Wizarding World - Diagon Alley Discussion - Part 2

[Disneyhead]

According to Alan Gilmore, WWoHP "exists in a moment frozen in time" outside Potter cannon, sometime between the start of Goblet of Fire and the end of Order of the Phoenix.

The contract for WWoHP specifies that it must include elements from the final 2 books, so I expect Diagon Alley to be set between the deaths of Dumbledore and Voldemort.

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I don't think it's fair for us to judge the aesthetic clashing of the London facades until the scaffolds are down (and back up, and back down again) so we can see the final paint job. Color goes a long way...

And for what it's worth, the mix of architectural eras is even more extreme in Epcot's UK pavilion. You've got Anne Hathaway's rustic country cottage next to a downtown urban pub!

Bottom line, as long as there is a Pub with a Pint, I'm good!

 

[TylerDurden]

Okay, I did not get that people did not like that London is going to be too realistic. But I think in the end it's better that way. I know no one is going to the park to see the Max Factor building, but Potter fans are going to see these iconic facades.

Thats another good point as well--I guess not being a huge Potter fan I more easily agree with the idea that the facades dont blend well, while someone more interested in the HP canon places greater emphasis on seeing the landmarks.

 

[Orlandolover]

I would argue they will blend well. The designer put two brick buildings at either ends and put a theater and Leicester in between as focal points. There is a transition between kings cross and Leicester. The colors have not been applied so it looks lopsided now with the theater just black because of construction. But I think the colors will pull the facades together. Right now the theater has no color which makes the row of buildings lopsided. It will go brown, red, grey stone, brown after completion. Your eye will be drawn to the stone and red brick. The brown bricks will frame the grand buildings between. In addition, when the facades will be completed they will all be linked by Romanesque arches. I think they will work.

 

[Teebin]

I'm not seeing any trees Teebs :look:

Revisiting this. What are the two very tall green splotches in the concept art? (see below) Assuming they are trees, they are in an area consistent with ReelJ's waterfront plans that he passed along over a year ago. Continuing the idea, there is another planting area to the right of the fountain and one would assume they would balance it out.

 

[shiekra38]

Revisiting this. What are the two very tall green splotches in the concept art? (see below) Assuming they are trees, they are in an area consistent with ReelJ's waterfront plans that he passed along over a year ago. Continuing the idea, there is another planting area to the right of the fountain and one would assume they would balance it out.

'Artistic Liberty' ?

 

[Disneyhead]

They took King's Cross and Grimmald Place and 2 other prominent west end landmarks to establish a sector of London. Obviously Diagon Alley is in London's West End. Got it!

 

[mainejeff]

I hope that people don't start going all Disney fanboy on this and start complaining about the wrong color trash cans, etc..............

 

[Teebin]

I hope that people don't start going all Disney fanboy on this and start complaining about the wrong color trash cans, etc..............

There is a big difference between a trash can and a 100' frontage building facade. Some of you argue that it is not finished yet, but do not realize that some of us can see it finished now. Some of you can argue that it is the "West End" but Grimmauld is two or three miles away (if not more) from Diagon in the books. I would have preferred a space of 60'-90' to represent that mileage.

For those of you that think it is 'spot on' then ok! I have already stated that they will make millions, even if they spread poop on a dry cracker and call it Gringotts Bank.

 

[Andy]

There is a big difference between a trash can and a 100' frontage building facade. Some of you argue that it is not finished yet, but do not realize that some of us can see it finished now. Some of you can argue that it is the "West End" but Grimmauld is two or three miles away (if not more) from Diagon in the books. I would have preferred a space of 60'-90' to represent that mileage.

For those of you that think it is 'spot on' then ok! I have already stated that they will make millions, even if they spread poop on a dry cracker and call it Gringotts Bank.

I've emailed several relatives who live in England a few extra photos and I'm curious to their opinions on it. A few of them even despise Potter so I should get some decent feedback from independent sources for the sake of conversation.

On a personal note I see where Teebs is coming from on the mash of style, but at the same time I like it.

 

[badlactose]

For me, the mish-mash of different architectural styles looks fine.

But what does read as incongruous and jarring is seeing the Grimmauld townhouses jutting right up against a theater. Universal has created what looks believably like a London high street (or in North American terms, 'main street'). As such I can fully accept that a subway station, shops, and a theater would be lined up next to one another. A row of residential houses, on the other hand, seems out of place.

So I do agree with Teebin. I think that Grimmauld would look better if it was spaced a bit further from the rest of the buildings. Even an alleyway would help.

 

[MagicRobot]

I think most Potter fans really don't care about the London facade. I wouldn't give a crap if it was just a plywood wall with a whole in it as long as Diagon alley is awesome.

 

[DragonSlayer]

I agree that Grimmauld Place is the worst part of it, but to be honest I don't like King's Croos being (pretty much) right next to Leicester Square. Apart from any geographical considerations, why two stations right next to each other? It makes no sense.

I'm pretty concerned about the 'interior' of Leicester Square, too.

 

[Thatguyoverwhere]

My main problem with the whole facade is the way that everything looks from afar. Up close, the brickwork and other details look believable, but if one were to observe it from, say, across the lagoon, it kinda just looks like somebody dumped a few buckets of paint on a concrete wall, due to the way the different colors seem to morph together (which I may add is not the case with other fake brickwork in this same park)...

 

[mbrou24]

For me, the mish-mash of different architectural styles looks fine.

But what does read as incongruous and jarring is seeing the Grimmauld townhouses jutting right up against a theater. Universal has created what looks believably like a London high street (or in North American terms, 'main street'). As such I can fully accept that a subway station, shops, and a theater would be lined up next to one another. A row of residential houses, on the other hand, seems out of place.

So I do agree with Teebin. I think that Grimmauld would look better if it was spaced a bit further from the rest of the buildings. Even an alleyway would help.

At the end of the day I don't have a problem with the facade as a whole. I think it looks ok. Grimmauld does look a but out of place but we have to remember this isn't actually London, this is universals interpretation using some iconic places from the books and movies to fill out a facade. While it doesn't look spectacular, I'm ok with it because it isn't the primary part of the wizarding world. At the end of the day they are just facades and I treat then as such

 

[GAcoaster]

Two things to keep in mind:

-Hold off on judgement until it is finished. I'm sure all of this was modeled in detail and it will look fine when it is finished.

-This is a movie studio theme park, so the idea of incongruous things next to each other is par for the course. It's part of the overall idea.

 

[Shadow Carelli]

How do I upload photos? I'm at the park now and took some pictures.

 

[UNIrd]

At the end of the day, it's all approved by Jo Rowling so it doesn't really matter what we think.

 

[Disneyhead]

I agree that Grimmauld Place is the worst part of it, but to be honest I don't like King's Croos being (pretty much) right next to Leicester Square. Apart from any geographical considerations, why two stations right next to each other? It makes no sense.

I'm pretty concerned about the 'interior' of Leicester Square, too.

There is always a tube station next to or at least very close to the train stations. That's how public transportation works.

 

[MrRoamer]

How do I upload photos? I'm at the park now and took some pictures.

I created a photobucket account. It is free and they have a decent mobile app. Upload to that and then select share from the app and it will give you a string you can copy that has the tags to display it in your post.

 

[GGGhost]

As a caveat to my admittedly platitudinous "It looks great," I will say that my only small problem is, like others have said, that Grimmauld, being the same height as and right next to Wyndham, seems to diminish the scale and grandeur of the theater facade.

But I say that looking at the pictures now. After seeing it in person a few weeks ago, it still looks pretty damn grand up close. And even from a distance, I don't remember noticing any awkwardness in the park.