Newbies - want to surprise hubby with Harry Potter (one day, late arrival)

[Imaginette]

Hello US and IoA fans!

We've only done the US experience for HHN's, so it's limited in our experience. We've got a quickie trip scheduled, and I was hoping to surprise my Harry Potter (Slytherin really) fan of a Hubby with a jump over to see Hogsmeade after we arrive next Thursday (9/17).

I should mention that we know next to nothing about US, IoA, and we're Pooh-sized... so really the only ride that I know he wants to get on is the Hagrids bike ride (b/e he's not a roller coaster or simulation ride fan). He wants to look to shop, etc.

Work is slammed (year end), and this trip is in a week. My trip planning is out the window, but this seemed like an opportunity to try something new on that one day, since the rest of the weekend is already reserved at the house of the mouse.

I guess the main thing I need to know is the following:
1) Do I buy a ticket ahead of time, and since he wants to ride the train too, which one should I buy?
2) How late are the parks open at US and IoA? (aka - is this a big waste of $$$ if we can't arrive until maybe 1pm)
3) If you were a newbie like me trying to make his dream come true with this surprise, what would you concentrate on doing if you got the ticket that could go to both parks?

I really appreciate anyone's time that could take a few minutes to give me some advice. Thanks so much for reading this far, and I hope you have a wonderful day!

Imaginette

 

[TommyJK]

To answer your specific questions:

1) you will need a 1 day Park to Park ticket to enjoy all of Potter. Diagon Alley is in USF, Hogsmeade is in IOA, and the Hogwarts express connects the two. As a note, you should ride the Hogwarts express in both directions (From USF to IOA and then back to USF at some time or vice versa) as the experience is different in both directions.
2) This is where you are a bit out of luck. According to the calendar, USF is only open until 5:00 and IOA to 6:00. It really only gives you 4-5 hours to enjoy. Still perhaps doable if you're just doing the Potter areas, but it's a lot of $ for just a short period of time.
3) With only a short amount of time, if you are doing this, I would start in IOA and do one of Hagrids or Forbidden Journey rides while also checking out the shops and atmosphere. Then take the train over to USF, see if you can get into Olivanders for the wand experience (although I'm not sure how sign-ups work for it right now with covid. Someone else might be able to better explain). Do Escape from Gringotts, maybe a late lunch/early dinner at Leaky Cauldron, check out the shops, do some spells. Then take the train back to IOA (since it is open longer) to wrap up your day there, perhaps riding FJ or Hagrids (if you didn't ride one in the beginning). Get a Butter Beer for sure too.

Crowds *should* be quite light with low ride times since it should be quite slow now with school back in etc. I know you made this comment:

"he's not a roller coaster or simulation ride fan". Hagrid's ride is indeed a roller coaster, but it's not like a traditional coaster with a big hill and drop. It's very low to the ground with speed bossts, zigs and zags and a ton of theming that is really good. Forbidden Journey is kind of a hybrid Motion Sim dark ride. But it's incredible (my favourite ride in the world) and I suggest giving it a try too. Then, Escape from Gringott's is kind of a hybrid coaster/simulator but is also fantastic and I highly recommend trying it.

I know you mention you are pooh sized but all of the rides have test seats outside the ride that you can try. It's more about where you carry your weight and some seats are "modified" seats that fit larger individuals. There are lots of threads you can search for on this forum where larger people have shared their experiences on how well they fit. If you do a search of this specific forum for the word "Pooh" you will actually see a ton of threads on the topic.

 

[jdrum3]

Well, you would need the 1-day park to park ticket in order to ride the train and get to both parks. We started at Universal and entered Diagon Alley and it truly is a magical experience for HP fans. I think it's a little cooler to start there, then ride the train to Hogsmeade/Hogwarts as you go "through the platform" at King's Cross. Hagrid's is a roller coaster and I know sometimes can be hard, but shouldn't be any trouble on a Thursday.

