For most Harry Potter fans, visiting Diagon Alley is a dream come true. However, a recent twist has seen Potterheads banished from the street and told to ask for their money back.
Ever since JK Rowling published “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” in 1997, the Wizarding World’s fanbase has grown exponentially across the globe. Thanks to this passionate fanbase, the series became a box-office hit, spawning eight installments, three spinoff movies, and multiple Harry Potter theme parks across the globe.

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For those visiting the latter, the appeal lies in stepping into destinations featured in the franchise. Universal Orlando Resort allows Guests the opportunity to explore Hogwarts Castle, Hogsmeade, the Hogwarts Express, Gringotts Wizarding Bank, Knockturn Alley, and, of course, Diagon Alley – every wizard’s favorite shopping destination.
But Universal Studios isn’t the only place to go if you want to experience the Wizarding World for yourself. Multiple locations in the Harry Potter series were based on or inspired by real-life spots across the United Kingdom. London is home to many of these destinations, with fans able to visit the likes of King’s Cross Station (where Hogwarts students board the train to school each September), Grimmauld Place (where Harry Potter’s godfather Sirius Black lives and the Order of the Phoenix has its base), and Diagon Alley (where every young witch or wizard picks up their Hogwarts school supplies in each Harry Potter book).

At least, in theory. While many Harry Potter walking tours in the city take fans through Covent Garden’s Cecil Court and claim it was the inspiration for Diagon Alley, locals have taken a stand to stop fans from visiting the street.
According to local news site MyLondon, one resident disgruntled by the surge of tourists recently put up a sign to say that Harry Potter has “nothing to do with this street,” encouraging those on walking tours that visit the “real Diagon Alley” to ask for their money back.

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It turns out he has a point. In 2020, JK Rowling debunked theories that Diagon Alley was inspired by any real-life street – never mind Cecil Court in particular. While the area does bear some similarities, such as terraced shop fronts and old-school British architecture, sort of like the Diagon Alley shops, any direct link between the two does seem pretty loose.
So, next time you’re in London and planning to drop by any sites from the Harry Potter franchise, you may want to give any tour that touts this as a must-visit the miss.
Where would you most like to visit in the Wizarding World? Let us know in the comments!