Harry Potter- Wizarding World FAQ

[Laralyn]

We're going to WDW in early May and I was considering a day at Universal on Sunday, May 10th (Mother's Day). How are the lines for the attractions now if you don't have early entry, on what is predicted to be a fairly quiet day (by Touring Plans)? I'm trying to figure out if the side trip will be fun or exhausting on a vacation that is otherwise all about relaxing. This would be the only morning we would get up early, for example. Thanks in advance!

 

[cheermom1]

My mil is taking us to us. Yay so excited and she dubbed me with the task of planning everything yay me again as I love to plan there things. She knows that and she hates so win win!
Anyway my question is do u have to have park to park passes to ride the hogworts train or can u just ride it and not get off. Thanks

 

[macraven]

you have to have the park to park pass to ride the HE.
can't ride it without that ticket.

you have to show your ticket or ap to get in the line for HE.

 

[Hunterr]

I had read here there was a time when they closed the lines for the Harry Potter attractions earlier than park closing because of long wait times (which would result in longer times guests are still inside the park).

Is this still in effect? Or can you still walk to the entrance 5..10..15 minutes before park closing and be allowed in?

 

[macraven]

I had read here there was a time when they closed the lines for the Harry Potter attractions earlier than park closing because of long wait times (which would result in longer times guests are still inside the park).

Is this still in effect? Or can you still walk to the entrance 5..10..15 minutes before park closing and be allowed in?

it can happen.
i happened to me last october.
got in line for gringotts at 5:30 and was told the line was down.
it wasn't really down the tm explained to me but the line inside was full.
they wanted to allow all inside the building to be able to get on the ride before the park closed at 7:00.

this only happened one day out of the 13 i was there, so it can happen but most days it doesn't.

 

[klsurfer76]

Does anyone know if the Leaky Cauldron has available condiment packets like mayonnaise and ketchup. My husband would want mayo if he orders the chicken sandwich and ketchup for the fries. Thank you!!!!

 

[Hunterr]

it can happen.
i happened to me last october.
got in line for gringotts at 5:30 and was told the line was down.
it wasn't really down the tm explained to me but the line inside was full.
they wanted to allow all inside the building to be able to get on the ride before the park closed at 7:00.

this only happened one day out of the 13 i was there, so it can happen but most days it doesn't.

So you'd recommend if nothing else, get in line at least an hour before park closing?
I've done the ride already, but I'm going with some family in the summer and because of the bigger crowds, Gringotts and/or Forbidden Journey may be the last thing we do in the park.

 

[macraven]

if you all really want to do that ride, then i would just bite the bullet and get in the line


you could ask the TM that is outside the building and directing the lines if the building is full of peeps waiting

if it isn't full, ask the TM if the chance of getting on the ride at the last minute that evening would be advisable.

the TM's at the ride would have a decent idea if you should wait it out or come back near the time before the park closes.

 

[DorkyLoser418]

We went last June to IoA just for the WWoHP and are going back this May to do both IoA and UO, again really just for WWoHP. Something that I want to mention, we stayed at Drury Inn & Suites. Its not an on-site hotel but is affiliated with Universal and we got the one hour early admission to the parks staying here. It is rate number 2 in Orlando on TripAdvisor and is one of the cheapest hotels for what it offers. Free breakfast, Free dinner, 3 Free alcoholic drinks per night. The room was nice and clean and the staff was great. I had no complaints other than the pool really isn't anything great but we didn't really mind that because we spent all our time in the parks. We have our stay booked this year May 27-June 3 (8 days, 7 nights) and its was $759. If your looking for a way to save some money and still get your EE to the park, def check it out. And book straight through their website because they offer an e-saver rate which makes it cheaper than any third party site you can book on!

