Epic Touring Strategy?

[sconnell]

Has anyone found a good touring strategy?
We have tickets for Thursday. 8 adults (4 late 40s/early 50s who are feeling the aches & 4 early 20s).
Early Entry from Stella Nova. No Express Pass.

Everything I've found is from earlier in the summer and I'm hoping things have changed a little.

 

[zavandor]

During my visit Mario Kart was delayed, so I rolled the dice and went to see if Donkey Kong was open and it was. I don't know how often that happens, it's supposed to not open until regular park opening. But if DK is open, then without a doubt, do that, first thing.
I'd do DK -> Yoshi -> MK (maybe single rider) -> Curse of the werewolf -> Isle of Berk. You might already be late for Windgliders to have a short line, but if you manage then you're golden. If you exit Curse and you see a long wait time in the app for Windglider, then the path of least resistance is do Monsters since you're already there.

I would say the advantage of doing DK with minimal wait is worth the small delay you'll encounter at Mario if you go and check if it's operating first thing.

Otherwise, you could do: MK, Yoshi, Windgliders, other stuff in Isle of Berk
Or: MK, Yoshi, Curse and see how lines are.

The most important thing is stay in park until closing time. The last two hours are much much better than Early entry. If you think you cannot bear all day, skip early entry, but be there are close.

If Battle at the Ministry has a good day, it has a very healthy capacity. In the last three hours it'll have an under 30 minutes line, walk on in the last hour.

I'm supposing Stardust racers will not reopen in time for Thursday. For posterity, I think the best option for EE would be:
Startdust racer a few times (it's a walk on during EE), curse of the werewolf (it doesn't develop a line until around 10:30), then Mario Cart. But you need to arrive at Mario before guests who don't have EE are let in.

 

[emchen]

During my visit Mario Kart was delayed, so I rolled the dice and went to see if Donkey Kong was open and it was. I don't know how often that happens, it's supposed to not open until regular park opening. But if DK is open, then without a doubt, do that, first thing.
I'd do DK -> Yoshi -> MK (maybe single rider) -> Curse of the werewolf -> Isle of Berk. You might already be late for Windgliders to have a short line, but if you manage then you're golden. If you exit Curse and you see a long wait time in the app for Windglider, then the path of least resistance is do Monsters since you're already there.

I would say the advantage of doing DK with minimal wait is worth the small delay you'll encounter at Mario if you go and check if it's operating first thing.

Otherwise, you could do: MK, Yoshi, Windgliders, other stuff in Isle of Berk
Or: MK, Yoshi, Curse and see how lines are.

The most important thing is stay in park until closing time. The last two hours are much much better than Early entry. If you think you cannot bear all day, skip early entry, but be there are close.

If Battle at the Ministry has a good day, it has a very healthy capacity. In the last three hours it'll have an under 30 minutes line, walk on in the last hour.

I'm supposing Stardust racers will not reopen in time for Thursday. For posterity, I think the best option for EE would be:
Startdust racer a few times (it's a walk on during EE), curse of the werewolf (it doesn't develop a line until around 10:30), then Mario Cart. But you need to arrive at Mario before guests who don't have EE are let in.

ok now do non-EE parties of 5…going next next Saturday (Oct 4).

 

[sconnell]

During my visit Mario Kart was delayed, so I rolled the dice and went to see if Donkey Kong was open and it was. I don't know how often that happens, it's supposed to not open until regular park opening. But if DK is open, then without a doubt, do that, first thing.
I'd do DK -> Yoshi -> MK (maybe single rider) -> Curse of the werewolf -> Isle of Berk. You might already be late for Windgliders to have a short line, but if you manage then you're golden. If you exit Curse and you see a long wait time in the app for Windglider, then the path of least resistance is do Monsters since you're already there.

I would say the advantage of doing DK with minimal wait is worth the small delay you'll encounter at Mario if you go and check if it's operating first thing.

Otherwise, you could do: MK, Yoshi, Windgliders, other stuff in Isle of Berk
Or: MK, Yoshi, Curse and see how lines are.

The most important thing is stay in park until closing time. The last two hours are much much better than Early entry. If you think you cannot bear all day, skip early entry, but be there are close.

If Battle at the Ministry has a good day, it has a very healthy capacity. In the last three hours it'll have an under 30 minutes line, walk on in the last hour.

I'm supposing Stardust racers will not reopen in time for Thursday. For posterity, I think the best option for EE would be:
Startdust racer a few times (it's a walk on during EE), curse of the werewolf (it doesn't develop a line until around 10:30), then Mario Cart. But you need to arrive at Mario before guests who don't have EE are let in.

Thanks! That's helpful.

 

[zavandor]

ok now do non-EE parties of 5…going next next Saturday (Oct 4).

When the park opens for Early Entry, everyone is let in, also people who don't have the perk, who are allowed to queue outside the portals for the land of their choosing. For Harry Potter, the morning I was there they told me they were "pre-loading" Battle at the Ministry, ie allowing anyone willing (onsite or offsite) to enter the line. I don't know if they start operations earlier, but it's possible. So this is an option for rope drop, but I don't like it.
To be among the first to ride BatM you'd need to arrive before 8:30 at the park. Then enter the line and hope it opens early and there is no delay. Let's say on average it opens right at 10. You've arrived early, waited for the park to open, waited an hour online plus the time waited for your turn. You might spend easily 90+ minutes on that and you could do that any time during the day. BatM is not plagued anymore by constant problems. Unless bad weather shuts down 3/4 of the park, the line in the afternoon (at its worst) should probably be under 90 minutes, and in the evening it'll fall off a cliff. Sure, you're waiting before the park opens, so that time is less "valuable", but if waking up so early to just wait means you won't make to park close, than it's certainly not worth it.
If I were in you, I'd just arrive around 9:30, pass security and gates and line up for Isle of Berk at 9:40. Ride Windgliders with minimal wait, then the flat ride nearby, I don't remember the name, then Fyre drill, (if desired, I don't think it's good enough to justify being soaked). Buy a Mac and cheese cone on the way out of the land. Then if the line for Curse is still reasonable, do that and then Monsters. If you skip some attractions in Berk, then it'll be easier to do both attractions in Dark Universe with a short wait early.
At this point you're left with shows (do whenever) and the big problem of Nintendo World. You'll never find DK with a short wait and Mario will over around 1 hour most fo the day. Yoshi is much maligned, I found it better than I expected, it's cute, but not worth more than 20 minutes, IMHO. You may just suck it up or risk it and wait for the evening. I think you should be able to do Mario around 9 and then get in line for DK before close (what I'd do, it's a neat ride, but not worth 2 hours, in my opinion). But in case of bad weather you'll miss an entire land.
I don't care for meet and greets, so you're on your own for those.
I don't know if Stardust racers being closed will change things much, but the Saturday I was there this plan would have worked perfectly.

 

[sconnell]

Anyone know what the lines for EE have been looking like lately? Trying to decide what time we should leave Stella Nova to walk over to the entrance to be near the front of the pack. I know before school started the lines were starting super early, but am hoping that it's not so bad now.

 

[KristaZ]

Anyone know what the lines for EE have been looking like lately? Trying to decide what time we should leave Stella Nova to walk over to the entrance to be near the front of the pack. I know before school started the lines were starting super early, but am hoping that it's not so bad now.

I was there last week. We left Stella Nova around 7:45 and walked over. We had less than a hundred people ahead of us and got there a few minutes before they opened the gates.