Best advise for a first timer

[DisneyCrazyX5]

If you plan to do volcano bay, do park opening and leave by noon. Express pass doesn't work here, and ride wait times get rediculous. We usually leave VB, get lunch at toothsome- not quick service, but you should eat there anyway, portions are large and can be split- and then head to IOA or US. Start away from Harry Potter, do everything else with your express pass, and then head to HP after 5. All the rides should have a 45 minute wait or less by this time. When doing the train, sit away from the window, it's hard to focus when you're next to it.

So we should do the HP rides the first hour or after 5. I watched some vlogs on Toothsome - do you need a reservation?

 

[bchbetha]

Do HP 1st AND last. Both have benefits and both really are useful.

 

[cschaaf]

Will the lanyards be ok on rides? We will have the refillable cups too. Thanks for all the information

Yes, the lanyards will be fine on the rides. The only rides I really worry about are the coasters. If you are concerned, you can take them off and put them in your pocket or keep them around your neck and drop them down under your shirt.

Refillable cups will go in the lockers for most of the 'active' rides. I'm sure someone can help with a list, but off the top of my head, that would be: Hulk, Forbidden Journey, Dragon Challenge, Rip Ride Rocket, Mummy, Gringott's, MIB.

 

[cschaaf]

So we should do the HP rides the first hour or after 5. I watched some vlogs on Toothsome - do you need a reservation?

HP rides - Depends on when you arrive. If your planning to do VB first, as @eyehartdisney suggested, you'll hit long lines at the HP stuff by the time you get to IOA/USF. In that case, later in the evening would be better.

If you do EPA at IOA/USF, you'll do the HP stuff in one park during that time, then you have the choice to jump to the other park at park opening to do the other HP rides. We've always had good luck doing that, but I've seen others say that by the time they got to the other park, the HP crowds had built up.

 

[eyehartdisney]

HP rides - Depends on when you arrive. If your planning to do VB first, as @eyehartdisney suggested, you'll hit long lines at the HP stuff by the time you get to IOA/USF. In that case, later in the evening would be better.

If you do EPA at IOA/USF, you'll do the HP stuff in one park during that time, then you have the choice to jump to the other park at park opening to do the other HP rides. We've always had good luck doing that, but I've seen others say that by the time they got to the other park, the HP crowds had built up.

Adding- there's no way to do all the rides in VB in one day. Some get waits of 4-5 hours long. I would use the EPA in VB, and hop to HP for the nights. HP might get waits, but not 5 hour waits. And you can get toothsome rezes, but even during the busiest part of the day this week we only waited 15 minutes to be seated. It took that long to look at the gift shop.

I quoted the wrong person woops.