Wizarding World - Diagon Alley Discussion - Part 2

[Magistra]

This is the other Leaky door I'm talking about in that nook between Screen and Sons & King's Cross:

The only thing that confuses me is that we've seen a similar doorway inside the Leicester Square Station, to the left of the place where we enter:

Here's an older picture from AllAroundOrlando for better reference:

Well, you beat me to it. As for the internal door in the bottom shot (which I posted a pic of, too), I totally understand that. It's the door that leads from the back/inside of LC out to the courtyard with the brick wall that magically opens to reveal Diagon Alley. What I don't understand is why that first picture you posted has the same door, as if that is the hidden entrance to the LC. It makes sense to have the LC set off like that, but it seems a little far from the internal door that we see in the very bottom picture. Also, if they are planning to add a record store front under the Leicester Square arches, you have to have the door between Screed & Son and Leicester Square, not to the left of S&S as in that top picture.

It may be that they simply didn't like the look of it, as Teebin suggested, and they are moving it over next to Leicester Square. Either that or they just didn't take the whole record store thing into account in the original design. (I'm still holding out for a record store door & sign just to the left of the Leicester Square marquee.

 

[Felipe]

What I don't understand is why that first picture you posted has the same door, as if that is the hidden entrance to the LC. It makes sense to have the LC set off like that, but it seems a little far from the internal door that we see in the very bottom picture. Also, if they are planning to add a record store front under the Leicester Square arches, you have to have the door between Screed & Son and Leicester Square, not to the left of S&S as in that top picture.

It may be that they simply didn't like the look of it, as Teebin suggested, and they are moving it over next to Leicester Square. Either that or they just didn't take the whole record store thing into account in the original design. (I'm still holding out for a record store door & sign just to the left of the Leicester Square marquee.

Right, all these doors are what have me confused. I actually would understand it if there was just that door on the nook to the far left, which would be the authentic entrance to the Leaky Cauldron from London (which should not be accessible to muggles, so it would be just a photo-op, and possible emergency exit, in my opinion), and then the Leicester Square opening is a side entrance made for muggles, since we muggles are not supposed to be able to enter through the Leaky Cauldron. That's the only reasoning I can come up with. But then, if my theory is correct, I don't understand this doorway inside the Leicester Square Station... :shrug: Unless it's no longer there?

 

[Dancapt]

The more times I see videos of people looking over the wall at diagon alley, the more I realize how obnoxious the voice of that alien is over in Simpsons land. I hope when they open the London front, they turn down the volume on that alien spinning ride and we are only able to hear whatever beautiful music they decide to play while in front of the London facade.

It'll probably be either the generic lagoon music or a more "London" influenced soundtrack.

 

[Magistra]

Right, all these doors are what have me confused. I actually would understand it if there was just that door on the nook to the far left, which would be the authentic entrance to the Leaky Cauldron from London (which should not be accessible to muggles, so it would be just a photo-op, and possible emergency exit, in my opinion), and then the Leicester Square opening is a side entrance made for muggles, since we muggles are not supposed to be able to enter through the Leaky Cauldron. That's the only reasoning I can come up with. But then, if my theory is correct, I don't understand this doorway inside the Leicester Square Station... :shrug: Unless it's no longer there?

The door outside, along the waterfront, is supposed to be the "hidden" entrance to the Leaky Cauldron, and it will either not work at all or will be an emergency exit, I assume, but is there for photo ops, as you mentioned. Obviously that doorway would be too small for everyone to enter Diagon from, and it's inconvenient for everyone to traipse through Leaky Cauldron just to get into Diagon anyway. So the really important door is not the front "hidden" door to Leaky, but the one in the picture below, which is the side exit from Leaky, and which leads to the back patio/courtyard with the brick wall that magically opens to reveal Diagon Alley:

I imagine we'll pass through that door to the brick wall we see a hint of on the right, and we'll be told it's an alternate entrance to the Leaky Cauldron patio/courtyard. In other words, it's the door below, which would make sense if the Leaky Cauldron actually extended behind the Leicester Square Station.

Just imagine the soon to be added "record store" and Leicester Square Station in front of the Lego model, with only the front door (where the cauldron is) visible (to wizards) from the street, but with another muggle entrance blasted in the brick wall Hagrid is standing behind.

Or something like that.

 

[Felipe]

Except that door pictured does not go into the Leaky Cauldron. The Leaky Cauldron building starts further back. Unless this door is also just for "show."

 

[tielo]

I see in this shot the door that we see half of, on the left, is supposed to be LC, I take it (based on the gray column we see to the right of it). And the door we see on the right of it would presumably be the record store. Then the big Leicester Square Station to the right of that is where the Muggles would enter. Correct?

Here's a pre-paint adjustment shot of Screed and Sons I pulled up for comparison's sake. Do I have this correctly labeled?

Here's the current shot, with the new LC paint job:

If so, I definitely like it better with the new paint job. It just looks like a normal door otherwise. Or was that the original plan? And if so, why bother with a "hidden" door at all?

Wasn't the roof of the dark brick part right of the chimney (who is incorrectly placed in the concept art) once painted red for a short time? It's clear they try to differentiate it from the rest. Can't believe in what a short time they painted it. This are huge surfaces.
Any news from the main attraction and how it's doing?

