'The Wizarding World of Harry Potter' in Orlando has been the destination for Potterheads ever since its unveiling in 2010. This year, the theme park is about to get a massive expansion that will make the experience even more immersive – Diagon Alley will open in the Wizarding World. The theme park’s creative team is already at work on the new section of the park and it is expected to open to the public sometime in the summer.

Hogwarts Scale Model at Warner Bros. Studios London
Hogwarts scale model at Warner Bros. Studios London - the second biggest HP-themed attraction in the world.

“This new area will be just as spectacular,” Matthew Lewis, the actor who played Neville Longbottom in the Harry Potter film series, said in a webcast Thursday, via Florida Today. “The attention to detail and the accuracy are second to none. It’s brilliant.”

The experience will be made even more faithful to the books with the Hogwarts Express connecting the two areas of the park. In not so great news, however, if fans want to see both, a two-park ticket will be required. Currently, single-day admission for both parks is $136.32, including tax, for anyone age 10 and older.

Matthew Lewis
Matthew Lewis, the actor behind Neville Longbottom's character, is excited about the project.

Stewart Craig, a production designer for the Harry Potter films, worked on the design of the new expansion for Universal. Company execs described the rich level of detail at Diagon Alley as “theatrical reality,” with shops selling souvenirs drawn from the Harry Potter books, including wands, robes and even quidditch supplies, for the more athletic among Potterheads. Of course Olivander’s wand shop, one of the key settings of Diagon Alley, as will most other locations from the movies.

At Olivander’s visitors will be able to purchase their own wand or watch as “the wand chooses the wizard”, as goes Mr. Olivander’s famous quote. Chalk this up as yet another reason to visit the Wizarding World this summer.