The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Heading West

Today Universal Parks made two large announcements, both having to do with the theme park version of Harry Potter's world.  First, a Wizarding World of Harry Potter will be built at Universal Studios Hollywood, and second, the existing land at the Universal Orlando resort will be expanded.

If you're looking for more details, however, sadly none are available.  The announcement was huge... but detailed also nothing about either expansion.

Heading to the official press release, this is about as detailed as we get:

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Hollywood will be as impressive as what has been created in Orlando – and is expected to transform tourism in Los Angeles for decades to come. It will be a fully immersive environment for the entire family that brings the stories of Harry Potter to life and is faithful to the visual landscape of the films, including a majestic Hogwarts castle to serve as the centerpiece of the themed environment.  The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Hollywood will be created with the same commitment to authenticity and the same level of talent and resources as its Orlando counterpart.

What's not clear is when the area will open, if it really is an area or just one attraction, where it will go in the park, etc.  Even less is available on Orlando's Wizarding World, with Universal only saying that "specific details of its expansion will be released over time."  This leaves us wondering again on the time-table, if it's an expansion to the existing land or perhaps even a new section built on Jaws' former home.

I'm all for parks leaving some secrecy to their announcements, but perhaps even a shred of detail could have come along with this one to tide us over?


Edit: The AP story is giving a couple new bits of information - quoting the LA County Supervisor as saying that the Gibson Amphitheater is indeed being removed, and that USH's area could open in 2014.