Universal Planners HELP!

[vicarrieous]

We have our first trip to Orlando coming up and have a day planned for Universal. We have passes to access both parts of the park but am lost on how to structure our day. I spent so much time planning Disney this got shafted a bit.

We aren't big ride people. Our biggest focus is the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Its DH, two boys (2 & 5) and myself.

We plan on getting there fairly early (9-10am). How do we allot our time?

 

[RMulieri]

I would get to the parks BEFORE opening , ready to go. Keep in mind , HP is the biggest draw and where most crowds gnsite guests will have early entry to one of the areas so by the time you get there , there will be plenty of people in those areas. If you are heading to Diagon alley in the studios first , you will want to hit Despicable me if you are at all interested. DM, has very long lines all day and they build pretty quickly at opening .So my advice is do it before HP if that is your interest.

 

[DisneyTravelers2008]

Id plan to arrive before the park opens Download a wait times app on your phone The big HP ride is Forbidden Journey Try to ride that first. And often late in the day the wiat time for that goes down. The other big HP ride nearby [in that same HP section / Hogsmead] is Flight of Hyppogryff, Its good for kids THere is also Dragon Challange coaster in that same HP section. We found it often had short wait times [surprisingly]....you can eat at The Three Broomsticks and go to Olivanders There are interactive wands that you can buy to cast spells at places around the parks but for only a short visit it might not be worth it.

The other section of HP ois Diagon Ally and on ly has one ride and its Escape From Gringotts. If I had to skip a ride, it would be this one. But that is just my opinion. I liked the other 3 better. This is in the Diagon Ally section. It is all stores and shops which are great...plus the ice cream shop and Leaky Caludron restaurant.

If I had one day here is waht Id do.....download a wait time app....arrive 30 min before it opens...go to Hogsmeand section first and check times for Forbidden Journey....either ride that or take advantage of short wait times of Hyppogriff and or Daragon Challenge. Keep checking wiat times for F Journey....spend time in teh shops and have butter beer....head over to Diagon Ally to kill time mid day and maybe lunch at Leakly Cauldron....afternoon return to Hogsmead to ride F Journey of needed....eat dinner at Three Brromsticks on Hogsmead side. The HP parks are so cool at night and are often less crowded..


Get a park to park pass so you can ride Hogwarts Express It is a different experience each way so ride both ways if u can. Universal is much more easy going than Disney. It requires less planning in general expecpt for the fact that hte HP sections can get really crowded....just use your wait time app to manage that....have fun...sorry for typos...Im watching the PANTHERS and typing! LOL

 

[kip0992]

I second doing Despicable Me first... That line is always long (and really boring). The 2 big HP rides (Forbidden Journey & Gringotts) will have long lines, but there is tons of stuff to look at, so they don't seem as bad. They also move pretty quick - I waited through the entire Gringotts queue (including the extended part outside) and it was only 60 min. or so.

 

[schumigirl]

Have you looked at the park layout maps?

If not go to www.universalorlando.com

This will give you an idea of where everything is that you want to focus on, or leave out......we all prioritise differently depending on personal choices........

And have fun!!!

 

[AtlantaDisneyDreamer]

We took our daughters (one who was almost 3) last May and they had a blast. We all did, in fact. I am pretty sure your 2 year old is going to be too short for DM (must be 40 inches) but Universal has a fantastic ride swap system.

Pteranadon Flyers was our favorite ride there. There was no line first thing in the morning. We rode it multiple times. By 10:30 or so, lines had really backed up because it is slow loading. We loved Camp Jurassic and you really should spend some time there- either first thing in the morning or last thing at night.



Our girls both adored Flight of the Hippogriff. One night, an hour before closing, we rode it at least 18 times. It is a perfect coaster for little ones.

Be sure to spend some time in Seuss Landing, but you can do that during the more crowded times of the day.

How tall is your younger son? Kids really need to be at least 36" tall to be able to ride much, but there is still plenty to see and do with the shows and playgrounds and Camp Jurassic.



Those were just some thoughts since I have taken a two year old. Your younger son's height and ability to ride may make a big difference as to how you plan your day.

 

[Piglet99645]

Any new thoughts on this in the past year?

 

[tink1957]

OP was last week

 

[Piglet99645]

OP was last week

Sorry, I was looking at the wrong date somewhere. Don't mind me.