2 hr waiting for Hary Poter today! It is insane!

[DisneyFansInLINY]

I am going to be 7 months pregnant when we got to WWOHP on Febuary 3. I am getting worried about the apparent crowds. Disney accomodates pregnant women; does Universal?

 

[Tink2Day]

Sorry to say to everyone but it is true that IOA is still as busy as ever. The wand wielding boy has created a constant flow of people!!

I can't remember a day since it opened that I haven't seen the area crowded and the FP line at least 90 mins.
Additionally, you can't get into the area when it is in overflow mode not even to ride dragons challenge or flight of the hippogrith.

I too am hearing that they are contemplating taking over the remaining part of Lost Continent that they did not use but as of now I believe this is just a rumor. But if you like Sinbad show you might want to make sure you see it so if this does come to pass you can say you've done it.

I would think if they did it that they would build to where the bypass bridge is in order to make it all one area.

Have fun and enjoy everything else USF/IOA has to offer till you can get into Potter!

November 7th FJ 25 minutes or as fast as you could walk through the castle.
Single Rider line, up the stairs and bam you were on the ride.

 

[braddillman]

November 7th FJ 25 minutes or as fast as you could walk through the castle.
Single Rider line, up the stairs and bam you were on the ride.

Also true 12 Sep 2010. Lots of 5-minute waits throughout IoA that day. No 45 minute+ waits anywhere.

 

[Tink2Day]

Also true 12 Sep 2010. Lots of 5-minute waits throughout IoA that day. No 45 minute+ waits anywhere.

Yep brad.
If people are going at the same time the rest of the country is going i.e. Winter break, Spring break, Christmas, TG, etc etc then of course the parks will be more crowded, ALL of them, not just IOA.

During our stay, some rides at Disney were 60-90 minute waits and fastpasses were 2-5 hours in future so popular rides can be busy any time. The same rides on different days were walk on and repeat immediately.

 

[damo]

Yep brad.
If people are going at the same time the rest of the country is going i.e. Winter break, Spring break, Christmas, TG, etc etc then of course the parks will be more crowded, ALL of them, not just IOA.

During our stay, some rides at Disney were 60-90 minute waits and fastpasses were 2-5 hours in future so popular rides can be busy any time. The same rides on different days were walk on and repeat immediately.

We were there the end of August and our pictures during early entry have only us in them. It was lovely.

 

[Anjelica]

Questions regarding the bags and child swap specifically for FJ.

I have two children - the oldest is tall enough to ride FJ but the younger one is not. Both my husband and I want to do FJ. I'm familiar with how Disney does the child swap but have no idea how it works at US/IOA.

Will the four of us be allowed in the child swap line (I'm sure my son would love to see the inside of the castle even though he isn't tall enough to ride)?

Can my husband and daughter ride the ride while I watch our son and then hubby and I switch positions (i.e. can my daughter ride with each of us or only one single time)?

Since there will always be one adult not on the ride are the small backpacks even an issue (not just on FJ)? From my recollection of our 2004 trip the only ride at that time that required us to put our backpack in a locker was Hulk.

TIA

 

[Timmy Boy]

Questions regarding the bags and child swap specifically for FJ.

I have two children - the oldest is tall enough to ride FJ but the younger one is not. Both my husband and I want to do FJ. I'm familiar with how Disney does the child swap but have no idea how it works at US/IOA.

Will the four of us be allowed in the child swap line (I'm sure my son would love to see the inside of the castle even though he isn't tall enough to ride)?

Can my husband and daughter ride the ride while I watch our son and then hubby and I switch positions (i.e. can my daughter ride with each of us or only one single time)?

Since there will always be one adult not on the ride are the small backpacks even an issue (not just on FJ)? From my recollection of our 2004 trip the only ride at that time that required us to put our backpack in a locker was Hulk.

TIA

Yep, you got it right. All 4 of you can go through the line together, and see the whole line. When you get to the loading area, the Team Member will probably notice the small child and ask if you are doing a child swap. There is a large child swap room with Harry Potter movies playing. One of the parents wait with the one not tall enough in the room, the other 2 of you go on the ride. When you come back, the parent who rode waits with the younger kid, and the adult who waited first now rides, and the child who rode already will be allowed to ride again, if they want.

Also, with the loose articles, you can keep them in line with you since you'll be having an adult waiting with them. That works on all rides requiring lockers.

 

[Tink2Day]

Anjelica, Also do the Castle Tour! You can take your time and see pretty much everything without people who are anxious to get on the ride hurrying you along. That way you can take photos (with your low light non flash of course)

 

[Anjelica]

Yep, you got it right. All 4 of you can go through the line together, and see the whole line. When you get to the loading area, the Team Member will probably notice the small child and ask if you are doing a child swap. There is a large child swap room with Harry Potter movies playing. One of the parents wait with the one not tall enough in the room, the other 2 of you go on the ride. When you come back, the parent who rode waits with the younger kid, and the adult who waited first now rides, and the child who rode already will be allowed to ride again, if they want.

Also, with the loose articles, you can keep them in line with you since you'll be having an adult waiting with them. That works on all rides requiring lockers.