 

[nkereina]

I should mention that we know next to nothing about US, IoA, and we're Pooh-sized... so really the only ride that I know he wants to get on is the Hagrids bike ride (b/e he's not a roller coaster or simulation ride fan). He wants to look to shop, etc.

There's a pooh sized thread on the Universal forum with discussion about which rides give people challenges. Unfortunately, Universal has a lot more challenging rides than WDW. But, a lot of it depends on where the weight is carried, height, etc. Rides that may pose any challenge will have a "test" seat near the queue entrance for people to check to see if they will fit in the seats with the restraints buckled before entering the line. I know Forbidden Journey has larger seats on the end of each ride vehicle, Gringott's may be a challenge if the legs are longer/larger, and I can't speak to Hagrid's.

You say he's not a roller coaster fan, but Hagrid's is mostly a coaster and the other HP rides are mostly simulators. Just FYI.

1) Do I buy a ticket ahead of time, and since he wants to ride the train too, which one should I buy?

You can buy at the gate if you want to. As mentioned, you'd need the park to park ticket to ride Hogwarts Express.

2) How late are the parks open at US and IoA? (aka - is this a big waste of $$$ if we can't arrive until maybe 1pm)

PP mentioned they close at 5pm and 6pm respectively. Since you'd be buying park to park tickets, I personally think it would be expensive for such little time. You'd get 2 hours or so in each park. While I think you can see a lot, I doubt you'd necessarily get the full experience with riding attractions, shopping, dining, etc. Plus with spending that kind of money, it'd be a shame to not enjoy the rest of the parks outside of the Potter areas.

 

[Imaginette]

Wow - I am sure glad I went to the DIS boards to ask this stuff - you guys are so generous with your information - thank you!

I just found out, due to COVID, they changed our flights. So I may be able to do a start-to-finish one-day experience, with Harry Potter being the sole focus of both parks. Maybe the Jurassic World thing with the scary dino that scares you for a picture? I know he would love to see that.

With school back in session, I would estimate that the weekends are the busy times at the parks. If you had to choose a day to visit to do the experiences mentioned above, in a one-day, two park HP and maybe JP experience, which of these days would you think would be better for lower attendance (pure guess, I understand)

• Saturday
• Sunday
• Wednesday
• Thursday
• Friday

I have to change around our hotel arrangements, park at Disney reservations, etc (AP holders staying at a resort), for a trip that starts in 9 days now (18th). This is an exciting challenge, but it's not something I have a lot of bandwidth or time to do b/e of work and family... mostly work.

OMG, the thought of his face when he realizes we're going to Hogsmeade is making me happy... Oh, and he has a wand (from a trip during HHN, when we accidentally found Diagon Alley).

Thanks so much in advance, I am going to read those pooh-sized forum posts tonight for sure!

 

[Imaginette]

(oh, and I have to change my banner - the trip to CA was cancelled, because COVID and no Disneyland / ABD trip... doh!)

 

[TommyJK]

Wednesday or Thursday will be your best bets.

For example, as I type this, Forbidden Journey has a 10 min wait, Hagrid's has 35 min, Gringotts has 10 min, and Olivander's shop for the wand experience has a 5 min wait at 1:00pm

 

[bchbetha]

So you'll be in Orlando and just taking a day out of a Disney trip instead of trying to tack it onto your travel day? Aka you can arrive for opening now? That's great! Definitely do a full day mid-week. Since you are Disney regulars I would totally sacrifice a day there to do Universal and IOA.
If you ever need a break, I highly recommend the Hogshead Inn patio in Hogsmeade. It's a great space to enjoy some Butterbeer, Fire Whiskey...

 

[Imaginette]

Wednesday or Thursday will be your best bets.

For example, as I type this, Forbidden Journey has a 10 min wait, Hagrid's has 35 min, Gringotts has 10 min, and Olivander's shop for the wand experience has a 5 min wait at 1:00pm

Tommy - you just made me a very happy camper - thank you! I guess you're using the app, so let me go get that lol. Thanks!

