When you enter first enter Diagon Alley, you will find the famous Leaky Cauldron pub immediately to your left. A larger restaurant than The Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade, The Leaky Cauldron also has a more varied menu. In addition to the standard fish and chips and meat pies you can find in Hogsmeade, it has a beef stew that tastes quite nice, although it is lacking in the actual meat department (three pieces of beef and a ton of potato and carrot? no thanks). If you're willing to try more authentic British food, there are Scotch eggs (hard-boiled eggs wrapped in pork sausage and deep fried), but there are also safer treats on the menu such as mac and cheese.

There are also several new tantalizing drinks, including Lemon Squash, a very tangy lemonade-esque drink that is a bit more sour than you might be used to, and Fishy Green Ale, a fishy egg drink which is rather daring. It's not the best-tasting drink at all (the Lemon Squash beat that by far), but it's got these tarty little dark bubbles (Boba) at the bottom that pop in your mouth, and that in itself makes it a bit of a risky adventure. Butterbeer, both regular and frozen, are of course available there, as well.

The other eaterie located in Diagon Alley is Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. There are the usual vanilla and chocolate flavours for those who aren't quite as daring, but notable new tastes include lavender, earl grey and, of course, the famous Butterbeer-flavoured ice cream. Personally, not a fan of Butterbeer as a drink itself, but the ice cream is an interesting mixture of vanilla and caramel. And it's not too sweet or rich, so that it is quite enjoyable. So if you're not a fan of Butterbeer as a drink, because the taste might be too sweet or overwhelming, the ice cream is top choice.

Knockturn Alley is set up so that the 'skies' are dark at all times, and it's quite a bit cooler there - pretty ideal against the hot, sunny summer weather, truth be told. If you're a fan of the Dark Arts, that's the place to go. Throughout Diagon and Knockturn Alleys, actors walk around as actual wizards roaming through the villages as though heading into stores to purchase items. It's a great new touch that brings an authenticity to the town that doesn’t exist in Hogsmeade. They don't always interact with guests in Diagon Alley as they wander; rather, they talk to each other, as normal families would, just making their way around town.

Now, with Knockturn Alley, it's a little bit of the same, except it’s more similar to the scene where Harry got lost in Chamber of Secrets, as there are suspicious characters coming up to guests to invite them to do nefarious deeds. It's great fun to interact with them, because who knows what crazy ideas they'll come up with. It just adds to the feeling that you're truly in a Wizarding World and talking to actual wizards. There are a fair few storefronts in Knockturn Alley, and even what seem to be small flats above the shops – makes you wonder what sort of people live there!

Of course, there is an actual Borgin & Burkes in Knockturn Alley, where guests can enter to purchase some Dark Arts-related goodies and Death Eater paraphernalia. Items of note include the Hand of Glory and the Vanishing Cabinet (complete with chirping bird noises within). Just outside the shop you'll see an interactive wand station with a human skeleton that you can make mimic your actions.

It's really brilliant that all the wizards around Knockturn Alley will give you uneasy and shifty looks, as you should be getting! Want to go hang out with friendly wizards? Then walk back into the main street of Diagon Alley ... but if you feel more comfortable around shady characters, then Knockturn is the way to go. There are two entrances/exists to Knockturn Alley, one near The Leaky Cauldron and the other by the Fountain of Fair Fortune pub. Take a very good look around Knockturn Alley because there are a lot of little fun tidbits to be found, such as the wall advertisement seen below