1st time to Universal - 2 day 2 park info

[sdd1841]

We are going the last week of September so I am hoping for low crowds - very interested in all things HP. Any advise about how to organize our days? Want to see everything - HP and all rides are the priority then maybe a few recommended shows - the youngest in our group is 13...any advise or planning websites would be appreciated - tried touring plans but did not know enough about each park to figure it out

 

[bchbetha]

You need to upgrade to park to park if you want the full HP experience. Without it, no Hogwarts Express. Check out the Orlando Informer website for a good overview and sample itineraries.

 

[sdd1841]

You need to upgrade to park to park if you want the full HP experience. Without it, no Hogwarts Express. Check out the Orlando Informer website for a good overview and sample itineraries.

Yes - that is the plan - 2 day - park to park tickets

 

[bchbetha]

Gotcha. Your subject made me think you did the 2 day, 2 park tickets which aren't the same as park to parks.

 

[wagman67]

Are you staying onsite or offsite? All onsite hotels include Early Entry. If onsite, is it a deluxe hotel that includes Express Passes?

For the HP stuff, you are usually best off by doing Early Entry at whichever park has it the days you are there (usually just one park has EE...rarely see both...and it is not always the same park). So, do EE, knock out the big ride (Forbidden Journey in IOA and Gringott's in US) in the park that is open, then get in line as early as you can for the Hogwarts Express...take that across to the other park, when it opens. Ride the big ride over there. Now, just roam around and enjoy yourself...grab a map of the parks, which list the different showtimes for the day. Download the Universal App, which will show you the wait times for the various rides.

Assuming you are not doing Volcano Bay (because you mention the 2 Park tickets), but you still want to get wet on some rides...wear something you don't mind getting wet, and that dries quickly. Ripsaw Falls and Bluto's Barges will get you soaked, and you will get wet (to varying degrees) on Jurassic Park River Adventure. We stay onsite and usually wear our swim gear in until we have ridden all of the water rides for the day, then we go back to the room and change (sometimes hang by the pool a little, before we change).

Shows: Animals on Location is a fun show in the hot afternoon. The Monster Make-Up show is a must do for me about every day I am there. The Blues Brothers make their presence known by driving around the park before their show. there are a few side shows in the HP areas, as well. Sinbad is about the only show over in IOA. Poseidon's Fury is really a walk through show. Character Parades and sightings happen throughout the day...and stick around for the Cinematic Spectacular to finish out the day, around the US lagoon (not on all dates).

 

[macraven]

You might see more crowds in the studios side Thur/Friday due to hhn peeps coming into the park early

 

[cleopenn]

We did our first trip in Nov '16 with our 11yo.

For the HP stuff, you are usually best off by doing Early Entry at whichever park has it the days you are there (usually just one park has EE...rarely see both...and it is not always the same park). So, do EE, knock out the big ride (Forbidden Journey in IOA and Gringott's in US) in the park that is open, then get in line as early as you can for the Hogwarts Express...take that across to the other park, when it opens. Ride the big ride over there. Now, just roam around and enjoy yourself...grab a map of the parks, which list the different showtimes for the day. Download the Universal App, which will show you the wait times for the various rides.

This is what we did, by dumb luck, and it worked very well. I will add that the park opens early but Hogwarts Express does not. What EE will get you is a chance to be amongst the first to wait in line outside of HE. We did EE at the Studios and headed (along with everyone else) straight to HE where we waited about 30 minutes. I can't remember exactly when they started letting us into the building/station but it was a few minutes prior to IOA opening. Because I didn't know any better, I assumed early entry meant we would be able to ride HE at 8:30am. We pulled out promptly at 9am and went directly to FJ. That scene was pretty crazy, people were sprinting to get to FJ. It took us a while to get thru the line. When we left, the wait was up to 45min.

We rode HE back and forth as transportation. We loved it.

We went back to each park at night to see the HP in the dark and really enjoyed that as well. I can't remember our wait time for Gringott's in the evening but it wasn't bad. We walked right into Olivanders in the evening and my son was chosen for the wand ceremony. (There were only 6 people total)

 

[mjhtvchick]

Undercover Tourist also has some nice simple touring plans...https://www.undercovertourist.com/park-plans/#tp-orlando