Disney 2020 Album | Documenting Harry Potter Diagon Alley at Universal

 

Hello Lovelies and welcome back to our Disney 2020 Album Project! Today we are continuing through Universal onward to Harry Potter Diagon Alley! I am so excited to share this layout with you as this part of the park is really spectacular and I couldn’t wait to document it in the album. If you’d like to learn more about how this album is coming together, join us in the classroom! In My Pocket Theme Parks Edition is our newest class! For this layout I am using the Project Mouse Wizarding collection, which just makes it even better, so come follow along with me.

 

I have to tell you all that it rained the whole first four days we were in Florida, but it also added quite a bit of special effects while exploring Diagon Alley. Ha! The sky was foreboding and all the photos have this quality to them that adds to the magic. Check out the layout here.

 

 

So full disclosure, Harry Potter is not really my cup of tea, I have tried to read the books and have tried to watch the movies and haven’t been bitten by the bug, so to speak. But I did love seeing how they brought the buildings and elements to life in the park! I had a great time photographing the sights of this part of the park and love seeing what I captured. I made a point to document the things I enjoyed about the Harry Potter World and the things that captured my interest.

 

 

As I prepared and gathered photos and journal cards for my layout, I just had to use this title card! It is perfectly glittery and magical and makes an instant title card that doesn’t need a single thing to make it complete. You will notice I printed two photos at 6×8 and then cut them to fit into my pockets. This really filled out the layout quite nicely, and it also brings in a vertical feeling. This was something the park conveyed through the architecture in the place, all of the buildings were tall and so a lot of time was spent looking up!

 

 

An easy way to embellish photos is to add Word Art! I added Word Art to both vertical photos using the Word Art from the Wizarding collection. It’s easy to change the color of your Word Art in Photoshop, I just add a rectangle layer over the Word Art, make it the color I want, and then Create a Clipping Mask. I do this so the Word Art will pop on my photo. You can use black or white or any color from your photo.

 

 

I absolutely loved the signs at the park! Also I found the roof lines to be entrancing, so lots of photos pointing up in my layout. This owl, funny story, is one of my favorite elements in the Wizarding collection. I made a point to include him, and as I was printing my photo, I realized the building on the right has lots of owls hiding in the windows. I totally did not particularly notice that while we are there, but mentioned it to my husband. He then told me that yes, the owls were there because that is the Post Office and because the owls deliver the mail. That is awesome! So now I know why that is there and I am so glad I captured that building! (And yes, you have permission to laugh at me, it is somewhat hilarious!)

 

 

I have been having fun looking through my stamp stash to find stamps that relate to this trip. The Pinkfresh Studio stamp set called Dream On, from one of their earliest collections, had this little sentiment that said, “What is this magical place” and it is perfect for this layout. So make sure you shop your stash, you might be pleasantly surprised at the magic you find.

 

 

The right side of my layout features the now famous Post Office as an enlarged 6×8, and other photos that delighted me along the way. Another favorite in the park was the candy shop and the funny names they gave all the candy! I’m still not eating bugs, even if they are chocolate bugs. Ha!

 

 

I already had a great title card on the left side, but I knew I wanted to make clear which Harry Potter World this was, so I printed the 4×6 card below and then added the Diagon Alley using Pinkfresh Studio puffy alphabets. I also added two tiny strips of washi tape at the bottom before printing, and then the hand die cut as a layered element. What a fun card!

 

 

And the Post Office. I love the owls and I love how they created this building. Another thing I loved seeing was how they created interactive elements in the park where you could practice your spells. There were certain places at certain buildings where, if you had a wand, you could learn how to use it to make special effects. None of us had a wand, but it was fun to watch others play! I added the Word Art again to this photo and a wooden wand (from Elle’s Studio) specifically ebcause that was one of my favorite things about this experience.

 

 

There’s the candy shop, I have to say the bright pink around the window was so unexpected and fun! Everything else was quite dark but here was a bright pop of color! Check out the funny candy names on the sign: Fudge Flies. Ewww! And so funny!

 

 

Another full disclosure: I have no idea what family I belong in, and can’t even tell you all the names of the Harry Potter houses, but it didn’t matter being in the park. I included the card with all the house sumbols because I wanted the pop of color and also because they are all part of the Harry Potter story. Such a great way to fill this pocket.

 

 

Thanks so much for joining me today! Even if Harry Potter isn’t your thing, I hope you have been able to share in the magic and the surprise and the fun with us. See you again soon!

~Theresa

Interested in learning more about how to document your Theme Park vacations without losing your mojo (or your mind)? Join us in the classroom! In My Pocket Theme Parks Edition is designed to help you plan, organize, and complete your magical albums. Click the image to sign up today!