It's perhaps the most eagerly anticipated addition to Orlando's assortment of rides, shows and attractions in more than a decade: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, which is slated to open at Universal Studios' Islands of Adventure in 2009
Copyright 2007 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved
And with construction walls popping up all over the Lost Continent section of that theme park over the past three weeks ...
Photo by Max Schilling
... It's been a somewhat maddening time for Potter fans. By that I mean: They can see those fences ...
Photo by Max Schilling
... And sometimes they can get tantalizingly close to the construction site ...
Photo by Max Schilling
... And even see mysterious mounds of earth that have been heaped up next to those fences.
Photo by Max Schilling
But as for being able to see over those carefully-placed construction fences ... Well, you'd have to be Hagrid-sized to pull that off.
Photo by Max Schilling
Or -- better yet -- clever like JHM webmaster Max Schilling. Who -- two weeks ago -- realized that if an enterprising photographer were to climb board IOA's "Flying Unicorn" attraction...
Photo by Max Schilling
... As they reached the top of that family coaster's lift hill, they'd then have a fairly unobstructed view of the Hogwarts Castle construction site.
Photo by Max Schilling
Just so you know: The construction team that Universal has hired are currently in the site prep portion of this project. Meaning that -- now that they've cleared all of the brush in this previously undeveloped part of that theme park -- the workmen are hauling in truckload after truckload of fill. Which is then spread out all over the Hogwarts Castle construction site.
Photo by Max Schilling
"And why are they doing that?," you ask. Well, once it's been determined that the Universal Orlando Resort has a level working surface which will actually be to support the weight of this several-hundred-ton structure (Which is quite a concern in sinkhole-prone Central Florida), then construction can then begin in earnest on Hogwarts Castle. With first the footings & foundation work getting underway in January, which will then be followed by vertical construction on this enormous show building in the late Winter / early Spring of next year.
Copyright 2007 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved
According to folks familiar with the various construction phases of this ambitious IOA addition, Universal hopes to have Hogwarts Castle "topped off" by this time next year. Which will be quite a feat. Given that this show building is expected to dwarf the Jurassic Park River Adventure structure with its 85-foot drop that's located to the northeast of this construction site.
Photo by Max Schilling
Anyway ... JHM will be sending Mr. Schilling back to Islands of Adventure repeatedly in the weeks and months ahead. So that Max can then keep all you "Harry Potter" fans out there abreast of the progress that's been made on this 20-acre redo of that theme park's "Lost Continent" section.
Here's hoping that he doesn't get sick of riding the "Flying Unicorn."
And speaking of flying ... The days are really flying by, aren't they? Can you believe that it's only three weeks 'til Christmas? Yikes!
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Thanks for thinking of us. And Happy Holidays!
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