Riding the Hogwarts Express w/o lines (and how intense is Gringotts?)

[KatieCharlotte]

We're going to Universal in late June and staying three nights at a deluxe resort. This is our first time tackling a Florida theme park in the hot, crowded summer, but we'll have early entry and the EP. I'm just not sure how Hogwarts Express fits into that. I have kids who love HP and don't like thrill rides, so Hogwarts Express will be an important part of the trip and something they will want to ride multiple times. We have been to IoA, and they really enjoyed Hogsmeade and Ollivanders during early entry. I'm the only one who wants to brave FJ again, so I will use single rider. Some of us will try Gringotts. So...

What's our best plan for Hogwarts Express? Is it not open during EE even if both parks are open? Will we have really long lines from early morning until late night if they want multiple rides? Can you usually stay on to ride back or only when lines are really short?

Also, I need as many opinions as I can get on Gringotts. My DD loved Spiderman and thought FJ was "too much." Where does G fall on the spectrum? Also, my DS will brave it only if there's "no drops bigger than Maelstrom." I'm guessing there are?

 

[2girlsmom]

You can't stay on HE ever, as far as I have seen they ALWAYS make people disembark and then get back on through the line again, and there is no express line. It generally opens shortly after both parks open (generally only 1 park is open during EE). As far as Gringott's is concerned, the drop is small, but you are kinda held over it which builds suspense. It is certainly not more physically intense than Spiderman, though, I would guess that yours will enjoy, as my ride chicken dd does. Ollivanders in Diagon is MUCH larger, so don't usually have much wait to do that on that side, we've done several times. The interactive wands are really neat, though, so be prepared, with HP fans, they will likely be wanting those.

As far as lines on HE, we have found generally not long lines, usually less than 10 minutes in the mornings. It tends to back up a bit in the afternoon, but not usually longer than 30 from what we've seen.

 

[HM]

HE lines actually seemed a lot shorter in the late afternoons and night, to us. They seemed busiest before noon.

You can't stay on to ride back. You will have to exit and reenter.

 

[rangebob]

I don't know if they changed the app or is 15 miles away is OK to get wait times. I'm showing wait times at both stations 10 minutes and a 10 minute at Gringotts at 10:35

 

[hpriamson]

Don't be surprised if they change their mind and don't want to redo Hogwarts Express. The ride is different each direction, but it's not really a "Wow, lets do that again!" ride. You're basically sitting in a closed train car and looking out the window at some prefilmed scenes. And (minor spoiler)

Spoiler

The voice actors they got for Harry, Ron, and Hermione don't sound anything like the originals. Especially Hermione.

 

[HM]

Don't be surprised if they change their mind and don't want to redo Hogwarts Express. The ride is different each direction, but it's not really a "Wow, lets do that again!" ride. You're basically sitting in a closed train car and looking out the window at some prefilmed scenes. And (minor spoiler)

Spoiler

The voice actors they got for Harry, Ron, and Hermione don't sound anything like the originals. Especially Hermione.

And let me add, here, that you are also in the car with stangers unless you are a party of 8.

 

[HM]

I don't know if they changed the app or is 15 miles away is OK to get wait times. I'm showing wait times at both stations 10 minutes and a 10 minute at Gringotts at 10:35

I've been watching wait times for the parks this week on my iPad app and have been surprised how short they've been all day long. This must be the week to go if you want the place to yourself.

 

[johde]

As far as wait times on Hogwarts Express, the lines tended to be short from park opening until about 11:00. From Lunchtime until 4:00-5:00 was peak wait times of 30-40 minutes then it tapered back off again in the evening.

I think your DD will do fine with Gringotts. My best way of describing it is the lovechild of Spiderman and the Mummy. It contains elements from both it's parents but it is not as intense as their one. You have the motion base and screens like Spiderman but the spinning and tilting is not as intense. At the same time the ride in on a roller coaster track like the Mummy. With a couple of short roller coaster sections and a couple of launches. The roller coaster sections are very short and the height of the only "big" hill is dependent on where you sit. But even from the "top" it's maybe only 40-50 feet and not very steep. So, a little longer than Maelstrom or Pirates but a similar gradual shallow drop.

 

[KatieCharlotte]

I've been watching wait times for the parks this week on my iPad app and have been surprised how short they've been all day long. This must be the week to go if you want the place to yourself.

Sadly, I have a teenager who can't miss school now, so we get to experience major crowds. I'm glad to know Hogwarts Express lines won't be torturous. I know it's not the most exciting ride ever, but my kids went on Cat in the Hat three times and still talk about how much they loved it. DS is excited about a HP ride that won't make him nervous.

 

[KatieCharlotte]

As far as wait times on Hogwarts Express, the lines tended to be short from park opening until about 11:00. From Lunchtime until 4:00-5:00 was peak wait times of 30-40 minutes then it tapered back off again in the evening.

I think your DD will do fine with Gringotts. My best way of describing it is the lovechild of Spiderman and the Mummy. It contains elements from both it's parents but it is not as intense as their one. You have the motion base and screens like Spiderman but the spinning and tilting is not as intense. At the same time the ride in on a roller coaster track like the Mummy. With a couple of short roller coaster sections and a couple of launches. The roller coaster sections are very short and the height of the only "big" hill is dependent on where you sit. But even from the "top" it's maybe only 40-50 feet and not very steep. So, a little longer than Maelstrom or Pirates but a similar gradual shallow drop.