 

[MagicRobot]

wouldn't it be neat if you could enter via the LC door between Kings Cross and screed, go through a themed queue and exit from the door inside Leicester Square to the courtyard behind LC, then go through the brick wall into diagon. Most likely they are both just photo ops but I can dream.

could that be something for people coming off the hogwarts express from Kings cross so they don't have to join a giant line waiting to get in to Diagon? Just wild speculation on my part.

 

[fryoj]

wouldn't it be neat if you could enter via the LC door between Kings Cross and screed, go through a themed queue and exit from the door inside Leicester Square to the courtyard behind LC, then go through the brick wall into diagon. Most likely they are both just photo ops but I can dream.

could that be something for people coming off the hogwarts express from Kings cross so they don't have to join a giant line waiting to get in to Diagon? Just wild speculation on my part.

Actually, you might be on to something. Wasn't there pictures of ramps inside the screed and sons building? What if there is a queue in there for the brick wall show? Maybe to get into diagon, you go into the hidden entrance by King's cross. Go through a queue in the buildings there, come out of the door under the leicester sign is and get to see the brick effect before being let into diagon. It would be a better way of dealing with the queues than having everyone line up outside around the fountain. Especially since there is so much going on out there, it would look tacky imo. I'm not sure if thats practical from a throughput standpoint, but it would give them an easier way to control the crowds into Diagon while giving everyone a chance to see the brick effect.

 

[Teebin]

Actually, you might be on to something. Wasn't there pictures of ramps inside the screed and sons building? What if there is a queue in there for the brick wall show?

Right, that is why I typed this early yesterday:

I wonder if guests will be told they must take a special muggle's door into the LC, through the station. The movie doorframe entrance was seen all sculpted just inside Leicester to the left, you may recall. Although I do not know, I believe we may end up in a LC upstairs hallway themed queue that weaves up/down/throughout the Screed building facade until we are escorted in groups to the brick wall.

 

[TheLastAshen]

So. Many. Different. Doors.

 

[novawildcat18]

Thanks to HTF on twitter. That looks like a pretty nice banked turn there.

EDIT: This is NOT Gringotts as I originally thought. It is Mummy. My bad!

 

[STL]

Thanks to HTF on twitter. That looks like a pretty nice banked turn there.

Sweeeeeeeeeeet!!! Thanks for sharing that one. Finally we see "something" from inside.

 

[novawildcat18]

False alarm. That picture is from the Mummy. Sorry!

 

[cameronw99]

Looks more thrilling than we've been led to believe. Hope so

 

[Teebin]

Except that door pictured does not go into the Leaky Cauldron. The Leaky Cauldron building starts further back. Unless this door is also just for "show."

Which door are you talking about here?

 

[Magistra]

Which door are you talking about here?

The door inside the Leicester Square Entrance. It doesn't actually lead to the Leaky Cauldron restaurant within the theme park. Or does it?

The mere thought of having to line up to go through a secret door, then being taken up through a queuing room, then being led down to the entrance in groups just to get into DA sounds like a nightmare to me. Ugh, why didn't they just have a nice large Leaky Cauldron door and a nice large brick wall entry. The entry through the Leaky Cauldron could have made it seem like you're passing right through an enlarged corridor of the LC itself, and magic sliding doors could open to let Muggles through. The brick wall could end in jagged bricks and could have some sort of illusion of the last few bricks drawing back by projecting brick images onto smoke arising around the bricks. And everyone would just walk right through just like when entering Hogsmeade. No, it's not as authentic as a tiny little pub with a tiny little door in front and a tiny little door leading out back to a tiny courtyard with a tiny brick wall, but being queued up like sheep and herded through the secret Leicester Square Station entrance and through a bunch of corridors isn't exactly authentic, either.

WHY SO MANY DOORS?! :doh:

Sorry, just a little grumpy today. When is Orlando going to give us an opening date and a little concrete information already?

 

[El Erico]

WHY SO MANY DOORS?! :doh:

Made me think of this:

http://youtu.be/pxbsV8QWGic?t=9s

 

[Adz]

I think this is how it may work out. Excuse my incredibly poor paint work!

Red is the 'brick wall effect' - whatever that may be.
Green is the regular entrance from the London waterfront.
Blue is an 'alternative' entrance through LC (maybe with internal queue etc) for those who want to experience it in the closest way to the fiction.

Unless I've missed anything, this seems possible with the internal configuration of the buildings?

 

[kingcooger]

I think this is how it may work out. Excuse my incredibly poor paint work!

Red is the 'brick wall effect' - whatever that may be.
Green is the regular entrance from the London waterfront.
Blue is an 'alternative' entrance through LC (maybe with internal queue etc) for those who want to experience it in the closest way to the fiction.

Unless I've missed anything, this seems possible with the internal configuration of the buildings?

I have no real idea but I have to imagine if you go through the punched wall you do not get the brick effect. It would seem pointless to wait for the brick effect in a Leaky Cauldron line than to just go forward and I am fairly certain many people would quickly come to that conclusion. I have to believe that the punched hole and brick effect are two separate entrances for practical purposes.

 

[IzzyB]

It is possible they will have one entrance for when there is no wait to get in and a different way when there is a line. So they will queue people up and they will go thru this over Leaky door and wait in line to get in, making part of the line inside. Or when you have a return ticket this is the line you go into. When there is no line and it is a free for all, then everyone just uses the main entrance and does not go thru a door.