Wowie Zowie! Sooooo much has changed!

[Laurabearz]

Hello UO Peeps!!!

Looks like Im taking a trip back to the Motherland after years of not going. My Husband, Son, and I had a Disney griped planned for end of April (Marching Band Trip. crushed) So I rebooked for end of July.... and well y’all know how things are going. Lol

So I decided to poke around UO and have put a deposit for Cabana Bay!

I am overwhelmed with all the new attractions at UO! Fallon, despicable me, gringots, hagrid, Kong and I don’t even know what else!

I AM SO FREAKING EXCITED!

We will not have express passes and who even knows what crowds will be like so I figured I’d come here for some guidance.

Our first priority are the new attractions, but we have a short stay (three days) and with the unknowns of crowd levels, not sure if we will be able to hit all the new stuff.

soooooooooo which should be lower priority?

We will be doing WWoHP early entry.... which side is open? Both? If both which side should we start on? We have done the IOA side (not Hagrids it was still the rethemed Fire/ice coaster) But I thought I read that the whole HP world was better to start on one side and work your way to the other.

Thanks in advance for any guidance you can offer! Sooooo excited!

 

[CAPSLOCK]

Of those rides, for me the lowest priorities would be Jimmy Fallon & Despicable Me (Despicable Me is effectively simply a fun little movie).

Early entry is typically one park, most likely Studios - Diagon Alley.

 

[macraven]

I always check the UO calendar for park hours and early entry park.

Well, that is how I did check pre covid 19
Hopefully, the calendar site will resume when the park opens.

Many onsite guests will hit the open Potter section during the early entry time.
It’s not a packed house and you can get many pictures without crowds of people in it.

Check out the park maps online so you can get info and descriptions of the rides that are new to you.

No idea of when everything will open when you go.
UO said they will update procedures once the parks are reopened.

By the time you go in July, parks could be back to business as usual (hopefully).

Too bad I won’t be there when you are or I would say let’s meet up again at HRC for food like we did last time.

 

[schumigirl]

Welcome back Laurabearz.......

I remember your posts from way back.......good to see you again and you are in for such a treat heading back to Universal and seeing everything they’ve done over the last years........

 

[osufeth24]

lol, I had to laugh cause your title reminded of this

 

[Laurabearz]

We are going with the flow. Not really caring if everything is open. We’ve been enough in the past. But with sooo much new stuff. I’m so excited!

Does anyone know if Gringots and Haggrid have more liberal seating for big people than say Hulk or Forbidden Journey? Hubby is on the thicker side so I wanted to set up proper expectations for him. I know there will be test seats but any idea?

(((((@macraven)))) Good to see your face!!! Lots of old faces. I’ve always lurked throughout the years but trips down are fewer and far between.

 

[osufeth24]

We are going with the flow. Not really caring if everything is open. We’ve been enough in the past. But with sooo much new stuff. I’m so excited!

Does anyone know if Gringots and Haggrid have more liberal seating for big people than say Hulk or Forbidden Journey? Hubby is on the thicker side so I wanted to set up proper expectations for him. I know there will be test seats but any idea?

(((((@macraven)))) Good to see your face!!! Lots of old faces. I’ve always lurked throughout the years but trips down are fewer and far between.

Gringots should be fine, it's just a push down cushion, I don't think it's gotta go down to a certain point like the Mummy does, but it's been a bit since i've been on that ride.

Hagrids...well, depending on how thick he is, that could be a problem. They do have to make it to certain point. I've heard the box car has a little bit more wiggle room than the bike. When you enter the last room of the queue there are test seats there, and generally an employee will direct you to those test seats. There's a light that will turn green once it reaches the safety point

 

[nkereina]

Have you priced out the Universal resorts that include express pass? While they'll be a little more expensive than Cabana Bay, they will include unlimited express pass for each person in your room for all the days you are there, including all day on your check in date and all day on your check out date. If you decided to forego EPs because of the cost, this is a way to obtain EPs for less than what you'd pay if you bought them from UO. Royal Pacific is generally the cheapest of the three resorts that include it. July is normally a busy time, and there's no telling what it will look like this year. Plus, the EPs will get you out of the hot sun and queues faster and allow you to tour the parks at your leisure. This means no strategizing, no rushing for early entry, and more time to take breaks. As an added bonus, the three resorts are also walking distance or water taxi ride to the parks. IMO, its worth pricing out the three resorts because EPs really do enhance the overall experience.

 

[Laurabearz]

RPR is about $600 more for our trip. It is my favorite resort on property, but not this trip. I’m excited to check out Cabana Bay. Express pass, while nice, is not really needed for us to do what we want over the 4 days we are there. And we are fine if we don’t hit everything, this isn’t a once in a lifetime trip, so I just wanted a feel on what is skippable.

 

[schumigirl]

RPR is about $600 more for our trip. It is my favorite resort on property, but not this trip. I’m excited to check out Cabana Bay. Express pass, while nice, is not really needed for us to do what we want over the 4 days we are there. And we are fine if we don’t hit everything, this isn’t a once in a lifetime trip, so I just wanted a feel on what is skippable.

Jimmy Fallon and Fast & Furious aren’t worth the time if you’re pushed.

The building JF is set in is worth a wander through, but the actual ride (isn’t a ride) is dreadful........but I don‘t like JF so that might be a bias.

F&F should have been fabulous. But it’s not.

 

[Laurabearz]

Has UO announce resorts opening yet? I know WDW is doing DVC and Ft Wildness first, and they kinda vague on the rest.

My only worry now is if they are over booked for capacity at Cabana Bay. I’m going to have to read UO plan again. When it came out I was still all in for WDW LOL

 

[Polyonmymind]

No details about resorts yet. I have Cabana Bay booked for early July. I called a couple weeks ago just to check, and was told I'm good. I have not received any other information about my stay.

 

[GoofyDad_4427]

Jimmy Fallon and Fast & Furious aren’t worth the time if you’re pushed.

The building JF is set in is worth a wander through, but the actual ride (isn’t a ride) is dreadful........but I don‘t like JF so that might be a bias.

F&F should have been fabulous. But it’s not.

We actually enjoy hanging out in the green room waiting for the Fallon ride, much more then we enjoy the ride itself.

 

[macraven]

The hotel listing was in one of the releases from UO already

I remember first stage has RP and HR hotels open for early June
Don’t remember the list for the other hotel levels

I know it’s in one of the current threads

As days or weeks go by, more hotels will be added for bookings.

I booked prior to the park closure and confirmed it is still valid

 

[DisneyPigFan]

wow, Despicable Me opened in 2012, so it must have been a long time since you've been if that's a new ride for you!

Toss up between Fallon and Fast and the Furious as far as the worst ride and most skippable. They're both pretty lame. The waiting area for Fallon is kinda neat though, and I guess you can turn your mind off for the ride itself (similar to the minions ride, but way worse). Worth riding once each though if you can do so easily.

Kong is fun usually (unless you get a bad seat or the outdoor part is cut due to weather). It has the same ride system as Fast and the Furious -- but is heaps better.

Transformers is fun, but is pretty much the same ride as Spider-Man, just Transformers themed. So if you HAD to skip it, no biggie.

Prioritize the Harry Potter stuff. I'm also a big fan of Despicable Me.