a few more questions about WWoHP, IoA, onsite hotels, etc.

[disneyholic family]

and my questions are:

1. which of the 3 onsite hotels is closest to the entrance of IoA?

2. Can you walk from any of the onsite hotels to IoA? and if you walk, how long does it take?

3. What is the "castle tour" at WWoHP?

4. is forbidden journey a simulator ride or a roller coaster?

5. does forbidden journey jerk you around a lot or is it smooth? (my son in law broke his back about 5 years ago, so i'm wondering if he can ride FJ)

6. is FJ similar to any other ride at IoA or US? (i'm trying to figure out what sort of ride it is)..

that's all i can think of right now..

thanks in advance for your help!!!!

 

[Bluer101]

and my questions are:

1. which of the 3 onsite hotels is closest to the entrance of IoA?

2. Can you walk from any of the onsite hotels to IoA? and if you walk, how long does it take?


thanks in advance for your help!!!!

RPR is the closest to IOA. All 3 of the hotels are in walking distance. RPR and HRH are the easiest walks. PBH is a lot longer.

 

[mesaboy2]

and my questions are:

1. which of the 3 onsite hotels is closest to the entrance of IoA?

2. Can you walk from any of the onsite hotels to IoA? and if you walk, how long does it take?

3. What is the "castle tour" at WWoHP?

4. is forbidden journey a simulator ride or a roller coaster?

5. does forbidden journey jerk you around a lot or is it smooth? (my son in law broke his back about 5 years ago, so i'm wondering if he can ride FJ)

6. is FJ similar to any other ride at IoA or US? (i'm trying to figure out what sort of ride it is)..

that's all i can think of right now..

thanks in advance for your help!!!!

1. Probably Royal Pacific Resort.
2. Yes. IoA is about a 10-minute walk from RPR. The Studios maybe 2 minutes more.
3. CT is a way to see the fantastic FJ queue elements without waiting for FJ itself.
4. Part simulator, part dark ride. The ride vehicle is at the end of a Kuka robotic arm moving on an omnimover-type track. It is most like Sum of All Thrills at Epcot I'm told.
5. Pretty smooth.
6. Spiderman is most often cited as the closest thing. Not that close though IMO.

 

[disneyholic family]

thanks for your answers!!

how do you go on the castle tour?

is there a specific location where you go to take it?

i have a feeling that DS and DDIL will go on FJ and the rest of us will pass...

but i definitely want to see the castle..

if we go in the line with DS, can we 'chicken out' at the end of the line?

will we see the same thing in the line that we would see on the castle tour?

 

[mesaboy2]

thanks for your answers!!

1. how do you go on the castle tour?

2. is there a specific location where you go to take it?

i have a feeling that DS and DDIL will go on FJ and the rest of us will pass...

but i definitely want to see the castle..

3. if we go in the line with DS, can we 'chicken out' at the end of the line?

4. will we see the same thing in the line that we would see on the castle tour?

1 & 2. Once past the locker area, there will be a TM directing traffic. Most will pass the TM to go in the main queue to ride. However, at that TM's location there are the entrances to two other queues: Single Rider and Castle Tour. Neither is well marked if at all, but tell the TM what you want to do and they will point the way. For the record, SR is to your immediate left and up some stairs, the main queue continues on ahead and slightly left, and the CT queue is slightly right and is often roped-off. The TM will open it for you.

3. Yes. I know of no ride in the world where they force you in. Don't forget there is a child swap option as well.

4. The main queue and the CT queue are very similar. In the main queue you would of course see everything. The CT queue shows you most everything. Things you would miss in the CT queue are the greenhouse area (which is not a big deal in my opinion), and the Sorting Hat, since the SH is beyond the exit of the CT queue. (The SH is just before boarding the ride.) However, if you ask the TM at this point to sneak up and get a closer look (without riding), I expect they will let you. Also be aware that both the main queue and the CT queue have separate (but very similar) portrait rooms, where the pictures on the wall talk to each other.

Another point. If the main queue is too long for your taste, you can do SR then CT (or the reverse) in much less time. You'll still see 90% of the queue elements, and with FJ's ride vehicle, you can't see the person next to you much at all so that makes SR even more attractive.

