with its fire breath. Bill casts an aguamenti spell to save us, again, as guards run into the scene, shooting at us and the dragon.

The dragon climbs away, and we're launched into the next scene, which will bring us to Sirius Black's Vault. We hit a fog blast before entering the vault, where we see illuminated treasure ahead. The car makes a turn to the right, where the physical show scenery opens up a bit, with a large vault area projected along the far wall. We then bear to the left, turning into the next scene, where Bellatrix reappears, casting the Avada Kedavra killing curse at us. Voldemort and Nagini also appear, as he, too, casts the Avada Kedavra at us.

Escaping the killing curses, our car shoots around the corner into the next scene, inside a large 360-degree projection dome. With lava pouring around the darkened room, Harry arrives, riding the dragon. With Bellatrix hiding behind him, Voldemort attacks the dragon, which fights back with his fire breath. Harry then throws a chain onto our car, to haul us out of danger as he flies the dragon away, and Voldemort and Bellatrix disapparate. A Kuka arm pulls away part of the screen, clearing the path to launch us up through a dark tunnel into the final scene. (This is the first change in actual track elevation since the ride's initial drop.)

In the final scene, Harry, Bill, Ron, and Hermione bids us farewell on a screen behind a knocked-out wall, before we emerge back into the loading station. Once out of our car, we will exit down another spiral staircase into the gift shop.

In short, Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts is Revenge of the Mummy meets Transformers: The Ride 3D, with a Harry Potter theme. So, who's ready to ride?

Previously:

• Kings Cross station
• The Hogwarts Express

This article originally appeared at http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/201402/3868/. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this on a personal RSS reader (such as Feedburner) or on http://www.themeparkinsider.com, you are reading a scraper website that has illegally copied and stolen http://www.themeparkinsider.com's content. Please visit http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/201402/3868/ for the original version, along with all its comments.

Many Disney fans have tried their best to fuel rumors about each of these ideas, no doubt reflecting a frustration with a park that's not added a new national pavilion since before the collapse of the Soviet Union. But beneath the issue of whether Disney should develop these specific attractions lies a deeper question: Should Disney develop Epcot as a non-fiction theme park?

The Mission: Space pavilion at Walt Disney World's Epcot

Epcot was Disney's first theme park that didn't copy the original Disneyland "Magic Kingdom" template. Inspired by World's Fairs, Epcot offered a blend of corporate-supported, forward-looking exhibits promoting technology coupled with national pavilions celebrating the cultures of selected nations around the world. What Epcot didn't offer was Disney characters. The stories Epcot told were non-fiction. Sure, the national pavilions might reference their nation's folk tales, but that was done within the context of a non-fictional look at each nation. (Disney created new cartoon characters for Epcot's Imagination pavilion, but imaginary characters are as necessary in an Imagination pavilion as plants in The Land and fish in the The Living Seas.)

Not long after the park's opening, Disney accommodated visitors' many requests, and scheduled regular appearances by Mickey and friends in Epcot. But the non-fiction focus of the park remained otherwise non-diluted until the Finding Nemo overlay of The Living Seas pavilion in late 2006 and Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros revamp of El Rio del Tiempo in 2007. Still, these fictional characters served as "hosts" of what remained, at their heart, non-fictional tours of real places.

While a Frozen ride might fit well thematically within Epcot's Norway pavilion — and any well-executed new attraction would provide a welcomed upgrade from the unloved Maelstrom — Epcot would cross a line that separates it from other non-animal theme parks by introducing an attraction driven by a fictional narrative, with fictional characters, in a fictional setting. That's the realm of the Magic Kingdom, Islands of Adventure, and all other narrative-driven theme parks.

Why is this important? Wouldn't fans love the introduction of additional wonderful stories and characters in complementary settings within Epcot? Of course they would. But there's an opportunity cost to those additions.

A devil's advocate might consider non-fictional themed entertainment to be the work of museums, not theme parks. And many museums have hired creative design firms that have worked on theme parks to develop exhibits for their facilities. (Look at BRC Imagination Arts' award-winning work on the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum for one example.) But museums' first responsibility is to educate —, to engage the mind, even if it sometimes goes for the heart to get there.

