One day US IofA plans

[PoohHappens]

Looking for how possible our plans are. We have one day for Universal. Will need Park to Park ticket. 3 adults, no kids, no express pass. Looking at Tuesday September 12 to avoid HH. Must do list: both Harry Potter Worlds (don’t need hippogriff or shows) Jurassic Park World. Would also love to hit a few other big rides, but the HP and JP rides are a priority. Would love any suggestions. I know Disney well, have only been to universal once and we had extended family and multi day ticket so only went a little each day, spent a lot of resort time.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

Should be fine to get that done & more. In the interest of time I would suggest doing the Hogwarts Express in one direction only. It's not different enough to be worth 2 standby waits in 1 day.

Early entry is usually in Studios during HHN season, so you will be able to hit Gringotts & see Diagonal Alley with minimal crowds. If you hit Hagrids around lunchtime or later, it will be lower lines than the morning.

The UO App is helpful for wait times. If you stay through closing you will have nice short waits at the end of the day too.

You will be able to use single rider lines to great effect. For HP repeats and/or first rides on pretty much everything else with a single rider line.

 

[georgina]

From the OP I don’t see any mention of having early entry, so perhaps starting in IOA would be better, since on site guests will have an hour early start in US. It does usually open at 8 AM for everyone though. Depends on how early you want to get up & going.

Looking for how possible our plans are. We have one day for Universal. Will need Park to Park ticket. 3 adults, no kids, no express pass. Looking at Tuesday September 12 to avoid HH. Must do list: both Harry Potter Worlds (don’t need hippogriff or shows) Jurassic Park World. Would also love to hit a few other big rides, but the HP and JP rides are a priority. Would love any suggestions. I know Disney well, have only been to universal once and we had extended family and multi day ticket so only went a little each day, spent a lot of resort time.

Your plan is very doable. Crowds shouldn’t be too bad on a weekday in Sept. I like riding Hogwarts Express both ways, but the most important for Potter fans is the Kings Cross station to Hogsmeade with its special effect of going through the platform wall.

if the wait for Hagrids is long in the morning, agree it may be lower around lunch time. There is a lot to see in the castle line for Forbidden Journey, that one isn’t usually too long in the morning. I guess I would spend the morning doing Hogsmeade and Jurassic Park rides, then head over to US to do Diagon Alley.
Besides the Gringotts ride, there are a lot of storefronts, and Knockturn Alley. If you are interested in the Mummy, that single rider line is almost always a walk-on, as is the Men In Black SR line. Those rides and Rip Ride Rockit are the only rides at US I bother with on short trips.

if you have time and the Raptor Encounter line in JP isn’t too long, that is fun.

 

[PoohHappens]

Thank you all, this is helpful information. We do not have early access. We will be taking an Uber over from a Disney resort. Willing to get going as early as necessary.

 

[ClapYourHands]

Thank you all, this is helpful information. We do not have early access. We will be taking an Uber over from a Disney resort. Willing to get going as early as necessary.

Keep an eye on the opening times. I know PP said that US usually has early park admission, but I think last year IoA did. Whichever park has EPA, plan to start at the other park. Arrive about an hour before that park’s opening time to be close to the front.

If you start at US, go directly to Gringotts to ride that. Then take some time to explore Diagon Alley, including getting a wand (if you want) and seeing the Wand Ceremony in Ollivander’s.

If you start at IoA, the strategy depends on how close you are to the front of the pack. If you’re positioned to be one of the first into the park, head to Hagrid’s. If you’re more middle to back of the rope drop crowd, head to Velocicoaster. Most people head to Hagrid’s, so the line gets really long really fast while VC takes a little longer to build.

 

[BostonEd]

have only been to universal once and we had extended family and multi day ticket so only went a little each day, spent a lot of resort time.

I am pretty much in this same position. Had plenty of days and stayed at RPR so had the express pass, and chilled at the resort a lot.
But now I might spend just one day there in late April, without express pass.

Priorities will be Hagrid's and Velocicoaster, but I don't know about riding Veloc first thing in the morning! How are lines for that on a lower-crowd Wednesday? (For what it's worth, the express pass pricing is lowest on the Wednesday of our week, which is when we would probably go.) Are the Hulk's lines lower now that it has Hagrid's and Veloc as "competition"? We also want to see the Bourne show and MiB. Are there any touring plans out there I could try to follow?

 

[ClapYourHands]

@BostonEd Assuming you have early park entry, be at the head of the pack and go to Hagrid’s. Afterwards go to VC, and you should be able to ride with relatively low waits. EPA is key because there’s no express pass during this time, and that’s what really gums up that line these days. Hulk often has very manageable lines. Bourne show is no problem to get into at any point - huge capacity - so we often do it at midday when the lines are long and the temperature gets hot. MIB usually has very reasonable waits, which are even shorter if you don’t mind using single rider. Because it seats 3 and 3, there are lots more single rider opportunities than for two-seater rides like VC and Hagrid’s.

 

[BostonEd]

I am staying offsite and will not have early park entry.

