Harry Potter fans better hold onto their broomsticks, as The Wizarding World of Harry Potter expansion has officially been confirmed to open in Summer 2014!
Universal Orlando resort announced back in the fall of 2013, that the expansion will be called The Wizarding World of Harry Potter’s Diagon Alley and will be “the world’s first centrally themed, multi-park experience” given that Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley will be two entirely separate theme parks within the resort.
Previously, little had been known of the expansion but during the Merrill Lynch 2013 Media, Communications and Entertainment Conference, Comcast’s CEO Steve Burke revealed that the theme park will open in spring 2014, and that the Hogwarts Express train will take guests from Hogsmeade to Diagon Alley, which has never been done before.
The new area will bring to life some of the locations Harry Potter fans have come to know both in the books and from watching the films. There will also be shops, a restaurant, and an innovative marquee attraction based on Gringotts bank that will all be directly inspired by the fiction and films.
The concept art released shows just how exciting the expansion will be. Universal confirmed that the dragon depicted in the concept art will actually sit atop Gringotts and breathe fire, and from looking closely at the art fans will pick up that the store front will be Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes as there is clearly the same man lifting his hat revealing a bunny underneath that has been made famous from the Harry Potter movies.
While not much information has been released on what exactly to expect from the upcoming Diagon Alley, the concept art shows a British phone booth that would make for a fun photo opp (can guests dial 6-2-4-4-2?), The Knight Bus, and the Eros Fountain.
As a huge Harry Potter fan myself, I can’t wait for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter’s Diagon Alley to open this summer! Will you visit the expansion when it opens?
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I really didn’t read or watch the movies but we did enjoy visiting this when we were in orlando and it was so much fun & interesting!
Oh my hubby is DYING to see this! We went last summer but we want to go back this year.
Wow! That looks really fun!
Wow this looks so cool! Can’t wait to check it out! Sounds amazing!
We’re going to Orlando in March, sad we will miss it!