If park opens at 9am, what time to arrive?

[JillU-DVC]

Getting very excited about our upcoming trip - we'll be staying at OKW, but will only be going to US, IOW and Seaworld for our 10 day vacation.

I was wondering what time we should try to get to teh parks in the morning - posted hours say they open at 9am each day - should we be there before 9am, and if so, how much before?

We're used to the Disney early entry, and how they sometimes will open the gates before the posted entry times, wondering if Universal and/or Islands do something similar.

Thanks!!

 

[wilma-bride]

Whenever we have been, the gates have never been opened more than perhaps 5 minutes early. Having siad that, we always go in September and crowds have been very light at that time of the morning.

DH and I usually get there about 8:15-8:30, grab a drink and a cinnamon bun from Cinnabon and take a slow wander up to the gate.

I wouldn't have thought you would need to be there much before 8:30-8:45.

I am sure there are others who will be able to advise if I am wrong though

 

[robvia]

It depends on when you go. During busy times of the year, the park opens early. From reading other reports, they opened at 8am Christmas week. During the summer, they usually open at 08:30am. It's not posted, and nothing is official, you just have to be there. For non busy times, they open at 9am.

The parking garage opens at 8am, and that's when I tell everyone to show up. It's cool to be first to the gate, the time waiting goes by real fast. The walk from your car, thru city walk, can take 15 minutes. The line usually gets long at 08:30am. If you are first to the gate, you can run to Hulk and get a front seat ride, take another ride, then keep going to the other rides which will be a walk on. USF/IOA is different from the Disney parks, in that when the main gate opens, you are free to go on the rides. At Disney, they let everyone in, then make everyone wait at a rope drop. For the major rides, they walk everyone back. At USF/IOA, when the gate opens, you go on the rides, so being first has an advantage.