Is it worth leaving Disney to see Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade?

[flateacher]

Some people cry when they see Diagon Alley for the first time (and Hogsmeade too for that matter) - its that good. So if you are into Harry Potter - it is a must see for you. We love it. Get a Butterbeer. We like the frozen and I also like the hot (but its only available certain times).

 

[damo]

Some people cry when they see Diagon Alley for the first time (and Hogsmeade too for that matter) - its that good. So if you are into Harry Potter - it is a must see for you. We love it. Get a Butterbeer. We like the frozen and I also like the hot (but its only available certain times).

Hot butterbeer is available all the time now.

 

[StarWarsJez]

Absolutely go! We're HUGE Disney fans but TBH Universal is putting Disney to shame over recent years with it's new theming and attractions.

The two HP lands (and the train connecting them ) are THE most immersive thing Florida has seen in decades!!!

 

[GaryDis]

Diagon Alley, Escape from Gringotts, and Forbidden Journey are all better than anything I've ever seen Disney do.

For that matter, while I know you don't ask about the rest of Universal, the section of New York City that you hit before getting to Diagon Alley is much better than the old NYC streets in DHS/MGM.

 

[theme_park_mom]

YES! I am a die hard Disney fan, but have been blown away by universal. Am a moderate Harry Potter fan, but not obsessed. My jaw hit the floor when I saw Diagon alley. All day I just kept saying - wow wow wow. If you are a fan, this is a must - see!

Everything at universal has been exceptional. I would take the time to come if I were you!!

 

[Cinemaxwell]

I'll agree with most of the sentiments here. Diagon Alley, in particular, is breathtaking. The attention to detail is top notch. You can feel the magic. Escape From Gringotts is a terrific ride. In the past we only went to Universal every few years to check in, but after now having experienced Diagon Alley I think it's going to become a regular stop for us.

 

[wookiebeck]

I hope the OP got the answer they were looking for.

 

[Metro West]

While I agree both areas are definitely worth seeing tickets are too expensive now to do just one area in both parks. Even if you don't care for Universal as a whole you should spend some time in both parks...you might change your mind.

 

[jess1017]

Definitely do it! And take advantage of the park hopper tickets to ride the Hogwarts Express between the two!

 

[damo]

While I agree both areas are definitely worth seeing tickets are too expensive now to do just one area in both parks. Even if you don't care for Universal as a whole you should spend some time in both parks...you might change your mind.

He lives!!!!!!!

 

[ryansstitch]

He lives!!!!!!!

YES! I am a die hard Disney fan, but have been blown away by universal. Am a moderate Harry Potter fan, but not obsessed. My jaw hit the floor when I saw Diagon alley. All day I just kept saying - wow wow wow. If you are a fan, this is a must - see!

Everything at universal has been exceptional. I would take the time to come if I were you!!

Ditto! I'm not die hard Harry Potter fan, and I haven't been to diagon alley yet. Hogsmeade put the new fantasyland in magic kingdom to shame though. It's really awesome!

 

[Patch'sD]

Not a huge Harry Potter fan, but I agree with most here. Universal out did Disney on both areas in IOA and Universal. I would like to know what your problem is with Universal. Is it because it's not Disney. I find Universal to be friendly, less expensive, and convenient. Rides are top notch and theming in both parks is on par with Disney.

 

[Leelo]

I would like to know what your problem is with Universal.

There are several reasons. We live near a Six Flags so a comic book based theme park is really close by and makes that part of Universal seem less unique to us. The nostalgia factor is missing for us at Universal as well. My husband didn't have cable growing up so his limited tv/movie experience is with watching Disney films with his brothers (for example: he can't tell you anything about Nickelodeon and has never seen a show they produced). I'm an artist and I have always been captivated by Disney films. The first things I learned to illustrate were Disney characters. So in general, we feel more connected to the Disney theming. We also feel Disney parks provide a fully immersive experience as a whole. Everything in Disney is so easily recognizable as from Disney. Universal never felt that way to us since we do not have experience with their universe of productions. This makes it seem more pieced together and less fully immersive as a whole. I'm sure Universal is more fulfilling for a lot of other people out there, just not to us so far. Because of this, the HP areas would be the only real draw for us and that is what led to my question.

