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Cruella DeVilla
 USA
10605 Posts
Joined: 18 May 2004
Status: offline |  Posted - 20 Jun 2007 : 12:04:41  
| Taken from todays Sentinel.
Local wizards get ready to build Harry Potter's world
Would-be builders of castles outfitted with floating candlesticks and talking oil paintings are lining up to grab a slice of Central Florida's largest and most lucrative themed construction project in nearly a decade.
In the three weeks since Universal Orlando unveiled plans for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Islands of Adventure, some local companies that specialize in supplying or building fantasy experiences have signed confidentiality agreements with Universal.
"Everybody's going to be after a piece of this business," said theme-park consultant Steve Baker of Baker Leisure Group.
Universal pledged to spend up to $265 million on the Harry Potter attraction and the transformation of its Back to the Future ride into one based on television's The Simpsons.
Local talent abounds
For companies in the business of bringing the imaginary to life, Harry Potter's theme-park debut signifies a marked turnaround in a post-9-11 slump.
"We've slowly seen a steady increase in projects being green-lit," said Craig Hanna, president of the Themed Entertainment Association, which represents the building and design trade.
More than 40 Central Florida companies are members of the association.
Universal has begun talking with some firms about the project, which is expected to open in late 2009 as a 20-acre "theme park within a theme park" centered on Hogwarts, the magical castle where Harry and his friends attend wizardry school.
Universal likely won't have to look very far for the talent it needs to develop The Wizarding World, Universal spokesman Tom Schroder said.
"Certainly we think a lot of the resources we need are right here in Central Florida," Schroder said. "These are companies that have helped us build amazing experiences in the past."
He said the project likely would involve dozens of contractors.
Bill Nassal Sr. of Orlando-based The Nassal Co., which includes Journey to Atlantis at SeaWorld Orlando and the Curse of DarKastle ride at Busch Gardens in its large portfolio, has carved out a niche as a master of creating some of the best faux-rocks in the business.
It's a skill that could come in handy in the construction of Hogwarts.
Nassal said he couldn't talk about any potential work on the project because of the confidentiality clause, but he said business has been good with recent work on Hard Rock Park in Myrtle Beach, S.C., and the Las Vegas Springs Preserve.
Buddy Thayer, director of business development at the Orlando office of KHS&S Contractors, said his company also signed a confidentiality agreement with Universal.
"How big is it going to be? Nobody knows," said Thayer, whose company is credited with working on Expedition Everest, a ride that opened last year at Walt Disney World's Animal Kingdom, as well as Tower of Terror at Disney-MGM Studios.
Secrecy is standard practice in the early stages of major entertainment blueprints, a strategy that serves to protect the plans from competition and to build suspense about the details of a project.
"They're going to protect the creative side of this at the highest level," said Dennis Speigel, president of International Theme Park Services Inc. in Cincinnati.
He predicted that the Harry Potter franchise and its accompanying attraction will be "one of the most highly protected intellectual properties of all time."
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CDV
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chrizzy100
 USA
7152 Posts
Joined: 26 May 2003
Status: offline | |
Cruella DeVilla
USA
10605 Posts
Joined: 18 May 2004
Status: offline | Posted - 20 Jun 2007 : 14:30:46
| Oh Chrizzy, Shame on you the Simpsons are Legends The movie is out soon too so they are still a huge money making machine for all involved.
I love them all! |
CDV
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chrizzy100
USA
7152 Posts
Joined: 26 May 2003
Status: offline | Posted - 20 Jun 2007 : 15:12:18
| | I can't stand the show...but I will give it a go when the time comes...Back to the Future was the first ride I went after after my neck was damaged..it opened up a lot of rides to me I though I could never go on..I will miss it...and I don't think the Simpsons is a good enough replacement.. | | Report this post to a moderator | goto top of page |
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Pegasus928
 Kuwait
988 Posts
Joined: 17 Feb 2005
Status: offline | Posted - 20 Jun 2007 : 23:46:46
| | We have a 12 year old boy who is over the moon that the Simpsons ride is coming. He really isn't a big fan of the roller coaster rides, and is hoping it will be something along the lines of Jimmy Neutron, but he is a massive fan of the show. I must admit it makes me laugh as well due to the hidden innuendos that only the adults are meant to understand - a bit like the Shrek films | | Report this post to a moderator | goto top of page |
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pepsi
 United Kingdom
1687 Posts
Joined: 05 Oct 2003
Status: offline | |
palmvillas
 Vietnam
521 Posts
Joined: 16 May 2005
Status: offline | |
Cruella DeVilla
USA
10605 Posts
Joined: 18 May 2004
Status: offline | Posted - 21 Jun 2007 : 11:03:28
| | I am another one that loves the adult humour in the show, some of it is close to the bone it's shocking! If I had kids I don't think I would letthem watch it til they were at least 12 |
CDV
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TimP
United Kingdom
16 Posts
Joined: 22 Oct 2007
Status: offline | Posted - 21 Nov 2007 : 21:19:01
| | My concern with with "Harry potter world" is,although I love the thought of it, by the time it's finished something else will have captured our kid's attention | | Report this post to a moderator | goto top of page |
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florida4sun
 United Kingdom
6792 Posts
Joined: 16 Feb 2002
Status: offline | |
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