Calling Experts for help on WWOHP

[poohteacher]

My two daughters and I have one day (Saturday 8/17) to tour both US and IOA. We have a hop parker pass and are staying at the Hard Rock. Our emphasis will be on seeing the Harry Potter attractions and then filling in the rest of the day with whatever else we can manage to fit in. We're willing to be there early and to tour til we drop. Sooooo, here's where I need some help.
We would like to ride the new Hagrid ride, but will not wait hours to do it. If it doesn't work out, we can make peace with it; however, we would like to begin optimistically. What would you experts suggest:
Option 1: Take advantage of the early opening at the studios, ride Gringott's and get on line to take the Hogsmeade express to be at rope drop for Hagrid's.
Option 2: Take advantage of the early opening at the studios, ride Gringott's, exit the park, enter IOA for rope drop to ride Hagrid's.
Option 3: Ignore early hours completely and just go to IOA to wait for rope drop.
Option 4: Another option that you feel is better.
Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[skylock]

If your stand is you will not wait hours to ride it, I would just go ahead and mark it off your list and just enjoy the rest of Potterville and the other parts of the park.

If you decide to wait, the wait could be less than two hours or it could be more than two hours. There are still freq downtimes for various amounts of time. Nobody can tell you what wait you could expect.

 

[escapeartist]

I'd like opinions on this also. Ride HE from Universal to IA for hagrid, or rope drop IA for hagrids?

 

[damo]

I would do the Hogwarts Express. You just can't rely on Hagrid's.

 

[Disxuni]

You have a little more than a couple of weeks until you arrive so I suggest keeping track of the main Hagrid coaster thread and see what others report on what is happening each day, as well as look at the Universal app and look at wait times randomly day to day to see what kind of wait times are there. It has been reported that the wait times are increased in time to compensate for delays, or weather, so if all goes well people have been reporting that the wait time is typically half the wait, or even a little less than half. I would say if you're truly interested in riding Hagird to look into that.

However, I do want to say at the same time, that if your stance is to not wait for hours for it that I would suggest just enjoying the rest of Potter and then do whatever you wish. While things have been slowly getting better, someone even reported the other day they waited just an hour when the wait time was posted as 120 (just for one example), and while downtime does happen it has been decreasing, I would say that if you do not want to risk it (because no matter what it is, things happen) then you might as well just avoid it.

 

[disneywithfive]

I'd enter US and ride Gringotts for early entry. Tour around Diagon Alley a bit and see what you want to. Head to IOA via Hogwarts Express and ride Forbidden Journey and Hippogriff. Tour around Hogsmeade. Check the wait times (on the app) and see if you are willing to wait to ride Hagrid's during this time. If at some point the app says 120 or 180 minutes, I'd head straight away to the ride and get in line. If there are no delays (ride malfunction or weather) you probably won't be waiting that long. After that, you can decide if you want to go back to US or stay in IOA and ride other rides in the park. Since you will have express, you probably can ride a lot of rides.

 

[skylock]

The Op stated they had one day, so if they do ropedrop (or earlier) they would miss the early morning hour in Diagon Alley, which for people with only one day who are HP lovers, I highly recommend they not miss out on.

After doing early morning time in DA, they could hop over on the train and check the app for wait times and decide then if they want to attempt the wait.

Some days the reports are moving in the correct direction, then the next day, it is not good.

I agree, keep an eye on things in the next couple of weeks, and hope, but I would go in, with only one day, not dwelling too much on getting to ride it. Definately, do not cut your early morning time in DA for it.

 

[Disxuni]

I know a lot of people are also doing their thing and then going in the afternoon (between 1-3), which is a risk (due to storms and other unknown things that can happen), however for a lot of people it seemed to have gone surprisingly well when weather and other things do not get in the way, as once again, the posted waits would be double what they actually waited if things go according to plan. If anything, if you get your fill of HP, as well as other rides you wish to go on, you could even step in line an hour prior to when Hagrid's typically closes (which at the moment typically is 5) and see how it works out depending on the wait time you see on the app.

 

[Spike101]

I'd do Option 3.

Hagrids is the biggest time guzzler so get that out of the way first (weather permitting of course) and be at the front, or as near as you can, of the gates of IOA for when they let people in.

From everything I've read, being there at 7.45 or thereabouts is a good time, all being well you should be done by 9.30, then do Forbidden Journey, and worth noting at that time of the morning the single rider line is amazingly fast, so worth considering unless you want to do the castle ride queue, which is understandable!

Then do Hippogriff, have a quick swish round Hogsmeade, do the Hogwarts Express, straight on Gringotts, queue time by then will probably be approaching an hour or maybe longer, but at least once you've done that, you can take a breath and really do the rest of the Wizarding World at your leisure.

And of course I havent forgotten, get the train back over to IOA to do Hogsmeade properly, and try the single rider lines for both Hagrid and Forbidden Journey, phew!

Look forward to seeing what happened on the day, and pray that Mother Nature was smiling upon you that day!

 

[AuroraluvsPhillip]

With your EP's you'll be able to zip through Forbidden Journey, Hippogriff and Gringotts, so the only issue will be Hagrid's obviously, and the lines for the Hogwarts Express which get longer as the day goes on. Give yourself at least 30-45 min to get from park to park on the train at peak times.