A few newbie questions

[riostoker]

We are planning a single day at both parks on July 7.

My one and only goal for the day is to experience the Harry Potter sections to the fullest. My kids (12 and 14) may want to see some other areas and ride some other rides though if we have time. HP is number one priority for all of us though.

The express pass nearly doubles the price of the ticket (which I think is INSANE) - $155 for ticket, $139 for express pass. Since our main goal is HP, and those rides don't offer express lines, I'm contemplating going without it. (We would get there before opening and go to the park that doesn't have early entry first). Do you think we'll manage ok without it if we spend most of our time in HP and use single rider lines?

Also, I have some ride questions. I'm wondering what thrill rides I may want to avoid. I hate Rock N' Roller coaster and Space Mountain but love Everest and Tower of Terror. So maybe I don't like dark, fast rides? Space Mountain is mostly too jerky for me. Rock N' Roller coaster was too fast or something. I'm getting the feeling there may be quite a few rides at Universal that my teens will want to ride that I won't. They love every Disney ride and that ginormous new coaster at Carowinds.

Can we get a photo with a minion? Where is the best place to find one? That would make my 12 year old's day!

Thanks,
Ann

 

[macraven]

You might come out cheaper with a throw away room
At the price of express for both parks, a room at the deluxe hotel might end up cheaper

It will be hot and crowded

Look at the website and plot out the rides for each park
Read the descriptions of the rides to get an idea of what you must do
It will be tough to do everything in both parks
You can easily spend hours for the potter sections

Do the DE ride
At the dance party at the exit, get in line for picture taking with a minionion
Take the pics of your 12 yo at that time

Hope your day at the darkside is great

 

[AmberK24]

I completely agree! The Deluxe room will include the unlimited express pass for all of you, and will get you in early to one of the HP lands. If you are up early and in the main attraction line ASAP, you can save a huge chunk of time later. At that time of year, express will be about the only way you get through both parks in a day, but that hour helps a lot too...and if it can replace the cost of another room somewhere else, even better!

 

[CalKhat]

Per their website, they are sold out for that date.

 

[disneymath]

Per their website, they are sold out for that date.

Of rooms or express passes? I think if you book a deluxe room you get EP even if the individual purchasee ones are sold out.

We are going in July and have opted to stay for one night to get the express ... ended up saving us hundreds of dollars.

 

[CalKhat]

Of rooms or express passes? I think if you book a deluxe room you get EP even if the individual purchasee ones are sold out.

We are going in July and have opted to stay for one night to get the express ... ended up saving us hundreds of dollars.

Rooms.

 

[disneymath]

Rooms.

Oh, sorry to read that. Keep checking maybe as people do cancel.

 

[macraven]

Well if all the hotels are sold out that means Hugh crowds and long lines

 

[CalKhat]

Yeah, that can't be a good sign. Would they ever be sold out online, but you could call or book on a travel website?

 

[CalKhat]

Sorry- user error. I put in a 2 month date range by accident.

 

[macraven]

Now that we are over our nervous breakdown, it's good to know rooms are still available for the op to have the option of thinking about getting an onsite room

 

[CalKhat]

Yeah- sorry about that. No more date checking after midnight for me. OP it looks like less than $400 including taxes. Definitely cheaper than adding EP for everyone at both parks.

 

[havoc315]

We are planning a single day at both parks on July 7.

My one and only goal for the day is to experience the Harry Potter sections to the fullest. My kids (12 and 14) may want to see some other areas and ride some other rides though if we have time. HP is number one priority for all of us though.

The express pass nearly doubles the price of the ticket (which I think is INSANE) - $155 for ticket, $139 for express pass. Since our main goal is HP, and those rides don't offer express lines, I'm contemplating going without it. (We would get there before opening and go to the park that doesn't have early entry first). Do you think we'll manage ok without it if we spend most of our time in HP and use single rider lines?

Also, I have some ride questions. I'm wondering what thrill rides I may want to avoid. I hate Rock N' Roller coaster and Space Mountain but love Everest and Tower of Terror. So maybe I don't like dark, fast rides? Space Mountain is mostly too jerky for me. Rock N' Roller coaster was too fast or something. I'm getting the feeling there may be quite a few rides at Universal that my teens will want to ride that I won't. They love every Disney ride and that ginormous new coaster at Carowinds.

Can we get a photo with a minion? Where is the best place to find one? That would make my 12 year old's day!

Thanks,
Ann

Both parks have early entry on July 7th..

I'll be there a couple days earlier, July 4th weekend. I'm not looking forward to arriving at the parks at 6:30am, but I'm hoping it makes the Harry Potter, and new King Kong ride, possible without long lines.

 

[macraven]

Thanks for updating here for The EE parks

Both parks will be so crowded
They open both parks when it is expected to have large volume of peeps

 

[riostoker]

Thanks for the info. I'll contemplate getting a room for the express passes. We have rented a house with a bunch of friends, so I don't have a way to give up a night somewhere else. The early entry and express pass would be nice though. I'll have to think about it. Either way it makes for a really expensive single day. I wish we didn't have to go such an expensive, crowded, hot time of year, but we will be down there for my daughter's athletic event, so no wiggle room on dates.

 

[macraven]

op. if the weather is really hot the day you go and you get overwhelmed with crowds, use the throw away room for a break time.
you'll have a place to hang out at for an hour or so where it can be quiet and relaxing.