All this need for supposed space could be evaded with an indoor solution to an outdoor Diagon Alley. If we're taking this idea seriously, Jo acknowledged that it's necessary for Hogwarts Express to be the way to get to London instead of just walking in. Suspension of disbelief can only take you so far, which is my ever-increasing argument. Above all this, the original Wizarding World locale needs some updating, which I'll also cover.
Anyway, by having about four Hogwarts Express simulators with video screens similar to Kong's, this idea of riding a train to London can easily be achieved. To diminish the distortion that would be seen if one would peek outside from an angle, each window would have their own flattened dome-like screen (HD graphics allowing for this to be possible). Now, it takes time for the train to reach London, but since the audience is full of 'adventurist muggles', what they perceive to be little time can simply be distorted in their view, which, in terms of distortion of space, can also explain why we can go from Dumbledore's Office to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom.
Now, this simulator cannot begin where the current Hogwarts Express is situated because of the lack of space, so, as seen in the graphic below, the station would be separate from the village, and in its place will be the lockers for Dragon Challenge (which will be renamed, as will be covered later on) as well as some new empty facades and one new place to eat in Hogsmeade Village (Madame Puddifoot's tea shop). As guests walk into the Hogwarts Express soundstage (as seen below), there are two wings on either side that account for an indoor queue through a heavily-forested area behind the station which mirrors the weather outside (sponsored by Weather.com
) with subtle noise and ambient and temperature changes. When guests board one of two simulators from the side (two go TO London, the other two, which are unseen to the guests heading away from Hogsmeade, are on the other side, and they are coming FROM London), they are invited to head down the corridor into a cabin akin to those in the films, the imperative candy trolley and rolling hills being reminiscent of them as well.
Of course, not all people can ride this simulator, which would account for the "Ministry of Magic Mass Muggle Floo Mover" seen below. Guests pass through a long corridor with no windows and candle-lit walls to an area wherein there is green smoke coming through grates all over. As guests walk through, they are almost overwhelmed with the bright green smoke and the smell of a fireplace, and to not get completely disoriented, they are allowed to hold onto railings. Think of the water tunnel in Poseidon's Fury, but more intimate and more enveloping. Four queues, two going to London, two going to Hogsmeade. For guests who can't experience even this, there are corridors on either side of the Floo Mover.
Now back to the Hogwarts Express. Once guests arrive, they are greeted by exiting the caboose and entering a huge recreation of King's Cross Station, with trains below blowing smoke in abundance. Since there needs to be organization from King's Cross to Diagon Alley, a new corridor from the station directly to The Leaky Cauldron (the light purple below). To deal with space issues, the restaurant has a space in the middle separating the bar and restaurant areas that also serves as a walkway towards the courtyard that serves as the entrance to Diagon Alley.
Diagon Alley is not as tight as in the films, but not as separate as Hogsmeade. Many shops are open, including Weasley's Wizard Wheezes and Flourish and Blotts, and many have much open space within them, but are closed. Ollivander's is ALSO here, and guests are encouraged while at the Hogsmeade branch's line to visit the one in Diagon Alley by train. It is the same as the one in Hogsmeade, but at the end of the show, guests are taken to another part of the shop where wands can be purchased and hand-picked.
At the end of the street, Gringotts has closed off a section of the road where it forks into two sections in order to form the overflow queue for the Gringotts Bank Muggle Tours, a high speed roller coaster akin to Revenge of the Mummy, but with a unique dark ride section that uses Spiderman's DOF rotating base along a busbar paired with a moving dome like in Forbidden Journey (except this one covers the vehicle on the left, right, front, and top).
Now, regarding the Phase 2 changes, Hogwarts' cliff is extended to block the view of the show building (the forced perspective continued), and as it goes beyond the FJ vehicle storage building, it dips down and then continues on behind Dragon Challenge in the form of a backdrop. To block the Diagon Alley and Gringotts show buildings, it slowly transitions back into 3D mountains, and a berm is added that extends over the show buildings to enhance the effect. Hogwarts Express' show building is covered by this tree laden berm.
Dragon Challenge is completely reimagined. The name is now "Triwizard Tournament Dragon Showcase". Now, as one walks up to the queue building, there is a cliff that holds the stadium seen in the Goblet of Fire film. The beginning section of the queue is now the "muggle entrance" to the showcase, which will supposedly show off the dragons to us before the actual champions are given the challenge.
The muggles, however, are summoned by the staff (a team of actors within the current floating candle room) in order to help them catch two of the dragons which have gone missing. They have constructed two mock-dragons that will lure the originals back to the stadium before the actual challenge, but they need as many people as possible to fly them. As guests continue through the dungeons, the sounds of dragons overhead make the walls vibrate. The bare walls will now be themed to dungeons, and skeletons of various animals will be everywhere.
In the main boarding room, the tower-looking structure is now an observation deck for the staff. Above, there are multiple doors, the cracks between them bleeding lights and the sound of a crowd. All along the circular wall, there are cages for the dragons, many of them holding sleeping dragons, but two are completely destroyed. As guests board their mock dragons, the staff are now covered in dirty clothes, and there are two hospital beds on either end holding two knocked-out and bloody staff members. Now, around the track switch, there is a shack of sorts where we are briefed on either end by a projection of Barty Crouch, who then gives us the signal to continue, and one final warning to watch out for the other "team".
Now, throughout the attraction, there are small caves that will envelop the tracks and will have animatronics of the dragons we're trying to lure back into the stadium. The tracks will also be repainted a color that is reminiscent of the dragons that are being mocked. The supports will look like they are being held together by pieces of wood, making the coaster an offset mimic of an inverted wooden coaster.
Now for the graphics:
Overview of "Phase 3" Changes:
Legend:
Yellow: New pathway from Lost Continent to Hogsmeade.
Light Blue: Rockwork (the two small ones are the entrance "gates", the larger one on top being part of the huge forced perspective mountain wall.
Dark Red: New Hogsmeade Station and Hogwarts Express simulator.
Dark Blue: King's Cross Station.
Light Purple: The Leaky Cauldron.
Dark Purple: (left) Ministry of Magic Mass Muggle Floo Mover. (right) Corridor from King's Cross to The Leaky Cauldron.
Pink-Purple: Diagon Alley.
Bright Red: Gringotts Bank's Muggle Tours.
Overview of "Phase 2" Changes:
Legend:
Orange: (bottom left) New facade for "Triwizard Tournament Dragon Showcase". (top left) Small show building for TT
S. (right) Lockers for TT
S and Madame Puddifoot's tea shop.
Bright Blue: (top) Forced perspective mountain wall. (bottom) Extended Forbidden Journey cliff.
Red: Shrieking Shack.
On a final note, I find that all the space supposedly needed can easily be folded and packed into the corner where IOA currently is without the need for controversy and the like. Thoughts?