Best days to visit or crowd forecaster?

[aprils28]

Hi,
Is there a list of best days to visit IOA? Undercover Tourist has an iphone app for Disney and Univeral and the Disney one has a crowd forecaster on it but not on the Universal app. Is there such a thing anywhere?
Thanks!

 

[Bluer101]

Weekdays, or Sundays, off season times.

 

[aprils28]

Thanks! We're going to Disney and IOA,,,,trying to decide between Wednesday, Thursday or Friday for both.

 

[conniehar90]

I was told Sunday's. Tried it out last July and it was perfect. Got there at opening and was done with everything by mid afternoon - including 2 rides on FJ.

 

[macraven]

Hi,
Is there a list of best days to visit IOA? Undercover Tourist has an iphone app for Disney and Univeral and the Disney one has a crowd forecaster on it but not on the Universal app. Is there such a thing anywhere?
Thanks!

which month/dates will you be at universal?

 

[amahdi]

I was told Sunday's. Tried it out last July and it was perfect. Got there at opening and was done with everything by mid afternoon - including 2 rides on FJ.

Really. I would have thought as Sunday is a weekend - it would be busy. I was thinking between the Friday before Thanksgiving or the Sunday before Thanksgiving. Why would Sunday be better?

 

[damo]

Yes, Sunday is the least busy day. I would arrange my Disney schedule to arrange to go on a Sunday.

 

[RMulieri]

http://www.orlandoinformer.com/universal/crowd-calendar/

 

[amahdi]

Yes, Sunday is the least busy day. I would arrange my Disney schedule to arrange to go on a Sunday.[/QUOTE

Thanks. I thought Friday (being a weekday) would be less crowded than a Sunday. If Sunday is better - works good for us as IOA is opened till 9pm.

 

[kohlby]

That crowd calendar is confusing for Nov. It says moderate for my date - but then below it says that part of Nov is very low. Last time I checked it, it was very low for my date. (Nov 15th).

 

[damo]

Yes, Sunday is the least busy day. I would arrange my Disney schedule to arrange to go on a Sunday.[/QUOTE

Thanks. I thought Friday (being a weekday) would be less crowded than a Sunday. If Sunday is better - works good for us as IOA is opened till 9pm.

As long as it isn't the Sunday during Thanksgiving weekend. Then all bets are off, lol.

 

[AJA]

That crowd calendar is confusing for Nov. It says moderate for my date - but then below it says that part of Nov is very low. Last time I checked it, it was very low for my date. (Nov 15th).

I bet it's because of the celebration of the HP films. The last film is released on DVD on the 11th. Universal has a big celebration planned for the weekend. They'll be lots of folks "staying around" for the following week that would not normally be at US in the middle of November.

 

[RMulieri]

I bet it's because of the celebration of the HP films. The last film is released on DVD on the 11th. Universal has a big celebration planned for the weekend. They'll be lots of folks "staying around" for the following week that would not normally be at US in the middle of November.

2nd this..Dan that does the crowd calendar said they adjusted it because of this

 

[kohlby]

I bet it's because of the celebration of the HP films. The last film is released on DVD on the 11th. Universal has a big celebration planned for the weekend. They'll be lots of folks "staying around" for the following week that would not normally be at US in the middle of November

Do you think I should switch it to Friday that week instead? Right now, I have Friday as my off day so it would be easy to switch IOA from Tues to Friday. (I also have a plan with it on Wed in case of rain Tues, but that plan makes me hop an extra time at Disney. Plus, the weather report right now is greatest chance of rain on Wed). We only have one day at IOA and my kids are HP obsessed so I want to pick carefully. I had picked Tues thinking it would be more quiet than Fri, but Fri would actually work into our plans better. (Though it gives us no alternate day if we have bad weather).

The celebration is the weekend before, so I'd think most would be gone by Friday. But maybe T-giving crowds start up then? Every day I'd consider is listed as moderate so I'm trying to guess moderate-low vs moderate-high.

 

[AJA]

Do you think I should switch it to Friday that week instead? Right now, I have Friday as my off day so it would be easy to switch IOA from Tues to Friday. (I also have a plan with it on Wed in case of rain Tues, but that plan makes me hop an extra time at Disney. Plus, the weather report right now is greatest chance of rain on Wed). We only have one day at IOA and my kids are HP obsessed so I want to pick carefully. I had picked Tues thinking it would be more quiet than Fri, but Fri would actually work into our plans better. (Though it gives us no alternate day if we have bad weather).

The celebration is the weekend before, so I'd think most would be gone by Friday. But maybe T-giving crowds start up then? Every day I'd consider is listed as moderate so I'm trying to guess moderate-low vs moderate-high.

That is such a tough call. Since this is all "new" as far as HP goes you don't have any historical info to compare crowds.

My "best guess" and that's all it is, is stick with Tuesday. Wednesday would be better and since the weather in Florida can change in a second if Wednesdays weather looks good I'd go with it. As a rule Friday is more crowded than Tuesday and remember most people make US a 3 day (or less) stop so by Tuesday the crowd should be thinning.

Are you staying onsite? If so you'll be fine any day (the free express pass) if not then get to IOA at rope drop and head straight to HP, ride all the rides there then go out and enjoy the rest of the park returning to HP in the evening as the crowds thin to do your shopping and take one last ride.

HP is amazing, have a wonderful trip!

 

[kohlby]

Thanks for the info. I've reworked my schedule more times than I care to count so it's good to hear I don't need to do it again! I'll take my plan Tues and plan Wed with me and decide based on the weather forcast.

No, we'll be on Disney property this time. (Last three trips did RPR but that was before WWoHP was open). Our plan is to head right over to WWoHP. see how long the Ollivander's wait is. If it's more than 20 minutes then head over to FJ. Only my oldest will be tall enough for FJ. Do child swap for FJ while the younger kids do the castle tour and the shops. (Even the 2 year old is obssessed with HP). Do Flight of Hippogriff once FJ is done. And continue to look around and eat lunch at Three Broomsticks. We'll have to skip Dragon Challenge since my oldest won't want to do it though he barely make the 54". (DH and I did Dueling Dragons more than 20 times one New Years and about a dozen time in a day on other trips. So, we're okay with having to skip that one). If ODS doesn't want to do FJ, then we'll do single rider line.


On our other trips, we noticed that most people don't think IOA is for young kids. So some of the rides/attractions that will appeal to my crew are less busy. (Plus, though the plan is just IOA, our tickest are one day two park so we have a plan B in place. We MUST hit WWoHP with my crew).