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Diagon Ally PTR

rtotheizzo17

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I got to check out Harry Potter part 2 a couple of times this week. Once was a quick "cred run" on my lunch break, the second time was more of a stop and look around. Today was also the first night of Horror Nights, so I got a sneak peak at some props.

Anyways here is one of the least photographed spots in Orlando, followed by a few snaps of the parade and a Horror Night prop that we walked past.











On to the new stuff then.







About 15 seconds after walking into the area, the dragon did his (her?) thing. Every 10 minutes the dragon growls and shoots flame into the air, for something that is fairly scheduled and static its pretty impressive every time.





We walked the area waiting for a friend to get off work and took a bunch of pics, as well as caught one of the street shows. It was a random story about 3 witches and a knight. I put down a Strongbow to get thru it.





















After the stage show my fried was off work and we met up. The line was posted at 60 minutes, but I had a connection that sent us thru the Express line. Like everything else the queue line has incredible detail. There are multiple "pre-shows" that help stagger the line. I didnt get any pics of the preshows or station, but did get a few of the entrance and indoor queue.











The ride itself is mind-blowing and boring at the same time. Some of the effects are pretty nuts, and it has a little bit of everything a coaster could have, minus inversions. There are track tilts, spins, launches, backward sections, nothing intense but a little bit of everything. Each "brake" is broken up by a dark ride section, with massive 3D sections. The screens dont have too much motion, they are mostly scene enhancers, so if you get queasy on, say, The Simpsons, you should be OK here. Overall, it is probably behind Spiderman, Journey, and Transformers on the "dark ride" list, but it is extremely re-rideable and quite fun, its just the coaster sections have the same pacing as a Vekoma Skater.

After we had a couple of goes on the ride. We took the train over to IOA. I didnt get any inside pics of Kings Cross, but will say I was a bit let down by the wall effect. It is OK as you walk up, but then you turn a corner and its just a giant hole. I figured with some of the projection technology they have, it could have been done up better. The train was unique and an interesting mode of transportation. I will echo what everyone else has said, the voice actors they hired are laughable. I could have done a better Hermoine accent.

We spent just enough time in IOA to ride Dragons. One of the (un)intended consequences of the new train station is you get some amazing foot choppers on both Fire and Ice. Here are a couple pics for example.







We hopped back about the train to London, which has a different video on the way back, and decided to grab some dinner and eat some ice cream. The Leaky Cauldron has "traditional English Cuisine" served with Harry Potter drinks. I have to say, I have no idea how Coke hasnt managed to get into these areas yet. I cant imagine the revenue they are missing out on while people are stuck drinking piss cider and raspberry tea. I understand the JK is anal about her IP, but she is a **** for limiting my drink options at dinner.













So I had the banger sandwich with wedge fries. It was OK. We walked down "Nocturne Ally", which was another real unique experience even for a non-fan like myself. Its more or less an unmarked hallway that is dimly lit, and has some interactive elements and a villians gift shop.





We finally made it to the ice cream shop, and it was a hit. There are a good variety of options, including chocolate chili, which is basically a spicy chocolate. We all got different flavors and there wasnt a bad scoop in the bunch









My overall thoughts, as just a casual Harry Potter fan, is the new area is great. The detail in this area makes Hogsmeade look like a Six Flags parks attempt at theming. There are so many nooks and crannies that you can explore and get lost in, and again this is coming from someone who hasnt read a sentence of the books. The ride is rerideable but nothing special. I couldnt imagine waiting all day for it, but would tolerate a 45-60 min wait for the cred. I am interested to see what they pull off with their future expansions.
 
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