Help, first time to US/IOA with our kids who love Harry Potter

[akadada]

My work is bringing me down to Orlando in Later November. So we decided to surprise the kids (12 and 10) with an US/IOA trip. We have never been and know little about it. The kids are Harry Potter fans and thought this could be really fun.

I was able to get a costco package for four nights at Sapphire Falls resort that includes 2-Park-2 Park tickets for 3 days and then Complimentary transportation to Universal Orlando Theme Parks and Citywalk and Early Park Admission to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™ or Universal's Volcano Bay.

Would any of you be able to offer tips/guidance? Or point me to other posts that I can read up on?

Our arrival day gets us into MCO at 1:00 and then leave nights later at 4:00. So I was thinking the following:

Arrival day - hang out that the hotel.
Day 2 - Harry Potter world? Nice dinner with my wife only after done with the park. Kids hang at the hotel. Maybe Kids nite out sitter.
Day 3 - US & IOA Not Harry Potter. Nice dinner with the family.
Day 4 - Revisit favorite things or things missed. Eat on the go and no sit down plans.
Day 5 - hang out at the hotel until we have to go to airport

Thoughts on Itinerary?

Car? I can get a rental car discount through my work ($450 or so). But not sure if I should? The package says complimentary transportation...does that mean from the airport as well? Or is that just transportation among the US IOA area?

I looked up Uber and it seems to run $50 to $75 each way while my wife and I want to go out to a nice dinner at least one night if not two as well which Uber is showing another $50+ each way (thinking Bull Bear or Knife/Spoon). So by time I count just those three to four routes, I'm already close to $300. I also might want to stop at a grocery store for snacks and such to save on one meal (i.e. lunch or BF). If airport is not included in my package then I think I might want the car. Any thoughts on that?

Restaurants?
Or are there amazing restaurants within walking distance of the US area near the hotel we're staying at that we don't need a car? For nice dinner with wife, thinking Bull Bear or Knife & Spoon or something and willing to do Uber if not a car? Thoughts?

With family, open to suggestions? Maybe something near the hotel? Or if I have a car, ideas?

Passes? I want to make the most of this trip since it's unlikely we'd return anytime soon (years possibly). Should I buy the fast-pass equivalents (not sure what they're called but it looks Iike I can get them through the hotel?) And should I buy those now or wait?

Harry Potter?

And then if the kids are insane about Harry Potter, are there other posts that people have suggested that walk through ideal itineraries.

Would you recommend I try watching the Harry Potter movies before going? My kids and wife have done the books, but I'm clueless.

Anything else?

Thank you advance!

 

[Skippyboo]

Airport transfers aren’t included in the free hotel transportation. Sapphire Fall has boat transportation to the park.

There’s Harry Potter sections in both parks. No Harry Potter world. IoA has Hogmeade with the Hogwarts Castle and Studios has Diagon Alley. I would spring for a interactive wand. So the kids can do the interactive spells in both sections.

There are a Harry Potter themed Quick Service in each park. Citywalk has numerous restaurants like CowFish, Bubba Gump Shrimp, Toothsome Chocolate Emporium is super popular.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

Check out the restaurants on property, there's a variety of options & price points between CityWalk & the resorts. You can see menus & prices online. Then you can decide if on property works or if you want to venture off property.

If you're considering the Express Passes, you'd really want to just switch hotels to one of the 3 premiers that includes them (Hard Rock, Portofino, or Royal Pacific) as it's likely much cheaper that way than adding them to the Sapphire Falls room. IF you are buying separately & IF you know your dates for sure, you want to buy sooner than later - prices on Express Passes tends to increase as the dates near. However, they're non-refundable & non-transferrable.

Note you'd have to pay for parking the car at the hotel, in case that hasn't figured into your calculations yet. Generally, if you're not really venturing off property much then don't bother with the car.

I would suggest at least watching the first Harry Potter movie, it'll help out a lot. Plus I suspect the kids/wife will want to rewatch as a refresher/excitement booster. Perhaps they rewatch them all while you're in the room researching dinners & kinda absorbing the gist?

I really just suggest directly exploring the Harry Potter areas, poking in the nooks & crannies, exploring shops, playing with wands (have any friends you can borrow one from?), etc. Early in the day & late in the day is best for this (including after park closing) when the crowds are lowest. They HP areas can be pretty well shoulder to shoulder during the peak midday hours.

