Clueless about Universal.... questions...

[kldmom2000]

I know the answers are probably all over the Universal forum here, but I figured I'd just ask anyway

We're going to be at Disney's Beach Club from 7/21-7/27 (yes, in 5 days!) We never leave Disney property or rent a car (use DME to and from the airport). I had no intention of going to Universal, but my 11 year old DD is a HUGE Harry Potter fan and I know she's disappointed we're not going to the WWOHP especially after seeing Harry Potter 7.2 last night.

I've been toying with the idea of taking her myself 1 day since DH will NOT leave Disney, nor will my 8 year old DD. According to the transportation thread above, I can use Mears? Do they pick you up at your resort at a specific time or is it more like a cab service? What would my best option be to get there and back?

Next, I read up on the Express tickets, but it's $39.99 extra per person, per day so it's out of the question with tix. running $90 for a 1 day/park admission... how bad are the lines in comparison to Disney? Like I said, I've never been, but I've been spoiled by Disney's FP. If it wasn't summer, I think I could tolerate the long lines a little better, but I just remember reading about the 4+ hour long waits that guests endured last July when WWOHP first opened

I haven't mentioned the possibility to DD yet, but I figured I'd try to do some research and see if it's even feasible

Thanks so much for any advice/tips/suggestions!!!!

 

[MrsSparrow..]

Hi there, you've come to the right place, everyone here is great for helping plan first visits

I can't answer about Mears, because we use a rental car, but I'll give a few little starters of what I will think might be useful to know. Others will be able to answer your questions better than me!

Firstly, if your main priority is WWOHP, the express pass doesn't include Forbidden Journey (the main attraction) so you are definitely going to get a long wait for that ride anyway. Definitely aim to get to the park early and do that first, or if not do it a lot later in the day, think near park closing.

The lines at Universal can be equally as bad as Disney. The strategy is basically the same, aim early! Seeing as you are going in July, I would personally suggest to get there half hour before park opening, but others would go as far as suggesting an hour.

If you are looking to make the most out of your day and WWOHP is your main reason for visiting, I'd hit Forbidden Journey/Ollivanders first, and then it depends on your DD and whether she is into coasters (Dragon's Challenge is a fully-fledged thrill ride whereas Flight of the Hypogriff (sp?) is a kiddie coaster). There are various things to do in HP besides this but these are the main things I can think of. Besides that, there are other main attractions at Universal that are simply awesome. I think it would be worth checking out Spiderman and the water attractions (Like Disney, the ques for the water rides will be longest between 11-4pm).

I've rambled on there, but if you have any other questions please ask. If I cannot answer, someone else will.

What is the day of the week you are intending on visiting Universal? As that will have some impact on wait times.

 

[Rahel]

Just to let you know, that $39.99 Express price is likely only for one time per attraction at Universal Studios, not Islands of Adventure. Islands of Adventure will likely be more like $59.99 for one time per attraction as it has been for most of July.

 

[ThingOne]

I wouldn't waste the money on an express pass if your main goal is to see the Wizarding World. As mentioned above, it won't do any good for Forbidden Journey which is the big must-see. I would suggest getting to the park as soon as it opens and heading straight to the Wizarding World. Get on Forbidden Journey first to bypass as much of the line as you can. If you're lucky and there isn't much of a line, hurry on to the ride and don't worry about seeing everything in the queue just yet. After the ride you can go back through the queue in a separate line just to linger and look at all the neat things in the line (it's designed to look like the inside of Hogwart's castle and has some really neat features you should take the time to check out).

Take your time exploring Hogsmeade and browsing through the shops. Dragon Challange and Flight of the Hippogriff are the other two rides in the area. The most novel things besides Forbidden Journey, however, can all be seen by just walking around the area. Moaning Myrtle can be heard in the bathroom. There's an open area near Hogwarts where you can catch the Frog Choir or Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students performing. Grab lunch at the Three Broomsticks, get a few mugs of butterbeer and bottles of pumpkin juice and you'll get the whole experience in a few hours. The most difficult part will just be navigating through the throngs of people milling about the streets, but having a small party to keep track of will help you there.

Hope this helps!

 

[Metro West]

Just to let you know, that $39.99 Express price is likely only for one time per attraction at Universal Studios, not Islands of Adventure. Islands of Adventure will likely be more like $59.99 for one time per attraction as it has been for most of July.

 

[kldmom2000]

Thanks so much for all the quick responses! As I mentioned above, I hadn't planned on a Universal day, so to try to learn as much as I can 5 days before our trip to decide if I can do it is a bit overwhelming! LOL! I'm a planner by nature and I always have my WDW trips planned out from beginning to end.... to go in not knowing a single thing about a huge theme park like Universal is a bit intimidating!! Thanks so much for being so helpful!

 

[Planogirl]

We always stay offsite now and never get the express passes and we do just fine. Expect a long wait at FJ and a few of the other attractions at times but if you do rope drop, you should find it all manageable. Don't skip Spiderman or Jurassic Park!

 

[macraven]

set up your transportation with mears the night before.
you can book with the concierge lobby at your hotel.

you are picked up at your hotel.
a month ago, the pick up times were around 7:15 and the second time was 8:15.
take the earliest bus.

the times might have changed. when you book your seats, you will be asked which pick up time you want.

it is $18 rt for an adult.
children are $14.


car service would cost $34-40 each way.

a cab could run you $35 a way.

book with mears, it is cheaper.

 

[MrsSparrow..]

Thanks so much for all the quick responses! As I mentioned above, I hadn't planned on a Universal day, so to try to learn as much as I can 5 days before our trip to decide if I can do it is a bit overwhelming! LOL! I'm a planner by nature and I always have my WDW trips planned out from beginning to end.... to go in not knowing a single thing about a huge theme park like Universal is a bit intimidating!! Thanks so much for being so helpful!

That's what we're here for! If you decide to visit, make sure you let us know how you found the park Have a good trip!

 

[torinsmom]

I believe FJ still has a single rider line as well, so you could do that to save some time. We we there the first week WWOHP was open, and even then we were on FJ using the SR line in about 30 minutes. You can do the castle tour to see the inside. Get there early, of course. If you want to do Olivanders, you want to do that early on. Also check out the other rides in the park. Spiderman is awesome and also has a single rider line.