Wizarding World - Diagon Alley Discussion - Part 2

[freediverdude]

I think this queuing and being lead to the door one small group at a time might be a good way to limit the number of people in Diagon at a time, much like how they restricted access to Hogsmeade back in 2010. Would be a good excuse for crowd control.

 

[kingcooger]

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.

There is a possibility that there will be an entrance without a wait, but I do not think that entrance will get the brick wall show that the entrance with the wait time will. I have to imagine you wait a little extra for the 'premium' experience (this is a theme park after all).

 

[Felipe]

Which door are you talking about here?

The door inside the Leicester Square Entrance. It doesn't actually lead to the Leaky Cauldron restaurant

:thumbs:

The problem with that theory is that, where the head of your blue arrow is, there is a fake entrance into the underground Leicester Square Station, so (if I am not mistaken) it simulates a staircase going down, and cuts the path right there.

(Picture from AllAroundOrlando)

I believe the Screed and Sons store just hides a ramp to go in and out of Leaky (and I believe it to be only an emergency / special exit.)

 

[IzzyB]

There is a possibility that there will be an entrance without a wait, but I do not think that entrance will get the brick wall show that the entrance with the wait time will. I have to imagine you wait a little extra for the 'premium' experience (this is a theme park after all).

I guarantee you for opening summer that everyone will be waiting to get in. I think there will be times like Christmas and Sprint Break that will require waits until a certain point also.

 

[floridakid]

When did this "alternate entrance" idea come into play? Because it literally sounds like something they would never ever do because it makes no sense.

 

[Magistra]

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.

It would make sense for Leaky Cauldron clients (i.e. those paying to eat at the restaurant) to be able to access Diagon Alley in a more authentic manner after they finish dining. After all, it's easier to control a dining queue than a park entrance queue. Maybe that "hidden" Leaky Cauldron door next to King's Cross has something to do with that?

In the concept rendering below, however, the hidden Leaky Cauldron door is completely ignored. It almost looks like there is a separate queue leading from King's Cross to the area beneath the Leicester Square Station marquee, and a larger entrance area next to it, also under the Leicester Square arches but not the marquee. There are several doors and explosive light(!) coming out or leading to Wyndham's, but I can't tell if the people are going in or out. This may be older concept art, however:

In the other concept rendering I've seen of the waterfront, that area is completely blocked by tree foliage, of course.

Edit: Wait. Forget the hidden door next to King's Cross; it's just a photo op or emergency exit. What we're supposed to think is that the Leaky Cauldron extends behind & over the underground Leicester Square Station entrance, so the door we see inside the Leicester Square Station area (but not under the marquee) is supposed to be THE exit from the Leaky Cauldron into Diagon Alley - the very same door that Harry and Hagrid use the very first time. Although it doesn't actually lead to the restaurant (or does it?), our spatial reasoning will be thrown off enough to think that perhaps it does and that there are simply two back doors to Leaky Cauldron, one that leads to the courtyard with the brick wall, and a second (through the private rooms, perhaps?) reserved for LC guests that leads directly to Diagon Alley without passing through the brick wall. No idea how they will incorporate the big hole leading from the waterfront to the LC courtyard into the narrative, however. Please don't let it be a hole left behind from when the Death Eaters blasted through and kidnapped Mr. Ollivander.

 

[kingcooger]

I guarantee you for opening summer that everyone will be waiting to get in. I think there will be times like Christmas and Sprint Break that will require waits until a certain point also.

What I mean is that there may be a second entrance that leads directly (and would therefore have less of a line) than the one that does the brick trick.

When did this "alternate entrance" idea come into play? Because it literally sounds like something they would never ever do because it makes no sense.

Capacity issues with the brick entrance and concept art like that below.

It would make sense for Leaky Cauldron clients (i.e. those paying to eat at the restaurant) to be able to access Diagon Alley in a more authentic manner after they finish dining. After all, it's easier to control a dining queue than a park entrance queue. Maybe that "hidden" Leaky Cauldron door next to King's Cross has something to do with that?

In the concept rendering below, however, the hidden Leaky Cauldron door is completely ignored. It almost looks like there is a separate queue leading from King's Cross to the area beneath the Leicester Square Station marquee, and a larger entrance area next to it, also under the Leicester Square arches but not the marquee. There are several doors and explosive light(!) coming out or leading to Wyndham's, but I can't tell if the people are going in or out. This may be older concept art, however:

In the other concept rendering I've seen of the waterfront, that area is completely blocked by tree foliage, of course.

Interesting idea about only letting those who dine get the premium experience. I am curious to see how all of this is handled.

 

[Magistra]

When did this "alternate entrance" idea come into play? Because it literally sounds like something they would never ever do because it makes no sense.

There has to be some sort of alternate entrance because there is no way for all us Muggles to fit through a tiny LC front door and back door, not to mention the chaos that would occur inside the restaurant if we did. Simply put, eleventy-billion Muggles will not be passing through the Leaky Cauldron to get to Diagon Alley.

