MANILA, Philippines ? As every thrill-seeking Filipino knows, an initial trip to either Los Angeles or Orlando is never complete without spending a day at Universal Studios.

Come 2010, tourists of all ages will have more reasons to visit both theme parks as they unveil their attractions inspired by two of the most popular characters to capture the world?s imagination.

While King Kong is poised to literally rise from the ashes in Hollywood after fire gutted the back lot where the great ape once reigned a year ago, the boy wizard Harry Potter and his posse are raring to wield their brand of magic in Orlando.

Universal was one of several groups that hosted a media conference in Miami as part of the recent International Powwow, the biggest annual gathering of tourism-related industries and organizations in the US.

?Last year?s fire got us to think how we could re-imagine the studio tour experience,? said Larry Kurzweil, president and COO of Universal Studios Hollywood. ?From every tragedy comes new ideas and ways to challenge and evoke the public?s curiosity.?

After much thought, Universal executives decided to keep King Kong, but not before they could come up with ways to make him more relevant to ?been there, done that? millennials. Executives from both coasts revealed that no less than Peter Jackson and J.K. Rowling are on board as consultants.

Rounding up the list are Stuart Craig and Harry Gilmore, two seasoned production designers who did a number of Harry Potter movies. They?re working directly with Universal Studios Orlando to bring Rowling?s enchanted world to life.

Jackson, Academy award-winning director of ?Lord of the Rings,? also did the most recent and perhaps most successful ?King Kong? remake on the big screen. Rowling, of course, is one of today?s most successful authors; she penned the phenomenal Harry Potter book series.

First of its kind

King Kong promises to be the first of its kind as far as 4-D attractions go, with lifelike, high-definition images, surround-sound and simulators designed to give guests in a darkened soundstage 360-degree views of Skull Island, King Kong?s home, above, below and on both sides of the tram.

They?re in for a series of nasty twists and turns courtesy of, among others, a swarm of menacing giant bats. But the biggest jolts yet are reserved when the giant gorilla emerges to battle 35-foot dinosaurs that threaten to turn visitors into dinner. If anything, it?s bound to be one bumpy ride.

The ?Wizarding World of Harry Potter? is a more interactive experience, complete with scenes and structures straight out of books and movies such as the imposing Hogwarts Castle and a walk through the Forbidden Forest as well as a visit to the intrigue-laden town of Hogsmeade.

?We?re drawing King Kong straight from the mind of Peter Jackson,? said Kurzweil. ?The attraction will totally trick your senses and take you to King Kong?s world on Skull Island with King Kong and a bunch of dinosaurs jumping over the tram.?

Those familiar with Universal?s Spider-Man attraction in Orlando are in for a bigger surprise, he said. Although the two work on similar principles, King Kong is a much more improved and decidedly costlier attraction than that featuring the Marvel superhero.

Kurzweil also announced improvements on the Hollywood back lot, especially the New York section that also burned down last year plus a new part of the tour featuring the set of ?The Tonight Show,? which moved from New York to Los Angeles under new host Conan O?Brien.

Also debuting in Universal Hollywood this July is a ?Broadway-quality? musical based on ?The Creature from the Black Lagoon,? a decades-old homegrown title Universal resurrected and gave a 21st-century spin to.

Both Kurzweil and Bill Davis, president and COO of Universal Orlando, declined to reveal the price tag for the new attractions.

For his part, Davis promised future visitors to Orlando that Harry?s world would soon become theirs. For one, the Hogwarts Castle is envisioned to be as real and as grand as the one depicted in the book.

?It will be a real structure visible from miles around,? he said.

Visitors could also retrace steps the characters took, including dining at the Three Broomsticks Pub and shopping for magical instruments at Dervish and Bangs.

?Harry?s world is taking shape as we speak,? said Davis. ?I was walking around Powwow yesterday and everyone I met was excited and raring to experience it.?

Roller coaster

In the meantime, visitors to Florida don?t have to wait until summer of 2010 to get their thrill fix. Universal Orlando?s newest and grandest roller coaster, the Rip Ride Rockit, will blow visitors? socks off very soon.

Dubbed as high-tech meets hard rock, the ride, with a top speed of up to 65 mph and heights of up to seven-stories high, is said to be the most advanced ?individually customizable? experience ever created.

Apart from experiencing unprecedented turns, twists, loops and drops from such maneuvers as double take, treble cleft, jump cut and club surfer, thrill seekers can blast through it all listening to individual concert-quality audio systems.

Before hopping in, they can choose songs from five music genres: classic rock metal, country, hip-hop, pop disco and, Davis? personal favorite, club electronica.

Equipped with as many as eight cameras, the entire ride doubles as a home movie of patrons? various reactions as they hurtle this way and that through time and space. Should they survive the experience (chances are, they would), they might want to get a copy of the video later.

?We actually don?t reveal how much we?re investing,? said Davis, ?But I can tell you that we?ve invested considerable money on both coasts, and these are the most ambitious projects that have ever been done in [Universal] Orlando and Hollywood.?

Northwest/Delta flies daily from Manila to Miami.