Harry Potter Crowd Report Thread...

[the Dark Marauder]

It's a learning process. This is WWOHP's first Holiday Hell Season ever. Any time there's a new, major-ticket item expansion, the first year is always chaotic, especially in the summer/winter peak seasons.

 

[jandm]

It was rainy on Saturday, but I was still surprised in the middle of the afternoon to find no lines at the shops (other than Olivander's) and only a 20-minute wait for FJ. Falsely confident, I went back with other friends on Sunday--only to find a posted hour-wait just to get into WWOHP itself! And that was with a line for Grinchmas stretching thru half of Seuss Landing! The entire lagoon-side courtyard behind JP Discovery Center seemed to be filled with switchbacks.

Keep in mind, Touring Plans has has the past couple days as only "6"s. The "10"s theoretically don't kick in until tomorrow. I am curious to see how bad Sunday/Monday get next week.

Is that the same Touring Plans as the Disney one? I'm trying to find one for IOA and can't. Could you let me know what website? Thanks!!

 

[mollybeasley]

Is that the same Touring Plans as the Disney one? I'm trying to find one for IOA and can't. Could you let me know what website? Thanks!!

Touringplans.com

I use Touring Plans LINES feature, and I chat on there too. They have a beta (test) site set up to post lines at the Universal parks but I don't think many people have it. Employees post some days, and my son posted a few lines last week (it was hard to get a good signal). So far today, no one has posted wait times at either Universal park.

If you have the Unofficial Guide to WDW, you can subscribe to their online site for about $7. It's very useful for WDW parks. I would guess that they'll have it set up for Universal this summer. If you want to volunteer to post lines at Universal, send them an email. I learned about it while chatting on their wdwchat page.

 

[Donald Applecore]

The return pass was by far the best option and I would highly recommend it but the organisation of getting it left a lot to be desired. Better location and much better directions and signage were needed.

I've missed this - what exactly is the return pass & how does it work?
TIA!!!!!

 

[mollybeasley]

Is is still seeming like Sunday is the best day to go? Thanks to having to make our August 2010 dining reservations in FEBRUARY (we're staying at POR from August 24-31 and cabbing it/Mears-ing over to US/IOA for the day), I have to plan which day we'd like to go to WWoHP that early as well. Since we'll be there Wednesday-Wednesday, we will be there over a Sunday. However, since the FL kids will be back it school, would it make more sense to go on say, Thursday instead? I know this is so, SO far in advance to ask, but what do veterans think? Thursday or Sunday in late August?

I would keep reading this thread, especially as you get closer. I watched it carefully before my trip last week. It seemed that the lightest crowds were earlier in the week (Monday- Wednesday), with mixed reports for Sundays (Sunday nights were better). I opted to go on Monday and Tuesday and that worked out really well for us. It was also very cold those days (I have a hat on in all the pictures) so that probably helped keep the crowds lower.

I also checked the hotel sites to see the rates and availability for the Universal hotels. One rule of thumb for WDW, is that they lower the rates (or offer discounts such as free dining) when room sales are slower. So lower room rates should equal lower crowds. I don't think that will tell you much from day to day, but it made me decide to avoid the weekend.

 

[damo]

I've missed this - what exactly is the return pass & how does it work?
TIA!!!!!

It is a "fastpass" to get into the Wizarding World with a given time to enter.

 

[palmtreegirl]

Here now, we had to wait in a stand by queque for about 15 min. Then we were lead into the Harry Potter section. It's so crowded, lines for all the stores.

Waited only 5 minutes for Dragon Challenge, that was fun!

Now we're waiting for Forbidden Journey, 90 minute wait.

Fun but very crowded!

 

[Hombre59]

Ive always wondered, even with dragon challenge in the HP area, i have never experienced a long queue at it. Is it because of the amount of cars or just not that many people ride it?

 

[SmallWorld71]

Ive always wondered, even with dragon challenge in the HP area, i have never experienced a long queue at it. Is it because of the amount of cars or just not that many people ride it?

I don't know. But, I will say that out of the two coasters in the park, DH, DS15 and DS11 all preferred the Hulk. They all rode DC a few times, but it wasn't a ride the boys wanted to ride over and over like FJ, Hulk or Spiderman.