 

[bchbetha]

It is more "pieced together" but within each ride, the experience is totally engrossing. Give it a shot. You might be pleasantly surprised. If not, well, at least you tried.

 

[Andysol]

There are several reasons. We live near a Six Flags so a comic book based theme park is really close by and makes that part of Universal seem less unique to us. The nostalgia factor is missing for us at Universal as well. My husband didn't have cable growing up so his limited tv/movie experience is with watching Disney films with his brothers (for example: he can't tell you anything about Nickelodeon and has never seen a show they produced). I'm an artist and I have always been captivated by Disney films. The first things I learned to illustrate were Disney characters. So in general, we feel more connected to the Disney theming. We also feel Disney parks provide a fully immersive experience as a whole. Everything in Disney is so easily recognizable as from Disney. Universal never felt that way to us since we do not have experience with their universe of productions. This makes it seem more pieced together and less fully immersive as a whole. I'm sure Universal is more fulfilling for a lot of other people out there, just not to us so far. Because of this, the HP areas would be the only real draw for us and that is what led to my question.

I'm curious what year you went last as well. Universal definitely had it's cost-cutting "dark ages" in the entirety of the 00s. But once Comcast took over in 2009, it is a totally different ballgame. Staff, theming, attractions, food, everything has been industry-leading.
I agree with you about the Nostalgia factor. I also agree about Marvel Superhero Island and seeing a resemblance to the DC areas of Six Flags (albiet the Marvel area is much cleaner). But that's one area in an entire resort. Universal, these past few years, has been so far (head and shoulders) above Disney in every aspect- from number of rides, to quality of rides, to restaurants, to resorts- it's ridiculous.
Comparing Universal to Six flags is comparing a single wide to a mansion. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised- and if youre there in April- Volcano Bay just might be open- which will dwarf anything the mouse has to offer on the water front part.
It's definitely not an either/or situation. I love both resorts. But the past 2-3 years, I've anticipated the Universal portion much more than the Disney portion. And that's saying something coming from our family.

 

[Leelo]

I'm curious what year you went last as well.

Our last trip there was 2011. Hogsmeade was open but the afternoon we were there, the return ticket line to get in to it was ridiculously crazy long and overflowed into a waiting area on the other side of the park. We were told the line was 4-5 hours. We decided if we wanted to try again another time to go at park open. Not sure if the lines still get like that now. We are just trying to decide if it is worth the ticket cost for basically just the HP stuff since we saw and were not impressed with the other areas of either Universal park. We are also staying at the Poly and we normally stay off site near Wet'n'Wild so we would literally only be leaving the full Disney experience for this one thing. We will probably return within 2 years and stay near Wet'n'Wild again so we also need to decide if we would rather save it for then.

 

[Miffy]

Is it worth going to Universal for someone who doesn't care about HP and isn't into coasters and thrill rides? Just curious, since I'm getting the impression that the theming at the 2 HP locations is a must-see, which is how I feel about DAK, for example, which is just so beautifully themed, landscaped, and architectured that it's a pleasure to merely walk around there.

 

[Miffy]

Unintentional double post.

 

[Seeker615]

I have always been a Disney fan myself. Grew up seeing all the movies and TV Shows but Universal won me over as far as rides and experiences. I love the pace and feel of the resort. I love that I can walk between parks and not have to wait for a shuttle. Once I am on the property I never have to worry about getting anywhere.

I am also a huge Harry Potter fan. Have a whole wall in my dining room with HP merchandise and memorabilia. The first time I saw Hogwarts I nearly teared up. It was amazing. I think I rode the ride about a dozen times the 3 nights we were there. I went again with my husband a couple of years ago and we had the best time not only in the HP areas but in all of the areas. One of my favorite evenings was a chilly night waiting for the evening water show. We were walking around the Old NYC area and it was sprinkling a bit. The area was lit up with these strings of light and it was so romantic.

We are heading to Universal next April so I can see the new HP section. I can't wait.

I hope you give Universal another try. It really is amazing!

 

[cbsnyber1]

It's definitely not an either/or situation. I love both resorts. But the past 2-3 years, I've anticipated the Universal portion much more than the Disney portion. And that's saying
something coming from our family.

True this - both are great but we've become so Universal - centric that some day we'll have to make a special trip to Disney to see what we've been missing. Our last visit to the Motherland, other than MVMCP one year, was in 1999. All Uni since then.