In the News: Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley

There's not a stitch of clothes for sale at Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. Not yet anyway. And the shelves at Borgin and Burkes are still bare as well.

Even though The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley is still basically a construction site, there's really only one word that describes this soon-to-open addition to the Universal Orlando Resort. And that word is magical.

Though visitors to Universal Studios Florida will have to wait until Summer before they can then grab a cone at Florean Fortescue's Ice-Cream Parlour or discover what's hidden in the shadows of Knockturn Alley, a few lucky reporters and bloggers got to go behind those five-stories-tall London facades which shield this new "land" from prying Muggle eyes yesterday. And while onsite, they also got the chance to talk with key members of Universal Creative. Who have been working with Warner Bros. Entertainment on this USF expansion ever since The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Hogsmeade first opened over at Islands of Adventure back in June of 2010.

Diagon Alley and London will be located within the Universal Studios Florida theme park, which is adjacent to Universal’s Islands of Adventure theme park, where guests now experience Hogwarts and Hogsmeade. The new area within Universal Studios will be just as expansive, immersive and authentic as the existing themed environment.

Just like in the books and films, guests will be able to travel between ‘London’ and Hogsmeade aboard the Hogwarts Express.

Work on the new area is still underway. When complete, it will feature shops, a restaurant and an innovative, marquee attraction based on Gringotts bank, all directly inspired by the fiction and films.

To bring Diagon Alley and ‘London’ to life, Universal’s creative team is working closely with Warner Bros. and the production design team from the Harry Potter films, just as it did for Hogwarts and Hogsmeade.

And it's not just those little touches that Universal Creative is striving to get right. There's also Diagon Alley's big main attraction, "Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts." Which is this ambitious coaster-like attraction which will recreate one of the more memorable moments from "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part II." Not to mention that full-sized recreation of the Hogwarts Express. Which will carry Universal Orlando visitors from Diagon Alley over to Hogmeade (or visa versa) and provide them views of London and the English countryside. Not to mention a few other surprises along the way.

Keep in mind, that the magic is about to go global. There's a version of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter that's nearing completion at Universal Studios Japan Thierry Coup, senior vice president of Universal Creative, will be flying over to Osaka later this month. Where he'll then spend ten days straight riding that theme park's version of "Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey" as Thierry fine-tunes this high tech thrill ride. Not to mention the Potter-themed project that's about to rise on the Upper Lot at Universal Studios Hollywood. What's great about all of these other Harry Potter-themed things that are going into Osaka and Hollywood is that they're all going to have their own unique elements.

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