WWOHP -- Planning Dilemma

[AliceIn]

We are doing a 6 day/5 night trip to WDW. Arriving at 10 am on 8/16, leaving at 5 pm on 8/21. We are planning on spending a full day at each of the Disney Parks. My husband and children desperately want to see WWOHP. The only day that we really have open is the day we arrive. The kids are 11, 8, and 7. They want to go into all of the Hogwarts shops, drink butterbeer, and ride FJ. The other roller coasters (and rest of the park) are of no interest. If we were to arrive at Universal at noon, could we reasonably expect to be able to see/do everything in WWOHP? 8/16 is a Thursday if that makes any difference.

 

[macraven]

if that is the only day you have, then go for it!

parry hotter section crowds usually lessen in the last hours that the park is open.
if you go directly to ph when you come to the park and it is too crowded, return later in the evening.

i know you posted you are not interested in the rest of IOA, but you might enjoy the JP section or Seuss section.

Spiderman is a kewl ride that your family could do together.

or, even though there will be crowds in parry hotter, you could just wait and walk around that section until you are able to do the ride and show.


i know when i travel to orlando for vacations, i am worn out by 6pm due to getting an early flight in.

whatever you decide, have fun in parry's world!

 

[anorman]

If it is at all possible, rearrange your schedule to spend a full day at Universal. It will make the world of difference to your Harry Potter experience by being there when the park opens......next to no line-ups and the crowds are comparatively small before 11 a.m. Don't sell Universal short, especially IOA......it is a wonderful and fun park and you should really give it a fair chance. It is not just about Harry Potter; there are a lot of things that your kids will truly enjoy.....in particular, Jurassic Park, Suess-land, Marvel Superhero Island, and Toon Lagoon. Good luck with whatever you decide!

 

[glocon]

You will probably be able to see and do all in WWoHP then, but on your way to and from that section of the park you will see many other rides that I'll bet your kids will have an interest in even if you might not. The WWoHP is not near the entrance of the park, so you will have to go through other sections of the park that will have your kids feeling thrilled and excited. I would do HP first, than give the rest of the park a chance- who knows, you might actually enjoy it!

Not all of the rides are thrill rides, or scarey rides, and the theming is phenomenal. If you are determined not to enjoy the rest of the park, you won't, but if you give it a chance, I bet you will! Have fun!

 

[AliceIn]

The WWoHP is not near the entrance of the park, so you will have to go through other sections of the park that will have your kids feeling thrilled and excited. I would do HP first, than give the rest of the park a chance- who knows, you might actually enjoy it!

Not all of the rides are thrill rides, or scarey rides, and the theming is phenomenal. If you are determined not to enjoy the rest of the park, you won't, but if you give it a chance, I bet you will! Have fun!

I was thinking that we'd not have enough time/energy to do the rest of the park. Our flight from home is at 6:00 am, and we live an hour from the airport. We land at 10, so the earliest we'd get to Universal is around noonish or perhaps a bit later. I'd heard that WWOHP is crazy crowded, and I was concerned that they wouldn't get to see everything there in a short day, let alone the rest of the park. If we can do more, we definitely will. I'm imagining that they will all run out of steam by 6 pm at the latest.

My personal vote is to skip Universal for this trip as we are only in Orlando for 6 days/5 nights. I am having a hard time convincing my Harry Potter crazed family to rethink this short day which will be very, very expensive. I'd rather do another trip and spend 2-3 days just at Universal to get the full experience. I went to Universal as a kid and loved it. My two littler ones won't go on any even remotely scary rides (think the kiddie coaster at a carnival -- even that is a no-go).

 

[glocon]

One day is definitely more expensive than if you stayed longer. You guys definitely would enjoy your experience if you had more time and stayed onsite. Maybe all the HP crazed family members could go this time, and you can have a family trip next time. That would save a few $$. Or are all the kids HP fans? Can you rearrange your schedule to spend one night at a Universal resort or partner hotel? You get early entry that way and can get into WWoHP an hour earlier than the rest of the peeps. Just a few thoughts to make it work somehow. Good luck, I hope you guys get to see it- the WWoHP is awesome! Just like being in the movie!

 

[nyck]

I would rearrange your schedule if possible to spend a whole day there. That park is worth it and your kids would love it I am sure. If you can get to the parks at noon your first day, why not go to DHS that day? That park is small and even if you did pretty much everything there you would still be done in 7-8 hours max, and I am being generous. DHS does not take a full day for most because it is mostly shows. The only thing that usually has a long line is tower of terror, aerosmith, toy story mania, and star wars