Which is great for those who like it.
I have no interest.
In the same way that many people have no interest in Disney or, say, Africa
No judgment - you do you
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To me itās only the HP areas that come close to Disney. The rest of Universal is kind of mediocre (my opinion). I donāt love the HP rides except Hagrid, but the theming is great. I just canāt get around spending $200 ish on one day at UOR park to park. And thatās really all I want. If youāre not planning multiple days, UOR is just as expensive as WDW.
We do have plans to go after Epic Universe opens to do all four parks (including Volcano Bay), but not until then. I just donāt find it worth the money.
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To each their own. I do agree that there is a feeling in Disney (particularly DL) that you cannot find elsewhere but I think Universal comes the closest of anyone else and Iām impressed with much of what they do. Though they rely too much on screens. But some rides there stand the test if time like Mummy and HHN is top notch, their group VIP tours are affordable and amazing with multiple meals, special exclusive places to visit and full on skip the line including express. They also carry slightly better toilet paper and their hotel rooms had more nightstands. They beat Disney on some things and we are winners for the competition. I hope they both stick around for a bit. Iām super excited about Epic Universe and wish Disney would add a park and Iām gonna choose to believe the LOTR rumors which might officially put Universal over the top for me. Plus Volcano Bay is best of the water parks.
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I donāt know anything about those rumors, but that plus Nintendo would be enough to make me go to Orlando just for Universal.
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It was in those videos that someone on here posts @bebe80 I think? They said people that worked for Universal had put on their resumes that they had designed LOTR world and there is room for a full land expansion so they are kind of putting two and two together. Iām gonna just believe it. ;-).
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Good enough for me!
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Iād love for there to be a LotR land in Epic Universe but Iām skeptical bc
A) why wouldnāt they announce it?
B) too much overlap with HP
Hope Iām wrong though!
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what???
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The Mummy is probably my fave ride at universal other than Hagrid. Followed by MIB.
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Theyāre both for NERDS!
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Yeah. IP licensors tend to not like having their stuff right next to something that is too similar in the minds of consumers. I could see JK Rowling and/or the Tolkien Estate objecting to a park that had both HP and LotR lands in it.
For that reason I think Disney would be a better fit for LotR one day.
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One is 1,000,000 better than the other.
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I assume/hope you mean LotR is better than HP? They were written in different eras for different audiences, but there is no comparing w/LotR, bc for practical purposes Tolkien founded the modern fantasy genre. I think HP deserves credit though, for being the first fantasy series since LotR for having a similar kind of cultural impact.
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Yes. There is no comparison. The two are as far apart in literary acumen as HP and Twilight are.
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I agree LotR has more literary value but I personally enjoy Harry Potter more. Just a personal preference thing.
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Seeā¦ I disagree with that. While I love both, the fact is I canāt stand Tolkienās writing style. It took me three attempts to read it before I finally got through it by audiobook.
Where LOTR excels is in the story and world building he did. NOT his literary style. I actually think Rowling has a better style. Simultaneously easy to read, while entirely engaging and immersive. āEasy to readā does not mean it lacks literary acumen at all! In fact, it can be quite the opposite. But when you are reading her work, you can practically see in your mind what is happening on the page with no effort.
Ultimately I enjoy the LOTR movies far more than the books. With HP, it is the opposite.
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Iām in agreement here. I canāt seem to make it past the āabout hobbitsā section of the first LOTR book without falling asleep. But I thought the movies were great when I watched them again as an adult. Whereas with HP I enjoy and love the movies because theyāre some of my favorite books come to life, but I can get absolutely lost in the books and never have trouble getting engaged with them. Tolkien was an excellent linguist and world builder, but as a novelist hooking readers and keeping them keyed in Rowling has the edge to me.
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I think if the HP land is based on Fantastical Beasts and/or the Ministry of Magic, it wouldnāt be so much of an issue. Thatās a very urban fantasy environment, which is quite different than the high fantasy of LOTR.
Also those two fanbases are fanatical enough that they wouldnāt care if the lands were on top of each other theyād still go in droves
But the Tolkien Estate is notoriously fussy, so Iām not holding my breath for any theme park ever getting the rights to LotR
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Yes, Universal was believed to be designing into Epic Universe a LotR land in 2019, as part of a pitch to secure the rights to the brand. One of the expansion pads at Epic U is bigger than the other 4 lands, which are already confirmed. If it happens it would probably be after Epic opens, like a phase 2 .
Remember, Disney attempted first but failed to secure the rights to the WWOHP. I will say that Alicia is a very smart and trustworthy source, along with Screamscape she referred to. @joelbruick there is more details in the video version.
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Oh - please, no. Please. I would die watching them destroy it. I have a little more faith that Universal would do a better job.
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