Apologies for my dis-organized post....Thankfully, you don't need to do a lot of planning for Universal, especially with having the express pass for 2 days. Hagrid's and the Velocicoaster are not eligible for the express pass, although I think Hagrid's is closed for refurbishment. Not sure. Either way, jumping into the Hagrid's line shortly before closing is your best bet. However, there is a risk that it may break down or they close the line early, so you may want to try riding earlier, too.
Staying at the hotel does get you early entry, too. If you are a morning person, a lot of people use early entry to ride Hagrid's. Sometimes I feel like the line is longer than then after the park opens, mid-morning. I would keep an eye on the wait times. Velocicoaster's line moves pretty quickly.
The Seuss train and the pterodactyl flight are super slow lines. Not worth the wait.
I think the log flume ride is closed. If it's open, know that you get a lot wetter on it than Splash Mountain. You will get soaked on the river raft drive. Ride that one last if you must ride. The Jurassic log flume is usually not too bad, water-wise. It really depends on the weight distribution of your boat mates. My daughter got really wet on it once. Otherwise, we've been fine.
The Kong line tends to move slowly. Use the Universal app to monitor line waits. It's a similar ride to the Fast and Furious Ride. It's not the original ride from Universal Studios. I prefer Kong to F&F, but the F&F line moves faster than Kong. Fast & Furious is LOUD. Bring ear plugs if your child is sensitive to noise. The Spiderman and Transformers rides are also of similar design. Spiderman is better, if you only have time for one. The Minion simulator isn't great (it used to be the Jetson's ride). It does have some non-moving seats if you prefer. Be sure to have everyone take some non-drowsy dramamine. The simulator rides will ruin your day.
The Mummy is a short, fairly mild roller coaster (except for a few sudden stops that can hurt your neck if you aren't supporting it). It's one of my favorites. I would compare it to Thunder Mountain.
Simpson's ride replaced the Back to the Future ride. Back to the Future was much better. The Simpsons line always takes a lot longer than the posted time. If you're a Simpson's fan, than ride it. Otherwise I would skip. It's not a smooth simulator.
The ET ride is still around. It's hidden, but I recommend it to everyone because it's not a simulator.
Be aware that the free HP wand that they offer if you buy over $250 is not interactive.
Best rides in Universal: Mummy, Escape from Gringott's, the rockin roller coaster (if you like them), Men In Black.
Second Tier would be Jimmy Fallon (it's a lot more fun than it sounds), Transformers, F&F, and ET. Make-up show (funny and a nice break from the heat), Bourne Stunt Show (very different than the Indiana Jones one-also nice for a break from the heat). I highly recommend both shows
Third tier: Simpsons and Minions.
Island's Rides: Hagrid's, Jurassic flume, Velosicoaster, HP ride in the castle (do not ride right after eating-it makes a lot of people motion-sick), Spiderman,
Second Tier: Cat in the Hat, King Kong, Hulk (this one is rough on your neck), carousel
Third: Flight of the Hippendorf, everything else in the park
Regarding Hogwort's Express...The line is very slow....It's much faster to walk to the other park than to take this. The wait time is usually a lot longer than the posted time. People say that it's different in each direction, but I haven't noticed how it's different. I'm not a HP fan and didn't read the books. If you are a die-hard fan, then ride it. If not, I don't think it's worth the wait. It's a slow moving train where you watch a screen that looks like the outside. Im sure you can watch it on
YouTube. Also, you must have park-hopping passes to ride Hogwart's.
Butter beer and frozen butter beer are worth trying. The carrot one and others, are not. Both HP restaurants have a lot of seating and a decent variety of food. If you want a sit-down place, Mythos in Islands is the best. You can make reservations in the app.
If you buy donuts from voodoo donuts, order on the app and skip the line.
Again, make-up show and stunt show are both worth going to and a nice break from simulators.
