1. MORE Harry Potter attractions

Status: Rumored

Think Diagon Alley marks the end of Universal's Harry Potter construction blitz? Think again!

One of the key factors in securing the rights to the Harry Potter books and movies in negotations with creator J.K. Rowling was Universal's commitment to multiple phases - and it doesn't intend to end with the London-themed land at Universal Studios Florida.

The opening of the original Wizarding World at Islands of Adventure led to an enormous attendance and revenue boost for Universal, so was no surprise to see the resort installing more Potter attractions at Universal Studios Florida. The debut of Diagon Alley is likely to lead to booming attendance once again in 2014.

Rumors persist that both Wizarding Worlds are due for a further expansion, although nothing has been confirmed as yet. Hogsmeade could swallow up what remains of the Lost Continent, with rumored attractions including a Chamber of Secrets-themed replacement for Poseidon's Fury. Next to Diagon Alley, a large-scale recreation of the Ministry of Magic could replace Fear Factor Live, although that would leave Universal short of show capacity for its Halloween Horror Nights events.

Will Universal really install yet more attractions based on Harry Potter's universe? In our view, the answer is almost certainly "yes". Diagon Alley is about as close to a nailed-on success as you can get: it's going to make Universal a fortune in ticket sales and merchandise revenue. Universal will be keen to repeat the trick once more with a further round of Potter attractions.

For non-Potter fans who fear that resort is being taken over by wizards and witches, this isn't necessarily bad news. All that revenue from Harry Potter is what's triggered the other investments at Universal Orlando, such as the addition of Transformers: The Ride - 3D and the likely spending on a King Kong attraction.

Plus a lot more...

Back in the late 1990s, Universal was determined to take on Walt Disney World by installing third and even fourth theme parks. It even bought the land to do just that from Lockheed Martin. However, financial problems at then-parent company Vivendi and the disappointing initial performance of Islands of Adventure put paid to those plans, and the land was sold off.

With the enormous success of the Wizarding World, though, it was inevitable that rumors would soon spring up about a third gate for Universal Orlando. And, if you believe those rumors (and there's evidence to support them), a water park and a new theme park could be in the pipeline. We took a detailed look at these whisperings in this recent article.