 

[Imaginette]

If you ever need a break, I highly recommend the Hogshead Inn patio in Hogsmeade. It's a great space to enjoy some Butterbeer, Fire Whiskey...

OMG, I tried the ice cream, but the frozen butterbeer is on my list. Hogshead Inn, eh? Sounds like it needs to be on the list

So you'll be in Orlando and just taking a day out of a Disney trip instead of trying to tack it onto your travel day? Aka you can arrive for opening now? That's great! Definitely do a full day mid-week. Since you are Disney regulars I would totally sacrifice a day there to do Universal and IOA.

Since I have to change the hotel situation now, I'm considering a split stay - aka, maybe we stay 2-nights on property at Universal. We've never done it before. Not sure if it's worth it b/e if we go on a Wed or Thur, it wouldn't really matter (early entry or express passes if you stay in a deluxe room).

I usually have MONTHS to plan this kinda stuff. I'm not even in my normal Disney "swimming pool" lane here. But, he's worth it... just keep swimming...

Thanks ever so much @bchbetha !

 

[cfoxga]

https://www.disboards.com/threads/wizarding-world-touring-plans-and-details.3666427/ is a "must read" for planning a 1- day Potter-centric trip. Hagrids usually takes special planning due to its popularity, but I wouldn't consider it a loss if you started in US and missed out on it...

 

[nkereina]

Maybe the Jurassic World thing with the scary dino that scares you for a picture? I know he would love to see that.

That's definitely a fun one! Its not a far walk from Hogsmeade either. I would definitely focus on the Potter areas, but if the crowds are low and you can make rope drop, you may have time to check out some other areas of the parks as well.

If you had to choose a day to visit to do the experiences mentioned above, in a one-day, two park HP and maybe JP experience, which of these days would you think would be better for lower attendance (pure guess, I understand)

I would choose Wednesday for sure. Best chance at lowest crowds, even if the difference is negligible.

I'm considering a split stay - aka, maybe we stay 2-nights on property at Universal. We've never done it before. Not sure if it's worth it b/e if we go on a Wed or Thur, it wouldn't really matter (early entry or express passes if you stay in a deluxe room).

We always do a split stay between Disney and Universal. We love the express pass perk at the premier hotels, and the premier hotels are also all walking distance to the parks which is so convenient. They're also beautiful resorts, so they're worth the stay. If you stay at a premier hotel, you'd get express pass on both check in and check out day. Doesn't matter if you only do one park day, but its something to consider.

As far as whether or not you'd need express pass, there have been some days with very low crowds where EP isn't warranted. Prior to covid, we'd never go without EP though. In the current environment, EP will still be faster than any standby line which allows you to maximize your park time. If a ride goes to virtual queue only during the day, you can still get on the ride whenever you want to with EP. No need to schedule a VQ time. Considering your time is limited, I do think EP would help to maximize it if you can swing the cost for a premier hotel (we love Hard Rock the best, but Royal Pacific is usually cheaper).

 

[bchbetha]

I love being onsite. The convenience is so nice. Roll out of bed and you're in the parks less than 15 minutes later. No getting in a car, just a nice stroll. Need a mid-day break? Your hotel (and pool) are right there. In the evening you have a kick a$$ hotel to chill in and with the limited park hours you will really be able to enjoy the parks and hotel. Win win!

 

[Dawn Peterson]

We took my HP obsessed 11 yr old and her 8 yr old sister 2 weeks ago. We had Diagon Alley to ourselves. It was amazing. Longest lines were for the train. Definitely ride it both ways if you can. Only real place express pass helped because crowds were low. We got our own compartment too which was nice. We signed the girls up for separate wand shows (just go around the back of Olivanders to the person with the clipboard) and grab a butter beer while you wait. They each got their own wand selected for them during the personal show because it is one family at a time. Jurassic Park is worth the trip outside HP if you have the time.