Help: One day for HP, best plan?

[saraheliz]

Please help with a plan, I've been searching and having trouble formulating from what I'm finding so any advice is greatly appreciated!

Heading to WDW with the whole fam in early August, but sneaking over to Universal for one day with my older girls (15 and 13) since they love HP and we won't be back for awhile. Yes, it will be an expensive day, but grandma is buying tickets as their birthday gift. They're willing to go on any/all rides and will likely want to visit some shops as well. Food will be low on the priority list.

We really have no priorities other than Harry Potter. Sure, if we somehow miraculously ended up with extra time (which I'm not counting on) we'd be happy to hop on other stuff but that would just be a bonus.

We're not staying onsite, nor will we be buying express passes. We will have park to park tickets.

What is our best strategy?
If I just bring a tiny cross body bag only big enough to hold my phone and $$, will I have to deal with the lockers or can I keep that on me? I'm thinking for just that day we can just grab drinks as we go instead of carrying water bottles etc.
Any tips for beating the heat as we try to manage what we want to see in one day?
Which park should we start in?

I know WDW inside and out but Universal is a whole different story! I'm having a hard time even wrapping my head around it so any game plan you have for us would be wonderful. Thank you! The Dis never lets me down!!

 

[wdwrule]

That’s so exciting! I believe you’d need a three prong waist pack or crossbody bag to avoid lockers with the Harry Potter rides.

This is just my opinion, but I’d start in Studios first thing in the morning as that park is consistently way less crowded during the opening hours which will give you a much more peaceful time. In the back of this park is the Diagon Alley section. Lots of shops and the Gringott’s ride. After riding this ride in regular standby (to check out the amazing queue) if you and your girls are comfortable with it, I’d ride it again in the single riders line. You’ll most likely be split up but you’ll also almost definitely be able to just walk right on the ride.

Definitely check out Knockturn Alley which is kind of hidden away in this park. There are also multiple places to purchase Butterbeer in both parks. Our favorite places to purchase this would be The Fountain of Fair Fortune or mobile ordering from the Leaky Cauldron (this would be a great spot for lunch). Both places are in Studios.

Over in Islands of Adventure side of Harry Potter, we enjoy getting Butterbeer from the Hogsmeade bar. Three Broomsticks restaurant is here but often has a long line to get in. Try off-times if you’d like to dine here. Hagrid’s is the popular ride here at Islands and almost always has very long waits. We find around lunch time or early afternoon has the least wait time. Sometimes right before park close isn’t too long of a wait. Forbidden Journey is a must-do since it is right in Hogwarts castle. Some get motion sick with this ride. Be sure you’re good and hydrated going into this one. It’s amazing though and very immersive. Some people just go through the queue and not ride so they can check everything out. This is another ride I’d recommend single rider line after experiencing the standby line first. Lol maybe not back to back though with this one.

There is an Ollivanders wand shop in each park which the girls might like (whether purchasing wands or not). There are many spots in both parks (in the Harry Potter sections) to cast spells with the interactive wands. We’ve never purchased the wands and still have a truly amazing, immersive time. Maybe someday we will, but we haven’t so far during our numerous visits.

Since you have the park to park ticket, you can use that to board the Hogwarts Express train which is an awesome experience. You can ride it to and from each park. If you’ve ridden it once and want to later ride again but the wait time is crazy long, I’d just walk out and over to the other park (from front gate to front gate). This will be a huge time saver since you just have one day to experience everything.

I would also recommend watching some YouTube videos which have helped me tremendously when planning. I’d recommend videos from AllEars (Molly), The Pugh Two, and/or RixFlix. They all have some videos specific to Harry Potter sections to the parks.

Another tip is if you have a water bottle, you can refill it at any Freestyle machine although not found in the Harry Potter sections but places often have free ice water. The freestyle machines are found throughout the rest of the parks. We are huge water drinkers so this is perfect for us.

