Harry Potter Crowd Report Thread...

[Lewisc]

6/25 room keys were checked. People eligible for early entry were sent to the right, through Dr. Suess, and people who weren't eligible for early entry were admitted into the IOA but were sent to the left and weren't allowed into HP until 9a.

There may be some people who get in through the cracks but generally early entry is restricted to hotel guests and guests who booked a HP package.

OK technically everyone was able to enter IOA but all that meant was the general public got to wait inside the park until 9a.

 

[asta]

6/25 room keys were checked. People eligible for early entry were sent to the right, through Dr. Suess, and people who weren't eligible for early entry were admitted into the IOA but were sent to the left and weren't allowed into HP until 9a.

There may be some people who get in through the cracks but generally early entry is restricted to hotel guests and guests who booked a HP package.

OK technically everyone was able to enter IOA but all that meant was the general public got to wait insided the park until 9a.

Thanks, this was how I understood it was being handled. Maybe the other poster confused early entrance to the IOA park with the entrance to WWOHP. Or maybe they slipped through without having to show a room card.

 

[texasrachel]

I'm in the park now. It's at capacity. We got here about 8:30 and wait times are horrible. 120 posted for FJ. Olivanders was bad but when we got out it was about twice as long. We waited about 20 minutes for the hippogryff. We are coming bak tonight and hopefully it won't be this bad.
And they were definately checking for keys and if you had waited in line. They were giving out yellow tickets at the start of the line for wwohp.

 

[texasrachel]

To update they told us as we left wwohp that if we left the island we wouldn't be let back in. But they were still admitting people when we left.

 

[phamton]

To update they told us as we left wwohp that if we left the island we wouldn't be let back in. But they were still admitting people when we left.

You could still get back in but you'd have to wait in the long line to enter. Those that were entering had waited in line. I waited an hour and a half in the line just to enter WWOHP.

 

[vaughan100]

I am going to WWoHP on Monday July 12th and staying offsite. I haven't been to Universal in years. I have 3 boys who love Harry Potter so we decided to go back this year. I saw a few posts saying that the lines in WWoHP were much loger at 9am and much shorter after 4ish. Would it be better to try the rest of the park first and save WWoHP for night? Or should I just try to get in line as early as possible to make sure we get to everything in there by the end of the day?

 

[mjohnson96]

We stayed onsite but every night we headed over to WWOHP around 6pm and there were no lines to get in. We also stayed late one night until 10pm and walked right into the shops so that was nice.

I had asked at the 3 broomsticks what time they stop letting people in to eat and they said 10pm. If your in line to eat then you eat, no matter what the time. I think we left around 10:30 that night and there were still people leaving the shops and rides. They just were not letting anyone new in

 

[Pink Flamingo]

When we went, they checked three times for your room key. First before you got to the turnstiles, then at the turnstiles, then before you entered WWoHP.

6/25 room keys were checked. People eligible for early entry were sent to the right, through Dr. Suess, and people who weren't eligible for early entry were admitted into the IOA but were sent to the left and weren't allowed into HP until 9a.

There may be some people who get in through the cracks but generally early entry is restricted to hotel guests and guests who booked a HP package.

OK technically everyone was able to enter IOA but all that meant was the general public got to wait inside the park until 9a.

Exactly what I experienced. I saw several people getting turned away (sent to the line over in Jurassic area) because they didn't have a room key. As damo said, there were several check points along the way, including right before you enter WWoHP.

 

[Dicecatt]

I was there this morning. got to the line by Suess by 7:30...we found out that they actually opened WWOHP for onsite guests at 7:15. We were inside by 7:45. They were being very strict about onsite key cards, and checked them a couple of times down the line. There was a separate line forming through the other side (Marvel) for offsite guests.

