DISCLOSURE: I was an invited guest of the Universal Orlando Resort, and I was provided with admission, lodging, and promotional items for sharing my opinions, experiences, and thoughts.
An Introduction To Diagon Alley
At The Universal Orlando Resort
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley has been open at the Universal Orlando Resort for a short bit of time, and I was lucky enough to have a few days to take a a look at this amazing new area as an invited guest of the Resort!
In Diagon Alley you can dine at the Leaky Cauldron, watch as the wand chooses the wizard at Ollivanders, see some amazing Wizards perform, shop for wizarding supplies, and more as you walk in the footsteps of Harry Potter in his Wizarding World.
So let’s see if I remember this correctly…Three up…two across…
Welcome to Diagon Alley!
Diagon Alley Attractions
Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts
Height Requirement: 42 inches
While all of Diagon Alley is stunning, Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts is truly the area’s crown jewel!
As you approach Gringotts Bank, you are greeted by a 60ft, seven-ton, fire-breathing Ukrainian Ironbelly dragon who breathes fire every 15 minutes!
Inside the archway, you walk through the bank’s grand marble lobby and see several goblins hard at work.
Then you grab a pair of 3D glasses for your journey through cavernous passageways that lead deep underground as you climb aboard the mine trains of Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts.
You’ll encounter Harry, Ron, and Hermione along the way, but you’ll have to evade the wrath of malicious villains Voldemort and Bellatrix as well as trolls and other creatures who stand between you and a safe return to Diagon Alley.
The Hogwarts Express
If you have a Park-to-Park admission ticket, you can pass through Platform 9 ¾ and board the Hogwarts Express from King’s Cross Station in London, located inside Universal Studios Florida theme park, and travel to Hogsmeade Station, located inside Universal’s Islands of Adventure theme park (right next door to Universal Studios). Or you can ride the train in the other direction!
This is the first time that Muggles have been allowed to board the Hogwarts Express, and it was quite the amazing trip!
Before you can board the Hogwarts Express at King’s Cross Station, you’ll have to get to Platform 9 ¾ just like Harry Potter did so make sure you have your cameras ready for this fun photo opportunity! Once you are on the platform, you will be waiting to see the famous scarlet engine that will take you on a trip through the British countryside to Hogsmeade.
During the trip to Hogsmeade, and back to London, make sure that you keep your eyes peeled for cameos from characters from the books in the windows and compartment corridors. This is the part that really makes you feel like you have jumped into Harry Potter’s adventure!
To board the Hogwarts Express from Hogsmeade, you just need to travel right outside of the Village of Hogsmeade to the stone station for your return trip to London and Diagon Alley.
Diagon Alley Dining
Leaky Cauldron
Cuisine: Cottage pie, fish and chips, bangers and mash, Scotch eggs, stew, & much more.
Children’s Menu: Fish and chips, macaroni and cheese, and more.
Service Type: Pub Style
Dining Hours: Lunch and Dinner daily
The Leaky Cauldron offers a wide variety of British fare, Butterbeer, and the new specialty drinks of Diagon Alley in a setting that is fantastic.
The famous inn appears just as it does in the movie, including the amazing ceiling, so make sure you take a few moments to take in all the detail.
Pub Style of service means that once you order, you will receive your drink and be escorted to a table where you can relax and eat among fellow muggles!
Just in case you have a less than adventurous eater, the children’s menu is full of familiar favorites.
Florean Fortescue’s Ice-Cream Parlour
Cuisine: Scoop and soft-serve ice-creams, breakfast items, and drinks
Service Type: Counter
Hours: From park open to one hour before park closing
Magical displays of ice-cream cones welcome guests into this colourful, quaint ice-cream parlour where they can enjoy scoop and soft-serve ice-creams.
In the morning Florean Fortescue’s serves a continental breakfast with pastries, bottled Pumpkin Juice, teas, and water available.
There are some truly amazing flavors at Florean Fortescue’s!!! My next flavors to try are Chocolate Chili and Clotted Cream.
The Fountain of Fair Fortune
Cuisine: Diagon Alley Specialty Drinks, Custom Beers, and Muggle beverages
Service Type: Counter
Hours: From park open to one hour before park closing
The Fountain of Fair Fortune is also a great place to grab a Butterbeer, Frozen Butterbeer, Fishy Green Ale, Gillywater, Wizard’s Brew, Dragon Scale, Strongbow, Fuller’s London Pride, and Amstel Light.
The line to head into Florean Fortescue’s Ice Cream Parlour are often times long, so if it is Butterbeer Ice Cream you seeking ducking into the Fountain of Fair Fortune is a better bet for grabbing this delight.
The Fountain of Fair Fortune, located across from the Magical Menagerie near Knockturn Alley.
The Hopping Pot
Cuisine: Diagon Alley Specialty Drinks, Snacks, and Muggle beverages
Service Type: Counter
Hours: From park open to one hour before park closing
Looking to grab a quick specialty Harry Potter drink and a light snack? Then The Hopping Pot is where you want to be!
This is an ideal location for a quick visit, because the line moves quickly and there are a ton of Team Members to speed things along!
While you are enjoying your beverage make sure you look up at all the advertisements!
