Magicis seriously in the air this month, as we've been in Orlando for an
early preview of the newest addition to Universal Orlando: Diagon Alley
at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. This weekend saw the
soft-opening, but here you'll find all the juicy details of the most
exciting amusement park debut of the year.
Diagon Alley has been described as 9 new shops and 1 new ride.
While that's true in the most bare-bones sense, a visit to Diagon Alley
reveals that it's an immersive world unto itself, where no detail is too
small and from which no visitor will leave without some degree of awe.
In fact, we think Diagon Alley improves upon the original 2010 Hogsmeade portion of The Wizarding World, as one would hope after having four years to tweak and test. Here's why:
A whole community of neighborhoods
It's something you won't notice until you're physically in the mix of Diagon Alley, but the area is actually divided up into five zones: The Embankment, Diagon Alley, Horizont Alley, Knockturn Alley, and Carkitt Market
(all named by Rowling). The entrance is through the faux London facade
of The Embankment, which leads directly into Diagon Alley. Turn right to
enter the sheltered Carkitt Market zone, or continue straight to
Gringotts and turn left to Horizont Alley. Just off Horizont Alley to
the left is the entrance to Knockturn Alley, which is roofed and made to
feel to though it exists in perpetual nighttime. Take Horizont Alley to
the right, however, and you're in the other end of Carkitt Market.
The five zones work out to be an easy loop, which alleviates
congestion and makes for a natural crowd flow while offering fresh
discovery around each bend. In contrast, Hogsmeade is one long street
which dead-ends at Hogwarts Castle. Visitors travel up and down this
street in all directions, including crossing from store to store, and
there is no quick way through the bustle. A busy day at the park can
quickly turn Hogsmeade into a shuffling mass of sweaty people walking
every which way.
Space for everyone
Nine new shops, did we say? Yes, that's a huge amount
of fresh shopping options for Harry Potter merchandise, but Universal
Orlando has carefully orchestrated every centimeter of space to present
shops as both retail and entertainment. For example, each store is now
larger than those of Hogsmeade, and stuffed with items taken straight
from the Harry Potter books and films. Looking around to notice "easter
eggs" (like containers of Floo Powder at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, the
original Vanishing Cabinet within Borgin & Burkes, or Professor
McGonagall's outfit at Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions) is part
of the fun, no purchase necessary.
Still, aside from making the shops more spacious and the streets
wider than those of Hogsmeade, Diagon Alley will have to control crowds
anxious to spend previous time soaking it all in. For this, they've
installed queues next to the shops, but out of the way of the best photo
angles. Smart. Queuing space wasn't built into Hogsmeade, and a busy
day in the park can see wait lines for the shops extending into the main
thoroughfare; Diagon Alley won't have that problem.
The new shops are: Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions (basic
robe is $109), Borgin and Burkes, Quality Quidditch Supplies, Weasley's
Wizard Wheezes, Wiseacre's Wizarding Equipment (our personal favorite),
Magical Menagerie, Scribbulus Writing Implements, a second branch of
Ollivander's Wand Shop, and a London-theme kiosk at The Embankment, near
the entrance to King's Cross Station.
Adult fun
Florida's state law does not prohibit open container enjoyment
of alcoholic beverages in public. You know what that means, right? When
you buy a beer at Diagon Alley, you're free to walk around with it. The
park finally understands that adults enjoy Harry Potter too, and Diagon
Alley not only includes more hangout zones, but also options for
alcoholic beverages.
Instead of waiting to imbibe during a meal
at The Leaky Cauldron, you may visit two other "bars" for booze. There's
the casual Carkitt Market watering hole called "The Hopping Pot"
(non-alcoholic drinks, plus Wizard's Brew, Dragon Scale and draught
beer) and Horizont Alley's splendidly mirrored pourhouse called "The
Fountain of Fair Fortune" (non-alcoholic drinks, plus Wizard's Brew,
Dragon Scale, Fuller's London Pride, Amstel Light, Strongbow). Beers are
$8.50, while all other non-alcoholic drinks are between $4-5.
Shelter from weather
As we mentioned above, two of the five zones are sheltered.
Carkitt Market's arches evoke the classic cast-iron and glass roofs
above real-life London locations like Leadenhall Market, Old
Spitalfields Market, and St. Pancras International railway station.
Knockturn Alley's interior location keeps the zone both eerily dark and
protected from weather. That's two areas where crowds may gather for a
break from the sun or during storms, which best love to arrive during
the high tourist season summer months.
Hogsmeade, however, offers no shelter or shade aside from a small
sitting area under the roof of The Owl Post. Should a downpour send you
running, the options are slim: cram under this awning with hundreds of
sweaty, damp others, or head into the Three Broomsticks restaurant for
what will likely be a long wait for a table.
The best ride ever
When Hogsmeade opened in 2010, the flagship experience of
"Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey" marked a new era in thrill
rides. Its use of "robocoaster" technology combined with an immersive,
cinematic visual experience was unlike any other ride to date. Diagon
Alley is piggybacking on that success with its new ride, "Harry Potter
and the Escape from Gringotts," but it's the Hogwarts Express train we're naming as the most attractive new ride in the park.
Not only is the ride a fully fashioned train, complete with
"steam" locomotive and Pullman-style passenger cars, but it's such a
comfortable, delightful experience for all ages and all abilities that
it's actually become our favorite attraction of all at Universal
Orlando. Beyond the true-to-theme design of the train, it beats all other rides for comfort, coolness, function, and novelty.
Upon
entering the train, riders are directed to sit within compartments,
each seating eight. The seats themselves are padded, without annoying or
restrictive harnesses, and there's a storage shelf above for stowing
bags, to free up space. The train is air conditioned, quiet, smooth, and
envelops the rider in the story of Harry Potter's journeys to and from
Hogwarts on all sides. You see, the windows to both the outside and
indoor corridor are opaque screens which play a video experience (with
scenery combinations to create around 400 different ride narratives)
along the 2.5-minute trip between Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley parks.
Size of the compartments means large families or groups may
travel together easier, and the comfort means both passengers of size
and those with special needs will travel just as anyone else. It's truly
an all-ages, all-sorts ride, with the added bonus of actually serving a
purpose. It also has the ability to expose children to a form of
historic transportation they wouldn't necessary see or experience
otherwise; your child may develop a love of trains due to a ride on the
Hogwarts Express!
No comments:
Post a Comment