Early park entry

[BrianV]

We will be at universal in mid august. I read that IOA will be the park with early admission. If we want to get to diagon alley as early as possible, is our best bet to A) enter IOA early and take the hogwarts express over? B) wait for US to open and go directly from there?

We were in January without the kids and there were essentially no lines. Won't be the case in august and we want to make sure the kids get on the ride while minimizing our waiting. If we chose option A above, does anyone know how soon after opening the hogwarts express runs?

 

[BrerJon]

The Wizarding World that isn't open early won't open until the rest of that park does, so I don't think they will let people on the Express until the other park is open, which means you're probably not going to have much of a head start on people waiting at the gates and going straight to Diagon.

However, a few minutes after park opening crowds won't be that bad, even in August, and even if you're a few minutes behind everyone else, you'll have made those minutes up in the things you've ticked off in Hogsmeade during that first hour that otherwise you'd have to do later in the day when crowds are worse, so it sounds a sensible plan to me.

 

[JoeCamel]

If IOA is the early park (August might be both) then you get in 1/2 hour before early admission and go straight to FJ then ride HWE to USF 1/2 hour before the scheduled open and enter DA to ride EFG. Both headliners before 9:30 usually. The times do change a bit for the "extra" time but anywhere from 1/2 hour to 15 minutes before scheduled open they have been allowing guests to enter the park.

 

[BrianV]

Thanks both. Sounds like it would work well. All the rest of the rides have xpress pass, so it is only those two that I'm anxious to avoid lines.