We got in, way less crowded by appearance but Olivanders already had a good 45 minute wait that early so forget it. Went to the other shops, I bought a wand from Dervish & Banges for my son and shirts for the girls that say "Pygmy PUffs, Peacefully Pet the Puffs" which they will love in Honeydukes which is such an adorable store. Dervish & Banges was PACKED and clausterphobic, and it wasn't even 8 AM. We saw the marketing team of Universal and talked to them for a while, we met the director at an event a couple of days ago, and they offered to get us Butterbeer but we were really just there to pick up a few things and get out so we declined...too sweet for that early since we hadn't eaten anything yet.

On our way out, we saw a cast member by the ropes in the center in between Suess and Marvel kind of yelling at a guy working a cart, because offsite guests were walking around the other side of his cart and going up the Suess way. I'm sure they probably got in, because past that they didn't check cards anymore. The cart guy said "how am I supposed to stop them?" and the rope guy looked mad and said "direct them over here, they have to go through the ropes!" So, they still don't have it quite together. Lucky offsite guests scored on that one, because the wait to get in climbed to two hours very quickly...at 11 we heard a guest over at the Studios where we were stating they had just waited two hours to get into the land itself.

Bottom line...if you want Olivanders without a freakishly long line, you have to get in line at like 6:30, no joke. There is no telling when they'll let onsite guests in; today it was 7:15. Dervish & Banges and Honeydukes did not have lines.

Hope this helps!

 

[Albytaps]

To update they told us as we left wwohp that if we left the island we wouldn't be let back in. But they were still admitting people when we left.

That's awful. So basically I spent alot of money on park hoppers for nothing? I'm not planning on staying in 1 park all day, I want to make use of the park hopper.

What are the options? What type of wait time am I looking at as an onsite guest to go from park to park? Can I get a refund on the park to park pass if we're not let back in?

 

[EEyorelover22]

I think it's just an issue to get back into the Harry Potter part. So, do what you really want to before you leave I guess. I don't think they will close IOA completely.

hmmmmmmmmm...just had thoughts of Disney closing though too.

I wonder if they are prepared that onsite guests are let in first, etc. like at WDW

 

[damo]

That's awful. So basically I spent alot of money on park hoppers for nothing? I'm not planning on staying in 1 park all day, I want to make use of the park hopper.

What are the options? What type of wait time am I looking at as an onsite guest to go from park to park? Can I get a refund on the park to park pass if we're not let back in?

I think you are misinterpreting. She means you can't get back into Wizarding World area without waiting in line with everyone else. You are free to come and go with the rest of the two parks.

 

[Metro West]

I think you are misinterpreting. She means you can't get back into Wizarding World area without waiting in line with everyone else. You are free to come and go with the rest of the two parks.

 

[bubba's mom]

Bottom line...if you want Olivanders without a freakishly long line, you have to get in line at like 6:30, no joke. There is no telling when they'll let onsite guests in; today it was 7:15. Dervish & Banges and Honeydukes did not have lines.

Hope this helps!

ugh...it does help...thanks. I am SO NOT looking forward to that early call for Ollie's....

that said...i appreciate everyone's report. have a plan because of all the reports

 

[Albytaps]

Thanks for the clarification. It's almost go time!

 

[rthutchens]

We just booked a trip for July 16 thru July 21. Only planning on doing IOA or should I say WWHP one day. Has anyone noticed a trend of a better day of the week to go? Only planning on hitting WWHP area early in the morning and then leaving to go back home to WDW.

 

[EEyorelover22]

Just a guess...I'm thinking Wednesdays are good days. I have no clue though. We hit Cedar Point this summer and even the bookings for the onsite hotels were not booked middle of the week but Mondays and Fridays were more so. I didn't look at your dates either.

I'm just hoping to survive it all

just looked at your dates...try Tuesday if you can.

 

[damo]

Often Sunday is the best day since that is the day that people are arriving and leaving.

 

[EEyorelover22]

Often Sunday is the best day since that is the day that people are arriving and leaving.

You give me some hope...however what about Sunday, July 4th?

 

[Albytaps]

You give me some hope...however what about Sunday, July 4th?

I'm expecting the worst... to capacity.