Does riding FJ first thing throw off your touring plan?

[damo]

Keep in mind you do not have to stay at one of the Universal Hotels to get the 1 hour early entry...Universal's preferred offsite hotels offer the same benefit....you just wont get the Front of the line access that the Universal park offers...so if you are jsut going to get in 1 hour early to see FJ that doesnt offer FOTL then stay at a cheaper preferred hotel...just a suggestion

Just a clarification here. In order to get this perk, the preferred offsite hotel must be booked through the Universal website as a package. Your park ticket that you get as part of the package will state that you are allowed early entry. Simply going to one of the offsite hotel websites and booking a night's stay will not get you early entrance.

 

[macraven]

Keep in mind you do not have to stay at one of the Universal Hotels to get the 1 hour early entry...Universal's preferred offsite hotels offer the same benefit....you just wont get the Front of the line access that the Universal park offers...so if you are jsut going to get in 1 hour early to see FJ that doesnt offer FOTL then stay at a cheaper preferred hotel...just a suggestion

probably the holiday inn or doubletree is closer for cheaper hotels.
many of the regular homies that post in the darkside forums have reported back about their stays there and the costs involved.
(there are a number of off site hotels on Major blvd that are cheap also.)

like damo stated below, packages booked thru uo for the partner hotels qualify for the EE to potter.

Staying onsite because I am not a fan of lines . I'm trying to decide whether to go to Ollivanders or FJ first with the early entry. Do the crowds for FJ ease off later in the day or is it long waits all day long until closing? If the crowds lighten up later on then I may do Ollivanders first thing and come back to do FJ an hour before close. Any thoughts?

that's what many have reported.
do ollivanders first.
if the line at FJ is long, try back later before closing time.
ollivanders closes earlier than park closing time on some dates.
i think your siggie listed you go in 23 days.
(i might have that confused with another poster though)
if you hit universal at the last week of august, lines will be a lot smaller, but the summer hours for the park would be cut back at that point.

Just a clarification here. In order to get this perk, the preferred offsite hotel must be booked through the Universal website as a package. Your park ticket that you get as part of the package will state that you are allowed early entry. Simply going to one of the offsite hotel websites and booking a night's stay will not get you early entrance.

damo must get up earlier than me as i would have said the same thing...

 

[anorman]

Ollivander's, Ollivander's, Ollivander's first. And in case you misread: Ollivander's first. That line builds fast, moves slow, is outside in the elements, and uninteresting. FJ's line can also build fast, but also moves fast, is mostly inside in A/C, and very interesting.

Oh, and Ollivander's first.

Thanks. I think I'll do Ollivander's first.

Do the crowds lighten up for FJ later in the day?

 

[mesaboy2]

Thanks. I think I'll do Ollivander's first.

Do the crowds lighten up for FJ later in the day?

They should, especially late in the day. A lot depends on when you're going. FJ also has single-rider and castle-tour queues that have minimal waits and together allow you to see the best 90% of the queue and ride.

 

[anorman]

They should, especially late in the day. A lot depends on when you're going. FJ also has single-rider and castle-tour queues that have minimal waits and together allow you to see the best 90% of the queue and ride.

We will be staying at Universal RPR August 29th to Sept 2nd and have a 4 day park-to-park ticket to make the most of the two parks. Is it overly crowded at this time?

 

[macraven]

We will be staying at Universal RPR August 29th to Sept 2nd and have a 4 day park-to-park ticket to make the most of the two parks. Is it overly crowded at this time?

you should be fine.
it usually has lighter crowds.

 

[anorman]

you should be fine.
it usually has lighter crowds.

Thanks and I hope you're right!

 

[Samandmom]

I posted about our experience on Monday just wanted to post about earlier today's experience. DH got up early and took the kids. They left RPR at 6:45 and at 7:20 he texted me that the ride was down. I had made it to IOA and walked up past Mythos to get to WWOHP and they were closed already and they were issuing return tickets. This was about 8:20 DH had just about finished at that time.

 

[mesaboy2]

I posted about our experience on Monday just wanted to post about earlier today's experience. DH got up early and took the kids. They left RPR at 6:45 and at 7:20 he texted me that the ride was down. I had made it to IOA and walked up past Mythos to get to WWOHP a d they were closed already and they were issuing return tickets. DH had just about finished at that time.

What time did you walk up to find the ticket system in place?

 

[Samandmom]

What time did you walk up to find the ticket system in place?

Oh sorry I got there around 8:20

 

[mesaboy2]

Oh sorry I got there around 8:20

Wow, that's pretty early for the ticket system to be in place. Exhibit A why I try to avoid summer at any cost!

Thanks for the info and hope you have a great time!

When do you sleep, by the way?

 

[Samandmom]

Wow, that's pretty early for the ticket system to be in place. Exhibit A why I try to avoid summer at any cost!

Thanks for the info and hope you have a great time!

When do you sleep, by the way?

I sometimes wake up every 2-3 hrs. It's annoying

I would love to come at a different time but with the kids it's just easier to go in the summer. It helps with keeping them occupied during the summer.

 

[damo]

Oh sorry I got there around 8:20

Were they using the new return ticket machines or were they still handing them out by hand?

 

[mesaboy2]

I sometimes wake up every 2-3 hrs. It's annoying

I would love to come at a different time but with the kids it's just easier to go in the summer. It helps with keeping them occupied during the summer.

I understand. We are spoiled to live relatively close so it's easy to just pick up and go on a weekend in the offseason. We did brave it last year--this very week actually--but that was before the ticket system came to be.