Universal Experts - I would love your help please :)

[amelia]

Hi everyone,

I have been very quite in the forums since Diagon Alley construction was completed, so I'm sorry for my lack of involvement. I have been lurking though every time I need my HP fix!! :drool:

I am finally taking a trip to Florida from Australia in mid May and will be visiting UOR for 2-3 days (currently undecided on the third day). I haven't been since 2009 and I don't remember a lot!

I am planning on purchasing my park tickets from Undercover Tourist - if anyone has a better suggestion, please let me know

I will be staying at Cabana Bay, so yay for early entry :thumbs: I found a decent rate on cheaptickets.com with a 20% off coupon (resulting in about $25 less per night) - again, if anyone knows any super deals please let me know

My questions are:

I will be attending the park for 2-3 days by myself - is there any merit in me purchasing Express, or do you think this is a waste since I will be a single rider?

During May, does the weather cool off in the afternoon/evenings at all? Will I need to take a light jacket/sweater? I assume I can just leave this kind of stuff in a locker all day until I need it. Should I buy an emergency poncho before I go? I imagine they might be more expensive at the park.

I am a bit of a PotterHead, so I will likely spend most of my time between Hogsmeade and Diagon, but I want to experience everything else too (in 2009 I got stuck on the ET ride for about 20 mins so I would love to go on this again, uninterrupted )

If anyone feels like offering some advice it would be greatly appreciated! Thank you so much

Amelia

 

[ThemeParks4Life]

When in May will you be visiting? Express may or may not be worthwhile depending on the time.

 

[sjago13]

Weather: Devils Nutsack. The biggest concern would be the rain. Which is May it will either be great or just pour. Flip a coin.

The rides that need lockers have free lockers. You have to pay for the ones at the front. And at that point why not just leave it at the hotel and go back if you need it since you would be onside.

You can do most stuff with single rider. And for the rides that don't have single rider, usually the standby isn't that bad. I would say go the first day without and if it is really bad get it the next day if you want. None of the potter stuff has express except dragon challenge anyways. depending on what part of May you are here will dictate crowd levels. Colleges get out early May, primary schools get out mid to late may.

No matter what you will have a great time. If you were at all impressed with Hogsmeade, then Diagon will blow you away. And I'm curious where you will fall on the love/hate gringotts scale.

 

[Cole]

No need for a coat it's going to be hot as hell. I'd say get express if you are there and the crowds aren't to your liking. Although if you are going to be there for 3 days and you have the option of single rider then I don't think you need them whatsoever. Would definitely not buy them ahead of time. Bringing a poncho is a good idea if you don't want to get wet. Hope you have an awesome time and make a trip report when your done!!!!

 

[amelia]

Thank you ThemeParks4Life and sjago13 for your quick responses!!!

At this stage it looks like I will be visiting 17,18 and 19th May. According to several crowd calendars, this is an OK time... not quiet, but not SUPER busy either (except for maybe the Sunday). I hope that's the case!

Devils nutsack?! hahah yes I will definitely be taking a poncho then... So it doesn't really cool off in the evenings? I come from the coldest part of Australia, so I don't deal very well with heat! I hope it does cool down a little.

I think that's a great idea to go without Express for the first day and see what it's like. I understand you can just upgrade if you change your mind.

I am also curious myself about how I will find Gringott's... I hope my expectations aren't too high.

I haven't visited UO since 2009 (Hogsmeade was still under construction) so to see both HP areas for the first time has me unreasonably excited!!!! :happy::dance::whoo:

Thanks again!!!

- - - Updated - - -

Thank you Cole! No jacket then. Saves carrying one around. Florida heat is going to melt me... but that's what frozen Butterbeer is for I suppose!

 

[sjago13]

Well considering it's 73 in miami now. May I expect the lows will be in the mid 70s. Granted being inland let's it get cooler. Just hope for a cold front or something. And it will be humid as well. You will sweat and if it rains it will feel like a sauna. Personally the humidity is the thing I hate most about florida. That and having a black car.

 

[Somebody Else]

I would recommend using all three days. Day 1 get a 2 park pass and devote the whole day just to Potter. Start with Gringotts and Diagon, then HE over to Hogsmeade. Take it slow and explore every nook and cranny. Day 2 do USF. It has enough non-potter attractions to fill a day, plus parade and CineSpec. Day 3 IOA. If you start early you can probably get all of IOA done with enough time left over to repeat most of Potter. Just my suggestion.
You definitely won't need a jacket but a poncho or umbrella possibly. Just watch the weather report. I usually try to avoid bringing anything into the park that I would have to stop and put in a locker every attraction.
Also, single rider saves time on most things, but especially on potter you miss the queue which is awesome in itself. With forbidden journey if the standby line is too long, you can ask to do the "castle tour" which lets you liesurely explore the queue, but then sends you out the exit before the ride, you can then go back through and single rider straight to the ride.

