Universal vs IOA

[Mlt53]

traveling with teens (14-18, 2 are HP fans) hopefully over winter break, which park gives us the best of HP? And is the Park2Park worth it if we only plan on spending one day (we have 3 day park hoppers for WDW)? What are the most important to see and do?

 

[lovetoscrap]

Moving to our Universal/IOA forum

 

[VacaPlanner2012]

For teens, get a refund on the hoppers and spend them at Universal...There is something magical about the castle, but Diagon Alley is exquisite! So hard to choose if you are an HP fan. Based on the rest of the park, I vote Universal!

 

[wookiebeck]

Welcome to the forums!

If the teens are HP fans, the park-to-park is worth it. You could conceivably spend your one day on nothing but the two HP sections between the two parks (and hit a few other e ticket rides like Spiderman and Mummy).

 

[Robo56]

Hogsmeade was the first WWOHP parks and is located in Islands of Adventure. Second WWOHP park Diagon Alley is in Universal. If Harry Potter is the primary reason for the visit on your limited time. I would get park to park tickets and be there at rope drop and either start at Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade. Then take the Hogwarts Express to the other park. Have lunch at Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade or Leaky Cauldron in Diagon Alley. Make sure to see the wand presentation at Ollivanders wand shop in Diagon Alley. Have some butter beer and check out the shops. Honey dukes for a sweet in Hogsmeade. After enjoying the Potter parks then enjoy the other rides. Have fun

 

[schumigirl]

Have you looked at the park maps on the Universal website?

www.universalorlando.com

This will show you what's in each park and where. And you get to see what your family would like to do over anything else.

With kids those ages you could easily spend a lot more time at Universal. There is so much more there than Potter...although both potter areas are superb. Definitely get park to park tickets if you can.

 

[epcotty]

If you want to go to both parks it's probably best to go 2 days, it's a better deal overall. It's probably a tie with both parks for best of HP. What's most important to see and do depends on which attractions appeal to you. If you can only go 1 day pick the park which appeals to you the most and be there the whole day

 

[nkereina]

Agree with the others - do park to park and try to do two days if you can. You could probably swing one day if it's the only option, but you'd be rushing and inevitably would end up waiting in one long line - be it Gringotts or Forbidden Journey. Neither have express pass, so we always do one at rope drop on day one and the other at rope drop on day two. And you need park to park passes for Hogwarts Express which is a must do.

As for the rest of the parks, as two adults, we always spend more time at Universal than IOA. The rest of IOA doesn't take us long at all.