Here are my quick observations -- will post more -- we're still on vacation --- not much time to post.
Gringotts ride --- if this doesn't impress, then I don't know what can impress a person. I loved it. My wife and son liked FJ a little more -- but they were still blown away by Gringotts. My daughter and I were blown away with both FJ and Gringotts. Gringotts attention to detail – incredible!
Diagon Alley -- I say this with a heavy heart. We have spent a great deal of time there over the past few days. Disney World and the rest of the Universal park - can't hold a candle to the immersive experience of DA. In a word it's 'spectacular'.
I will always love Disney World - but DA, especially in the evenings -- is untouchable. I am blown away by the experience, the detail, the whole story, the shopping, the shows, the ice cream, the depth of detail, the back alleys, .... the everything.
I don't say this lightly. Add in the Hogwarts Express -- it raises the bar to an entirely new level that I doubt Disney can challenge.
I said this to my wife – again with a heavy heart. Can the Disney imagineers make something as technically interesting? .... certainly without question.
Bottom line – Disney doesn’t have the most important ingredient – they don't have the content or story that is as beloved as the HP series of BOOKS and movies.
That's going to be the key. There were kids and adults, TRUE HP fans, fans of the story, wiping a tear from their eye, as they walked around exploring DA. When I saw that – I said, it’s over. Not Star Wars, and certainly NOT Avatar is going to evoke such passion. The depth and breadth of the HP story, and passion that comes with it --- movies will never eclipse the loyalty / engagement of a book --- cannot be overcome by flash. You can recreate the ‘flash’ and technical wonder --- but never the depth and breadth of the story.
Again I'm not a big fan of HP -- I'm blown away.
The evenings/nights --- dear I say it, 'magical'.