March 29, 2024

A Double Dose of Harry Potter Planned for Universal Theme Parks

Universal on Monday confirmed what theme park bloggers have long been reporting: One of the marquee spots in J.K. Rowling’s fiction and the subsequent films — Diagon Alley, a wizarding shopping district hidden behind London’s Leaky Cauldron pub — will open at Universal Studios Florida in 2014.

Universal gave few details except to say that visitors will be able to move between the Wizarding World sections of the two abutting parks by train (the Hogwarts Express, obviously) and that Diagon Alley will include themed shops, a restaurant and a ride set inside Gringotts Wizarding Bank.

To make room for the expansion, Universal Studios Florida last year closed its signature “Jaws” boat ride. The studios property still attracts more than six million visitors a year, but it has suffered until recently from outdated rides built around films like “Twister,” “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” and “Terminator 2.”

When Comcast took control of NBCUniversal in early 2011 from General Electric, Universal’s parks started investing in much-needed new rides. Universal Studios Florida, for instance, recently opened attractions based on the “Transformers” movie franchise and “Despicable Me.”

But Harry Potter, the theme park rights to which are owned by Warner Brothers, is Universal’s big draw. Attendance at Islands of Adventure soared 30 percent in 2011, to about 7.7 million visitors, compared with 2010. Wizarding World areas are now being added to Universal parks in California and Japan.

Article source: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/09/business/media/a-double-dose-of-harry-potter-planned-for-universal-theme-parks.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

You’re the Boss Blog: B&B Owner Responds to Web Site Review

Site Insight

What’s wrong with this site?

Criticism can be hard to take, especially when your business is your home. Last week, however, Nancy Galloway and Andre Laporte welcomed our comments and suggestions as to how to improve their inn’s Web site. “It is like having a great editor,” Ms. Galloway said. “You need someone who is looking at your work with a fresh perspective. I am too close to our site and the comments were quite helpful and we are taking many to heart.”

In a recent conversation that has been condensed and edited, Ms. Galloway and I discussed the various opinions — including the 17-minute video that one commenter posted.

Many people focused on the need for new photos. Do you agree they need to be improved?

Yes, we agree with the emphasis on bigger pictures. We checked out the Four Seasons Nevis site, and that was very instructive. Actually it wowed us — that site will be our guide.

There was a push for more information on local activities.

We definitely need to sell the area, as well as ourselves. We will add more on the local artisans, including links to their sites. Those artisans actually sell themselves; we have the broom maker who supplied brooms for Harry Potter, glass blowers, blacksmiths, hand weavers and a phenomenal sculptor — all within a five-minute drive.

How did you react to some of the uneasiness commenters expressed with the social element of a BB?

I was surprised that so many thought it would be too social. No one is forced to hang out together. There is plenty of space, including separate tables for breakfast and lounging. We will look into that and make it more clear in the description. Also, we do allow kids, as long as they’re babies or 5 and up. Our place is simply not childproof.

It makes sense that reserving a room online would be a core part of a redesign. One reader said people want to be able to book a room at 1 a.m. in their pajamas. Where do you stand on adding that functionality?

We’re working on getting the online reservation system up and running. Not being techies, it’s a bit difficult for us, but we’re getting there. We initially thought we would use Easy InnKeeping because we already use their offline system. But the cost is very hard to digest — the setup is $365, then $65 per month, and $15 per reservation. One reader recommended Rezovation, and they run $649 for the initial start-up, $250 per year, $99 per month and $15.50 per reservation. We are looking into other options.

How do you attract reviews and how have you worked with TripAdvisor?

For the past year we have given each guest a postcard to take home and sent an e-mail a week after their stay asking them to review us. It works, especially the e-mail, because asking people to remember a URL is just too much work. We currently don’t pay TripAdvisor for the extras they can provide to attract viewers but are taking a close look at putting marketing budget toward TripAdvisor. The other key site for us to work with is Iloveinns.com.

There were a few design-oriented comments. Were they helpful?

Someone pointed it out, and we have been wondering about the wasted space on our site. Many sites we see have huge color blocks on either side of a center panel of text. I actually thought ours looked rather cluttered. Another tough one to act on is the recommendation to include people in photographs. I have received the opposite advice over the years — to leave the pictures without people, so people can envision themselves in the photo. I am not sure what to do with those two points but will discuss both with our new designer.

Are you open to a redesign of the inn?

One or two mentioned that we needed an interior decorator. Sorry, that’s not happening. But I am decluttering!

Would you like to have your business’s Web site or mobile app reviewed? This is an opportunity for companies looking for an honest (and free) appraisal of their online presence and marketing efforts.

To be considered, please tell us about your experiences — why you started your site, what works, what doesn’t and why you would like to have the site reviewed — in an e-mail to youretheboss@abesmarket.com.

Richard Demb is co-founder of Abe’s Market, an online marketplace for natural products that is based in Chicago.

Article source: http://boss.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/04/05/bb-owner-responds-to-web-site-review/?partner=rss&emc=rss