Park Planning Suggestions

[BobbyBond2]

Hello All,

23 more days until our UF/IoA trip (19 til MCO), and I'm trying to gauge park planning. We are AP Preferred, and we'll be using Express Pass for both Friday and Saturday since we are staying at Portofino, but I'm not sure where/how to start. I haven't been to Universal since 1999, so obviously, *everything* has changed. I've messed around with touringplans.com and park planning ideas, but if I know myself and 2 children, we won't follow any plan.

I'm looking for opinions on how we should tackle the day. On Friday, we'll be checking in early (bag check) at Portofino. My DD (10) is huge into Harry Potter, and my DS (7) is as well (not as much his sister). DD and I are thrill-seekers, and DS is looking forward to riding the big rides this trip now that he is almost 50".

Should we head into UO in the morning since we'll have early park admission? Hit EFG and Diagon Alley? Ride what we can in UO, then head over to IoA? Try to get a virtual spot on Hagrids at the same time? My kids both want wands, but the show at Olivanders could be long based on what I've been seeing.

I'm more confused than anything since Touringplans lists both parks as 9 and 10s for crowd levels. Compiling touringplans with Express Passes make it sound like we'll breeze right through everything, but I don't feel confident that will be the case.

Any suggestions will be well listened to!

Thanks!

 

[Kit Jackson]

This question is help give you a better answer. Do you kids want wands or do they want the show at Olivander's, because those are two different things. If you kids want wands, there are plenty of places to buy them in Universal without standing in line for the Olivander's show.

 

[macraven]

BB2
With you going late June, the parks normally have higher crowds at the end of June.

I always do early entry for specific rides as
some rides will have long lines early in the day

Take advantage of the early park admission

 

[fredandkell]

The early park admission is amazing. Arrive one hour before early park admission starts. Sometimes they open the gate 15 or 20 minutes early, plus it is a good 10 minute walk to get to the Harry Potter land. The first time we went, the hours spent in a relatively uncrowded Diagon Alley was absolutely spectacular.

if you look at other threads on the topic, he will find that most people do not recommend taking the Hogwarts express directly to Hagrid‘s after early hours. What happens is, all the people who are doing rope drop at Islands of adventure go straight Hagrid so by the time you arrive there on the train, the line is crazy. You can try to hit it later in the day or if they are running virtual queue sign up for it that way.
Honestly, since you have two days, I would spend one day with early admission at one park and the other day with early admission at the other park. That way you can hit Hagrid‘s upon opening and also have that magical hour in Diagon alley upon opening.

 

[SPSRAS]

I would absolutely go to Diagonal Alley for EE. Make your first stop the sign up to Ollivanders (it is around the other side of the shop across from the stage) Then ride Gringotts. Then go back for your wand and spend the most uncrowded part of the day exploring the shops and doing the spells. Make sure to set an alarm to get a spot on the virtual line for Hagrids. Depending on your return time you can then take the Hogwarts Express over when it is time. With express pass you do have a shorter line for HE but it still does often take 20-30 min. If you have time I recommend late breakfast or early lunch at the Leaky Cauldron before you HE. After you have that bit out of the way all the other rides are pretty easy with express so just do what is next and closest. Unless you want to do Velicicoaster- then you will have to rope drop Islands your second day. But with 2 Potter fan kids I would for sure do HP first. If you don't get a virtual spot to Hagrids your first day you can rope drop it your second. It is the best ride so worth the effort of riding.

 

[BobbyBond2]

Thanks everyone! Is Ollivanders "sign up" and return or wait in line?

 

[fredandkell]

Thanks everyone! Is Ollivanders "sign up" and return or wait in line?

I can't speak to the Ollivander's in Diagon Alley, but the Ollivander's in Hogsmeade was "wait in line." My kids really enjoyed the wand show, and of course I got shaken down for two more $56 wands (even though we had already bought some before we went, haha).