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Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts

Do they still allow the 'castle tour'? They have a queue that I assume was built for Express. They use to allow you to use it to view the queue without riding the ride. You are in a different queue, we went through once and no other group ever came behind us. It is a good way to take it all in as you can stroll at your own pace. It starts out a little different as you go upstairs and see a bunch of portraits, then you come down stairs where I think you are past the portrait room where the regular queue started, then you sort of follow the queue just in a different set of rails up until the split where you can where they check heights, direct child swap...stuff like that. It is where you see the sorting hat at the end of the hall. That is where you end and just head out.
 
Do they still allow the 'castle tour'? They have a queue that I assume was built for Express. They use to allow you to use it to view the queue without riding the ride. You are in a different queue, we went through once and no other group ever came behind us. It is a good way to take it all in as you can stroll at your own pace. It starts out a little different as you go upstairs and see a bunch of portraits, then you come down stairs where I think you are past the portrait room where the regular queue started, then you sort of follow the queue just in a different set of rails up until the split where you can where they check heights, direct child swap...stuff like that. It is where you see the sorting hat at the end of the hall. That is where you end and just head out.
I believe a poster has said they recently closed it down. Not sure if it reopened though.
 
Do they still allow the 'castle tour'? They have a queue that I assume was built for Express. They use to allow you to use it to view the queue without riding the ride. You are in a different queue, we went through once and no other group ever came behind us. It is a good way to take it all in as you can stroll at your own pace. It starts out a little different as you go upstairs and see a bunch of portraits, then you come down stairs where I think you are past the portrait room where the regular queue started, then you sort of follow the queue just in a different set of rails up until the split where you can where they check heights, direct child swap...stuff like that. It is where you see the sorting hat at the end of the hall. That is where you end and just head out.

Yesterday there was a group actually in the room where Dumbledore is and were with a TM. I don't know if that's the same thing though.
 
Completely agree on your opinion of the ride, however how did they try to do that, did any of the staff say anything to them? O_O

I think they were very aware of when to be annoying. Just as we were getting on the ride, the daughters were trying to get the dad to be quiet as everybody was giving him angry looks but this only seemed to spur him on.

Sorry to hear about the obnoxious idiots. And yes, the two coaster parts (drop and launch) are done really well. If you get to do the ride again and you sit in row 3 or 6 on the outside, in the second troll scene, where you drop down to meet Bill again etc., take of your goggles and observe the actuator, incredible to see how the track moves.

I didn't realise it was actually 2 trains moving until just after we set up, I assumed after we left the station we were just waiting behind another. Throughout the day I had been watching the mechanics of the rides. FJ and Transformers were great to see the behind the scenes of. Particularly the elevator in Transformers. It's such a clever design, it gives a long scene while be able doing the ride length.
 
Yesterday there was a group actually in the room where Dumbledore is and were with a TM. I don't know if that's the same thing though.

There was a couple that were doing engagement photos being shown extraordinary access to the attractions yesterday. I saw some of the pictures and they were places (with escort) that I never thought guests would be allowed. Not celebs and not people in power just a couple that got the "Universal" treatment.
 
There was a couple that were doing engagement photos being shown extraordinary access to the attractions yesterday. I saw some of the pictures and they were places (with escort) that I never thought guests would be allowed. Not celebs and not people in power just a couple that got the "Universal" treatment.

That sounds like it possibly what it could have been. Do you have a link to the photos by any chance?
 
I didn't realise it was actually 2 trains moving until just after we set up, I assumed after we left the station we were just waiting behind another. Throughout the day I had been watching the mechanics of the rides. FJ and Transformers were great to see the behind the scenes of. Particularly the elevator in Transformers. It's such a clever design, it gives a long scene while be able doing the ride length.
In FJ you can see a lot of the mechanics when approaching the quiditch match, it is amazing to see those rotating domes. Elevators in Transformers are cool also!
 
I was wondering what the center queue for Gringott's is- I had a yellow express pass because FJ had broken down, and they let me in that queue at Gringotts, but people came in behind me that didn't appear to have passes or anything, and wasn't handicapped/no wheelchair. I was wondering if maybe it was kid swap, but it was the whole family. There seemed to be a fair number of people using the queue, so wondered if it was team member or something, or if they're selling special access.

