Wizarding World - Diagon Alley Discussion (Opens 2014)

[ReelJustice]

For the Leaky Cauldron entrance facade:
"Diagon Alley is accessible from Muggle London through the Leaky Cauldron, which is on Charing Cross Road, set between a bookshop and a record shop."

I bet this will be at the end of that long skinny part of Kings Cross:

Facade of Kings Cross (St. Pancras)

 

[rhino4evr]

wow..this is getting exciting. Can't wait to see concept art.

 

[Disneyhead]

Right Reel Justice except I believe you linked the wrong train station. This is King's Cross.

http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01621/kingscross_1621986c.jpg

 

[rhino4evr]

wasnt there a rumor that this would be announced on the anniversery of the first Potter park? It makes sense on a press event level. "we are here to celebrate the second year of our succesful park, and will be announcing a whole new park..." blah blah blah. Just makes sense. The fact they have already got the building lay outs, suggests that this whole plan may have been active for a long while. It has to be pretty much completed on a design/layout level. Unlike say, Avatar...which Disney hasnt even put Survey markers up yet...why is Disney waiting so long to get started? Possibly not to over shadow Fantasyland?

 

[Teebin]

Right Reel Justice except I believe you linked the wrong train station. This is King's Cross.

St. Pancras station is located next door to Kings Cross; across the street. There are curious reasons that they chose St. Pancras for the films but I cannot recall what they are. Most obvious is that St. Pancras is visually more compelling.

Here is the answer from Wiki:

"When the films were made, the station scenes took place within the main station, with platforms 4 and 5 renumbered 9 and 10. In the film of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the exterior of the adjacent St. Pancras station was used, as its Victorian Gothic façade was considered more impressive than the real King's Cross station."

So there is book fact and film fact all mushed together. For a theme park, I too would use St. Pancras.

 

[ReelJustice]

Right Reel Justice except I believe you linked the wrong train station. This is King's Cross.

http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01621/kingscross_1621986c.jpg

St. Pancras station is located next door to Kings Cross; across the street. There are curious reasons that they chose St. Pancras for the films but I cannot recall what they are. Most obvious is that St. Pancras is visually more compelling.

Here is the answer from Wiki:

"When the films were made, the station scenes took place within the main station, with platforms 4 and 5 renumbered 9 and 10. In the film of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the exterior of the adjacent St. Pancras station was used, as its Victorian Gothic façade was considered more impressive than the real King's Cross station."

So there is book fact and film fact all mushed together. For a theme park, I too would use St. Pancras.

Correct. It should also be noted that St. Pancras and Kings Cross are essentially the same station. They are right next to each other. St. Pancras just looks better. Platforms 9 and 10 aren't even close to each other at Kings Cross. JKR has admitted she made a mistake and confused with it Euston Station. So it's a complete mess (in the real world.)

 

[rhino4evr]

JKR made a mistake? What!?

 

[ReelJustice]

JKR made a mistake? What!?

Platform 9 3/4 at Kings Cross is a physical impossibility.

 

[BJCool]

I originally posted this in the Avatar thread, then hatetofly convincingly suggested that this sounds more like something Uni could be whipping up (for Gringotts or the Hogwarts Express, perhaps???).

(3/5/12) Empire Industries has announced that their Dynamic Structures business unit has been awarded a huge contract from a “global customer” to design, engineer and manufacture the structure and systems of a “media based attraction”. The project will take approximately two years to complete and the contact is valued in excess of $30 million. While this may be a shot in the dark… given their past work for Disney, I’ve got to assume this may be another massive Disney attraction. With the two-year construction period, I suppose this could be for a number of projects. It could be virtually anything for Shanghai Disneyland, though other large projects rumored for Paris (Ratatouille), Orlando (Avatar) or even an unknown project for Tokyo or California could be considered as well.

From Screamscape

 

[King_K.]

Seeing as Dynamic Structures was one of the ride engineers of Forbidden Journey, it's quite possible.

 

[Matpez]

We know that Gringotts will anchor the expansion, but what other shows/attractions will be created for the area? A C-ticket? MORE STREETMOSPHERE! PLEASE! I want Wizards and Witches everywhere, interacting, casting spells, making magic! But I would also love to see a Wizards duel, and of course the Hogwarts Express train from London to Hogsmede.

There will not be wizards performing magic in front of Muggles. They are already reminded at the entrance to Hogsmeade "Please Respect the Spell Limits".

Would Uni start construction without telling people what it will be? And how long until they confirm what is happening? Universal is going to wait as long as possible before announcing it. Once they announce it people will delay their trips so they can come "when it is is all finished" a perfect example of this is how I personally have delayed my trip to Disneyland until DCA is "finished" I will be going in late summer. I didn't go last year when WOC opened because I wanted to wait until it was all done. Just like when they announced the WWOHP people delayed their trips to Universal. They want to wait as long as possible. construction will be well underway before any announcement is made.

Two reasons:
-I think we might have completed buildings without facades before an official announcement to prevent the general public from delaying vacations until it's completed.

-If those people visit and love WWoHP then find out there will be more later they are more likely to return.

 

[rhino4evr]

ehh..I still say we get an announcement soon, most likely in May or June. They are obviously moving very quickly for a reason, they want to be ready when Disney is ready to finish Fantasyland..or maybe a little bit afterward. I expect vertical construction to begin at this point too.

 

[Teebin]

Someone please discuss what "media based attraction" means. To me, this does not sound like Gringotts. Sounds more like a famous choo-choo.

 

[rhino4evr]

My guess, "media based" just means it's based on television or film intellectual property. It's either Avatar or Potter, my guess.

 

[JungleSkip]

My guess, "media based" just means it's based on television or film intellectual property. It's either Avatar or Potter, my guess.

It's not Avatar. Way, way too early of Avatar.

But yea, I assume media based means it's based off of some sort of media.

 

[Teebin]

Sometimes I go that extra mile to see what a term means, especially when I think it means something different and more specific. It does.

http://www.blooloop.com/Article/Ris...t-generation-of-entertainment-experiences/243
http://www.iaapa.org/industry/funworld/2011/jul/departments/specialreport.asp

So, while a media based attraction may be based on a popular film or film franchise, it doesn't have to be. It just means an attraction that uses projection or video screens used in conjunction with other effects.

 

[Disneyhead]

Yep, what Teebs said. We know them as screen based attractions. Soarin' is a great example of media based attraction. So this description would most likely fit the Hogwarts Express best. Even though, I wouldn't be surprised to find a few projections in Gringott's also.

 

[Quint]

A photo from the Empire Industries/Dynamic Structures website...

In addition to the Mark VII Monorail, they were responsible for Test Track, Soarin', and DL's 2005 Space Mountain:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamic_Structures

 

[ReelJustice]

It's not Avatar. Way, way too early of Avatar.

But yea, I assume media based means it's based off of some sort of media.

Avatar isn't anything more than a pipe dream with a few sketches. I could see Hogwarts Express work starting already because it is nothing but screens.

 

[kingeric]

So as much as they hyped Avatar upon the acquisition of the IP things have been awfully quiet.