 

[georgina]

Lots of good advice above, just wanted to add that I have been told to keep my small crossbody purse with me on Forbidden Journey. Never tried on Gringott's, the lockers really are not that much of a problem.

As far as beating the heat, getting an ice cream and hanging out in Knockturn Alley is my favorite. I love to hang out by the shrunken heads in there as they sing and tell jokes, unless people are doing spells which makes them stop talking!

 

[CAPSLOCK]

2nd the advice to start in Studios if you don't have early entry.

Ice cream at Florean Fortescue's is great!

There are some HP shows throughout the day - schedule will be on the UO App. Ice cream plus sitting to watch the Tales of Beedle the Bard is a lovely little break. Unfortunately not many places to sit in Diagon Alley but you can sit on the ground near the show (or anywhere out of the way), or there's a staircase to nowhere near Gringotts and a few benches in Knockurn Alley.

Single rider lines for re-rides are your friend!

Hit Hagrids whenever the line looks reasonable - usually by afternoon the early crowds have been through and the line shortens. But keep an eye on the weather, it'll close in rain. The wait time is frequently exagerated, and even if not the queue is interesting so the wait passes quickly - once you get inside to the AC, that is...

Hippogriff coaster is fine but not worth a long wait. Honestly I'd choose a non-HP ride over this one if you have extra time (you can do Spiderman, Transformers, Mummy, MiB, Hulk via single rider line with no real wait and there isn't enough backstory to these that it matters to miss the queue).

You may want to consider a solid lunch break - sit down, or even quick service but take enough time to cool off & recharge, so you can make it through to park close. Either HP restaurant is good, or Thunder Falls Terrace or Mythos are in adjacent areas in Islands with good food. Thunder Falls is generally very quick, and essentially the same BBQ as 3 Broomsticks minus Butterbeer; Mythos is a sit down which may need a reservation on busy days or prime lunch times.

 

[AJA]

All the above advice is great. As the mom of a teenage girl I know shopping is important but you have limited time.
My advice is Watch YouTube videos! And have the teens watch too so they can decide what they want. “The Potter Collector” on YouTube has a ton of indepth short videos, he goes through each shop in HP. With limited time they need to decide what shops to spend time in.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

Hmm, I personally prefer to explore on my own & be able to discover things in person.

 

[schumigirl]

Lots of good advice above, just wanted to add that I have been told to keep my small crossbody purse with me on Forbidden Journey. Never tried on Gringott's, the lockers really are not that much of a problem.

As far as beating the heat, getting an ice cream and hanging out in Knockturn Alley is my favorite. I love to hang out by the shrunken heads in there as they sing and tell jokes, unless people are doing spells which makes them stop talking!

Yes, I always keep my crossbody bag with me on FJ and Gringotts.......and agree, the lockers aren`t an issue to deal with.

Knockturn Alley is a perfect place to cool down in DA.

 

[Kit Jackson]

I'm thinking for just that day we can just grab drinks as we go instead of carrying water bottles etc.
Any tips for beating the heat as we try to manage what we want to see in one day?

Bring a water bottle. Being able to sip when you want is great, instead of having to find a place to get something to drink.

 

[djmeredith]

Bring a water bottle. Being able to sip when you want is great, instead of having to find a place to get something to drink.

Another vote for bringing a water bottle to Uni. They make it so easy to get free ice and water through the many Coke Freestyle machines.

 

[saraheliz]

Thanks so much everyone! Youtube is a great suggestion- I tend to be someone who reads but I'm having a hard time picturing a plan for this one! All of the suggestions for plans are very helpful!

 

[Pooh's World]

Thanks so much everyone! Youtube is a great suggestion- I tend to be someone who reads but I'm having a hard time picturing a plan for this one! All of the suggestions for plans are very helpful!

It really depends if you want to follow the movie or not.

