Thanks for the permission.
Seriously though, I too was merely trying to input common sense into the 'blind panic' as you put it.
I'm not so sure there's history to input though. As far as I know there's no direct precedence for WWOHP or even for FJ for that matter. Jurassic Park Island, Rip Ride Rocket, Toy Story Mania over at WDW (any other big opening of the past), they've got nothing on the rabid fan-base FJ and WWOHP will bring with them opening day. I don't believe any theme park has ever seen the likes of this upcoming event. So to say there is 'NO way' a package-holder-only soft opening would or would not be the proper way to go about this is a bit presumptive.
None of us here knows for sure why Universal made the decision they had apparently made as of this morning to only allow package holders in before the grand opening (and if any of us here does know, they are certainly bound not to tell). I'd be willing to bet though they did have common sense behind it. Surely the people who have a multimillion dollar interest as well as their PR reputation to protect didn't set out to alienate untold numbers of loyal (and new) customers while plowing headlong into opening day unprepared. They had their reasons for making the decision they made. As you pointed out, this is not some fly by the seat of your pants operation. I was only trying to offer up what one of those reasons might potentially be.
If people feel they've been purposefully and maliciously slighted for no apparent reason that stings so much more than feeling disappointed yet understanding why it had to be. I see no harm in using this forum to examine together what Universal's rationale might have been. And I see no reason to imply people are delusional for doing so.
I wasn't trying to verbally attack you Lou Holtz. And I hope I'm not coming across that way now, but I think it's a bit unwise to declare there is 'NO way' Universal would handle things with a package only soft opening and then imply it'd be completely irrational for them to do so. That's like throwing fuel on the fire of an already emotionally charged situation when no one had yet stopped to consider if maybe there WAS a rational explanation for why Universal might want to do it that way (or at least no one had stopped to post about it if they had, which is why I did.)
I just think that rather than immediately asking "Why is Universal doing this to me?!", people should first stop to wonder, "Why WOULD Universal want to do this?"
And by the way, if people show up with high hopes of being let into a soft opening (because that's the way things have always been done) and then get turned away, those people really will truly understand the meaning of the word 'livid'. So I don't see it as being in anyone's best interest for us to assume this event will follow the status quo.
Simply put: None of us here has any way of knowing how this thing will go down. So why should any of us definitively declare we know exactly what's happening and why it's happening?
As of tonight it would seem Universal has reversed their decision (most likely upon threat of riot
) and will now be allowing all on-site guests who booked prior to yesterday in during the three week period leading up to the 18th. I am genuinely happy for those people who will now get to participate when they otherwise would not have. But I also hope this change in plans Universal has been pressured into doesn't undermine whatever their original plan was causing issues to arise that won't be ironed out before the 18th.
I for one am hoping the Wizarding World will be as smooth and as magical of an experience as possible for everyone who visits from the 'soft opening' on.
They should have told everyone that the only way people would be allowed in that section was if they bought the HP pkg or if they stayed on site. I would have bought the pkg, if we'd been told that information. It looks like we'll be giving WDW our money instead.
).
