Comments on: A very special Universal Studios Florida trip report – July 2014 (Diagon Alley is here!)

By: mcoffee

mcoffee — Wed, 30 Jul 2014 18:43:52 +0000

I, too, felt Escape to be a bit of a disappointment, considering the wait, but I am also saddened to hear of being able to dial something from the phone boxes in London. The only phone box in London on our visit July 25 and 26 offered no dial.

By: Mortimum

Mortimum — Sat, 26 Jul 2014 16:20:20 +0000

Based on a isit on July 24: Amazing how this park cannot figure out how to get its act quite together. After parking, you walk towards the park. Crowds converge from multiple directions into an area to pass through security. Except there are no form of crowd control, no ropes or barriers and it is a bit of a free for all. What should have taken about 10 minutes took close to 30 to get through the securty area. Once you get to the front gate to buy tickets, there is an area where you can buy an express pass. There is no signage as to what an express pass or the various pricing options. This leads to unnecessary wait time to try and buy the ticket as the cashier has to repetively explain the options to each person. An express pass lets you bypass the regular lines for a ride. Only after waiting on line and finally getting to the cashier, do they tell you that it is not good for the new Harry Potter ride. Added wait time for this lack of coordination was about another 20 minutes.

There is a wand shop in Diagon Alley. They put on a nice little show as to how the wand chooses the wizard, choosing a little girl from the crowd to be the wizard. When it was over, the staff person hands the wand to the little girl and says here is your wand. She exits with a happy face. I then heard the staff member tell the parents that they had to pay for the wand, which was not cheap. Now the parents are left ith the choice of taking the wand away from the smiling girl or coughing up the money.

By: Frencht

Frencht — Mon, 21 Jul 2014 00:34:57 +0000

Maureen…Thank you for your report. Q: Your wait times seem really short…was this all done in one day? What time did you begin your visit? Did you use an Express Pass?
Since you took the single line at Gringotts and missed the lobby and offices, etc…were you able to wander in to look at those areas, or would you have to wait in the line? Do you know what the wait time was for the regular line?
Thanks!!

By: Maureen Deal

Maureen Deal — Thu, 17 Jul 2014 19:03:59 +0000

Marc N Kleinhenz DragoHarley Thank you Marc! I sincerely appreciate it!

By: Maureen Deal

Maureen Deal — Thu, 17 Jul 2014 19:03:41 +0000

DragoHarley Thank you so much! I’m so glad you enjoyed it and I really do appreciate your feedback!

By: Maureen Deal

Maureen Deal — Thu, 17 Jul 2014 19:02:55 +0000

CaptainAction Thank you so much! I really appreciate your feedback and I’m so glad you enjoy the trip reports!

By: CaptainAction

CaptainAction — Tue, 15 Jul 2014 23:56:38 +0000

Maureen, I really enjoy all your trip reports but this one was my favorite. The report where the wonderful castmembers were so great to your son is Seuss Landing was the most moving, but as your entire trip reports go as a whole, this was my favorite. Thank you.

By: Seveleni Kali Akathingo

Seveleni Kali Akathingo — Tue, 15 Jul 2014 16:08:07 +0000

Ofcoz my friend anytime 🙂

By: Chuck Guingona

Chuck Guingona — Tue, 15 Jul 2014 13:36:56 +0000

46 days and counting until we are back “home” at Universal. Can’t wait to visit DA for the first time and of course all of our usual favorites. Thanks to Dan and the OI team for all of the updates and info that make our trips to Universal so great!

By: Wayne Bowes

Wayne Bowes — Tue, 15 Jul 2014 08:00:24 +0000

Was on it today, went on the single rider entrance it only took 1 hour 20 mins

By: Marc N Kleinhenz

Marc N Kleinhenz — Tue, 15 Jul 2014 02:44:21 +0000

DragoHarley I wholeheartedly agree. =)
~M.

By: DragoHarley

DragoHarley — Mon, 14 Jul 2014 21:57:42 +0000

This was my favorite trip report I ever read about Diagon Alley. I don’t know how you do it Maureen, but you keep topping your own articles! I felt like I was really there when I was reading this! 🙂

By: Sam Thompson

Sam Thompson — Mon, 14 Jul 2014 21:13:02 +0000

Agree lori keefer streaker also the Yorkshire pudding in the leaky cauldron was like something off an airplane, also ordered a sausage sandwich off the menu and the woman said do I mean a banger sandwich I replayed no I mean a sausage sandwich who’s english here lol

By: KellyJohnson2

KellyJohnson2 — Mon, 14 Jul 2014 19:33:37 +0000

Maureen Deal KellyJohnson2 Thank you. I’m ordering a cord to secure them for fast rides but wasn’t sure if the goggles would be an issue with glasses.

By: Maureen Deal

Maureen Deal — Mon, 14 Jul 2014 19:29:28 +0000

iamdollie Thank you! I’m so glad you enjoy them!

By: Maureen Deal

Maureen Deal — Mon, 14 Jul 2014 19:28:36 +0000

KellyJohnson2 I wore my glasses underneath the goggles and didn’t have a problem at all.

By: KellyJohnson2

KellyJohnson2 — Mon, 14 Jul 2014 18:22:41 +0000

Thank you for the trip report! I do have one question: Is it a problem if I wear glasses with the goggles on Gringotts? I won’t be able to see a thing without my glasses.

By: iamdollie

iamdollie — Mon, 14 Jul 2014 17:31:58 +0000

I’m so grateful for your trip reports! They keep me satisfied until I am able to experience London and Diagon Alley for myself!!! Your photos always show us exactly what we want to see!

By: Lori Keefer Strecker

Lori Keefer Strecker — Mon, 14 Jul 2014 16:48:28 +0000

Diagon Alley was a disappointment to say the least! The ride wasn’t as good as it could have been… It started out amazing, but didn’t carry through :/ Diagon Alley is a glorified shopping mall… Hogwarts was more the success story that Diagon Alley should have been… big let down :/

By: Kathryn Simpson

Kathryn Simpson — Mon, 14 Jul 2014 16:44:57 +0000

A million pictures can not do this place justice. Absolutely phenomenal in person!