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Diagon Alley at night

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Gringotts Ironbelly

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Fishy Green Ale

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Borgin & Burkes

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Carkett Market signage

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Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour

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The Leaky Cauldron

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Knockturn Alley

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Diagon Alley costume design

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The Knight Bus, photo by ThemeParkHip.

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VACATION PACKAGE UPDATE! This email has been going out to guests with vacation packages as of this evening, with details on what they'll get access to (or at least more info than before) and the note that their breakfast in Diagon may turn into a lunch or dinner due to pre-scheduled & limited time frames. Thanks to @SamanthaSamuel on twitter for this screenshot!

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I bought the vacation package for the WWoHP less than a week ago and the guest service and vacation package people said that 1.) not many packages have sold due to the price (for the Portofino for 3 nights, FL res discount, and no tickets, it was still over $1000 for me and my mum) and 2.) with the package before July 8th, you get guaranteed access into Diagon Alley but the only uncertainty is Gringotts (which is understandable). Hope this helps clear up the confusion about the package. :)

Thanks so much for the details! I’m actually about to post an image of a email that has been going out to guests starting this evening. Hopefully there’s still some availability based on what you told us! :)

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Update on the mysterious Diagon Alley vacation packages...they do exist, for travel starting June 29th, based on availability. At this point, there may not be any packages left for before the 8th (or even in the next few months!) but it's nice to have confirmation from the Universal website that this specific package does include early entry to both halves of WWoHP and breakfast in both restaurants.

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Diagon Alley timeline for opening...

Here's the most up to date information we have, based on facts release by Universal and info from team members:

Wednesday, June 25th - Saturday, June 28th: Team member preview (6pm - 10pm each night). TMs need to pick up a special ticket and will be able to attend one preview night only, and must present the ticket along with their TM ID to attend. No 3rd party employees or guests are allowed to attend. Escape from Gringotts will not be running [source with full details - screenshot from UO team member website]. Some TMs have posted images on social media of a special Hogwarts Express pin that they've received with their ticket [view the pin & ticket here].

Sunday, June 29th: Guests with vacation packages (not standard hotel guests) are rumored to have access beginning this date [source - unsure where this info came from]. Conflicting information seems to be being given out to guests. More info here. ETA: Updated vacation package info here!

Monday, June 30th - Monday, July 7th: Soft opens??? Obviously there is no concrete answer for this. People are guessing all over the place, mostly due to the fact that UO is obviously just waiting on Gringotts to be operating smoothly at this point. Many TMs have been guessing that the 2nd & 3rd are the most likely to be the first day of soft opens if vacation packages go smoothly, though it's extremely likely at this point that any soft opens will be totally random and for very short periods of time. Make sure to look for #PotterWatch on twitter (and follow us) for frequent updates if you're hoping to get more info on soft opens.

Tuesday, July 8th: GRAND OPENING! This date has been announced to the public and is very unlikely to be pushed back, even if Gringotts is still not up to their standards at that point. Any news to the contrary will be shared asap.

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New photos of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, thanks to Inside the Magic on Flickr. Their Flickr stream has tons of high res images from media preview! Make sure to follow ThemeParkHipsters for more updates as we approach the grand opening on July 8th!

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Seafood mac and cheese is new on the dinner menu at Columbia Harbour House...here's what DisneyFoodBlog.com had to say about it:

"it’s as though they’ve taken the standard Disney mac & cheese and added more shredded cheese to make it extra gooey. It’s so rich...I think this entree is well done, overall. There is enough seafood to have it with just about every bite if you want!"

For the full review, more photos, and another new menu item, check out DisneyFoodBlog!

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Eternelle's feat. Gillywater - super high resolution images of Diagon Alley thanks to Collider.com! Here's the full article with over 100 images. Make sure to follow ThemeParkHipsters for more images & updates as PotterWatch continues through July 8th!

If you haven't heard of the new Gillywater drink yet, you purchase a bottle of the base Gillywater, and then add one of the Elixers of Refreshment, combining them to make a flavored drink rumored to have magical benefits. Flavors available will include Fire Protection Potion, Babbling Beverage, Draught of Peace, and Elixer to Induce Euphoria. You can see some more photos at TouringPlans.com.