Holy Diagon Alley Batman!

[Beer Me]

They do sell the unlimited express pass to non-resort vistors. Also there are a lot more than 5 rides that accept EP. It is excepted on everything but the following: Universal Studios Florida Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts™ Hogwarts™ Express Universal's Islands of Adventure Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey™ Hogwarts™ Express Pteranodon Flyers® Just pointing that out so folks have the to date info

Thanks. Not trying to misinform. My memory is a bit fuzzy and some things may have changed.

Still my overall impression of paying for the EP was slightly negative. It felt like extortion because the lines were so miserable (with the exception of the HP dragon coaster. We went through twice just to check it out). And we did run out of things to do fairly early.
When we go again I'll probably splurge and stay on site. Maybe I'll get a bit more for my money that way if the resort is nice.

 

[charmed59]

Europe and Japan are not the US so I have no clue but I would agree Disneyland is not a destination its something you do on a trip out to California for most people. I cant see paying to get all the way out there and not hopping down to San Deigo for the zoo, getting to San Francisco Fishermans Warf, or many other places. On the other hand I can easily see going to WDW and never stepping foot off property even for 1 1/2 weeks. Also in Europe or Japan is the only reason you are going there to go to Disney? I would guess not and part of the reason those parks attendance numbers are not the same as WDW.

Actually, I can't see going to WDW for a week without stepping off the property either. And certainly, if we are considering San Diego to SF a week vacation then why not throw in all the folks that do WDW and a cruise, or a trip to the Keys, or other parts of Florida.

 

[Hummingbird]

Thanks. Not trying to misinform. My memory is a bit fuzzy and some things may have changed.

Still my overall impression of paying for the EP was slightly negative. It felt like extortion because the lines were so miserable (with the exception of the HP dragon coaster. We went through twice just to check it out). And we did run out of things to do fairly early.
When we go again I'll probably splurge and stay on site. Maybe I'll get a bit more for my money that way if the resort is nice.

No worries just trying to help out. That's what this site is for right!

Yeah we ALWAYS stay onsite because you get unlimited EP for everyday including check-in & checkout days. It doesnt hurt that the deluxe resorts there are truly nice as advertised. Most will tell you they exceed expectations. Some will tell you they dont. Its really subjective. I do hope you return one day and give it another shot though

 

[shepd]

Or Amazon (store for buying anything and everything)
Or Google (android phone, email, calendar, search, map, reviews, social, store with instock in your area, million other things)

Exactly. Amazon I have used perhaps twice, because most of their everything sucks outside the US. Google I use for searching, but that's it. It's what they're good at. It's what they should have stuck with. Their maps are okay, although nothing stellar, and the advertising is just getting in the way at this point. I also don't trust them when it comes to storing my data and using it. Google also failed the "don't be evil" sniff test years ago for me and hasn't gotten better since. No, I don't want to use my real name, nor link my google+ (that only exists due to suckers trying to push it), thank you very much.

Were those supposed to be positive examples?

 

[iheartbuffy]

We can easily lose well over an hour sitting outside behind the Three Broomsticks, drinking Butterbeer or real beer or just coffee (I've developed a horrible brain freeze reaction to my fave frozen butterbeer, and I dislike the cold Butterbeer but also really don't like crying from pain...so I've started just having coffee if I don't want a beer) while sharing Rock Cakes. Talking, people watching, turtle watching (there are turtles that live in the water below)... And on our last trip, getting to meet Evanna Lynch by chance!

In January I was able to try warm butterbeer....omg it was so good

 

[flicx]

I am seriously thinking of booking a night at Royal Pacific for our US days even if we don't need the room. It's $165/night and we get 2 days of FOTL

I stayed there a few years back. Similar to anything Disney deluxe and what a price difference. Try finding a deluxe at Disney for 165 a night! Throw in the FOTL and it truly is a no brainer!