 

[tammyroo]

Just returned from our WDW/US/IOA trip yesterday. Went to WWOHP on 12/22 and US on 12/21. It was CROWDED!! We stayed on property at RPH and it was gorgeous and well worth the price since we could access WWOHP earlier.
We were on the first water taxi at 6:15am and in at the gates by 6:25am. They opened the gates at 6:35am and there was a mad dash for WWOHP....I didn't run but others were sprinting. Most everyone headed straight for Forbidden Journey. We headed for Ollivander's. We were in the first show for Ollivanders and it ended up being a wise choice. We bought wands and a few pins and were out of the store fairly quickly with very low crowds. Later in the day there was a line to get in the store.
We headed over to Forbidden Journey which was looong. Evidently, the ride wasn't operational and the line wrapped around the outside of the back fence bordering Jurassic Park area. We were moving slowly and spent about 30 minutes before the ride was operational. Once that happened it only took another 25-30 minutes but that was also because the line slows down somewhat as people are trying to see the castle. Side note: a TM was very rude to a guy in line who asked if the ride was broken...she flat out denied it and told him if it was broken he wouldn't be here. Snotty. What is the deal with acknowledging there are problems...people can get out of line if they know. Anyhoo... well worth the wait.
We wanted to get some scarfs and pins and had checked out Filch's first, which was a madhouse. Poorly designed with the exit being dumped in such a confined space. We didn't bother shopping in there.
Ended up back in line at the Dervish and Banges but a TM came over and asked if anyone just wanted scarves or pins and she escorted us to the Owl Post checkout, went inside to retrieve our merchandise and we were done in like 5 minutes. NOTE: The Hogwarts emblem scarves were all sold out (sold only at Filch's). Luckily, we just wanted the house color scarves which Dervish and Banges had plenty of.
We took our time and looked around and went in all the stores. A bit claustrophobic for me. When we left at around 11 the standby line was 90 minutes long to get into WWOHP. There were lines for everything...the restaurants, the shops, taking pictures with the train/conductor etc. Interestingly, no line for the Dueling Dragons coaster.
We went in expecting the looong lines and crowds so were fairly patient. Getting up that early takes a toll on the rest of the day though so if I go back it will be during at time when crowds are lower. Our crew thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

 

[karriemouse]

I've missed this - what exactly is the return pass & how does it work?
TIA!!!!!

It's a fastpass for a later return time - one is valid for two people and they were being distributed near Ripsaw Falls.

The only way to go when the wait to enter is 90mins!

 

[kpk89]

My friend is on her way there now -- I will have to pass this info along!

so jealous ...

 

[phamton]

Side note: a TM was very rude to a guy in line who asked if the ride was broken...she flat out denied it and told him if it was broken he wouldn't be here. Snotty. What is the deal with acknowledging there are problems...people can get out of line if they know.

I think the reason is because of the word "broken". The ride wasn't broken. If a ride is broken, it will be down for hours or even days (such as when Rip Ride Rock-it was broken.) Broken means, they have to replace parts, etc. Computer errors just means the ride has to be reset and the track has to be checked and then the cars have to be cycled. The ride itself is not broken.

 

[tammyroo]

I think the reason is because of the word "broken". The ride wasn't broken. If a ride is broken, it will be down for hours or even days (such as when Rip Ride Rock-it was broken.) Broken means, they have to replace parts, etc. Computer errors just means the ride has to be reset and the track has to be checked and then the cars have to be cycled. The ride itself is not broken.

I agree that the word "broken" seemed to strike a nerve. Another cast member did quite a melodramatic little act when we asked the same thing during a 45 minute wait for the Poseidon ride. It was almost comical. I think they both knew what was meant and could have just clarified without all of the drama though. Next time I'll use "operational" or "running" or something

 

[dqpowell]

It's a fastpass for a later return time - one is valid for two people and they were being distributed near Ripsaw Falls.

The only way to go when the wait to enter is 90mins!

To clarify, because I don't think it's been thoroughly explained yet...