Theme parks flip that script. They work first to entertain, and that allows theme parks to serve a complementary role to museums. Talking with many people who worked with Walt Disney, it becomes clear that one of Walt's distinguishing characteristic was an insatiable curiosity. Walt loved science and technology. The world fascinated him. He devoted episodes of his Disneyland TV show to space exploration, working with rocket scientist Wernher von Braun. Disney produced more than a dozen True-Life Adventures nature documentaries. Disney both reflected and helped cultivate a Modernist viewpoint in popular culture that inspired curiosity about the world around us as well as the belief that we, collectively as a human race, could help make that world better.

Of course, Disney didn't create these projects just to satisfy his curiosity. Those projects created IP [intellectual property] that helps populate the Tomorrowland and Frontierland sections of Walt's Disneyland park. As Imagineer and Disney Legend Tony Baxter said in his interview with Theme Park Insider last fall, everything that went into Walt's theme park reflected some company IP. If the park designers wanted to do something original, Walt and his team worked to create some IP in other media to support the project in the parks.

Such as it should be (and, financially, would have to be) with any new "non-fiction" attractions in Epcot. Any new project in Epcot, or any other theme park, needs to make money for the company. But producing non-fiction entertainment lies within the Walt Disney Company's DNA, from yesterday's True-Life Adventures and Disneyland episodes to today's DisneyNature feature films and ESPN "30 for 30" documentaries. If the Walt Disney Company wanted to create non-fiction IP to support a complementary attraction at Epcot, it employs and contracts with the talent to do that.

And it should. Why? Because we don't live in Walt Disney's world anymore. Popular curiosity in, and support for, science and culture can't be taken for granted, as it could in the United States more than a generation ago. While Walt Disney's passion for science and culture reflected his Modernist era, public figures today too often embrace hostility toward science, education, and multi-culturalism — the thematic foundations of Epcot. Just look at the increasing number of attempts to attack the teaching of science in our schools, the harassment of climate scientists, and, most recently, the xenophobic freak-out over a mere soft-drink ad, for heaven's sake.

Forget about teaching people about the world around them. We need someone to step up and help people fall in love with the very idea of learning something about that world, first. Unless people open their minds to discovery, they'll never bother to listen and learn. And the best way to get people to open their minds is to start by touching their hearts. Love, then learn.

That is why we need a non-fiction theme park. A society where science, education, and cultural diversity are under attack needs a place where people can fall back in love with the wonders of discovery. Museums can teach, but theme park entertain, and in doing so, have a wonderful opportunity to create emotional connections between people and ideas.

No company has done a more effective job of that over our lifetimes than Disney. Walt Disney knew that his creative team could make people fall in love with Mary Poppins, Winnie the Pooh, Peter Pan, and Mickey Mouse. But he knew that team could make people fall in love with space exploration, nature, chemistry, and other non-fiction topics, too. We could use a little bit more of that love in America today. A reinvigorated Epcot could help cultivate that love. And that is the opportunity cost of letting Epcot slide into just another cartoon-character theme park.

This article originally appeared at http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/201402/3869/. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this on a personal RSS reader (such as Feedburner) or on http://www.themeparkinsider.com, you are reading a scraper website that has illegally copied and stolen http://www.themeparkinsider.com's content. Please visit http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/201402/3869/ for the original version, along with all its comments.

Disney fans encountered this several years ago, when Walt Disney Imagineering completed Toy Story Midway Mania at Disney's Hollywood Studios and Disney California Adventure. However, advertisements and press releases for those carnival-inspired shooter rides called them "Toy Story Mania" instead, dropping the word "Midway."

To this day, the disconnect continues. The marquees above both rides use all four words, but Disney World's website references both versions of the ride's name on the same page.

Now it appears that Universal is embracing the same type of confusion with its newest attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood. For months, we've been watching the construction of USH's version of Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem, which Universal is building on the old Terminator 2: 3D site. The construction signage and new attraction marquee have used the same name as the original version of the attraction, from Universal Studios Florida.

However, this week, ads started appearing online for "Despicable Me: The Ride."

The USH website has the alternate name, too.