I asked the team member taking tickets at the preshow, and she said it was the same as my ticket only without a paper pass, which I didn't buy, she was just saying that to get rid of me and not say.
 
I was wondering what the center queue for Gringott's is- I had a yellow express pass because FJ had broken down, and they let me in that queue at Gringotts, but people came in behind me that didn't appear to have passes or anything, and wasn't handicapped/no wheelchair. I was wondering if maybe it was kid swap, but it was the whole family. There seemed to be a fair number of people using the queue, so wondered if it was team member or something, or if they're selling special access.

I asked the team member taking tickets at the preshow, and she said it was the same as my ticket only without a paper pass, which I didn't buy, she was just saying that to get rid of me and not say.

If it was after 4, it's premier pass holders.
 
I was wondering what the center queue for Gringott's is- I had a yellow express pass because FJ had broken down, and they let me in that queue at Gringotts, but people came in behind me that didn't appear to have passes or anything, and wasn't handicapped/no wheelchair. I was wondering if maybe it was kid swap, but it was the whole family. There seemed to be a fair number of people using the queue, so wondered if it was team member or something, or if they're selling special access.

I asked the team member taking tickets at the preshow, and she said it was the same as my ticket only without a paper pass, which I didn't buy, she was just saying that to get rid of me and not say.
If a group has a bad experience on an attraction (like gets evac'd or something) the team member sometimes will just tell them to say " [TM name] sent me from [attraction name]." The TM contacts the TM at the other attraction, and you get the rest. Its kinda informal, but it happens.

It also may have very well been a TM that new the TM working that line.
 
If it was after 4, it's premier pass holders.

Wait, so premier passholders get into a Gringott's express after 4? Because Gringott's doesn't normally have express. It could have been, if this is true, because it was probably after 4, but I didn't know this was a hidden feature of premier passes.

Do they do this for FJ too? If so, this might be a reason for me to rationalize upgrading to the premier. Although I have such a good deal with my grandfathered preferred.
 
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Wait, so premier passholders get into a Gringott's express after 4? Because Gringott's doesn't normally have express. It could have been, if this is true, because it was probably after 4, but I didn't know this was a hidden feature of premier passes.

Do they do this for FJ too? If so, this might be a reason for me to rationalize upgrading to the premier. Although I have such a good deal with my grandfathered preferred.
They do NOT do this for passholders or any other kind of express, AFAIK.

The middle lane at Gringotts is for AAPs and other Guest Services accommodation passes only.
 
Has anyone that's been on Gringotts recently noticed any blurry screens? When I rode, last July, some of the screens towards the beggining of the ride were noticeably blurry. Also, the finale scene where you launch through the Kuka Arm door, had projectors that didn't seem to fit the entire screen and faded out towards the top. Just wondering if they've fixed those issue. Thanks! :D
 
They do NOT do this for passholders or any other kind of express, AFAIK.

The middle lane at Gringotts is for AAPs and other Guest Services accommodation passes only.
I used the AAP quite a few times and I was always directed to the door you see on your right before entering Gringotts. I had to go against the flow of guests exiting the ride. I'd end up at a golden elevator that takes you to the station level. A small corridor goes near the child swap area where a team member makes sure you get on the ride. I never saw an inch of the queue.
 
Has anyone that's been on Gringotts recently noticed any blurry screens? When I rode, last July, some of the screens towards the beggining of the ride were noticeably blurry. Also, the finale scene where you launch through the Kuka Arm door, had projectors that didn't seem to fit the entire screen and faded out towards the top. Just wondering if they've fixed those issue. Thanks! :D
The first troll scene has been blurry for me a while now. Also the launch scene has always been like that. The projectors are coming from all different angles onto a curved screen so it doesn't fit perfectly. The screen is so large you just really aren't supposed to look up that high as the action keeps your focus in the middle. I guess they could have overprojected the image and then used something to block the overprojection to give a clean line at the top of the screen but then you are lowering the image density for minimal gain.
 
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