The first look at the high street of Diagon Alley and its shops was revealed Friday by USA Today, who got a sneak peek at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter's new attraction at Universal Orlando Resort. Close-ups of many of the shops, including Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, Flourish & Blotts, and numerous facades like The Daily Prophet, as well as a new tour and interview with SVP Universal Creative Thierry Coup, can be viewed here.
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On Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts:
"It would be a real understatement to call it a roller coaster, because it does so much more," Coup says. "It's way beyond that."
Here's how it works: Riders put on 3-D glasses and race through a labyrinth of underground vaults, where they encounter the villainous Bellatrix Lestrange and Lord Voldermort, Harry's archrival.
At one point, "a troll grabs the vehicle and starts shaking it," Coup says. At another point, hot lava surrounds guests just as the villains reappear in a full, 360-degree scene. It's all thanks to 4K digital high-definition animation, state-of-the-art 3-D Infitec projection systems and live special effects.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley will open this summer.