With such a strong community of Disney fans over at Mouse Fan Travel, it can sometimes be hard to convince or even interest us Mouse Fans to head down the road and check out Universal Orlando Resort. I know even personally, I did not experience Universal as a guest until a couple of years ago. Many of us have so much history with Disney Parks, it may feel as though we are "betraying the Mouse" by visiting another theme park. However, when I first visited Universal Orlando Resort, I was actually shocked at how much I loved it. The theming, the details, the fun, is all there. I realized that it is possible to love both resorts, for different reasons, just be being a fan of theme park design, story, and of course, attractions. {And being a huge Harry Potter nerd doesn't hurt either.} With the Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Hogsmeade section in Islands of Adventure, the park gained a whole new set of fans and visitors. The attention to detail and the dedication to the Harry Potter books and movies is quite simply, amazing. Add to the mix the beautiful hotels on property (we'll discuss those more later) and great packages with add-ons like the Universal Dining Plan, and Universal Orlando really IS a destination worth visiting. All of that is reason enough to visit these parks and hotels – but Universal just changed the game with their new Wizarding World of Harry Potter addition – Diagon Alley. We were recently treated to a preview of this new area and it's main attraction – Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts, and to sum it all up in a word, it's AMAZING. Below, we'll share some details of this new area and why, if you are on the fence about adding a Universal visit to your Orlando vacation, now is the very best time to jump on over and visit these incredible parks and resorts.
If you are a fan of the Harry Potter series of books or even just the movies, you will fall head over heels in love (as I did) with Diagon Alley. The area is set up with London's King's Cross Station and surrounding buildings setting the stage for the Muggle (or non-wizard) part of London, with only a few details like the Knight Bus and Kreecher the House Elf peeking out from a window giving away that something magical is going on around here. But around the corner lies a very special alley – Diagon Alley which makes you feel like you are a wizard yourself, stepping foot right into the books or movie set. You can dine in the Leaky Cauldron. You can have a cone at Florean Fourtiscue's Ice Cream Parlour. You can pick up some parchment or a quill at Scribbulus. I could go on and on. Oh, and by the way, there is a giant dragon perched on the top of Gringott's Bank, which breathes fire every 10 minutes. I was overwhelmed, in the very best way possible, and did not want to leave.
Escape from Gringott's is a ride unlike any other, and had me grinning from ear to ear (and hanging on for dear life) the whole time. I don't want to give away too many spoilers, but I will say that while it's not quite as intense as Forbidden Journey, as far as scary parts go, but it is still packed full of thrills, surprises and fun. With a height requirement of 42", it will be more accessible to younger riders than Forbidden Journey – if your little ones like Big Thunder Mountain or Splash Mountain, or The Mummy at Universal, they will love this.
We were only able to go in to Diagon Alley at night, so we only have nighttime photos to share, but we'll be back as soon as we can to share daytime photos too. However, I must say that photos really cannot do justice to the feelings you experience when you first step foot inside the alley and are transported to the world of Harry Potter, surrounded by the sights, sounds and scents of the books and movies.
Right now, to celebrate the opening of Diagon Alley Universal Orlando Resort is offering an all-new Harry Potter vacation package:
This EXCLUSIVE vacation package includes:
- 4-Night Hotel Accommodations
- 3-Day Park-to-Park Ticket
- Breakfast at the Leaky Cauldron™ in Universal Studios Florida® – one per person
- Breakfast at the Three Broomsticks™ in Universal's Islands of Adventure® – one per person
- Early Park Admission to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™ one hour before the theme parks open
- Special themed Welcome Parcel (This works in both parks Wizarding World sections!)
- Souvenir owl plush
- Welcome letter
I know I want to book myself a package right now! Stay tuned to the Cafe, @meitravel on twitter, @mei_mousefantravel on instagram and the MEI-Travel Facebook Page for more updates!
