Good evening everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery
Blog.
HOLY GRINGOTTS, HARRY POTTER. This past week we have
received inside looks to the new Harry Potter section of Universal Orlando.
Last year we received Hogwarts and Hogsmeade, towering over our heads with
wizardry delight. Now this year, we have Diagon Alley complete with Knockturn
Alley. For those of you who don’t know, Diagon Alley is where Harry bought his
items needed for Hogwarts. Knockturn
Alley is the darker part of Diagon Alley, which Harry stumbled into by way of
Floo powder.
Here’s what has been revealed to us so far:
Wait a minute, couldn’t you already buy your own wand at
Ollivander’s? Yes you could and still can. However, throughout Diagon Alley
(and Hogsmeade as well) there are tiles with various markings on them. When you
purchase an interactive wand ($45) at Ollivander’s, you may approach one of
these tiles, recite the spell etched into them, and make the symbol with your
wand. After you do this, something in a store front will be activated. For example,
there is a tile with the marking and spell Repairo located in front of an
opening. Using the wand, create the symbol, and chant the spell. Within
minutes, you’ll see a suit if armor repair itself.
5. The Small Things
Sometimes the smallest things create the largest effects and
this is no exception for Diagon Alley. There are a slew of interactive talking
shrunken heads that can be found on the Knight Bus and within Knockturn Alley.
There are posters of a screaming Sirius Black and haunting Bellatrix Lestrange
draped throughout the parks. Even Kreacher leers at you from the Grimmauld
Place and the cast members speak in English accents.
There’s even a carriage that moves on its
own, as if a thestral is tied to it, and impatiently waiting. In the Kings
Cross train station, an animatronic of Hedwig watches you as
you board the Hogwarts Express. Just before you see her, there’s a bell cart
where if you peer through it, you’ll see people run
through the wall of Platform 9 ¾. It’s the little things in this new
section that add magic to the atmosphere and cause smiles to bloom.
4. Gringotts
Gringotts plays a huge role in Diagon Alley. Not only does
it feature the new 3D spinning roller coaster, Escape from Gringotts, but it’s
also the centerpiece of the new section complete with a fire breathing dragon. Gringotts also houses Bank Notes which you can
exchange with an interactive goblin not too far from the establishment. The Bank Notes are wizard money that can be
used in both Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley.
3. Restaurants
Diagon
Alley has a Leaky Cauldron restaurant which looks dead on like the Leaky
Cauldron on both the outside and inside. It features English foods like bangers
and mash, fish and chips, and scotch eggs, though you can get sandwiches and
salads there. Diagon Alley also features Florean Fortescue’s Ice Cream Parlor,
where there are tons of flavors inspired by English staples such as Earl Grey
Tea, Orange Marmalade, and even Butterbeer. There’s also little snack stops to
purchase drinks and other edibles. One of these stops is Eternelle’s Elixirs
which allows customers to combine qualities such as ‘immortality’, ‘luck’, and
many others to create a special, drinkable elixir. The combinations are endless
and allow the guest to get creative in hopes of receiving something delicious.
Another little stop is Fountain of Fair Fortune which serves both alcoholic and
non-alcoholic drinks like Butter Beer and Amstel Light.
2. Stores
The
shops sell Harry Potter merchandise from Death Eater shirts to pranks from the
Weasleys’ shop. Oh yes, Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes is there for all your
tricking needs and it looks fabulous. There’s also Borgin and Burkes found in
Knockturn Alley, complete with all your Voldemort alliance gear. Other shops scattered throughout the area are
Magical Menagerie, Madam Malkin’s, Scribbulus, and Wiseacre’s Quality
Quidditch. These stores sell a variety of objects ranging from clothing to
Quidditch items.
1. The Hogwarts Express
In Hogsmeade, there was a stationary Hogwarts Express where
you could take pictures. Now, you get to ride it. That’s right, you get the board the
Hogwarts Express and make your journey to Hogwarts or Diagon Alley. The
train ride is as magical as the books themselves. Climbing into the train, you
seat yourself in a cabin, and wait for the whistle to sound your departure.
When it does so, the windows will turn to screens showing fantastic images of
the Harry Potter world. Even your cabin interior windows feature talking
shadows of the famous trio we’ve come to know and love.
The new addition also offers entertainment from a band of
witches crooning out mystical tunes and even a puppet show of “The Tale of Three
Brothers” from Harry Potter and the
Deathly Hallows. So far the park has only opened for the press and has had
a soft opening for the public. The park will open to everyone on July 8th.
If you had enough money, what would you do first?
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