Ticket Questions RE: AP's and (separately) Hogwart's Express

[Imagineer5]

I have two questions! I just added on two days to my august trip to stay on-site and plan to visit again in October for 1 day.

1- For the least expensive annual pass - I noticed there is quite a large block out time from June-August (will be lifted by my trip). Does anyone know if this is normal, or simply due to HP DA opening? (i.e. trying to forecast 2015 blockout dates!) I tried looking for 2013 blockout dates to check but didn't find them. Also, do they add blockout dates randomly or do they announce them all at one time (when is this announced?). Thank you!

2- In October, I will be going with DH who will not be getting an AP. We planned to get a 1-day park to park ticket. A friend mentioned he thought he heard that in order to ride Hogwarts Express in both directions, you had to have a 2+ day park to park ticket. That sounds crazy to me - on the boards I am finding people are upset having to purchase the Park-to-park option to ride it, but maybe I am missing something? Thank you!

 

[macraven]

a 1 day PtP ticket will allow you to ride the HE.

 

[Imagineer5]

a 1 day PtP ticket will allow you to ride the HE.

Ok thanks, that is what I thought.

 

[johde]

I have two questions! I just added on two days to my august trip to stay on-site and plan to visit again in October for 1 day.

1- For the least expensive annual pass - I noticed there is quite a large block out time from June-August (will be lifted by my trip). Does anyone know if this is normal, or simply due to HP DA opening? (i.e. trying to forecast 2015 blockout dates!) I tried looking for 2013 blockout dates to check but didn't find them. Also, do they add blockout dates randomly or do they announce them all at one time (when is this announced?). Thank you!

In general, the blackout dates are announced all at once. For the past several years, it was IOA that was blocked out because of HP. This year it's USF. Blackout dates have always been Christmas and Easter. Summer seems to fluxuate both which parks and which dates.

2- In October, I will be going with DH who will not be getting an AP. We planned to get a 1-day park to park ticket. A friend mentioned he thought he heard that in order to ride Hogwarts Express in both directions, you had to have a 2+ day park to park ticket. That sounds crazy to me - on the boards I am finding people are upset having to purchase the Park-to-park option to ride it, but maybe I am missing something? Thank you!

Right now, there seems to be conflicting information on HE during busy times. At first, the rumor was 1 trip per day. Now, the rumor is on your first trip of the day, you'll to into a quicker line. Then if you want to ride again, you'll get into a "standby" line and have a longer wait. In either case, October shouldn't be that busy but you never know for sure.

 

[richmond282]

Right now, there seems to be conflicting information on HE during busy times. At first, the rumor was 1 trip per day. Now, the rumor is on your first trip of the day, you'll to into a quicker line. Then if you want to ride again, you'll get into a "standby" line and have a longer wait. In either case, October shouldn't be that busy but you never know for sure.

How will they know if you have already ridden it once? Do they scan our ticket or something?

 

[johde]

How will they know if you have already ridden it once? Do they scan our ticket or something?

They need to scan your ticket because boarding the HE involves going to the other park so they need to make sure you have Park to Park tickets.

 

[richmond282]

They need to scan your ticket because boarding the HE involves going to the other park so they need to make sure you have Park to Park tickets.

Gotcha. Thanks! I guess when they scan it, it somehow marks it as "used" for that ride? Seems like scanning every rider's ticket would take a long time.