Also just a note that the Jurassic Park River Adventure will get you a bit wet, but the other two water rides will get you legit soaked. They're a lot of fun, just make sure you've properly planned for the drenching. IE, have a change of clothes, plan to ride before heading back to the hotel, or just a general acceptance of sopping wet undergarments for a few hours, etc.

You can pool hop at Universal, so feel free to check out another pool on your second "hotel" day. The mini golf at CityWalk is also worth a round.

 

[akadada]

Check out the restaurants on property, there's a variety of options & price points between CityWalk & the resorts. You can see menus & prices online. Then you can decide if on property works or if you want to venture off property.

If you're considering the Express Passes, you'd really want to just switch hotels to one of the 3 premiers that includes them (Hard Rock, Portofino, or Royal Pacific) as it's likely much cheaper that way than adding them to the Sapphire Falls room. IF you are buying separately & IF you know your dates for sure, you want to buy sooner than later - prices on Express Passes tends to increase as the dates near. However, they're non-refundable & non-transferrable.

Note you'd have to pay for parking the car at the hotel, in case that hasn't figured into your calculations yet. Generally, if you're not really venturing off property much then don't bother with the car.

I would suggest at least watching the first Harry Potter movie, it'll help out a lot. Plus I suspect the kids/wife will want to rewatch as a refresher/excitement booster. Perhaps they rewatch them all while you're in the room researching dinners & kinda absorbing the gist?

I really just suggest directly exploring the Harry Potter areas, poking in the nooks & crannies, exploring shops, playing with wands (have any friends you can borrow one from?), etc. Early in the day & late in the day is best for this (including after park closing) when the crowds are lowest. They HP areas can be pretty well shoulder to shoulder during the peak midday hours.

Also just a note that the Jurassic Park River Adventure will get you a bit wet, but the other two water rides will get you legit soaked. They're a lot of fun, just make sure you've properly planned for the drenching. IE, have a change of clothes, plan to ride before heading back to the hotel, or just a general acceptance of sopping wet undergarments for a few hours, etc.

You can pool hop at Universal, so feel free to check out another pool on your second "hotel" day. The mini golf at CityWalk is also worth a round.

Thank you.

The other hotels appear sold out. The only place we could get was Sapphire. Do we buy a pass for each day or is just one day enough if we get the unlimited pass? It seems like if we bought it just one day we might be able to hit most of the rides at both parks? or is that too much to try to do and then should we buy the pass for just one day or two days if we can't get in all the rides in one day?

In otherwords, happy to consider buying two days of the passes if that's advisable but also happy to buy the pass for one day if we can get a lot of fun rides in and then the next two days be willing to stand in line if that's a reasonable plan?

The kids don't know we're taking them, but I'll plan to watch the movies with them.

I'll definitely let the kids get wands. That sounds fun.

Thanks for the water ride, mini golf, and pool tips as well!

 

[CAPSLOCK]

Everyone's budget is different. Are your park days weekend days? Hitting Thanksgiving break? That'll impact crowds.

You'll find generally low lines early in the day and late in the day. Hagrids, exploring, shows, and mid-day breaks (if those are your style) also aren't going to use Express. Waiting in line at Universal is generally much better than waiting at, say, Six Flags - the queues are themed, and especially the HP rides have lots of little details within the queue as you move through various areas on your way to the ride, so it doesn't feel like such a long wait. The Universal App is also helpful to keep an eye on wait times. Of course, you will obviously get on more rides with EP.

If you're thinking of lots of Harry Potter exploration on the first day, I would not have that as an EP day. Another thing to think about is that, in general, the EP lines don't involve much waiting and may breeze past background info setting up the ride story. Thus standing in the standby line the first time on a ride is somewhat more helpful than standing in the standby line the 2nd or 3rd time on a ride, since you won't be "wasting" EP time standing to watch the background story. Sometimes you are watching the preshow either way right before boarding (Simpsons, Gringotts) but other rides the "preshow" is more spaced throughout the line (ie, Forbidden Journey has little video scenes in a few spots which you can stand and watch, or just walk on past. And Transformers plays a video throughout the line - if EP is quick you may not catch the whole thing). Therefore I would personally prefer standby lines the first day, if you're choosing which day(s) to have EP. Then again, if your first day will be the busiest based on day of week / Holiday / etc, then YMMV.

