Universal Orlando guests get a tantalizing brief glimpse of the Diagon Alley dragon

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By Don Gworek

For just a few hours Saturday, those in and around Universal Orlando got a tantalizing sneak peek of what will be an animated fire-breathing dragon perched on the roof of Gringotts Bank in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley. Above left is the base body of the dragon Saturday evening. At right is the same dragon on Sunday morning.

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Here is a full view of the dragon’s base body. Look close at the base of the tail, and you will see a joint where the tail will animate. Look at the shoulder and you will see where an animated wing will be added. A themed roof for Gringrotts Bank will be added under the dragon’s perch.

Diagon alley dragon head close-up Check out the details in the dragon’s head. Notice the marks on his neck from the chains which kept him in the bank.

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Here is the dragon as seen from the Men in Black approach to Diagon Alley.

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You can see scales along the dragon’s thorny back.

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Only the tail can be seen from the back of the park, from a city street bordering the park. Here, workers are completing the scaffolding on Saturday evening.

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The same view 12 hours later. The tail is outside the netting, possibly so that it can move during animation testing.

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The dragon in its netting on Sunday morning from the Men in Black approach to Diagon Alley.

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Only the Dragon’s tail is visible from the San Francisco approach to Diagon Alley.

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One of the best angles for seeing the dragon outside of Diagon Alley is in this area near Mel’s Drive In. Below is a photo from the same location, through a zoom lens.

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Here’s a video of the dragon from different angles around Universal Studios:

Diagon Alley Dragon being installed in Diagon Alley in Universal Orlando

Stay tuned in the @Attractions Twitter feed for photos when wings are attached!

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