 

[CFioren317]

We're going back down in Dec. and I can't wait to do US. I originally planned to spend ~3 days at US and maybe a day at legoland or SW out of a 9 day trip. I can't see paying the premium to stay at a Disney deluxe this year since 1/3-1/2 our trip will be offsite so we moved offsite. I am seriously thinking of booking a night at Royal Pacific for our US days even if we don't need the room. It's $165/night and we get 2 days of FOTL passes vs. a ~$300 add on for Express pass for our family of 4 for 2 days. Seems like a no brainer to me.

Edit: Actually looks like its $503 for 2 days of unlimited express pass for 4? That sounds crazy, not sure that's right sounds high to me.

It is very high, but US does not want people to buy the Unlimited express passes. They would rather you stay at the hotel and get them for free. We just stayed there and for 2 adults, 1 junior, and 1 child it was $950 for one night stay at the Loews Royal Pacific hotel. This included 2 days at the parks, and the FOL passes to both parks unlimited except for the HP stuff. We aren't big HP fans, and DA wasn't open anyway. But we still saw everything we wanted to see at US without a single wait, within about 5 hours. Then we had time to relax and enjoy the awesome beach and pool area at the hotel. Then the next day, we packed our stuff, left it at the hotel and spent the day getting on everything at IoA without a wait. We were soaked from water rides and rode Spiderman 3 times and walked through a very crowded HP land got one of those beer things, and then my 6 YO did all the Seuss rides two and three times. Then we drove home.

It would have been nice to get the room another night, but for the extra $400, it really wasn't worth it when we still got 2 days of FOL and parks for only 1 overnight stay.

 

[FlipHipster]

[/b]

Just do it! It's well worth the perk of FOTL. But the hotel is really nice so I would stay there too if I were you. That way you are at the gates when you get your early entry to HP!

I almost booked our entire stay there. Also it looks like the rate is advertised starting at $165/night but ends up being $254. Still cheaper and some of us would probably crash there instead of driving back to BC.

FWIW, I'm not a potter fan either, nothing against the franchise just haven't spent the time getting to know HP. However, I have been encouraging my daughter to read the books and watch the movies with me before we go. We may be fans before we get there .

 

[mm1971]

Read through the whole thread. I think there are a lot of good points on both sides. I will say that we are headed to Disney in August and will not be going over to see DA. We went over to IOA a 2 years ago when we were on vacation for a day and enjoyed the HP area a lot, but since my kids are no "thrill" riders there was less for us to do in general. We had a good day, but it would not be more than a 1 or 2 day park for us. I think we'll take a long weekend or something this winter to check it out and do SeaWorld at the same time. The DA area looks awesome and from reports is beyond expectations. Congratulations to the designers. We'll go see it eventually when the crowds slow down some. I can't imagine 5-7 hour waits and being in those crowds (or in the crowd level 10's at Disney either). I did that once, never again.

Threads like these are making re-evaluate our trip to at least consider throwing a Universal Day in there. Wife and I are both major HP geeks.

Our family enjoyed the books and then the movies as well. HogsMeade was very well done and I am sure it's worth the $140/day to see the new DA. I would suggest anyone going to stay at one of the US resorts and get the FOL pass along with it. We know a lot of people that do either the first day or two (or last) and change hotels. The best of both worlds!

Should add Gringotts wasn't open. Gonna try and do it tomorrow. Honestly folks, this is the most immersion theme park experience I can possibly imagine. I'm still in awe over what they have done. For fans of the books and movies, I can't imagine what they must think.

Heard Gringotts is still working through some bugs from a friend that was stuck on it earlier today. He said it is awesome and he was afraid of the goblins. Crazy crowded, but fun to be there for the atmosphere was the last text I got.

Exactly. The $1.5B (or whatever the cost was) wasn't JUST for MBs. It was for the ENTIRE MM+ system. Yes, they could have built new rides, but they needed a way to manage the crowds they already have before building something that would just make the parks even more crowded. Just my 2 cents.

And that is the key to the MB upgrade. It's not just a band or FP+, it is an infrastructure that will allow them to not only manage crowds, but individualize each guests experience. Just wait until 5 year old Suzie heads over to see Elsa and she know her name without asking and can talk about her vacation with her. That is then a new generation of guests in the making.

