Is an Express Pass needed in May?

[disney_runner]

Hi! I'm planning on taking my daughter on a trip for her 10th birthday next May. 1 night at IoA (mostly just WWoHP), and 3 at WDW. As our time is limited to see WWoHP, I'm wondering what crowds are like in mid-May? More specifically, we'll be there for the afternoon & evening of Thursday May 10th, and the morning of Friday May 11 (2 half days). Is that enough time for FJ and Ollivander's, plus immersing ourselves in everything else Harry Potter-wise when dealing with the large crowds? We will likely also enjoy the Jurassic Park area and Suess landing.

I'm also toying with the idea of an AP specifically for the hotel discounts (and early entry/express pass combo), so that's a thought too. But if crowds are do-able, that's not really necessary. As it is now, I can stay for free with hotel points at the Sheraton Studio City. Free always is hard to beat though!

I've searched the thread for reports from past May, but it's like a needle in a haystack. Thanks so much for any advice!

 

[Melanie230]

At this time...EP are not honored at WWoHP. Unless that rule changes you will not need it. As for the rest of the park...I think May is pretty busy...that is a Spring Break month for a lot of school districts!

 

[disney_runner]

At this time...EP are not honored at WWoHP. Unless that rule changes you will not need it. As for the rest of the park...I think May is pretty busy...that is a Spring Break month for a lot of school districts!

Oh yeah, that's right. So... we'll have to wait for FJ as normal. But the crowds all over are still kinda high? I guess we'll have to pack a little more patience too.

 

[Belle83]

I have ride line info in my trip report, we were at IOA on 5/25 and then did both parks (IOA/Universal) on 5/26.

We bought express passes for 5/25 (a Wednesday) at IOA but only needed them for Spiderman (the normal line was 45 minutes). Walked right on everything else (JP, Hulk, etc.)

We didn't buy them for Universal on 5/26, but wished we had (MIB was 30 minutes, RRR was 45+ until later in the day when we only waited 15 minutes) because we have little patience for lines. That same day (5/26) the line for Harry Potter was only 20 minutes. I know you can't use the pass on the ride but it gives you a sense of the crowd level.

A good way to guess is to look at the prices for the Express Passes for your trip dates. They raise the prices on busier days. Our EPs for 5/25 were relatively low ($19.99 each), but basically we just paid $40 to skip a line for 1 ride.

I don't think May is too bad, crowd-wise. Not everyone is out of school in May.

 

[mesaboy2]

While it is true that Express passes get you nothing with FJ or Ollivander's, it will still work on Flight of the Hippogriff and Dragon Challenge in WWoHP. That said, you probably won't need them. I recommend waiting until you're there and can gauge their worth yourself once you've seen the lines.

And Belle83, if it helps you feel any better, Express is also not honored at HRRR, so it wouldn't have helped you with that line. Pteranadon Flyers at IoA is the last ride that doesn't take Express.

 

[disney_runner]

Great information, thanks guys. I think I'll stick with the free hotel and not worry about skipping lines with the EP. With that Thursday evening and Friday morning, we should be able to see all we want to see. Thank you!!