Offsite...When to arrive & Strategy for HP?

[chrisn]

Sorry guys if this has been asked a bazillion times but please indulge me as I have no idea what to expect.

I need a plan of attack for WWOHP. Since we stay offsite (dad's condo), we can't take advantage of early access to the parks.

Will be in USO October 20-21 (Wed/Thur) How big of a disadvantage will this be for HP?

Does the park still open for the GP at 9:00? Can you advise as to what time to arrive to the park/gates?

When they let us in, we go straight to FJ. Any guestimates on how long of a wait there will be at that point?

And what about waits at the other rides/areas of park?

Is there a best time for minimal waits to see the Olivanders show?

Sorry so many concerns...didn't know whether to post single ?'s or just knock them all out here. We know the parks like the backs of our hands but have no idea how to handle this new adventure. Thanks!

 

[MrShiny]

Well, during the week in october should be much better than it was this summer!

But of course since there is little to go on, hard to tell!

If you get there at opening, judge the crowds. When we went at opening in the summer, they were handing out fast pass like tickets for timed entry in the Porty of Entry. Two of my party did that, the other two of us waiting in Jurassic Park.

It turned out that waiting in line only got us in about 40 minutes earlier than the passes.

I found that first thing the shops are empty (except of course the Olivanders line). I would do those first (especially Dervish & Banges/Owl Post) - so get your wand and post cards then.

The ride and Olivanders seemed to have shorter lines near closing rather than first thing.

We never waited for Butterbeer - we just went in the back entrance of Hogshead (the front was only for 3 Broomsticks) and sat on the bench (under the wonderful AC vent! Maybe not as wonderful in October, but glorius in August!).

I would play it by ear and go to whatever had the shortest line. Plan to spend the whole day at WWoHP and you should get to everything. If the ride has a line of 60 min or so, it's probably a good time.

 

[Gr8t Fan]

We were there on Monday, August 23rd. Got to IOA about 10:30 and did everything else we wanted to do. Wandered over to HP about 4:30 and the standby wait was 90 minutes. We waited, and the ride stopped a few times while we were in line, but we were in and out in 90 minutes. My girls and DH then used the single rider line immediately after that and they were on and off in about 15 minutes.