Diagon Alley Heading To Universal Orlando

Save up your galleons from now and get ready to apparate to Orlando, Florida in Summer 2014. Diagon Alley has been announced as the newest addition to Universal Studios Florida, and expansion of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. I wrote about this happening back in 2011 when the park announced they were removing the Jaws section, but now Universal has officially released all the details on this magical expansion that will once again pack every hotel in Orlando.

As expected, both Universal Studios & Islands of Adventure will be connected for the first time with the Hogwarts Express train. Guests who have tickets to both parks will be able to take this train back and forth between the two. Hopefully they keep the dementors away. In addition to the Hogwarts Express as well as new shops and restaurants in Diagon Alley, the main attraction will be be based on Gringotts Bank. You can see in the concept art that Gringotts towers over the rest of the park. It will no doubt be the most state of the art amusement park ride in the world.

And you can guarantee that the Hogwarts Express ride itself won't just be a typical theme park transport system. The on-board experience will be completely innovative and authentic to give Harry Potter fans what they've dreamed of since reading the very first book, entering the train at a replica King's Cross Station in the Universal Studios section or at Hogsmeade in the Islands of Adventure section. JK Rowling & Warner Bros have been involved with the project since the original Wizarding World was developed.

Universal Creative President Mark Woodbury had this to say, "Those meetings are fascinating and wonderful opportunities to have, to be able to talk and collaborate directly with J K Rowling and the Warner Bros. film-makers. This was a big idea. And everybody immediately saw that when we initially laid it all out. And the fact that we wanted to continue to tell the Harry Potter story, the places that we had chosen to develop -- Diagon Alley & London & Gringotts & Hogwarts Express -- were really big ideas and bold moves, I think that the ambition behind that was very much appreciated."

Universal Studios Florida has been quite busy. Transformers: The Ride 3D opens up in June, and the park is also adding to The Simpsons/Springfield section with a Kang & Kodos themed spinning ride, various games, Duff Brewery, Moe's Tavern, Kentucky Fried Panda and Krusty Burger. There have also been various rumors of whats next with Islands of Adventure. Another Jurassic Park ride, a King Kong ride, and a Lord of the Rings section have all been floated around. For now, just enjoy the excitement of Transformers, The Simpsons and of course the big one, the giant Harry Potter expansion.

Movies That Should Be Re-Released in 3D

First of all, I'm generally against 3D re-releases since it seems like a big cash-grab, but I do think it makes sense for some films. Jurassic Park was a no-brainer, being one of the biggest films of all time and dinosaurs are pretty much the coolest thing you could see in 3D. Titanic made sense considering the time that went into it to make it perfect, as well as being a massive phenomenon. Animated movies make sense because it is much easier to convert them. The Phantom Menace? No Thanks. Here are a few where I think a 3D conversion could be pretty great, assuming they take the time to do it right.

Twister (1996) - Twister fits the mold of a big-budget blockbuster that was also a pretty great movie you'd want to watch multiple times. The special effects have also stood the test of time much like Jurassic Park. Watching the scene when the cows fly by, or when they drive through the house, or actually get a peek on the inside of the tornado when hanging on the pipes? Yes, please. These scenes are totally implausible in real life, but that is what makes them something you'd want in 3D.

King Kong (2005) - Giant bugs. Dinosaurs. Fighter planes. And let's not forget Kong himself. The details in this film seem like they would really pop out in 3D, King Kong has some of the best CGI you'll see in a film on both Skull Island and in 1930s New York City, which make an obvious candidate. I'm sure the scene with Kong on top of the Empire State Building would make many people get sweaty palms as they watched everything unfold, with Naomi Watts clinging to a falling ladder thousands of feet in the air. And how about when Kong snaps the T-Rex jaw in half? And the whole scene where everyone is surrounded by those giant bugs will make anyone squirm in their seats.

Dawn of the Dead (2004) - Zombies are all the rage right now with The Walking Dead dominating television, so it only makes sense. The earlier films were very low budget, but the 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead managed to have a solid budget and a lot of critical praise. Extra tidbit: Ty Burrell has a role in it pre-Modern Family, bringing some much needed comedy to a film that takes place in the zombie apocalypse. Phil Dunphy would certainly approve.


The Matrix (1999) - "Bullet time" would make for quite the experience moving past you in the theatre, not to mention all the green code falling around you. Trinity (Carrie-Ann Moss) performing her famous jumping kick in the opening, coming right at your face. Or how about the helicopter crashing into the side of a building in slow-mo? Keanu Reeves looking stoned a lot is an added bonus as well.

And finally, Batman & Robin (1997). "Let's kick some ice!" Okay, I'm joking about this one. I hope...