- Nov 17, 2012
- 75
- 2
Wizarding World - Diagon Alley Discussion - Part 2
- Thread starter bobwadd
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The other thing that got me was the sunken window wells beneath the shop windows in diagon... the ones with the protective bars around the bottom... and in the evening, the basement lights come on... so much dimension.
- May 5, 2012
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The staircase to nowhere in Knockturn is probably my favorite detail. It looks like a creepy back alley that you could miss if you're not looking. The subtle detail leaves you sitting there and wondering about who lives there and what stories are to be told!
- May 5, 2012
- 1,803
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- Nov 17, 2012
- 75
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It is somewhere in the dark confines of Knockturn... much narrower and spookier than the stairs next to Gringotts. It is very Jack-the-Ripper in Victorian style. There are also some cool gobo projections used. HHN could only dream for such detail.
Ah, very cool... I've not seen a picture of it, which is something that can't be said for much of this expansion which has already been snapped every which way. Being of a theatrical persuasion I do love a good use of a gobo!
- May 5, 2012
- 1,803
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Its across and on the left side of Borgin and Burkes. It stopped me in my tracks. There's nothing special about it but it was one of the things that felt the most real!
- Jul 3, 2013
- 941
- 331
Not much but I saw a TM practicing an interactive wand at Hogsmeade today.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzGOFJwHhPk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzGOFJwHhPk
- Feb 11, 2010
- 64
- 12
Thanks for that link! So many great photos and Knockturn Alley looks amazing!
And of course, Optimus Prime is in the sky!
- Sep 23, 2013
- 4,905
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- Jun 12, 2010
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I wish there was a video of the stairs next to Gringotts, I think you can go halfway up them. Can you go part of the way up the ones in Knockturn?
I believe there is a tall wrought iron gate in front of the Knockturn staircase (much like the stairs in POE). It was visible in one of the two pictures that I saw.
They had to overexpose the image which removed the shadows from the clouds. I believe they also bumped the contrast quite severely.
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- Jan 29, 2013
- 1,623
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What, you don't like the fact that the right side of the wall was way overdone with black paint and then they stopped and
corrected with a lighter left half? I think it is a FRIGGIN HOOT because I called it as they were painting the right side; I knew they were way over doing it and that it could not easily be corrected.
And that's something that will REALLY pop out in guest pictures like the one above. They need to just go ahead and make it either all too dark, or try to make the changeover more subtle.
- Jun 28, 2013
- 3
- 2
I got to visit Diagon today... Here is a couple of quick observations.
1. Just about every store has an outside queue, except Florean Fortescue's. This looks to be a big mistake. There is a small queue inside the shop, but I don't think Universal expected this place to be the hit its going to be. Without a doubt the line for this place is going to be massive. And its going to be pouring out in the street, because of its lack of extended queue. The line moves at a snail pace, with the undeceive customers inside asking what the flavors taste like. I tried Chocolate Chili which I don't really recommend. It tastes like Chocolate Ice Cream with Cayenne Pepper dumped into it. Toffee Pudding Ice Cream was great. I also tried Butter Beer Ice Cream, which is soft serve and also great. I do prefer Frozen Butter Beer over its ice cream version. Here is one tip. You can get 2 scoops in each ice cream cup. Both scoops don't have to be the same flavor. So you can try two different flavors.
2. The interactive wand areas are having some problems and malfunction a lot. At least 4 interactive locations were not working tonight. The ones that are working, work pretty good. My tip to get them to work the first time, is always find and point your wand at the Xbox Kinect Sensor. I know that takes some of the magic away looking for the Xbox sensor, but trust me...it helps a lot to get these things to work.
3. The food at Leaky is okay. Im not really in to British Pub fair. I think I like 3 Broomsticks better then Leaky. I had Toad in the Hole, and also some Cottage Pie. I found both portions kind of small and not that taste. I think I will do my eating at Simpsons when I'm at Universal. 2 neat things about Leaky Cauldron is its two signs. Outside in the London area, the Leaky sign is black and you see nothing on it. But as you walk under it, magically the a Cauldron and the words Leaky Cauldron appear. Its a really cool effect that went un noticed. The Leaky sign inside Diagon has a crack in the Cauldron, and water actually leaks out of it. Again a really cool touch.
4. The Hogwarts Express is amazing of course. If you can do only one trip on HE, the trip from Diagon to Hogsmead is the best. The curved screen windows you look out from the HE is fantastic. If you put your face up to the glass, and move your head around the edges...you can see a lot more scenery hidden from view. The screens are great and videos on youtube don't do them justice...but with that being said they wont trick your mind into thinking your actually looking outside to a real world. Getting off the train in Hogsmead and walking to the Hogsmead entrance through the forest is simply amazing. You truly feel like you been transported into the world of Harry Potter, and you forget you were ever in Universal Studios or IOA. I also love that inside Kings Cross they have live entertainment inside the station. The had a guy playing the guitar once you walk in. I never been to London, but in New York, almost every Subway station has someone playing an instrument for some spare change.