This is not really a fastpass in the Disney sense. It doesn't get you on a ride. It's more like an appointment card which will allow you to enter that section of the park -- the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, aka Hogsmeade Village. That section of the park gets incredibly crowded on some days -- so much so that they have to limit the number of people allowed into the area. Once you use the pass, you'll only end up inside the village, and you'll still have whatever long wait at each ride or shop that exists at that time.

I think the reason is because of the word "broken". The ride wasn't broken. If a ride is broken, it will be down for hours or even days (such as when Rip Ride Rock-it was broken.) Broken means, they have to replace parts, etc. Computer errors just means the ride has to be reset and the track has to be checked and then the cars have to be cycled. The ride itself is not broken.

I was second in the single riders line at FJ during one of these situations ('the ride is down') back in August. It wasn't "broken" by their definition of "broken," but in a more general sense, it is broken. The time it takes to reset or fix it is irrelevant. Any time it's not capable of performing the function for which it was designed, it's broken.

I was close enough to see what they were trying to do to get it going again, and to overhear some of the TMs talking about it. They tried several 'quick resets' ("quick" being a relative term), and all of them failed. The ride would sort of start up as it's supposed to when it's running normally, and the lights would dim, but in each case it didn't last longer than about 4 or 6 seconds before the lights came back on and the ride went back into the non-working state.

Finally they decided they had to do a "full reset." Everybody that was already on the ride at some stage was walked off the ride from wherever they were at the time and had to stand in an already-crowded queueing area while they slowly ran the empty ride vehicles by, closing the shoulder harnesses on each one and hitting the "ready" button as it passed. This went on for at least 10 - 15 minutes, and I was just about ready to give up and leave the line. (Several people had done that already.) But I stuck it out, since I had never ridden before, and eventually whatever was causing the error condition was cleared. They put everybody who remained from the walk-off group on first, and then finally (after waiting for almost an hour in the same spot) I got to board.

The very worst thing about waiting in that area of the queue all that time was that I must have heard the sorting hat's ride safety speech/poem a few dozen times. It was amusing the first time or two, and tolerable the next 5 or 6 times. But it actually got quite annoying after that, and I really do not want to have to hear it ever again. I didn't count, but I must have heard it at least 30 or 40 times. I can't imagine what torture it is for TMs who work the front of the queue to hear it all day, every day. Maybe they become numb to it and don't even notice it after a while.

David

 

[damo]

Often the ride has to be shut down to clean up when people have vomitted. So it isn't "broken" it is just being sanitized. Then it has to be reset. This takes time.

 

[phamton]

I was second in the single riders line at FJ during one of these situations ('the ride is down') back in August. It wasn't "broken" by their definition of "broken," but in a more general sense, it is broken. The time it takes to reset or fix it is irrelevant. Any time it's not capable of performing the function for which it was designed, it's broken.

Suppose you left your lights on your car all night. The next day, you go to start it and it won't turn over. Do you say that your car is broken or do you say you have a dead battery that you need to jump? The ride isn't broken and neither is your car. Sometimes, like Damo says, they have a protein spill and other times the computer just needs to reboot. None of these means it is broken. A team member who likes his/her job is never going to say it is broken either at Disney or Universal unless it really is broken. Whenever the computer has to reboot, they have to cycle the cars for safety reasons. Nothing is broken.

There is a reason behind the recycling of cars. I'll try to explain it in a way that most can understand. You are cooking bacon and the smoke made the fire alarm go off. You know that there is no real fire so you disarm the alarm and air out the house. You don't go looking for a fire because you assume that it was just the bacon cooking. But what if, unbeknownst to you, that there was a real fire in the attic at the same time as you were cooking and you cut off the alarm thinking it was just the bacon burning? That could be a deadly mistake. So even though they may know exactly why the computer shutdown and that it was a glitch, they still have to cycle the cars to make sure that there is no real problem. It is a safety feature so you don't overlook a potential problem. They do not override any computer warnings even if they are sure the computer just needs to reboot.

I know it just sounds like semantics to you when you use the term "broken" but that is not a term that castmembers or team members use unless it is truly broken. The way the Orlando news works around here is it would be on the 6 o'clock news headlining "Forbidden Journey broken says team member to park goers."

