Harry Potter Crowd Report Thread...

[Princess Sleepy]

I was just there October 1-3 (Saturday, Sunday, Monday). Crowds were big at IOA but manageable all three days, same for US on Saturday and Sunday. US was almost a ghost town on Monday (no HHN that night).

Spent all day Saturday at IOA, Sunday at US all day then back to IOA when it closed (US closed at 5, IOA at 7). Monday I went back and forth.

On Saturday before 1:00, WWoHP crowds were low. Single rider line for FJ was walk-on, regular line about 20 minutes. In the afternoon it was intense (single rider 30+ minutes, regular line well over one hour). At 7:00 (park closing) the regular line was still going strong with about a 45-minute wait, but they still let on everyone who got in line before 7.

On Sunday evening, crowds were much lighter again - I showed up around 5:30, ate at Three Broomsticks, walked around and took pictures, and still rode FJ 5 times before park closing (single rider line). Regular line was about a 30 minute wait.

WWoHP crowds were biggest on Monday between 11-3, partially because the FJ ride kept breaking down. On Monday evening (6-7) there were hardly any people there and even the regular line for FJ was walk-on. I went through the tour line and got much better pictures than on Saturday, because there were no people in the ride line and you could see everything better.

Shops were very cramped all three days, worst on Monday. Lines for the Ollivander's show were reasonable Sat-Sun (20 minutes or less most of the day) and ridiculous on Monday (didn't ask, but the line was about twice the size of the day before - I'd estimate 45-60 minutes). Glad I saw it on Saturday.

Tip for buying wands: If you want a wand, and you want to buy it inside Ollivander's, look at the ones on display at the outdoor cart first and decide which one you want. There is almost no room to really look at the wands inside the store without other people bumping into you. And measure your suitcase ahead of time if you're flying home - the boxes are very long.

Tip for Butterbeer: If the lines at the outdoor carts are long, take a peek into the Hog's Head tavern. There were dozens of people waiting at the carts and only 4 people in line at the tavern. Plus grown-ups can buy adult beverages in the tavern, or you can get pear/apple cider or pumpkin juice - outside I think you only get butterbeer.

Tips for other souvenirs: WWoHP souvenirs are available in that area of the park and at various other gift shops throughout IOA and US. Beware that not all stores carry the same items. The shirt I liked the best was only at the IOA gift shop near the front of the park. If you're going more than one day, it might be worth it to check out your options and purchase later. Something else I learned about souvenir mugs: You can only buy a Hog's Head souvenir mug if you are purchasing an alcoholic beverage (they won't put butterbeer in it). If you buy butterbeer, you can only get the butterbeer souvenir mug (they won't put alcohol in it). Someone said it was to help monitor underage drinking (since only alcohol goes in the Hog's Head mugs, they will know if you buy it and gives it to someone under 21 with alcohol in it).

Lines for Dueling Dragons and Flight of the Hippogriff were short (5 minutes or less) for both rides most of the weekend.

Three Broomsticks was busy for most of Saturday, but no significant waits except at lunch. Didn't check it out until after 6 on Sunday, zero lines at that time. Did not go in on Monday, but glanced over from Hog's Head and it didn't look too busy.

If you want pictures of the storefronts/Hogsmeade, the best time to get them is after 6 pm, when there are fewer people in the park. Also, they turn on lights when it starts to get dark, which creates a very cool atmosphere that makes for some great pictures. From Marvel Comics land, you can get some awesome sunset pictures of Hogwarts castle and its reflection in the water.

If there is an odd day they are closing early, it could be because of a private event. They were doing something at US on Monday (tables set up in New York area around closing time).

Thank you for all the great information!

 

[abminer]

We did IOA last Tuesday, 10/4. We got there at 9am and stayed until 5ish. While everyone else ran to WWOHP at opening, we started with Hulk and worked our way around. All the rides on that side of the park were walk-ons or had 5min posted. By the time we got to WWOHP, the crowds had thinned. The worst we saw all day was 30min for FJ. As the day progressed the line got shorter so it was about 15min for FJ when we left. The line for the wand show at Ollivander's was about 10-15 min.

We found bigger than expected crowds at Disney (MK on Monday and Ep on Wednesday), but IOA was a breeze!

