by Arabella Figg
This article (9-21-09) (click here) details the prominent attractions and rides “to make the experience immersive.”
“Along those journeys they’re going to be swept up into the greatest parts of the movies and the books,” says Paul Daurio, producer of the Potter area. “We’ve pushed every technology available to us to give tuests a theme park experience unlike any they’ve had before.”
I found interesting this quote, in the light of Harry Potter being Shared Text:
“It’s such a huge worldwide brand, and the only place in the world you’re going to be able to experience it is in Orlando.”
Do you think the HP theme park can enhance your experience of HP… or not?
revgeorge on 
Jonathan on 
korg20000bc on 
Arabella Figg on 
Red Rocker on 
Dave the Longwinded on 
Fricka on 
Loading ...
{ 19 comments… read them below or add one }
The author of the article doesn’t really seem aware that Harry Potter is first and foremost a series of BOOKS. Scary. Not shocking, but scary.
Arabella, my whole family is interested in a trip to the Potter park. This means that my daughter and I will be able to attend Infinitus in July as part of the vacation. Therefore, I would answer your question with a resounding “yes.”
Money, money, money!
Rowling named it “Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey”? What’s so forbidden? That people will spend thousands of dollars/pounds to go here when they could do so much better things with their money.
There is no way I could go to this place and not cringe. I doubt if it could live up to what my imaginings have produced. Wizarding World foam land. Experience the thrill of over priced merchandise. Wonder at the ever shrinking wallet. Tremble at the phoney British accents.
I reckon they’ve missed the boat, timing wise, too.
Well, if I can walk into the Three Broomsticks and order a Butterbeer, then I have to admit, that would enhance my HP experience.
And, isn’t there supposed to be a Zonko’s? Weasley’s Wizarding Wheezes? I’ve wanted to go to Hogsmeade for a lonnng time!
I think that the kiddies will probably love it.
Korg, I tend to agree with you about the cringe factor. But ever since I saw the movies I’m not certain that someone else can’t visualize the Potterverse more effectively (dramatically, strikingly, vividly, creatively – take your pick) than I can. So it might be visually effective, as long as the rocks don’t appear too early-Star Trek and the accents too fake-British.
Question: is Butterbeer supposed to be alcoholic in real life (meaning, of course, in fantasy life)? Because if it is, then the kiddies can’t have it. Which would be quite a bummer for them. Unless of course they drink pretend Butterbeer.
Which about sums up the whole concept for me: pretend-pretend.
Of course it’s pretend, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing. I love theme parks, mostly Disney. But I’m looking forward to going. I just hope that not all the rides are of the high thrill type as I don’t do those. But to me, it sounds like fun. Will it change the way I experience the books? I doubt it. Even after seeing the movies, I can still totally immerse myself in the world coming out of the pages. I don’t think going to a theme park will change that. I just expect to have a good time. And I’ll sample the butterbeer – so much the better if it is non-alcholic, as I’m not fond of beer.
While I think the experience (and tchotchkes) might be fun, I wonder how “authentic” it will feel in the midst of multiple thousands of tourists in shorts and Cubs hats.
Having both gone to and worked at Disneyland, I can say that being part of the inner workings didn’t destroy the magic of it for me. I guess I don’t quite see the park diminishing HP. The books always override, as Pat said.
Red Rocker: I always thought of Butterbeer like Root Beer (ie. not actually beer, but that’s just me ^^; ), does it say somewhere in the books that it is *actually* beer? If you happen to know where, I would like to know.
Thanks ^-^
Didn’t butter beer make Ron tipsy?
That’s the thing. Butter beer would be great! But its only going to be some mass produced softdrink. It won’t actually taste like butterbeer which was unlike anything Harry had had in the muggle world. Zonko’s will be filled with magic trick items and, obviously, non-magic items.
What bothers me is that the wonderful will be replaced by a mundane approximation and passed off as the real thing.
Well, since it’s unlikely my wife would let me go to the park anytime within the next decade or so, I can confidently say the park won’t affect my HP experience at all. But if I did go, I probably would wear a Cub’s hat; at least until I could buy an appropriately themed HP hat.
Anyway, I don’t think going to the park would change my HP experience at all. Like Pat said, I have no trouble immersing myself in the books. The movies intrude very little into my reading experience, so I expect that the park wouldn’t do so either.
Still, I’d love to go to the park. Not for the rides but for the ambiance & the various stores & recreations of HP locations. Unlike Matthew I don’t mind my wallet getting thinner & thinner.
I’d love to see Flourish & Blotts (wonder if any Potter Pundits’ books will be carried there), Borgin & Burke’s, Zonko’s, Honeydukes, The Hogshead, & the Leaky Cauldron.
