emileeee Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 I'm finally, finally getting the opportunity to visit Universal the first week of August. Lots of planning to do, but the general plan is to spend Monday getting to Florida, Tuesday/Wednesday at Universal, and head home Thursday.My best friend and I (huge Potter fans) are VERY excited to see The Wizarding World! However, I couldn't help but notice that Hogsmeade is in one park and Diagon Alley is in the other park. Is it better to get a two-day single park ticket (Hogsmeade one day and Diagon Alley the next), or get a two-day park-to-park ticket?I bought the Beyond Disney Unofficial Guide to Universal Orlando, SeaWorld, and the Best of Central Florida a while ago, and as I'm sitting down to plan my trip, I'm finding myself extremely overwhelmed. I know I'm not going to get to do everything in two days, so I'm trying to maximize what I can do. What other Universal tips do you have? What are the "must rides," and what should I skip? I really appreciate any advice I can get. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoddaH1994 Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 Spiderman is a fantastic ride that you can't miss. A hidden gem is the Twister experience. Lots of fun! Incredible Hulk is tons of fun too. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkroz Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 You are going to LOVE Universal Orlando. LOVE it. It's fantastic. When I visit Orlando, Universal is my primary destination every time, above Walt Disney World. The two parks are snuggled right up to each other and VERY easy to walk between. For that reason alone, get a Park-to-Park ticket. It'll let you bounce between the resort's highlights, especially at the end of the second day. You'll be kicking yourself if you go to Islands of Adventure on Tuesday, then Universal Studios on Wednesday and realize you can't run back and re-ride Spider-Man that night. Also remember: Diagon Alley has two major attractions: Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts, and the Hogwarts Express. The Hogwarts Express is a fully-immersive dark ride (so it is NOT a simple train like Kings Island's or the Walt Disney World Railroad) that travels BETWEEN Diagon Alley (at Universal Studios) and Hogsmeade (at Islands of Adventure). You cannot ride the Hogwarts Express attraction unless you have a Park-to-Park ticket. You board in Kings Cross Station at Diagon Alley and get off in Hogsmeade at the other park (or vice versa) so without a Park-to-Park ticket, you will miss that E-ticket, headlining, major ride. There's nothing I'd tell you to skip, but with time being short, focus on the obvious headlining rides (Forbidden Journey, Gringotts, Revenge of the Mummy, Spider-Man, Transformers, Jurassic Park, Hulk, Dragon Challenge, Men In Black) but be sure not to miss Poseidon's Fury, E.T., and the Horror Make-Up Show. You'll find that Universal's two parks contain as many headlining attractions as Disney World's four, and doing it in 2 days won't be easy! If you're staying on-property at one of the resort's three deluxe hotels, your room key counts as FREE, UNLIMITED front-of-the-line passes (not good on Gringotts or Forbidden Journey, last I checked). You can also purchase once-per-ride Express Pass Plus online or at the park, with prices fluctuating based on expected crowd levels. It can be pricy based on the time of year, but it will definitely relieve pressure from your vacation and allow you to relax a bit. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkroz Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 Also recognize that the first week of August is most students' last week off for summer, and that Diagon Alley will be less than a month old at the time. Universal has hit it out of the park with Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade, and wait times will reflect that. When Hogsmeade opened, folks were waiting for 90 minutes or more to get into shops and restaurants. With that pressure distributed between two Wizarding World lands, it shouldn't be quite as bad, but recognize that if your time is short, you may have to buy a wand from a cart instead of waiting an hour or more to get into Ollivander's. It depends on your priorities. If you're going just for the Wizarding World lands, you can do it all in two days. To me, that would do a disservice to two of the greatest theme parks in the world, though. Don't make the mistake of trying to meticulously plan which park you'll visit first and where you'll run to and what order you'll do rides in. Just like Kings Island, things rarely work out that smoothly. Go with the flow, try not to stress, and get lost in the moments. Universal has a really cool dichotomy: you'll be dropped off directly in the center of the kidney-bean shaped CityWalk. Two identical bridges branch off from each end of the kidney bean: one toward the Pharos Lighthouse, and one toward the Universal Studio Gates. You can plan until the cows come home, but when you first land there and see those two park icons, you'll just end up going with the flow anyway and following whichever path feels right to you. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonofbeast2.0 Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 goodyellowkorn182, everything you said, I couldn't agree with more! Transforms ride is also a blast and would highly recommend it as well, Horror Make-up Show is a must as well! As for food, in UOR park the best place to get a burger is Mel's Diner, which the burgers are amazing! Same for their chili cheese fries! IOA I would recommend eating at Comic Strip Cafe, which has a nice little variety of foods. (both places are fast food and Universal does offer a more of a sit down kind of restaurant as well, can't vouch for them since never been in them, we always get Meal Deal). I would say it really wouldn't hurt to get a 3 day two park ticket, since it might be extra busy still being summer and the new Diagion Alley being open. All and all, I hope you have a blast and please do a trip report when you return! Note: I would not recommend skipping any of the rides (except maybe kiddy rides...) at either park as well! They are all a blast and great fun in their own way! