Need assistance with one day only at US/IOA

[SouthAfricaTraveller]

Hi everybody, I am desperate for some assistance please. We are travelling from South Africa, so these trips don't happen often for us. We have done quite a few Disney trips and Disney cruises so everything Disney related I am very comfortable with. We are doing the transatlantic from Barcelona to Miami in 3 1/2 weeks (can't wait for this one) and as we are ending in Miami figured we might spend a few nights in WDW. It is myself, DH, DS (8) and DD (11). We all started watching HP recently and decided that if we are going to do Orlando we have to fit in one day at US/IOA. So, we booked the tickets today, we will be there for one day only - Friday 2 October 2015, we are staying off site, but have booked for both parks and unlimited express pass. Park Hours is as follows: US - 8 AM - 5 PM / IOA - 9 AM - 7 PM. This is my strategy for the day, I would appreciate any input / advise:

Get to US by 7:30, pick up tickets and be ready to go in at 8 AM.

1. Ride Despicable Me
2. Ride HP and the Escape from Gringotts
3. Buy a Robe for my daughter, then head to Ollivanders and watch the wand show / buy wands

By this time I am sure it will be 9 AM

4. Catch the Hogwarts Express to IOA
5. Ride HP and the FJ
6. Flight of the Hippogriff
7. Dragon Challenge

Explore and have lunch in Hogsmeade

8. Ride Jurassic Park
9. Ride Dudley Do Rights
10. Ride Popeye

Change into dry clothes if needed

11. Ride Spiderman

Take Hogwarts Express back to US

12. Ride The Simpsons
13. Ride Shrek
14. Ride E.T.

Go back to our WDW hotel and collapse ))

Do you guys think the above is doable at all? We love rides and are all fans of roller coasters too! Please let me know what you think and if there are any "unwritten" secrets not to be missed in the HP area??

Thanks so much!!! Happy to give any South Africa travel advice to anybody (we in travel in South Africa)

 

[tink1957]

Sounds good and doable to me

Have fun

 

[SouthAfricaTraveller]

Hi, thanks so much for the quick response! Jay, I am so happy to hear that! We are very excited to explore something different! Thanks again and have a lovely day!

 

[schumigirl]

No Rip Ride Rockit in the Studios?

That`s the only thing I see missing as you are fans of coasters.......

Your plan looks good actually......you must have researched well!!!

Have you considered Mythos for lunch instead of Three Broomsticks. I find the food in Mythos far superior to 3B`s.........I would pop in the 3B`s for a drink as it is a nice place to see.....very well themed....but food for me is just ok. But, it`s not the kind of food I would order so maybe I`m a little biased there........

 

[SouthAfricaTraveller]

Hi Schumigirl, thank for the feedback! I must have missed that one, will add it in for sure thanks so much! Disney turned me into a planning freak I am afraid ) I will look into Mythos for sure. Would I need to pre-book for it or can we just arrive? I have accepted that this day we must keep on going and do as much as possible! Thanks again for the feedback!!

 

[schumigirl]

You can prebook 30 days out if desired, but we never book and we eat at prime times and longest we have waited is 15 minutes when it was middle of August..

That time of year you should be ok.....you can make a reservation on the morning when you arrive. There`s a booth to do that...I know many people who do that. It`s one of the things we love about Universal......no dining reservations......

 

[SouthAfricaTraveller]

That sounds great, I actually went and looked at the menu quick! Yes, i think i will slot it into my planning for that day for sure! I will take a chance and not book as I have no idea how our timing will go. Thanks for the tip, really appreciate it! So excited!!

 

[schumigirl]

You`ll have a blast I`m sure.

DH and I will be in both parks that day.....will listen out for SA accents.......lol.......

 

[SouthAfricaTraveller]

You`ll have a blast I`m sure.

DH and I will be in both parks that day.....will listen out for SA accents.......lol.......

How awesome! Absolutely, what a bonus that would be!! Hope you have a great trip too!!

 

[macraven]

i looked at the october studio calendar and surprisesd the entire month has the early entry.
guess they are assuming larger crowds?

if you booked your off site hotel as a package parter hotel, that wil include early entry to the parks.
if you didn't, how are able to do the early entry on the 2nd?

your list of rides look fine and you'll be able to hit them.

the dudley and popeye water rides will probably soak you.
get a locker and store your phones and valuables and a change of clothes just in case.

if you buy items from the shops in the park and don't want to carry them with you all day, have the TM send your purchases to the front of the park to be held.
you can pick them up when you are ready to leave the park that day.