If you follow the movie then you have to start out on the Diagon Alley side (except Gringots) before moving over to Hogwarts side then do all the stuff over there and then take train back to Diagon Alley for Gringotts. Under that strategy, Hagrid's becomes a problem and is probably best done towards park close.

If you don't care about doing things sequentially then getting there early access and doing Hogwarts is the most efficient use of time. But since you don't have early access then this isn't an option anyway.

 

[Mamabun]

I haven’t been to Universal in the early morning in several years, but I’m a little surprised by the above advice to go to IOA over US first thing. The Wizarding World at IOA is always open for early morning hours and now with Hagrids Motorbike being the big draw I would have though IOA wizarding world would be packed at regular open. If they don’t have early hours at US, which they didn’t last August when were there (some days early entry is IOA only, some days it’s both parks), I would have thought heading straight to Diagon Alley first thing would be the way to go. But again, I haven‘t made it to an early morning in a while, so this is conjecture on my part.

And one recommendation, if you can make it til dark, it’s a different experience, especially Hogsmeade. The light show on the castle (which doesn’t run every night unfortunately) is pretty neat, and overall the cooler, darker setting is just fun. Plus crowds really drop and shopping and things is much easier.

Hope you have a great trip.

 

[BroadwayHermione5]

Start with studios and Diagon Alley. If you can do breakfast at leaky cauldron after riding gringotts. Then walk around. Make sure you have a park to park pass!
Then hop the train do all the stuff in hogs Meade and then hop back for an ice cream at Florean Fortescues in Diagon Alley.

 

[Skywalker3]

We're just back, and it was HOT. August will be HOTTER. Bring water bottles or something similar. Water is available, including fairly convenient water fountains, but I preferred having my own bottle.
Also plan for rain. we had several, very brief, but very wet downpours last week. was glad to have my poncho
lockers are sometimes a slight pain, but not enough to not use them, or change what I want to bring. I like to bring a lot of stuff. We used them w no issues.
I just can't decide best strategy. At some point, whatever rides one didn't opt for at rope drop , are going to have long lines. But both FJ and Gringotts have awesome queues, so it's not as tedious to wait in those. Unless you do Hagrid's right at early entry opening, it's gonna have a wait, but at least there are no express passes, so line should keep moving, unless it's down. If there is rain/weather though, ride will close.
LOTS of great advice above in this thread.
I sought out Knockturn Alley several times last week. Such a great little hideaway, cool, and fun to watch everyone doing spells, etc. Had a good time watching others do spells all over the WW. My DD has a wand, but didn't bring it this trip. I plan to get my own in Oct. I have my 'birthday' wand, but it's not interactive. You can get a wand, even without doing the Ollivander's experience, but on a first trip, I'd do the show if you have time.
We love getting ice cream at Florian's, (clotted cream is my favorite, earl gray/lavender also) and I enjoyed butter beer 3 different times in 1 day. Try them all! regular, hot, frozen, and then there's also the soft serve.
DD and her friend easily used mobile order at Leaky Cauldron, and enjoyed lunch there.
In the past, I've enjoyed the HP specific beer at both Hogs head and Hopping pot.
Hogsmeade at night is really nice. Will need lots of time for pictures, and exploring all the shops.
Happy planning! The WWoHP is such a magical and wonderful experience

 

[UOAP-Naples]

You definitely should do the full line experience for Gringott's and Forbidden Journey the first time. The queues for those are amazing and almost an attraction by themselves. With your kids being older, you can probably ride them a second time pretty quickly later using the single rider line. The single rider lines for those two are usually less than 10 minutes. Plan to ride Forbidden Journey twice since you've never been. It's the perfect Harry Potter story ride. You'll see things you missed the first time if you ride it again.

Velocicoaster is right next to Hogsmeade. If the line is less than an hour, make time to go do it at least once. I know you said your priority is HP but that coaster is amazing. Don't use single rider for Hagrid's or Velocicoaster. They seat two in a row so single riders are rarely needed.

