Ride Strategy Suggestions Needed (US/IOA)

[bymorris]

We're heading to Universal/Isle of Adventure next Monday Oct. 11th. and I've never been. I need help with a ride strategy. The goal is to ride as many rides as possible in one calendar day.

We're going to BOTH parks in one day. I see that Universal opens at 8:00am before Isle of Adventure opens at 9:00. Would the best strategy be to rope drop straight to the MUMMY @ Universal and then get on the HOGWARTS train to IOA and do all those rides and then come back to Universal at the end of the day?

Or maybe do all rides at Universal first and then go to IOA since they stay opened one hour later? Any advise would be appreciated.

 

[aubreighk]

Your strategy sounds best if you want to rope drop for earliest times, plus you’ll get to see both versions of Hogwarts Express! However, the Mummy usually has some of the lowest wait times in the park. I’d rope drop Rip Rocket instead. If you care anything about Harry Potter, Hogwarts in Islands of Adventure is best during the day and Diagon Alley in Universal is best in the evening - your strategy fits this approach.

 

[georgina]

We're heading to Universal/Isle of Adventure next Monday Oct. 11th. and I've never been. I need help with a ride strategy. The goal is to ride as many rides as possible in one calendar day.

We're going to BOTH parks in one day. I see that Universal opens at 8:00am before Isle of Adventure opens at 9:00. Would the best strategy be to rope drop straight to the MUMMY @ Universal and then get on the HOGWARTS train to IOA and do all those rides and then come back to Universal at the end of the day?

Or maybe do all rides at Universal first and then go to IOA since they stay opened one hour later? Any advise would be appreciated.

Ooh, Columbus Day crowds. How do you feel about single rider lines? Universal has a lot of them that can save you time, but you miss the preshows. I would not skip the pre-shows at the Harry Potter rides, but for Mummy, Men in Black, Transformers, Dr Doom, it works well. Hit or miss with Hulk and Rip Ride Rockit. I had good success last week with the SR line for Velocicoaster before 10 AM, but some parts of the day it was closed. I would either ride Hagrids and Velocicoaster very early in the day or toward the end of the night.

People staying at Universal resorts will be able to get into the Studios park at 7 AM for Harry Potter section, so the Hogwarts Express line may be long at 9 AM.

 

[g-dad66]

There are only two attractions open during the early hour at Universal: Gringotts and Minions. (Edited to add: Oops, I thought Early Entry was at 8am, but I see now that the 8am is regular opening. So everything will be open. Sorry about the error!)

I think scooting from Universal to Islands for its opening is a good plan, but everything I read says that it will be faster to walk over there than to wait for Hogwarts Express to get moving.

At Islands, I would get Hagrids, Forbidden Journey, and Velocicoaster done first. I would be inclined to do the rest of Islands before taking the Express to finish up at Universal, but you would only get the train ride one-way.

So instead, you might take the Express to Universal and do Mummy and any other priorities, then take the Express back to Islands to finish up, saving the water rides for last.