Anjelica, Also do the Castle Tour! You can take your time and see pretty much everything without people who are anxious to get on the ride hurrying you along. That way you can take photos (with your low light non flash of course)

THANK YOU for the responses.

I have a follow up - Do we just get in the regular line or the single rider line to do the child swap? Also the Castle Tour would be great to do - is that a different line than the single/regular lines?

 

[Anjelica]

I didn't think this would have a huge effect on crowds but could the Disney Marathon this week/weekend have anything to do with the crowds at Harry Potter this week? Just some food for thought but since they put HP in I know some of us regular Disney folks are migrating that way during our normal trips.

 

[mesaboy2]

THANK YOU for the responses.

I have a follow up - Do we just get in the regular line or the single rider line to do the child swap? Also the Castle Tour would be great to do - is that a different line than the single/regular lines?

Regular line for child-swap, although I've actually done child-swap at the end of SR. The TM said it was okay, but I got the impression she was making an exception, so I can't guarantee that.

The Castle Tour line is different from the others, and actually goes a different route. Ask the TM just outside the lockers--it is not obvious where CT is, but it veers off to the right at the TM. It goes through a different (but similar) portrait room, and skips the outside greenhouse area and the staircase leading to Dumbledore's office. After the (different) portrait room, the CT queue parallels the other queues at Dumbledore's office, the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, and the Gryffindor common room.

 

[tinkerbell423]

Is the rest of the park crowded or is the confined to HP? We will be there president day week and I fear it will be really crowded.

 

[mesaboy2]

Is the rest of the park crowded or is the confined to HP? We will be there president day week and I fear it will be really crowded.

I'll be there as well and expect most of the crowds to be at WWoHP. The rest of the parks probably won't be too bad, but it is a minor holiday weekend so be prepared....

 

[Tink2Day]

Like I said about the castle tour pretty much the same. I went on the SR then the regular line the SR a couple more times and then just walked up and asked the first TM at the entrance "May I go through the Castle Tour please" He then sent me through a door and there I WAS. Best of all worlds!

tinkerbell, I'm not an expert prognosticator (if I were I'd be at the race track betting every winning horse)
But I think the 'week' of a one day holiday wouldn't be a problem as long as you don't go on THAT specific day. It seems that people either go to Florida when there is an extended holiday and the locals just show up whenever they want

Guess people just love Hary Poter (sic)

 

[MEBT315]

Thanks for the Castle Tour/Single Rider line tips! I think I will probably do that too!

 

[Luv2Roam]

Regarding fanny packs, etc, experience from our Tuesday visit --

What was being yelled at guests was anything that could not fit comfortably in a pocket had to go in a locker.

That was one reason I was wondering about all the cameras in the que. I was figuring the cameras could fit in a person's pocket. (And cameras are usually small and pocket size now.)

I recall around 3 years ago just having a flat string holder and having to store that in a locker at MIB. Couldn't believe it. (It was a flat square holder from Passport (the tourist guide book company).

 

[Planogirl]

I am going to be 7 months pregnant when we got to WWOHP on Febuary 3. I am getting worried about the apparent crowds. Disney accomodates pregnant women; does Universal?

Your question got buried I think.

I've never been in that condition in a themepark. In what way?

 

[tinkerbell423]

I'll be there as well and expect most of the crowds to be at WWoHP. The rest of the parks probably won't be too bad, but it is a minor holiday weekend so be prepared....

Mesaboy2 what day/s will you be going? I think we are going on Monday and Tuesday but we can switch the days if other days will be "less busy"

 

[DisneyFansInLINY]

Your question got buried I think.

I've never been in that condition in a themepark. In what way?

LOL thank you. Well Disney accomodates pregnant women with not having to stand in line as well as family members. Does anyone know if Universal does this? It's for safety reasons as you can imagine a very pregnant women standing in lines for long periods of time is not a good idea. And even if they can't go on the ride, they still have to wait for their party to go. Plus with crowded areas, you risk getting bumped into. I am nervous about Universal because of this thread. We are going Febuary 3-6, when I thought that there wouldn't be any crowds.

 

[DumGuestTricks]

LOL thank you. Well Disney accomodates pregnant women with not having to stand in line as well as family members. Does anyone know if Universal does this? It's for safety reasons as you can imagine a very pregnant women standing in lines for long periods of time is not a good idea. And even if they can't go on the ride, they still have to wait for their party to go. Plus with crowded areas, you risk getting bumped into. I am nervous about Universal because of this thread. We are going Febuary 3-6, when I thought that there wouldn't be any crowds.

They have wheelchairs for rent right as you walk out of the parking garages, right before you have your bags checked. So if you can't walk or stand for long times, that is a good idea.

All the queues for the rides are wide enough to handle push wheelchairs, so that would be the best thing.

If a push wheelchair is something you don't want to rent for the day, all rides have rider switch rooms in which a family member or two that cannot stand in the long wait can sit in. The rest of the group goes through the normal queue and when the reach the end, they let the Team Member know that someone from their party is in the room, and they get them. Then you're riding together without someone standing in a long line because they are physically unable to stand in that line!

Now, if you're asking if Universal lets your family skip lines for rides you shouldn't be riding because you're pregnant.... No, they don't.