 

[Bootxn]

Would anyone like to comment on visiting both parks on Tues May 15 and Wed May 16 2012? Would we really have to stay onsite for FOTL?

 

[MissMagnolia]

I have been watching the wait times on the Undercover Tourist app and the past few days have been EXTREMELY busy. What is going on in FL this time of year? I know Columbus Day was Monday, but here in WI it is not a "school's out" holiday. Thoughts?

 

[mesaboy2]

Would anyone like to comment on visiting both parks on Tues May 15 and Wed May 16 2012? Would we really have to stay onsite for FOTL?

Those dates are pretty much after spring break and before summer. I would think you'd be fine without Express, especially with mid-week days like those.

 

[belleatheart]

I work at both Magic Kingdom and WWoHP and both areas have been extremely busy the past few days, like extremely

 

[mom2princess&prince]

We are trying to finalize our park plans for our trip to Disney and WWOHP the week of 11/19 - 11/26 (Thanksgiving week). We were planning to go for just one day, Sun, 11/20 based on the advice from this board, however, going on Mon. 11/21 seems to fit much better into our plans for other parks, dining, etc.

My question is does anyone have any idea how much busier it might be on Mon. 21st vs. Sun. 20th? Or is it going to be so busy both days that it won't really matter? Is there an IOA / WWHOP crowd calendar anywhere?

I know no one knows for sure but even a guess would be appreciated, just trying to decide if it is worth it to change all our plans around and go Sun. instead. Thanks for any help you can offer!

 

[mesaboy2]

We are trying to finalize our park plans for our trip to Disney and WWOHP the week of 11/19 - 11/26 (Thanksgiving week). We were planning to go for just one day, Sun, 11/20 based on the advice from this board, however, going on Mon. 11/21 seems to fit much better into our plans for other parks, dining, etc.

My question is does anyone have any idea how much busier it might be on Mon. 21st vs. Sun. 20th? Or is it going to be so busy both days that it won't really matter? Is there an IOA / WWHOP crowd calendar anywhere?

I know no one knows for sure but even a guess would be appreciated, just trying to decide if it is worth it to change all our plans around and go Sun. instead. Thanks for any help you can offer!

I know of no crowd calendars for Universal. As for Sunday versus Monday, it has been reported many times by posters how Sunday tends to be less busier than Mondays, at least in the off-peak seasons. But since you're going close to Thanksgiving, I think it's hard to guess. I would go with whatever day works best for you and hope for the best. For WWoHP (or most any theme park really), the standard advice is to go either early or late in the day to avoid the peak time of day. Have fun!

 

[Kristmay]

I'm thinking of going to IOA/US 1/25-1/27/12 - Wednesday - Friday. Do you think I'll need front of the line access for those dates? I'd rather stay offsite and save some money.

 

[xipetotec]

I work at both Magic Kingdom and WWoHP and both areas have been extremely busy the past few days, like extremely

I didn't know you could work at both. I thought they would insist on one or the other. ( Conflict of interest, or NDR agreements or something )

Cool!

 

[mesaboy2]

I'm thinking of going to IOA/US 1/25-1/27/12 - Wednesday - Friday. Do you think I'll need front of the line access for those dates? I'd rather stay offsite and save some money.

Nope, I seriously doubt it.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

We're planning an end of October trip to USF/IOA, and we'll be at the parks all day on Fri. 10/28/, Sat. 10/29, and Sun. 10/30. We'd rather not stay on site to save some money. Does anyone have an educated guess on how crowded WWoHP will be at this time of year? How about the wait times at other rides besides FJ? Is it really worth it to stay on site or buy an Express Pass? Is it "safe" to just go with the regular 3 day pass and take our chances? Does anyone have a recommendation for visiting IOA on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday? Thanks so much.

 

[mesaboy2]

We're planning an end of October trip to USF/IOA, and we'll be at the parks all day on Fri. 10/28/, Sat. 10/29, and Sun. 10/30. We'd rather not stay on site to save some money. Does anyone have an educated guess on how crowded WWoHP will be at this time of year? How about the wait times at other rides besides FJ? Is it really worth it to stay on site or buy an Express Pass? Is it "safe" to just go with the regular 3 day pass and take our chances? Does anyone have a recommendation for visiting IOA on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday? Thanks so much.