It will be rainy season so I'd take a small backpack with ponchos at least. The lockers aren't bad. Once you do it the first time and figure it out, it's easy. You could take one water bottle with your backpack to share and refill. The best place to beat the heat in with wizarding worlds is Knockturn Alley. It's amazingly cold. You can also step into a shop to cool off. Gringott's and Forbidden Journey lines are mainly inside and cool.

I'd recommend starting at Studios normally. Diagon Alley takes your breath away the first time and it follows the natural progression of the stories to go there first and then take the train to Hogsmeade/Hogwarts. The only issue is weather. You'll be here during rainy season and Hagrid's and Hippogriff are outside. They'll close for lightning or high winds so going there in the afternoon is a risk. If you want to make sure you ride everything, you can start at IOA instead of Studios.



Here's our recommendation:

Start at Studios
1 Ride Escape from Gringott's
2 Go to Olivander's for the wand show and buy wands at Olivander's
3 Get the 3 different butterbeer drinks from the Hopping Pot so you can all try all three (hot, regular, frozen). Try out spells at the wand spots while you drink your butterbeers. Explore diagon alley, all the shops, and knockturn alley. Catch one of the shows if they're going. The two best Harry Potter shows are in Diagon Alley.
4 Lunch at Leaky Cauldron

5 Catch the Hogwarts Express to IOA
6 Check the wait for Hagrid's
7 Get in line for Hagrid's or go up to Hogwarts and ride Forbidden Journey if Hagrid's line is too long.
8 Ride Flight of the Hippogriff when you finish Forbidden Journey.
9 Catch one of the shows by Hippogriff if they're doing one. The Tri-Wizard one is ok. The frog choir is kind of dumb.
10 Get in line and ride Hagrid's and/or explore Hogsmeade. Hit all the wand spots and shops in Hogsmeade.
11 Ride Forbidden Journey again if you didn't ride it back to back the first time.

12 Catch Hogwarts Express back to Studios.
13 Get a butterbeer ice cream cone and one of Harry's chocolate/strawberry/peanut butter sundaes at Florian Fortescue's. Since there are 3 in the group, you can try out both signature Harry Potter ice cream treats.
14 Finish off the day doing more spells at the wand spots and doing anything else you missed in Diagon Alley.

Last tips:
The shows are fine but don't prioritize them over the rides or seeing all the shops and spots to do spells. Obviously see them if they're starting while you're there but don't wait for an hour in IOA at the end to see the frog choir show. Just not worth it.
Hogs Head Bar in IOA is right next to 3 Broomsticks. Most people don't seem to know it's there. You can go in and buy butterbeer (and actual beers) there without waiting in the long line outside. It might have a short line but it will almost always be shorter than waiting at the carts or for 3 Broomsticks.

 

[maverik85]

Some great advice above. I always agree with the thought to start on Universal Studios side as it is usually less crowded at the start of the day than IoA due to the rush to hit Hagrid's first thing. Plus get the perk of going in story order more so.
If you want to do Ollivander's (which is a fun little show/experience) I recommend the Diagon Alley side as it feels more immersive since you queue through a hall in the shop stacked high with wand boxes versus a queue outside a little room on the other side.
Also, Hogwarts Express is a great trip over to the Hogsmeade side to really get the full experience. If you have extra time to ride it back I'd recommend it as both directions have different experiences. It can be easily missed but in the Kings Cross station from Diagon Alley side there is an effect showing people going through the wall for platform 9 3/4 to keep an eye out for.

I also agree about skip Flight of the Hippogriff coaster. It's cute and has a nice Buckbeak animatronic but is still a small off-the-shelf family coaster with only one train so the line moves very slow resulting in long waits. I'd use that extra time to check out other rides. If you enjoy coasters I highly recommend Velocicoaster. It and the Spider-Man dark ride are the top 2 non-HP experiences at the park to me I'd recommend. On US side I'd recommend Mummy (coaster/dark ride experience somewhat similar to Gringotts) and Transformers (dark ride).

