first timer express pass/ride questions

[Lisa10]

OK so this is our first time to US/IOA. Been to Disney for last 9 vacations. I'll be taking my 3 teens down and hubby staying home. We're staying in a great offsite condo we need the room and fits budget better. 9 nights Aug 1 - 10. I would really appreciate some help if someone could direct me what rides to make sure we do first thing in the AM before maybe big lines develop. I am MAYBE considering staying first night onsite to get express for 2 days then just 8 nights at condo. I keep reading kind of conflicting reports that the lines aren't that bad anyway and its not necessary and some say long lines?? Not sure what to think. Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[Lisa10]

sorry didn't realize I was posting in trip report forum, thought i was in general question forum. Moderator, could you please move this over? Thanks.

 

[Metro West]

Moving to the main board.

 

[JenluvsDisney]

I was just at Universal during spring break season this past March with hubby and DS12 and DD10. We stayed off site and did Universal for two days, first day at IOA and second day at USF. We bought the Express pass for each of the days that allowed us to use the express pass line one time per ride. The express passes were expensive because it was such a busy time of year (the price of the passes fluctuates depending on expected crowd levels) but the total cost of park admission plus express passes plus offsite hotel room was less than the cost of park admission plus onsite hotel room.

It's taking me a while to get to the point but we were very glad to have purchased the express passes. We got to the park at rope drop and were easily able to ride everything we wanted to without using our express passes as the lines had very short waits. By the time the parks got busy we were able to use our express passes to ride everything we wanted to a second time. If you're the type of family that can ride something once and be satisfied, or if you're going to the parks at a less busy time of year, I'd think carefully about whether or not the extra expense would pay off. But for my family, who values the rides more than anything, it was definitely worth it to have the express passes and I would get them again next time!

 

[2girlsmom]

august is most definitely the busy season for the Universal parks. It is POSSIBLE to go without express pass, but times will stretch similiar to what they are right now, and according to my ride times app on my phone, at current there is 45 minutes on Hippogriff, Hulk, 60+ on Forbidden Journeys (this doesn't have express), 25 minutes on most others at IOA. I would expect wait times in USF to be longest on Transformers, RRR and Minions, possibly Mummy, but would expect 30-45 minute waits on most rides during the time frame you are talking about.

 

[RMulieri]

Beginning of August will still be VERY busy.Doable without express pass, but you need to have a good plan in place and be at the parks BEFORE opening.Even then for things like Harry Potter and Transformers you are going to have waits.Onsite guests have early entry into both parks this summer, so by the time they let in the general public, there will already be plenty of people on line