Need advice--which park on arrival day?

[Lce2626]

First, just let me say how glad I am that I found this board! I've gotten so much great advice from here. Just need a little more!

We're arriving May 23, plane lands at noon. After getting luggage, rental car, fast food lunch, driving to resort (RPR) and checking in, I'm figuring it will be around 2:30-3:00. We will immediately head to the parks I've been thinking all this time that we would go right away to IOA and Harry Potter, but now I'm questioning myself. I don't want to get there and not be able to do/see anything because of crowds, so would it be better to go to US first? We have two more days, so will have early entry Tues. and Wed. I feel like I've kind of left US out of the planning, but we want to do all of it also. I just don't know if I can hold everyone back from Harry first thing, lol. What would you do?

 

[Metro West]

We're arriving May 23, plane lands at noon. After getting luggage, rental car, fast food lunch, driving to resort (RPR) and checking in, I'm figuring it will be around 2:30-3:00. We will immediately head to the parks I've been thinking all this time that we would go right away to IOA and Harry Potter, but now I'm questioning myself. I don't want to get there and not be able to do/see anything because of crowds, so would it be better to go to US first? We have two more days, so will have early entry Tues. and Wed. I feel like I've kind of left US out of the planning, but we want to do all of it also. I just don't know if I can hold everyone back from Harry first thing, lol. What would you do?

I think you should wait and spend a full day at IOA so you can take advantage of early entry. I would head to the Studios the afternoon you arrive and spend the rest of the day there and then heading to IOA early the next morning.

That's what I would do.

 

[tink20]

If you have park to park passes, I would go to US (closes at 7p on the 23rd) first, then hop over to IOA (stays open til 8pm on the 23rd) from like 6p-8p, on the boards, they say, WWOHP, clears out in the pm. Then you could go back in the am on the 24th, for early entry. I was looking at the hours, and I think on the 24th, IOA closes at 6pm, so keep that in mind.

Heres a calendar link

http://www.universalorlando.com/Resort_Information/theme_park_hours.aspx

Have a great trip!

 

[musiclovingfam]

My suggestion would be to NOT park hop. I think it takes too much time. Decide which park you want to spend the evening at. If Fantasmic is showing that day, head over to Hollywood Studios. Or go to Magic Kingdom for the nighttime parade and fireworks. Then do US on a whole day trip.

 

[mesaboy2]

My suggestion would be to NOT park hop. I think it takes too much time. Decide which park you want to spend the evening at. If Fantasmic is showing that day, head over to Hollywood Studios. Or go to Magic Kingdom for the nighttime parade and fireworks. Then do US on a whole day trip.

What the blazes? The two parks at Universal Orlando Resort are a 5-minute walk apart. Methinks you are confused.

 

[Lce2626]

Thanks everyone. We do have park to park passes, so could do a while at US then end up with IOA that first day. I'm assuming (from other things I've read on here) that since the parks are closing so early low crowds are expected? I believe the express pass is at the lowest price level for those days also. Can't wait to get there!

 

[tinydancer09]

Thanks everyone. We do have park to park passes, so could do a while at US then end up with IOA that first day. I'm assuming (from other things I've read on here) that since the parks are closing so early low crowds are expected? I believe the express pass is at the lowest price level for those days also. Can't wait to get there!

I've only been once but the park closed around 7 or 8 (can't remember). When we went back a couple hours to closing the area hadn't cleared out much. I waited 30 minutes to buy a chocolate frog, 60+ minutes for forbidden journey and it was still fairly crowded. By no means shoulder to shoulder but it was still pretty crazy.

I would say do US on the first day and if you REALLY can't hold everyone back head over to IOA- but don't PLAN to expect TOO much. I'm one of those that plan small so you won't get disappointed

 

[Lce2626]

So US should be less croweded in the afternoon than IOA? If that's the case, we can probably get a lot more done there on that first afternoon. I think we'll just plan on US the first day then. We have two more early entry days, so we'll see all of IOA for sure then can hop over to US and catch whatever we missed.

 

[Bluer101]

My suggestion would be to NOT park hop. I think it takes too much time. Decide which park you want to spend the evening at. If Fantasmic is showing that day, head over to Hollywood Studios. Or go to Magic Kingdom for the nighttime parade and fireworks. Then do US on a whole day trip.

 

[pigby]

I think you should wait and spend a full day at IOA so you can take advantage of early entry. I would head to the Studios the afternoon you arrive and spend the rest of the day there and then heading to IOA early the next morning.

That's what I would do.

That's our plan too - we will arrive at Universal approx 1pm - might get our room if so will be at park 2-2.30pm ish.

Park (US) closes at 6pm on that day - we wondered whether to go over to IOA at that time to see Harry Potter until IOA closes at 8pm - it will be end of August for us so it may be going dark by then (hopefully) - heard it's pretty at night.

Then we plan to hit IOA on early entry next day and US for a full day after that and finally spend our last morning and early afternoon in IOA again.

 

[christophfam]

Going to the studios that first day sounds like a good plan...just beware that you may not be able to hold off the kids! My plan our first trip was studios for the afternoon then over to IOA for the last couple of hours. Even though I explained the reasoning behind it to my teenager he was a big downer at US that day. He just couldn't get over the fact that WWOHP was right there and he wasn't. He is a good kid and with all the Disney commando trips we've done, I wasn't prepared for his sulking! He knows about avoiding crowds. Anyway, I wish we would have just gone straight there, looked around a bit then hit some rides at IOA until we could go back in the evening.

I do have to agree about the evenings. Don't count on it being slow...sometimes it is and sometimes it isn't, even in the same week! Do definitely go back for early entry the next morning. Those mornings are the key to doing Ollivander's and shops without the huge crowds.

 

[Lce2626]

Lol, I've already been getting complaints from the kids since I suggested going to US first! They want to see all of Hogsmeade and the castle right away. Hopefully I can stick with my plan, because I do think it will be best for seeing everything.