Theme Park News UPDATES

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Well it's finally happened. July 8th is the day Diagon Alley opens. So let's review the biggest new bit of news from the week.
This is a spoiler-riffic week for Potter fans to be sure, with Diagon Alley finally releasing the opening date, so let's go over the three major facts that should be addressed first, before going in to a frothy-butterbeer coma.

1. IT OPENS JULY 8TH- It opens July 8th, a bit late to capitalize on those attending on the fourth, but I would not be surprised if those staying on property got a bit of a sneak peek. I'm not certain if this is good, but rest assured, the park will probably be up to capacity from July to December, with it tapering off starting February, and peaking again starting next June. 
2. INTERACTIVE WANDS- Pictured above are "spell medallions" little bits that show when you can use an interactive wand and shows you the actions you have to do with the wand to make it act. So, what does this mean? It means possibly RFID tech with a bit of motion sensors. Now if the sensors are IN the wand, this means that it could be set up to work with other things... do I sense a Universal cash-in on stuff like Skylanders and Disney Infinity? YOU BET. With the proposed tie-in with Pottermore, setting up wands to help with this would be a wonderful thing (though to those with a keen eye, the wand movements between pottermore and the spell medallions do differ a bit). 
3. CROWD CONTROL!!!!!- THIS IS THE BIG ONE!!!!! Unlike last time, Universal has set up a better way of allowing access to Diagon Alley with a sort of Fastpass system. I'm not entirely certain of how it works, but I am aware that they have booths set up with Diagon Alley branding to keep things limited, so YES, you can still get in, but it won't be like last time, where you waited in a long line to get into that part of the park, with tickets handed out by staff. This should be less mind-hurting, and a bit easier for guests. Now, you may think you're clever and use the train, but to avoid naughty people like you (yes you!) they drop you off in London rather than Diagon Alley. 

So what does this all mean? 

In short: be prepared Potter fans. If you want to ensure that you have a better chance to enjoy the park, and you can do it, Febuary is probably your best bet, with the crowds getting possibly as bad (if not worse) than opening crowds by the time next June hits. Best of luck to all of you, and here's hoping. If anyone who reads this wants to share their opinions of the park, please do! Post your thoughts here in the comments for the next run-down.