 

[SouthAfricaTraveller]

i looked at the october studio calendar and surprisesd the entire month has the early entry.
guess they are assuming larger crowds?

if you booked your off site hotel as a package parter hotel, that wil include early entry to the parks.
if you didn't, how are able to do the early entry on the 2nd?

your list of rides look fine and you'll be able to hit them.

the dudley and popeye water rides will probably soak you.
get a locker and store your phones and valuables and a change of clothes just in case.

if you buy items from the shops in the park and don't want to carry them with you all day, have the TM send your purchases to the front of the park to be held.
you can pick them up when you are ready to leave the park that day.

Hi Macraven, thanks for the info. I took the park hours off the US website, it lists US as opening to the public (I assumed) at 8 AM and IOA opening to the public at 9 AM, so that was what I based my planning on. We are staying off site so we are not eligible for EE to either parks. I wish I had planned to to US/IOA in the early stages of planning my holiday as I most definitely would have preferred to stay on site, I suppose something to remember for next time.

Yes, from the pictures I saw it did look like we would get totally soaked, do you have any suggestions as to the best lockers to use for storing out stuff? I am planning on taking swimsuits with something light over it for the wet rides and we can change back into our other clothes after them for sure!

That is a great tip about the shopping, I was dreading having to carry all the extra's throughout the day as we go. Will they send stuff purchased at both parks to one entry point, say if I purchase in IOA can I have it sent to US front of park for collection? That would really make my life very easy!

Thanks again, I appreciate any input I can get!

 

[macraven]

Each park has its own merch holding sections

Well it appears that the studios will open at 7 if I read the calendar dates right

Looks like I will miss early entry those days as I won't be up that early in the morning

 

[SouthAfricaTraveller]

Each park has its own merch holding sections

Well it appears that the studios will open at 7 if I read the calendar dates right

Looks like I will miss early entry those days as I won't be up that early in the morning

Ok perfect, thank you so much! I am assuming they opening US early due to HHN. Thank again, hope you have a good trip!

 

[imprint]

Unless you are using the Shrek movie as an opportunity to rest, I would rather ride Men in Black and Mummy. Actually, I'd take advantage of those express passes and ride Mummy back-to-back.

 

[epcotty]

park hopping twice takes up time but I see what you're doing, that might be the way to get the lowest wait times. seems good

 

[SouthAfricaTraveller]

park hopping twice takes up time but I see what you're doing, that might be the way to get the lowest wait times. seems good

Thanks so much, I really appreciate the feedback so much! It is going to be a rough, but hopefully awesome day! XX

 

[schumigirl]

How awesome! Absolutely, what a bonus that would be!! Hope you have a great trip too!!

Thanks.....I'm sure we will........

Park hopping is not so bad especially with the HE......very handy. The parks are not that big so it really doesn't feel like it's much of an effort.......

We park hop 3 times sometimes in one day......depends what we feel like and if we are staying all day in the parks which we don't often do......but it feels easy when we do.......

 

[SouthAfricaTraveller]

Thanks.....I'm sure we will........

Park hopping is not so bad especially with the HE......very handy. The parks are not that big so it really doesn't feel like it's much of an effort.......

We park hop 3 times sometimes in one day......depends what we feel like and if we are staying all day in the parks which we don't often do......but it feels easy when we do.......

Thanks a mill, I am feeling pretty happy about our plan! We have done hectic days at Disney, from early opening staying till the end of the MVMCP, so we are absolutely going to make the most of the day there! And my entire family loves trains, so I am seeing it as an added bonus!

 

[GaryDis]

1. Ride Despicable Me
2. Ride HP and the Escape from Gringotts

Despicable Me accepts Express Pass. Gringotts doesn't, AFAIK. Is there a reason you're choosing DM first?

 

[johde]

Definitely sounds like a workable plan. The only thing I'd consider is if your kids are the right height for Pteranodon Flyers (36" min. - 56" max height requirement unless accompanied by a child meeting the requirement.I would consider heading there right at 9:00. The ride doesn't accept EP and can get a long line fairly quickly.

I'm going to agree with the other poster. I'd do ROTM and MIB before doing Shrek. Shrek is cute if you got the time but I'd even do T2-3D before it.

With IOA closing at 7:00 you could Park Hop a 3rd time back over to IOA after USF closes and hit Seuss Landing and repeat some favorites.


Lastly, for future reference, with a group of 4 it can often do better booking a "throwaway" room at one of the 3 resorts that give unlimited express passes for cheaper than just buying the express passes. You also get Unlimited Express for 2 days (check-in day and Check-out day).

Have a great trip. With Unlimited Express you'll be surprised how much you can get done. Just keep track of time so you can get back to USF to ride the extra everything there before it closes. Like I said, you can always hop back to IOA after that to pickup more rides.