too short for FJ but want to see the castle?

[momtotwins]

this seems like an easy question but i cant find the answer anywhere. I have kids that will be too short to ride the forbidden journey but i think they would enjoy the castle walkthru. if we do the no ride option are they allowed to go?

 

[damo]

Yes, there is a castle tour. Go directly to the front entrance of Hogwarts and they will direct you.

 

[mesaboy2]

Yes, there is a castle tour. Go directly to the front entrance of Hogwarts and they will direct you.

Be aware that while you won't see all of the same stuff as the main queue, you will see most of the best stuff, IMO.

 

[momtotwins]

my plan was for the 4 of us to go through the castle tour together. than DH and myself to go seperatly through the single rider line.

or is there a better way to accomplish this?

 

[mesaboy2]

my plan was for the 4 of us to go through the castle tour together. than DH and myself to go seperatly through the single rider line.

or is there a better way to accomplish this?

Sounds like a good plan to me.

 

[lions1995]

my plan was for the 4 of us to go through the castle tour together. than DH and myself to go seperatly through the single rider line.

or is there a better way to accomplish this?

You can use rider swap. You can go through the normal line for the ride and get to see all the rooms. There is a break in the line near the end. Tell that CM you want to do a rider swap. One of you rides while the other stays with the kids and watch part of a HP movie in a small room. When the first rider returns, they stay with the kids while the other one rides. If you have kids that want to ride, they can ride with each of you and get an added bonus ride.

 

[macraven]

the rider swap has a great set up for families.

use it..

 

[bumbershoot]

Definitely use rider swap.

BUT! A little thought. The castle is dark and a bit gloomy. DS, who loves the movies he's seen and teh books we've read, who was tall enough on our first visit to ride, was too nervous to ride, and still (after a second visit where he actually did ride) is a bit skittish about going through the castle. Scares him. Too dark.

So just be aware that there might be some nervousness out of the kids.

 

[AJA]

If the CM's aren't slammed busy at FJ (and maybe even if they are ) if your kids a just a little too short now but do the castle tour anyway, they can get a castle certificate (more like a souvenir for us) to bring back with them on their next visit and go to the front of the line! It's very cool if you have HP fans, we're going to keep DD's as a souvenir, but you could use it as the only "fast pass" available for your next visit!

 

[damo]

If the CM's aren't slammed busy at FJ (and maybe even if they are ) if your kids a just a little too short now but do the castle tour anyway, they can get a castle certificate (more like a souvenir for us) to bring back with them on their next visit and go to the front of the line! It's very cool if you have HP fans, we're going to keep DD's as a souvenir, but you could use it as the only "fast pass" available for your next visit!

I've never heard of that before, what a great idea!

 

[macraven]

i know they do the certificate at disney and some at universal but did not know they have been also doing it at FJ.

FJ doesn't have an express line.

 

[AJA]

I've never heard of that before, what a great idea!

I had not heard of before either (maybe because the ride was so new and not many posters had traveled with young children?). We happened on it by accident while DD and I were shopping waiting for DH to finish his ride on FJ, a CM asked DD how she enjoyed the ride and DD responded "I'm just a tiny bit too short" the CM took DD to the counter and pulled out a castle certificate (its a gorgeous 8x10 paper picture of the Hogwarts castle) and it reads:

"Upon reaching the minimum height of 48" *childs name* joined by a party of up to five other people, may present this certificate at the entrance to Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey and gain priority admission"

I hope they are still doing this, it's really helps with the disappointment for those that are too small, especially if an older sibling is getting to ride, the younger one gets something special of their own.

 

[AJA]

i know they do the certificate at disney and some at universal but did not know they have been also doing it at FJ.

FJ doesn't have an express line.

Nope, but whatever priority admission is, you'll get it.

ETA and up to 5 people in the party may join the child.

 

[mesaboy2]

I'll back up AJA since we got one of these too last year when DD was just short. We kept it as a souvie too, so I don't know if it works or not. I have no reason to believe Universal wouldn't honor it--it does say something about skipping the regular line or some such verbiage.

ETA: Or maybe "priority admission".

 

[BrinkofSunshine]

If the CM's aren't slammed busy at FJ (and maybe even if they are ) if your kids a just a little too short now but do the castle tour anyway, they can get a castle certificate (more like a souvenir for us) to bring back with them on their next visit and go to the front of the line! It's very cool if you have HP fans, we're going to keep DD's as a souvenir, but you could use it as the only "fast pass" available for your next visit!

FJ definitely still gives out and accepts the height certificates.

 

[damo]

If you want to take your time and stop and look at everything in the castle, then definitely do the castle tour instead of just going through the line. Sometimes you have no time to stop and look at anything while in line.

 

[Babbletrish]

If you want to take your time and stop and look at everything in the castle, then definitely do the castle tour instead of just going through the line. Sometimes you have no time to stop and look at anything while in line.

When we went last week, they called it the "walking tour" and I honestly found it better than the ride itself! You go through an alternate pathway at first, then you join the real queue in, I think, Dumbledore's office. The effects are outstanding and the little details and in-jokes are terrific; being rushed through the ride queue you'd be missing them all.

The ride itself, incidentally... Ye Gods. The technology is superb, certainly, but the whole thing is like a rude gesture in the face of people who still think Harry Potter is for little kids. And that rude gesture takes the form of a Dementor eight inches from your face.

 

[momtotwins]

thanks for all the good information

both the single rider line and parent swap seem like good options

 

[heidi8]

What I loved about the Rider Swap is that they show a portion of Sorcerer's Stone, which is terrific even if it's the 99th time your kids have seen it. We're very familiar with the Swap space because my 6 year old daughter loves the ride and my 8 year old son will not go on it.