Wizarding World - Diagon Alley Discussion - Part 2

[PWT]

Is there really going to be a dragon on top of Gringotts at all times?
That just seems…out of place.

Not just a dragon... a very large and impressive one, it sounds like.

The first major moment when you walk into WWoHP 1.0 is Hogwarts Castle. GGGhost already kind of implied this in their post, but I look at the dragon as one of the first major moments of Diagon Alley. Without it, you're looking at just a bank. With it, you're "wowed" right off the bat.

While there's no arguing it doesn't exactly mesh with the story, to "wow" the guest as many times as possible does seem to be a very prominent goal in the whole expansion.

 

[sierrak5]

I just did a bunch of research on this trying to gain insight to soft opening trends. The 1st soft opening of the wizarding world was only to hotel guests and started on May 28th, 2010. The first date that non-hotel guests entered the wizarding world was on June 1st. Although resort guests continued to get that extra hour each day they only had the section exclusively to them for 3 days.

I remember the hotel guests' exclusive access early on. I believe it was to honor a hotel package they sold that assumed a May grand opening which didnt happen.

 

[freediverdude]

I just did a bunch of research on this trying to gain insight to soft opening trends. The 1st soft opening of the wizarding world was only to hotel guests and started on May 28th, 2010. The first date that non-hotel guests entered the wizarding world was on June 1st. Although resort guests continued to get that extra hour each day they only had the section exclusively to them for 3 days.

I'm sorry but that's just not true. My trip was the first week in June 2010, specifically I stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel the nights of June 3rd and 4th, 2010. During these days, hotel guests were let in from 8 am until approx 11am, and then the area closed to everyone for the rest of the day (except for probably employee events or VIP events). The public was not let in that week at all. It was either the following week, but I think it was more likely the week after that the people lingering around the entrance were finally allowed in and the public softs started. I remember all this because I followed it very closely. I remember telling people at work after I got back and was still following the situation that they could still get in on it by staying at a hotel that week, and then I think the next week was when I heard the first public entered.

 

[Junorhane]

I think there are a number of reasons why a dragon atop Gringotts might make sense. The Wizarding World is a timeless (i.e. set in no particular moment from the series) hodgepodge of iconic events, characters, and places in the wizarding world, and Potter fans are already in a position of having to disregard a certain amount of thematic discontinuity, anachronism, or outright error...

Also, since they had originally intended to include a fire-breathing dragon in Forbidden Journey but had to cancel it at the last minute, this is their opportunity to impress guests with that technology...

...Either way, I imagine they're gambling that the special effects will win over even hardcore HP fans, in spite of the anachronism/discontinuity.

This is pretty much how I am thinking about it too, but for me it's all just a way to rationalize the fact that the dragon is going to be there when I'd prefer it wasn't.

I hope the special effects are really impressive (that would definitely help), but it seems like it's just going to be a non-moving statue of a dragon that occasionally spits out some flame.

 

[josh10924]

i Think they added the dragon to give it that wow factor when you first look down Diagon Alley, as GGGhost said

 

[Teebin]

This is new and excellent...

[video=youtube_share;f1SJzNZdpPQ]http://youtu.be/f1SJzNZdpPQ[/video]

 

[mbrou24]

Two new diagon teasers today

http://youtu.be/rbMOjvvTI6g

And

http://youtu.be/f1SJzNZdpPQ


Sorry I didn't embed, I'm on my phone but just thought I'd share

 

[novawildcat18]

Two new diagon teasers today

http://youtu.be/rbMOjvvTI6g

And

http://youtu.be/f1SJzNZdpPQ


Sorry I didn't embed, I'm on my phone but just thought I'd share

These are great and they got me very excited (especially with the epic music and scenes from the Gringott's vaults) HOWEVER, I kind of wish they waited like a month to make these so that they could use actual footage from inside the land rather than more CGI and movie scenes put together. It's so close to when we can see the real thing, why choose to use the fake CGI?

