Early Admission Forbidden Journey

[Ermise]

Hi all,

We have a first time trip coming up to Universal Orlando in a couple of weeks (Nov 4-6). Islands of Adventure will have Early Admission. We are staying on-site and have Express Passes. I was curious about what to expect for wait times during Early Admission for Forbidden Journey. It seems like crowds will be fairly light, but touring plans mentioned Universal only uses 20% capacity for Forbidden Journey during Early Admission and the line can be "maddeningly slow". Has anyone had experience with this? I was wondering if it is worth it or if the Express Pass will be just as useful later in the day, or maybe it is worth just casually touring Hogsmeade without too many people during Early Admission. Thoughts?

Thank you!

 

[macraven]

Early morning when potter opens will be a good time to be there

Have not experienced long waits during that time

Early November is usually not a high crowded time period

Be at the park entrance gate 20 minutes before park opening
Many will head for potter section when that Park opens

Check each morning to see If any changes to the designated opening park (early entry)

 

[bchbetha]

The good thing about the HP rides is that waiting in line really isn't a problem because there are so many amazing details to see!
Lines could be shorter later in the day so up to you if you want to wait during EE. Maybe just decide once you see the wait time. It is really nice to explore the HP areas with low crowds though so I'd give an edge to buying a wand and exploring vs waiting in line. If the line is 25 minutes or less, hop on.

 

[skylock]

I don't think if HPland was a major factor for me and I had express pass, I would be wasting that time waiting in line for a ride.

On the other hand, if seeing the castle is a biggie for you, that may be the best time to do it, because you will skip most of the castle in the express line.

How can they only use 20% capacity?

 

[Ermise]

I don't think if HPland was a major factor for me and I had express pass, I would be wasting that time waiting in line for a ride.

On the other hand, if seeing the castle is a biggie for you, that may be the best time to do it, because you will skip most of the castle in the express line.

How can they only use 20% capacity?

I'm not sure how they restrict capacity, maybe it is number of vehicles online or speed of loading.

That is a good point about seeing the castle. We'll most likely be up early anyway so we'll probably check it out. Thanks!

 

[maverik85]

I'd say utilize the Early Admissions for it. The express passes are great for skipping the lines but the HP lines are attractions in and of themselves, especially for fans of the series, So this will be a good time to check it out and don't have to worry about other stuff lining up too much int he mean time since you can skip those lines. You should probably still be out in time to make regular opening for other stuff still anyway.