5. I think that the Gringotts Photo Connect is really dumb. And after riding the ride a couple of times, you are going to really hate being asked to be taken out of line and getting your picture taken. My problem with the Photo Connect, is the photos themselves. Basically its just a photo of you standing infront of a blank wall. When you get off the wall you can have the standard 5 by 7 or a Huge picture of yourself on a lanyard standing infront of a Blank Wall. I think it would of been cooler if the picture was infront of vault, or next to a goblin. Maybe the picture could of been a Hologram of yourself that moves a little on the front page of the Daily Prophet. A boring picture standing infront of a wall, plastered on a lanyard is just stupid. But what do I know. Im sure it will sell like hotcakes.
Diagon Alley is everything I imagined it would be, and its truly amazing. I remember listening to Hate to Fly describing the place on OU Podcasts ages ago, and just could not wait for the day that I finally would walk streets of this land. Believe the hype on this place, its that damn good. The bar has been raised so high, I really don't know how any theme park can ever match or surpass it. New Fantasyland is a joke compared to this place, and that includes 7 dwarfs mine train.
1. Just about every store has an outside queue, except Florean Fortescue's. This looks to be a big mistake. There is a small queue inside the shop, but I don't think Universal expected this place to be the hit its going to be. Without a doubt the line for this place is going to be massive. And its going to be pouring out in the street, because of its lack of extended queue. The line moves at a snail pace, with the undeceive customers inside asking what the flavors taste like. I tried Chocolate Chili which I don't really recommend. It tastes like Chocolate Ice Cream with Cayenne Pepper dumped into it. Toffee Pudding Ice Cream was great. I also tried Butter Beer Ice Cream, which is soft serve and also great. I do prefer Frozen Butter Beer over its ice cream version. Here is one tip. You can get 2 scoops in each ice cream cup. Both scoops don't have to be the same flavor. So you can try two different flavors.
2. The interactive wand areas are having some problems and malfunction a lot. At least 4 interactive locations were not working tonight. The ones that are working, work pretty good. My tip to get them to work the first time, is always find and point your wand at the Xbox Kinect Sensor. I know that takes some of the magic away looking for the Xbox sensor, but trust me...it helps a lot to get these things to work.
3. The food at Leaky is okay. Im not really in to British Pub fair. I think I like 3 Broomsticks better then Leaky. I had Toad in the Hole, and also some Cottage Pie. I found both portions kind of small and not that taste. I think I will do my eating at Simpsons when I'm at Universal. 2 neat things about Leaky Cauldron is its two signs. Outside in the London area, the Leaky sign is black and you see nothing on it. But as you walk under it, magically the a Cauldron and the words Leaky Cauldron appear. Its a really cool effect that went un noticed. The Leaky sign inside Diagon has a crack in the Cauldron, and water actually leaks out of it. Again a really cool touch.
4. The Hogwarts Express is amazing of course. If you can do only one trip on HE, the trip from Diagon to Hogsmead is the best. The curved screen windows you look out from the HE is fantastic. If you put your face up to the glass, and move your head around the edges...you can see a lot more scenery hidden from view. The screens are great and videos on youtube don't do them justice...but with that being said they wont trick your mind into thinking your actually looking outside to a real world. Getting off the train in Hogsmead and walking to the Hogsmead entrance through the forest is simply amazing. You truly feel like you been transported into the world of Harry Potter, and you forget you were ever in Universal Studios or IOA. I also love that inside Kings Cross they have live entertainment inside the station. The had a guy playing the guitar once you walk in. I never been to London, but in New York, almost every Subway station has someone playing an instrument for some spare change.
5. I think that the Gringotts Photo Connect is really dumb. And after riding the ride a couple of times, you are going to really hate being asked to be taken out of line and getting your picture taken. My problem with the Photo Connect, is the photos themselves. Basically its just a photo of you standing infront of a blank wall. When you get off the wall you can have the standard 5 by 7 or a Huge picture of yourself on a lanyard standing infront of a Blank Wall. I think it would of been cooler if the picture was infront of vault, or next to a goblin. Maybe the picture could of been a Hologram of yourself that moves a little on the front page of the Daily Prophet. A boring picture standing infront of a wall, plastered on a lanyard is just stupid. But what do I know. Im sure it will sell like hotcakes.
Diagon Alley is everything I imagined it would be, and its truly amazing. I remember listening to Hate to Fly describing the place on OU Podcasts ages ago, and just could not wait for the day that I finally would walk streets of this land. Believe the hype on this place, its that damn good. The bar has been raised so high, I really don't know how any theme park can ever match or surpass it. New Fantasyland is a joke compared to this place, and that includes 7 dwarfs mine train.
Glad you got to see it and enjoyed it but I just have to add, I'm pretty sure Universal knows exactly how popular it's going to be - really surprised the shops don't have as many inside queues, but I don't think it was a lack of foresight in terms of the popularity of the lad - the reason they created it was because they wanted a huge deal with lines to BUY things. I'm not sure but I think it could have been cause by a lack of space...
That being said, I'm super jealous you got to go in and am very happy you enjoyed yourself. I'll have to keep the interactive wand tip in mind if I ever decide to get one and use it...
That being said, I'm super jealous you got to go in and am very happy you enjoyed yourself. I'll have to keep the interactive wand tip in mind if I ever decide to get one and use it...
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