What are Harry Potter Lines like now that it is the "slow" season? - Page 2 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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I'm surprised that onsite hotel guests can use their room key at the HPatFJ attraction because it doesn't have Express Pass. Onsite guests enter through the Express line. Is there some other type of procedure for this attraction?
When we went in late Aug, you could not use your room key/express pass on the Forbidden Journey. You could use it on the 2 Harry Potter coasters, but you still had to stand in line for FJ.
When we went in late Aug, you could not use your room key/express pass on the Forbidden Journey. You could use it on the 2 Harry Potter coasters, but you still had to stand in line for FJ.
Beth
That's what I thought - thanks for confirming that!
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I was just there last weekend. Harry Potter was NUTS - so busy!!! The longest lines were for the store.
BUT - we took the single riders line - on the Harry Potter ride - just skip to the left of the line - and go up the stairs - and we rode over and over again - with absolutely no wait.
We went on oct 2 - took advantage of early entrance to those who were at Universal resorts. The fight of hippogriff we rode twice in a roll - no waitting time. The Forbidden Journey had a 15 min wait, and Dragon Challenge was something around 10 minutes. We left that area around 10:30 am to a breakfast at broomstick and the crowds were picking up. Ah we did not entered the store where you can get the wand...the lines were already huge (30 minutes at the park oppening, and more than one hour after we left the dragon chalenge)
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I went on Nov 3 and Nov 5. On Nov 3 we entered the park at 8:30am and ate breakfast at the three broomsticks, which was yummy. Then we went to Forbidden journey at 9:15 and there was a 25 min wait, but we hopped in the single riders line and there was no wait, and it just happened that my dbf and I still got to ride together. then we waited in line for 10 mins for flight of the hippogryph and then we waited for less than 10 minutes for the dragon challenge. We never got to actually go into Olivander's for the wand experience because the lines were insane even from 8:45. The lines for everything really got long after 12:00. The FJ line was up to 85 minutes and dragon challenge was at 25 mins and flight of the hippogryph was at an hour long wait. There were also lines to get into the stores in the afternoons. We had no wait for honeydukes early in the morning but after 12:00 there was a super long line to get in, and they were limiting the number of people. The longest line we waited in was to get into the owl post..... we waited about 20-25 mins and that was around 9:45-10:00 am. But everything was incredible. Try the frozen butterbeer, I liked it better than the cold butterbeer.!
Just back - went November 24th and the crowds were CRAZY - it was a mob scene until evening and even then still crowded. 100 minutes to ride Forbidden Journey, a hour wait for Ollivander's, lines for Butterbeer 1/2 hour to 45 minutes. I'm sure it was due to Thanksgiving week, though. Despite all that I LOVED it....I just can't say enough about it, it's a must see for any HP fan (and I am a HP geek.) The details are amazing. Rode Forbidden Journey but it probably wasn't a wise choice for me as I get motion sickness and sure enough, I felt quite ill for at least an hour after the ride. Still, it was worth it to see it! I hope they figure out some crowd control measures before Christmas, though, as it was complete mayhem.
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Just got back - we were there Dec 6 and 7. We arrived in WWoHP around 11 am and the line for Forbidden Journey was posted at 30 minutes but half of that was walking through the line to get to the point where we actually had to start waiting. My DH rode the dragons ride - he waited for a front seat so it took about 10 minutes. If he hadn't been fussy and rode in any seat, he would've walked right on.
The line for butterbeer was about 5 minutes, same for the line to order lunch at Three Broomsticks at noon. We saw the wand show at Olivanders but only because we went there right after we rode FJ and the queue was only 20 minutes. Later in the day it was much longer and in my opinion it wouldn't be worth waiting any longer for.
I was afraid that with the recent release of the movie it would increase the crowds but it didn't seem to have much impact. However, we were there during record low temperatures in Orlando so that may have kept away some people who planned to just show up and buy a day ticket.
We went 11/20/10 - and we won't be going back. We don't ride coasters and that seems to be all there was. (or Forbidden Journey - which I heard was also "intense" therefore off the table). The lines were ridiculous. We couldn't get into Dervish and Banges. (hour and a half wait) We scooted into Honeydukes when the line was low but the cashier was insulting. We got butterbeer from a cart near the castle but there was no place to sit down to enjoy it. We ended up sitting in Jurassic Park area. It was awful! My DH said it was because HP and the Deathly Hallows had just come out and it was a Saturday so we should give it another chance. My response - NO WAY! Don't go - it's a waste! (And I am a big fan of HP - so this is a real disappointment!)
I'm so sorry you had such a bad experience Coop. It sounds overwhelming. My experience was almost the exact opposite of yours and we were there only two weeks after you. I was worried about the crowds due to the movie being released, but they didn't seem unmanageable to us. I wonder if Thanksgiving had anything to do with the crowds you experienced because other than WWoHP you could shoot a cannon through most of US/IoA and not hit a soul while we were there. Except for Olivanders we almost literally walked into everything we wanted whenever we wanted. WWoHP was not made large enough to accommodate the crowds it draws so I can definitely see that if there are any kinds of crowds at all it would be packed.
Kristy - how were you able to enter and eat breakfast early? Were you staying on site or is this something that everyone can do?
You don't have to stay in one of the big 3 "onsite" hotels, buy you do have to buy a package through one of the partner hotels. We stayed at a Fairfield Inn off I Drive and had the breakfast with our package. Also early admission to IOA.
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was about 5 minutes, same for the line to order lunch at Three Broomsticks at noon. We saw the wand show at Olivanders but only because we went there right after we rode FJ and the queue was only 20 minutes. Later in the day it was much longer and in my opinion it wouldn't be worth waiting any longer for.
My experience was almost the exact opposite of yours and we were there only two weeks after you. I was worried about the crowds due to the movie being released, but they didn't seem unmanageable to us. I wonder if Thanksgiving had anything to do with the crowds you experienced because other than WWoHP you could shoot a cannon through most of US/IoA and not hit a soul while we were there. Except for Olivanders we almost literally walked into everything we wanted whenever we wanted. WWoHP was not made large enough to accommodate the crowds it draws so I can definitely see that if there are any kinds of crowds at all it would be packed.
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