Harry Potter Crowd Report Thread...

[mseldga]

Thanks for the advice damo and ducky love! Sounds like we might be best off waiting until January, but if they really want to go this weekend we'll go on Sunday.

 

[Woermazing]

DF and I are considering a trip down at the end of January to check out WWHP for a few days (and all the other great rides at IOA). Anyone have thoughts on what crowds will be like? I assume a little busier than in past years due to WWHP, but that time of year is usually pretty slow, right?

Also, anyone know what the weather is usually like at that time? I know what the average temps are and all, but I always think some real-life experience with the weather is helpful to know.

Thanks!

 

[phamton]

Sunday is a really slow day lately. My daughter was there two weeks ago on a Sunday and said the place was dead.

I agree. Sunday is a great day to visit the parks.

 

[ducky_love]

DF and I are considering a trip down at the end of January to check out WWHP for a few days (and all the other great rides at IOA). Anyone have thoughts on what crowds will be like? I assume a little busier than in past years due to WWHP, but that time of year is usually pretty slow, right?

Also, anyone know what the weather is usually like at that time? I know what the average temps are and all, but I always think some real-life experience with the weather is helpful to know.

Thanks!

Right after new years it normally gets scary slow. Everyone just had a lot of time off work for the holidays and they are back home at work. It can be a really nice time to visit depending on the weather.

But the weather can be all over the place. It can be really bitter cold or pretty nice. I've been in FL my entire life and I can remember wearing shorts for Xmas and I can remember wearing every warm thing in my closet! There is just no way to know.

 

[TraceyDisney2008]

Today at 2 we only waited 45 minutes at 4 the sign said 30 minute wait. well worth every minute.

 

[rcraw45425]

I'm really dreading the week between Christmas and New Years. Going down with a group of high schoolers and know that this is high priority for them. Glad I'M staying onsite!

 

[nerdboyrockstar]

With this nice new weather, the waits should feel even better. Especially that hellmouth of a greenhouse..

 

[ducky_love]

With this nice new weather, the waits should feel even better. Especially that hellmouth of a greenhouse..

 

[CarolMN]

We went yesterday (10/6/10). Got in line at the IOA park entrance about 8:15 am. (Staying at the BWV and did the DU 1 Day/2 park ticket plus transfer deal).

They let us in about 8:45 am. A nice surprise! We walked at a normal pace through Seuss land and the Lost Continent. Then DH said he needed to stop at the restroom. UGH! But no need to worry.

After that, we just continued on at a normal pace through Hogsmeade to the castle and the FJ. Stopped to stow our things in a locker and then just kept walking. I did slow down a bit to see and hear all of the wonderful details in the queue. Kept moving until we got too the loading area. Then the ride apparently had some type of problem. It was now about 9:05 am. At 9:20 am, all was well and we were boarded. Wow! Loved the ride!

After retrieving our things from the locker and browsing in the gift shop for a few minutes, we exited and walked back to Hogsmeade. I noticed that the wait time was listed at 40 minutes and it was about 9:40 AM. Wait time would probably be even less if the ride hadn't had a problem.

So bottom line: Middle of the week on a non-HH night was a good time to go.

Thanks to everyone who has reported on this thread!

 

[Stinkerbell317]

We were at IoA this past Tuesday. I guess that wasn't a very good choice of day. By the time we got back WWoHP at about 9:10am the line to get into Ollivanders was already an hour long had to give up my hopes to see the little show. Also for the majority of the day the line for FJ was about an hour long. The shops were crammed shoulder to shoulder, and by the afternoon they had started a line just to go into Dervish and Banges. The disney crowds have been higher that I had expected as well. However, my husband got pretty ill from FJ and my kids didn't like it too much either, so I was able to ride it 3 times that day by using the single rider line. Loved it!!!!! The rest of IoA wait times were 30 minutes or less for everything we went on.

 

[Gwendolyn]

Ouch, I'm planning to be there on friday the 22nd with Halloween evening that night. I guess itll be really busy

 

[damo]

We went yesterday (10/6/10). Got in line at the IOA park entrance about 8:15 am. (Staying at the BWV and did the DU 1 Day/2 park ticket plus transfer deal).

They let us in about 8:45 am. A nice surprise! We walked at a normal pace through Seuss land and the Lost Continent. Then DH said he needed to stop at the restroom. UGH! But no need to worry.

