On December 19th, 2011, Universal Orlando filed a new demolition permit (DEM2011-00109) with the City of Orlando. The permit's description reads: "Project 722 – demolition of single attraction with several components". This permit is very likely for the demolition of the Jaws ride, which was recently announced to be closing on January 2nd, 2012. Now, what's Project 722, you ask? A quick google search for "Project 722" +Universal and "Project 722" "Harry Potter" reveals several LinkedIn profiles listing "Project 722" as their current project, and they all have one very interesting thing in common:
Sarah Marshall
Project 722
Universal Orlando
September 2011 – Present (4 months) Shepperton Studios- UK
Art Dept AssistantArt Department Assistant
Warner Bros. Pictures
February 2007 – January 2008 (1 year) London, Royaume-Uni
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (D. Yates) – Art DepartmentAssistant
Art Dept Assistant
Warner Bros. Pictures
July 2006 – September 2006 (3 months) London, Royaume-Uni
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenixhttp://uk.linkedin.com/pub/sarah-marshall/2b/aa8/72b
Nicholas Henderson
Art Director, 'Project 722'
Universal Pictures Group UK
September 2011 – Present (4 months) LondonArt Director, 'Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows 1 & 2' (Feature, Dir. D. Yates/Des. S. Craig)
Warner Bros. Studios
September 2008 – April 2010 (1 year 8 months) Leavesden Studios, Londohttp://uk.linkedin.com/pub/nicholas-henderson/29/66/428
Gary Tomkins
Art Director
Project 722
September 2011 – Present (4 months) Shepperton Film StudiosArt Director The Harry Potter films
Warner Bros. Pictures
March 2000 – April 2010 (10 years 2 months)http://uk.linkedin.com/pub/gary-tomkins/2a/ab1/879
Julia Dehoff-BourneDraughtsperson
'Project 722' at Universal Studios
November 2011 – Present (2 months)Props Draughtsman, 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 & 2' (Feature Films)
Warner Bros. Entertainment Group of Companies
September 2008 – August 2009 (1 year)Draughtsman, 'Strongarm' (Harry Potter Theme Park Orlando USA)
Warner Bros. Entertainment Group of Companies
April 2007 – July 2007 (4 months)
As you can see, all four of these people have worked on at least one of the Harry Potter films, and one of them even worked on "Project Strongarm", which was the code name for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Islands of Adventure. It would only seem logical, given the people involved and their previous work, that project 722 is also Harry Potter related.
So, with the above evidence, and assuming Universal doesn't plan on announcing the closure and removal of another one of their attractions before year's end, I think it's a pretty safe bet that Project 722 = Harry Potter expansion = the Jaws replacement. Now let the speculation begin on what 722 stands for! My guess? The number 722 could be a reference to the high security vaults in Gringotts Bank (all vaults 700+ were high security, were they not?)
