New to OU with a Few Questions....

[kcwiak]

I just booked a trip for myself, DH and 2 kids 10 and 12 at time of trip (June 2016). We are staying at RPR. We are there for 5 days but will do the parks 3 of them. Do you think 3 days will be enough with the perks we got from RPR (unlimited express, early open)? Is June really busy? With RPR we also get priority seating at restaurants - does this mean we really do not have to make reservations anywhere? Are there a lot of sit down type restaurants you would need this perk?

Would appreciate info on above and anything you can tell me since I have not been since 1997! TIA!

 

[snoopboop]

Hi there!

I think you will find that June will be quite busy... but the Unlimited EP is an amazing perk. You should be able to get a lot done in 3 days. I believe that you would be able to upgrade the 3-day ticket to a 4-day ticket before you leave the parks on day 3, if you do find that you want another day.

I have only used the priority seating benefit once or twice. In general terms, you really don't need to make reservations at any of the onsite restaurants. Mythos is the one that I do make sure I get a reservation for, but other than that, we've never had issues with walking up to a restaurant and being seated in a reasonable amount of time. There are lots of GREAT dining choices in the parks, at Citywalk, and at the onsite hotels.

 

[Brenda Kim]

Reservations only needed at Mythos (that is only so you don't have a 20 minute wait for a table and for Breakfast at the Leaky Cauldron, however the same breakfast is also at Hogsmead at the Three Broomsticks. The reservations are good so that if there is a line or long wait you won't have to chip away at valuable park time to wait for a table.

TIPS: Take advantage of the early admission to Wizarding World, it will be either Hogsmeade or Diagon Alley it should be in your welcome packet or I just asked the front desk when I checked in. (while standing 5 feet from a huge sign that showed we had early access to Diagon Alley LOL). In the early access ride the main ride, Escape from Gringotts or Forbidden Journey depending upon which park you have access to. Neither of them have the Express Pass line. Also ride any other rides that don't have the Express Pass early AM or later PM, when the lines are shorter. Having the Express Passes are worth their weight in gold for June crowds. Do escape the parks mid-day and eat at City Walk. Most of the restaurants at City Walk are better than the ones in the parks. Must dos on our trips are Antojiots and now The Cowfish. We also liked the new NBC restaurant but the portion sizes there are HUGE!!!!

Take advantage of the spa water at the pool at the RPR, we loved it so much I recreate it at home now. They had water jugs with pineapples in it and one with lemons when we were there (free). They also have free sunscreen at the pool as well, just in case you forgot yours or run out.

Three days should be more than enough to see everything and do your favorites a few times.

 

[kcwiak]

Brenda, what is this breakfast at Leaky Cauldron or Three Broomsticks? I thought these both were QS restaurants. Are they sit down for breakfast hence the need for reservations?

Also, is the early entry place the same every day or will it change day to day?

 

[snoopboop]

Brenda, what is this breakfast at Leaky Cauldron or Three Broomsticks? I thought these both were QS restaurants. Are they sit down for breakfast hence the need for reservations?

Also, is the early entry place the same every day or will it change day to day?

Not Brenda, but I can respond. The Leaky Cauldron and the Three Broomsticks both serve a pretty extensive breakfast menu. It is indeed quick service. The HP vacation packages through Universal tend to include a reservation for breakfast, though other guests can also visit (at any time, without reservations) for breakfast. Package guests are just issued (or get to choose) a particular date and time to be there. A Google Images search will bring up lots of pictures of the breakfast menu. Lots of yummy choices, including a traditional English breakfast with black pudding.

Early entry may change. In my experience, even the team members at the gates don't always have the current information. :-/ Lots of people seem to have good luck just checking at the front desk of the hotel to see which park has early entry on which day(s).

 

[kcwiak]

Not Brenda, but I can respond. The Leaky Cauldron and the Three Broomsticks both serve a pretty extensive breakfast menu. It is indeed quick service. The HP vacation packages through Universal tend to include a reservation for breakfast, though other guests can also visit (at any time, without reservations) for breakfast. Package guests are just issued (or get to choose) a particular date and time to be there. A Google Images search will bring up lots of pictures of the breakfast menu. Lots of yummy choices, including a traditional English breakfast with black pudding.