So, you need 3 or 4 parks to become a vacation destination. Tell me, when did Walt Disney World become a vacation destination? Couldn't have been when it was just Magic Kingdom and Epcot because that's only 2 parks. Was it when they added MGM Studios? Probably not as it was less than a half a day park at that point (no RnRC, ToT, TSMM, etc...). I guess if I'm following what's being said here, WDW was not a vacation destination until they added Animal Kingdom.

Not sure what the number of resorts has to do with being a destination. If I decide to make a place our vacation destination all I need is one, maybe two rooms to accommodate us.

Nope, only need one park to be a destination. It is all in the marketing and Disney clearly is he best at it. Universal needs to hijack a few of the Disney marketing higher ups to start the process.

I HATE this analogy as its not even close to being relevant for the Theme Park "war".

With Disney = Small Children/memories/kids movies and Universal = Teens/more extreme attractions/HP + teen-adult movies

Those are the two key points when looking at the differences. US/IOA thinks it's a war. Disney is happy to let US/IOA draw in more tourists to the areas that will almost certainly spend some of their time at Disney, adding to the guests they already have. When (if actually) Disney feels threatened,they will react. They are pulling in record numbers and those guests are spending more $$ per person than ever. Not sure how that will convince Disney it needs to change. I have taken the position that Universal making strides only benefits us, the guest. The problem is they seem to be in agreement that hiking prices in unison is a good idea.

The point about the market audience is well made. Disney is still the "family" destination. That is where the children want to go and that is where memories are made. US/IOA is for the older/teen crowd and up. It's a theme park and you do not leave there with the same "feeling" and desire to return for the "experience". Yeah, you want to go back and hit those rides, but there are substitutes for that. I still have not found a substitute for the smile on my daughters face as she sings through Splash Mountain. Just some thoughts.

 

[JoeA]

IMO, disney should have invested in new attractions in AK, Epcot, and HS before they implemented MDE. At least they would've had more than 3 attractions at each theme park that needed FP+. As one person said, Disney is stagnant and I for one am disappointed. The house of mouse is my passion, and I'd like to see it live up to my expectations.

That's like saying you would have built the roof before the basement. Disney already leads in attendance by a wide margin and continue to show growth but I believe for them to continue to grow (ie adding attractions) they need to get some new infrastructure in place.

 

[Mad Hattered]

That's like saying you would have built the roof before the basement. Disney already leads in attendance by a wide margin and continue to show growth but I believe for them to continue to grow (ie adding attractions) they need to get some new infrastructure in place.

Their hotel capacity is no where near maxed out. They have plenty of space to stay...just no new attractions to see.

 

[JoeA]

Their hotel capacity is no where near maxed out. They have plenty of space to stay...just no new attractions to see.

That was simply an analogy.

 

[BuzzinDownToDisney]

I HATE this analogy as its not even close to being relevant for the Theme Park "war".


With Disney = Small Children/memories/kids movies and Universal = Teens/more extreme attractions/HP + teen-adult movies

Unless parents stop taking their children under 8 years old on vacations Disney will have a locked in place if they try at all. Universal from everything I have read and seen when planning for our trip really falls into the pre-teen/teen category with kids, you know when kids start doing sports and can't travel as much with their parents.

If anything you can compare Universal/WDW to Pepsi/Coke. Both have been around a long time, but have really always been #1 and #2 and both have their own angle at how to get people to buy their product.

Agreed, but US could make it a full war and are proving to me right now that if they desired going out and obtaining the rights to something younger kids like and could ride, they could theme the heck out of it, possibly even 3rd gate it. If US did this I would book a full US vacation in the future. I don't see WDW having the ability to do the opposite. Star Wars might do it, but lets be real, if they announce a SW anything, they won't break ground till after Avatarland opens in 2017, leaving SW with a likely completion date of 2024.

 

[bumbershoot]

A very impressive attraction that will pull some attendance from the Disney parks. All that being said, it will not make a significant dent In the immersive experience that Disney offers. No one yet really sees US as a vacation destination. They see it as a max 3 day park.