 

[ThemeParks4Life]

Thank you ThemeParks4Life and sjago13 for your quick responses!!!

At this stage it looks like I will be visiting 17,18 and 19th May. According to several crowd calendars, this is an OK time... not quiet, but not SUPER busy either (except for maybe the Sunday). I hope that's the case!

Devils nutsack?! hahah yes I will definitely be taking a poncho then... So it doesn't really cool off in the evenings? I come from the coldest part of Australia, so I don't deal very well with heat! I hope it does cool down a little.

I think that's a great idea to go without Express for the first day and see what it's like. I understand you can just upgrade if you change your mind.

I am also curious myself about how I will find Gringott's... I hope my expectations aren't too high.

I haven't visited UO since 2009 (Hogsmeade was still under construction) so to see both HP areas for the first time has me unreasonably excited!!!! :happy::dance::whoo:

Thanks again!!!

- - - Updated - - -

Thank you Cole! No jacket then. Saves carrying one around. Florida heat is going to melt me... but that's what frozen Butterbeer is for I suppose!

Yeah, you probably won't need Express, but you can always get it if needed.

 

[fryoj]

Honestly, I'd consider an annual pass. A power pass is $215. The cheapest two day, park to park pass is not much cheaper than that and with the annual pass you can decide last minute on the 3rd day. And if, for some unforeseen reason, you have an opportunity to go for more days in the next year, you are covered. There is a hotel discount for annual passholders as well, but I'm not sure if it would be beneficial compared to the rate you are seeing. Depending on how much you are planning on spending on food and merchandise, you might even consider a preferred pass as it gives you discounts on that. Of course, you'd have to be spending a lot to justify that. In my case, that discount pretty much paid for itself within a couple trips.

 

[martymcflyy85]

I have to agree with the above post. I bought a 4 day park to park pass that I'm planning to use in 2016 (kong) but I regret it now, as I wish I would have gone ahead and got the power pass, just for the hotel discounts alone.

 

[amelia]

Thank you again everyone for your insightful comments and suggestions!

Regarding tickets - I am still considering options but think I will get the below deal from undercover tourist:

The first option in this image is for US/CA residents only, but below is one that is only a few dollars more and doesn't say it is restricted to location. It includes an extra day for free. I definitely can't go to the park for more than 3 days, and I won't be able to return to Florida for well over a year, so maybe the annual options are not suitable (unless I was to hand it on to someone else to use!). I have already booked Cabana Bay too, so won't make use of the discount there. I do plan on purchasing quite a bit of Potter related merch from the park, maybe $300+ worth, but not sure I could make the most of the preferred pass. If I was able to return to the park in the next 12 months, I would definitely go with these - they seem like great value!

Kelise - thanks for the tip regarding the castle tour. I'm definitely going to want to absorb all the details thoroughly in the castle, so doing this first sounds like a great idea. I did read somewhere else that you can no longer go straight into the single rider line after the tour though, instead making you go back into the locker line or something to that effect... I may have read it incorrectly though! Also going to try and use your tip of not taking a bag or anything you need to put in a locker! From my understanding you can charge everything in the park to your room key, which I think is awesome! No need to take cash! And apparently you can have merchandise delivered to your hotel?

Thank you all again for your input. I am carefully taking all suggestions into account and I really do appreciate the help :smiley:

 

[kimlovesfl]

My advice is to not purchase the express, and take full advantage of the early park admission. Currently, it is only offered in IOA, except for the next couple of weeks, when it will be in both parks, but that is for peak spring break season. Get to IOA by 7:45, do everything in Hogsmeade, then when the Hogwarts Express opens, ride to USF and do everything in Diagon Alley. When you are done there, decide what you would most like to do next. Use single riders, except for the big Potter rides, because the queues aren't to be missed. You have 3 days, which is plenty of time to relax and really enjoy the parks.

It will be hot and humid, not much cooler than June, July, and August, and will most likely rain in the afternoons. Take a poncho. Don't forget that most of the queues are indoors in air conditioning, and every shop and restaurant has a/c too, and IOA has three water rides for cooling off.

You can't transfer any ticket media of any sort to another person, it is linked to you by a biometric scan.

 

[Mockingjay]

Thank you again everyone for your insightful comments and suggestions!

Regarding tickets - I am still considering options but think I will get the below deal from undercover tourist:

The first option in this image is for US/CA residents only, but below is one that is only a few dollars more and doesn't say it is restricted to location. It includes an extra day for free. I definitely can't go to the park for more than 3 days, and I won't be able to return to Florida for well over a year, so maybe the annual options are not suitable (unless I was to hand it on to someone else to use!). I have already booked Cabana Bay too, so won't make use of the discount there. I do plan on purchasing quite a bit of Potter related merch from the park, maybe $300+ worth, but not sure I could make the most of the preferred pass. If I was able to return to the park in the next 12 months, I would definitely go with these - they seem like great value!

