Going this weekend/HP question

[DCBBDC]

Hello all,

We have been lurking here for a couple weeks. We are going to US and staying at the HRH club level this weekend 5 through 7 Jun. We are really excited! We haven't stayed in one of the park hotels so this is a first for us. It cost alot of money for the 2 nights but should be worth it. We are going down Friday night and most likely staying at the Doubletree outside US Friday night using HHonors points.

I am reading everywhere about where they are letting hotel guests get into HP early in the morning but i have not seen anywhere about how will I know we can get in? When I check in this Saturday morning will they tell me we can go in early to HP? From what I'm reading most hotels are telling everyone they are not letting people in but the park actually is. How will we know if we can get in or not?

Thanks and hello again to all!!

Doug

 

[inkkognito]

I wouldn't ask. I would just go. That's what we did after being told "No no no!" twice when calling the hotel directly but being told "Yes" by Guest Services and the toll free reservation line. Just take your key and go...that is what you MUST show. Since you're arriving Friday, go check in at the Uni hotel at the crack of dawn so you can do Harry Sat. morning. You can check in as early as you want (we did at like 6:45 a.m.) as long as you don't care that your room is not ready yet. That's how we got two "Harry days" out of one booked night.

 

[DCBBDC]

Thanks for the Info!

What time do we need to show? What time does the park open for hotel guests? I've read 8:45 but what time does the park open for hotel guests? Do we just go to the main gate or is there somewhere else? If it's the main gate is that where they will "drop the rope" and a mad rush to HP? So many questions I know but you'all here are such a wealth of great, useful information!!!

Thanks again!

P.S. It's myself, my wife, son (10), niece (21). Ive seen everyone writing DH,DS, etc... but not exactly sure what that means yet so figured i better get that straight before I got in trouble!!

 

[DCBBDC]

Forgot to ask: I heard we need both room key and ID, is that true? we were looking at getting ID card holders with Lanyards to go around the neck and wanted to only take what we needed in the park.

 

[inkkognito]

We did not have to show ID but I would bring it anyway (we have Premier Passes with our photos...if you have regular tickets and have a problem with them, they might want ID even if they don't make you initially show it with the hotel keys). We wore lanyards and it worked perfectly.

 

[DCBBDC]

Do you know what time we need to go in the park and where?

Thanks again!

 

[mjohnson96]

P.S. It's myself, my wife, son (10), niece (21). Ive seen everyone writing DH,DS, etc... but not exactly sure what that means yet so figured i better get that straight before I got in trouble!!

Took me awhile to figure this out when I first started looking at thread boards

DH = Husband
DW = Wife
DD = Daughter
DS = Son

I don't know if there is one for Niece

 

[DCBBDC]

That's good to know! What does the "D" stand for?

 

[Magpie]

That's good to know! What does the "D" stand for?

Dear, darn, dastardly, darling... Take your pick!

 

[FINFAN]

That's good to know! What does the "D" stand for?

Disney, Dear, Demented, D***, Depends on your mood!

 

[inkkognito]

Do you know what time we need to go in the park and where?

Thanks again!

Yesterday and the day before they were opening the gates between 7:45 and 7:50. We got to the front of Islands of Adventure around 7 a.m. to be one of the first in. Do NOT forget your hotel keys as you will be required to show them to get in line, go through the turnstyle, or both.

 

[MrBryan]

Do you know what time we need to go in the park and where?

Thanks again!

you want to be there before 8

probably before 7:30 if you want to be upfront

8:45 is the last moment you can show up, you don't want to do that.

 

[DCBBDC]

I really appreciate all the info! We'll post pics if we get in!

 

[mpaxton8888]

I've been here for the last three days and here are my thoughts/hints. I've been up running each morning and have cruised near IOA at 6:15 and that's when I've been seeing the first few families start to line up. I think that's a bit drastic myself.

LIke they said, they have been opening up the park around 7:45. We are staying at Royal Pacific and I'd suggest boarding the water taxi around 7:15 at the latest (they have been running starting around 7:00 each day the last two days). Get in line in front of IOA with your Hotel Key. This morning they were checking our keys. Around 7:45 they will open up the parks. They have people to guide you through Seuss Landing to the entrance of HP where they may check your hotel key and photo ID again.

Go straight to the castle for Forbidden Journey. If it's not open yet, they will snake you back through Harry Potter land, just get in line. Otherwise you will be let in and need to put your bag in a locker. If you can, have someone else hold your stuff or don't bring a bag. We walked straight there this morning (with two slow walkers) and finished the queue and ride at around 8:50.

Once you actually get into the queue, it moves pretty fast. If you are in the back of the greenhouse area, you probably have a 80 minute wait or so. We did hear a rumor that seemed true from 2 cast members. The first rumor is that as long as you started the queue before 10:00 am (when they close HP land right now) you could ride the ride. The second rumor is at 10:30 am every morning no matter what's going on, they close down Forbidden Journey due to technical difficulties no matter where you are in the queue. That's what happened to us on Sunday. We started the queue around 9:05 and right at 10:30 the ride "broke down" after waiting in line for 85 minutes. It also broke down on Saturday. Who knows if it's intentional or not, just get there early.

This morning both dragon challenge and flight of the hippogryph were walk on.

 

[mpaxton8888]

As for the question about ID, they checked my photo ID on Sunday, but not on Monday. I'd bring photo ID and room key just to be safe.

 

[DCBBDC]

Great info! This is valuable information to Universal newbies such as ourselves