Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Diagon Alley™ Guide
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Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Diagon Alley™ Guide ALL RIGHTS RESERVED No part of this report may be reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any informational storage or retrieval system without expressed written, dated, and signed permission from the author(s). DISLCAIMER AND/OR LEGAL NOTICES The information presented herein represents the views of the author as of the date of publication. Because of the rate with which conditions change, the author(s) reserve the rights to alter and update their opinions based on new conditions. This report is meant for informational purposes, ONLY and the author(s) does not accept any responsibilities for any liabilities resulting from the use of this information. While every attempt has been made to verify the information provided here, the author(s) and/or his resellers/affiliates cannot assume responsibility for errors, inaccuracies, or omissions. Any slights of people or organizations are unintentional. Table of Contents I. Introduction II. Attractions A. Hogwarts Express B. King Cross Station C. London D. Diagon Alley™ E. Weasley Wizarding Wheazes F. Quality Quidditch™ Supplies G. Ollivanders™ Wand Shop H. Wands by Gregorovitch I. Interactive Wand Spell Locations J. Madam Malkin’s Robes for all Occasions K. Scribbulus L. Shutterbutton’s Photography Studio M. Gringotts Money Exhchange N. Wiseacre’s Wizard Equipment O. Magical Menagerie P. Escape from Gringotts Q. Knockturn Alley R. Borgin & Burkes S. Carkitt Market Stage III. Dining A. Leaky Cauldron B. Florean Fortesque’s Ice Cream Parlour C. Fountain of Fair Fortune D. Eternelle’s Elixir of Refreshment E. The Hopping Pot F. London Taxi Hut IV. Tips & Tricks and Discounts Introduction The new Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Diagon Alley™ puts you in the middle of your favorite Harry Potter movie or book. From the main entrance from London to the Butterbeer to Hogwart’s Express, and Escape from Gringotts, it is an amazing new place with magic around every corner. One of the best things about the new Diagon Ally park is that the show never seems to end. Everywhere you look, there's some moving animatronics character, live character shows and performances, a ride, scenes from the books, and so on. This includes both inside the retail locations and attractions, but also out in the "streets." You're continually entertained and made to feel like you've truly entered the world of Harry Potter. In this book, we’ll explore Diagon Alley™, all of the shops, dining, rides, and attractions. You’ll have a wand selected for you, cast a few spells with it, drink some Butterbeer, and escape from Gringotts Bank; the most secure place in the world. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Diagon Alley™ is located at Universal Orlando’s Universal Studios park between the San Francisco area and Fear Factor Live! When you walk into Diagon Alley™ through a secret entrance in a brick wall, you are immediately immersed into the world of Harry Potter. You will not see any of the attractions outside this area or even hotels around Orlando. Once you walk through the wall, you are fully immersed in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. AT T R A CT I O N S Hogwarts Express Start off your Wizarding World of Harry Potter experience right. Grab a ride aboard the Hogwarts Express! To do this, start at Universal’s Islands of Adventure and make your way to the Lost Continent. Inside the Lost Continent, just before you go into the Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Hogsmeade, you’ll find the gates to the Hogwarts Express train station. You must have a 2 park pass to enjoy this attraction, so please keep that in mind when planning your visit to the Wizarding World! To get your tickets, visit WizardingWorldPark.com Once you enter the station, you will wind around next to and underneath the Dragon Challenge roller coaster. Once inside the station building, you may catch your first glimpse of the Hogwarts Express. It’s absolutely magical! Smoke billows out from the smokestack and wheels as the engine rolls into the station. A conductor will guide you to your car and cabin where you will join your friends and family for an amazing ride from Hogwarts to London! While on your journey, be sure to watch out the window and the door to the hallway! You never know what you may see on the trip! TIP: Be sure to ride the Hogwarts Express in both directions, as the show is very different, each way! After a short ride, you’ll arrive at King’s Cross Station in London. King’s Cross Station For anyone that has been to London, King’s Cross Station will amaze you! It’s like you’re actually at the station in London!