Had an AMAZING evening inside Diagon Alley! Spent 4 1/2 hours just walking around, taking in the atmosphere, shopping, eating, and watching the two shows.
Highlights included:
-The DRAGON. It really is an amazing figure. Pics don't do it justice at all. The detail is amazing, and the way the left wing is draped over the front of the Gringotts building is awesome. Plus fire; I mean c'mon!
-Knockturn Alley. This is my new favorite area in any theme park I've been to. Dark, creepy, and detailed beyond belief, I found myself spending a couple hours just admiring every nook and cranny.
-The Two Shows. These might have been the sleeper hit for me. I saw the Beetle the Bard show first, and was astounded by the puppets and the great animatronic Death figure. The actors were hilarious, and I'm sure they'll get even better with time. Celestina Warbeck was the biggest surprise of the entire expansion. I knew the name from the books, and had heard of the show, but didn't know at all what to expect. Celestina herself, was very animated and a GREAT singer. She beautifully sang some original songs, but I couldn't keep my eyes off of her back up dancers. Best number involved a very surprised audience member being pulled up on stage and passed around between the ladies.
-The new drinks. I tried the Fishy Green Ale and the Tongue Tying Lemon Squash. Both were excellent, and I will be trying them again. The Fishy Green Ale was a bubble tea, and even as someone who isn't normally a fan I really enjoyed it. The Lemon Squash is a lemonade drink with a subtle squash taste to it. Sounds weird, but it's so subtle, you'll barely know it's there.
-BUTTERBEER ICE CREAM!!! Two words: A-Mazing!
-Karkitt Market. This space was a "bloody brilliant" idea. In order to keep Diagon similar to the movie, they had to keep it cramped and tight, much smaller even than Hogsmeade. Karkitt works as the main esplanade for the land. Much wider and roomier than Diagon, it held the bulk of the crowds.
-Leaky Cauldron. The main dining hall for the land is pretty simply themed with rows of tables and benches. The inside feels similar to 3 Broomsticks. There are couple great bits of themeing that you won't find at 3 Broomsticks though. One wall overlooking the dining area has rows of mail slots, filled with all sorts of wrapped wizard packages. Another area has a great forced perspective shot of a hallway full of guest rooms. For eats I had the Toad in the Hole served with peas, broccoli, and carrots. The "Toad" was great, though the veggies were lacking. Would order again.
-The Shops. Just like in Hogsmeade, the shops might be the highlight of the entire land. They're all bigger than those at IOA, but that doesn't mean they're any less cramped. Still, the increased floor space, and the few indoor shop queues should make shopping less of a hassle. The merchandise itself though, is another story. I was pretty disappointed in a lot of what I saw. I would be willing to bet at least half of the merch isn't new, and it seemed like most of the new stuff was generic Hogwarts or house specific items. Weasley's had maybe 3 or 4 new items that weren't at Zonko's. Madame Malkins was pretty basic Howgwarts apparel. They did have a few cool new items, like the sweaters Mrs. Weasley knitted Ron and Harry, and some house themed, front-pocket wallets. Menagerie had a few new plush that we haven't seen. Quality Quidditch was probably the biggest disappointment. Was really hoping for a ton of national and professional team merchandise. Instead we got more Hogwarts house items, except for the one Gryffindor item I was really looking forward to... A high-quality set of Quidditch robes. Nope, just sweaters and t-shirts.
-Gringott's Money Exchange. This is where that awesome interactive Goblin AA is located. It's a pretty small store in Karkitt Market that sells Gringotts themed merch, and the "Bank Rune Notes". They're similar to Disney Dollars and can be spent resort wide.