Help with plans for 1 day Potter-fest at Universal

[Skippyboo]

You probably want to invest in a lanyard with a pouch for your park ticket and room key which will be your express pass. You use your park ticket to open the lockers. The lanyards can go on the rides just have to tuck them in your shirt. Try the hot butter beer when you are there.

 

[AUSyTyIN]

You probably want to invest in a lanyard with a pouch for your park ticket and room key which will be your express pass. You use your park ticket to open the lockers. The lanyards can go on the rides just have to tuck them in your shirt. Try the hot butter beer when you are there.

Thanks for reminding me. I had read something about that before, but had slipped my mind. Do we all need our own lanyard setup?

 

[Skippyboo]

Thanks for reminding me. I had read something about that before, but had slipped my mind. Do we all need our own lanyard setup?

Probably not but the lanyards are like 15 bucks add the 1 basic pouch. You have a nice souvenir for 16 bucks. So if you have 2 Gryffindors and a Hufflepuff they could each get their own.

 

[bchbetha]

Do you really need immediate access to everything in that bag though? The lockers shouldn't be a big deal mid week but they do take time. And if you don't fit then it's super annoying.

 

[AUSyTyIN]

Probably not but the lanyards are like 15 bucks add the 1 basic pouch. You have a nice souvenir for 16 bucks. So if you have 2 Gryffindors and a Hufflepuff they could each get their own.

I meant does everyone need their own ticket/express pass, or would they all be under mine?

Do you really need immediate access to everything in that bag though? The lockers shouldn't be a big deal mid week but they do take time. And if you don't fit then it's super annoying.

I'd want rapid access to snacks, water, and ponchos. I don't mind lugging the weight. I'm mostly concerned about time required to set a locker.

 

[DoryGirl1963]

I meant does everyone need their own ticket/express pass, or would they all be under mine?



I'd want rapid access to snacks, water, and ponchos. I don't mind lugging the weight. I'm mostly concerned about time required to set a locker.

Everyone needs their own ticket & express pass

 

[AUSyTyIN]

Everyone needs their own ticket & express pass

How big of a pouch? I'm guessing it's better for it to be see through? Do they sell Potter themed ones at the Hard Rock?

 

[DoryGirl1963]

How big of a pouch? I'm guessing it's better for it to be see through? Do they sell Potter themed ones at the Hard Rock?

Easiest way is a lanyard - it hangs around the neck & has a small clear sealable plastic pouch attached to hold your tickets & express pass.

I don't recall if the HP themed ones were sold at the shop at Hard Rock but they're sold at most all shops & kiosks in City Walk.

You can also order them in advance online.

 

[Skippyboo]

Room key from Royal Pacific in my lanyard pouch. It has your name on it so everyone on your room reservation will have their own. The express pass is good for both check in and check out days so you have 2 days of express pass for a 1 night stay. The lockers aren’t really that much of a pain. Just tap your ticket to one of the locker stations and a door pops open, put your stuff in and close the door. Repeat when you are done with ride to get your stuff. The free lockers aren’t super tall so a really thick bag isn’t going to fit in the free ones. The Gringotts lockers are probably the worst ones since it’s such a small room

 

[AUSyTyIN]

Thanks for the pic

 

[wdwrule]

Thanks for the pic

We bought lanyards from Amazon and/or other places prior to our trip or you could purchase at the parks/Citywalk/resorts. We also ordered the clear plastic sleeves to show our passes. These are from Amazon and we love them… sturdy and ziplock type closing. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KH178Q...abc_N34702ZX31HT1DKAS7FT?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

 

[ClapYourHands]

As mentioned earlier, everyone has a room key that functions as express pass. You may have to show the passes more than once in the queue (you often scan at the merge with regular standby), so it’s definitely to your advantage to have them easily accessible.

Five Below has Potter themed lanyards with the clear plastic holders. The Walgreens just offsite (literally across the street from Surfside) also has Universal and Potter themed lanyards for less than the price in parks.

The parks sell just the plastic holders ($1-2) so it’s easy to add one to any lanyard. But the quality is iffy, and we replaced my nephew’s holder twice in two days because it split on the side.

