4. Universal learns more from past mistakes than anyone else

Nick Sim, Theme Park Tourist editor-in-chief:

First off, I won't claim to have any insider knowledge of how well Diagon Alley is performing from a financial perspective (I'll defer to Seth's greater insight on that subject).  But I completely agree that judging the success (or otherwise) of a new theme park land based on the length of ride queues is ridiculous.

Universal has a great track record of learning from past mistakes.  When Universal Studios Florida opened back in 1990, it was initially a disaster, with the three biggest attractions consistently out of action, and one of them (Jaws) ultimately shut down and completely rebuilt at massive expense.  When it came time to open Islands of Adventure in 1999, the major rides were in testing for as much as 12 months or more before the park opened, and, almost without exception, everything worked flawlessly. The problem on that occasion was the terrible marketing campaign that accompanied the park's debut, something that was certainly not the case when its first major expansion (the Wizarding World) finally arrived.

The big issue with the Hogsmeade is its ability to handle crowds – and with Diagon Alley, Universal Orlando has once again learned its lessons.  It's hardly surprising to find that queues for the Hogwarts Express are manageable – it's a freakin' train, for goodness' sake!  Trains, of course, are designed to be mass transit systems – in this case, from one theme park to another.

And I've no doubt that Universal did its homework on managing the crowds in the stores, too.  For starters, there are lots of them, and Universal seems to have been aware of where the bottlenecks might be (hence the larger Ollivander’s this time around).

It's not a coincidence that Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem, Transformers, and Springfield have all opened in recent years. Diagon Alley is right at the back of USF, and each of those three attractions is designed to entice visitors to stop and enjoy them before they head over to the Harry Potter land.  Of course, there'll be a large element of the crowds that just makes a beeline straight for Diagon Alley, but I think the trick will work on enough people to make a difference.

5. Expectations were impossibly high

Die-hard theme park fans (and, of course, I have to count myself among them) are just like fans of movies, comic books, or videogames.  Look at Star Wars, for instance.  You can absolutely guarantee that discussions on forums, chatrooms, etc. will build up expectations for Episode VII to near-impossible levels.  Then, when the movie is finally released, the fans will pick holes in it ruthlessly, claim that it doesn't live up to those impossible-to-reach expectations, and throw bile at Disney for "destroying" their beloved franchise.  Meanwhile, the vast majority of the cinema-going public will go watch the movie, buy some popcorn and some merchandise, and go home happy.

Nothing is perfect, and of course fans will find things not to like in Diagon Alley, just as they did with Hogsmeade and Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey (a wonderful ride, but one which I feel lacks any kind of a coherent storyline).  Will Universal care, when its cash registers are ringing non-stop?

Actually, I think it will.  And I expect the flaws that are found in Diagon Alley to be addressed when the inevitable expansion comes.

Previous All-Star Roundtable entries:

4 HUGE Changes Coming to a Theme Park Near You

5 Reasons Why Disney WON’T Change to Fend off Competition in Orlando

4 Ways That Universal’s Diagon Alley Will Change Theme Parks Forever