www.themeparkinsider.com: Universal Orlando's new Wizarding World of Harry Potter — Diagon Alley clearly sets a new standard for themed entertainment environments in the United States. No other theme park land in the country so thoroughly infuses its space with all the elements that transport visitors into its narrative.
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This is an interesting topic on the transformation of the entertainment in theme parks. The atmosphere is slowly becoming more of a priority where the patrons are brought into an imaginary world by the set rather than a performance bringing the audience into the story. the audience now goes directly into the story without the help of actors. this provokes the question where is the place for actors in theme parks moving? Are they becoming irrelevant? Are they being relaxed by identical robots and puppets?
I have never been to Diagon Alley at Universal, so I don’t know how immersive it really is, but I would like to point out that even Diagon Alley isn’t fully true because we aren’t wizards. The same thing that makes LegoLand a flop in this guy’s opinion is what makes Diagon Alley just as obvious an illusion. We’re not wizards and we’re not on our way to Hogwarts. It would be different if everyone who went really committed to dressing up beforehand and put on cloaks and robes and we all made a pact to act like wizards the whole time, but that’s ridiculous. Worse, (or better?) is that there’s no magic happening and any magic that does happen is a trick of technology. For me, the important part of Harry Potter is the wizards. That’s what makes Diagon Alley super cool in the first place. I can’t believe this guy can claim that Disney doesn’t think Epcot is immersive enough. Walking through the countries in Epcot was the coolest thing I could imagine doing as a kid. I remember really feeling like I was part of Aladdin or in Italy. They might not have a whole park like that, but I think they do it pretty effectively and people genuinely enjoy it. Not to mention each of their rides are often a completely detailed experience all on their own. It’s a Small World, anyone?
I think it's hard to recreate the same level of complexity we see in Universal's Diagon Alley--especially when it comes to big brands attempting to immerse their audiences in a particular book or movie. Harry Potter has the right balance of high viewership/readership with a medium amount of special locations; it makes a perfect immersive theme park. It also goes without saying that Harry Potter has become a series for all ages -- those who grew up with the book are now in their twenties and probably still enjoy it as much as their eleven year old selves. Other books and movies don't have the same diverse viewership as Harry Potter. The article spoke about Star Wars Land and Frozen, but it's hard to imagine Disney or Universal not putting their 'Mickey' or 'Darth Goofy' stamp on them. Especially with Frozen: Disney might try to make the experience completely for the kids, distancing the adults and taking them completely out of the created world. That said, I would like to see these theme parks and what they do with them. Diagon Alley might be a trendsetter, but I'm not sure if the trend will be as successful as people hope it will be.
I started reading this article expecting a typical shallow explanation of Diagon Alley and how beautiful it is and how it's causing hype. However, Niles goes into some very interesting points and perspectives that I haven't thought about before on why Diagon Alley is truly so successful. The fact that it is "immersive" isn't enough to really bring people into the environment if there's always other people there. It's all about the world setup by the story. In the cases of Harry Potter and other semi-realistic fantasies, humans can easily be seen in the environment. I think that this information will be incredibly useful when working on scenery or even booth come spring time. However, it makes me curious why there's been really successful booths in the past that were cartoon themed. Perhaps it's just another situation where people don't go in expecting to be in the world of the story.
I went to a Disney park for the first time two years ago and it was delightful. Detailed, ornate in places, diverse, and filled with creativity and imagination. But to me, it did little to stand up to the specific details and lengths at which Universal went in order to create Harry Potter land and Diagon Alley. Now Disney is Disney and I’m trying to take that away, and I will always admire the world(s) they’ve created. But it’s exactly that, worlds… Universal has taken it one step further, and to a painstaking level of detail. If you look at pictures of the park, it looks like it came straight of the movie, like the filmed the scenes right there, until you see the modern cash register and credit card reader anyway… To be honest, I only hope that other parks follow their lead, I think it adds another dimension to the experience. At the same time though, I wonder if there’s a point of diminishing return?
The point I think people are missing is that the Diagon Alley Theme park was so immersive and cohesive because it had a fully fleshed out world behind it. Harry Potter comes with an entire world and culture behind it, so total immersion in the worlds doesn't feel as strange, because those who have read the books already know what the world feels like. There simply can't possibly be as much of an emotional connection and in-depth detail in a world that only exists in a single movie, such as Frozen or Avatar. Star Wars is the only other series that could compare in the level of immersion, but it will still feel continually out of place in such a light and happy atmosphere as Disney World. Diagon Ally isn't a success because it's a well done theme park, although I'm sure that's part of it. It's a success because it had good source material. Until a new Harry Potter comes along, I don't think anyone will have any luck repeating it.