Kelise - thanks for the tip regarding the castle tour. I'm definitely going to want to absorb all the details thoroughly in the castle, so doing this first sounds like a great idea. I did read somewhere else that you can no longer go straight into the single rider line after the tour though, instead making you go back into the locker line or something to that effect... I may have read it incorrectly though! Also going to try and use your tip of not taking a bag or anything you need to put in a locker! From my understanding you can charge everything in the park to your room key, which I think is awesome! No need to take cash! And apparently you can have merchandise delivered to your hotel?

Thank you all again for your input. I am carefully taking all suggestions into account and I really do appreciate the help :smiley:

Hi there Amelia! I often purchased tickets from Undercover Tourist before getting all of my family members switched over to APs for our trips to UOR. I wasn't sure if you were aware of this but if you subscribe to the Mousesavers.com newsletter, there is a special code included that gives you a discount on your purchase with Undercover Tourist.

As for weather, before getting to the resort and checking in I would make a run to the local Target or Walgreens and get a couple of disposable ponchos for $1 each. It makes it easy to carry around with you throughout the day and then you can just throw it away once its done doing its afternoon shower. Otherwise, temperatures throughout the day are mainly hot and very humid. So be prepared to sweat!

I personally wouldn't even worry about express at this point honestly. The single riders line at each attraction goes relatively quickly and I would consider it to be just as fast if not faster than express at times. However, in both Harry Potter attractions (Forbidden Journey and Escape from Gringotts) I would at least go through the main line once to experience the environment. Also, if you ask the team members at the entrances, they're normally nice enough to let you go in and take pictures using the castle or bank tour line. Since your last visit in 2009 many things have been added to the resort, so I would seriously consider adding the 3rd day if it doesn't conflict with anything in your schedule.

Other than that HAVE A BLAST!!! You will absolutely love the new Harry Potter areas!

 

[amelia]

Hi kimlovesfl,

Thank you so much for your advice! I am now convinced that I won't need express, certainly not in advance anyway. I'm sure I will manage waiting in line for the Potter rides.

On early entry, should I go straight to Forbidden Journey, starting with the 'castle tour' and then line up as single rider? (or the other way around?) Does the Hogwarts Express open at 9?

On one of the other days, should I make getting to Gringotts my priority to avoid a huge wait? Any suggestions for a plan of attack?

I know I have 3 days, but I'm getting a bit nervous/anxious about all of this haha. Everything is so unfamiliar. I just want it to be perfect since I won't be able to return for a long time Sorry for the 20 questions!

Thank you again :thumbs:

 

[amelia]

You guys are THE BEST. I can't believe all these responses!!

Thank you Mockingjay - I'm all signed up to mousesavers - now I just have to wait till the 15th to get the first newsletter

Definitely taking the poncho and definitely doing the 3rd day!

 

[bobo5162]

Random thought- A regular power pass shows for $189.99 + taxes on the website. You could then stay offsite to lower your hotel rate and still get early entry into the park. The time you are going has no black-out dates involved. You will also get some extra benefits. Poncho- YES jacket- not a chance! Potter is steady year round but the rest of the park will be slow enough to not need a express pass.

 

[sjago13]

Random thought- A regular power pass shows for $189.99 + taxes on the website. You could then stay offsite to lower your hotel rate and still get early entry into the park. The time you are going has no black-out dates involved. You will also get some extra benefits. Poncho- YES jacket- not a chance! Potter is steady year round but the rest of the park will be slow enough to not need a express pass.

Annual passholders don't normally get early entry. Just every now an again they do it for a week.

 

[fryoj]

Random thought- A regular power pass shows for $189.99 + taxes on the website. You could then stay offsite to lower your hotel rate and still get early entry into the park. The time you are going has no black-out dates involved. You will also get some extra benefits. Poncho- YES jacket- not a chance! Potter is steady year round but the rest of the park will be slow enough to not need a express pass.

189 is the Florida resident price.

 

[Mockingjay]

You guys are THE BEST. I can't believe all these responses!!

Thank you Mockingjay - I'm all signed up to mousesavers - now I just have to wait till the 15th to get the first newsletter

Definitely taking the poncho and definitely doing the 3rd day!

Not a problem! I'm more than glad to help!

 

[bobo5162]

oops... I do see that now. I thought i clicked non-FL passes... $214 is a little more but still not too bad and the saving staying off site might help aswell. Although staying onsite will help with transportation and wash it all out.