Need some planning help!

[limace]

we are landing in Orlando about 4:45 pm on Saturday, March 9. We’ll be staying at the Hard Rock on an AP rate for two nights, checking out Monday, the 11th and heading to the Boardwalk. Traveling with my husband and kids 9 and 13.
-I feel like my family might feel the call of Volcano Bay but that seems too much to fit in with only two full and potentially one partial days. Thoughts? It’s about $40 a ticket more to add VB to the UT 2 day plus 2 day free tickets. If I buy those and do VB, I’d just upgrade to AP on my ticket by the end of stay and we’d be OK re AP rate?
-planning to buy the 2+2 tickets and upgrading mine to Power Annual. Anything I’m missing that makes this not a good idea?
-first night-thinking we might want to duck into the parks to get my son a wand and explore a bit (they’ve never been). I assume we’d have better lucky getting a wand at the park without the concert?
-daughter turns 13 the night before we go. Can we arrange something like a cake from the hotel? Was thinking of a bday dinner at Toothsome since she loves milkshakes.

I’m so excited! Had to read my unofficial guide secretly at six am yesterday since this is a surprise trip

 

[macraven]

You arrive about 5:00 pm Saturday
And depart Monday, but leaving once you check out

Check out is 11:00

You’ll have one full day to do both parks Sunday
Saturday you might hit the parks in the evening

I think you’ll be rushed to do both parks and volcano bay in that time period

Maybe do pool time at your hotel part of Sunday evening instead

Yes I know you can order cakes at hrh
They are delicious!

Call your hotel to set that up

Hope your daughter has a fantastic bd celebration at hrh!

Did you have a note listed on your reservation that you are celebrating her bd?

Call and have it noted if you didn’t
Staff will have a celebration button for her when you check in

If you buy the 2 +2 P2P tickets, you can upgrade to an ap
Easy to do that at guest services

 

[schumigirl]

I’d give Volcano Bay a miss too.......for your kids first visit they’ll enjoy the time at the parks so much....

Toothsome has a new milkshake......called Thrilla in Vanilla........looks good!!

Happy planning and hope you all have a great trip........

 

[DisneyMom93]

Personally I would skip Volcano Bay. We've never done it and don't miss it. Although I'm not sure my girls even know it exists.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

I think with that time frame, with HP fans who are first timers, you're not going to want to give up enough park time to make VB worthwhile. You have all the Universal pools to enjoy, then the Boardwalk pool.

If you decide to do VB, budget $100 to add that to your AP (not $40). Also on a budget front, note that for your upgrade to AP, your 2+2 ticket will typically only be valued as a 2 day ticket, not a 4 day. You can absolutely upgrade, but not at a huge cost savings.

Getting the wand in the evening is the best time - shortest wand show lines. RE which park - since US is blocked out for Season Passholders all day those people will all be in IoA, and extra crowds in US will be milling around the concert, it might be a wash crowdwise in the HP areas. You can A) start in Diagon Alley like Harry or B) start in Hogsmeade, since the FJ ride is chronologically before Gringotts. They're both fantastic. Or you might chose which park is open later. US will have a mass exodus as the concert finishes. At both parks, you can linger enjoying the atmosphere and doing spells after closing time.

Enjoy Toothsome, it's fantastic!

 

[limace]

Thank you all! This is helpful.

Caps lock, I wasn’t planning to upgrade my AP to one that includes VB-I was considering the UT ticket that includes VB and then upgrading that ticket to a 2 park Power AP. But you guys have convinced me-no VB this trip .

 

[CAPSLOCK]

Yes, I figured you didn't want to add VB to your AP - but if you had gone to VB, you can ONLY upgrade your ticket to the 3 park AP, so you'd have needed to budget for that.

 

[limace]

Oh good to know!