I have yet to visit Diagon Alley at Universal, but I did obsessively follow its design and construction while it was being built and have seen a lot of pictures of it since its opening. Niles provides an interesting point and just by looking at pictures from the park it looks incredibly detailed and magical. However, I think one huge advantage that Universal had over other parks like Disney when creating this universe, was the fact that they already had a detailed template to follow from the movie sets. They had a specific mold to build off of from the movies that had already taken the Harry Potter world and turned it into something real that millions of people love. Granted, they did have to deal with certain expectations that come along with creating something that's based off of a widely popular movie series, but unlike Disney, whose many worlds are usually created from scratch or from cartoons, Universal already had a pretty good idea of how to make their world resonate with visitors. I can't thing of any environment within a Disney park that is based so closely off of a movie that was not originally produced by the Disney name. It will be exciting to see what Disney does with Avatar Land and Star Wars Land. Actually, I take that back. Disney's Tower of Terror is a an example of a wold that Disney has created that is very "non-Disney" and completely immersive and true to its name. It is more than just a ride. Waiting in the que and even just walking up to the entrance take you out of the typical Disney world and thrusts you into an episode of the Twilight Zone. I want to be a Disney Imagineer so I feel personally offended when people don't give it enough credit. But anyways, yes, Universal seems to have done a wonderful job in creating a smart environment that immerses its visitors into another world of magic, and I feel that all of themed entertainment should be creating experiences like this.
So many of the points made in this article are painfully enlightening. As much as I don't want to say it, Disney does kind of follow this rinse-and-repeat method to developing newer sections of its parks.
Having been going to Disney several times a year and Universal at least once a year for my whole life, I can say that Universal used to be a mess. No floridian would go there, simply because it was quickly becoming outdated and once you've been once, theres likely not much else you would want to go back for other than to ride the roller coasters one more time. Disney world has 4 parks, not to mention an endless array of hotels for you to experience.
However, both of the companies slacked for a couple of years, simply allowing more and more customers without developing new, innovative expansions. With the addition of Harry Potter world at Universal, not only was the standard set, but the nail was hit on the head. Harry Potter world is AMAZING. Nothing like Disney has ever put together.
Don't get me wrong, Disney is amazing, however, with so many continuing innovations in technology, I feel as if they're missing quite a bit, even in their new expansions.
I think what makes Diagon alley so immersive is their use of exploration and user interactivity. Something I've unfortunately always felt at Disney is their use of facades, most of the buildings in frontierland for example are nothing more than a store front that is closed to the public. even their recent expansion in fantasyland is mostly receptive. more meet and greets, restaurants, and a slower big thunder mountain railroad( duarf's mine). I believe that all of these upgrades are great and really added to the park but Disney needs to keep innovating, not upgrading.
Diagon alley on the other hand has really emphasized immersion into the environment. you CAN go into Ollivander's, YOU can go into Gringotts and get a wizard account from a goblin. It's these details that push universal to the stage of innovation. But themed entertainment should not always be compared to Disney. Themed entertainment should be about the story and universal is telling this one beautifully.
I am very conflicted about this article. Let me start off by saying that I have not ever been to the Diagon Alley expansion of Wizarding World, but I did go to the original and I was VERY underwhelmed. I also want to say that with any theatrical type endeavor, of which I include themed entertainment, you are inviting the audience into a world with the assumption of their willing suspension of disbelief. That all being said, I'll return to the original wizarding world. It was overall designed quite nicely, just like a movie set, but at least for my eye, I think it lacked a substantial amount of detail that I have come to expect from themed environments from disney. Apparently the author of this article either doesnt have as critical of an eye or they have actually upped the level of detail for the new expansion. Second, despite my disappointment with the detail, I found the area very nice, but thats really where my enjoyment stopped. It was nice to "be there". That was the cool part. What could you do while you were there? Not much. Or not much that was really that engaging. Returning to disney, I think that is one thing they really follow through quite well. You as an audience member are transported to a world, then there are things to do in that world that are seamlessly integrated into the overall story of that world. With universal, it felt like a series of special effects gimmicks as opposed to being a truly immersive interactive storytelling experience. Thats the other thing that I would argue. Universal is not as strong a supporter of the story as disney is. Yes, it feels like it is because we all know the story of harry potter, but for someone who doesnt, the immersive experience onto itself does a pretty miserable job conveying the story. Moving on to the diagon alley expansion. I'm not that impressed. There is roughly no creativity involved. Yes, the original production designer for the harry potter films (Stuart Craig) did a brilliant job. What did the people at universal do? They rebuilt the set. Well duh! Thats why it feels immersive. Its literally the same thing you are looking at on screen! I COULD DO THAT! What disney does which is so impressive is that they dont just rebuild the set from a movie. They take the story and the overall aesthetic and find a new way to present it so that it really tells the story, even if you didnt already know it, as well as immersing you in the environment. I think one of the best examples of this is the new fantasy land. They didnt just rebuild the beasts castle. They didnt just create ariel's undersea kingdom. They took both stories and found the best way to present them in the new physical environment. I think harry potter is great, but as soon as we get a generation that has not grown up on harry potter books and movies, these parks are going to instantly lose their appeal because they cant stand on their own. I like to think of it like this: think of a play that was converted into a movie, and all they really did was film the play. Its a boring movie! That versus the play that was thought about, highly considered, and reinvented in a movie form, thus presenting the story in the best possible way. That for me is the difference between Disney Parks and Universal Parks.
