From Harry Potter fans, pressure on Universal Orlando to deliver big on 'Wizarding World'

Wake up and good morning. Orlando theme park Universal Orlando's starting to fill in some details of its $200 million Wizarding World of Harry Potter, a 20-acre "theme park within a theme park" slated to open next spring at Islands of Adventure. So far, I must admit as a Potter fan (earned since my son "grew up" the same age as Harry Potter -- they were both 11 when the first book came out) with high expectations, it's all a bit underwhelming. So far.

For example, Universal still is not offering much detail about its Wizarding World's core entertainment feature, the only new major ride so far: Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. (There's no height restriction so it won't be too wild.) And one area Universal initially said Muggles, uh, non-wizarding people could visit -- the darker-themed Forbidden Forest that in the books was home to centaurs, unicorns and giant spiders -- does not appear on the theme park's new map of Wizarding World. But Universal told the Orlando Sentinel the Forbidden Forest is still in the works. Here's the Orlando Sentinel story and a St. Petersburg Times report looking at it and other expansion plans among Orlando theme parks.

Hey, it's still early. Yet I'm not sure how Buckbeak, the wild and independent hippogriff and pal of Rubeus Hagrid in the Potter series, would take to the family-style Flight of the Hippogriff coaster ride (see rendering above), redesigned from Universal's Flying Unicorn ride.

The good news is that since J.K. Rowling has finished the series of Potter books and we're down to the final and 7th Potter book to be made into a movie (two, in fact, since the long plot will be split), Universal Orlando's Wizarding World will be a fun extension to the millions of folks who want some semblance of the Potter experience to continue.

I'll show you some Universal-supplied renderings of Wizarding World so you can conjure up your own decisions about whether this will captivate Potter followers. For example, Paul Daurio, show producer of Wizarding World, told the Orlando Sentinel that "we're going to have an entire line of product that's been developed specifically for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter that can only be found here from the books and the film."

Visitors, for example, will be able to purchase wands at Ollivanders wand shop (see rendering above), via interactive (and undisclosed) methods. As wandmaker Mr. Ollivander tells a young Potter in the  first book: "The wand picks the wizard." Mark Woodbury, president of Universal Creative, told the Sentinel: "We've developed a way to make that experience real." Now that, done well, could be cool.

At the Three Broomsticks (above), part of the Hogsmeade village that also includes Zonko's and Honeydukes, a Universal-concocted (and nonalcoholic) Potter staples -- butterbeer and pumpkin juice-- will be available. Woodbury told the Sentinel that Universal "developed a special recipe" in collaboration with Warner Bros.of the Potter movies. "One of the meetings we've had with J.K. Rowling," he said, "we tasted and sampled some of the food items that we will have in Three Broomsticks, including butterbeer."

Conveniently, the Honeydukes candy store (above) in the Potter series is another good excuse for Universal to sell sweets to visitors. Yes, Universal says it will be stocking some Potter favorites, from chocolate frogs to Bertie Bott's Every-Flavour Beans. No word yet on whether the flavors will include some of those in the Potter books that produced a resounding Yuk! from kids and adults: boogers, vomit and ear wax.

So amid all the consumption and jokes, what's truly missing? Any ominous reference to He Who Must Not Be Named, the evil wizard and Harry Potter's nemesis. We can only assume the "Forbidden Journey" ride, still under wraps, will address -- no, must address -- that omission in some fashion.

Renderings courtesy of Universal Orlando.

-- Robert Trigaux, Times Business Columnist

Across Florida, they want baseball stadiums

Wake up and good morning. Stadiums. Lots of baseball stadiums. Florida's already got lots but wants more, or better ones. And it's stressing even baseball-obsessed communities struggling in this recession. Here's a quick list:

* SARASOTA: The city failed three times to land a Major League Baseball team's spring training now finds itself surrounded by suitors who want to lease or buy 20-year-old Ed Smith Stadium (shown in photo), reports today's Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Since the Cincinnati Reds played their last spring ballgame at Ed Smith on April 2, three private investors have indicated they are interested in leasing or buying the stadium. On Monday, the Baltimore Orioles signaled that they have not given up on Ed Smith after all. And one developer, Baseline-iScouts Group, wants to buy the 53-acre stadium from the city and build a year-round baseball development center. The group wants to make Ed Smith the home field for a Japanese league team that would play spring training against American teams.

* VERO BEACH: Dodgertown, clearly one of the finest places this side of Mars to watch spring training, has been vacant since the LA Dodgers left. But county officials are planning to hold a news conference on Wednesday, where they are expected to unveil the new tenant to take over the Dodgertown complex. It just won't be a major league team coming for spring training. The Vero Beach 32963 newspaper reports that Minor League Baseball, with headquarters in St. Petersburg, is expected to be the new Dodgertown tenant and that it will conduct activities here year-round.

* FORT MYERS: In a town eager to keep the Boston Red Sox happy, about 900 people on Monday crammed into the Estero High School auditorium, south of Fort Myers, for a town hall meeting to discuss the four potential sites for the new, $70- to $80-million Boston Red Sox spring-training stadium, reports today's Fort Myers News Press. Many have voiced their disagreement with the Edison Farms site. When Lee County commission chairman Ray Judah began reviewing the sites, many in the crowd booed at the first mention of Edison Farms, located east of Interstate 75 and south of Corkscrew Road.

* MIAMI: Miami commissioners are being asked to dip into the lifeline of local government -- the general fund -- to help build the parking complex around the planned Florida Marlins' baseball stadium (shown in rendering -- note the retractable roof!), according to the Miami Herald. A month ago, when city commissioners voted 3-2 in support of the stadium plan, administrators offered everything but a flat-out guarantee that the city's general fund -- which pays for fire, police and other services -- would not be touched. Miami's contribution to the $634 million overall ballpark plan -- $94 million for parking facilities -- was to be bankrolled through the issuance of bonds, with the debt to be paid off with hotel bed taxes, commissioners were promised.

Hey, consider this a modest sampling of what's ahead for Tampa Bay as we move ever so slowly closer to a new stadium proposal for the Tampa Bay Rays.

-- Robert Trigaux, Times Business Columnist