….only cleaner. :) As you make your way out of the station, you’ll see luggage strewn all over the place, a shop for departing guests to grab a quick drink or snack, and maybe even a few hidden gems taken directly from the Harry Potter movies! Near the exit of the station, you’ll encounter local artists playing music to entertain travelers before they hit the streets of London. When exiting, you miss many of the attractions of King’s Cross Station. Be sure to come back and ride the Hogwarts Express back to Hogsmeade to get the full experience, including running through the brick wall at Platform 9-3/4! TIP: Watch for a special billboard advertisement on the wall as you make your way through King Cross Station to board Hogwarts Express back to Hogsmeade. London As you exit King Cross Station, you will find yourself in the middle of London with a view of The Simpsons ride. As you wonder the London streets, you may run into the Knight Bus with an opportunity to talk to the shrunken head. Also, if you look closely, you will see Harry’s Uncle’s place at 12 Grimmauld Place. Look closely at the window above the door and you may catch a glimpse of the house elf, Kreacher! Be sure to take a moment to go out into the main area of Universal Studios to see the full panoramic view of the London facade! TIP: There’s a classic London phone booth on the street. Go in and dial “magic” for a special message. Diagon Alley™ It’s easy to miss the entrance to Diagon Alley™ from the London streets. You will often find a Universal team member guiding the way. You’re looking for a brick wall with a couple of openings on either side, right next to the gates for the underground train station. As you walk through the openings on either side, you round a corner and see a brick wall that has separated, as though by magic! You can even still hear the bricks moving, if you listen closely! Through the opening of the brick wall, you finally see what you’ve been waiting for; Diagon Alley™! Immediately in front of you, you will see the Ukrainian Ironbelly dragon perched atop Gringott’s Bank. You may even catch it breathing fire! As you look around, you may see Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes or the Leaky Cauldron. Immediately visible is also the Gregorovitch Wand Store, however, you may wish to wait for Ollivanders, as it’s much more detailed and has the wand selection show for you to have your wand pick you. Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes Truly one of the most amazing pieces of theming in Diagon Alley™ is the exterior of Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes. This store is immediately to your right as you enter Diagon Alley™ and grabs your attention with a giant man taking off his top hat and a toilet bowl spell in the window. Inside the store, you will see all manner of activities among the items in the store, including a trapeze act and the naming ceremony for Pygmy Puffs. You will quickly get swept up in all the happenings and items for sale! Fred and George Weasleys’ colourful shop offers a cornucopia of magical jokes, tricks and toys including Pygmy Puffs, U-No-Poo, Skiving Snackboxes, and more. TIP: The store is quite small and I’ve found that it’s quite fun to find a quiet, out-of- the-way corner to just watch the goings-on. TIP: Purchase your own Pygmy Puff and enjoy an extra magical experience when you get to name and adopt your new friend. Quality Quidditch Supplies Right next to Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes (it’s actually closer to the entrance to Diagon Alley™, but not as attention-grabbing), is Quality Quidditch™ Supplies. Here, you may purchase your Quaffle balls, Quidditch™ brooms, Quidditch™ apparel and team souvenirs. Ollivanders™ Wand Shop Right in the heart of Diagon Alley™, you will find Ollivanders™ Wand Shop; Makers of Fine Wands since 382 BC. Here, you can buy your most important wizard supply: your wand. You may enter Ollivanders™ in a couple ways. You can enter directly into the store and begin your search for your wand. There is a balcony above you with wand covered walls and shelves of wands to your right as you enter. It’s an amazing piece of artwork! TIP: In the back left of the store, you can find a chart that gives you dates for different wands (for example, the ash wand is from Feb. 18 - Mar. 17 - Cedric Diggory, Ron Weasley’s first wand). You may wish to use this chart to pick the right wand for you based on your birthday, anniversary, first time you came to Diagon Alley™, or even your favorite Harry Potter character’s birthday.