This little wooden box is the key to understanding what comes next at the Universal Orlando Resort. Literally. For -- when you lift the lid -- what do you find lying inside its velvet-lined interior? A key to Vault 722 at the Bank of Gringotts. Not to mention a heads-up that Universal Orlando officials will be holding a special online webcast on January 23rd,where they then promise to reveal all sorts of details about The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley. Mind you, just last week, UOR officials held a press conference at Universal CityWalk. Where -- as Mark Woodbury, the president of Universal Creative, stood onstage at the Rising Star Karaoke Club -- he revealed that this Universal Studios expansion project would feature a recreation of the Leaky Cauldron, that famed pub which serves (in the "Harry Potter" films, anyway) as the gateway between the Wizarding World and the Muggle universe. "When we were initially designing The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley, we wanted to create a special place for families could go & relax and have a great authentic meal," Woodbury explained. "Well, with the Leaky Cauldron, we're going to give guests that plus even more. Given the attention to detail that we're going to be bringing into this venue, it's like you're going to be able to walk into that scene from 'The Prisoner of Azkaban.' We're talking a complete 360 degree experience. I think that our guests are just going to blown away." Mind you, the obvious challenge with The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley project is that Universal Creative had to first find a way to top itself. Create a brand-new theme park experience that was not just the equivalent of what they'd built over at Universal's Islands of Adventure. Universal also had to find a way to improve upon The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade, which -- since it first opened back in June of 2010 -- has become a genuine global phenomenon. "We knew -- going into this project -- that people were going to expect the exact same level of detail, the authenticity, the same depth at storytelling. But at the same time, we knew that we'd have to raise the bar somehow," Mark continued. "So we turned to Stuart Craig -- the production designer on all eight of the 'Harry Potter' movies who'd worked so closely with us on Hogsmeade -- and then asked him to help us bring Diagon Alley to life." This proved to be a pretty big challenge. Given that -- at least according to the mythology of the "Harry Potter" books & movies -- Diagon Alley is hidden in plain sight in modern-day London. But even there, Universal Creative found a way to turn a minus into a plus. "I mean, Universal Studios Florida is all about these big-scale sets. So we thought why not just build London at Universal Studios Florida and then hide Diagon Alley behind those large-scale sets? And that's exactly what we did," Woodbury stated. And while at last week's press conference, Mark really wasn't ready yet to go into great detail about what Universal Orlando visitors will find once they finally get behind those massive London sets (Though, that said, Woodbury did let slip that the Gringotts Coaster -- the big new thrill ride that Universal Creative has wrapped Diagon Alley around -- will be " ... one of the greatest attractions in the world." Which -- given how acclaimed "Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey" was when it initially opened for its innovative use of technology in its storytelling -- is going to be a pretty big claim to live up to). But he did screen a quick video where Dale Mason (i.e., the Vice President of Universal Creative as well as being the creative director of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter projects) talked about the Hogwarts Express, that amazing new transportation system / attraction which is going to link Diagon Alley & Hogsmeade. "That train is such an iconic part of the fiction. You have to remember that on his initial journey from Kings Cross to Hogsmeade was when Harry first met Ron & Hermoine. And Universal Orlando visitors are now going to get the chance to step onto that platform. And there will be this amazing gleaming train. Better yet, they'll then be able to board this train and take that same journey to Hogsmeade," Dale enthused. And Mark -- during his part of this same video -- was quick to stress that the Hogwarts Express won't just be a one way experience. "And from the Hogsmeade side, Universal Orlando visitors will be able to board the Hogwarts Express into London. Where once they get off in London, the first thing that they're going to be able to do is walk through our incredible London set," Woodbury stated. "Where I think the contrast between these two parts of The Wizarding World -- Hogsmeade is really supposed to be this rural mountain village whereas as Diagon Alley is set inside of this urban city -- is going to blow people away." "We're building Diagon Alley so much bigger than I think anybody can imagine. There are more alleys, more shops. It's big, huge." Mason said. And speaking of big ... Mark took time out of last week's press conference to talk about the Cabana Bay Beach Resort. Which will be opening in phases over the course of next year and feature 900 suites, 900 hundred standard rooms as well as Universal Orlando Resort's first lazy river water feature. Plus all of the work that's currently underway to freshen up / reimagine Universal CityWalk (Which Bill Davis -- the President and Chief Operating Officer of the Universal Orlando -- described as "... our front door") with no less than eight new restaurants coming online over the next 12 months. But in spite of how much fun the Cabana Bay Resort sounds (or -- for that matter -- how enticing the menus for all of Universal CityWalk's new restaurants look), Universal Orlando officials clearly understand that all eyes are now on that massive piece of construction which is going on in the backmost corner of Universal Studios Florida. People just can't wait to see what sort of Harry Potter-related wonders will be revealed once Diagon Alley finally opens its doors during the Summer of 2014. Well, sadly they are going to have to wait at least a few weeks longer until January 23rd to be precise, which is when Universal Creative plans on revealing even more about The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley during a special online webcast. By: Jim Hill Orlando, FL - 12/18/13 |