Gla you threw in the vast majority part (accidentally erased it with mobile). Because we have spent 8 nights at universal. We've also spent that long at Disneyland. Now if only we hadn't gotten so sick while at wdw for the Half Marathon events so we could have enjoyed that time at uni... Our time while sick at wdw was dreadful. Our time at portofino bay was better because the resort is a resort. Gorgeous. Also we had Club level so wine was included in the evenings which might mot have helped my immune system but sure helped my sanity.

Couple years ago we did a bicoastal trip. Disneyland then universal. Spent our arrival night at boardwalk. To wash clothes. And wdw failed at that one because our dryer was broken. Fabulous, dvc. Once our clothes were dry the next day (in the public dryer) we headed to uni. Never hit a wdw park that trip! Uni is a destination for us!

I have been reading this thread, and definitely resisting the urge to figure out how to get to WWOHP for one day during my upcoming Florida vacation in just 6 short weeks. Instead, I want a Universal Vacation instead of a Disney one. That way, I can really experience everything at my leisure, and I will be right there at one of the Universal Hotels. My plan is a short Monday to Friday trip to Universal. I did that at Disneyland for an October trip, and it was heaven. I took my time, and had 3 glorious stress free days in their parks. Seeing all the Halloween stuff was a bonus. Normally, I do Disneyland longer, but the shorter trip was heaven on my joints. I am dying to see all the new Harry Potter stuff. I loved the Books, and saw all the movies, and I did spend 1/2 a day last year visiting WWOHP last year. However, I can see myself finally getting to see and do all that Universal has to offer in a longer vacation on their property. I've done Disney solo. Now I need to do Universal solo.

Fabulous plan!!!!!

Unfortunately, the HP rides (both Forbidden Journey and Gringotts) don't use Express Pass (at least, to my most recent knowledge)

But hippogriff and dragon challenge do use EP. Two of four attractions in hogsmeade isn't bad.

In January I was able to try warm butterbeer....omg it was so good

From what we were reading at the time, they were serving it in the mornings only, and we just couldn't get it together to get out early. Last day I was going to, but it just felt wrong for me to get it without my guys getting it too. Our nights were awful during the January illness ds and I had, so mornings were hard.

Read through the whole thread. I think there are a lot of good points on both sides. I will say that we are headed to Disney in August and will not be going over to see DA. We went over to IOA a 2 years ago when we were on vacation for a day and enjoyed the HP area a lot, but since my kids are no "thrill" riders there was less for us to do in general. We had a good day, but it would not be more than a 1 or 2 day park for us. I think we'll take a long weekend or something this winter to check it out and do SeaWorld at the same time. The DA area looks awesome and from reports is beyond expectations. Congratulations to the designers. We'll go see it eventually when the crowds slow down some. I can't imagine 5-7 hour waits and being in those crowds (or in the crowd level 10's at Disney either). I did that once, never again. Our family enjoyed the books and then the movies as well. HogsMeade was very well done and I am sure it's worth the $140/day to see the new DA. I would suggest anyone going to stay at one of the US resorts and get the FOL pass along with it. We know a lot of people that do either the first day or two (or last) and change hotels. The best of both worlds! Heard Gringotts is still working through some bugs from a friend that was stuck on it earlier today. He said it is awesome and he was afraid of the goblins. Crazy crowded, but fun to be there for the atmosphere was the last text I got. And that is the key to the MB upgrade. It's not just a band or FP+, it is an infrastructure that will allow them to not only manage crowds, but individualize each guests experience. Just wait until 5 year old Suzie heads over to see Elsa and she know her name without asking and can talk about her vacation with her. That is then a new generation of guests in the making. Nope, only need one park to be a destination. It is all in the marketing and Disney clearly is he best at it. Universal needs to hijack a few of the Disney marketing higher ups to start the process. Those are the two key points when looking at the differences. US/IOA thinks it's a war. Disney is happy to let US/IOA draw in more tourists to the areas that will almost certainly spend some of their time at Disney, adding to the guests they already have. When (if actually) Disney feels threatened,they will react. They are pulling in record numbers and those guests are spending more $$ per person than ever. Not sure how that will convince Disney it needs to change. I have taken the position that Universal making strides only benefits us, the guest. The problem is they seem to be in agreement that hiking prices in unison is a good idea. The point about the market audience is well made. Disney is still the "family" destination. That is where the children want to go and that is where memories are made. US/IOA is for the older/teen crowd and up. It's a theme park and you do not leave there with the same "feeling" and desire to return for the "experience". Yeah, you want to go back and hit those rides, but there are substitutes for that. I still have not found a substitute for the smile on my daughters face as she sings through Splash Mountain. Just some thoughts.

