The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

[BGparadise]

I may be wrong but I think it only became a "preview" after Universal had a goof. It only became a preview when they announced the Grand Opening of 6/18. Since then the idea of a preview was introdeced as a way to manage everyone's expectations. I know that if I had booked a package for arrival prior to 6/18 and was only allowed in for two hours I would be a bit disappointed. It is definately a case of false advertising.

 

[MadeToLove]

Wow. So only two hours?
We have breakfast in the Three Broomsticks on our first morning at 9:30. We only get thirty minutes to eat? Are they going to kick us out at 10am sharp? How does that work?

Depends on when you are going. I think this 2 hour only deal had to do with a few things. One, FJ is having constant breakdowns and isn't ready to cycle with people for more than an hour or so at a time, so they limit the times available to ride to lower expectations of guests. Two, this is Memorial Day weekend, where they expect to be overrun with locals by noon, so best to have WWoHP closed off before they get there to lower their expectations of being allowed in. Three, lots of crazies on various boards (mostly AP holders and locals) who feel entitled for whatever reason, have been threatening to storm the gates and demand entry this weekend. For security purposes, its better to have the gate closed before the mobs decend.

I suspect by Tuesday, they'll be ready to let more guests in for longer periods of time.

But regardless, at least you know about the possiblity ahead of time and can plan accordingly. You'll have contigencies in mind and can go with the flow, make lemons into lemonade, etc... no matter what they do while you are there.

And if you are going June 19th or later, no problem, because by June 19th WWoHP will be open from open till close of the park.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

And if you are going June 19th or later, no problem, because by June 19th WWoHP will be open from open till close of the park.

...which of course does not guarantee that FJ will be operational.

 

[Momw/aplan]

Depends on when you are going. I think this 2 hour only deal had to do with a few things. One, FJ is having constant breakdowns and isn't ready to cycle with people for more than an hour or so at a time, so they limit the times available to ride to lower expectations of guests. Two, this is Memorial Day weekend, where they expect to be overrun with locals by noon, so best to have WWoHP closed off before they get there to lower their expectations of being allowed in. Three, lots of crazies on various boards (mostly AP holders and locals) who feel entitled for whatever reason, have been threatening to storm the gates and demand entry this weekend. For security purposes, its better to have the gate closed before the mobs decend.

I suspect by Tuesday, they'll be ready to let more guests in for longer periods of time.

But regardless, at least you know about the possiblity ahead of time and can plan accordingly. You'll have contigencies in mind and can go with the flow, make lemons into lemonade, etc... no matter what they do while you are there.

And if you are going June 19th or later, no problem, because by June 19th WWoHP will be open from open till close of the park.

We are going before the grand opening.
I really hope you're right that things will be closer to what package holders were expecting by Tuesday. I just really feel for those package holders who are there for this weekend only. And I'm worried that this is how my vacation will be as well.

You're right though. I'll make all the lemonade I can. (or better yet, I'll turn my pumpkins into pumpkin juice. ) It's just that I don't know if we'll ever get to go back and there's so much of it we were hoping to experience. I can't help but feel worried it'll be a whirlwind of in and out, and then be standing there outside the closed gates thinking Really? That's it; we're done? All that money and all that planning and all that anticipation and if we accidentally blinked we missed it?!

 

[Metro West]

I may be wrong but I think it only became a "preview" after Universal had a goof. It only became a preview when they announced the Grand Opening of 6/18. Since then the idea of a preview was introdeced as a way to manage everyone's expectations. I know that if I had booked a package for arrival prior to 6/18 and was only allowed in for two hours I would be a bit disappointed. It is definately a case of false advertising.

It's a matter of wording. This is a preview but for all intense and purposes it's a soft opening where things break down all the time. IMHO...a preview is where everything is ready to go and has been tested to make sure the kinks are out. A soft opening is a dress rehearsal where anything can happen and the hours are not known ahead of time...a kind of "fly by our seats" experience. Universal sold this as a preview of WWoHP instead of a soft opening which is what it is. Now everyone is upset that WWoHP is only open two hours and the FJ isn't working properly.