 

[sandam1]

Did you price out the individual pieces of the package? Usually there is very little savings by going with a package. Also, Universal is running a ticket deal where you can buy 2 days and get 2 days free. That might change your planning. If you are going around Thanksgiving, know that the parks are going to be INSANE. Also, if you are going over a weekend, watch the park hours. The Orlando Informer event (a special ticketed event) is happening three weekends and the parks will be closing early for these events.

Is EP necessary? It depends on when you are going. Unless you are going at a high crowd time, you can get a lot done by using the single rider lines. It's a pricey add-on.

Usually the complimentary transportation is just to/from the parks and you have to get yourself to/from the airport, but check your package information to make sure. Universal has a shuttle, but you have to pay for it and it isn't great IMHO. If you look around this board, there are several private car companies that will pick you up at the airport, do a grocery stop, and then take you to your hotel. As another poster mentioned, if you rent a car, make sure to add your hotel parking.

 

[DL1WDW2]

Excited for your trip . This is the time of year I first visited Universal in Nov 2018 for my birthday. I arrived late in the evening and was surprised how pretty the holiday decorations were .
I stayed at the Cabana Bay Resort. The lobby is full of vintage 60s tinsel Xmas trees. I have returned many times and stayed at Hard Rock, my favorite and also Sapphire . Loews Resorts are really nice . You will be happy no matter where you stay. That water transport from the resort to the theme parks is also great . Be sure to go to the Voodoo Donuts nearby . You will see many guests with a pink box of donuts . Fun to walk in and see a rotating carousel of donuts to choose from !
Big Fire Grill and Cowfish (?) are my favorite restaurants in CityWalk .
The Kitchen at the Hard Rock has great buffet .
All the resorts have fun poolside bars to order great burgers, etc and drinks.
That Hollywood DriveIn Golf Mini golf is near the CityWalk Movie Theatre. And is really fun !
I hope you study the online maps to understand the layout of the Parks . And don’t forget they require guests to stow their stuffin a locker for most of the attractions. So limit your carry in the park to avoid the locker line !
Many of the entertainment selections are holiday themed
Everybody loves the Blues Brothers stage show !
Also love the Macys Day Parade nightly . They don’t just have fake snow to celebrate Santa’s arrival They have Magic snow that sparkles and glistens .
Mannheim Steamroller performs special concerts in Universal Studios but not sure of the weekend dates.
And the Grinchmas Holiday Stage Show has turned me into a big Grinch Fan ! Big time I love Grinch now !
I think watching the first Harry Potter movie is good advice but not necessary. I’m not a big HP fan…Sorry. I do recommend taking the train from Kings Cross Station (traveling from London to the Hogsmeade Station for your first journey . I guess that is the train stop where the school they attended in movies is located. But that train pulling into the train station is massive and authentic ! Wow!
Love the Minions attraction. Nearby I usually have breakfast at the Today Cafe and the new Bourne Stuntshow ( amazing You will want to see that twice)…
I think the entertainment has “ live action performance showtimes” which means they begin later in the morn and run according to Union Contract so be aware of their showtimes for your plans.
Lots to explore . Expect it to be a different experience than Disney for sure but I really love Universal Studios nowadays.
The locals love it too so it will be crowded!

 

[ruthies12]

Lots of good advice above! If the top 3 hotels are sold out then that means it will be crowded and lines will be long. If you can afford it, I'd go with passes for 2 of the days. With three days at the park I'd spend one day doing both wizarding world sections, one day doing all the stuff on the US side with express, and then one day doing all the stuff on the IOA side with express. If you decide to do express for only one day then I'd spend that day concentrating on rides in both parks and the other day revisiting the wizarding section and taking in the various shows at US.

Make sure your tickets are park to park tickets so you are allowed on the hogwarts express. Make sure you ride the train in both directions, it is different each time. I would do breakfast at the Leaky Cauldron, dinner at the Three Broomsticks and lunch at Florean Fortescues ice cream.

