Best way to hit Harry Potter from DVC stay?

[cbonewjersey]

Just got our waitlisted extra (7th) night at BLT, our 2nd Home stay, for August. to break it up, we wanted to do 2-3 days at Universal, as we haven't been there. For DW, I was planning on a 10-day no-expiration, but I am totally uneducated on Universal, and how to do it w/o renting a car.

Any advice? 1 park/day ok? Does MS or UT have any cool packages that anyone has used for this.

 

[cvjw]

We are going to see HP world for the first time in June. We are breaking up our Disney trip to stay 2 nights at one of the Universal hotels so that we get the extra hour at HP and FOTL access all 3 of our days at Universal. I would suspect that HP world would still be very crowded in August, so you might want to consider adding a night in one of Universal's hotels. If not, there is a service that will take you from BLT to Universal, we saw them picking people up in front of BLT last September. I bought some Universal tickets from UT, and from Costco.

 

[dzorn]

I think the best way to do universal is to actually use one of their hotels for the front of the line access. Maybe rent out some point to use for the universal stay.

You can rent a car at the Dolphin or the Car Care Center.

Denise in MI

 

[cbonewjersey]

I think the best way to do universal is to actually use one of their hotels for the front of the line access. Maybe rent out some point to use for the universal stay.

You can rent a car at the Dolphin or the Car Care Center.

Denise in MI

I thought I had heard that MEARS (Disney bus company) had service from DW hotels to Universal if it's prearranged...anyone know anything about this?

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

These links should help:

http://www.dreamsunlimitedtravel.com/universal/

or

http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=37129307&postcount=1

 

[mdsd8700]

We are doing HP during our June trip, but are staying at Universal for the first 2 nights and then heading over to WDW.

There is a Mears shuttle as others have posted. However my girlfriend and her family just returned from a trip to WDW and spent one day at HP and took a cab there and back. The cost was about $31 each way and there were 6 of them in the cab.

She got there about an hour before the park opened and was able to do all of the HP stuff but not much else, but enjoyed it very much.

 

[bumbershoot]

The Universal forum here is really great, FYI.

We did Universal in the late middle of our long (first) WDW stay. We did have a car, but could have used Mears (you have to call them to make the arrangements, they don't have it online, but it's not much at all). And we stayed there onsite. After the trip, I cannot imagine NOT staying onsite at Universal. The room-guest FOTL access is far too valuable to give up!

I started off with a package, but quickly realized that it was basically the most expensive way of booking things. Ended up buying the tickets from maple leaf tickets, and booked the room through the Loews Hotels website (got the stay more save more deal). Worked out well!

 

[tawnee]

we used mears to go to the Halloween Party at Universal, I think 24 hour notice was needed.

 

[gkrykewy]

FOTL access is still not available for the HP rides, right?

 

[cvjw]

FOTL access is still not available for the HP rides, right?

No, but all on site guests get to enter HP World an hour early every day.

 

[gkrykewy]

Meh, not a morning person on vacation :/

But FOTL would be worth the price of admission.

 

[bumbershoot]

FOTL access is still not available for the HP rides, right?

There are three rides in WWoHP. FOTL is available for Flight of the Hippogriff (small coaster) and Dragon Challenge (big coaster). It's just not available for Forbidden Journey.

Using the Early Entry just once to get into Forbidden Journey without a huge line would be worth getting up earlier. Or even if you don't want to ride FJ, just to get into Hogsmeade to wander, shop, and get butterbeer without huge lines (we had to wait in a line one later morning just to get into the shop attached to Ollivanders, and that was NOT the line FOR Ollivanders), it's worth it.

 

[La2kw]

Stay at a Universal Resort and get early entry to WWOHP (you will need it) plus front of the line access to the majority of rides. The Universal resorts are beautiful and very well run (unlike Disney resorts). Going to Universal is like taking a vacation. Going to WDW is like work.

 

[ToddyLu]

Going to Universal is like taking a vacation. Going to WDW is like work.

 

[disneydaft]

The single rider line at the Harry Potter ride is worth checking out. With a sixty minute wait posted last week I was on in about 5 minutes. The next day the single riders line was a walk on until about 10am.

 

[bumbershoot]

Going to Universal is like taking a vacation. Going to WDW is like work.

Not sure I can say WDW is like work exactly, but Universal was definitely more relaxing for me!

 

[bfrosty]

What is the best resort to stay at US?

How many nights do you have to stay to get FOTL?

Thanks,
Bfrosty

 

[disneydaft]

What is the best resort to stay at US?

How many nights do you have to stay to get FOTL?

Thanks,
Bfrosty

You only have to stay 1 night. For that you actually get 2 days fotl. You can check in early and get fotl even if your room isn't ready.

 

[cbonewjersey]

You only have to stay 1 night. For that you actually get 2 days fotl. You can check in early and get fotl even if your room isn't ready.

I thought I read that if you did not stay at the resort you can buy FOTL for about $25pp. Is that true, and where/when do you do this?

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I thought I read that if you did not stay at the resort you can buy FOTL for about $25pp. Is that true, and where/when do you do this?

You can purchase it at the gate or online. It used to be approx $70 per person but it looks like they have adjusted pricing so that it is date/demand dependent and ranges from $20-$70.