Hogwarts & Gringotts -- exit before ride?

[Tiny Disney Dancer]

Can anyone confirm if there is a way to go through the line and then exit before the ride? My mom wants to stay in the lines with us to see everything, but she can't ride either of these due to health issues.

Thank you!

 

[nkereina]

Yes to both. For Hogwarts, I'd recommend you all take the castle tour together. It's a seperate entrance from the line for Forbidden Journey and provides color on some of the back story/details of it. No waiting in line. If you choose not to do that, she can still wait in line with you on both and exit before boarding the ride.

 

[Tiny Disney Dancer]

Thank you, nkereina! Is there normally a wait for the castle tour? We went right after the park opened, and I don't remember that, at all. I'm guessing it's been added since that time.

(Thank you for the dinner response, too. I think we'll nix it and just wait for the show. I'm just so used to needing to stake out spots an hour in advance or over-pay for a meal or dessert buffet to get a good spot. Haha).

 

[johde]

There is never a line for the castle tour. It works best when combined with not riding at all or riding in the single rider line, or if you want to take your time and take pictures. If the rest of the group want to ride together, especially if your going right after park opening, I'd probably go through the regular line.

 

[disneylove69]

I love the castle tour. You can take your time and take it all in. Feels like you are really in Harry's world.

 

[scrabblegirl]

I just went through the line with my nephew and waited for him at the child swap. They were playing the first HP movie in the room while I waited.

 

[atricks]

For Gringotts, you can exit just after you get off the "vault elevator". There's a door on the left there--just before you pick up the 3d glasses--that takes you out of the building.

 

[ladybugx]

They have to offer the option to not ride pretty much up to the point that the ride cart dispatches. Could you imagine the legality of them forcing people onto rides? haha

 

[kb mkcp]

We are a party of 3. 2 of us will want to ride together and the third will not ride at all. Can our third person carry a bag as they go through the regular line if they plan on exiting prior to the ride? Trying to figure out if we can bypass the lockers since he won't be riding.

 

[nkereina]

We are a party of 3. 2 of us will want to ride together and the third will not ride at all. Can our third person carry a bag as they go through the regular line if they plan on exiting prior to the ride? Trying to figure out if we can bypass the lockers since he won't be riding.

I've not tried this myself, but I would suspect yes. We saw people get to the front of the line on other rides only to have the CM loading the ride turn them away because they had a bag in tow. Wouldn't be an issue for someone not riding.

 

[hydrotony]

At Gringotts, you can walk up the stairs right up to the loading area and take an exit there if you want to see everything even the cavernous area where riders get in the vehicles.

 

[bumbershoot]

We are a party of 3. 2 of us will want to ride together and the third will not ride at all. Can our third person carry a bag as they go through the regular line if they plan on exiting prior to the ride? Trying to figure out if we can bypass the lockers since he won't be riding.

Yes. You'll have questioning looks the whole way, but just say "not riding" or something like that and move along.

At Gringotts, you can walk up the stairs right up to the loading area and take an exit there if you want to see everything even the cavernous area where riders get in the vehicles.

Good to have confirmation of that. They gave us a really bad explanation of where the official exit was, and DH ended up turning around to find a TM. Then when DS and I got up the steps I saw those steps leading out and wondered if DH could have just gone on through.