Wizarding World - Diagon Alley Discussion - Part 2

[USO92]

Im just......Wow......I can't even......So much........:died:

 

[GGGhost]

Merlin's beard! :died:


And someone get that dragon some Red Bull, stat.

 

[DragonSlayer]

This from AmusementBuzz on Twitter - anyone think there's opportunity for articulation at the bottom of the tail there or was that completely discounted? Another photo seemed to show some sort of wiring going up beneath the body as well but it could have just been for the lift.

 

[soyouthinkyouknow]

They're probably hoping the entire theme park media community is comatose after the 24 hour Disney event so they can sneak it in when no one is watching

Great point :thumbs: So true!

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Nah, you can't pull this crap with me. I have worked in the visual arts for decades and know how to read a photograph relative to myriad other photographs I have seen.

Working in visual arts and Art Directing are two different things. Your aesthetic of choice is clearly not a consistent setting to be rendered off of. The lion heads look completely washed out in your preferred picture. I don't think the artist is done doing their work on the wall so I'm holding judgment until the end, when he's finished.

On the other hand, the group that painted that dragon is amazing. Great to see it in the air and not looking "crappy."

 

[GGGhost]

Man, the poor King's Cross weather vane is really having his thunder stolen today.

 

[DragonSlayer]

Speaking of thunder, if you see the Dragon from across the park, that tail is begging to be struck by lightning!

Edit - From OU's Twitter

See what I mean?

 

[Civic Minded]

I'm torn about the dragon. Don't get me wrong, it looks absolutely incredible, but it sort of kills the vibe for me. Diagon Alley is supposed to be hidden out of site from muggles, and yet here sits this monstrosity of a dragon right over London. I dunno...

 

[soyouthinkyouknow]

^I agree. I hope it can't be seen from the waterfront.

 

[Disneyhead]

I'm torn about the dragon. Don't get me wrong, it looks absolutely incredible, but it sort of kills the vibe for me. Diagon Alley is supposed to be hidden out of site from muggles, and yet here sits this monstrosity of a dragon right over London. I dunno...

You won't be able to see the dragon from the London waterfront. Across the park, yes. But when you are on the London Waterfront you won't see it.

 

[NotPennysBoat]

Shouldn't the dragon be sitting on a dome? I guess they are going to build the dome underneath the dragon since the structure used to hold the dragon was so immense.

 

[The_Bled]

I'm torn about the dragon. Don't get me wrong, it looks absolutely incredible, but it sort of kills the vibe for me. Diagon Alley is supposed to be hidden out of site from muggles, and yet here sits this monstrosity of a dragon right over London. I dunno...

First, the buildings are too high if you're standing directly in front of it to see over the walls. And secondly, it's a theme park land. There's only so much they can do with these things. God forbid you see a tiny bit of the tail visible from anywhere else in the park.

 

[TylerDurden]

First, the buildings are too high if you're standing directly in front of it to see over the walls. And secondly, it's a theme park land. There's only so much they can do with these things. God forbid you see a tiny bit of the tail visible from anywhere else in the park.

A little testy are we? I think its ok to raise the opinion that it looks odd being able to see from outside the land. Sure its a theme park, but with the mentality of "theres only so much we can do" much of Diagon Alley and all the cool things in it wouldnt exist in their current form would they? Its about suspension of disbelief, and since Universal wants guests to buy into the fact that its real I think its ok to want things to be as real as possible and true to their stories.

That being said, I dont think it matters so long as in the actual London area you cant see it...thats where the "story" takes place, so as long as everything inside the actual land is hidden it should still 'work'

 

[GGGhost]

You won't be able to see the dragon from the London waterfront. Across the park, yes. But when you are on the London Waterfront you won't see it.

And that's what makes all the difference to me. Until you're on the London waterfront, you haven't yet stepped into the narrative, so it's okay that it's not completely hidden. It's like looking across the IOA lagoon from Port of Entry and seeing Mythos and Hogwarts and JP Discovery Center all in the same vista.

 

[DragonSlayer]

Pretty sure the tail must be animated now. Check out the flexible material over the joint in this pic from HTF on twitter:

 

[Civic Minded]

A little testy are we? I think its ok to raise the opinion that it looks odd being able to see from outside the land. Sure its a theme park, but with the mentality of "theres only so much we can do" much of Diagon Alley and all the cool things in it wouldnt exist in their current form would they? Its about suspension of disbelief, and since Universal wants guests to buy into the fact that its real I think its ok to want things to be as real as possible and true to their stories.

That being said, I dont think it matters so long as in the actual London area you cant see it...thats where the "story" takes place, so as long as everything inside the actual land is hidden it should still 'work'

Thank you. You said it much better than I could have. God forbid someone have a differing opinion around here.

The dragon exists in the story, but it was locked up in the deepest part of the bank vaults. It wouldn't just be hanging out on the roof, lurching over things. Even the wizards would be supremely freaked out by it's presence I think.

 

[Disneyhead]

I actually think having Bruce and....????(wth are we gonna name this beauty?) in the same shot is pretty BA.

I think we should call her Betty. Then again, she does sort of remind me of my ex wife, so maybe Susan.

 

[GGGhost]

Do we think that the wings will be rigid? Or will the webbing be able to move in the breeze? That could add some really nice movement and dynamism.

 

[MagicRobot]

obviously Ministry officials will be on hand to modify the memories of any Muggle who sees that dragon from across the park

 

[Shadow Carelli]

obviously Ministry officials will be on hand to modify the memories of any Muggle who sees that dragon from across the park

What dragon???:bonk:

 

[Eastcoast]

I think we should call her Betty. Then again, she does sort of remind me of my ex wife, so maybe Susan.

I think that they could have done without the dragon all together....that would have been my first choice. With that being said, it sure is one mighty dragon. Looks absolutely insane.

Having an inanimate dragon, or limited mobility, along with the fact it wouldn't be just hanging around the bank as said before are just as big of if not bigger issues.

The bigger picture for me though is that this is a theme park and they obviously want to shock and awe. That vacation will end and you're going to have to take off your robes, put that wand back in its box, and return to the real world. If it was absolutely perfect I'm afraid some of you would never come back to reality!

If its good enough for JK Rowling, its good enough for me.