 

[disneyholic family]

1 & 2. Once past the locker area, there will be a TM directing traffic. Most will pass the TM to go in the main queue to ride. However, at that TM's location there are the entrances to two other queues: Single Rider and Castle Tour. Neither is well marked if at all, but tell the TM what you want to do and they will point the way. For the record, SR is to your immediate left and up some stairs, the main queue continues on ahead and slightly left, and the CT queue is slightly right and is often roped-off. The TM will open it for you.

3. Yes. I know of no ride in the world where they force you in. Don't forget there is a child swap option as well.

4. The main queue and the CT queue are very similar. In the main queue you would of course see everything. The CT queue shows you most everything. Things you would miss in the CT queue are the greenhouse area (which is not a big deal in my opinion), and the Sorting Hat, since the SH is beyond the exit of the CT queue. (The SH is just before boarding the ride.) However, if you ask the TM at this point to sneak up and get a closer look (without riding), I expect they will let you. Also be aware that both the main queue and the CT queue have separate (but very similar) portrait rooms, where the pictures on the wall talk to each other.

Another point. If the main queue is too long for your taste, you can do SR then CT (or the reverse) in much less time. You'll still see 90% of the queue elements, and with FJ's ride vehicle, you can't see the person next to you much at all so that makes SR even more attractive.

thanks for clarifying that for me!!!

 

[disneyholic family]

Parking questions:

1. which is closer to the IoA entrance: the regular day visitor parking lot or the parking lot at the Royal Pacific Resort?

2. which will take longer? that is, though we'll have a room at RPR, we won't actually stay there...instead, after checking in the night before, we will arrive first thing in the morning for early entrance to WWoHP....
so when we come in the morning, will it be faster for me to park at RPR or in the regular general parking lot?

3. is "preferred" parking closer to the IoA entrace? is it worth it (compared to regular parking)?

4. where is the valet parking located? is it close to the IoA entrance? is it worth it using the valet parking?

 

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

Parking questions:

1. which is closer to the IoA entrance: the regular day visitor parking lot or the parking lot at the Royal Pacific Resort?

2. which will take longer? that is, though we'll have a room at RPR, we won't actually stay there...instead, after checking in the night before, we will arrive first thing in the morning for early entrance to WWoHP....
so when we come in the morning, will it be faster for me to park at RPR or in the regular general parking lot?

3. is "preferred" parking closer to the IoA entrace? is it worth it (compared to regular parking)?

4. where is the valet parking located? is it close to the IoA entrance? is it worth it using the valet parking?

1. The RPR lot is closer to IOA.
2. RPR.
3. Preferred parking is on level 3 of the main garage which is the same level that the entrance to the parks are on. So it is closer in that regard. But you're still way better off parking at your hotel. The Universal garages are a LONG walk to the theme park entrances.
4. Valet parking is closer than regular or preferred parking but not much closer than your hotel parking. Since the hotel parking is $15/night, you should just park there.

BobK/Orlando

 

[Metro West]

3. is "preferred" parking closer to the IoA entrace? is it worth it (compared to regular parking)?

4. where is the valet parking located? is it close to the IoA entrance? is it worth it using the valet parking?

I wouldn't pay the extra money for Preferred parking...it's located on level 3 so you wouldn't have to deal with escalators or elevators but it's not closer physically. Valet is located right beside the theater at CityWalk and will cut your walk time down significantly. It can be pricey though. I wouldn't pay for valet unless someone in your party has a problem walking.

 

[disneyholic family]

1. The RPR lot is closer to IOA.
2. RPR.
3. Preferred parking is on level 3 of the main garage which is the same level that the entrance to the parks are on. So it is closer in that regard. But you're still way better off parking at your hotel. The Universal garages are a LONG walk to the theme park entrances.
4. Valet parking is closer than regular or preferred parking but not much closer than your hotel parking. Since the hotel parking is $15/night, you should just park there.

BobK/Orlando

thanks! so RPR it is.....
i feel like i'm planning some military invasion or something...
synchronize the watches, which route to take....
i must have looked at 10 different maps to figure out how i'll drive there (i'm back in the dark ages of maps....i hate GPS)..

anyway...i'm going a bit overboard with all this, but i hate being unprepared..
we only have one chance to get it right and who knows when we'll next be in orlando all at the same time....quite possibly never...