 

[DL1WDW2]

Just went to Uni/IOA and the connecting train is down for refurb .
Check the calendar … Not sure when Mummy will return from refurb but Construction work inside Uni to redesign Shrek into a PETS theme…
Do not miss the Bourne Attraction! And the Today Cafe nearby is healthiest place to eat for Quik service.
Also search for the specially designed & themed walk in boutique style shops . The “team members” create and redesign these mini pop up stores to reflect the seasons, etc. so always fun to walk into!
Also thought I was the only one that really liked the Jimmy Fallon attraction but turns out my daughter likes it too… So I recommend not just thinking Harry Potter is all to focus on!
Also , everybody loves to watch the Street performers ,especially the Blues Brothers!
And love to sit and watch the water explosion where the drop off for the Jurassic Park creates. Funny to watch the kids dare the water and then get drenched! The restaurant is kinda OK for a salad but insist on mobile order at door almost which I hate but admit it was faster…

How will you arrive? Driving or Uber?
Might need a few tips depending on your plans. …

 

[saraheliz]

Just went to Uni/IOA and the connecting train is down for refurb .
Check the calendar … Not sure when Mummy will return from refurb but Construction work inside Uni to redesign Shrek into a PETS theme…
Do not miss the Bourne Attraction! And the Today Cafe nearby is healthiest place to eat for Quik service.
Also search for the specially designed & themed walk in boutique style shops . The “team members” create and redesign these mini pop up stores to reflect the seasons, etc. so always fun to walk into!
Also thought I was the only one that really liked the Jimmy Fallon attraction but turns out my daughter likes it too… So I recommend not just thinking Harry Potter is all to focus on!
Also , everybody loves to watch the Street performers ,especially the Blues Brothers!
And love to sit and watch the water explosion where the drop off for the Jurassic Park creates. Funny to watch the kids dare the water and then get drenched! The restaurant is kinda OK for a salad but insist on mobile order at door almost which I hate but admit it was faster…

How will you arrive? Driving or Uber?
Might need a few tips depending on your plans. …

Thanks for your thoughts! We aren't going until early August so train should be back up by then.
We are planning on using Lyft/Uber to get over there so any advice in terms of that would be welcome.
And we aren't discounting other things- we just know we only have one day and it will be hot (at the very least, likely rain at some point) so we want to make HP our top priority. If we have time we're definitely open to trying other attractions!

 

[PocahontasLookALike]

Please help with a plan, I've been searching and having trouble formulating from what I'm finding so any advice is greatly appreciated!

Heading to WDW with the whole fam in early August, but sneaking over to Universal for one day with my older girls (15 and 13) since they love HP and we won't be back for awhile. Yes, it will be an expensive day, but grandma is buying tickets as their birthday gift. They're willing to go on any/all rides and will likely want to visit some shops as well. Food will be low on the priority list.

We really have no priorities other than Harry Potter. Sure, if we somehow miraculously ended up with extra time (which I'm not counting on) we'd be happy to hop on other stuff but that would just be a bonus.

We're not staying onsite, nor will we be buying express passes. We will have park to park tickets.

What is our best strategy?
If I just bring a tiny cross body bag only big enough to hold my phone and $$, will I have to deal with the lockers or can I keep that on me? I'm thinking for just that day we can just grab drinks as we go instead of carrying water bottles etc.
Any tips for beating the heat as we try to manage what we want to see in one day?
Which park should we start in?

I know WDW inside and out but Universal is a whole different story! I'm having a hard time even wrapping my head around it so any game plan you have for us would be wonderful. Thank you! The Dis never lets me down!!

SOME of the rides will require you tompss through a metal detector so nothing is allowed on the ride (velocicoaster and hulk are the ones coming to mind). Hagrids, gringotts and forbidden journey have lockers but have to have everything securely in your pockets. Hagrids requires any bags to be around your waist.