Excellent. Thank you. My kids like to have as much detail as possible to prepare themselves. How would you describe the Mummy drops? I went on it several years ago and loved it, but I remember it being scarier than I expected and DH felt sick because he never recovered from Simpsons.

 

[schumigirl]

Sadly, I have a teenager who can't miss school now, so we get to experience major crowds. I'm glad to know Hogwarts Express lines won't be torturous. I know it's not the most exciting ride ever, but my kids went on Cat in the Hat three times and still talk about how much they loved it. DS is excited about a HP ride that won't make him nervous.

Oh he will love HE then..........it is quite amazing even though as you say......it's not the most exciting, but it is so much fun and so well done

 

[HM]

Sadly, I have a teenager who can't miss school now, so we get to experience major crowds. I'm glad to know Hogwarts Express lines won't be torturous. I know it's not the most exciting ride ever, but my kids went on Cat in the Hat three times and still talk about how much they loved it. DS is excited about a HP ride that won't make him nervous.

I am also held captive by school schedules. We visited over Spring Break in March. HE lines varied from 20 minutes to 60 minutes mostly.

 

[KrisM]

I've been watching wait times for the parks this week on my iPad app and have been surprised how short they've been all day long. This must be the week to go if you want the place to yourself.

We were there Tues and Wed and nothing had much wait at all. HE was pretty much a walk on both ways, both days. Just time to walk through and wait for the train to come, really. The only time we saw it busy was shortly before 1 park closed and the other was still open.

 

[johde]

Excellent. Thank you. My kids like to have as much detail as possible to prepare themselves. How would you describe the Mummy drops? I went on it several years ago and loved it, but I remember it being scarier than I expected and DH felt sick because he never recovered from Simpsons.

The drops on the Mummy aren't bit but they are steepish and happen at the end of of launches so you do get a couple of decent sized pops of airtime (that coming out of your seat feeling). The first big one is at the end of the incline launch after the turntable. You go over the hill and turn at the same time. There's a smaller pop of airtime after the fake unload.

Gringotts really doesn't have any noticeable airtime. On the "big drop" the track tilts then the train is let go.

 

[Brenda Kim]

The drop at Gringotts is right away in the beginning of the ride. Where Bellatrix LaStrange holds you teetering on the edge of the track for a few seconds before plunging the car almost at a 90 degree angle down. It is a small drop considering about 20 feet, but the teetering at the top and angle of the drop make this scarcer then both Maelstrom or the Mummy. When I went on the ride the first time it had a malfunction and we were stopped, on the side of the that slope for what seemed like an hour, but was actually probably 5 minutes, staring straight down! The effects turned off and we were in darkness, the only light from the ride loading area directly behind us as the full weight of my body was held up by the safety restraints. Can you say OMG!!! The rest of the ride was very mild in comparison and we were offered to ride again, which everyone did. The second time everything worked according to plan and the drop at the beginning seemed mild. But it is still straight down drop and a little more intense that way than the Mummy or Maelstrom. The other poster is right on there is no "airtime" on Gringotts, nor does it go backwards like Mummy.

The Mummy depends upon where you sit. At least for me. I get a tickle in my tummy in the portion that goes backwards if I sit in the front two rows, but not if I sit in the back two. The first portion is mild and then when you think the ride is complete and they shoot you up that hill into the roller coaster portion it is like Rock N Roller Coaster at Disney's Hollywood Studios only much less intense and no upside down loops or corkscrews.

I get really sick on the Simpsons if I sit in the anywhere but in the bottom row of cars off to the side. Those seem to be a little better for my motion sickness, but I still get sick, just not as bad. If you have to ride the Simpson's wait until the end of the day and ride it last, that way it won't ruin any of your other rides. I don't get sick on any other rides at Universal, but I bet I would if I rode them right after the Simpsons, that motion with the huge movie screen is no bueno on sensitive stomachs.

 

[SmallWorld71]

FWIW - I find Mummy to be too much and I loved Gringott's! While they are somewhat similar in coaster intensity the Mummy is so loud and seemed so much scarier to me! I was terrified on Forbidden Journey!
I would say if she can handle the scary factor of Spiderman with the coaster of BTMRR or Space Mountain, then she is good to go on Gringott's.

 

[Patch'sD]

I've been watching wait times for the parks this week on my iPad app and have been surprised how short they've been all day long. This must be the week to go if you want the place to yourself.

Not quite, The were a lot of people in the Harry Potter sections of the parks. Both rides got up to about 30 minutes during the day. Most of the rest of Parks averaged between 10 and 30 minutes for normal wait times during the day. USF was open till 9 PM on Monday, 6 PM on Tuesday, 9 PM on Wednesday, 8 PM on Thursday. IOA closed at 7 PM Monday through Thursday. Both parks closed at 6 PM on Friday and Saturday for Grad Night. At Park Closing both Forbidden Journey and Escape from Gringots had no waits. But it does take at least 5 minutes to walk through the long queues. Never used Early Entry or needed it. Always got to the parks about 10 AM on most days except for Tuesday Morining due to the pooring rain.