 

[lisam70]

I usually Uber from the airport since its just my hubby and I and its around $35.
I would watch at least one or two of the harry potter movies and plan on buying the wands to spend some time doing the interactive spells.
I think the nicest restaurants on property are the ones at the hotels. Our favorites are Amatista at SF and Bice and Mama Dellas at PB. Check out the online menus see if anything looks good to you-may not need to leave property.

 

[akadada]

Did you price out the individual pieces of the package? Usually there is very little savings by going with a package. Also, Universal is running a ticket deal where you can buy 2 days and get 2 days free. That might change your planning. If you are going around Thanksgiving, know that the parks are going to be INSANE. Also, if you are going over a weekend, watch the park hours. The Orlando Informer event (a special ticketed event) is happening three weekends and the parks will be closing early for these events.

Is EP necessary? It depends on when you are going. Unless you are going at a high crowd time, you can get a lot done by using the single rider lines. It's a pricey add-on.

Usually the complimentary transportation is just to/from the parks and you have to get yourself to/from the airport, but check your package information to make sure. Universal has a shuttle, but you have to pay for it and it isn't great IMHO. If you look around this board, there are several private car companies that will pick you up at the airport, do a grocery stop, and then take you to your hotel. As another poster mentioned, if you rent a car, make sure to add your hotel parking.

Thank you.

We're going the week before the week of Thanksgiving. The crowd levels look moderate or low according to the touring website calendars.

There is no availability anywhere on site during the week we're going for the better hotels. I also priced it as if we were going in January and the breakeven on the Express Pass is two days. Of course perhaps the hotels are nicer, but you'd have to want EP for more than two days to make the add on EP break even. So I think we're good with just buying one or two EP days since we wouldn't do it all three days anyway. And given your good points and others I think we'll not do EP the first day and just explore Potter land and even stand in line and do early entry as well, but then do the EP the second day for just one day to crush rides all day and then third day just take it easy at the parks again with no EP.

Does that seem reasonable?

 

[akadada]

Excited for your trip . This is the time of year I first visited Universal in Nov 2018 for my birthday. I arrived late in the evening and was surprised how pretty the holiday decorations were .
I stayed at the Cabana Bay Resort. The lobby is full of vintage 60s tinsel Xmas trees. I have returned many times and stayed at Hard Rock, my favorite and also Sapphire . Loews Resorts are really nice . You will be happy no matter where you stay. That water transport from the resort to the theme parks is also great . Be sure to go to the Voodoo Donuts nearby . You will see many guests with a pink box of donuts . Fun to walk in and see a rotating carousel of donuts to choose from !
Big Fire Grill and Cowfish (?) are my favorite restaurants in CityWalk .
The Kitchen at the Hard Rock has great buffet .
All the resorts have fun poolside bars to order great burgers, etc and drinks.
That Hollywood DriveIn Golf Mini golf is near the CityWalk Movie Theatre. And is really fun !
I hope you study the online maps to understand the layout of the Parks . And don’t forget they require guests to stow their stuffin a locker for most of the attractions. So limit your carry in the park to avoid the locker line !
Many of the entertainment selections are holiday themed
Everybody loves the Blues Brothers stage show !
Also love the Macys Day Parade nightly . They don’t just have fake snow to celebrate Santa’s arrival They have Magic snow that sparkles and glistens .
Mannheim Steamroller performs special concerts in Universal Studios but not sure of the weekend dates.
And the Grinchmas Holiday Stage Show has turned me into a big Grinch Fan ! Big time I love Grinch now !
I think watching the first Harry Potter movie is good advice but not necessary. I’m not a big HP fan…Sorry. I do recommend taking the train from Kings Cross Station (traveling from London to the Hogsmeade Station for your first journey . I guess that is the train stop where the school they attended in movies is located. But that train pulling into the train station is massive and authentic ! Wow!
Love the Minions attraction. Nearby I usually have breakfast at the Today Cafe and the new Bourne Stuntshow ( amazing You will want to see that twice)…
I think the entertainment has “ live action performance showtimes” which means they begin later in the morn and run according to Union Contract so be aware of their showtimes for your plans.
Lots to explore . Expect it to be a different experience than Disney for sure but I really love Universal Studios nowadays.
The locals love it too so it will be crowded!

Awesome tips, thank you!

