The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley — Attraction in Orlando

Diagon Alley is truly one of the best themed amusement parks in the world.

Some of my favorite memories at Universal are exploring the shops, the alleys, and seeing what sort of effects we can get to occur using our wand.

The area is not perfect though, and there are things that could be improved.

The day we attended was supposedly incredibly light in terms of overall attendance. And yet, the lines to do things such as enjoy ice cream at Florian Fortescue's went out the door and down the street.

In general, most of the stores felt overcrowded. Granted, I understand it's difficult to maintain the authenticity of these stores as they are described in the books, while also making them large enough to accommodate the crowds that they get, but I have to imagine that using better designed walk-throughs, it would prevent the flow of traffic from doubling back on itself.

So often, you find yourself navigating through a fairly narrow area, just to come face to face with someone who has a double wide stroller coming the opposite direction.

For me, the stores, the restaurant, the food carts, and the entertainment are the best aspects of Diagon Alley.

The ride itself, escape from gringotts, is the most lackluster aspect of this land to me. The ride itself relies heavily on screens, something that the entire Universal Studios Park suffers from specifically. You experience these screens from a cart that is a very tame version of an indoor dark Ride roller coaster. You zip along the track for a few seconds until you come to a stop, you watch a seam, at which point you zip along the track for a few seconds to another scene. This repeats until the ride's over. The ending is incredibly anticlimactic. For that matter, the entire storyline feels fairly nonsensical.

All the usual characters show up, they waggle their wands at each other, electricity/magic surges around, and and ultimately, you come out of it completely unaware as to what the point of all of it was. The best I can tell, the impetus of the ride is that you're getting a tour of the bank when one of the Weasley Brothers comes in and mentions he needs to grab something from his office really quickly. This leads to you going to the bank at the same time that Voldemort and Bellatrix invade, and of course they decide that they must attack us, so soon we are supposed to be between a battle between them and Harry and Ron riding on the back of a dragon. What are they looking for? I really have no idea. By placing the story dead in the center of the actual Harry Potter movies, there's really no good reason for it to be happening, and no real resolution at the end. Now I understand that this is just a ride, and it doesn't need to have some overarching storyline. But they did that to themselves by creating this random story. Hagrid's motorbike adventures has shown that you can add a story to a roller coaster, without shoehorning it in to some nonsensical aspect of an existing franchise. They could have very easily just made this a fun ride that takes place in the depths of the bank, dealing with the troll guards and the goblins, without forcing Voldemort and hairy into it.

Luckily, once the ride is over, you can go back to enjoying the fun foods and well-crafted stores that exist in the rest of the land.

Here's hoping the upcoming ministry of magic ride at epic universe, fairs a bit better than escape...

You will find this in the London section of Universal Studios Florida. The entrance to this is tucked behind walls of Lancaster station between King's cross and Grimmauld place. You will find the triple-decker purple knight bus right opposite to the entrance with the friendly Stan the conductor and the interactive shrunken head. Have a chat with them, get few snaps before heading into Diagon Alley.

As you enter Diagon alley you will get a view of the picture perfect narrow street lined with colorful shops selling wizarding materials/ souvenirs and Gringotts bank at the end. full-sized dragon breathed fire above me from the roof of Gringotts, children summoned spells from fountains with wands around me, elves advertised delicious eats at the Leaky Cauldron, and butterbeer flowed. So magical. The Weasley Wheezes shop and Honeydukes werre straight out of the movies.

Note: To get a perfect view and a picture please visit this part right when the park opens else its crowded as the day advances. Diagon Alley has everything to offer as we have read in the books or seen on screen.

Enjoy the tricks in Weasley's wizard wheezes, take a look at Quidditch supplies, broomsticks, enjoy the chocolate frogs/ Bertie Botts every flavor beans and an array of candies, pick up a wand at olivanders and try robes at madam malkins robes for all occasions. You can exchange some muggle money at the Gringotts exchange counter with an interactive goblin seated there. There are a few places to eat there out of which The leaky cauldron is right at the corner with the perfect smokey walls lined with old photo frames, hanging big lights, benched seating as described in the books.

Enjoy fish and chips and a butterbeer. Don't forget to have your butterbeer in those souvenir mugs. You can enjoy it cold or frozen. Butterbeer is also sold in carts in Hogsmeade ( Island of adventure). Also, Don't miss the knockturn alley where the Malfoys visited with dark magic shops. It's very dark inside even in the daytime selling dark magic artifacts like skulls, creepy frames etc. The ambiance there is awesome. On the other side, there is a little stage with live events going on, when we were there, tales of Beadle the bard was being staged.

You will also find people with interactive wands trying to recreate magic resulting in water bouts from here and there across the area. There is also an owl post shop and flourish and bots showcasing hagrid's monster of the monster book which is amusing to look at- yes it does snarls and moves ;) Coming to the Gringotts bank which houses the “Escape from Gringotts” ride. It has the dragon perched on top emitting sounds and fire in few minute intervals. Stop for a few minutes and admire this. I absolutely loved this. The whole area has potter themed music playing which makes the ambiance all the more appealing. I would suggest visiting this place as early as possible to capture perfects shots and strolling around without the crowds.

We visited here in last month on a weekday which is not the peak, still, it was so much crowded. I would imagine the crowd on weekends and holidays!!! The detailing of this place starting from the signboards to shops, to Gringotts, is as described in the books or movies. Well being a harry potter fan, I loved this place and already yearning to go back!...

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando: A Dream Come True

If you’re a Harry Potter fan, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando is a must-visit destination. This incredible world, split between Diagon Alley at Universal Studios and Hogsmeade at Islands of Adventure, completely immerses you in the magic of J.K. Rowling’s universe.

Diagon Alley: The Gateway to the Magical World

Located in Universal Studios, Diagon Alley is an impressive recreation of the iconic wizarding shopping district. From the moment you step through the brick wall, you’ll feel like you’ve stepped straight into the movies. • Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts: A spectacular attraction that combines a roller coaster with a 3D simulation, taking you on a thrilling adventure inside the goblin-run bank. • Ollivanders: Experience the magic of choosing (or being chosen by) a wand. • Themed Shops: Visit Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes, Madam Malkin’s, and more, all filled with authentic magical merchandise. • Butterbeer and Magical Food: You can’t miss a refreshing Butterbeer or a hearty meal at The Leaky Cauldron.

Don’t forget to explore Knockturn Alley, a dark and mysterious street where you’ll find Borgin and Burkes, packed with artifacts from the Dark Arts.

Hogsmeade: The Magical Village

Over in Islands of Adventure, Hogsmeade is a charming snow-covered village where Hogwarts students spend their free time. • Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey: A must-do ride inside Hogwarts, where you’ll soar alongside Harry through the castle and beyond. • Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure: One of Universal’s best roller coasters, taking you on an enchanted motorbike ride through the Forbidden Forest. • Flight of the Hippogriff: A family-friendly roller coaster inspired by Buckbeak. • Shops and Restaurants: Stop by Honeydukes for magical sweets, The Three Broomsticks for a meal fit for a wizard, and Dervish and Banges for wizarding gear.

The Hogwarts Express: A Journey Between Worlds

For the full experience, ride the Hogwarts Express, which connects Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade. This train isn’t just transportation—it’s an attraction itself, with different magical experiences depending on the direction you travel.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is an immersive, magical experience that will delight any fan of the saga. With thrilling...