How long to get into Harry Potter?

[cabarnes55]

I was wondering if anyone had been to Universal lately and Harry Potter. If so, how is the wait? We will be staying at Disney but wanted to take a day at Universal, spring for the VIP tickets, which I know won't work on Harry Potter. What are your suggestions as far as what time we need to get there by and where to start first. I don't think we will last until the evening, so if the suggestion is hit Harry Potter at night, forget that. Appreciate any insight/suggestions you can give. Forgot to mention I am intending to go on 8/17.

 

[WVMomof3]

Yesterday, the wait to get into that section was over 3 hours by 9:30. I think you can just walk into the section after 1:00. There was lines just to get into all the stores at around 7:00 last night. We did the Dueling Dragons and the Hippogryph ride, but the FJ ride was broke down, and we did not wait. Will try again tomorrow night.

 

[ilovethemeparks]

I went there last week and was able to walk in numerous days into the WWOHP area around 1:00 with no wait. For the first time though I did see the FJ line stretch out all the way to the entrance bridge, but we were able to get on the ride around 4:00 with about 30-40min wait even though the posted time was 60min.

 

[CTDisneyfan816]

I am hoping by December the lines are a bit more moderate.

 

[WVMomof3]

We rode the ride yesterday around 7:00. The posted time was 90 minutes, I think we were out in a little over an hour. The ride did stop for a few minutes while we were on it. I know somewhere this was posted before, but the line is very confusing at the front. If the line stretches out past the gates, it is the locker line. Go through the gift shop, get a locker, then go back out and go to the left, this is the line for people who do not need a locker and you can pass up all the people waiting for a locker. They do not communicate this to you at all. Not sure why that line was not moving. I think they were allowing one person at a time into locker area? I was able to go through gift shop and get a locker no problem.

 

[RedSox68]

Is the Harry Potter section utilizing the on-site guests line for quicker ride access with room key?

 

[mjohnson96]

Is the Harry Potter section utilizing the on-site guests line for quicker ride access with room key?

Not yet, you get into the area and hour early each morning (sometimes more) but at this time they are not doing express access on the ride.

 

[ArielRae]

So are you saying we should wait to do harry potter till later in the day not first thing in the morning?

If so when would you recommend?

 

[RedSox68]

One of our students just returned and said they booked breakfast at the Three Broomsticks for as early as possible -- that way they were already in the park before it opened. They said it was great.

 

[ArielRae]

I don't see that they serve breakfast or take reservations for it.

One of our students just returned and said they booked breakfast at the Three Broomsticks for as early as possible -- that way they were already in the park before it opened. They said it was great.

 

[damo]

I don't see that they serve breakfast or take reservations for it.

Three Broomsticks serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. During busy times, breakfast is for people who have the Harry Potter package only and only with a reservation. During less busy times, other people MAY be allowed to eat there for breakfast. It seems to change on a daily basis depending on reservations that day, I guess.

 

[dgr1973]

So are you saying we should wait to do harry potter till later in the day not first thing in the morning?

If so when would you recommend?

I would like to know the answer to this as well.

 

[damo]

If you are going during slow time (non holiday time) then you can do Wizarding World anytime during the day. Lines have been very manageable lately.

 

[jlcd]

If you are going during slow time (non holiday time) then you can do Wizarding World anytime during the day. Lines have been very manageable lately.

What is the best way to manage it when it is a holiday time?

 

[damo]

What is the best way to manage it when it is a holiday time?

The best way is to stay onsite and go during early entry. This summer, if you weren't staying onsite, it was best to go around 4 o'clock.

 

[Tina]

Wow. I guess we just got lucky in comparison to these reports. We went this past Tuesday (9/28). We had purchased the 2-park hopper ticket and followed the website instructions to visit Universal first. That was a complete bust. We entered Universal at 9:15 am or so and discovered that almost everything was closed. We don't do rollercoasters or extreme rides, so we were looking for the milder rides and shows. We walked as far as ET, only to be told it would open at 11am. We were not happy. We checked the map/guide and saw that nearly everything we wanted to do had a delayed opening (a complete waste of a ticket, IMHO). So we decided to just head over the IOA and see what the Harry Potter crowds looked like. We started out in Suess land and rode one ride (a great air-conditioned relief!) and then headed on toward Harry. I think we entered the WWOHP around 10:30am. It was crowded but I've seen worse in Fantasyland. There was a line for the wand store. We walked into the candy store and looked around. Very cool. Crowded but not impossible. The wait for FJ was 30 minutes. There was no wait for lunch at Three Broomsticks (but we did not opt to eat there).

 

[damo]

Wow. I guess we just got lucky in comparison to these reports. We went this past Tuesday (9/28). We had purchased the 2-park hopper ticket and followed the website instructions to visit Universal first. That was a complete bust. We entered Universal at 9:15 am or so and discovered that almost everything was closed. We don't do rollercoasters or extreme rides, so we were looking for the milder rides and shows. We walked as far as ET, only to be told it would open at 11am. We were not happy. We checked the map/guide and saw that nearly everything we wanted to do had a delayed opening (a complete waste of a ticket, IMHO). So we decided to just head over the IOA and see what the Harry Potter crowds looked like. We started out in Suess land and rode one ride (a great air-conditioned relief!) and then headed on toward Harry. I think we entered the WWOHP around 10:30am. It was crowded but I've seen worse in Fantasyland. There was a line for the wand store. We walked into the candy store and looked around. Very cool. Crowded but not impossible. The wait for FJ was 30 minutes. There was no wait for lunch at Three Broomsticks (but we did not opt to eat there).

When the parks are as dead as they are in September, many of the studios show/rides don't open until a bit later. Shrek, Mummy, Jaws, MIB, Simpsons, Jimmy Neutron are open at normal time. Riding those rides should take long enough for the other rides to open.

 

[ThemeParkGuy]

Our last trip- Jaws was always a late open.

 

[nerdboyrockstar]

I think opening with the park at 9am now at Universal are HRRR, Shrek, Jimmy Neutron, MIB, and Simpsons... Twister, Disaster, Jaws, and T2 at 10am, I believe, while KidZone opens at 11am.

 

[ArielRae]

So what time should we arrive and what order of rides would you recommend DH and I do? We plan on being their the first week in November.

I really would love your opinion on how you would do your day in universal.

When the parks are as dead as they are in September, many of the studios show/rides don't open until a bit later. Shrek, Mummy, Jaws, MIB, Simpsons, Jimmy Neutron are open at normal time. Riding those rides should take long enough for the other rides to open.