Touring Universal 12/28 and 29

[twopoohs]

I'm seriously freaking out. OK, maybe not as bad as I think, but like most of you I can draw up a Disney touring plan in my sleep. Universal has me completely flummoxed.

We are staying onsite so we have early entry and FOTL passes. We are also purchasing park to park tickets so we can ride HE. However, I fully expect parks to close due to capacity on both days by very late morning or early afternoon (they did when we were there in 2010 and with both Harry Potter lands going it seems inevitable). Can we ride HE between USF and IoA if parks are at capacity?

Assuming we can't, I'm thinking we start at USF on 12/28, ride Gringotts, explore DA and then take HE to IoA by 11 and then stay there for the day. On the flip side, we sleep in on 12/29, go to IoA, ride the HE back to USF (so we can experience it both ways), catch anything we missed the day before in DA and then stay in USF the rest of the day.

I don't know, maybe we play it by ear but that really goes against everything I have done with Disney planning and my OCD touring planning is causing me to get really jumpy!!!

Meg

 

[johde]

Doing some research, USF/IOA closed to capacity for a few days in 2010 and 2011 but didn't in 2012 and 2013. In general, the furor hasn't been the same this year with the opening of Diagon Alley compared to Hogsmead in 2010. With staying onsite 90% of you planning is done. There are only 4 rides you need to worry about. Forbidden Journey, Gringotts, and Hogwarts Express that don't take Express Pass and Despicable Me that I've heard can be slow even in the express line.

I think you're right about the 28th getting up and hitting USF for EE at 7:00 a.m. I would see how the crowds go before deciding to sleep in on the 29th. Assuming the parks don't hit capacity, I would much rather see you take the HE ride a few rides then go back you the hotel to relax during the busiest part of the day. Return in the evening and repeat the process with EE at IOA the next day (assuming they add EE both parks).

Right now, we don't know for sure what happens with the HE if the parks hit capacity but I assume it will stay open because one train load of people leaves the park as one train load of people arrives. The net effect on attendance in the park is zero.