How have the Saturday crowds been?

[DaisyLover22]

I’m taking my three sons next week and we are doing Gatorland Saturday, but need something to fill the rest of the day. My oldest has never been to Universal so I thought about taking them to Islands of Adventure. I really can’t budget the Express pass in and we are staying on Disney property. Are the crowds really bad on Saturday mid-afternoon-close? Like bad enough to make it not worth going without the express pass?

 

[vinotinto]

I’m taking my three sons next week and we are doing Gatorland Saturday, but need something to fill the rest of the day. My oldest has never been to Universal so I thought about taking them to Islands of Adventure. I really can’t budget the Express pass in and we are staying on Disney property. Are the crowds really bad on Saturday mid-afternoon-close? Like bad enough to make it not worth going without the express pass?

I would not spend the money on tickets to go to IoA for only half the day on a Saturday in October. Universal closes at 5pm because of HHN and everyone swarms to IoA, so most everything will have a pretty hefty line without EP in the afternoon and evening.

 

[DaisyLover22]

I would not spend the money on tickets to go to IoA for only half the day on a Saturday in October. Universal closes at 5pm because of HHN and everyone swarms to IoA, so most everything will have a pretty hefty line without EP in the afternoon and evening.

Thanks! What about HHN? Would it be the same deal without an Express Pass? I can get the 2pm entry for about the same cost but, again, no EP

 

[CAPSLOCK]

How into scary stuff are your sons? I'd opt for HHN over half day at IoA if the kids are old enough & like scary. Ride lines are manageable, Diagon Alley is minimal crowds, and you can watch the App for wait times to pick and choose which houses to explore. And you'd have more time than at IoA - at HHN you can stay til 2am or until exhausted. Just don't go in with the plan of being able to do everything - pick and choose what you want to experience. If you can hang til 1am, the lines for the houses plummet & you can get a lot done in that last hour.

 

[DaisyLover22]

My kids are very in to scary! They are also night owls. So thank you!

 

[vinotinto]

I agree with CAPSLOCK. I would select HHN over IoA if your kids are into horror. More time and more unique. Note that if you are coming into the park early, you will need to get into a “holding pen” no later than 5pm, and sometime around 6pm, after they have verified the park is cleared of day guests, they’ll let you line up for the horror houses. I found the holding pen to be tiring last year and we totally skipped it this year. But it’s only about an hour. If you’ve been to MNSSHP, it’s not like MNSSHP; they won’t let you roam around the park with your wristband between park closing and the party starting.