Castle Only Tour?

[divawife]

I thought you went through one line, the CM's hurried you through and then at the end you could use the chicken exit to watch HP movies while the rest of your party rode the FJ ride?

Now I read a bit about a Castle Only Tour? Can someone please explain this to me? Is it a separate entrance? Do you see the whole castle and take your time (like see the snow).

Is this different than the single rider line or the same? Is it new or always was available?

I have a feeling we will want to go with the Castle Only Tour.

Thanks for helping!

 

[mdb78]

If you want to take the castle tour line, you just let the TM know and they'll direct you where to go. It's great since you can go at your own pace, take pictures,etc... In the single rider's line, you don't see much, but in the castle tour line, you do see everything (although the portrait room is a different room than the one that you go through in the regular stand by line). I just did it this past Saturday with DD and I really got to hear what Dumbledore and the 3 had to say, plus I finally got to see the snow!

Oh and by the time we got to the end (the area by the test seat and before they send you to the sorting hat area, the TM really didn't know that I just did the castle tour since he asked how many was in my party. I guess he didn't see dd (she's only 3). I just told him we were only doing the castle tour and we weren't riding. Now that I think about it, I bet if I had DH with me, we could've done child swap and rode the ride without waiting in the 45 min. line.

 

[mesaboy2]

If you want to take the castle tour line, you just let the TM know and they'll direct you where to go. It's great since you can go at your own pace, take pictures,etc... In the single rider's line, you don't see much, but in the castle tour line, you do see everything (although the portrait room is a different room than the one that you go through in the regular stand by line). I just did it this past Saturday with DD and I really got to hear what Dumbledore and the 3 had to say, plus I finally got to see the snow!

Oh and by the time we got to the end (the area by the test seat and before they send you to the sorting hat area, the TM really didn't know that I just did the castle tour since he asked how many was in my party. I guess he didn't see dd (she's only 3). I just told him we were only doing the castle tour and we weren't riding. Now that I think about it, I bet if I had DH with me, we could've done child swap and rode the ride without waiting in the 45 min. line.

I think you could have. The TM at that station for us on Friday let us go ahead and do single-rider/child-swap also. I mentioned we could go around for SR again, but she said--nay, insisted--it was okay. I felt bad, but not too bad. Where did I leave that flame suit?

And slightly related: I asked a different TM back in the DADA room about combining single-rider with child-swap and she said that was okay as well. Looks like we combined all three.

 

[mdb78]

I think you could have. The TM at that station for us on Friday let us go ahead and do single-rider/child-swap also. I mentioned we could go around for SR again, but she said--nay, insisted--it was okay. I felt bad, but not too bad. Where did I leave that flame suit?

And slightly related: I asked a different TM back in the DADA room about combining single-rider with child-swap and she said that was okay as well. Looks like we combined all three.

We did child swap with single rider the last time the 3 of us were there (Oct 22nd). I asked the TM before we went into the single riders line to see if it was okay and she said yes. Although for the castle tour line, I just assumed that the TM at the end was going to know we were only doing the castle tour, especially since dd and I were the only ones in that one lane at the end (actually there was a party of 3 behind us, but the stand by line and single rider line were both full). Lol! If only dd were taller I know we would've gone ahead and ride!

 

[kimkarli]

Is there anything on the castle only tour that is scary? We will be there in a couple of weeks and I have a 7 year old nephew who gets scared easily.

TIA!!!

 

[mesaboy2]

Is there anything on the castle only tour that is scary? We will be there in a couple of weeks and I have a 7 year old nephew who gets scared easily.

TIA!!!

I don't think so. My DD is 6 and was totally fine. You will see 3 or 4 rooms from Hogwarts. The only thing I can think of is the skeleton of some animal (maybe a small dragon?) hanging from the ceiling in one room, and possibly a thunder/lightning effect in the same room. You could always walk through yourself first--it doesn't take long unless you want it to--then make the call.

 

[mdb78]

DD is 3 and she had no problem either. She was creeped out by the alien in the ET que, but was totally fine in the Hogwarts castle tour.

 

[kimkarli]

Great news, thanks guys!!!

 

[humphreydog]

Oh that sounds so nice...."we took the castle tour"

The "Castle Tour" is euphemism for waiting in line for 45 minutes and taking the last exit out by the SuperSizeMe test seats.

Although it's probably worth it if you're not going on the ride.


EDITED...Whoops, my bad. Thanks mdb78 for the castle tour info