 

[Captain Morgan Sparrow]

We are interested in VC, but I'll have to see how the oldest does on coasters. Might be an adult only thing later in the evening.

You mention getting Three Broomsticks or Leaky Cauldron at the Hotel. I didn't know that was an option. How does that work? Is there a TB/LC restaurant in the hotel?

Flight of the Hippogriff might be a good starter coaster. I definately wouldnt take a little kid with limited coaster experience on VC - especially to start the day... but then again, i think 41 is too short anyway, so its moot. My little ones could not get enough of Flight of the Hippogriff.

For the Three Broomsticks/Leaky Cauldron - both are walk up restaurants for lunch and dinner. For breakfast, you can (and possibly must, but not sure about that) reserve and prepay for the breakfast at your hotel where you pick up your tickets. It wasnt crowded when we went, but we got our pick of times same day, but you could also reserve for future dates as well... but again - this is breakfast only.

Both restaurants are inside UO/IOA, but paid for and reserved at the ticket counter inside your hotel for breakfast.

 

[AUSyTyIN]

Thanks for the reply. We are spending 3 days at WDW immediately prior to going to US, so I'll know by then how they do with coasters.

As for breakfast, I'm thinking of maybe doing grab and go food for waiting for early access (those small muffins, cereal bars, etc), and then have a sit down meal once the park starts to get busy. I'd think that would be around 10am, right? When does Three Broomsticks/Leaky Cauldron switch from breakfast to lunch?

 

[GinnyBear's_mom]

Thanks for the reply. We are spending 3 days at WDW immediately prior to going to US, so I'll know by then how they do with coasters.

As for breakfast, I'm thinking of maybe doing grab and go food for waiting for early access (those small muffins, cereal bars, etc), and then have a sit down meal once the park starts to get busy. I'd think that would be around 10am, right? When does Three Broomsticks/Leaky Cauldron switch from breakfast to lunch?

Hogsmeade starts getting busy around 15 minutes after general opening. IMO, the layout is way too narrow for the amount of people that cram themselves in there. They did a much better job on Diagon Alley regarding layout, crowds and spacing. The rest of the park will feel empty early in the day while Hogsmeade will be packed.

Three Broomsticks/Leaky Cauldron will switch over to lunch at 10:30. Are you just doing IoA or do you have a park to park ticket?

Be aware that the intensity level for Disney's rollercoasters (and rides in general) is well below Universal's. My 9 year old could ride Space Mountain, Rock and Roller Coaster and Everest repeatedly without any issues. Velocicoaster is a whole different beast entirely. Disney's rollercoasters aren't a good warmup for VC. Maybe try Hagrid's, then Hulk then VC for a coaster newbie. You don't see as many younger children at Universal as you do at Disney for a reason.

 

[mom2rtk]

We ate at both restaurants twice in the past week with no vouchers and no limits on who could go in. Leaky cauldron was les busy for breakfast probably because everyone starts at IOA to do Hagrids.

 

[sdk1231]

Your thread is getting me in the mood for a return to Universal! It's also interesting to me because it sounds like my first trip to Universal. My kids were about 14 and 10 and I went for Harry Potter (I'm a huge fan). Kids knew very little about Harry Potter at the time, but left as huge fans. My older daughter is now grown and works at Star Wars Galaxy's Edge at WDW. She's also a Universal AP holder and goes to Universal quite a bit - for Harry Potter!

On our first trip, I did the same thing as you. Stayed at Hard Rock (2 nights), early entry to HP, Express Passes. I totally "winged it", knowing little about Universal. I did have lanyards for each family member, with clear ticket holders on them. Figured out the rest "on the go". The ride lockers are easy. Don't sweat it. Universal is super easy compared to Disney, IMO. (Disclaimer - that is my own personal opinion, and I appreciate that others might feel differently).