 

[akadada]

Lots of good advice above! If the top 3 hotels are sold out then that means it will be crowded and lines will be long. If you can afford it, I'd go with passes for 2 of the days. With three days at the park I'd spend one day doing both wizarding world sections, one day doing all the stuff on the US side with express, and then one day doing all the stuff on the IOA side with express. If you decide to do express for only one day then I'd spend that day concentrating on rides in both parks and the other day revisiting the wizarding section and taking in the various shows at US.

Make sure your tickets are park to park tickets so you are allowed on the hogwarts express. Make sure you ride the train in both directions, it is different each time. I would do breakfast at the Leaky Cauldron, dinner at the Three Broomsticks and lunch at Florean Fortescues ice cream.

Thank you. Good point. We'll do at least one and maybe two EPs. And yes the tickets are park to park.

 

[akadada]

I usually Uber from the airport since its just my hubby and I and its around $35.
I would watch at least one or two of the harry potter movies and plan on buying the wands to spend some time doing the interactive spells.
I think the nicest restaurants on property are the ones at the hotels. Our favorites are Amatista at SF and Bice and Mama Dellas at PB. Check out the online menus see if anything looks good to you-may not need to leave property.

I've been randomly running Uber quotes as if I'm there and they're popping up at $65 - $80 each way right now. Probably going to do the rental car, but I have time on that to cancel.

 

[sandam1]

We're going the week before the week of Thanksgiving. The crowd levels look moderate or low according to the touring website calendars.

Note that the Orlando Informer meet-up (https://meetup.orlandoinformer.com/winter/) is on November 18-19. That may be effecting the premier hotel availability.

 

[kbelle8995]

I will say that Sapphire Falls is a nice hotel and it does have the water taxi. l would not discount the usefulness of early entry. It is specifically for the Harry Potter Sections. It might be just Hogsmeade or Diagon Alley. Sadly it is not both. I've only stayed a higher hotel once with express pass once. It is a savings for express pass. But with the amount of days, you are talking about you might have enough time. I went Thanksgiving weekend per-pandemic. The most crowded day was Black Friday, we avoided Thanksgiving and did other things. But the Saturday after Black Friday was really nice and we were able to get more things done.

Just my two cents and what I experienced during a similar time period

 

[Kit Jackson]

Arrival day - hang out that the hotel.
Day 2 - Harry Potter world? Nice dinner with my wife only after done with the park. Kids hang at the hotel. Maybe Kids nite out sitter.
Day 3 - US & IOA Not Harry Potter. Nice dinner with the family.
Day 4 - Revisit favorite things or things missed. Eat on the go and no sit down plans.
Day 5 - hang out at the hotel until we have to go to airport

Day 1: In addition to hanging out at the hotel, I would add exploring some of the stores at City Walk.
Day 2: Harry Potter is not like CarsLand in Disneyland or Pandora in WDW. Harry Potter is spread over two parks. You can do both sections (Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley) in one day, but it's a real marathon and not the best way to do it since you have multiple days.

Here is where you should rethink your itinerary. Break it up by theme park. A day in Universal Studios, another day in Islands of Adventures, and a day to revisit the favorites or the things you missed. Having Park hoppers is fantastic because if one park is super crazy busy, it might be a bit less crowded in the other park. Also, depending on weather, more rides may be open in one park than the other in case some rides have to close for rain. Allow for flexibility (which you can do because the parks do not require advance registration beyond buying a ticket and you will not be reserving a time to ride).

Park to Park tickets will allow to ride the Hogwarts Express both ways, which your kids will want to do.

Ride tolerance is imporant. There are tamer rides and serious thrill rides. Know your group and thier comfort level (roller coasters, drops, spinning, motion simulators, tolerance for 3D, ).

Some of the rides require lockers. It's not a big deal. They are part of the queue or right near it. Unless you have a giant backpack or diaper bag you will be fine.

It is expensive, but if you are looking for a fancy couples only dinner, The Palm at the Hard Rock Hotel is wonderful.

This book is fantastic. https://www.amazon.com/Unofficial-G...f4-93fd-ee7cd1adf7a3&pd_rd_i=1628091258&psc=1

 

[akadada]

Day 1: In addition to hanging out at the hotel, I would add exploring some of the stores at City Walk.
Day 2: Harry Potter is not like CarsLand in Disneyland or Pandora in WDW. Harry Potter is spread over two parks. You can do both sections (Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley) in one day, but it's a real marathon and not the best way to do it since you have multiple days.

