Can bags be taken into FJ if just doing the tour and not the actual ride?

[tamaraten]

Wondering if I can be bag-holder while I'm with DS (5) doing tour while DH is on the ride with our three other older kids.

thanks.

 

[damo]

Wondering if I can be bag-holder while I'm with DS (5) doing tour while DH is on the ride with our three other older kids.

thanks.

Yes. You can do it a few ways. If you want to go through the line with your DH, just tell them you are not riding. Every time an employee sees you with bags though, they will tell you to go to the lockers and you'll have to tell them you aren't riding. Then take the exit before you get on the ride.

Or, you can just tell them at the entrance to Hogwarts that you want to go through the line for non riders and they will direct you there. You won't be with DH but you can carry everything that you want and take however long you want.

 

[tamaraten]

Yes. You can do it a few ways. If you want to go through the line with your DH, just tell them you are not riding. Every time an employee sees you with bags though, they will tell you to go to the lockers and you'll have to tell them you aren't riding. Then take the exit before you get on the ride.

Or, you can just tell them at the entrance to Hogwarts that you want to go through the line for non riders and they will direct you there. You won't be with DH but you can carry everything that you want and take however long you want.

Thanks Damo. But do I understand correctly that you see different things in each line? i.e. Is it worth it to go once with DH in rider line and once alone with DS on non-rider line while DH is on the ride with the others?

 

[Timmy Boy]

If you go in the normal ride line, you see only a couple things in the Dungeon such as the mirror or Erised, and a witch statue of some kind, as well as the door to the Potions classroom, but only sounds can be heard from the other side. Then you go into the greenhouses which is outside which is basically giant switchbacks that can hold a lot of people. There isn't much to look at here, except for some mandrakes, but these don't move, where as the ones in Hogsmeade do move and scream.

Once inside the castle, you'll go past some statues that are the architect of Hogwarts, and the original Headmaster of Hogwarts, then you'll go past the counters for the different houses. ("10 points from Slytherin, 5 points to Gryffindor"). Then you'll pass the phoenix used to get into Dumbledore's office, then you'll go into a small hallway with 2 or 3 moving paintings. Then you'll go into a large portrait gallery where the founders of the 4 houses are seen and interact with each other and move and talk. From there you'll go onto seeing Dumbledore's Office where you'll see him talk via hologram, and he does a couple different shows, from there you'll move onto the Defense Against The Dark Arts Classroom where Harry, Ron and Hermione talk to you via hologram, and they have 2 different shows.

From there you'll move into a hallway in past the Fat Lady on the portrait door in front of Gryffinfor common room, and she talks as well. Then you'll be in the common room, and then you move into the boarding area where the safety spiels are presented via the sorting hat.

If you take the castle tour line, you will have your own portrait gallery, and then you join up next to the ride line in Dumbledore's Office. You then see everything in the ride line past that point. However it is your own line so you can stop and see all the shows and look at the detail all you want. So the only thing youll really miss are some statues, the house counter, and a giant phoenix statue.

 

[tamaraten]

If you go in the normal ride line, you see only a couple things in the Dungeon such as the mirror or Erised, and a witch statue of some kind, as well as the door to the Potions classroom, but only sounds can be heard from the other side. Then you go into the greenhouses which is outside which is basically giant switchbacks that can hold a lot of people. There isn't much to look at here, except for some mandrakes, but these don't move, where as the ones in Hogsmeade do move and scream.

Once inside the castle, you'll go past some statues that are the architect of Hogwarts, and the original Headmaster of Hogwarts, then you'll go past the counters for the different houses. ("10 points from Slytherin, 5 points to Gryffindor"). Then you'll pass the phoenix used to get into Dumbledore's office, then you'll go into a small hallway with 2 or 3 moving paintings. Then you'll go into a large portrait gallery where the founders of the 4 houses are seen and interact with each other and move and talk. From there you'll go onto seeing Dumbledore's Office where you'll see him talk via hologram, and he does a couple different shows, from there you'll move onto the Defense Against The Dark Arts Classroom where Harry, Ron and Hermione talk to you via hologram, and they have 2 different shows.

From there you'll move into a hallway in past the Fat Lady on the portrait door in front of Gryffinfor common room, and she talks as well. Then you'll be in the common room, and then you move into the boarding area where the safety spiels are presented via the sorting hat.

If you take the castle tour line, you will have your own portrait gallery, and then you join up next to the ride line in Dumbledore's Office. You then see everything in the ride line past that point. However it is your own line so you can stop and see all the shows and look at the detail all you want. So the only thing youll really miss are some statues, the house counter, and a giant phoenix statue.

Thanks Tim for answering, and for your incredible detail!. I guess my question is (knowing nothing about HP - my kids are the fanatics), is it worthwhile to first stand in the ride-line with DH and kids who are riding and then go in the tour line with DS5 while the others are on the ride? Or should I just go straight to the castle tour line?