Queues *not* to skip with Express Passes?

[Rob562]

I'll be going on my upcoming trip with two newbies to the Universal parks. While I've been a few times, this will be the first time I've stayed at one of the hotels that gives Unlimited Express Passes, so I'm not sure what of the queues you miss by using Express.

So the question is: which queues do you think should *not* be skipped using Express Pass, at least for the first ride? Are there Standby queues that are integral enough to the overall attraction experience that they shouldn't be skipped for the first ride? (Re-rides could then use Express)

We're not going at a busy time (mid-November), so crowds shouldn't be a major issue, but we'll only have Express for a day and a half. (half of arrival day and then on checkout day)
The rest of the week we'll be at a timeshare. Since we're getting Seasonal APs our plan was to get a lot of the big stuff out of the way while we have Express, and then circle back to the parks later in the week to tour them leisurely, soak in the "little things" and not worry about how long lines might be.

Thoughts?

-Rob

 

[JoeCamel]

Use the express first then when you come back do the standby. Most of the headliners have very good queues so it is easier to say do them all.

 

[Rider]

Not really. Either the queues are not interesting enough (most of them) or the express let's you see the cool parts anyway (Harry Potter, Kong).

 

[JoeCamel]

Not really. Either the queues are not interesting enough (most of them) or the express let's you see the cool parts anyway (Harry Potter, Kong).

Express in Kong bypasses the witch. Best AA in the park except for the big guy.

 

[trr1]

ask to do the the immigration tour after riding men in black, also these ride have secret tours the mummy, Harry Potter and The Forbidden Journey” and “Harry Potter and Escape from Gringotts” rides. Simply ask for the “Castle Tour” (Forbidden Journey) or the “Bank Tour” (Gringotts).

 

[Tom Morrow]

Dragon Challenge, if it's still open when you go, is worth walking through the entire standby queue. The express queue skips most of it and it's usually mostly empty anyway.

Forbidden Journey's express queue lets you see some of the key points, but you still miss a lot, definitely worth it.

Kong is maybe worth doing the standby queue.

Men in Black misses a few things I believe.

The Mummy Express queue misses a decent amount.

I would say that most of the other express queues don't miss too much.

 

[fosse76]

Re: Harry Potter
Aren't they now part of express pass? If so then there wouldn't be any more castle or bank "tours." Since those tours utilized the Express Pass queue, you don't miss anything by using Express Pass vs. standby. Same with Transformers.

With Express Pass you can still see the witch in Kong, though you are off to the side. I believe you do miss is the scare actor (IMO just a jump scare tactic), and also the room right before loading with the crates, luggage, and the animatronic creature. In my opinion it really isn't worth standing in line for 45 minutes to experience. Maybe if there is a short wait it'll be worth it.

While you miss some themeing elements in the queue for the Mummy, they aren't really that fascinating or, like Kong above, worth waiting 45 minutes to experience. Keep an eye on wait times, because I've often spent more time in the Express Pass queue than the standby wait time.

Spider-Man has different but similarly-themed rooms (i.e., in standby you go through the press bull pen, but in express you go through Peter Parker's office and his dark room. So there's no real need to go through standby for this attraction. I'd go through standby once, but only if there's a short wait.

The Simpsons and the water rides are sparsely themed in the queue, so you don't miss much there.

I'd only recommend standby for E.T. and Men in Black at least once.

Quite a few of the rides have single-rider, and it is usually much faster with MIB than even the Express Queue. SO that might be looking into.

 

[DisneyPrincess5]

ask to do the the immigration tour after riding men in black, also these ride have secret tours the mummy, Harry Potter and The Forbidden Journey” and “Harry Potter and Escape from Gringotts” rides. Simply ask for the “Castle Tour” (Forbidden Journey) or the “Bank Tour” (Gringotts).

I'm intrigued. Do tell more please!

 

[trr1]

I'm intrigued. Do tell more please!

its a back area set tour in men in black the upper area is the que line
after ridding we asked to due the immigration tour and see Idikiukup and Bob, Agent C took us to the control room,

 

[Tom Morrow]

Just a heads up, asking for those is not a guarantee. The attraction may not have the staffing for anyone to give you the tour.

 

[trr1]

Just a heads up, asking for those is not a guarantee. The attraction may not have the staffing for anyone to give you the tour.

true but it doesn't hurt to ask

 

[Nj4mwc]

ask to do the the immigration tour after riding men in black, also these ride have secret tours the mummy, Harry Potter and The Forbidden Journey” and “Harry Potter and Escape from Gringotts” rides. Simply ask for the “Castle Tour” (Forbidden Journey) or the “Bank Tour” (Gringotts).

Who do you ask for the tours one of the ride operators when you get off?

 

[trr1]

Who do you ask for the tours one of the ride operators when you get off?

yes or when you get on and just like @Tom Morrow said "Just a heads up, asking for those is not a guarantee. The attraction may not have the staffing for anyone to give you the tour."

 

[007mickey]

ask to do the the immigration tour after riding men in black, also these ride have secret tours the mummy, Harry Potter and The Forbidden Journey” and “Harry Potter and Escape from Gringotts” rides. Simply ask for the “Castle Tour” (Forbidden Journey) or the “Bank Tour” (Gringotts).

Our last trip I saw some people on the "Immigration Tour" but had no idea that's what they were doing, thanks for the tip.

Is the "Mummy Tour", "Bank Tour" and "Castle Tour" any different than the regular queue line?

 

[trr1]

Not sure we didn't have a chance to do them

 

[fosse76]

Our last trip I saw some people on the "Immigration Tour" but had no idea that's what they were doing, thanks for the tip.

Is the "Mummy Tour", "Bank Tour" and "Castle Tour" any different than the regular queue line?

There's a Mummy Tour? There isn't much to see in that queue as it is. I've never done the bank tour, but the castle tour was simply the staff letting you walk through the express pass queue (and I assume it's the same for Gringott's). Since it wasn't in-use, the staff at the merge point knew you needed to exit (or if you asked, let you into the single-rider queue). Since The Harry Potter attractions now accept the Express Passes, I can't inagine those "tours" continue, or if they do they are completely dependent on staffing conditions.

 

[JT3000]

There's a Mummy Tour? There isn't much to see in that queue as it is.

It isn't much compared to Forbidden Journey, but it's still one of the most detailed queues at Universal, and has the most interactive elements. There's no "tour" as far as I'm aware, and you miss much of the queue by using Express.

 

[007mickey]

There's a Mummy Tour? There isn't much to see in that queue as it is. I've never done the bank tour, but the castle tour was simply the staff letting you walk through the express pass queue (and I assume it's the same for Gringott's). Since it wasn't in-use, the staff at the merge point knew you needed to exit (or if you asked, let you into the single-rider queue). Since The Harry Potter attractions now accept the Express Passes, I can't inagine those "tours" continue, or if they do they are completely dependent on staffing conditions.

This is what I was curious about, never heard of anything for the Mummy and didn't think there was anything "extra" to the castle or bank tours but thought I would ask after reading trr1 comments.