First attempt at Wizarding World of Harry Potter - any advice appreciated!

[jeffk410]

I'm convinced the Hogwarts Express is busier now than it was last summer. I've regularly seen 30+ min waits in both directions.

The line in King's Cross was almost completely full this afternoon (the line stretched out into the corridor that passes the London travel posters).

If you're determined to get the complete Potter experience (riding the Hogwarts Express in both directions), you could do this:

-Start the day in USF and head straight to Diagon Alley. Do the standby line for Gringotts so that you see the entire queue.

-Go back out to London, take the Hogwarts Express to Hogsmeade. Ride Forbidden Journey standby so that you see the full queue. That might be a 45-60 wait by mid-morning.

-Look around Hogsmeade, go to Honeydukes and have a cauldron cake, or go inside Three Broomsticks/Hog's Head Pub for lunch or a drink. Either have lunch there or wait and have lunch at Leaky Cauldron when you've gone back to Diagon.

-Take the Hogwarts Express back to London, browse Diagon Alley, visit Olivanders wand shop, watch the shows (the puppet troupe and Celestina Warbeck), take in the atmosphere, and have some ice cream and/or one of the varieties of Butterbeer.

-Whatever's remaining of the day fill out with USF's attractions: Men in Black, Transformers, E.T., Mummy, Simpson's, etc. You'd miss Spider-man this way, which is a shame, but it would get you all of the Potter stuff and maybe a couple of the other headliners.

This is a big help, thanks a lot for all of your advice!

 

[BrerJon]

To be honest, I imagine we will only really do the Harry Potter attractions. We are big HP fans and only having one day I imagine we will just stay in those areas.

If you only have one day that's very wise. Diagon Alley alone could take a whole day to do. If you get there for park opening and just stick to Potter you should be able to do both lands quite thoroughly though.

I would say go straight to Diagon Alley and ride Gringotts. If the single rider line is open, use that for a second go.

Then go outside to London, check out the details in the houses and the Knight Bus, then go to Kings Cross and get the Hogwarts Express to Hogsmeade. When you get there ride Forbidden Journey. Again, use the single rider for any repeat trips as the wait should only be about ten minutes or so. You might want to go and explore Hogsmeade then come back later for a second trip.

After that do Dragon Challenge (low wait), then explore the shops and grab yourself an iced Butterbeer (a must-do), maybe some lunch in the Three Broomsticks, then when you are done in Hogsmeade get the train back to Diagon Alley.

BIG TIP: The lines at the Butterbeer carts, and at the ice cream shop in Diagon, are huge. But you can get Butterbeers frozen and regular in the pub and restaurants, and the Hopping Pot in Diagon also sells the Butterbeer ice cream, so there's never any need to stand in a long line for anything Butterbeer flavored, but most people don't know this.

Dining wise the two Potter restaurants are the best quick service in the park, so no need to leave the Wizarding World to eat. Lots of people like Mythos but I found it expensive and overrated, and with one day and short time, you're much better to stick to Broomsticks or Cauldron.

Then spend the rest of your day enjoying exploring the shops and wand magic in Diagon. Don't miss Knockturn Alley, it's tucked away but there's plenty of cool things to see inside. Be sure to try the drinks and ice creams too - Fishy Green Ale is delicious.

Dont' skip either Gringotts or Forbidden Journey because you're worried about intensity - they're both pretty mild really, but the screens make you think your're moving more than you are, but they're unlike anything else in the world and you'll be glad you did.

On transport, I've done Mears shared shuttles many times, they're pretty good, just make sure to ask for a very early pickup from your hotel so you can get there by park opening. For two people a return will be about $45, whereas a taxi cab return would be about twice that. Uber is also pretty efficient in Orlando, so there are lots of choices.

 

[Ranch Dressing]

If I was going to do the Potter attractions for the first time, you should hit IoA first and start with FJ.

Then jump on the train right afterwards and run to Gringotts.

After you get those two out of the way, take your time and enjoy both of the Potter areas details, there really isnt anything else thats a must do in regards to Potter.

But you really need to do the Potter stuff first, skip everything else until you get Potter done.

 

[jeffk410]

If you only have one day that's very wise. Diagon Alley alone could take a whole day to do. If you get there for park opening and just stick to Potter you should be able to do both lands quite thoroughly though.

I would say go straight to Diagon Alley and ride Gringotts. If the single rider line is open, use that for a second go.

Then go outside to London, check out the details in the houses and the Knight Bus, then go to Kings Cross and get the Hogwarts Express to Hogsmeade. When you get there ride Forbidden Journey. Again, use the single rider for any repeat trips as the wait should only be about ten minutes or so. You might want to go and explore Hogsmeade then come back later for a second trip.

After that do Dragon Challenge (low wait), then explore the shops and grab yourself an iced Butterbeer (a must-do), maybe some lunch in the Three Broomsticks, then when you are done in Hogsmeade get the train back to Diagon Alley.

BIG TIP: The lines at the Butterbeer carts, and at the ice cream shop in Diagon, are huge. But you can get Butterbeers frozen and regular in the pub and restaurants, and the Hopping Pot in Diagon also sells the Butterbeer ice cream, so there's never any need to stand in a long line for anything Butterbeer flavored, but most people don't know this.

Dining wise the two Potter restaurants are the best quick service in the park, so no need to leave the Wizarding World to eat. Lots of people like Mythos but I found it expensive and overrated, and with one day and short time, you're much better to stick to Broomsticks or Cauldron.

Then spend the rest of your day enjoying exploring the shops and wand magic in Diagon. Don't miss Knockturn Alley, it's tucked away but there's plenty of cool things to see inside. Be sure to try the drinks and ice creams too - Fishy Green Ale is delicious.

Dont' skip either Gringotts or Forbidden Journey because you're worried about intensity - they're both pretty mild really, but the screens make you think your're moving more than you are, but they're unlike anything else in the world and you'll be glad you did.

On transport, I've done Mears shared shuttles many times, they're pretty good, just make sure to ask for a very early pickup from your hotel so you can get there by park opening. For two people a return will be about $45, whereas a taxi cab return would be about twice that. Uber is also pretty efficient in Orlando, so there are lots of choices.

Thanks a lot, this is a huge help! I'm surprised Uber is actually reliable in Orlando, but it might be something I should look into.

 

[JediMasterMatt]

Something to file away re: the two headlining Potter attractions if push comes to shove with your schedule. Forbidden Journey has well over 2000 people/hour capacity (I've heard as high at 2600 when they can fill the majority of the seats in all the RVs) and Gringotts can only theoretically get close to 1400 (and they are challenged to . So, if faced with the challenge of which long line to get in... FJ's will move faster.

Also, no matter how warm the weather is - head into one of the dedicated locations that serve butterbeer and try the hot variant. It's the true nectar of the gods when it comes to theme park beverages.