How busy is Early Entry?

[Belle0819]

If we arrive super early and try to be some of the first to enter as regular (non resort guests) how busy should I expect the WWoHP to be? Will the waits already be really long or still pretty reasonable? I'm just trying to prepare myself and my DD's, we're used to WDW where we are always among the first in whether EE or not. Thanks!

 

[nytimez]

When are you going?

In peak season, the crowds can built up quick. In low season, you'll be fine for the most part.

 

[Belle0819]

We'll be there the last week of August. I'm pretty sure it will be Wednesday the 24th.

 

[edamethyst]

we were there around that same time last year and will be there that week this year. last year it got very crowded in the mornings very quickly. we had the early entry so that was great but we still waited more than an hour for olivanders and about 45 minutes for FJ. Afternoons were crazy crowded but the evenings got a lil thinned out and the waits were similar to the early entry waits...between 45 min and an hour. even first thing in the a.m. it was HOT waiting in the line.

 

[nytimez]

We'll be there the last week of August. I'm pretty sure it will be Wednesday the 24th.

we were there around that same time last year and will be there that week this year. last year it got very crowded in the mornings very quickly. we had the early entry so that was great but we still waited more than an hour for olivanders and about 45 minutes for FJ. Afternoons were crazy crowded but the evenings got a lil thinned out and the waits were similar to the early entry waits...between 45 min and an hour. even first thing in the a.m. it was HOT waiting in the line.

I think you'll be OK this year. This is just a guess, but last year WWoHP was brand-new so they got a bigger late-summer rush than they normally would. This year, the last week of August won't be nearly as crowded as last year at the same time.

Again, that's just a guess.

 

[ifyourhappy]

That's weird because I was there for a week the last week of August last year, and there was never over a 30 minute wait for FJ that I saw (maybe I missed you by a day?). Except when it broke down one day, then the line stopped for about 20-30 minutes, but it was back up and running fine and the line thinned out real quick. Benefits of a constantly moving ride I guess

We didn't have early entry, but WWOHP was the first place we hit.. It looked quite busy, but the lines were nice

 

[macraven]

If we arrive super early and try to be some of the first to enter as regular (non resort guests) how busy should I expect the WWoHP to be? Will the waits already be really long or still pretty reasonable? I'm just trying to prepare myself and my DD's, we're used to WDW where we are always among the first in whether EE or not. Thanks!

you would be surprised in seeing how many onsite guests do not use the early entry perk for potter.

last year i stayed for 7 nights and only got my butt out of bed one time for standing in line at 7:45.

so many hotel guests were on the boat, in line for the boat/water taxi, or were walking to ioa around 9ish like me.

the day, a thursday that i did get up early, there was not a lot of peeps on the boat from the hotel to the park.

be at the park early.
that is the best answer i can give you.

 

[cesariofamily]

We are a hotel guest and plan to arrive early. We will be there 9/10 and 9/11. We have only 1.5 days at IOA and then we have to get to the airport! We are not super roller coaster people. We are hoping to enjoy Harry, Seuss and Marvel areas and check out Jurrasic park. I hope we can do it all in 1.5 days as we plan to devote both mornings to Harry.

 

[Belle0819]

Thanks to everyone for your input!!

 

[cvjw]

I can tell you what it was like the first weekend of June - which wasn't an overly crowded time in the park. We arrived right after 8:00 for early entry. My kids rode FJ, and the 2 roller coasters in HP land before 9:00. They had done Ollivander's the night before (right before closing), with only a 15 minute wait. I would guess that the wait for Ollivanders during early entry was way over an hour - the line was huge.

As we were leaving HP world, going over the bridge to Jurassic Park, (right at 9:00), you could see the line for FJ. It was so long, they had set up queues on the bridge to JP. I don't know if all the queues inside the castle were full or not, but there were lots and lots of people in line outside.