New Years Day at IoA

[jgh]

I know you guys are absolutely sick of these "will it be crowded on ____ day?" threads. I hate to be a contributor...but you guys are so helpful to us Universal-newbies!

One more?

My fiance and I have a chance to ride down to Orlando with my father, who is attending a football game in Orlando on January 1st. We decided...what the heck?! We always go to Disney...and we've wanted to see Universal for a WHILE now. I've been once (years ago...when I was...12?) and fiance has NEVER been.

New Years Eve will be spent driving and then after noon we will be at DTD...going to bed early to get to Universal as soon as we can. Staying off-site.

New Years Day...planning on arriving to the gates around 8am (is that soon enough?). Park opens at 9am and we will have to purchase our tickets at the gate, we will be leaving the park around 5pm to head home. If we can ride both Spiderman and Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey we will be happy. We also are planning on buying wands, going to all of the shops in Hogsmeade to stock up on candy and other doodads as well as the Marvel shop(s).

We both know it's going to be super crowded, and in my head I'm expecting shoulder to shoulder mayhem (hmm...maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised?). I've read it won't be New Years EVE crazy...but from those who have actually been on New Years Day...what can we REALLY expect? I've been getting mixed reviews online.

Should we arrive to the gates earlier than 8am?
Is there a ticket window at the entrance of IoA, or is it elsewhere?
Will we even be able to see Hogwarts and Hogsmeade?
Will we be able to shop at all?

Harry Potter and Marvel are our main objectives...as those are two of our favorite things.

 

[macraven]

i would plan on arriving at the gate early.
the early entry park guests will already be in the park when the official opening occurs.

the ones staying onsite that celebrated NYE, might not be interested in using the EE perk that morning you are there.

at least you will be ahead of the rest of the pack behind you if you are at the gate early.

parry hotter will have peeps in it but you should be able to do the area.
use the single rider line for FJ.



why not buy your tickets on line through the UO website?
you can pick the tickets up at the kiosk outside the park and say a bit of time.

you would need to order the online tickets 24 hours in advance prior to pick up.

 

[Disneyqueendenmark]

I don't have any advices sorry, but would just add that if you buy the tickets online you can also print the tickets at home, so that you just go to the entrance and scan your tickets that saved me alot if time yesterday.... (Plus I think you save some money when buying online!)

 

[A Mickeyfan]

You can say I am crazy, but last year I didn't think NYE was that bad, NY Day was worse! I can't wait to compare it to this years yes, I am crazy.....

 

[macraven]

I don't have any advices sorry, but would just add that if you buy the tickets online you can also print the tickets at home, so that you just go to the entrance and scan your tickets that saved me alot if time yesterday.... (Plus I think you save some money when buying online!)

this is good.
print them at home before you leave!

it's a real time saver.

 

[macraven]

You can say I am crazy, but last year I didn't think NYE was that bad, NY Day was worse! I can't wait to compare it to this years yes, I am crazy.....

the OP will be at the darkside on new years day.

it will be dtd at the motherland on nye.


mickeyfan, are you hitting the darkside parks nye this year?

 

[A Mickeyfan]

the OP will be at the darkside on new years day.

it will be dtd at the motherland on nye.


mickeyfan, are you hitting the darkside parks nye this year?

darkside for me.. unless my friend's pass expired usually I am there with my sister. My sister can't make it this year so she will be there on the 30th Her husband had surgery and is in a wheelchair. She doesn't feel he would be comfy being in the parks so she is meeting me for just the one day, then going back home (she is only an hour away). I want to be there for NYE. Last year I was there with friends & my sister, and we managed to get on WWoHP in less than 45 minutes! Then we did it again in singles. It was freaking cold, but crowds were really not that bad. It was actually more crowded the next day, on the 1st.

If my friend's pass expired and she doesn't renew,then it will be over the other end of town.. maybe EPCOT.. I won't go near the MK on NYE.. I am crazy, but not delusional in thinking I could breath in that crowd

 

[jgh]

Thanks for the tips everyone! Sounds like I definitely need to go ahead and purchase our tickets! Thanks!

 

[Metro West]

Thanks for the tips everyone! Sounds like I definitely need to go ahead and purchase our tickets! Thanks!

Yeah...it will definitely help to have tickets in hand so you aren't standing in the ticket lines.