Harry Potter touring plan

[momo6]

We will be at Universal Studios for 3 days toward the end of January. I have 3 Harry Potter Super Fans and was wondering if anyone has any suggestions for a touring order. Hogwarts first? Diagon Alley first? Doesn't matter? If it makes any difference, the first morning we can't make EE, but can the next 2 mornings.

I'd love any other tips or suggestions to make their trip even more awesome!

Thanks!

 

[damo]

It doesn't really matter. Just watch the time boards and go from there. If Gringotts is running well, the line goes really quickly.

 

[marauder]

The only suggestion I have is that if you truly have HP superfans you might want to do Diagon Alley first, including everything you see there, then take the train to the other section. The only reason for saying this is because technically all the books went from Diagon Alley to Hogsmeade in that order. Also the train station from Diagon Alley to Hogsmeade has an interesting effect that doesn't exist in the other direction.

As was said before, if you don't care about that, it is more important to check ride times. Also if you are true HP fans DON'T do single rider line on either Gringotts or Forbidden Journey the first time you go each ride. You skip a lot of the theme elements using the single rider line. No problem going in that line after the first time you do it the normal way.

Personally what we did was went to Diagon Alley, rode Gringotts, then explored the entire Diagon Alley section, took the train to Hogsmeade, rode Forbidden Journey, explored Hogsmeade. Then we did the loop of IOA took the train back to Diagon Alley did a couple rides again then did the loop of Universal. This was all done on a single day two park ticket so you can expand wherever you want.

 

[quantumottle]

...<snip> Personally what we did was went to Diagon Alley, rode Gringotts, then explored the entire Diagon Alley section, took the train to Hogsmeade, rode Forbidden Journey, explored Hogsmeade. Then we did the loop of IOA took the train back to Diagon Alley did a couple rides again then did the loop of Universal. This was all done on a single day two park ticket so you can expand wherever you want.

That sounds like a wonderful plan marauder. Did you do this on a very busy or very slow day, or just an average day? I'm just curious if this type plan would be possible for my family next month.

Thank you.

 

[marauder]

That sounds like a wonderful plan marauder. Did you do this on a very busy or very slow day, or just an average day? I'm just curious if this type plan would be possible for my family next month.

Thank you.

It was a light to average day. It was actually Nov. 4th. The only long wait ride was Gringotts at 75 minutes posted (actual about 60) when we first got there. Forbidden Journey had a 20 minute wait. One way on Hogwarts Express was 10 minutes, the other about 15. All the roller-coasters in HP section were 5 minute waits. When we returned to Gringotts later in the day it had a posted 30 minute wait, I made the mistake of thinking single rider would be a lot quicker, it turned out to be about a 20 minute wait. Outside the Harry Potter section most rides were just walk-ons.

The only rides outside of HP section that weren't walk-ons were the Mummy (20 minutes since we went on right after the parade passed by it and they were only running one loading track), the flyers in the Jurassic Park section (about 30 minutes) and Despicable Me (didn't try it.)

The key to doing both parks in one day is keeping track of the wait times and prioritize what is the most important. We did things like tell our kids they had a choice of waiting for the flyers or playing in the play area, they couldn't do both. They chose the flyers.

In HP my daughter had enough time to use her wand all all the locations (at least all that were working) and we were able to see some of the shops. Other then butterbeer we didn't eat in the HP section.

If by next month you mean Christmas week, I doubt it will be possible to do both parks in one day. If you mean other times you should be able to.

 

[bumbershoot]

We haven't yet been to DA but realized yesterday that we will be, in January! Woo! So we were just talking about this, while watching HP1.

The only suggestion I have is that if you truly have HP superfans you might want to do Diagon Alley first, including everything you see there, then take the train to the other section. The only reason for saying this is because technically all the books went from Diagon Alley to Hogsmeade in that order. Also the train station from Diagon Alley to Hogsmeade has an interesting effect that doesn't exist in the other direction.

My son disagrees. It works if you're Potter-focused, where that truly was his journey. Or Hermione or others who are surprised that they are wizards.

But if you're from a wizarding family, like the Weasleys, it's all old hat, and as DS said, there have probably been family visitation weekends that Ron (my son is tall and copper-haired, so in OUR household, the stories are about Ron and his total and utter bravery of not *having* to do scary things, but doing them anyway) has been to. So his journey isn't a big deal; he's the last boy in the family to go, there's another kid waiting in the wings at home for her own first year...it's just old hat. No big deal.

AND there have to be other ways to get to Hogsmeade other than the HE, because there are people living there. It's seems to be a train for Hogwarts; but how do all the people get there? There are other ways, and a wizarding family would likely have been there already.

So DS's plan is to go from Hogsmeade to DA.