Fwiw, our first trip (to wdw and to uni) was when ds was 6.5. He wasn't tall enough or brave enough for the big rides. Dh is still the wrong size for the thrill rides. I rode fj then and have since ridden the bigger ones though I don't like them (afraid of plummeting to my death). Even on that first trip we found plenty do to and do again, for four days in the parks, and we left wanting more.

Ds doesn't even want to go to wdw anymore, and he has felt that way since 9. Dlr yes but not wdw. So it's not a hard and fast rule that kids like Disney and teens+ like uni.

I also disagree with the feel and experience. I find uni's feel to be amazing and beautiful. We long to go back in a way we just don't feel for wdw. If uni starts doing running events and gets a timeshare? Can't imagine how infrequently we will hit wdw. Despite only 1/3 of us having both desire and ability to go on the thrill rides.

But I don't see why anyone feels it's a war. I post to give my perspective. To show others that it certainly can be a destination. That it's relaxing. That club level wine is tasty.

 

[BuzzinDownToDisney]

Double post, app crash

 

[Mad Hattered]

I almost booked our entire stay there. Also it looks like the rate is advertised starting at $165/night but ends up being $254. Still cheaper and some of us would probably crash there instead of driving back to BC.

FWIW, I'm not a potter fan either, nothing against the franchise just haven't spent the time getting to know HP. However, I have been encouraging my daughter to read the books and watch the movies with me before we go. We may be fans before we get there .

FWIW, I too was not a HP fan until WWoHP opened. My DW is a Potterhead so she got me to view all the Potter movies before our first trip to see it in 2010. Now I am hooked! She has read the books 2 or 3 times (I forget at this point) so she was amazed at how her "imagination" came to be a reality when she first stepped foot into WWoHP. That is something I couldn't understand because I had never read the books.

We planned HP movie nights on several weekends so I could get up to speed with the characters, atmosphere and landscape. I was blown away as a "non-fan" and have nothing but respect for it now. It truly is amazing just how detailed and immersive it is. Diagon Alley apparently blows Hogsmeade out of the water so I am eagerly awaiting our upcoming trip.

Oh, and we started our HP home film fest again recently to build up even more anticipation.

 

[agavegirl1]

I am getting more and more excited for my 8 theme park vacation this fall. I may actually need to carve a little more of the WDW time off and head over to US while I'm still at POP. I have the Orlando Flex Pass Plus for US/IOA, Busch Gardens, Sea World and water parks. I won't be going to water parks and it is good for 14 days unlimited entry to any and all of them. Now that, to me, is a vacation destination.

I haven't tried Portofino yet, just HRH and RPR. I have 4 nights planned there. Yes!

 

[sjw211]

We're doing MK, Epcot, DHS, Blizzard Beach, Typhoon Lagoon, Sea World, Aquatica, Universal, IOA & Busch Gardens. CAN'T WAIT!!

 

[JoeA]

We're doing MK, Epcot, DHS, Blizzard Beach, Typhoon Lagoon, Sea World, Aquatica, Universal, IOA & Busch Gardens. CAN'T WAIT!!

Dang! sounds like a full agenda!! Have fun

 

[sjw211]

Dang! sounds like a full agenda!! Have fun

Oh we will!
Thanks!