 

[macraven]

We went last June to IoA just for the WWoHP and are going back this May to do both IoA and UO, again really just for WWoHP. Something that I want to mention, we stayed at Drury Inn & Suites. Its not an on-site hotel but is affiliated with Universal and we got the one hour early admission to the parks staying here. It is rate number 2 in Orlando on TripAdvisor and is one of the cheapest hotels for what it offers. Free breakfast, Free dinner, 3 Free alcoholic drinks per night. The room was nice and clean and the staff was great. I had no complaints other than the pool really isn't anything great but we didn't really mind that because we spent all our time in the parks. We have our stay booked this year May 27-June 3 (8 days, 7 nights) and its was $759. If your looking for a way to save some money and still get your EE to the park, def check it out. And book straight through their website because they offer an e-saver rate which makes it cheaper than any third party site you can book on!

you must be related to me as i tell my family never to pass up a stay at Drury Inn and Suites.
if you stay at one in St Louis (or anywhere else) you know it will be the same for the one in Orlando.

when a newbie asks which offsite hotel is the best, i always answer Drury Inn & Suites.
it has a everything that you could want for a vacation.
the food that they offer is good and plentiful, they have free drinks at a set time daily, and shuttles to the parks.

you can't beat the price they have for the rooms.
they take AAA and other discounts.

i totally agree with dorkyloser as this place is a gem for anything you want to do in that area.

you said you got early entry, i'm guessing you had a package booked then.

 

[DorkyLoser418]

I guess it was a package not too sure my husband booked it online, it was the hotel with the tickets. But when you go into the park all they ask is to see your room key so I assume this go around even though we booked the hotel and the tickets separately, all we would need to do is flash the room key to get the EE.

 

[macraven]

probably a package as it included the early entry.

 

[micheleq]

Newbie to the Dark Side here! We will be down May 15-17th and I was wondering what the most direct routes to Gringotts/FJ are upon park opening? I'm guessing there's a map of the best path somewhere here but I haven't been able to find it.

We will be part of a larger group with my in-laws, so a total of 13, my girls are the only two kids. They are all staying at Cabana Bay and we are DVC and staying at AKV (with a rental car). I'll have three day park to park passes so we can ride HE. Not going to splurge on Express Pass this time, esp. since my ILs won't have it either. I know they can get into the parks early, but odds of them actually doing that are slim. The trip is to celebrate our niece's college graduation, so we'll be a multi-generational group including a set of grandparents and four twenty-somethings.

Any tips would be appreciated! DD9 has read all HP books and both girls (and myself and DH!) are excited to experience WWoHP for the first time. Thanks!

 

[macraven]

check out www.universalorlando.com
you can familize with the layout of the parks and read up on the rides.
you can figure out the way to the rides.

you can also google the park map if you don't pull it up on the darkside site.

wow!
13 peeps together at the park.
i think you all will have a great time!!

 

[micheleq]

Thanks macraven! I got the park maps, was just wondering if there were any "shortcuts" to avoid big crowds.

It should be a fun trip! We'll see how much my girls can keep up with the college-aged cousins. Or perhaps it will be the other way around lol! I'm sure all 13 of us won't be moving in one big pack. My MIL used a scooter at Disney over Thanksgiving because of recent back surgery, so hopefully she doesn't try to over do it now that she's feeling better.

 

[imprint]

The most direct route to Forbidden Journey involves a shortcut through Seuss Landing. Follow the path near the lagoon (red line in image below).

 

[macraven]

you can't get any better than that when posting a map!

very easy to understand and use the other path to potter area.

 

[micheleq]

The most direct route to Forbidden Journey involves a shortcut through Seuss Landing. Follow the path near the lagoon (red line in image below).

Excellent! Thanks imprint! I was wondering if going thru Seuss was the easiest way to go!

 

[macraven]

i go thru seuss to get to the potter area.
it just depends on which end of potter you want to come in from.

do you want to be closer to a ride or shop when you first enter that section of the park.

 

[micheleq]

i go thru seuss to get to the potter area.
it just depends on which end of potter you want to come in from.

do you want to be closer to a ride or shop when you first enter that section of the park.

We'll want to ride first, shop second