**********************************
Feel free to skip!

YES we talk a LOT about the books and story and what Rowling didn't write or didn't think to write. Such as, the stories of the poor kids whose parents sent them to Hogwarts in what should have been Ron etc's last year. What did they go through? How awful was it? How brave were they? There's some good fanfiction out there about it that I'm slowly reading, but how neat would it be for Rowling to get into it?

The other story we want to hear is the bad-guy adults. I think it's the last movie, when you're in the Malfoy home and they look so drawn and scared and exhausted...what have they been going through? What horrors have they seen?

And what was left on the cutting room floor from the movie, with all those amazing British actors sitting together, getting to the point where they look so close to death? I want to see that.

 

[marauder]

My son disagrees. It works if you're Potter-focused, where that truly was his journey. Or Hermione or others who are surprised that they are wizards.

But if you're from a wizarding family, like the Weasleys, it's all old hat, and as DS said, there have probably been family visitation weekends that Ron (my son is tall and copper-haired, so in OUR household, the stories are about

Whatever you want is fine for you. The way I suggested tends to be the way most people that have read the books want to go but you can go in any order. Like I said there is a special effect that can only be seen on the HE in the Diagon Alley to Hogsmeade section.

You can debate what it was really like in Hogsmeade all you want. Remember in the final book the apparated into Hogsmeade but young wizards can't apparate. There are probably both fireplaces and portkeys that can take a wizard to Hogsmeade, but Ron did seem to be shocked by the look of Hogwarts when he first saw it. I look at it this way, how often did I visit the town my college was located in before I went there? never. I didn't really even visit the college I went to before I went there because I knew I would be going there no matter what (due to expense reasons, a only college in state that had my major.) I see it similar for English wizards. They never show (or talk about in the books) the parents visiting Hogwarts or Hogsmeade. But no matter what you can imagine it however you want.

 

[momo6]

The only suggestion I have is that if you truly have HP superfans you might want to do Diagon Alley first, including everything you see there, then take the train to the other section. The only reason for saying this is because technically all the books went from Diagon Alley to Hogsmeade in that order. Also the train station from Diagon Alley to Hogsmeade has an interesting effect that doesn't exist in the other direction.

As was said before, if you don't care about that, it is more important to check ride times. Also if you are true HP fans DON'T do single rider line on either Gringotts or Forbidden Journey the first time you go each ride. You skip a lot of the theme elements using the single rider line. No problem going in that line after the first time you do it the normal way.

Personally what we did was went to Diagon Alley, rode Gringotts, then explored the entire Diagon Alley section, took the train to Hogsmeade, rode Forbidden Journey, explored Hogsmeade. Then we did the loop of IOA took the train back to Diagon Alley did a couple rides again then did the loop of Universal. This was all done on a single day two park ticket so you can expand wherever you want.

Thank you, this is great!

 

[carissa1970]

What will the parks be like in June? We are thinking of getting a one day two park ticket just to see the HP things and a few others. We are definitely not open to close type people and are usually relatively easy going in terms of lines. Will it be doable in June, or totally crazy?

 

[quantumottle]

It was a light to average day. It was actually Nov. 4th. The only long wait ride was Gringotts at 75 minutes posted (actual about 60) when we first got there. Forbidden Journey had a 20 minute wait. One way on Hogwarts Express was 10 minutes, the other about 15. All the roller-coasters in HP section were 5 minute waits. When we returned to Gringotts later in the day it had a posted 30 minute wait, I made the mistake of thinking single rider would be a lot quicker, it turned out to be about a 20 minute wait. Outside the Harry Potter section most rides were just walk-ons.

The only rides outside of HP section that weren't walk-ons were the Mummy (20 minutes since we went on right after the parade passed by it and they were only running one loading track), the flyers in the Jurassic Park section (about 30 minutes) and Despicable Me (didn't try it.)

The key to doing both parks in one day is keeping track of the wait times and prioritize what is the most important. We did things like tell our kids they had a choice of waiting for the flyers or playing in the play area, they couldn't do both. They chose the flyers.

In HP my daughter had enough time to use her wand all all the locations (at least all that were working) and we were able to see some of the shops. Other then butterbeer we didn't eat in the HP section.

If by next month you mean Christmas week, I doubt it will be possible to do both parks in one day. If you mean other times you should be able to.

Thanks for the detailed responce marauder, I really appreciate the help.

 

[lmok]

We will be going to Harry Potter on March 18. What should we expect? First time to Universal.

 

[macraven]

We will be going to Harry Potter on March 18. What should we expect? First time to Universal.

going during spring break time means crowds in the park.

go early and avoid weekends

 

[RMulieri]

What will the parks be like in June? We are thinking of getting a one day two park ticket just to see the HP things and a few others. We are definitely not open to close type people and are usually relatively easy going in terms of lines. Will it be doable in June, or totally crazy?