After that, we just continued on at a normal pace through Hogsmeade to the castle and the FJ. Stopped to stow our things in a locker and then just kept walking. I did slow down a bit to see and hear all of the wonderful details in the queue. Kept moving until we got too the loading area. Then the ride apparently had some type of problem. It was now about 9:05 am. At 9:20 am, all was well and we were boarded. Wow! Loved the ride!

After retrieving our things from the locker and browsing in the gift shop for a few minutes, we exited and walked back to Hogsmeade. I noticed that the wait time was listed at 40 minutes and it was about 9:40 AM. Wait time would probably be even less if the ride hadn't had a problem.

So bottom line: Middle of the week on a non-HH night was a good time to go.

Thanks to everyone who has reported on this thread!

Problems are often clean ups.

 

[brenda1966]

Problems are often clean ups.

Oh gross. Maybe we should pop a non-drowsy dramamine that day? That don't seem to have side effects. Does this ride really make that many people barf?

 

[damo]

Oh gross. Maybe we should pop a non-drowsy dramamine that day? That don't seem to have side effects. Does this ride really make that many people barf?

Yup, I would highly advise the dramamine.

 

[Darby O'Gill]

OMG to the crowds O M G!!!!

I was absolutely STUNNED by the crowds today, Friday OCT 8th at IOA/WWoHP. I have been to Disney/Universal 5 times now since 2003 and am a total Disney junkie, so I consider myself a veteran. Normally go during slower times Oct/Jan and rarely wait to go onto anything.
Have planned this trip for almost a year now and was happy to see that touringplans.com gave todays crowd rating a "1" on a scale of 1-10. That level rearly happens, and the next couple days are supposed to be busy according to them. WELL, got to Universal at 7:50am(more than an hour ahead of time) and hotel guests were inside by 8. The place was hopping, and while I was able to get into FJ rather quickly once allowed in, after that the entire WWoHP was a MADHOUSE!!!!! I mean WOW. EVERY shop had a wait to go inside for the priveldge to buy things , not just talking Olivianders mind you, but ALL of them. Couldnt TOUCH butterbeer lines..... 45 min wait for spidey, 60 min for Dudley do right, thats how regular IOA was at 12 noon.
1000's of Scots have invaded here(i think a convention or a soccer thing or something)???? but I just wasnt prepared at all. Its 5:00pm and my crew is planning to go for our 5th anniversay dinner at Raglan Road tonight at Downtown DIsney, wish us luck.
I Love my Winsdor Hills house BTW, the FJ ride was amazing....Capones dinner show the night before was easily the best dinner show in Orlando....not even close.....but those crowds today wore me out and I'm trying real hard to shake off the bad feeling im getting about the 10 day stretch I chose to do this.
Read the boards all the time, so I thought!!!! I was prepared.....nope.....if your coming to Dis/Universal this next week, be prepared for high 80's temps and crowds..

 

[SacFamily]

We will be able to visit IOA for 1 day while at DIS Saturday Oct 23- Saturday Oct 30th. We can go ANY DAY!!

Which day should I go? We will not be attending the Halloween Horror Show.
Hoping to avoid as many lines as possible!!!

 

[damo]

We will be able to visit IOA for 1 day while at DIS Saturday Oct 23- Saturday Oct 30th. We can go ANY DAY!!

Which day should I go? We will not be attending the Halloween Horror Show.
Hoping to avoid as many lines as possible!!!

I would pick a day early in the week when there isn't HHN. So the 25th or 26th.

 

[DCDisney]

I can't imagine why touringplans would have given today a 1? It's the start of a long weekend for lots of people and many of the southern states that started school so early have a fall break this coming week. We are going Halloween weekend and touringplans gives that time a low number too but I'm not trusting that especially after today's report.

 

[Disney Brat]

We were there today too, and it was busy!! Rode FJ twice though! We love that ride! We were at IOA and US last week, and it was just the WWOHP that was busy, not the rest of the parks like today was. We are heading to Disney tomorrow, wish us luck...I am sure it will be crazy there too!!

 

[dqpowell]

I can't imagine why touringplans would have given today a 1? It's the start of a long weekend for lots of people and many of the southern states that started school so early have a fall break this coming week. We are going Halloween weekend and touringplans gives that time a low number too but I'm not trusting that especially after today's report.

Huh? Touringplans doesn't do crowd level predictions for Universal parks... am I missing something?

David