Harry Potter/IOA Newbie with some questions

[taitai]

Hi there

We just decided to go to Orlando for a long weekend in February to get away from the cold here for a bit. I think we are going to skip Disney this trip and do other things but we do want to take our boys to Harry Potter world. I have been wading through the Sticky at the top of the page but need some more info.

We will only be spending one day at IOA. Should we go on a Fri, Sat or Sun in order to minimize crowds? Is there an order in which we should do rides in order to minimize wait times? I don't think my kids will be interested in Olivander's or the Three Broomsticks. They will want to try Butterbeer, though.

What else is a don't miss at IOA? Our boys are 9,8 and 8 and fairly adventurous.

Thanks
Taitai

 

[BadgerGirl84]

I've never been in Feb so I can't give you advice on the day. I would guess to go on Sunday, but really I'm not sure.

I would re-think not going to Three Broomsticks. My husband and I ate there on our honeymoon and it was one of the best CS meals we've had (we did IOA, US and all the Disney parks). I got the shephards pie and he got the fish and chips. Beyond the food being good, the atmosphere is GREAT! It looks just like the pub in the movie. It's also really great that there are hosting staff to find a table for you.

You have to eat lunch somewhere, and I couldn't think of a better place to go at IOA. The rest of the CS dining options are underwhelming.

 

[grahamfam3]

My wife and I were there the week before Thanksgiving. I also am not sure about the day of the week, but there may be a website that covers that.

When the rope drops, head for the Forbidden Journey, that's the big HP ride. After that I'd hit the two Dragon Challenge coasters. The Flight of the Gryphon is a pretty tame coaster, less of a line. The butterbeer is sold fresh made either cold or frozen, from mixing machines inside carts shaped like barrels. Pumpkin juice is sold in bottles in the stores or from carts.

Olivanders you can go in through the line and there is a kind of a show where one person (I assume a kid) gets picked to have a wand pick her or him, which was the longest line we saw the whole day (seriously). You can go in though through another door to the main shop though, you just don't get in the part of the shop with the wand choosing show in it.

Spiderman was fun, Jurassic Park River Adventure was good and so was Bildge Rat Barges (you may get wet, in fact, soaked, on this ride).

 

[SharonK0527]

I agree to head for Forbidden Journey right away. The line only gets longer as more people enter the park so try to knock that one out as early as you can. When we went on Dragon Challenge, our wait was less than 10 minutes. However we waited over 45 minutes for Flight of the Hippogriff which we would never do again! The ride is only 60 seconds long and definitely not worth the wait. The best part of that ride is the queue as you get to see Hagrid's hut and Buckbeak the Hippogriff. If the line is short, it's worth going on just to see the queue but if it's a long line, my advice would be to skip it.

We did not do the Ollivander's show but we did go in the shop and DD bought a wand (she chose Harry's wand because Harry is her favorite character). The shops in Hogsmeade are small and very crowded but so much fun to walk through just for the theming and to see all the HP merchandise.

As for other rides, my DD is 11 years old and she loved Spiderman, Dudley Do-Right, and Bluto's Bilge Rat Barges. As previous poster mentioned - you WILL get very very wet on both Dudley and Bluto. She also loved Forbidden Journey and Dragon Challenge but did not feel up to trying The Hulk yet.

 

[mesaboy2]

My wife and I were there the week before Thanksgiving. I also am not sure about the day of the week, but there may be a website that covers that.

When the rope drops, head for the Forbidden Journey, that's the big HP ride. After that I'd hit the two Dragon Challenge coasters. The Flight of the Gryphon is a pretty tame coaster, less of a line. The butterbeer is sold fresh made either cold or frozen, from mixing machines inside carts shaped like barrels. Pumpkin juice is sold in bottles in the stores or from carts.

Olivanders you can go in through the line and there is a kind of a show where one person (I assume a kid) gets picked to have a wand pick her or him, which was the longest line we saw the whole day (seriously). You can go in though through another door to the main shop though, you just don't get in the part of the shop with the wand choosing show in it.

Spiderman was fun, Jurassic Park River Adventure was good and so was Bildge Rat Barges (you may get wet, in fact, soaked, on this ride).

The length of the line has more to do with capacity, and less to do with how tame the coaster is. In my experience, Dragon Challenge usually has a shorter wait even though it is more intense. Flight of the Hippogriff can have a decent-sized line, even though it is considered a "kiddie-coaster".

As for day to visit, I would pick Sunday unless you're visiting President's Day weekend. Even that weekend, Sunday shouldn't be any worse than any other weekend day.

 

[Eclectic Goddess]

Sorry, can't give advice on the best day.

If you want to skip Three Broomsticks for an actual meal, I suggest getting your butterbeer at the Hog's Head. The lines are always shorter than outside, and you can step into the Three Broomstick from there to have a look around. The patio behind both places is a great place to take a break. Olivander's is fun but too brief for more than a five minute wait. The same can be said for Flight of the Hippogriff.

My other not-to-miss are similar to what other people have mentioned - Spiderman, Hulk and Dragon Challenge if they're old enough, and the Jurrasic Park River Adventure. I also really like Poseidon's Fury, and your sons are probably you enough to enjoy it, though I know some people aren't fans. If it's warm enough, Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls is great, but you will get soaked through.

If you're going to eat in the park, I'd suggest Mythos. The food is amazing and the atmosphere is stunning. (Ask to sit near the window for a great view of the park.)

 

[heidi8]

How old are your boys? Mine are 12 and 8, and they love Flight of the Hippogryff in a ridiculous way - every time we go, we're in the Park first thing in the morning, and they try to go on it at least a dozen times in a row. Last month they managed 15 times in just over an hour, and we weren't staying on site, so that was with the regular line.

The Forbidden Journey is gorgeous, and if you can go on it twice, you should, because the first time is about the movement and experience, and the second time lets you notice the details.

I concur with the others about going to The Three Broomsticks. The atmosphere is amazing and the food is delicious. They'll probably love Zonko's, too - and you should make sure you try both varieties of Butterbeer from the carts (or at The Three Broomsticks).

 

[taitai]

Thanks for all the advice. So, we will get there at RD and head straight to FJ and try to do that once or twice depending on the lines. Then, off to Hippogriff and everything else.

Now, I need to figure out all the other rides in the IOA and what the boys would like.

Thank you