The Spirited Seventh Heaven ...

[flynnibus]

Based on some of the remarks I've seen around here, I thought something had happened.

Nope... just the alternate reality that Disney seems to harbor for it's fans

 

[psherman42]

Diagon Alley review for anyone interested.
http://www.hypable.com/2014/06/19/wizarding-world-diagon-alley-expansion-review/

There’s no debating this: Gringotts is a tamer ride than Forbidden Journey. It felt like the ride is intended to be more family oriented – but not in a childish type of way. There are several very exciting action sequences, including some great moments between Bellatrix and Voldemort, and two good parts where your vehicle really thrusts.

 

[Bolna]

Kings Cross looks amazing, but like the staircase in Hogwarts fails in the scale category. I'm not sure about enclosing the station at Hogsmeade.. but there are obvious reasons behind why.

Having lived in the direct neighbourhood of The real King's Cross for a year while at university, I have to say I am more impressed by it than I thought I would be. In real life it is not one of those grand train stations. It is rather small and utilitarian.

I am more thrown by having Leicester Square station directly next to it as I know exactly how far it is to walk in the real London...

 

[dupac]

Where can i find this video?

In the UO sub forum, there is thread with pictures and videos from the preview.

 

[Bolna]

People simply feeling the need to pile on someone who has something they don't. Jealously, competition, who knows.. it's the Disney social-sphere high school edition.

People think Ricky looks creepy in some of his photos, and his interactions so when he covers the M&Gs.. they've joked/labeled that he's stalking them, etc. Fueled by a joke about where your hands are when they aren't seen in a photo in a M&G, etc.

Nothing to see.. just hatred in the Disney distorted fan universe.

Oh, I thought it came from the incident when he was making a big scene on twitter (and at guest services it seemed) about his princess FP+ having vanished.

 

[Goofyernmost]

The problem with your argument is that while the tree I'm sure wasn't scheduled to fall apart, they did nothing to fix the issue except put up ugly netting, defeating the purpose of the entire area where you should be able to walk around and freely view the tree from many angles. The netting ruins the atmosphere.

If this dragons head fell off I'm sure they would fix it immediately as it's the focal point of the alley. I wish disney cared enough to fix the focal point of DAK.

Edit for terrible spelling. Apparently lithiumbill isn't the only one who needs more coffee!

I agree with that, which logically leads me to believe that they don't have a clue as to why it failed. If simply fixing it were to be the answer then it is a quick fix, but, I don't think they know and legally are concerned that some other part might be next. Not good at all, never said it was, but, sometimes things just happen that way. It's to bad that both of the major fails have been in DAK. We won't even bring up the serious animal problem that happened before they opened.

 

[baymenxpac]

It looks like it will be a cramped, overcrowded nightmare. It looks pretty, but really isn't designed well for crowd flow as a theme park land. One attraction and a bunch of poorly designed stores. Diagon Alley will be one great big mess for quite some time.

hold on, i can't tell. what do you think about diagon alley?

 

[Violiav]

Wellll if if the HP stuff opens July 8th that means every one will be there. That means less lines for me at Wdw. Yeah? Yeah?
The uni stuff does look pretty sweet (when I was planning this summers vacation I didn't even think about universial), and it may be the next major family vacation (after the obligatory visit with family next year).

 

[KYWDW]

I think Hogwart's Express will be fun. Gringott's sounds like Potter Puke Machine #2.

My thoughts too. I need one of those motion sickness brackets!

 

[psherman42]

The review I just linked to said the walkways are wider at Diagon Alley. They don't look that wide from the pictures, I'll have to see for myself, but that and the way too small stores was one of my biggest complaints when I went to Hogsmeade for the first time in August 2010. We waited in line longer to get into Dervish and Banges than we did any of the attractions. Hogsmeade was a disaster at first but even when I visited in August 2011 it wasn't nearly as bad so I have a feeling Diagon Alley will be a lot better by this time next year.

