Thursday, January 23, 2014

Wizarding World Diagon Alley Webcast


Today was one special morning for Harry Potter fans like myself and Sherris. We were glued to the sofa with a laptop sitting in front of us, while we sipped morning Chai, and watched the Wizarding World Diagon Alley webcast countdown roll. Summer 2014 is going to be magical! Universal, Orlando has been hiding a great mystery once again. The park is now home to Diagon Alley.


PLANS AND RUMORS
  • Conceptual art, revealed by Universal executives, showed Diagon Alley and a Hogwarts Express. Diagon Alley was mapped to be part of Universal Studios - the other park opposite to the Islands of Adventure. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is located in the Islands of Adventure.
  • Aerial snapshots made it to the news. There were train tracks, and a multiple-windowed building that was proposed to be Gringotts Bank.
  • Keen YouTubers continuously stalked the construction site and filmed from outside the scaffolding to show a very eager audience the accents on the buildings being constructed.
  • There was news about more eateries. The fans guessed The Leaky Cauldron.
  • Rumors flew about a thrill ride, and we guessed the Gringotts Bank trolley experience that resembled a rollercoaster in the movie.

WEBCAST REVEALED GREAT THINGS
Finally, our wait was over as Universal executives appeared on screen today.
  1. Visitors will have to buy a 2 Parks ticket if they wish to ride the Hogwarts Express - it transports b/w two parts of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
  2. Hogwarts Express has an inside experience. Also there will be an outside experience! Watch out for characters and scenes.
  3. Gringotts Bank has a marble lobby with goblins working around.
  4. On top of Gringotts is a huge fire-breathing dragon. It breathes real fire.
  5. The thrill ride inside Gringotts Bank is called Escape from Gringotts
  6. Ollivander's Wand Shop will be there
  7. Weasley's Wizard Wheezes is a real shop now! 3 storey high.
  8. Florean Fortescue's Ice-Cream Parlour will sell strawberry-and-peanut-butter ice cream
  9. Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions will be selling Hogwarts robes and other costumes
  10. Wiseacre's Wizarding Equipment will be selling wizard equipment like telescopes, hourglasses
  11. Quality Quidditch Supplies, as the name implies, is the wizards' sports shop
  12. Scribbulus will definitely be a hot spot for me. I'm going to get some quills and journals 
  13. Knockturn Alley is the dark side. Borgin and Burkes a shop there selling Death Eater masks and other evil things.

MORE TO ANTICIPATE
  • THE OPENING DATE! They did not say when!
  • Signs seen at the unfinished Diagon Alley: Flourish & Blotts, Daily Prophet, dung bomb from Weasleys, House-Elf, and Fambus Station Wagon [Broom for the whole family]

Sources
[Orlando Sentinel]
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/travel/attractions/wizarding-world-of-harry-potter/os-harry-potter-diagon-alley-universal-20140123,0,4084217.story?page=2

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