 

[Teebin]

:thumbs:

I never suggested that it would lead to the restaurant, I was thinking that it would lead to a queue of corridors that mimicked the look of the Leaky's hallways, perhaps the look of the upstairs corridors seen in the movie and then switchback to the brick wall room...

That said, I have been told that my guesses and ideas are completely wrong. I am not sure whether or not I have been told that there is absolutely no interior mega queue to get to the wall. If not, London will be a sweaty icky mess of cattle pens.

 

[fryoj]

When did this "alternate entrance" idea come into play? Because it literally sounds like something they would never ever do because it makes no sense.

It makes more sense than having open unrestricted access to the narrow streets of Diagon. If they are going to have to limit access to the area, does it make more sense to just have everyone queue up out in the courtyard, or make a set of queues in the false fronts of these buildings?

 

[Magistra]

I never suggested that it would lead to the restaurant, I was thinking that it would lead to a queue of corridors that mimicked the look of the Leaky's hallways, perhaps the look of the upstairs corridors seen in the movie and then switchback to the brick wall room...

That said, I have been told that my guesses and ideas are completely wrong. I am not sure whether or not I have been told that there is absolutely no interior mega queue to get to the wall. If not, London will be a sweaty icky mess of cattle pens.

At least your plan had air conditioning. So looking forward to this: :blank:

So basically you're saying that we may or may not have to wait in line for an hour or more just to get into Diagon Alley, even when there's not a massive crowd like there will be for the first few months?

Is it too late for the "only paying restaurant guests can access the premium magic brick wall entrance" idea?

 

[Teebin]

Is it too late for the "only paying restaurant guests can access the premium magic brick wall entrance" idea?

I really have no idea, I was just guessing. I have had numerous people ask to send me the plans and elevations and I have always said no thank you. I have had a great time guessing this time around. The only thing I found a vexing mystery was what the "show" would be. So, I let it be known to my assets that I reeeeeeeaaaaaalllly wanted to know more about it. And I found out... and riddled it here without giving up the farm.

ps: love the cattle pic... looks like the MK Main St after the fireworks. Just imagine a train station in the distance.

 

[Junorhane]

For what it's worth in all this multiple doorways and entrances talk: the blueprints seem to show two (maybe three, but possibly #3 is only an exit?) entrances into Diagon, and none of them seem to directly connect to the door next to King's Cross.

It looks like that doorway in Leicester Square station (the one that looks like the Leaky Cauldron doorway) just spits you out into the crowd of people trying to get through entrances #1 and 2.

 

[Teebin]

It looks like that doorway in Leicester Square station (the one that looks like the Leaky Cauldron doorway) just spits you out into the crowd of people trying to get through entrances #1 and 2.

It has been known for quite a few months that 2 and 3 are the exits. The only entrance is 1.

 

[Magistra]

It has been known for quite a few months that 2 and 3 are the exits. The only entrance is 1.

Only 1 entrance? :stunned:

But there is a separate entrance through Carkitt Market, right? Please say yes.

That #3 looks like it is connected to Carkitt Market, if I'm reading this right and that's Weasley's Wizard Wheezes in the upper center.

 

[Felipe]

Only 1 entrance? :stunned:

But there is a separate entrance through Carkitt Market, right? Please say yes.

That #3 looks like it is connected to Carkitt Market, if I'm reading this right and that's Weasley's Wizard Wheezes in the upper center.

#3 is indeed the exit from Carkitt Market.

 

[floridakid]

It makes more sense than having open unrestricted access to the narrow streets of Diagon. If they are going to have to limit access to the area, does it make more sense to just have everyone queue up out in the courtyard, or make a set of queues in the false fronts of these buildings?

There will be an iron fence encompassing the "park" area of London, hence the giant gate supports being built at either end of London. Crowd control will happen outside of those gates, not inside of them. Meaning the amount of people trying to get into Diagon depends on the number of people they WANT in Diagon. There shouldn't be major capacity or crowding issues at the entrance if crowd control works properly.

 

[Teebin]

There will be an iron fence encompassing the "park" area of London, hence the giant gate supports being built at either end of London.

There are gates being built at both ends? This is the first I have heard of it.... I haven't seen anything being built on the SanFran end.

 

[Felipe]

There are gates being built at both ends? This is the first I have heard of it.... I haven't seen anything being built on the SanFran end.

I believe only the World Expo side will have the more majestic gate with the tall pillars, but the San Fran side should still have a gate for the fence there, right in that area where Kings Cross ends (clock tower) and where that mysterious nook begins. So we should have gates for the fence at each end, and also one in the middle where the Knight Bus is.

 

[Jymmymack]

One entrance means more control of crowd flow. They learned their lesson with Phase 1 and have made sure they can limit access much easier this time around.