July 16, 2015 – Hi everyone, we’re back with another comprehensive photo update, this time focusing on the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, the ongoing House of Horrors replacement project, the start of construction for Halloween Horror Nights and much, much more.
There’s a lot of ground to cover since our latest update, so let’s quickly get started.
» Parking Structures
» Universal’s House of Horrors’ Replacement Project
» The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
» Lankershim Projects
» Halloween Horror Nights
Since our last update, Universal’s new parking structure has seen tremendous progress over the last few weeks.
Not only have we seen the rise of several more floors, but we’ve also seen the construction of three ramps from the existing Curious George parking structure to the new structure. Not only do the connecting ramps tower over the existing Curious George entrance, but they also lead us to believe that each floor of the new parking structure will be connected to the corresponding Curious George lot, leading to a rather creative way of integrating the two lots together.
Next on our list is Universal’s House of Horrors’ ongoing construction project, which aims to introduce additional retail and food to the park’s Upper Lot.
With steel beams now towering over the park’s entrance, the new structure appears to continue the width of the pathway set forth by the Universal Studios Store. Now only does restrict the width of the pathway leading to Universal Plaza, but it also means that the new structure will occupy a considerably larger floorspace than Victoria Station. Considering the anticipated crowds for Harry Potter, it’ll be interesting to see this decision play out when the park begins to hit capacity on a daily basis.
Meanwhile, on Harry Potter’s home front, the track for Flight of Hippogriff appears to be complete as crews continue to finish Hogswarts facade.
Not only has the castle begun to resemble its final form, but guests are beginning to catch a preview of Wizarding World West.
While Harry Potter moves at a brisk pace, progress on the ongoing Lankershim projects seem to be hitting a stall.
While the roadway expansion is clearly still underway, the lack of progress on the proposed hotels leaves us wondering about the current status of both projects. Are both hotels still slated to open in the future, or has one project been scrapped? Also, the slow pace of the pedestrian bridge also leaves us puzzled on the nature of the final project. Spring 2016 (the slated date for the bridge’s completion) is fast approaching, and the bridge couldn’t come enough for the safety of walking guests.
Finally, we’ll end this update with a quick look at the ongoing maze construction projects for Halloween Horror Nights.
As in years’ past, mazes are currently being built in the Parisian Courtyard on the Upper Lot and in the extended queue of Jurassic Park: The Ride and Revenge of the Mummy: The Ride. We’ll update you as each maze begins to materialize in the coming months.
That does it for this month’s update. Please follow Inside Universal for all the latest news from Universal Studios Hollywood, and be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more information from the park. Thanks for reading, and we’ll see you in the next update!
Jon Fu is the editor-in-chief of Inside Universal.
Jon originally founded InsideUniversal.net in 2006 as a summer hobby aimed at providing families and fans a resource for all things “Universal Studios Hollywood.” Since then, the website has taken him throughout the United States and around the world – including to places like Universal Orlando Resort, Universal Studios Japan and Universal Studios Singapore.
Jon currently resides in Santa Cruz, California. You may reach him at jon@insideuniversal.net.
