Strategy: Gringotts, then Hogwarts Express or vice versa?

[EMom]

We arrive in a few days. Clearly, it is going to be a madhouse. With EE, I want to get in and get out ASAP.....and I understand that will still be a loooooong time. What is the best strategy? Hit Gringotts and then ride Hogwarts Express over to Hogsmeade? Or enter at Hogsmeade, ride Hogwarts Express over to DA and then do Gringotts? Anyone know?

 

[MarkMichaels]

I would have to assume that you should do DA and Gringotts first, then get in line for HE. Sounds like HE has been manageable lines, not so for Gringotts.

Mark

 

[topdoll]

Universal started group passes for up to nine people at a time. Go to Men in Black ride and on the left side there is a que for the pass machines. We had 2:30 pm choice, later one was 530pm. Then show up at your time at the right side of Diagon Alley entrance by fear factor bathrooms and can enter right away no wait at all. The Gringots ride has a long wait, 2 hrs up to 6 hrs spending on crowd volume. If get the return later pass then won't have to wait in a 6 hour line to enter.

 

[topdoll]

Universal started return later passes for Diagon Alley at 1pm opening day. We got one for 2:30 pm and walked right in no line. Gringots ride has 2 to 4 hrs wait, first day was 6 to 7 hrs wait. Got passes from machines to the left of Men in Black ride.

 

[erocrobro]

This is our first trip to Universal and I am slightly confused by the return passes. Will we need to get one if we are staying on site and using EE? Our plan is to go straight to Gringotts and do it first. This will be July 29-31st.

 

[RMulieri]

This is our first trip to Universal and I am slightly confused by the return passes. Will we need to get one if we are staying on site and using EE? Our plan is to go straight to Gringotts and do it first. This will be July 29-31st.

It depends..Right now EE guests are arriving as early as 5-530am for a 7am EE opening and waiting on line to get in.My friend arrived around 6am and it took him about 45 mins just to enter Diagon alley once it opened for EE.it should die down a little before your trip.if it doesnt and they are still using the return tickets,and you can't or won't get there early early, you may want to get one to avoid waiting long.As for Gringotts, that has been an issue because it is 1) not running at 100% capacity and 2) is breaking down alot.Right now EE guests are waiting obscene amounts of time to try and ride .If the kinks get worked out by your trip, you will still likely have a wait, but nowhere near ( hopefully) what it has been thus far

 

[Susan2771]

It was crazy this morning. The ride was not up when we arrived at 6:35. Their are large masses of people at fear factor that have to be narrowed down to then get into a line up to enter diagon alley. That took over 20 minutes. If you are lucky that gringotts is working, I would do that first. We got to the express train at 9:00 and the wait was just a few minutes to get on and that was with ee people there and the park open to the public.