When in June? if it is the very beginning of June it isn't terrible.The later in June you get, the busier it gets.Summer is peak crowds and once kids are out of school that means busy

 

[disney minnie]

We will be there January 9-11 which is marathon weekend at Disney. Hoping for low crowds. What does everyone think? This will be our first time staying at universal.

 

[DPCummerbund]

I'm also a noob, a fan of Harry Potter, and I'm not sure what to see first. I can see how watching the wait times is a good idea, but for my first visit, I'm more interested in the "wow" factor rather than what's more accurate in the books. I'm interested in what all of you on this board have to say.

I think I would do IoA first. Hogsmeade, from all accounts, is smaller & less impressive than Diagon Alley. Having never seen Hogsmeade, we'll do the rides there and see all the shops and stuff (except saving Ollivander's for DA), and it will all be really neat and amazing to us. Then, when we get to Diagon Alley, it will be even bigger and more impressive than Hogsmeade, so we'll be "wowed" again.

If we do USF first, then when we get to Hogsmeade, we'd be a tad underwhelmed, thinking "Hogsmeade is neat, but not as immersive and detailed as the place we just left."

Does that make sense?

 

[marauder]

If we do USF first, then when we get to Hogsmeade, we'd be a tad underwhelmed, thinking "Hogsmeade is neat, but not as immersive and detailed as the place we just left."

Does that make sense?

Both sections have their advantages, the new Diagon Alley section is larger, has more shops and restaurants and a little more details. It only has one ride.

The Hogsmeade section has the castle, similar shops and multiple roller coasters.

You can do it in any order, just if you are taking the HE make sure you go from Diagon Alley to Hogsmeade, there is an effect in the station in that direction that doesn't exist in the other.

You won't be disappointed going in either direction.

 

[lazer]

I'm also a noob, a fan of Harry Potter, and I'm not sure what to see first. I can see how watching the wait times is a good idea, but for my first visit, I'm more interested in the "wow" factor rather than what's more accurate in the books. I'm interested in what all of you on this board have to say. I think I would do IoA first. Hogsmeade, from all accounts, is smaller & less impressive than Diagon Alley. Having never seen Hogsmeade, we'll do the rides there and see all the shops and stuff (except saving Ollivander's for DA), and it will all be really neat and amazing to us. Then, when we get to Diagon Alley, it will be even bigger and more impressive than Hogsmeade, so we'll be "wowed" again. If we do USF first, then when we get to Hogsmeade, we'd be a tad underwhelmed, thinking "Hogsmeade is neat, but not as immersive and detailed as the place we just left." Does that make sense?

We did DA first and we were still totally blown away. The Castle itself is amazing, and there are great rides! You'll love them both!

 

[Viteh]

I'd reccomend Diagon Alley first, if you are going for the "Harry Potter experience". It makes more sense storywise IMO.

If you're getting a wand, Diagon Alley makes more sense lorewise.

Also Gringotts is the better ride IMO. Both are great though.

It also has that fire breathing dragon outside the ride. It breaths fire every 20 minutes, so it's 8:00, 8:20, 8:40 etc. So check your watch if you want to get a good picture of it.

Gringotts is also better for single riders IMO, as the group is larger (12 vs 4, or even 24 if you count both carts) so you will at least be somewhat close to each other. Not to mention that the Gringotts queue isn't as interesting, so you won't miss much.

 

[nemofans]

I have been contemplating this as well. We will be there for 3 days in mid January & I think this will be our plan. I am a huge HP fan & want to have a whole HP day.

So, Day 1 we will explore all of IOA (except HP).
Day 2 we will use early entry into US & do everything in Diagon Alley including breakfast at Leaky Cauldron. Then, take HE to Hogsmeade & do everything there, including lunch at 3 Broomsticks. Then, take HE back to US for some FF ice cream!
Day 3 will be exploring the rest of US.

Does this sound okay? The hard part will be avoiding HP stuff in IOA on our 1st day!

 

[Pembo]

We were just there for 3 days with the sole purpose of Diagon Alley. Our first day we arrived at 5 pm and went straight to DA, ate dinner at Leaky Cauldron, got our wand, and rode Gringotts. Took a quick trip to Hogwarts and at park closing walked out IOA.

The next morning, we were ready with our map for the wand and hints from *************** for HP touring. We did Diagon Alley all morning including breakfast at LC. Took the HE to Hogwarts, toured around Hogsmeade for awhile, got a cauldron cake, and went back to DA via HE. More time in DA.
We did venture out to ride the Mummy and Men in Black before an afternoon break. We came back to DA, rode HE to Hogwarts, wandered out of Hogsmeade to see the Grinch and ended our day with one more trip back to DA.

The last day we visited DA first and ended at Hogsmeade.

So nemofans - I would definitely check out all the HP stuff all 3 days!!!!