How Early to Arrive if Staying Off-Site?

[EmJ]

Any advice on how early to arrive at IOA if you are not staying onsite?

The park will open at 9:00 for non-guests the week I am there, and I had planned on arriving at 8:00 and using valet parking. Now after reading all the posts about recent crowds and wild lines, I'm thinking that might not be early enough. I'm happy to arrive whenever, but my parents will be with me, and my dad does not totally understand arriving before something opens. Our primary area of interest is (not surprisingly) Wizarding World.

Would it be better to do other areas of the park in the morning, leave for a midday nap, and return to do Wizarding World in the evening?

 

[macraven]

the parking garage usually opens an hour before the parks do.


when i did drive to UO, i would be in the line for the garage by 7:30 when the parks opened at 9.

i was usually the first or second car in line for when the garage opened up at 8.

then it was in the garage, parked and on my way thru city walk by 8:10.


there are lines to wait in for about everything.

if you have the extra time, go early and have less of a wait for parking.

 

[characterhelp]

We were there the week before christmas and since half our our party was on west coast time, we had a hard time getting started in the am. The first day we got there around 9:30 am and had no problem parking. Walking through citywalk was crowded, but manageable. We got return time tickets for HP (I think they were for 11:30-12:00). Not too bad.

 

[jessrose18]

We parked in garage around 8, and stood in line around 8:15...time went by pretty fast. Both days we were about 6th in line at our turnstile. When the park opened we walked to the right and cut through dr. suess land and then through the lost continent. (basically follow the crowd) we saw so many people getting in early from onsite, but when we got to wwohp it didnt seem that crowded. It took about an hour for the area to feel pretty crowded. The first day we headed straight to Olivanders and got right into the next showing. then off to forbidden journey and walked on. The second day we went to fj and walked on as well. then went straight to shops, before they got too congested. have fun! drink some frozen butterbeer for me, i miss it