Diagon Alley Officially Announced

[Melanie]

From Universal Orlando's official Facebook page:

THE ADVENTURE CONTINUES:
THE WIZARDING WORLD OF HARRY POTTER –
DIAGON ALLEY IS COMING TO UNIVERSAL ORLANDO RESORT

Building on the global phenomenon that is The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Universal Orlando Resort and Warner Bros. Entertainment today announced an expansion of historic proportion with the entirely new themed environment, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley.

Scheduled to open in 2014, the world’s first centrally themed, multi-park experience expands The Wizarding World of Harry Potter across both Universal Orlando theme parks and allows Universal’s creative team to bring an unparalleled vision to this unique project. The new area will bring to life some of the experiences and places found in and around London in the Harry Potter books and films, offering brand-new adventures for fans and theme park guests from around the world.

Diagon Alley and ‘London’ will be located within the Universal Studios Florida theme park, which is adjacent to Universal’s Islands of Adventure theme park, where guests now experience Hogwarts and Hogsmeade. The new area within Universal Studios will be just as expansive, immersive and authentic as the existing themed environment.”

[MizMissy]

This is so exciting. I cannot believe they will build it that quickly though!

[MizMissy]

Oh and I hope they learned from WWOHP that they need to build the area bigger to handle the crowds.

[Melanie]

Oh and I hope they learned from WWOHP that they need to build the area bigger to handle the crowds.

It definitely looks bigger, but sometimes hard to tell from concept art. I thought the new Fantasyland area was going to be big, but it's really not.

[BrerGnat]

This is so exciting. I cannot believe they will build it that quickly though!

Haven't they been sort of quietly working on this already? I mean, I thought the closing of Jaws and other random stuff around there was in preparation for this. I can see how they can do it really fast. Universal is sort of known for getting their projects open on aggressive schedules.

This sounds pretty cool. THIS will make me finally visit Universal again. I was waiting on this part so that the Harry Potter "experience" would be complete.

[DizneyFreak2002]

Oh and I hope they learned from WWOHP that they need to build the area bigger to handle the crowds.

It won't be that much bigger... Will still be a tad cramped... Olivanders, well, they did learn from that experience... The new Olivanders will be larger...

If you think this is exciting, wait until they announce the details of the ride and Hogwarts Express, probably the day after Disney announces stuff at D23...

BTW: there are more concept art pictures out there, showing the larger piece in more detail... Weasley's is pictured, and rumored to be a store in Diagon Alley expansion...

[buzznwoodysmom]

It won't be that much bigger... Will still be a tad cramped... Olivanders, well, they did learn from that experience... The new Olivanders will be larger...

If you think this is exciting, wait until they announce the details of the ride and Hogwarts Express, probably the day after Disney announces stuff at D23...

BTW: there are more concept art pictures out there, showing the larger piece in more detail... Weasley's is pictured, and rumored to be a store in Diagon Alley expansion...

Will there now be two Olivander's? I wondered what they would do about that since Olivanders in the movies is in Diagon Alley, right?

My 11 year old Harry Potter Freak has been looking at pics online for weeks or even months. To say he can't wait for this expansion to be complete would be an understatement. Not sure he'll even be interested in Disney once this opens.......

[DizneyFreak2002]

Will there now be two Olivander's? I wondered what they would do about that since Olivanders in the movies is in Diagon Alley, right?

My 11 year old Harry Potter Freak has been looking at pics online for weeks or even months. To say he can't wait for this expansion to be complete would be an understatement. Not sure he'll even be interested in Disney once this opens.......

I believe there will be two... I haven't read anything about the one in IOA closing shop... The one in USO will be larger... I think the one in IOA only have 1 show room, might have 2... But the waits are crazy... Most days about an hour, and on very busy days, way over an hour... The one in USO will fix that with more show rooms...

In the books, Olivanders is in Diagon Alley...

[joanna71985]

I am so excited for HP2! It looks great

Oh and I hope they learned from WWOHP that they need to build the area bigger to handle the crowds.

Universal did not pick the sizes (from what I heard, it was J.K. Rowling who wanted the smaller sizes)

[Tekneek]

I like how Universal is really going for it, by pouring money into things that are obviously plussing their parks and the experience for their guests. Disney continues to have no real answer for this in Florida. I am constantly hearing from people how they are reducing Disney time on their vacations, some even eliminating it entirely in favor of the competition that has really improved dramatically recently.

[DizneyFreak2002]

I am so excited for HP2! It looks great



Universal did not pick the sizes (from what I heard, it was J.K. Rowling who wanted the smaller sizes)

You are right.. J.K. Rowling wanted everything to be similar to the world she created, which means smaller and tighter spaces (within fire code obviously)...