 

[nighttowll]

It's very possible to see all of the HP area, plus JP, and then some in one day without EP.

Hagrids is going to be the time consuming issue. It's going to be a long wait no matter when you go. On our recent trip last month, it was already over 100 minutes at 8:03 am. Official opening was 9:00, early entry was 8:00. Crowds, overall, weren't too bad. This wasn't a busy day.

Honestly, I would make a list of your priorities and just watch the wait times on the app. Also, think about using the single rider line unless you can see the end of it close to where you enter. If you can see the end of it, it will be longer than standby.

Also, keep in mind that many rides have preshows and the queues are heavilly themed, so a wait of 25 to 30 minutes in standby feels more like a 5 to 15 minute wait, and it will probably pass quickly with minimal standing around. Posted waits of 15 minutes or less should be walk ons. Over 35 minutes and you are going to notice the wait, so I'd go for single rider if avaialbe in those cases, just know single rider skips preshows and a lot of the queue theming that sets the stage for each ride's storyline if you care about that at all.

Something else to keep in mind is that even if you do not have early entry access, you can still enter the park early. They let everyone in to the front of the park. Then, you have to show your room key at a second rope to move past that area to the attractions. I highly recommend taking advatage of this. It's a great way to gain an extra hour in the park and be at the front of the regular crowds. You can look in the gift shops or eat breakfast. It also gives you plenty of time to get settled for the day (rent a locker or anything else you need, take a bathroom break, look over a map), and still be at the rope ready to ride the non-early entry rides first.

 

[BostonEd]

even if you do not have early entry access, you can still enter the park early. They let everyone in to the front of the park. Then, you have to show your room key at a second rope to move past that area to the attractions.

Wow this is great to know. Thanks. Is there somewhere to grab a simple breakfast around there?

For Hagrid's I figured first thing in the AM would be a challenge without early entry. I was thinking of having an early-ish lunch, like 11, then getting in line, hoping the lunch crowd will help thin out the line.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

Cinnabon or Croissant Moon Bakery are both in Islands and should be accessible during EE - I would think they'd be open. Not sure about more savory/protein type breakfast options. You could also hit one of the CityWalk breakfast places on your meander into the park.

 

[nighttowll]

Wow this is great to know. Thanks. Is there somewhere to grab a simple breakfast around there?

Yes, there should be. There are places to eat in CityWalk, and there are also restaurants and bakeries up toward the front of both parks. I don't remember if all are open early or only some or if it changes throughout the year. Maybe someone local can report which are accessible behind the rope and which open during early entry?

 

[nighttowll]

Cinnabon or Croissant Moon Bakery are both in Islands and should be accessible during EE - I would think they'd be open. Not sure about more savory/protein type breakfast options. You could also hit one of the CityWalk breakfast places on your meander into the park.

I couldn't remember if you could get past the arch or not, but if these two are open, than Starbucks will be as well. I also think the Today Cafe should be accessible and open at Universal Studios, but I'm not 100% sure.

 

[Skippyboo]

I am pretty much in this same position. Had plenty of days and stayed at RPR so had the express pass, and chilled at the resort a lot.
But now I might spend just one day there in late April, without express pass.

Priorities will be Hagrid's and Velocicoaster, but I don't know about riding Veloc first thing in the morning! How are lines for that on a lower-crowd Wednesday? (For what it's worth, the express pass pricing is lowest on the Wednesday of our week, which is when we would probably go.) Are the Hulk's lines lower now that it has Hagrid's and Veloc as "competition"? We also want to see the Bourne show and MiB. Are there any touring plans out there I could try to follow?

MiB and Bourne are on the Studios side so you need a park to park ticket if you want to go to both parks.

Plenty of places to pick up breakfast- Voodoo Donuts in City Walk, Crescent Bakery, Three Broomstick has breakfast. There’s Green Eggs and Ham Tots.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

Pretty sure you can get all the way into Seuss Landing - which I guess makes Green Eggs & Ham location available as well, if open. You would not be able to get into Three Broomsticks during early entry hours without early entry (and frankly it would be a waste of EE time to do a somewhat longer sit down meal during that time if you are actually eligible for EE).

 

[BostonEd]

Wow you can get in as far as Seuss Landing? Holy smokes. I will check all the opening times before committing to anything, of course.

 

[PrincessWithABlaster]

Wow you can get in as far as Seuss Landing? Holy smokes. I will check all the opening times before committing to anything, of course.

Yes - you can get that far. I don't know that Green Eggs and Ham is open though. I saw people going into Crescent Moon but can't confirm on anything else.

 

[greeneyedchick]

Use single rider lanes wherever you can.

At Universal...outside HP, my favorite rides are The Mummy and Men in Black. Don't waste your time with the Minion rides or Simpsons ride (unless you are a fan). The Simpsons Ride usually takes a lot longer than the posted wait time.

If you have time, the stunt show and make-up show are a lot of fun. ET is run-down but retro. It's an original 90's dark ride. Fast and Furious isn't great. Transformers is decent if the line is short.

