Universal Studios Diagon Alley
It’s been almost two months since the Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley opened at Universal Studios Orlando, and it’s time to take a peek and see how things are going. With overall wait times unusually low, some stores mysteriously empty, and crowds that have trickled down to virtually nothing, what is happening at Universal’s almost $400 million expansion?
Attendance at the Park
Universal Studios Diagon Alley as a whole appears to be down in attendance, except of course the Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts, especially compared to Hogsmeade’s opening phase. Universal Studios hasn’t cut admission to Diagon Alley in weeks, and the equipment Universal installed to dispense return wait time cards have sat idle as the new land’s higher capacity than the original Wizarding World in Islands of Adventure so far has handled the current level of demand. Rumor has it that ticket sales, as well as the profits of various stores in Diagon Alley have missed the mark. Hogwarts Express, which Universal was so confident would be a gold mine, that it drastically raised the price of its park-to-park tickets by a considerable amount, has dropped to a 10- or 15-minute wait throughout a good chunk of the day. Orlando Ticket Connection is able to offer the 2 Day Park to Park Ticket for $38 OFF the Gate price. Click here!
One of the reasons for the decline in sales could be that unlike the opening of Hogsmeade and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Universal Orlando only gave three weeks’ notice for the summer grand opening. Perhaps it didn’t give people enough time to plan their vacations. But with the Christmas Holidays soon upon us Diagon Alley should have the growth that Universal expected.
While the expanded world at Universal Studios offers just one new ride and a train linking it to Hogsmeade at Islands of Adventure, there’s plenty to thrill would-be wizards. It helps that the new ride, Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts, is a doozy. A fire-breathing dragon sits atop the Gringotts building. It’s a 60-foot-long Ukrainian Ironbelly with its tail pointed to the sky. It emits a blast downward at random intervals. Guests on the ground can feel the heat. Although it’s winged, the beast is stationary.
All that said,Universal Studios Diagon Alley is an amazing land that Universal has created and it could be that they were so ready for the crowds that they have completely improved their crowd control that it only seems like the park is slow.
Either way Diagon Alley is a must see and The OTC Genius gives Universal’s Diagon Alley 4 STAR RATING!!