Here’s what Wikipedia has to say on the subject of Butterbeer:
Butterbeer is the drink of choice for younger wizards. Harry is first presented with the beverage in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Although House-elves can become intoxicated on butterbeer, it has not been stated that there is any alcohol in the drink. In the sixth book, Harry wonders what Ron and Hermione might do at Professor Slughorn’s Christmas party “under the influence of Butterbeer”, indicating that it could potentially lower inhibitions. J. K. Rowling said in her interview to Bon Appétit magazine that she imagines it “to taste a little bit like less-sickly butterscotch”. Butterbeer can be served cold or hot but either way it has a warming effect. Roald Dahl used a similar word play in his book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in chapter 23 when he mentioned the Oompa-Loompas getting drunk on butterscotch and buttergin.
Butterbeer was a real drink however, made from beer, sugar, eggs, nutmeg and butter back in Tudor times.
And this is what Harry Potter Wiki says:
Butterbeer is a very popular drink among wizards and witches. It is sold at Hogsmeade in pubs like The Three Broomsticks and The Hog’s Head. [1] Butterbeer has a very slight alcohol content. Humans are usually unaffected by it save for a feeling of “warmth”[2], but house-elves can get drunk on it. Winky the House-Elf is known to get drunk on it frequently. [3]
Harry Potter is first presented with this beverage in 1993. In 1996, Harry wonders what Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger might do at Professor Horace Slughorn’s Christmas Party “under the influence of Butterbeer”, [4] indicating that it can lower inhibitions, though presumably in very small amounts.
At The Hog’s Head inn, customers are charged two sickles per Butterbeer [5] , however, it isn’t certain whether this is a universal price for the drink, or if the price of the drink varies from location to location.
So a difference of opinion about its alcohol content. Maybe the author should be consulted?
I always imagined it as similar to chewing khat leaves in Yemen or drinking coca tea in the Andes, i.e. a substance with mild euphoric or stimulant properties which is culturally accepted.
To those that are “books only” and” my imagination” will develop the images in my mind thank you. The new WWHP is of no interest. Just as many have said from that frame of mind, the “movies” don’t do it for them either.
Now, if you’re a book and movie enthusiast and you don’t mind the Universal and WB imagineers tinkering with JKR’s wizarding world from their frame of imagining Harry’s adventures, you’ll have a great time at this park from what I have seen developing in recent days.
I would imagine butterbeer to be a very sweet (butterscotch, like said above) version of Root Beer (but that’s just me ^^;).
In Britain, there’s ginger beer, which is what we call ginger ale (beer, ale, hmm). So this would seem to be a carbonated nonalcoholic drink. However, consider caffeine in soft drinks and it’s high amounts in energy drinks. You can have a nonalcoholic drink that affects your adrenal levels and mood.
I’ve always thought butterbeer would taste like carbonated butterscotch with an edge, not as sweet, more buttery, and warm. Pretty much as Rowling describes it.
Matthew, I can understand your cynicism, but I seriously doubt anyone will go to that park expecting “the real thing.” (The Wizarding World doesn’t sell Coke.
)
I’ve imagined butterbeer to be a magical beverage, with no muggle equivalent, along with firewhisky. JKR seemed to approve that it caused some loss of inhabition in the HBP movie, since Hermione is obviously a little tipsy in the Three Broomsticks .
I don’t believe that the theme park will change my imagination of the books (the movies certainly haven’t). For me, there is a difference between my personal enjoyment of the story (i.e. sitting down to read the books) and my involvement in the Harry Potter fandom. I separate the books and the movies in my mind and I think that I’ll be doing the same when I go to the theme park.
Melody, I’m going to Infinitus too! I’ve been waiting since Prophecy for Infinitus and the theme park
.
When I first heard about this park I was cynical and muttered about WB wanting to conintue to cash in on the francise. While that’s undoubtedly true, once I saw some concept art for Hogwarts though, I couldn’t help but think “that is soo cool”.
I don’t think in terms of design or looks, anything will stray too far from what Rowling approves of, as has been the case in the movies (though at times I’ve asked “Jo, why did you let them do that? why???”). I don’t think that the park will override or damage the pictures I have in my mind from the book. Like others, I do often lament, “why can’t I go to Hogwarts???” and with the theme park, I sort of can. It’ll be fun to pretend I’m a witch and buy a wand at Ollivander’s, head to the Three Broomsticks for butterbeer or firewhiskey, and go to the Forbidden Forest. I’ve never been to Florida and I do like rides and themeparks, so this is yet another reason for me to go (though sadly, I will not be able to make Infinitus).
Chances are good that I’d enjoy the park, even while being aware of the impossible attempts at approximating the wizarding experience. Like the movies, however, I just don’t expect it to match what I have in my head, and that would be the biggest problem for me.
I’ve tried at least one of the online butterbeer recipes–one involving butterscotch syrup and cream soda–and thought it far too sweet. The beer/sugar/eggs/nutmeg/butter thing sounds great, though. Hmm. Where’s my cauldron?
I’ve tried an alcoholic version of butterbeer involving butterscotch schnapps and cream soda. It was tasty, but quite sweet.
I imagine butterbeer like monster, It’s like nothing I’ve ever tasted!