Some brilliant things are afoot in balmy Orlando. Harry Potter’s London extension at Universal Studios is really beginning to take a recognizable shape along the waterfront. And the Hogwarts Express is still rolling forward through a land prep phase as it will be the crucial link between the existing Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Islands of Adventure and the new London/Diagon Alley expansion. Plus, we have all sorts of updates, big and small, from Universal Orlando Resort.
HARRY POTTER 2.0
Everyone’s wild about Harry. So much so, that we are getting excited about all the little details which are starting to emerge from the Wizarding World expansion at Universal Studios park in Orlando. Notice the cement that is being sculpted below water level. They are going to great lengths to make this area look like the walk along the River Thames. Once this frontage is complete, they will allow the water back up to the banks and construction on the rest of the project should go vertical shortly behind the construction fences.
It is fascinating to see how much effort goes in to holding the water back for months so that this construction can take place.
MIDWAY GAMES
After many long weeks of little progress, the new midway games in front of the Simpson’s ride are finally moving forward .Metal brackets have been affixed to the Simpsons Ride facade.
WALKING DEAD
One of the most anticipated haunted houses this year, AMC’s The Walking Dead, will put guests into the center of the spooky action at Universal Orlando’s Halloween Haunt. You can already see the slats on the walls which will soon be the only barrier between the helpless victims and bloodthirsty zombies. Further, we caught a glimpse of the famous Walking Dead Winnebago.
TRANSFORMERS
Last but not least, we round out the visit to USO with a glance at the pit that will soon be Transformers: The Ride 3D. Not too much has changed since last week.
ISLANDS OF ADVENTURE
In Islands of Adventure, the area bordering Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Lost Continent is being cleared for the Hogwarts Express Station. This train attraction will connect the two parks and will only be accessible to those who have purchased two-park tickets.
Dragon Challenge swoops perilously close to the dirt lot right now.
LOST CONTINENT
Rounding out the info today, we bring news of more upkeep happening on the storefronts in the Lost Continent section of the park. It is ironic how much upkeep it takes to make something look dilapidated.
The future holds some pretty impressive things for Universal Orlando. Harry Potter is protracting, Transformers is unfurling, Hogwarts is expressing and Midway Games are mushrooming. But, since we don’t have Doc Brown’s time machine at our disposal, we will have to settle for watching it being built at the current pace. We think it will be worth the wait.
Be sure to join MiceChat for an evening of frightful fun on Friday, September 28th, as we meet up at Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights. It’s always more fun to be scared with friends! We’ll have more information about the event very soon.