The New 'Harry Potter' Theme Park Is So Well Hidden In Universal, It's Someone's Job To Tell People Where To Go

This past July, Universal Studios opened an expansion to its Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park with a new attraction called Diagon Alley.

We recently visited the park and unless you know where it's located (or have a park map), it could be slightly difficult to find. Universal must think so too, because an employee stands outside of the area at all times shouting and pointing to the attraction's entrance.

At least that was our experience during our 3-day stay at the parks.

Here's where the entrance to Diagon Alley is. Can you spot it?

It's right in there.

This may sound like a problem, but it's not. The park entrance does a great way of staying true to the books, making fans very happy.

In the novels, one way into Diagon Alley is by tapping a specific brick in order to unveil a hidden alleyway.

In the same vein, Universal's Diagon Alley is hidden behind a giant brick wall in its London section of the park. If you're a fan of the series you're blown away by the immense detail that went into recreating the scene. If you're a mere muggle (non-magical folk) who isn't familiar with the world of Potter then you'll probably wonder why Universal went to the trouble of hiding its biggest money maker in the park.

Here's what it feels like walking into the new park area:

Here's a quick GIF of what it's like to walk into Diagon Alley.

According to NPR, the first Harry Potter park, Hogsmeade, helped increase attendance by 30% and more than doubled visitors after it was added in 2010. NPR reports Diagon Alley cost Universal around $400 million, according to analyst estimates.

It appears well worth the investment. The area is the most popular attraction (other than a new Simpsons' ride close by) in the parks. Both are so crowded it's often difficult to walk down the streets.