Universal (Islands of Adventure) private event

[usernamechuck]

I can't find that anyone has posted about this (at least not for several years), so I wonder if someone can help me with this. I'm attending a conference next month which has a private event in Hogsmeade, I'm trying to decide whether to pay for my wife and kids to come as guests. They have Hogsmeade from 10pm-midnight, and we can supposedly enter at 9pm. I've never been to Universal, we were planning on a couple days in Disney.

1. It looks like there are only 3 true rides in Hogsmeade, and only the Hippogriff is for smaller kids. (My daughter is 5 years old, 43 inches.) Any thoughts on whether she would enjoy it? I suspect my 9-year-old would have a blast.

2. The conference people say we can go through express lines starting 10pm, but can enter Islands of Adventure at 9pm, and can enjoy the "attractions" of it. Does anyone happen to know if we'd be able to go on the rides in the rest of the park?

3. Sorry for a basic question, but... how do you get onto rides at Islands of Adventure? If you're not in the express lane, do you have to get beeped through? In other words, if our lanyard is enough to get into the park, will it automatically get us on rides?

Thanks for any advice or thoughts!

 

[skylock]

Until park close to daytime guest, you can ride the other rides in the park. You would get in the standby line with everyone else until 10 when the event starts. Typically that late at night, the crowds are usually lighter.

The HP area is very nice. Get an interactive wand and the kids can do the spells. (you would only need to buy one) Also, do Olivanders. Cute show. I love the HP IOA rides.

Depending on your actual dates in June, there is also a new hp coaster opening.

Unless the extra ticket prices are very high, I would take the whole family.

 

[usernamechuck]

Thanks! So there's nothing to scan for the rides, outside the express lines?

 

[skylock]

Nope, just get in line.

I don't you will have to scan anything once the event starts. All the day guest should be out of the park.

 

[usernamechuck]

Thanks skylock, but I'm talking about 9-10pm, while the park is still open. (After 10pm, I'm excited to be in Hogsmeade, but from 9-10pm we can be in the rest of IOA.) I was hoping to try to squeeze in a couple rides outside Hogsmeade before we go into the private event. (Hopefully the crowds are not still heavy.)

For people who enter IOA on regular tickets, is there nothing like the Disney MagicBand, or that TapuTapu thing? I saw some photos of some kind of bracelet, which I assume we wouldn't get if we just entered at 9pm. Thanks!

 

[SnapesGirl]

I can't find that anyone has posted about this (at least not for several years), so I wonder if someone can help me with this. I'm attending a conference next month which has a private event in Hogsmeade, I'm trying to decide whether to pay for my wife and kids to come as guests. They have Hogsmeade from 10pm-midnight, and we can supposedly enter at 9pm. I've never been to Universal, we were planning on a couple days in Disney.

Thanks for any advice or thoughts!

Are you going to the AILA event? We weren't sure about going until I saw that there was the private event at Harry Potter! That pretty much sold the whole conference for me!

 

[FutureDis]

You would enter and ride, from 9:00-10:00, as any other day person. Are you staying at Royal Pacific, Portofino Bay, or Hard Rock hotel? If so, your room key will be an Express Pass (like fastpass) for most rides in the park. That’s about it! No bands or anything!

 

[bchbetha]

The standby line requires nothing extra. Your ticket into the park is the authentication for rides. Express Passes do require something to be scanned in the EP lines.

 

[usernamechuck]

Thanks all! And yes, it's AILA - see you there, Snapes!