Early Review of Diagon Alley

Universals brand new land, Harry Potter Part 2, Diagon Alley, ran team member previews from June 25th-28th before the grand opening on July 8th. I got the privilege to attend last night, June 28th, and for just the 3rd time in my theme park life, when I got a first glimpse of Diagon Alley after two and a half years of waiting, my jaw literally dropped. The other two times this reaction was illicited out of me were my first time on the Spiderman ride in Islands of Adventure, and my first time through a Halloween Horror Nights haunted house.

Seeing Diagon Alley was emotional for me for a number of reasons. When the first version of Harry Potter land opened in 2010, it was awesome and amazing, but I had just moved to Florida at the time. With Diagon Alley, I have watched this thing being built from nothing but rubble and dirt into what it is today. Every day for two and a half years on my way into work I could see the construction progress. I can truly say I have never been able to follow construction progress on a new ride or land the way I have with this and for that reason this was extra special.

Now onto the land itself. When you first walk inside, all you see is the "facade" to the actual Diagon Alley itself. This "facade" of course is London, which is stunning in its own right. These London buildings offer no hint to the incredible magical land behind it.

Just as in the movies, you transport from London into Diagon Alley through a magical brick wall

And as soon as you make it through this Brick wall, this is the stunning view you get, with the lands main ride, Gringotts, at the end of the trail.

The massive dragon on top of Gringotts breathes actual fire in an incredible effect that is so loud and powerful that it literally shook the ground whenever it happened.

The main entrance to the ride is here, off to the side of the building. Unfortunately the ride was closed during team member previews.

All around Diagon Alley are shops that have incredible detail. Even for those who dont plan on spending any money, like me, these stores are still a ton of fun to explore just for the sheer detail

The attraction with the longest line for the team member preview was for none other than the ice cream parlor. Universals famed drink, butterbeer, has been converted into ice cream form and everybody wanted a taste.

It was very good, no surprise.

One of the Highlights of Diagon Alley is Knockturn Alley. Tucked away in the corner, Universal has made this into kind of its own mini-land. in the movie knocturn alley is the dark area where all evil wizards dwell, and Universal has covered the whole area making it night time all day.

The other main ride is the Hogwarts express, a train ride that connects the two parks, going between the two parks Harry Potter lands. This ride was open for team member previews so I was able to ride it both ways. First from Universal to Islands of Adventure. When you enter it really feels like you are entering an actual London train station.

And when you get to the front and the train reveals itself it is a great sight

The compartments you sit in are recreations of the compartments from the movies

As far as the ride itself, well it was neat, but its basically just a train ride with a few neat special effects. Its a mode of transportation from one park to the other. But with the long lines with will be sure to draw it will be quicker just to walk. Hogwarts Express is not meant to be the centerpiece of this new land, just a complement.

All in all, I will say I was blown away by Diagon Alley, and I havent even been able to ride the main new ride yet. Never before have I seen such an immsersive environment, as soon as you step behind that brick wall seperating the London Facade from Diagon Alley, it really feels like you've stepped into a completely new world. I was lucky to be there for for team member previews, with few people there and therefore enjoyed room to breathe and stretch my arms. Come July 8th, nobody will be afforded that luxury as the area will be jam packed from close to open right through the summer. I plan on spending more time in this area in the coming months and cant wait for a chance to ride Gringotts.

Top 25 rides # 13-11

First a quick recap

25. ET Adventure
24. Expedition Everest
23. Spaceship Earth
22. Soarin'
21. Radiators Springs Racers
20. Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
19. Toy Story Mania
18. The Incredible Hulk Coaster
17. Peter Pans Flight
16. Men in Black Alien Attack
15. Rock N Roller Coaster
14. Manta


And now continuing on


13. California Screamin': For the second time, and not the last a ride from Disneyland finds its way onto this list. This is far and away one of the most enjoyable roller coasters Ive ever been on. It is not all that thrilling, but the best word to sum it up is just fun. It begins with an inital launch, very much like Rock N Roller coaster, except this launch takes place along the water instead of in a dark hallway. The next three minutes are followed  by zig zagging around a boardwalk meant to imitate the boardwalks in places such as the jersey shore, a very cool setting for a roller coaster. It is also one of the longest coasters in the world, stretching over a mile long and lasting three minutes.


12. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (Orlando): Very similar to California Screamin in that while it is not to thrilling there is something about it that is just plain fun. Unfortunately I did not get to go on the Disneyland version as it was closed for refurbishment during my trip, so this countdown is for the Orlando version. As a rule of thumb all outdoor rides are more fun at night, but this is one of two rides that really stick out to me as being extra special in the dark, the other one will be seen later in the countdown.


11. Splash Mountain (Orlando):  I did get the chance to ride the Disneyland version of this ride and did not enjoy it as much as the Orlando version so this countdown is for that version. One of the most important things a theme park rides needs to tell is tell a story, but very often those stories, whole fun, are a bit convoluted and make little sense. But no ride tells a story quite like Splash Mountain, one of the best examples of ride storytelling in theme park world. Following the adventures of Brer rabbit as he escapes and torments brer fox before he finally gets caught and thrown into the briar patch, and the climax of the ride, a 52 foot drop. It just misses out on the top 10, but with all the incredible rides to follow, number 11 still means one of the best in the world.

Top 25 Rides: #16-14

As usual we begin with a quick recap

25. ET Adventure
24. Expedition Everest
23. Spaceship Earth
22. Soarin'
21. Radiators Springs Racers
20. Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
19. Toy Story Mania
18. The Incredible Hulk Coaster
17. Peter Pans Flight

Off topic for a second, we are 15 days away from the grand opening of Diagon Alley! After 2.5 years of watching and waiting. Will the new ride "Escape from Gringotts" find a way on this list after I get a chance to ride it? If early reviews are any indication the answer will be yes, as many are saying it is a better ride than Forbidden Journey. I cant wait. Now moving on in the countdown

16. Men in Black Alien Attack: The best video game ride in the world in my opinion, beating out Toy Story Mania. The fun queue adds to experience, and the ride itself is addicting, one of the few I can ride over and over again in the same day without getting tired of it.

15. Rock N Roller Coaster: The Third Coaster on the list so far, joining Everest and the Hulk. The launch and unique atmosphere is what does it for this one. The launch literally takes your breath away, and the cool props and scenery on the ride are what set it apart as different. Plus it has the distinction of being the first Disney ride ever to go upside down, and still the only one in Disney World.

14. Manta: And now the fourth Coaster on the list. This is the only "flying" coaster in Florida and it is why I love it so much. There really is nothing like laying on your stomach looking straight down at the ground while your zooming towards it at super fast speeds. The part of the ride where you glide along the water is the highlight and is a great sensation. 

Top 25 Rides #19-17

Before we continue the countdown, a quick recap of rides featured thus far

25. ET Adventure
24. Expedition Everest
23. Spaceship Earth
22. Soarin'
21. Radiators Springs Racers
20. Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey

Now with the next three entries

19. Toy Story Mania: Since this ride opened six years ago, no ride in Orlando has drawn the everyday long lines that this ride has, as 2 hours waits have become the standard even on slow days. In terms of the games, this one is addicting, and the 3-D and special effects only adds to the fun. However, the fact that there are no dark ride elements detracts a little bit for me. A couple of animatronic figures would make this ride better, but its still a great ride, as evidenced by its deserved spot in this countdown.

18. The Incredible Hulk Coaster: The launch on this ride is one of my favorite ride moments in the world. The subsequent zero g roll, cobra roll, and loop is some of the most thrilling and intense moments you can exeprience. After these initial ten second however, the ride lags a little bit. This ride also provided a fantastic, albeit from upside down, views of Islands of Adventure. One of the signature attractions of, what is in my opinion, the greatest theme park in America, and my 18th favorite ride in the world.

17. Peter Pans Flight: Im not afraid to admit I still love this ride now almost as much as I did when I was a kid. And I am far from the only one, as this is another ride notorious for its long wait times. Why is this ride so popular? the opening sequence of riding over London is an iconic scene and it really is cool, and I also think the music in the ride is something that a lot of people fall in love with. whatever it is, its good enough for my #17 favorite ride in the world.

Top 25 Rides # 22-20

When we last left off I had begun the countdown of my top 25 favorite rides I have ever been on with number 25 through 23. Today we will continue that countdown with the next three entries, but first a quick recap.