Eternelle’s Elixir of Refreshment
Cuisine: Diagon Alley Specialty Gilly Water and Specialty Potions
Service Type: Counter
Hours: From park open to one hour before park closing
Water in Diagon Alley is ‘Gilly Water’, and it is available at several locations however you can take your Gilly Water experience to the next level by adding one of four potions to it for an additional $4.25.
The Four potions that you can purchase (with their corresponding flavors) are:
Fire Protection Potion: Watermelon
Babbling Beverage: Fruit Punch
Draught of Peace: Mixed Berry
Elixir to Induce Euphoria: Pineapple
Eternelle’s Elixir of Refreshment, located in the arcade across from the Carkitt Market stage.
Diagon Alley Shopping
Ollivanders
Ollivanders, makers of Fine Wands since 382 BC, Ollivanders, is one of the wizarding world’s premier wand shops and their Diagon Alley location is even bigger and better than ever!
You walk through hallways of thousands of towering wand boxes to be able to witness the magical experience of a wand choosing a wizard in a larger area.
You are also able to purchase your own unique Ollivanders wand, select one of the many Harry Potter character wand replicas, as well as interactive wands.
I will be sharing more about the interactive wands soon, but they are awesome and add a layer of amazingness to your visit to both Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade.
Weasley’s Wizarding Wheezes
Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes is exactly what you have ever wanted and more!!!
Here in Fred and George Weasleys’ shop you will find magical jokes, tricks, toys, treats (including Skiving Snackboxes), Pygmy Puff naming ceremonies, and more in a fantastic and colorful setting!
You will find all kinds of mischief and fun in Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes, but make sure you look up to find the never-ending fireworks and an appearance by Dolores Umbridge!
Magical Menagerie
First years who are looking for an owl, toad, or toad have all made their way to the Magical Menagerie!
The Magical Menagerie is full of amazing animals such as Hippogriffs, unicorns, a crumple horned snorkack, and other magical creatures depicted in the Harry Potter books and movies.
You can purchase a variety of plush toys including Crookshanks, Fang, Buckbeak, Fluffy and Scabbers, cats of every color, ravens, sleek black rats, and fat white rabbits that transform to and from a silk top hat.
Again, make sure you spend some time looking around the store and their windows of exotic animals!
Madame Malkin’s Robes for All Occasions
Looking for wizardwear to represent your Hogwarts house? At Madame Malkin’s Robes for All Occasions you will find a selection of authentic wizard’s robes, character costumes from the movies, and more.
Here is where you can buy your Hogwarts school uniforms, ties, scarves, sweaters, and cardigans. YOu will also find apparel, jewelry, and fashion items inspired by the four school houses of Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin.
There are also new wizard hats that are super fun!
I am seriously thinking that I may need some Ravenclaw wizardwear….
Wiseacre’s Wizarding Equipment
Located at the exit from Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts, Wiseacre’s Wizarding Equipment is full of wizarding wares and supplies in a celestial backdrop.
Crystal balls, telescopes, binoculars, armillary spheres, compasses, magnifying glasses and hourglasses line the shelves of this unique selection of apparel and accessory products from your favorite Hogwarts house!
Quality Quidditch Supplies
If you are looking for a place to purchase Quaffle balls, Quidditch brooms, Quidditch apparel and team souvenirs you have come to the right place!
Quality Quidditch Supplies is the destination to find everything you will need to play and be a fan of the most popular sport in the wizarding world!
Borgin and Burkes
When you head down into the darkness of Knockturn Alley, you can find shelves of Dark objects and Death Eater merchandise lining the shelves of this antiquated Borgin and Burkes.
The store is packed full of a fascinating, eclectic collection of Dark Arts objects and racks of Death Eater masks, skulls, and costume replicas.
The shop also sells apparel, accessories, jewelry, collectibles, and gifts.
It is definitely one of my favorite spots to explore in Diagon Alley!
Diagon Alley Special Places
Money Exchange
The Gringott’s Money Exchange is a separate location, next to Wiseacre’s Wizarding Equipment and across from Eternelle’s Elixir of Refreshment under the arcade in Diagon Alley, where you can exchange Muggle money for Gringott’s Bank Notes.
This is a really cool experience, because you get to interact with animatronic goblin who oversees the exchange of currency.
These Bank Notes can be spent anywhere, but I have a feeling that most people will save them instead of spending them.
Carkitt Market Stage
The Carkitt Market Stage under the arcade in Diagon Alley is where you can find some amazing entertainment options!
Guests will be able to watch as two of the The Tales of Beedle the Bard are performed by a troupe of four students from the Wizarding Academy of Dramatic Arts.
The Tale of the Three Brothers and The Fountain of Fair Fortune will be presented as a trunk show utilizing stylized props and puppetry from award winning designer Michael Curry.
Also, the Singing Sorceress: Celestina Warbeck and the Banshees will perform never-heard-before songs “A Cauldron Full of Hot, Strong Love,” “You Stole My Cauldron But You Can’t Have My Heart” and “You Charmed the Heart Right Out Of Me”.
As you can see Diagon Alley is full of some really unique and amazing places, and I can’t wait to share more about my adventures!
What are you most excited about seeing on your visit to Diagon Alley?
Make sure you keep up with our adventures as we are On the Go on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!
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