I would think crowd levels would be moderate at worst. You can wait on the Express Pass until you're there so you can see the crowds for yourself and make an informed decision. In general, Fridays and Saturdays tend to be among the busiest days of the week at Universal, while Sundays tend to be among the least crowded.

 

[spreadingpixiedust]

Planning our first trip to Orlando Universal Studios and IOA. Going on Thursday, Nov 17th. 6 adults. We want to do both parks on that one day but Harry Potter is the priority.
The crowd calendar for WDW is very low that day. Will we be able to do the headliners in both parks in one day considering the short hours? Should we do Harry Potter first and again last if there is time? Any touring suggestions are very welcome!
Thanks!

 

[belleatheart]

I didn't know you could work at both. I thought they would insist on one or the other. ( Conflict of interest, or NDR agreements or something )

Cool!

As long as you work in different lines of business you are ok

 

[BrinkofSunshine]

As long as you work in different lines of business you are ok

Is that just for the Magic Kingdom/WWoHP? I know people who work as ride attendants at WWoHP and as ride attendants at Disney.

 

[gertiesquidge]

Hi everyone,

Can anyone recommend what would likely be the quietest couple of days to visit WWoHP between Tuesday 9th Nov and Mon 14th Nov 2011? We want to spend a couple of days there, with WWoHP being the most important, but seeing some of US and IoA would be great too.

One of our children is Autistic and so we want to cut down on waiting as much as we can. He wouldn't be able to cope with the special needs pass where they give you a time and ask you to come back to the ride later, that would cause a LOT of upset for him. Would we be better to book a night in one of the onsite hotels and get the pass? Or would it be cheaper to buy Express Passes? Or would we not need them at all?

Sorry for all the questions, hope you can help
Best wishes
Gertiesquidge

 

[amystevekai&bump]

I have been watching the wait times on the Undercover Tourist app and the past few days have been EXTREMELY busy. What is going on in FL this time of year? I know Columbus Day was Monday, but here in WI it is not a "school's out" holiday. Thoughts?

I would be interested to know the answer to this too We are arriving on 10/10/12 (2 days after Columbus Day) next year and are in Orlando for 15 nights. We are thinking of going to WWOHP mid vacation and wondered what the crowds are like. Is it better to go closer to Columbus day or closer to halloween? (we will be going home before halloween itself so won't be there for the actually holiday)

Many thanks for any info

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

We are trying to finalize our park plans for our trip to Disney and WWOHP the week of 11/19 - 11/26 (Thanksgiving week). We were planning to go for just one day, Sun, 11/20 based on the advice from this board, however, going on Mon. 11/21 seems to fit much better into our plans for other parks, dining, etc.

My question is does anyone have any idea how much busier it might be on Mon. 21st vs. Sun. 20th? Or is it going to be so busy both days that it won't really matter? Is there an IOA / WWHOP crowd calendar anywhere?

I know no one knows for sure but even a guess would be appreciated, just trying to decide if it is worth it to change all our plans around and go Sun. instead. Thanks for any help you can offer!

Check here for a crowd calendar:

http://www.orlandoinformer.com/universal/crowd-calendar/#axzz1aqoXHuZX

Its not specific to WWOHP, but maybe it will help a little.

 

[mesaboy2]

Hi everyone,

Can anyone recommend what would likely be the quietest couple of days to visit WWoHP between Tuesday 9th Nov and Mon 14th Nov 2011? We want to spend a couple of days there, with WWoHP being the most important, but seeing some of US and IoA would be great too.

One of our children is Autistic and so we want to cut down on waiting as much as we can. He wouldn't be able to cope with the special needs pass where they give you a time and ask you to come back to the ride later, that would cause a LOT of upset for him. Would we be better to book a night in one of the onsite hotels and get the pass? Or would it be cheaper to buy Express Passes? Or would we not need them at all?

Sorry for all the questions, hope you can help
Best wishes
Gertiesquidge

The Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday at the beginning of your dates will probably be the quietest. I doubt you'll need Express or to stay onsite. Just my educated guesses.