25. ET Adventure
24. Expedition Everest
23. Spaceship Earth

Now, continuing on

22. Soarin': The opening of this ride in 2004 provided a much needed headliner to the old and dated attractions on the East side of Future World. Now there was a top ride on the east side to complement Test Track and Mission Space on the west side. When this ride first opened it would have easily cracked my top 10, but I have been on so many new rides since then that I consider better, that it has lessened Soarin' a bit. Still, that initial takeoff followed by the first few notes of music and that first glimpse of the golden gate bridge to begin the ride is one of the most breathtaking ride moments you can experience.

21. Radiators Springs Racers: This brand new ride in California Adventure, Disneylands second park that finally convinced me to fully pursue a trip to California. This ride is like Test Track 2.0. Based off the movie cars the premise is you are a new car preparing for a race against Lightning McQueen. The first two minutes of the ride is the indoor portion, a ride through Radiators Springs, with life size versions of all the Cars from the movie that talk and move, it really is jaw dropping. That is preceeded by the big race, the outdoor portion nearly identical to the outdoor portion of Test Track. A great ride that I wish we had in Orlando.

20. Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey: The ride that saved Universal and jump started their attendance to record levels. It is hailed by some as the greatest ride in the world, but I disagree and find it a little overrated. There is no doubt it is a technological marvel, with a ride system like none other in the world. However, the lack of any cohesive story is a major drawback, as you really just sort of stumble along from one Harry Potter scene to the next. One second your in the forest, two seconds later your playing Quidditch, then all of a sudden your surrounded by dementors, then magically you are in the Chamber of Secrets. It all makes little sense. Its a great ride but with a mess of a story it falls to number 20.

Summer Countdown: Top 25 rides

Summer has begun, and with that so has theme park season. Despite the fact that Summer in Orlando is brutally hot, and also the busiest time of year, I still find the summer to be my favorite time of year to visit the parks. To me Summer and Universal Studios go together hand in hand. I have strong memories of many summer nights spent by myself at Universal during my high school years, and still enjoy going on those summer nights now to get nostalgic for those high school summer nights. So with summer beginning I thought It'd be a good time to rank the 25 best rides I have ever been on. These rides span Ten different parks, The 4 Disney World Parks, both Universal Orlando Parks, Sea World, Busch Gardens, and both Disneyland parks. Before we get to the top 25 though, a few honorable mentions.

Test Track: A fun ride that has become a bit outdated, and has a superior counterpart at Disneyland that we will see in these rankings.

The Great Movie Ride: Another fun ride that I really tried to make a case for putting in the top 25, but just couldnt quite bring myself to do it.

The Simpsons Ride: No theme park ride captures the spirit of its source material more than the Simpsons ride, as all the sharp satire seen in the show is here as well. Just missed the top 25.

Rip Ride Rockit: There are many roller coasters in the top 25, but this just missed the cut because of its lack of flow, and relatively tame pace compared to the others.

Dragon Challenge: A shell of its former self, this would have easily been in the top 10 five years ago when it was dueling dragons. It used to have the greatest queue in the world, then they had to change it to fit the harry potter theme and completely destroyed that great queue, leaving me sour on the ride. Even after destroying the queue, the ride itself would still be good enough for the top 25, but then in 2012, the "dueling" aspect stopped permanently, dropping it from the rankings altogether.

Now onto the top 25 with number 25-23 today

25. ET Adventure: Some may say its a kiddy ride, but not me. Some may say its very outdated, but not...well actually I do think it is very outdated, but that doesnt detract from the fun. The part of the ride where you feel like your flying over the city is the highlight, and the queue before the ride is one the best around. This Peter Pans Flight knockoff isnt quite as fun as Peter Pan, but its still one of my favorites and is a great ride to kick off the countdown with.

24. Expedition Everest: I am in a camp of people that find Everest an overrated ride, as many would probably have it in their top 15. That said its still a fantastic ride, with a great drop in the middle, a surprisingly intense backwards portion, and a massively huge Yeti animatronic. It also benefits from being in Animal Kingdom, by far the weakest of the Orlando theme parks, and therefore this ride sticks out as being its best.

23. Spaceship Earth: One of the most underrated rides ever in my opinion, I could ride this all day long and not get tired of it. The Planetarium at the top is still a great sight every time, and the disneyfied history lesson makes it one of the most informative rides in the world.