Universal Studios Orlando: Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley

This past weekend I was fortunate enough to enjoy the 2nd Harry Potter Celebration Weekend at Universal Studios Orlando...and it was incredible. With film talent Q&A, a special evening event where Diagon Alley was closed to all except those with passes, and other goodies it was all that I could have hoped for. While it would take me ages to go into details, I thought I'd hit the highlights of the Wizarding World and the newly (ish) opened Diagon Alley. I'll tell you what you need to know, what special surprises to look out for, and a few tricks here and there.

A couple of important notes to start:
1. In order to enjoy Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley you will need a park hopper pass. Hogsmeade is a part of Islands of Adventure, while Diagon Alley is completely in the main Universal Park.
2. The Express Passes are currently not valid for The Forbidden Journey in Hogsmeade, or Escape from Gringotts in Diagon Alley.
3. If you're just looking for special things to look out for around the park, scroll through to the purple text.
4. Most rides offer child swap where a parent can ride while another waits with the child and then the two parents immediately switch off without having to get back in line.
5. You will have to store ALL belongings before getting on The Forbidden Journey and Escape from Gringotts. There are lockers near the rides that are free for a certain period of time. In Hogsmeade you might have an easier time using the lockers next to the model of the Hogwarts Express.

Diagon Alley (I know this is a lot of text...but there's A LOT to write about!)

Diagon Alley, which opened in 2014, is the newest addition to Universal Studios. When entering through the park you'll find yourself all of the sudden in London - complete with London souvenir stands, Kings Cross, and red telephone booths. But Harry Potter fans will recognize much more.

It's hard to miss the large, purple Knight Bus standing by for stranded witches and wizards. Take a picture with Stan Shunpike, have a conversation with the shrunken head (a true, real time conversation), and be sure to take in a 360 degree view of the bus and take a peak in the back windows.

12 Grimmauld Place

The Knight Bus

Continue on down the London Streets until you reach Grimmauld Place, specifically number 12. If you're patient you can see Kreacher peaking out of the lower window over number 12's front door.

Before entering Diagon Alley hop inside the telephone booth. Dial 62442 (magic) and hear a message from the Ministry of Magic. The message changes so feel free to dial a couple of times.

The entrance to Diagon Alley is not marked - after all, if it was any old muggle could find it. But if you pass through the brick archways you'll find it quickly enough.

Weasley Wizard Wheezes

 In Diagon Alley you can visit the Weasleys Wizard Wheezes shop and buy love potions, a pygmy puff, skiving snack boxes, or any other manner of tricks and candy. While you're inside keep an eye out for Extendable Ears and a Dolores Umbridge figurine on a tightrope, just like in the movie. Beside the Weasley's shop is Quality Quidditch Supplies where you can stock up on your favorite team's outerwear and pennants.

Across the alley you'll find The Leaky Cauldron, open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Many store fronts line the alleyway, although some are just the windows and you're not able to go in. Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occassions can set you up with actual robes, or other awesome shirts and accessories, including the dress Hermione wore to the Yule Ball. While you're checking out your new duds stand in front of the floor length mirror and hear the mirror's opinion of your outfit.

Ollivander's

 Across from Madam Milkin's is Ollivander's, the best place to get a wand. Enter the store directly or get in queue for the wand choosing experience. A group enters the shop where one individual then goes through the process of trying out a couple of wands with interactive and dismal results until the perfect wand is found. The show is short and worth seeing, as it's pretty neat. The person chosen doesn't have to buy their wand, but they can if they want and I think there are a few that you can only get by being picked for this.

Out in the store you can buy wand replicas of popular characters, or buy a unique wand. These unique wands and some of the replicas are now interactive. As you wander Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade keep an eye out for brass plates on the ground (usually in front of store windows, but not always). These plates will show a wand movement that when performed brings something in the area to life. Take note that the wands and/or sensors can be a bit finicky and it sometimes takes a minute or two of trying to get the spell to work. I recommend the interactive wands since they only cost a little bit more than a regular wand and it adds some magic to the trip.

When you're ready to pick up your pet cat, frog, owl, or even a hippogriff or cornish pixie head to the Magical Menagerie. When you find the giant snake in the window stand still to hear it speaking parseltongue.

You'll have to keep a sharp eye out for the entrance to Knockturn Alley. One can be found near The Leaky Cauldron, and the other to the far left of Gringotts. In Knockturn Alley you'll find Borgin and Burkes, which specializes in the darker arts of magic. Look for the vanishing cabinet, which must have a bird stuck in it, and the hand of glory. If you're wanting to bring home something with the dark mark or your favorite Death Eater, this is the place to find it.

A spell from your interactive wand will also turn what looks like a thestral skeleton in a display case into a human skeleton that reacts to your movements. And nearby a window full of shrunken heads will sing to you and tell jokes...not good ones. When you purchase the interactive wand you'll also receive a map, find the black lights in Knockturn Alley to shed some light on something interesting on the Diagon Alley side of the map.

The stage in Diagon Alley is host to the Tales of Beedle the Bard. Shows are acted out through large and intricate puppets telling the tales of the Fountain of Fair Fortune and The Tale of the Three Brothers (or the tale of the Deathly Hallows). Next to the stage is a Gringotts Money Exchange where you can change money into wizarding money. This money can be spent within the Wizarding World as if it were regular money. While you're in line ask the goblin a question - loudly though, as he seemed to be ignoring most people.

Inside Gringotts

The crowning point of Diagon Alley may be Gringotts Wizarding Bank. A large, escaped, white dragon sits on top of the building and every ten or fifteen minutes lets out a giant roar and ball of fire. Listen for the warning growls so you know when it's coming. Inside the bank is the queue for Escape from Gringotts. The queue goes through the main lobby where you can see goblins working at their desks. You'll have your picture taken for your Gringotts ID (which you can purchase after if you wish) and then have a brief pre-ride holographic show with a goblin and a surprise guest who offer to take you on a tour. Once you get onto the ride you'll need to keep 3D glasses on. The ride is an amazing combination of roller coaster and 3D screens where the roller coaster cars continue to tip and spin and move. Once you've been through the ride once and enjoyed the pre-ride show, consider using the single rider line. You may not be seated with your party, but the wait is very short (twice I waited less than five minutes).

Make sure you take some time to simply wander around Diagon Alley taking everything in. Look in every shop window for interesting displays including Professor Lockhart's books, self knitting needles, a muggle artifacts museum, and a multitude of potions and ingredients. When you enter a store be sure to look up and all around. Everything is decorated so ornately, you won't want to miss any of it. Have some butter beer ice cream, take a picture in Hagrid's motorcycle, and practice all the spells with your interactive wand.

When you've finished your riding, sightseeing, and shopping in Diagon Alley, exit back out into the streets of London and back down to Kings Cross to catch the Hogwarts Express over to Hogsmeade. You will need the park hopper pass at this point. In the station look out for the perfume billboard for Magic as seen in the movie, and find Harry's luggage and Hedwig. You'll also be able to watch others walk through the wall onto platform 9 3/4. That's a cool trick.

Once on the train and seated in a compartment the door will be shut and the train starts off. A large screen takes the place of a window to show various scenes of London and the country side as you travel to Hogsmeade. There's even some cameos from your favorite characters. Don't only look out the window though, out in the hall you can see the shadows of people walking by, Harry, Hermione, and Ron talking, and the sweets trolley go rolling by. The scenery both out the window and in the hallway is different when you ride the train from Hogsmeade to Kings Cross, so I recommend riding it both ways.

Now you're in Hogsmeade and you'll have to hop over to my other post!