I've said this before but...I think all this secrecy is going to come back and bite them because of the lack of testing with people and crowds. Universal has been slick keeping the details from the public but they should know how to do things properly and how much is riding on this. They are going to fall flat on their collective faces if 6/18 comes and there are still problems. Or better yet...once the crowds arrive and nothing seems to work right because they never tested anything with crowds.

 

[nerdboyrockstar]

I don't know. I guess I figured how an exclusive preview of a new theme park attraction and island would work. You do have full access but your time is limited. After the guests left for the day, Universal went right back to getting the kinks worked out for the next day's opening.

Luckily, it is for each day of your trip. I know if this is still the case next week when I go, I'll spending a few mornings lined up waiting to be let into WWOHP.

 

[Darkestsong]

Royal Pacific Hotel has 1,000 rooms.
Portifino Bay has 750 rooms.
Hard Rock has 650 rooms.

Call me crazy, but I would rather spend two hours with less than 2,400 people in a 200 acre park than have all day with the crowds expected to be there from the 18th of June into the forseeable future. Likely a fraction of 2,400 people between those who will not get up each morning and they are still offering rooms so are not sold out. You likely will see twice as much in two hours, in a much more relaxing atmosphere, than most will see in an entire day once it opens to the general public.

Sounds like a real deal to me, a much more enjoyable experience, and nothing to complain about at all.

 

[scottmel]

Royal Pacific Hotel has 1,000 rooms.
Portifino Bay has 750 rooms.
Hard Rock has 650 rooms.

Call me crazy, but I would rather spend two hours with less than 2,400 people in a 200 acre park than have all day with the crowds expected to be there from the 18th of June into the forseeable future. Likely a fraction of 2,400 people between those who will not get up each morning and they are still offering rooms so are not sold out. You likely will see twice as much in two hours, in a much more relaxing atmosphere, than most will see in an entire day once it opens to the general public.

Sounds like a real deal to me, a much more enjoyable experience, and nothing to complain about at all.

I doubt these people are vacationing alone....i would say there are at least 2 - 3 per room if not more...

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

Royal Pacific Hotel has 1,000 rooms.
Portifino Bay has 750 rooms.
Hard Rock has 650 rooms.

Call me crazy, but I would rather spend two hours with less than 2,400 people in a 200 acre park than have all day with the crowds expected to be there from the 18th of June into the forseeable future. Likely a fraction of 2,400 people between those who will not get up each morning and they are still offering rooms so are not sold out. You likely will see twice as much in two hours, in a much more relaxing atmosphere, than most will see in an entire day once it opens to the general public.

Sounds like a real deal to me, a much more enjoyable experience, and nothing to complain about at all.

IoA is 200 acres, or WWoHP?

 

[DisneyGerry]

Ahem. "101" is a DISNEY term. Not a Universal term. I am not permitted to tell you the proper Universal term, but I can tell you that "101" is something you will only hear if it happens to be 1:01pm.

If you were to talk to a Universal TM and mention/ask about something being "101" they will have no idea what you're talking about.

This post is for clarification purposes. Thank you and enjoy some butterbeer!

10-4, i need to try the frozen butterbeer

 

[Darkestsong]

IoA is 200 acres, or WWoHP?

typo, 20 acres actually.

And point taken, but my point remains the same. Even with 5000 - 6000 people, as I said nothing to complain about, you should be able to see more in two hours and much more comfortably than those coming in when it opens to the public will see in an entire day.

 

[Graciesmom77]

I bought the Harry Potter package as soon as it came out. I would be SUPER mad right now if I were only allowed in for 2 hours. It is not my fault that Universal started selling the packages 3 weeks before they planned to actually open the park. These packages were NEVER sold as "previews" or "soft openings". Its crazy that after people spend all this money on tickets and hotel and flights, that Universal is now "allowing" people who paid the money for a Harry Potter trip,to spend 2 hours there. It doesnt matter that they were informed at Check in. By that time, what are you going to do, cancel your vacation? You're already there!