I'm planning on going July 9th and I'm having such a hard time figuring out a plan. Can you board the Hogwarts Express from both sides? Or just Diagon Alley? I obviously really want to experience that, but given how long the lines are going to be, that seems like something to do first thing in the morning. But then what? Walk through IOA all the way back to Diagon Alley to see everything else? I feel like that'll be my least favorite thing tbh.

 

[flynnibus]

Oh, I thought it came from the incident when he was making a big scene on twitter (and at guest services it seemed) about his princess FP+ having vanished.

That happened too.. but another one blown out of proportion by the 'sphere. He had a FP+ problem (who hasn't), posted about it, and Disney called him and gave him a remedy. Other people found their anger in that when Ricky posted about something.. Disney reacted... largely because they don't get the same attention.

The recurring theme in those circles...

 

[flynnibus]

How about we take all the Diagon Alley questions and commentary to the Universal Forum?

 

[Lee]

I think Hogwart's Express will be fun. Gringott's sounds like Potter Puke Machine #2.

Nope.
It's milder than FJ, which I didn't find to be a "puke machine" at all.

 

[FigmentJedi]

I'm planning on going July 9th and I'm having such a hard time figuring out a plan. Can you board the Hogwarts Express from both sides? Or just Diagon Alley? I obviously really want to experience that, but given how long the lines are going to be, that seems like something to do first thing in the morning. But then what? Walk through IOA all the way back to Diagon Alley to see everything else? I feel like that'll be my least favorite thing tbh.

Both sides

 

[erider]

Funny to see how even all the Disney fans are gushing over Diagon Alley. Maybe Steve has to change the name of this website from WDWMagic to OrlandoMagic, since Disney is no longer the main focus here Just kidding.

 

[lebeau]

Wellll if if the HP stuff opens July 8th that means every one will be there. That means less lines for me at Wdw. Yeah? Yeah?
The uni stuff does look pretty sweet (when I was planning this summers vacation I didn't even think about universial), and it may be the next major family vacation (after the obligatory visit with family next year).

We were the opposite.

My first choice this year was Universal. But ultimately, we thought that the girls were still too young to really enjoy it. (5 and 9)

I didn't really want to go to WDW. I figured we would skip a year. But then the blog pulled in some extra money we could use for travel. And I figured I probably ought to go and cover the completion of the FLE. So, we went. I don't expect to go again until Disney opens something worth covering. So 2017?

Meanwhile, I am waiting not-so-patiently for my kids to be old enough to appreciate Universal.

 

[psherman42]

Both sides

Thanks. I thought so but wasn't positive. So it might be a better idea to go to IOA first thing in the morning and take the train from there so then you don't have to loop all the way back around to get back to Diagon Alley.

 

[psherman42]

Funny to see how even all the Disney fans are gushing over Diagon Alley. Maybe Steve has to change the name of this website from WDWMagic to OrlandoMagic, since Disney is no longer the main focus here Just kidding.

Well, I mean...now that the Mine Train is open and the next big projects are Disney Springs/Avatar, there's sadly not much else going on at Disney.

 

[Kman101]

What does a dragon, designed for a parade, have anything to do with the dragon designed for Diagon Alley? There's no comparing them, not just because it's better at Diagon Alley, but they're created for different purposes and have specific designs. I don't think that's necessarily a fair comparison either way. Just because they both spit fire?

 

[Soarin' Over Pgh]

We were the opposite.

My first choice this year was Universal. But ultimately, we thought that the girls were still too young to really enjoy it. (5 and 9)

I didn't really want to go to WDW. I figured we would skip a year. But then the blog pulled in some extra money we could use for travel. And I figured I probably ought to go and cover the completion of the FLE. So, we went. I don't expect to go again until Disney opens something worth covering. So 2017?

Meanwhile, I am waiting not-so-patiently for my kids to be old enough to appreciate Universal.

You could temporarily adopt me as your third daughter and we can go to universal and let the wife take the younger girls to disney.


I just read through MC's two part review of the DA and it seems like universal leaders (and btw, the "around the universal" meeting is genius) went beyond just showing off the new property...they toured the groups around to Transformers, Simpsons area and others as a "look what we've been doing!" Tour which, honestly, is pretty impressive and effective in its message: we are building and creating while others aren't.