I like how Universal is really going for it, by pouring money into things that are obviously plussing their parks and the experience for their guests. Disney continues to have no real answer for this in Florida. I am constantly hearing from people how they are reducing Disney time on their vacations, some even eliminating it entirely in favor of the competition that has really improved dramatically recently.

Remember the Disney Decade? Well the Universal Decade will rival it, if not surpass... This is just the tip of the ice berg... Universal is going for it and going for it in a big way...

Remember when people were in a panic that Comcast may buy Disney until Roy Disney did the Save Disney campaign? Well, Comcast doesn't look like a bad deal now, huh?

[Pally]

Universal is definitely giving Disney a run for its money. I was definitely awed in October of last year with Universal. We did island of adventure in the day and Halloween Horror Night that night. Exhausting day but the adrenaline kept us going. Completely different experience than Disney but in a good way.

I am very excited to see what else they have in store for The World of Harry Potter.

[DizneyFreak2002]

Universal is definitely giving Disney a run for its money. I was definitely awed in October of last year with Universal. We did island of adventure in the day and Halloween Horror Night that night. Exhausting day but the adrenaline kept us going. Completely different experience than Disney but in a good way.

I am very excited to see what else they have in store for The World of Harry Potter.

Diagon Alley (more the Gringott's Bank ride) will blow FJ and Spiderman away (the two rides always ranked 1 and 2 in Orlando)... If you think what they are doing with Potter is impressive, just wait...

Giving Disney a run for its money? They have Disney shaking in their boots... Which could only mean good things for those of us who love theme parks

Let the theme park wars begin!

[buzznwoodysmom]

I believe there will be two... I haven't read anything about the one in IOA closing shop... The one in USO will be larger... I think the one in IOA only have 1 show room, might have 2... But the waits are crazy... Most days about an hour, and on very busy days, way over an hour... The one in USO will fix that with more show rooms...

In the books, Olivanders is in Diagon Alley...

That is great that they will make the new one bigger. We have done the show twice. Both times were at the very end of the night because the lines during the day were way too long for us. Even in the last hour or two of park hours we still waited close to 30 minutes each time. Definitely worth the wait the second time when my son was picked for the show. It's one of his favorite vacation memories ever! Hopefully we can watch the show quicker once the new one opens.

[DizneyFreak2002]

That is great that they will make the new one bigger. We have done the show twice. Both times were at the very end of the night because the lines during the day were way too long for us. Even in the last hour or two of park hours we still waited close to 30 minutes each time. Definitely worth the wait the second time when my son was picked for the show. It's one of his favorite vacation memories ever! Hopefully we can watch the show quicker once the new one opens.

And I don't think Olivanders will be the only interactive store either... There is talk about the Weasleys store being interactive and some sort of experience in Borgin and Burkes...

[dragon73]

I like how Universal is really going for it, by pouring money into things that are obviously plussing their parks and the experience for their guests. Disney continues to have no real answer for this in Florida. I am constantly hearing from people how they are reducing Disney time on their vacations, some even eliminating it entirely in favor of the competition that has really improved dramatically recently.

EXACTLY! You took the words right out of my mouth. We had been Disney die hards for decades, but that has shifted considerably. During our last trip we were so tired of the ridiculous crowds at Disney, the jaded cast members, and the perception that we were not valued guests that we escaped back to Universal for the remainder of the week and let our Disney passes lapse... We are doing a Disney-free trip Memorial Day week and staying at Universal exclusively. I never would have dreamed that I would have become this person.

[DizneyFreak2002]

Expect The Knight Bus to feature some interactive elements in front of the London facades... Also, rumor has it a really neat special effect is being worked on to make it seem as if you are passing through the bricks onto Platform 9 3/4... if they can pull that off, AMAZING...

Also, the land in IOA has had a name change to: The Village of Hogsmeade at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter...

[BrerGnat]

Also, rumor has it a really neat special effect is being worked on to make it seem as if you are passing through the bricks onto Platform 9 3/4... if they can pull that off, AMAZING...

The use of projection technology will make that very easy and fairly convincing.

I am excited about this. I may be in Orlando in early July 2014 to help my parents move into their new place, so I might get a chance to visit Universal/IOA to see this.

Anyone know of a firm completion date?

[DizneyFreak2002]

Haven't read or heard of a set date other than Spring/Summer 2014... I wonder if they are going to aim for the same date IOA's Potter opened...

[buzznwoodysmom]

I seem to remember universal selling a special Harry Potter package for the time period just before official opening of WWOHP. These packages allowed guest who purchased them to be the first to experience the new area before it officially opened to the public. Any word on if they plan to do this again? If so we will probably try to go. If not we might wait close to a year after it opens to visit. I remember how insanely crazy that first year was when WWOHP opened, especially that first summer!