new blog: Harry Potter and the Stifling Horde: Summer 2010 Review

[MrsJackSparrow4Life]

Another suggestion that we made over and over here on the boards was to purchase the Harry Potter Package at one of the value priced hotels offsite. This gave visitors early entry for every day of their stay and included one day of breakfast at the Three Broomsticks. Packages were available with hotel prices well under $100/night.

I wish I had been looking at packages for Universal when they were offering the Harry Potter package without the ticket requirement. I already have tickets and can't afford to buy more just for an extra hour in the mornings.

Instead we decided to use my dad's Best Western Points and stay at the Best Western Universal Inn. We only have to pay for 3 out of our 7 nights and the total came up to less than 1 night at a Universal hotel.

With the money we are saving we get to stay longer and buy more of the goodies

 

[inkkognito]

"Summer" is the operative word and the main problem here. If you don't want a hellish experience, it boils down to one of two things:

1) Save somehow, even if it takes a while, for an onsite room. Better to delay the trip a year and have an enjoyable experience than to have miserable memories of the crowd.

2) Delay the trip. Summer is horrible at ALL the Orlando parks. As a local, I rarely go anywhere near them in summertime. With Harry, we booked a room during the preview, which got us in for two days, then did the soft openings as much as possible, then stayed far, far away until the offseason. I know it's hard for some people to travel at other times of year, but if you have to go somewhere during the summer, don't make it Harryland. Use that as the trip where you pull your kids out of school. Trust me...the difference is a matter of hell on earth vs. walk-on Forbidden Journey and leisurely enjoyment.

 

[theSurlyMermaid]

Additionally, I just cannot think of any theme park or experience worth the type of crowds you described (and showed pictures of). So it was almost doomed to fail before you even got to the park.

 

[Mouse Skywalker]

I already have tickets and can't afford to buy more just for an extra hour in the mornings.

You know that's something I had forgotten about. I had purchased tickets - 7 day/2 park tickets 2 years ago and had been sitting on them for the opening of WWoHP. So we didn't need the package plus tickets either.

 

[Snape]

Harry Potter is a popular character - how could people not know it was going to be hot (in the middle of summer) and packed (it's a brand new park). Did they not see opening weekend photos?

 

[Mouse Skywalker]

Harry Potter is a popular character - how could people not know it was going to be hot (in the middle of summer) and packed (it's a brand new park). Did they not see opening weekend photos?

Please, did you even read the article in question Snape? Because if you did, you would have read this was the third sentence.

We knew it would be hot and crowded this first summer, but were totally unprepared for the crushing mass of humanity we found.

Here's the link if you'd like to re-read it.

DIS Unplugged - Harry Potter and the Stifling Horde: Summer 2010 Review

 

[Brit_Jude]

I read the blog and thought it quite negative. However it was your experience, here was mine. I went to IOA the last week of July. We knew it would be hot and we knew it would be crowded but it was the only time my friend and her Children from England could be there. I equate the wait for FJ to the wait for Toy Story Mania. I personally think the wait lines at Universal/IOA are better than Disney as a lot are inside or have really good fans blowing. We nearly died at Backlot Tour at Hollywood Studios this last trip as there was no shade or fans. I have to say we really enjoyed our day at WWoHP and IOA. We were staying at Disney and I did my research here on the Dis and got to the gate at 7.30am, I had transportation pick us up at our Disney resort at 7.00am. Non resort guests were being let in as soon as we got there and then we lined up in Jurrasic Park until 8.30am when we were let in. We went straight to FJ and were not rushed through the castle at all, we got to experience everything. Can't remember the wait time but it didn't seem bad. We came out and those who wanted to went on Dueling Dragons those who didn't went in the stores. Stores were busy yes but again I knew it was so popular from what I had read on the Dis and had prepared everyone. Some of us went back on FJ using the single rider line - hardly any wait. We rode the hippogriff then we all went in the Three Broomsticks for Butterbeer. We knew to go into the bar area of the Three Broomsticks and not line up at the carts - again due to the tips on the Dis. We sat at the empty tables outside at the back, it was really quiet back there. While we sat some of us then experienced Moaning Mertle in the bathrooms. We took pics by the train then left. Toured the rest of the IOA. We came back to WWoHP later that day and again some of us rode FJ using the single rider lines. Watched the frog chorus and watched the triwizzard tournament show - we weren't disappointed with the length of the shows and they were so gracious about having pictures taken with people. We did skip Olivanders based on the long lines but those who wanted wands were quite happy to purchase them from the cart.

Based on the summer we have booked to stay on-site at Univeral Orlando at Christmas - we liked it so much This time we are staying on-site I know we are lucky to be able to afford this.