At Islands of Adventure...In addition to HP and Jurassic, the Spiderman Ride is a better version of the Transformer Ride. Highly recommend it. Hulk is tough on your next, but fun if you like coasters.
The Cat in the Hat is a fun kid's dark ride (if there is a short wait). You will get soaked on the water raft ride (not the Jurassic Log Flume). The King Kong Ride is a slightly better version of Fast and Furious ride.

 

[nighttowll]

I didn't touch on rides before, so here's a little run down.

Rip Ride Rocket, Hulk, and the Mummy are the other coasters besides Hagrids and Velocicoaster.

RRR & Hulk are stereo-typical outdoor thrill ride coasters. Their queues have a theme, but the rides themselves are just riding a coaster.

The Mummy is an indoor dark coaster with a storyline and theming that carries through the actual ride with the ride starting and stopping as you go, so you can take in scenes, special effects, and antimatronics. It's one of my favorite rides. The single rider line will usually get you on and off of it quickly. Although, you might miss the set-up to the story. If you care, you can probably find a YouTube video of the line queue on YouTube.

Toon Lagoon and the raft ride in the JP area are going to soak you, so with your limited time, I'd avoid all those as you won't really have time to go back to a hotel and change clothes. Still, this area has some of the best photo opps in all of Island of Adventure, so it might be worth a few minutes to pose for some fun photos.

Spiderman and Transformers are basically the same ride, but with different theming. I'd choose whichever theme appeals most or whichever has the lowest wait time.

Kong and Fast&Furious are basically the same ride with different theming. Neither is a must do, but if choosing only one, it would be Kong. Don't waste your time with F&F, general consensus is that it is awful. See the recent thread where everyone agreed they'd rather be beaten up by a wrestler than ride it again.

MIB is great if you enjoy arcade style shooting games. It's quite addicting trying to beat your own score, and if the average score in your ride vehicle is high enough, there is an alternate ending where everyone become MIB agents. Single rider is almost always a walk-on, so it's a great option.

Villian-Con is a similiar arcade shooting ride, but it is screen based; whereas, MIB is a dark 3-d ride with animatronics. Personally, I like MIB better, but I'm just not big on screens.

The other Minion attraction is a 4-D theater Imax-like show. It's cute, especially if you have Minion fans, but not worth the long wait it always has. If you are ok with not sitting in the moving seats, you can skip the line and sit on the stationary benches up front. No one ever sits in the stationary seating area, so they always let you right in. You just go to the TM standing at the entrance to the indoor portion of the ride, not the line entrance, and you tell them you want to ride stationary. They will undo the chain blocking entrance and let you inside. It's a great way to see the movie without the wait, and you still have some sensation of movement just from the visual Imax effects. I do this every trip as the vibrating of the moving seats really makes me sick, so I always watch it from the non-moving seats. It's just a bonus that let's me skip the line as well.

ET is a lot of fun of you enjoy classic dark rides like Peter Pan or were ever a fan of the movie ET. There's usually a very minimal wait.

The Trolley Train Ride in Seuss Land is an underated ride that offers some great views looking out over the lagoon, but it is not something I would do if the line is long. It's more an if we have time type ride.

Make sure to really explore the HP areas. There are so many little hidden Easter-eggs and details to take in. If the trip is primarly for HP & JP, I'd make sure to eat in the HP area, check out all the stores, the wand spots, really take time to look around. Maybe look up some lists of things to look out for. For instance, did you know you can call the ministry, send mail by owl post, exchange your muggle money with galleons, walk through platform 9 3/4, and that there are 4 different types of butterbear to try (hot, cold, frozen, and ice cream)? Also, make sure to look up when you are in the HP areas and shops. There are tons of interesting details on and near the ceilings that most people never notice. In the JP area, take time to check out the dino hatchery and to visit with Blue. Also, it could be fun to check out the "secret hidden" caves at the back of Camp Jurrasic, and I recently learned that you can get Dolewhip in the JP area if that interests you.

I'd do a little research on the different rides and make a priority list. Try to knock out your priorities first, then just watch the wait times on the app the day of for everything else. Doing whatever is neraby with a low wait that interests you.

You should be fine to fit a ton in. I did 1 day years ago without EP with my mother who primaryly only wanted to see HP. We explored HP in depth for hours, and the waits were way longer back then for everything. We still managed to fit in a ton of other stuff, including a bunch of rides and shows that are no longer open.

 

[wdwrule]

Wow this is great to know. Thanks. Is there somewhere to grab a simple breakfast around there?

For Hagrid's I figured first thing in the AM would be a challenge without early entry. I was thinking of having an early-ish lunch, like 11, then getting in line, hoping the lunch crowd will help thin out the line.

As others have mentioned, Cinnabon and Croissant Moon Bakery have been open during EE. We’ve purchased quick breakfast items before during this time at these locations. We’re fans of the egg/bacon breakfast sandwiches at Cinnabon. They’re savory, filling and on the cheaper side. Sometimes we sit and eat at a table outside or we walk and eat.