Early entry may change. In my experience, even the team members at the gates don't always have the current information. :-/ Lots of people seem to have good luck just checking at the front desk of the hotel to see which park has early entry on which day(s).

If we have a package and we are doing 3 days in the park (T,W,R) it would not be the same all 3 days would it? We would want to be able to get in both 1 day each.

Thank you "Not Brenda"

 

[snoopboop]

Not Brenda, but I can respond. The Leaky Cauldron and the Three Broomsticks both serve a pretty extensive breakfast menu. It is indeed quick service. The HP vacation packages through Universal tend to include a reservation for breakfast, though other guests can also visit (at any time, without reservations) for breakfast. Package guests are just issued (or get to choose) a particular date and time to be there. A Google Images search will bring up lots of pictures of the breakfast menu. Lots of yummy choices, including a traditional English breakfast with black pudding.



If we have a package and we are doing 3 days in the park (T,W,R) it would not be the same all 3 days would it? We would want to be able to get in both 1 day each.

My experiences have varied. On some trips it's been the same park for the whole time. On other trips, it has switched.

 

[kohlby]

The end of June is really busy. The first week of June isn't all that busy. So, it depends what part of June you are asking about. (When I checked school calendars, SC gets out at the end of the first week in June for most of the state. All the GA counties I know of get out in May. I only looked up Orange County in FL and they weren't out the first week of June, but were soon after. The northeast schools are still in session at the start of June however. I know many people who go to Orlando as soon as school gets out here in the southeast because June is usually much more comfortable than August. (This year's June was brutal where I am though).

As for 3 days being enough - it will be great if that's how much time you have. We like more when possible, but not everyone wants the same. The idea to add on a 4th day before you leave on the 3rd day is a good one.

 

[kcwiak]

We are planning on 6/13-17. Would love to do first week but my daughter has a dance competition. It rules our lives. UGH.

 

[Brenda Kim]

Not Brenda, but I can respond. The Leaky Cauldron and the Three Broomsticks both serve a pretty extensive breakfast menu. It is indeed quick service. The HP vacation packages through Universal tend to include a reservation for breakfast, though other guests can also visit (at any time, without reservations) for breakfast. Package guests are just issued (or get to choose) a particular date and time to be there. A Google Images search will bring up lots of pictures of the breakfast menu. Lots of yummy choices, including a traditional English breakfast with black pudding.



If we have a package and we are doing 3 days in the park (T,W,R) it would not be the same all 3 days would it? We would want to be able to get in both 1 day each.

Thank you "Not Brenda"

Hello it is indeed Brenda!!! And the pp are all correct, I thought perhaps since you are staying onsite you have the package that includes the breakfast in which you would need to make reservations. Also when I was just there it was only Diagon Alley that was early entrance, but that was due to Halloween Horror Nights because the whole park closed early. Same thing last year during HHN as well, only early access to Diagon Alley. Sometimes they stagger the parks with early access and sometimes they don't and Universal doesn't announce it ahead of time, or at least nowhere that I have seen. It was really weird this year because US opened at 8 AM regular time so early access was 7 AM, but IOA did not open until 9 AM so the Hogwarts Express ride between parks did not open until 9 AM. The year before that were we had early access to DA, both parks opened at 9 AM so at 8:45 AM after we had already done early access to DA we jumped in line on the Hogwarts Express to IOA and made it there before any other park guest got to Hogsmeade. So even if it is only one park the whole time for early access, take the HE and you can get the jump on the crowds at the other park!

It sounds like you have done your research and have asked the right questions, even though it is crowded in June your family will have the best time and plenty of time get to everything. I found that the people that respond on the disboards are so knowledgeable and helpful which is not as easy to find with Universal questions as it is with Disney questions. I love my fellow Dis-ers!!!!