 

[Dax]

I went to both US and IOA yesterday(Christmas Day)...what a NIGHTMARE!...LOL...not that I didnt expect it. The crowds were pretty heavy...We arrived around 1p, but it looks like the crowds were bad, and they had the lines set up for the Harry Potter..thankfully they were not needed when we got there.

Shops were PACKED, but everyone was in decent cheer. FJ was at a 75min wait most of the day, with the shortest wait going to Dragon Challenge at 5min Most of the rides in both parks were averaged 45-75min most of the day.

 

[dqpowell]

Often the ride has to be shut down to clean up when people have vomitted. So it isn't "broken" it is just being sanitized. Then it has to be reset. This takes time.

In my case, it had nothing to do with vomit. They tried doing a so-called "quick reset" (whatever that is) several times, and it always failed. It was only after a half hour or more of failed quick resets that they walked everybody off the ride and did a full check/reboot/whatever.

I know these things take time -- never said they didn't, or shouldn't. I was only describing what happened when I was there.

Suppose you left your lights on your car all night. The next day, you go to start it and it won't turn over. Do you say that your car is broken or do you say you have a dead battery that you need to jump?

What do I say in that situation? I say the battery's dead. But it is perfectly legitimate for others in the same situation to say the car is broken. "Broken" does not have the kind of hyper-specific meaning that you're trying to assign to it. Something doesn't have to be physically split in two or missing pieces to be broken.

I didn't even raise this issue because I care about the definition of "broken." I'm simply reacting to the unreasonable/snotty attitudes described here on the part(s) of employees who treat guests rudely for using the term "broken." I know Universal doesn't want people to use the term "broken" when the ride is being reset. But that is no reason to react negatively when somebody asks. A polite response would be something like "the ride is having a minor maintenance issue, and will be back up and running as soon as possible."

The ride isn't broken and neither is your car. Sometimes, like Damo says, they have a protein spill and other times the computer just needs to reboot.

Doesn't matter what the reason is -- both are broken.

broken bro·ken --

–adjective
1. reduced to fragments; fragmented.
2. ruptured; torn; fractured.
3. not functioning properly; out of working order.
4. Meteorology. (of sky cover) being more than half, but not totally, covered by clouds.
[...]

The way the Orlando news works around here is it would be on the 6 o'clock news headlining "Forbidden Journey broken says team member to park goers."

Again, I understand why the team members don't use the term "broken" in those situations. But it's still a valid term and they still should not be rude to guests who use it.

David

 

[Timmy Boy]

Guest: "Why is the ride broken?"

TM: "It's not broken, the ride just stopped for a bit. It should be going again within 10 minutes."

Guest: "What exactly happened, I need to know."

TM: "Well, the ride thought that something was wrong, and for everyone's safety, the ride shut itself down. It's doing what it was designed to do."

Guest: "So it is broken"

TM: "No, it's not broken, like I said, the ride's computer system thought something was wrong and shut down the ride. Everything is fine."

Guest: "Stop lying to us, it is broken."

TM: "It's not broken sir! Since you'd like to know, I'll tell you. The vehicle proximity sensor in scene 7 was reading 2 vehicles in the same zone, therefore it shut down. The techs went out to look at what was wrong, and they realized that one of the techs who was just there accidentally left a door open which leaked light onto the ride track, which was reflecting off of the track reflectors to space the vehicles out and it was shining right into the sensor. Therefore, the sensor could not read properly, so it shut down the ride. It did it for everyone's safety, and it was doing what it was designed to do. Nothing, was broken, it was a human error, in which the ride system successfully responded to."

Guest: "Well you're rude. You could have just told us it was broken."

TM: ::gives up, hands in ID, leaves::

^Probably what happened in the queue for the ride. Guest didn't want to be wrong, so they belittled the TM only doing they're job. Obviously I exaggerated the story about the ride, and the part about the TM leaving, but conversations like this DO happen. Also, the story about the ride is probably not too far from what would really happen. These rides are made so safe, that any misreading ANYWHERE could shut it down, even something as small as light leaking in from outside, blinding a ride sensor.