This is a serious screw up and its really not fair to the people who spent the money in good faith, to not get what they paid for. Its kinda sad that something so fun and amazing (to us Potterfans atleast) is being messed up. I am just bummed now.

 

[nerdboyrockstar]

I was ready to cancel my trip if the land or Forbidden Journey didn't open to on-site guests and package holders as planned.

 

[Lou Holtz]

typo, 20 acres actually.

And point taken, but my point remains the same. Even with 5000 - 6000 people, as I said nothing to complain about, you should be able to see more in two hours and much more comfortably than those coming in when it opens to the public will see in an entire day.

Its really obnoxious to tell people who are upset at being mislead that there is nothing to complain about. CLEARLY, there is. The logic makes no sense. Why should they be happy about getting two hours with 5000 other people instead of the full nine or ten hours with 5000 other people? Trying to justify something as "good enough" when that's not what people were expecting is really annoying.

 

[DisneyGerry]

Surely IOA was more crowded than usual today since rumors were rampant of a potential 'soft opening.'

Dueling Dragons opened up around noon-ish

Id think if i had the am preview--id probably pass on the breakfast reservations and spend my 2hrs a little more wisely on FJ, Hogsmeade, etc.--I wonder if you can exchange the breakfast for a lunch of something somewhere else in USF/ IOA later in the day?

 

[Darkestsong]

Its really obnoxious to tell people who are upset at being mislead that there is nothing to complain about. CLEARLY, there is. The logic makes no sense. Why should they be happy about getting two hours with 5000 other people instead of the full nine or ten hours with 5000 other people? Trying to justify something as "good enough" when that's not what people were expecting is really annoying.

Not trying to make light of people being upset, I was merely pointing out a silver lining. Universal Studios gets 6,200,000 annually according to the latest statistics. I would bet it would be higher this year with this opening. There will not be 5,000 -6,000 people there when they open it to the GP. Personally I would much rather experience it with very light crowds for a couple hours than barely being able to move and standing in seven hour lines (I have seen those estimates posted on these boards) for an entire day. Just my opinion though.

 

[FINFAN]

Surely IOA was more crowded than usual today since rumors were rampant of a potential 'soft opening.'

Dueling Dragons opened up around noon-ish

Id think if i had the am preview--id probably pass on the breakfast reservations and spend my 2hrs a little more wisely on FJ, Hogsmeade, etc.--I wonder if you can exchange the breakfast for a lunch of something somewhere else in USF/ IOA later in the day?

good idea/option....it is rough for the package holders, and to be honest, again, I think an evening time should be allowed, while many can do a thrill ride at 8 a.m., it is not everyone's cup of tea.

 

[Cdn Friends of Pooh]

Here is video of a walkthrough of Hogsmeade and another of Ollivander's Wand Shop. Enjoy!

 

[shl1108]

Here is video of a walkthrough of Hogsmeade and another of Ollivander's Wand Shop. Enjoy!

LIGHT CROWDS!!! YAY!
Easy to get around...excited to be part of the preview, even if for two hours.

 

[Lou Holtz]

Not trying to make light of people being upset, I was merely pointing out a silver lining. Universal Studios gets 6,200,000 annually according to the latest statistics. I would bet it would be higher this year with this opening. There will not be 5,000 -6,000 people there when they open it to the GP. Personally I would much rather experience it with very light crowds for a couple hours than barely being able to move and standing in seven hour lines (I have seen those estimates posted on these boards) for an entire day. Just my opinion though.

You're making an incorrect comparison. These people aren't going to be there after the Grand Opening. They are on vacation. Its not choose A or B. They are here NOW and only now. The people who show up after the GO still have one hour early access, unlimited express on the other two rides, and once per day on FJ. So its only ONE more hour than everyone else will be getting anyway. I don't see how anyone would rather have one extra hour with lower crowds and then zero access rather than being able to walk around it all day, still having express.