 

[Skubersky]

The first time I set foot in Hogsmeade was 6/2/2010 at 9:03am. I was NOT staying in hotel, I just stalked the entrance every morning for a week until they let me in:

 

[ductapemyheartt]

Do you guys think the crowds will be more manageable this time around or the same as the opening for Part 1?

I went the week of June 21st of 2010 and we just got to the parks at 6 and 7 am each day and they let us into Potter super early. We were able to enjoy the land for a couple of hours until it got packed and they started limiting who they let into Hogsmeade. Then at nighttime, they let us continue to shop until around midnight and there was just a small group of people.

So this time around…do you think Diagon Alley for the most part will be packed or will it be more evened out since there are two parks and maybe a lot of people are coming for the first time?

 

[Voidfish]

Alright, I've been completely out of the loop and am still catching up. Is any of the stuff in today's (awesome) videos new footage? Or is it pulled from previous mockups?

 

[Teebin]

I went out to get my mail today, and to my surprise, there was a snowy owl perched on top of the box. Inside the box was this white paper with odd images printed on it. I wonder what it might mean? :look:

 

[Teknik_DC2]

I'm sorry but that's just not true. My trip was the first week in June 2010, specifically I stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel the nights of June 3rd and 4th, 2010. During these days, hotel guests were let in from 8 am until approx 11am, and then the area closed to everyone for the rest of the day (except for probably employee events or VIP events). The public was not let in that week at all. It was either the following week, but I think it was more likely the week after that the people lingering around the entrance were finally allowed in and the public softs started. I remember all this because I followed it very closely. I remember telling people at work after I got back and was still following the situation that they could still get in on it by staying at a hotel that week, and then I think the next week was when I heard the first public entered.

Seth just confirmed that he got in on June 2nd not being a resort guest.

Not only that but here's the link to themeparkinsider confirming non-resort guests got in on June 1st:

http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/201006/1952/

And even on this very site there were reports of the general public being allowed in on June 1st:

http://www.orlandounited.com/forums...izarding-World-of-Harry-Potter-Part-2/page631

They Mau have let very few in and perhaps didn't allow them in every day that week but there is proof that the first date that non-resort guests were let in to the wizarding world was June 1st.

 

[Brian G.]

Press release about the new marketing campaign

http://orlandounited.com/2014/03/un...wizarding-world-of-harry-potter-diagon-alley/

 

[Frogki]

I went out to get my mail today, and to my surprise, there was a snowy owl perched on top of the box. Inside the box was this white paper with odd images printed on it. I wonder what it might mean? :look:

Okay, so the car is probably referencing the Ford Angela - maybe we'll catch Harry or Ron flying by at some point on the train? I'm pretty much clueless about the rest of them but I had to reply because... Come on, it's a Teebin hint guys! :happy:

 

[Doug A.]

I went out to get my mail today, and to my surprise, there was a snowy owl perched on top of the box. Inside the box was this white paper with odd images printed on it. I wonder what it might mean? :look:

All I got so far is carkit theater cart gear? Doesn't make a whole lot of sense but carkit theater seems right so far

 

[novawildcat18]

All I got so far is carkit theater cart gear? Doesn't make a whole lot of sense but carkit theater seems right so far

Isn't it Carkitt Market? The theater is Wyndham's Theater.

 

[Doug A.]

It is carkitt market, but that looks more like a theater so I shortened it. I think it has something to do with the show that will be in carkitt market? :shrug:

 

[PWT]

Do you guys think the crowds will be more manageable this time around or the same as the opening for Part 1?

I went the week of June 21st of 2010 and we just got to the parks at 6 and 7 am each day and they let us into Potter super early. We were able to enjoy the land for a couple of hours until it got packed and they started limiting who they let into Hogsmeade. Then at nighttime, they let us continue to shop until around midnight and there was just a small group of people.

So this time around…do you think Diagon Alley for the most part will be packed or will it be more evened out since there are two parks and maybe a lot of people are coming for the first time?

It will be packed.

 

[Teebin]

It is carkitt market, but that looks more like a theater so I shortened it. I think it has something to do with the show that will be in carkitt market? :shrug:

Clever boy...