I think that the idea of increasing the number of themed areas in parks is a great idea. As someone who doesn't particularly enjoy rides, I still go occasionally to experience the rest of the park. I would imagine that there are other people who go to parks for the same reason. If parks do improve there themed areas, I could see that there would be a bump in attendance.
I really liked Harry Potter world before it had Diagon Alley added to it. Even though I didn't want to go on any of the rides, it was great to walk around the park and shops simply to look at the design of them. I took so many pictures just because of all the detail around the park. I always enjoyed the Bugs' Life section and Disney where everything was big and would felt like a tiny bug because of the scale. I like the immersive experience more than the rides and other attractions. I don't think it's going to make a huge difference in the theme park industry, due to how many people are there for fast rides and not pretty and accurate scenery, but I do hope that such parks stay in business and continue to be amazing at what they do.
I am a nerd. A geek. A total Harry Potter fanatic, but that's besides the point, and in no way would that ever sway what I had to say about an article such as this.... Unfortunately I cannot say that I've been to Diagon Alley, much to my distaste, but I have heard numerous things about it and have seen many many pictures from it. They all stirred the little boy in me and made me quite sad that I have yet to go visit this magical place. I think the fact that Diagon Alley is so game-changing and "immersive" is because Universal took the time to make sure every detail was accounted for and that everything was as it should be in the movie. I don't think that not being a "wizard" or having other people there takes away from the park, you're there to get a real life glimpse at what this other fantasy world is like and that's exactly what you're getting and more. I can't imagine a better way to have someone feel like they are a part of that world.
Personally I love themed parks, and I go to Universal once every year, but I am not happy with the progression of rides and attractions are going. This past summer, I in fact went to Universal and saw Diagon Alley first hand. It is important to note that Universal has two parks with its Florida location; Islands of Adventure, where Harry potter world (now renamed as the Hogwarts world), and Universal Studios where Diagon Alley exists. If a person wants the full Harry potter world experience the park goer is now forced to buy a two park pass, but it conveniently gives them the benefit of riding the train to Hogwarts and back to London to hop between parks with the added bonus of getting the experience of walking through the 9 and 3/4 wall.
Besides the fact of using this to suck up more money from people who want to enjoy the experience of being fully immersed in Harry potter world, Universal was forced into this position when not too long ago when Jurassic Park was the fandom the world was obsessed with the made a deal with them that no other themed section of the park could ever be bigger than the themed section of Jurassic Park in Islands of Adventure. As time progresses and the movie franchises starts to get more and more dated the thrill of being part of the immersive enviorment of Jurassic park is falling flat. And I predict not too long it will be replaced be the next movie fad. And that is what is disappoints me with the progression of themed parks today. The next big themed attraction is becoming nothing but standardized and predictible. We read a book and fall in love with with the world the book has set up so much so that we as a society crave to see it on the big screen with our favorite celebrities playing the lead roles because we feel they do the author and the characters they created justice. And then we see the director's view of the world and are so captivated by the big screen we crave to be a part of that world, so much so we look towards the big theme park attraction companies to make our obsession a reality. And then time goes by and obsession becomes dated and forgotten and nothing more than a been-there-done-that fad. And thus it becomes replaced with our next fad. So where the article ends pondering what will be come of Diagon Alley in the future its soon to be nothing more than extinct soon.
The thing about Diagon Alley being successfully immersive versus other lands being immersive is that in the Harry Potter series Diagon Alley isn't set in harsh environments like the bitter cold and part of its appeal was that it was full of people. However, even Diagon Alley isn't 100% accurate since there aren't any wizards. I can see how Avatar-land might be about as successful as Diagon Alley since it also isn't set in the cold, but what will Disney do about the lack of Navii? Also, if theme parks found a way to simulate being somewhere cold for attractions like Frozen-land without it actually being cold as it is in the movie, I can see the attraction being highly successful.
I think part of what makes Diagon Alley so successful is that it's part of the Harry Potter lore. I grew up in the thick of it, learning to read on the books and camping out at midnight for each new book/movie release, so my sense of it's cultural importance may be skewed (or even outdated!), but part of what makes Diagon Alley so immersive is that everyone I know (except Tina Shackleford) has read these books, seen these movies and has imagined themselves in that world pretty extensively.
Additionally, what makes the Harry Potter universe so unique is that it does take place in our world, or an extension of it anyway. Unlike Lord of the Rings, Frozen or Star Wars, which are completely separate universes, Harry Potter takes place in reasonably modern Britain. It's more conceivable that there are pockets of humanity that muggles can't see or access, but into which we've stumbled, jeans, fanny packs and all, than it is to see mickey mouse ears aboard the Millenium Falcon. It's this happy combination that makes Diagon Alley so very immersive, and I'm not sure that can be achieved on the same scale with a different fantasy world.
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