Here is where you should rethink your itinerary. Break it up by theme park. A day in Universal Studios, another day in Islands of Adventures, and a day to revisit the favorites or the things you missed. Having Park hoppers is fantastic because if one park is super crazy busy, it might be a bit less crowded in the other park. Also, depending on weather, more rides may be open in one park than the other in case some rides have to close for rain. Allow for flexibility (which you can do because the parks do not require advance registration beyond buying a ticket and you will not be reserving a time to ride).

Park to Park tickets will allow to ride the Hogwarts Express both ways, which your kids will want to do.

Ride tolerance is imporant. There are tamer rides and serious thrill rides. Know your group and thier comfort level (roller coasters, drops, spinning, motion simulators, tolerance for 3D, ).

Some of the rides require lockers. It's not a big deal. They are part of the queue or right near it. Unless you have a giant backpack or diaper bag you will be fine.

It is expensive, but if you are looking for a fancy couples only dinner, The Palm at the Hard Rock Hotel is wonderful.

This book is fantastic. https://www.amazon.com/Unofficial-G...f4-93fd-ee7cd1adf7a3&pd_rd_i=1628091258&psc=1

Thank you.

I booked a couple City walk reservations including Palm. We might, though, still try to do an offsite restaurant for my wife and I. Not sure yet.

The family is open to doing all types of rides. They're finally at a good age where they are willing and excited to do even the scarier stuff.

Can we try to do Harry Potter in just one day and not do the rest of the two parks? Then try to do the rest of the two parks another day? Or is that harder to do than doing one park per day? I'm fine with either, but I think the kids would love to do a full day Harry Potter experience.

I also plan to do just one day express pass on our second day (hoping it doesn't rain).

 

[CAPSLOCK]

I would say, head to HP area on day 1 and see how the day unfolds. If you just do HP, great. If you do other rides/things intermingled, great. It's vacation, don't stress about it. And don't be so stuck on a "perfect day" that you can't be flexible in the moment.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

Personally, I think Hogsmeade in Islands is the better Wizarding World to start with, for 2 or 3 reasons.
1. Forbidden Journey is chronologically before Escape from Gringotts. The actors are younger. So I think it flows better.
2. Diagon Alley is more impressive. And a little easier to maneuver through. Save the bigger "wow" factor for 2nd.
3. If early entry is at Islands, you have that jump on crowds. I think it'd be kinda fun jumping right on Hagrids right off the bat first thing on a first trip - it's certainly an awesome ride & probably the best in the parks. Then you've gotten an exhilarating start to the day & will be ready to soak in all the details. Ideally, you'll want to be "towards the front" of the rope drop crowd to have a minimal wait for Hagrids. Even if you don't want to bee-line for Hagrids with the rope drop crowds, you will be able to enjoy Hogsmeade before the masses descend.

But I know lots of people want to start at Diagon Alley to follow in Harry's footsteps (go buy wand, explore Diagon Alley, then ride train to Hogsmeade/Hogwarts).

 

[akadada]

Personally, I think Hogsmeade in Islands is the better Wizarding World to start with, for 2 or 3 reasons.
1. Forbidden Journey is chronologically before Escape from Gringotts. The actors are younger. So I think it flows better.
2. Diagon Alley is more impressive. And a little easier to maneuver through. Save the bigger "wow" factor for 2nd.
3. If early entry is at Islands, you have that jump on crowds. I think it'd be kinda fun jumping right on Hagrids right off the bat first thing on a first trip - it's certainly an awesome ride & probably the best in the parks. Then you've gotten an exhilarating start to the day & will be ready to soak in all the details. Ideally, you'll want to be "towards the front" of the rope drop crowd to have a minimal wait for Hagrids. Even if you don't want to bee-line for Hagrids with the rope drop crowds, you will be able to enjoy Hogsmeade before the masses descend.

But I know lots of people want to start at Diagon Alley to follow in Harry's footsteps (go buy wand, explore Diagon Alley, then ride train to Hogsmeade/Hogwarts).

I definitely need to watch the movies over the next two weeks! I just don't know Harry at all. I'm going to loop my wife in too here since she's read it all.

Very helpful, though. Thank you.