So which is it? "Minion Mayhem" or "The Ride"? As we did with Toy Story Midway Mania, we defer to the ride designers over the PR people when there's a conflict over the name of the attraction. So long as the ride marquee and the Universal Creative people use "Minion Mayhem" instead of "The Ride," that's how we will list it here on Theme Park Insider.

It's understandable that a park would want to use a new attraction's name to tell people what to expect. Let's not forget that Universal's new Transformers ride debuted in Singapore as "Transformers: The Ride" then became "Transformers: The Ride 3D" when it opened next, at Universal Studios Hollywood. For whatever reason, Universal executives decided that the ride needed that "3D" element in there to appeal better to American fans.

But there's got to be a limit. After all, Disney didn't call what's probably its most popular attraction "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Singing Animatronic Indoor Boat Ride." (Which, one supposes might now be called "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Singing Animatronic Indoor Boat Ride, now with Johnny Depp!")

Let's play focus group for Universal. What do you suggest Universal should call this ride?

Tell us how you'd like to rename some popular theme park rides, in the comments.

This article originally appeared at http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/201402/3870/. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this on a personal RSS reader (such as Feedburner) or on http://www.themeparkinsider.com, you are reading a scraper website that has illegally copied and stolen http://www.themeparkinsider.com's content. Please visit http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/201402/3870/ for the original version, along with all its comments.

Wednesday morning, officials from the theme park led a media tour through the construction areas of the land, formerly known as Timbuktu. While the mythos created around the new area was impressive, as were the dining and shopping plans, the giant, 335-foot yellow and blue tower dominated the landscape and the conversation.

Although the ride vehicle was not yet installed, the attraction will feature an octagonal structure, with each side consisting of four seats for a total of 32 riders. The vehicle will be whisked skyward, and each passenger will be approximately 300 feet off the ground - the equivalent of a full-length NFL field. Once the vehicle reaches its maximum altitude, the seats will shift forward, leaving the riders staring straight down at the ground - similar to the ride experience of Manta at SeaWorld Orlando. A random clock will keep the passengers suspended for several seconds before the vehicle is released in a free fall with speeds reaching 60 miles per hour and lasting approximately five-six seconds. As the brakes engage, the vehicle will shift back to a normal seating alignment to cause a whopping 3.5 Gs.

"This is the nation's tallest free-standing drop tower," said Jeff Hornick, Busch Gardens Tampa's director of design and engineering and project manager for the Falcon's Fury and the Pantopia land renovation. "That's 335-feet tall. Now, to put that in perspective, look out in the background there, and we've got SheiKra. SheiKra is 200-feet tall and the add the Cheetah Hunt wind catcher tower on top of that. That's 102 feet tall. Then on top of that you put the Air Grover roller coaster. This is taller than all of those combined. So anybody that's been on SheiKra before, you know you get some great views and vistas. This one is going to kick it up a notch."

Falcon's Fury will be the signature ride of Pantopia. Many of the former structures that comprised Timbuktu will remain in place, although a drastic color-themed make over is underway. Bright, vibrant colors will differentiate distinct areas within Pantopia, from the blues of a frozen snack stand to the fire-tinged reds of an outdoor grill.

Concept art from Busch Gardens of the new "Pantopia" land that will be the home to Falcon's Fury, and replace Timbuktu

Each location within Pantopia will have a story associated with it, from the pretzel bakery to the tile adorning the walls. The newly created mythology will be available for guests to purchase and read to make subsequent visits to the land a deeper experience. From the newly designed canopy for the carousel to the keys and jewels that will adorn the walls to the new animal show in Pantopia's theater, guests will be treated to an exotic adventure that park executives hope will live up to the name Pantopia.

"We looked at a bunch of different names, and we knew what this place was about," said Brian Morrow, SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment's corporate director of theming. "We knew the story of the land, and we came up with Pantopia which is a mix of Pan - the word for earth and the continents - and Utopia. So it's really a place of bliss and unification."

Pantopia and Falcon's Fury are expected to open in late spring or early summer.

This article originally appeared at http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/201402/3871/. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this on a personal RSS reader (such as Feedburner) or on http://www.themeparkinsider.com, you are reading a scraper website that has illegally copied and stolen http://www.themeparkinsider.com's content. Please visit http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/201402/3871/ for the original version, along with all its comments.