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Diagon Alley Soft Opening Watch

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rhino4evr said:
Just a thought...maybe you should wait for a grand opening date before spending hundreds/thousands of dollars on an attraction that may or may not be open. It would save you a lot of anxiety I am sure. I am starting to think about a trip in November personally. That's when I visisted Phase I last time, and had no real issues with long lines or insanse crowds. It's really hot out in June-September. Just warning ya.
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I know, right? People who plan events ahead of time based around a variety of personal and financial factors, all with the understanding that if the ideal situation doesn't pan out there are alternatives they can pursue and have just as much fun participating in so long as they have a wee bit of advanced notice, really have no right to expect any kind of details whatsoever 2 weeks before they're expected to leave. Pffft stupid tourists.

But seriously, it is hot in June-September, which is part of why I'm going at the end of May. I cannot go in the off-season as my job does not allow it. I'm just at the point where I'd like to know whether I should cancel part of my Royal Pacific reservation and try to book something at Disney for 2 of the 4 days I'll be in Orlando or stick with my original plan. Either way, I will enjoy not having to deal with opening day crowds in Universal and Islands of Adventure, which is another part of why I booked an end-of-May stay. And yes, based on my stay during Phase I, when I purchased a resort package months in advance, I was hoping for a soft opening. But if it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen. It certainly would be nice to have a clue one way or another, however, so I can modify my plans in accordance. The announcement of a grand opening date at the very least would be helpful.
 
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Magistra said:
It wasn't the lack of concrete information that bothered me. It was the attitude. If we're all in this boat together, how about a little rowing and a little less knocking people upside the head with an oar when they suggest a possibility of something that seems ludicrous to you personally?

This is why we can't have nice things.
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Oh please, get over yourself. :rolleyes:
 
JungleSkip said:
Oh please, get over yourself. :rolleyes:
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Magistra said:
Ditto.
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Even if an Opening Date was announced, softs are completely random. I remember back during Phase 1, I went up during the week and softs were a regular occurrence, and the land was closed for the day. Planning a trip hoping for softs is risky no matter what.
 
Maybe UOs way of crowd control for this grand opening is to wait the last minute to announce it. This way crowds won't be off the charts. It will still be crazy, but not 6 hour waits to get into the new land.
 
Magistra said:
I know, right? People who plan events ahead of time based around a variety of personal and financial factors, all with the understanding that if the ideal situation doesn't pan out there are alternatives they can pursue and have just as much fun participating in so long as they have a wee bit of advanced notice, really have no right to expect any kind of details whatsoever 2 weeks before they're expected to leave. Pffft stupid tourists.

But seriously, it is hot in June-September, which is part of why I'm going at the end of May. I cannot go in the off-season as my job does not allow it. I'm just at the point where I'd like to know whether I should cancel part of my Royal Pacific reservation and try to book something at Disney for 2 of the 4 days I'll be in Orlando or stick with my original plan. Either way, I will enjoy not having to deal with opening day crowds in Universal and Islands of Adventure, which is another part of why I booked an end-of-May stay. And yes, based on my stay during Phase I, when I purchased a resort package months in advance, I was hoping for a soft opening. But if it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen. It certainly would be nice to have a clue one way or another, however, so I can modify my plans in accordance. The announcement of a grand opening date at the very least would be helpful.
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So in your scenerio? I would just book a room in the Disney area and cancel it if you decide to change plans. Most of those hotels have pretty favorable cancellation policies from my experience. Also, it's May and it's already pretty damn hot. Based on the construction progress, I would highly doubt we will see softs before June 1st...even that is a stretch. There, have I answered your questions?

- - - Updated - - -

at least you'll be here to ride that Seven Dwarfs mine train!
 
OK guys. I understand you all want information, but the bottom line is no one knows and no one ever knows until minutes (maybe hours) before softs begin. Phase 1 is a PERFECT example. When they sold those packages they expected it to be OPEN, meaning grand opening was happening BEFORE those packages started. Well things didn't get done and the people in the know (Uni Management) had to scramble and change dates, so then they had to PUSH (and I mean PUSH) to even get softs started that early. That is why it was only open in the morning for a limited time with only limited guests. FJ was breaking down like crazy which was causing them all sorts of headaches because they booked these packages and HAD to honor them. So they did the best they could and I remember a ton of people who booked packages were really angry because they thought the land would be open all day. I know most of them were fine after they went because they could get everything done in the time-frame Uni set up.

Are there indications of softs? Yes, employee previews is always a good indication. Construction walls being pushed back are always good indication. But even those are tricky. If you look at Disney they had an issue discovered at the last minute, so they did a media preview and still have not soft opened it and grand opening is weeks away. Normally even employee previews are not announced weeks in advance, they are normally announced days in advance. This is nothing new, it is how Phase 1 worked, transformers, etc. So I think where people are frustrated (and coming across as rude) is that you are saying something has changed and really nothing has changed. It is the same way as it always is. There are indications people can use to tell when softs might be, but even those indications are normally days away, not weeks. So no one can give you a date, not even someone working at Uni, because I guarantee they don't even know right now. They probably have a target date, but that date may move 10 times from here and then.
 
I would assume Grand Opening is around June 20th or 21st also, if they want to play it the same way they did last time with the few days leading up having the actors on-site and the special events for press.
 
Teebin said:
I am hoping that this gif isn't a good example of our faces once a certain something is mounted to the top of a building. :stunned:
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They've been hyping it up too much to drop the ball. Either do it right or don't do it at all. Gringotts would be just fine without it.
 
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