Stars from the series of Harry Potter films gathered at Universal Orlando for a red carpet preview of the new Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley, and announced the new land at Universal Studios Florida theme park will open July 8, 2014. Of course, Diagon Alley is one of the iconic settings from J.K. Rowling’s stories where Harry Potter caught his first glimpse of the Wizarding World. Like Harry, Muggles can now enter through the Leaky Cauldron, get their first wand at Ollivanders, tour the vaults of Gringotts Bank, and ride the Hogwarts Express to the school of witchcraft and wizardry. We attended Universal Orlando’s media preview of the new land, and you can find links to our updates with more details in the posts below.
The two main attractions for Diagon Alley are the Hogwarts Express and Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts, both hi-tech, ground breaking rides. Click here for detailed look at how Diagon Alley’s signature attractions bring the fire… and ice.
Universal’s creative team was meticulous and recreated the Hogwarts Express locomotive and passenger cabins in astounding painstaking detail. No less remarkable are the effects used during the train journey. Click here to hop aboard and watch the full roundtrip expedition via our multi-angle VIDEO.
A wand choosing a wizard is one of the signature experiences in Universal’s Wizarding World, and Ollivanders wand shop is back in its rightful place in Diagon Alley, 3X the size of the Hogsmeade shop. Click here for photos and video of Ollivanders at Diagon Alley.
With Diagon Alley, Universal Orlando did not set out to create just a ride or two, but, instead, immerse visitors into a living, breathing, working community of wizards plucked from J.K. Rowling’s imagination. The shows and character interaction are crucial to achieving that vision. Click here for a rundown of the rich and varied entertainment that brings Diagon Alley to life.
For more pictures in and around The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley, check out the gallery below. Note: the photo gallery requires Flash Player, click here to view all the photos of Diagon Alley if your device is not Flash equipped.
Photos and VIDEO from the red carpet premiere of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley.
Actor Warwick Davis (Professor Flitwick and Griphook in Harry Potter films) answers questions on the Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley Red Carpet
Scene of the London Facade of Diagon Alley as night falls prior to the “opening moment”
(L-R) Harry Potter film stars attend Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley Red Carpet event including Domnhall Gleeson (Bill Weasley), Helena Bonham Carter (Bellatrix Lestrange), Matthew Lewis (Neville Longbottom), Warwick Davis (Flitwick & Griphook), Robbie Coltrane (Hagrid), James Phelps (Fred Weasley), Oliver Phelps (George Weasley), Bonnie Wright (Ginny Weasley), Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy), and Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood), photo by Kevin Kolczynski © 2014 Universal Orlando Resort. All rights reserved.
Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley Red Carpet Event, photo by Kevin Kolczynski © 2014 Universal Orlando Resort. All rights reserved.
Follow this link for all of our coverage of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley, and be sure to watch the site for our detailed reports on the attractions in this new land.
Excited to experience the Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley yourself? Just click on the Universal Orlando image above to contact our friends at Destinations in Florida Travel and start planning your visit to Universal Orlando Resort. For more family travel news, reviews, and trip reports, be sure to follow Adventures by Daddy on twitter and “like” our facebook page too.
