Universal for Non Harry Potter fans - should we still hit the HP section?

[MomToPirate&Princess]

We are planning a trip in June to Universal Studios as a side trip to our WDW trip. We've never been to Islands of Adventure before. DH and DS9 are huge thrill ride fans (DD7 and I - not so much). Anyway, none of us are really Harry Potter movie/book fans.

With the size of the crowds in the summer in the HP section of the park, are there attractions in that area that would still interest a non Harry Potter family or would we not really get enough of the references to appreciate it? Is Forbidden Journey worth it in itself as a ride even if we haven't seen all the movies (or any beyond the 1st one)? What about the other coasters / attractions in that section?

Thanks.

 

[Moon Child]

Forbidden Journey is so worth it! My youngest son is 8, not a big Harry Fan at all and it was his fav ride, in Disney and Universal!

 

[macraven]

i'm not a parry hotter fan and truly enjoyed the FJ ride.
even the shop windows are great to check out.

the ambiance of the place is well worth checking out!



i have tried to watch the movies but it's just not my thing.
haven't read any of the books either, and still had a great time in that section.


there are movies and books that many have not read and can still figure out the story line.....
jaws, MIB, Shrek, ET, Spiderman, etc....

 

[Bonniec]

If you like thrill rides, FJ is awesome. And totally worth going in for a butter beer, lol.

 

[Eclectic Goddess]

Admittedly, I AM a Harry Potter fan, so I might be biased, but I'd say it's still worth it for Forbidden Journey, because they really pulled off something amazing there. If you like coasters, the Dragon Challenge is also worth the ride.

My suggestions if you do decide to visit it are to enjoy the rest of the park first thing - it's almost empty for the first couple hours because most people head for the Wizarding World. You'll be able to walk on rides that usually have long waits. Save Forbidden Journey and Dragon Challenge until later in the afternoon when the crowds have moved on to the rest of the park, and then make use of the single rider lines. For FJ, the single rider line cuts out about half the trip through the castle, but if you're not a fan anyway, you probably won't miss it.

 

[mesaboy2]

1. With the size of the crowds in the summer in the HP section of the park, are there attractions in that area that would still interest a non Harry Potter family or would we not really get enough of the references to appreciate it?

2. Is Forbidden Journey worth it in itself as a ride even if we haven't seen all the movies (or any beyond the 1st one)?

3. What about the other coasters / attractions in that section?

Thanks.

1. Yes.

2. Definitely yes. While everything you see is HP-related, the ride technology itself is unlike most any other attraction anywhere.

3. Flight of the Hippogriff is a small "kiddie" coaster and Dragon Challenge is a two-track inverted coaster. Both can be enjoyed without knowing a lick about HP.

 

[damo]

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is very much just a Wizarding World if you know nothing about Harry Potter. There are wizard things and dragons and medieval style things. Just because you aren't familiar with the actual storylines, doesn't mean you can't enjoy a land filled with stuff about wizards and magic.

 

[pjynx]

I would say it's still worth it to go the WWOHP, even if you aren't an HP fan.

I cannot stand the HP movies (where's my flame-retardant suit? LOL). DD lives and breathes HP. I've tried watching the movies, they just don't interest me. But we went to Universal last year and I was blown away by all the detail in WWOHP! It was probably the best part of our vacation last year.

Now, maybe part of the enjoyment for me was seeing my dd have the time of her life. So if nobody in your family is into it, then maybe it won't be a big deal. But if you're going to Universal anyway, it won't cost you anything else to pop in there and see some of it.

 

[torinsmom]

We are not big HP fans, but we really enjoyed Forbidden Journey! As far as Flight of the Hippogriff, that ride is over before you even get comfortable in the seat