2 day parks plan?

[hsmamato2]

ok now that have finally decided on 2 parks days.... we will be offsite- so regular tickets- slow season,midweek. what should our general gameplan be? I was thinking that arrive as early as possible both days, and see the HP stuff, then spend time looking at other parts of the park.... like, if we start at one HP section, and do stuff till it gets more crowded(?) then hit the rest of the rides? or should we just do as much HP stuff as we can our first day, then worry about the other rides later,or the next day? thanks.... and which HP side should we start at? I know there's a train ride, but I don't know where....

 

[CTDisneyfan816]

ok now that have finally decided on 2 parks days.... we will be offsite- so regular tickets- slow season,midweek. what should our general gameplan be? I was thinking that arrive as early as possible both days, and see the HP stuff, then spend time looking at other parts of the park.... like, if we start at one HP section, and do stuff till it gets more crowded(?) then hit the rest of the rides? or should we just do as much HP stuff as we can our first day, then worry about the other rides later,or the next day? thanks.... and which HP side should we start at? I know there's a train ride, but I don't know where....

I am assuming you are doing one park each day? Either way make sure to ride the Hogswart train between the parks as it's a ride in itself. I would also say no need for express passes as off peak and mid week you shouldn't have long lines other than maybe the Potter rides and if you get there early and do them first even those shouldn't be too long.

 

[SimplyGoofy]

Yes, definitely arrive early. Keep in mind that it is a LONG WALK from the parking garage to City Walk to the park, so budget in some extra time for the walk.

In addition, if you've never been to Universal Studios before, remember that many GPS units bring you to the wrong spot. Check out the correct roads before hand and follow the signage MORE than you follow your GPS. Those darn GPS units and Google Maps have led many people astray.

Go straight to the Harry Potter sections of each park, as those are the two rides that do not have Express pass (and therefore, they get crowded early). Once you're done with Harry, then make your way through the rest of the park. I think it makes the most sense to do one park per day, but as the OP mentioned, the Hogwarts Express appears to be a great attraction that's not to be missed.

 

[hsmamato2]

Thanks!

 

[hsmamato2]

which park/Hpp attraction is the most popular? or busy? I think we should start there first.....then take the train to the other HP section, but which park should we hit first,since theyare in different parks? I've been to Universal before, the last time was when the FJ ride just opened, but I don't recall much.

 

[SimplyGoofy]

I believe Diagon Alley in Universal is currently more popular and hence, busier - it is newer than Hogsmeade, so it makes sense.

I would get to the Universal Studios gate early, book it over to Diagon Alley once the park opens, and head right to the Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts attraction. It may already have a bit of a line due to the early entry folks from the Universal resorts, but the line doesn't get any shorter as the day goes on. Once you're done with Gringotts, you could either look through the rest of Diagon Alley before it gets much more crowded, or you could go to the other longer-line attractions in Universal such as Despicable Me, The Mummy, or The Simpsons Ride.

On your second day, do the same thing at IOA - book it to Hogsmeade and ride Forbidden Journey and then the Dueling Dragons. You can follow up with other busy IOA attractions like Spiderman and the Hulk coaster. (As an alternative if you loved Gringotts, you could go to Universal first again, ride Gringotts, and then take the Hogwarts Express to Hogsmeade and IOA. The line for Forbidden Journey may be a little longer, but likely not by much.) You'll definitely want to ride the Hogwarts Express at least once - there are slightly different "scenes" that occur depending on which way you're going (Universal to IOA or IOA to Universal), so you'll probably want to ride the train twice anyway!