Official Opening Date for Diagon Alley

[DizneyFreak2002]

Universal, Comcast announced this morning the official opening date for Diagon Alley is July 8th, 2014...

Right after the July 4th weekend... Bless all those people who are going for grand opening and fighting those crowds...

I'll wait thank you

[BrerGnat]

I am DYING to see this, and I might get brave and sneak over for one day while I am visiting my parents in Orlando this August. If not, I will definitely make it down there sometime in the next year. It all looks incredible!

[DizneyFreak2002]

It does look incredible Nat... all the pictures being released today makes me want to go as soon as it opens... But I'm not that crazy...

To add to this: the dragon on top of Gringotts is spectacular.. And yes, it does breath fire... You do walk through the wall for Platform 9 3/4... One awesome effect... I'm not sold on the interactive wands just yet... Need to see them in action... Everything else though, top notch!!!

[PirateLover]

Everything looks better than I could've possibly imagined. The reviews are rolling in and everyone seems highly impressed. It's going to be so hard to wait until October 2015, which is likely the earliest we'll be able to get there to check it out. Bravo, Universal. You are guaranteed at least 2-3 days out of my next Orlando visit.

[Melanie]

Oh my! We chose the week of July 7-11 to visit Orlando thinking this area would already be open. Wowsa, it's going to be busy, but we'll be there.

[CanadianWDWFan]

Think the crowds will have died down when we get there a month after opening?

Still we are looking forward to going, crowds or not.

[DizneyFreak2002]

One of the biggest Disney brand advocates out there said Diagon Alley raises the bar 1000 times... Maybe more, I don't recall his actual tweet... That says a lot...

Reviews are amazing... Universal hit one out of the park, as we expected...

Here are Ricky's actual words:

"Oh. My. God. #DiagonAlley. Best theme park area ever. EVER. Bar raised 10000x. There are. No. Words. I am blown away. @UniversalORL"

[Belle of the Ball 051411]

It looks awesome! Hope to get down there this fall.

[BrerGnat]

Good luck Melanie!

[DizneyFreak2002]

Too early to discuss Potter Phase 3? Cause, it is coming...

[Melanie]

Has Ricky been to TDS?

Honestly, I'm sure it's amazing, but it will have to completely blow me away to beat TDS in my book. I can't wait to see it.

[cer]

Has Ricky been to TDS?

Honestly, I'm sure it's amazing, but it will have to completely blow me away to beat TDS in my book. I can't wait to see it.

Y'all, who's Ricky?

Melanie, so glad you are going. I cannot wait to hear all about it!

Yay!

[Melanie]

I assume he's talking about Ricky Brigante from Inside the Magic?

[BrerGnat]

Ricky has not been to TDS. He mentions on his show fairly often how he has not yet been to any of the overseas parks but he hopes to go to Tokyo, especially, one day.

[BriarRose0708]

I have a friend there now at the preview event. His pictures look incredible! Didn't get to ride Gringotts but everything is just as you'd expect it to be. There's a butterbeer soft serve treat he raved about, too! I have never done any of WWoHP but am certainly looking forward to the day I can visit!

[DizneyFreak2002]

Has Ricky been to TDS?

Honestly, I'm sure it's amazing, but it will have to completely blow me away to beat TDS in my book. I can't wait to see it.

Ricky has not been to TDS. He mentions on his show fairly often how he has not yet been to any of the overseas parks but he hopes to go to Tokyo, especially, one day.

Probably cause Disney hasn't paid his way there yet... Brand advocates/lifestylers pay their own way? yea suuuure...

Video of the dragon breathing fire is out there, and it is spectacular, more so at night... Hogwarts Express looks like a very well done E ticket for sure... The only qualm I have about it, Hermoine's voice is way off... No, the 3 originals did not provide their voices for the train, those are voice actors, impersonators... Otherwise, nice addition...

Reading reviews of Gringotts and everyone is wildly impressed so far... No videos yet, they aren't allowed from my understanding...

[buzznwoodysmom]

Words cannot express how much we are looking forward to visiting Diagon Alley! My youngest son has been watching videos nonstop it seems!

We went the year WWOHP first opened. We waited till Oct. and it was such an amazing experience. Crowds weren't bad, the weather was perfect. I really wish we could pull off a visit this Oct. (in keeping with "tradition"), but I'm not sure just yet. Can't wait to hear from those who visit in the coming months!!!

[MizMissy]

Words cannot express how much we are looking forward to visiting Diagon Alley! My youngest son has been watching videos nonstop it seems!

We went the year WWOHP first opened. We waited till Oct. and it was such an amazing experience. Crowds weren't bad, the weather was perfect. I really wish we could pull off a visit this Oct. (in keeping with "tradition"), but I'm not sure just yet. Can't wait to hear from those who visit in the coming months!!!

Same here! I think my kids are more excited for Diagon Alley than when the original WWOHP opened ... probably because they just know how fabulous it will be ....
I would also love to pull off an October trip, but with my kids in different schools next year, our October breaks do not coordinate so I know it will not be possible .... maybe Mardi Gras???

Also, the problem I see with October is HHN. HHN did not interfere with the original WWOHP because it was in a different park. My concern is with Diagon Alley in US, HHN seriously cuts into your park time (and any kind of night time experience).

[mel]

I am a lifetime disney fan and up until recently never really cared for universal Orlando. But after my visit in May, I have definitely changed my mind. Universal theming and rides have really raised the bar. I can't image what diagonal alley is like!

[DizneyFreak2002]

I am a lifetime disney fan and up until recently never really cared for universal Orlando. But after my visit in May, I have definitely changed my mind. Universal theming and rides have really raised the bar. I can't image what diagonal alley is like!

This is just the beginning.. By 2020, Universal will be a completely different park...