On that first trip, both kids loved going to Ollivanders and doing the interactive wands. It was the highlight of the trip for them. They still have their original wands. (HP geek alert - Vera Bradley has a Harry Potter line where the backpacks, slings, tote bags all have wand pockets!). Spell casting is fun and is a big part of the HP experience for younger kids. Heck, my kids still bring their wands. As others have suggested - since Ollivanders is available as part of early entry, I'd do that and use your Express Pass for the rides. HP is super immersive as I'm sure you know. Just walking around Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley is fun. Grab a Butterbeer and cast some spells! Your kids are the perfect age for that.

Regarding Hippogriff... it's more of a "kids" rollercoaster. A similar coaster at Magic Kingdom would probably be 7 Dwarfs Mine Train. Hippogriff is not as intense as Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at MK, which is nothing compared to the "super coasters" at Universal. Hippogriff has a super cool view of Hogwarts as you go up the hill. It's worth riding for that alone.

I also agree with previous suggestions to get a late breakfast at Three Broomsticks or Leaky Cauldron. Food is good, environment is stellar. I'm sure your kids will also enjoy riding Forbidden Journey, Gringott's, Hogwarts Express. I have not ridden Hagrid, so I cannot speak to that. For my family, Harry Potter is much less about "rides" and more about just hanging out in the Wizarding World.

Note - outside of Harry Potter and the Jurassic Park areas, I could care less about Universal. I am prone to motion sickness and don't ride many rides there. My husband enjoys Universal. He's he's a big thrill ride rider, does not get sick on screen-based rides, likes super heroes, etc. On that first trip I recall that my kids also enjoyed Transformers, Mummy, Jurassic Park River Adventure, Spider Man, and Hulk (although one of my kids admitted to being super scared on Hulk). On a later trip they also liked the King Kong ride. We always end the night in Diagon Alley, which is super cool lit up at night with the Gringott's dragon blowing fire.

Have a great trip!

 

[Pooh's World]

Thanks for all of the awesome replies! I should've mentioned from the beginning, we are going Jan 19th, a Wednesday, so the crowds should be light. The 5 year old is 41" as of a few months ago. Neither have ridden a rollercoaster before, but immediately prior to this day we are doing 3 days in DW, so I'm hoping that will warm them up to coasters. Also, I have 3 "open" days planned into the end of the trip where we could add a 2nd day at USF/IoF.


We are interested in VC, but I'll have to see how the oldest does on coasters. Might be an adult only thing later in the evening.

You mention getting Three Broomsticks or Leaky Cauldron at the Hotel. I didn't know that was an option. How does that work? Is there a TB/LC restaurant in the hotel?


5 year old is too short for those, so I'd like to avoid doing two of those rides back to back. Being the younger of 2 sons, I know how he'll feel.

There should be a single rider line on Velocicoaseter that is very fast

 

[Pooh's World]

Thanks for all of the awesome replies! I should've mentioned from the beginning, we are going Jan 19th, a Wednesday, so the crowds should be light. The 5 year old is 41" as of a few months ago. Neither have ridden a rollercoaster before, but immediately prior to this day we are doing 3 days in DW, so I'm hoping that will warm them up to coasters. Also, I have 3 "open" days planned into the end of the trip where we could add a 2nd day at USF/IoF.


We are interested in VC, but I'll have to see how the oldest does on coasters. Might be an adult only thing later in the evening.

You mention getting Three Broomsticks or Leaky Cauldron at the Hotel. I didn't know that was an option. How does that work? Is there a TB/LC restaurant in the hotel?


5 year old is too short for those, so I'd like to avoid doing two of those rides back to back. Being the younger of 2 sons, I know how he'll feel.

There should be a single rider line on Velocicoaseter that is very fast

 

[bchbetha]

Thanks for the reply. We are spending 3 days at WDW immediately prior to going to US, so I'll know by then how they do with coasters.

As for breakfast, I'm thinking of maybe doing grab and go food for waiting for early access (those small muffins, cereal bars, etc), and then have a sit down meal once the park starts to get busy. I'd think that would be around 10am, right? When does Three Broomsticks/Leaky Cauldron switch from breakfast to lunch?

Smart choice. I wouldn't want to lose those precious low crowds to eating in a restaurant (though an uncrowded restaurant is nice too). I would plan to head to the restaurants between 11-11:30. Crowds will be building in the park but food lines will be low for lunch.