DESTINATIONS — THEME PARKS & ATTRACTIONS
PRODUCT Seven nights with Virgin
SAMPLE
Holidays, including scheduled flights with Virgin Atlantic from Gatwick direct to
Orlando departing September 8, room-only accommodation in a standard room on a twin- share basis at the Cabana Bay Beach Resort and car hire starts from £945. Add on the Universal Orlando Three-Park Bonus Ticket
(valid for Universal Studios Florida, Universal’s Islands of Adventure, the Wet ‘n’ Wild Orlando water park plus all-club access to the live
entertainment at Universal CityWalk for up to 14
VIP preview: Diagon Alley
by Ron’s brother, George Weasley, you encounter huge armoured trolls and come face-to-face with the terrifying pair of Bellatrix Lestrange and Lord Voldemort during the ride’s finale.
l DISARMING CHARMS A particularly cool concept that has been introduced for Diagon Alley is the option to purchase interactive wands, which allow visitors to cast spells around the site to make miraculous things occur. Spell locations are identified by medallions set into the ground, indicating where to stand and face to wave your wand, but there are a number of unmarked locations where you can also practice your magic, and searching for them is half the fun. This interaction does come at a price – $45 as opposed to $35 for a regular wand – but if clients are planning to buy a wand anyway it’s worth shelling out the extra dollars. Visitors keen to bring back a piece of the magic are spoilt for choice, with every conceivable Potter knick-knack and keepsake you can think of available to purchase, from robes
TOP TIP
To avoid the worst of the queues visit
the Wizarding World before 10am or after 6pm
and broomsticks to joke products such as Skiving Snackboxes and Extendable Ears.
If all that shopping leaves you hungry and you’re after something heartier than a Butterbeer ice- cream from Florean Fortescue’s, you can grab a bite at the Leaky Cauldron. Here you’ll find traditional British fare such as fish and chips, cottage pie and bangers and mash, which you can wash down with a Fishy Green Ale or a Tongue Tying Lemon Squash. One of the most fun things about Diagon Alley is getting there. From Hogsmeade Station in the original Harry Potter area, visitors step aboard the Hogwarts Express, a proper train that
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travelweekly.co.uk — 21 August 2014
traverses the mile or so between the two parks. There are no boring car park views for guests here though – video screens in the windows take you on an exciting journey from the Scottish highlands, through the English countryside and finally to the aforementioned ‘London’ area of the site. Those travelling the other
consecutive days (from the day of first use) from £237 for two adults.
vhols4agents.co.uk
way can board from Platform 9¾ at Kings Cross, where a trick of the eye means observers will see them ‘walk’ through a brick wall. Even though Universal can
make people walk through walls, they can’t make people disappear, and queues for the attractions are unavoidable. There are ways of minimising their effect on your client’s visit. Those who stay on- site at a Universal hotel get one- hour early-bird access, and Virgin Holidays customers have a similar benefit. Its Early Park Admission has now been extended across two days, and both areas of the Wizarding World. TW
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