1st time at WWOHP! need help!

[TinkPearl]

I feel I plan everything out real well for our Disney trips each year but throwing IOA into the mix for our next trip, I'm worried. DS is a HUGE Potter fan right now so even though it's costing us much more to add a day there, it's a must do. So, I've been reading up on how you have to be there 2 hours before the park opens and other horror stories so I'm looking for some info on what the crowd level might be like on Monday, March 5th? Do we rush to do Harry Potter World first or should we do it last? Thanks!

 

[fairyprincess88]

I don't see any reason to be there 2 hours early. Even when I visited right after it opened, I showed up about 45 minutes before rope drop and was one of the first let in when they opened to the general public.

If Potter is at the top of your list then it wouldn't hurt to be there at rope drop and do that once it's open. There will be people already in that section as the WWoHP is open 1 hour early for onsite hotel guests and those on a Universal vacation package. The area does tend to clear out later in the evening, of course you can never say for certain that will happen. But if you do what you want in that section first and then do the rest of the park and then come back to Potter later, you can see if it is managable at night or not.

 

[RMulieri]

Once in WWoHP..Do OLLIVANDERS wand shop first if it interests you at all.It is a little show that takes place in the store.They only let in 20 guests at a time so that line builds SUPER FAST.After that ride Forbidden Journey and then the rest

 

[mesaboy2]

Completely agree with both previous posters.

 

[zack123]

I don't see any reason to be there 2 hours early. Even when I visited right after it opened, I showed up about 45 minutes before rope drop and was one of the first let in when they opened to the general public.

If Potter is at the top of your list then it wouldn't hurt to be there at rope drop and do that once it's open. There will be people already in that section as the WWoHP is open 1 hour early for onsite hotel guests and those on a Universal vacation package. The area does tend to clear out later in the evening, of course you can never say for certain that will happen. But if you do what you want in that section first and then do the rest of the park and then come back to Potter later, you can see if it is managable at night or not.

Agreed. According to the crowd calendar at http://www.orlandoinformer.com/universal/crowd-calendar/#axzz1c0irfMJ5, they are predicting moderate crowd levels that day. Express passes are priced at $31 for both parks, which suggests the same.

If WWoHP is the main reason you are going, do that first and then move on to everything else. If the crowds are bad later in the day, at least you can say you already did what you came to do. If the lines get really long, you can buy Express passes for most of the other attractions (including Hippogriff and Dragon Challenge in WWoHP).

Are you willing to do the single rider line for Forbidden Journey? If so, that may significantly reduce your ride wait time. The day I was there was "slow," as opposed to "moderate," but I did the single rider line on FJ 4 times in one day (and the regular line once, it was walk-on which probably almost never happens), and still had plenty of time for quite a few other attractions in both parks. And I didn't even get there until 10:30 or so.

If you are only going one day, be there a little before opening (sometimes they open 20 minutes early) and do WWoHP first, then see what else you have time for. If you can go back and see WWoHP near closing, it looks really cool with all of the lights on.