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkroz Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 On the subject of adding another day, Universal's ticket prices did a big jump when Diagon Alley opening neared, but they're still pretty reasonable. It's ESPECIALLY cheap to add extra days. (I was stunned to find that adding another day cost a whopping $5.00 per person when I last visited.)Assuming you'll do a Park-to-Park ticket (which, again, is the only way to get on the Hogwarts Express), a two-day ticket is $175.99. A three-day ticket is $185.99... A difference of $10.00. So, if your plane gets in at 2 or 3 in the afternoon, you'll be in your hotel by 3 or 4 (presumably) and for $10, you can upgrade your ticket to three days and be in the parks that night from, say, 5 - 10. That's 5 extra hours for an additional $10. Even if it's not beautifully ideal, that's 5 hours to get your bearings, ride a few big attractions, and get excited for your two full days to follow. Now, if your plane is landing at 6 or 7, it might not be worth the effort to rush to the parks. But it's something to consider! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkroz Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 And now dining stuff. I really wish I was more organized and able to put this all into one post. Both of the Wizarding World's big restaurants (Three Broomsticks / Hog's Head Pub in Hogsmeade and Leaky Cauldron in Diagon Alley) get consistently rave reviews. They serve authentic UK fare with no intrusive offerings. No Coca-Cola products, for example. Only Butterbeer, Pumpkin Juice, Gillyweed Soda, etc.. I'm sure you'll make sure to eat at both anyway, but it's worth repeating that they're GREAT restaurants and TOTALLY integrated into the story. Obviously Butterbeer (served as a soft drink or a frozen variety) are available in both places. If you get it at the Hog's Head, tip your bartender... Outside of the Wizarding World, Universal's food offerings aren't spectacular in terms of quick-service (a lot of hamburgers and spaghetti) but Mythos in the Lost Continent wins annual awards for its food, and it's worth eating there just to see the interior. The restaurant that's been causing a stir in Diagon Alley is Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor. Apparently the Butterbeer ice cream is worth waiting for. The website I write for, Theme Park Tourist, has full guides to most theme parks, including Universal Orlando's two parks. Each park has its rides and restaurants rated and categorized and briefly described, so that can be fun to look through too! But I'm biased - I wrote the guides... 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonofbeast2.0 Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 Oh Butter Beer (I prefer frozen myself), Pumpkin Juice and I would assume the new ice creams over in Diagion Alley, are amazing as well! In the Simpsons area I would highly recommend against a Flaming Moe, it has dry ice in the bottom of the cup which kind of cools your drink and then bubbles and looks cool, but it doesn't taste no different than any generic orange soft drink... And if I'm not mistaken it costs $7 for what might be a 12oz cup! Goose Juice tastes pretty good too (it is a sour green apple frozen drink)! Which can be gotten at the edge of the Dr.Seuss Land. Give me and "goodyellowkorn182" a minute and we might have something else to say. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emileeee Posted July 7, 2014 Author Share Posted July 7, 2014 Also recognize that the first week of August is most students' last week off for summer, and that Diagon Alley will be less than a month old at the time. Universal has hit it out of the park with Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade, and wait times will reflect that. When Hogsmeade opened, folks were waiting for 90 minutes or more to get into shops and restaurants. With that pressure distributed between two Wizarding World lands, it shouldn't be quite as bad, but recognize that if your time is short, you may have to buy a wand from a cart instead of waiting an hour or more to get into Ollivander's. It depends on your priorities. If you're going just for the Wizarding World lands, you can do it all in two days. To me, that would do a disservice to two of the greatest theme parks in the world, though. Don't make the mistake of trying to meticulously plan which park you'll visit first and where you'll run to and what order you'll do rides in. Just like Kings Island, things rarely work out that smoothly. Go with the flow, try not to stress, and get lost in the moments. Universal has a really cool dichotomy: you'll be dropped off directly in the center of the kidney-bean shaped CityWalk. Two identical bridges branch off from each end of the kidney bean: one toward the Pharos Lighthouse, and one toward the Universal Studio Gates. You can plan until the cows come home, but when you first land there and see those two park icons, you'll just end up going with the flow anyway and following whichever path feels right to you. Thank you SO much for the advice! I really appreciate it. I wanted to get park-to-park tickets, but I'm using the tickets my mom and brother were going to use on spring break (my brother broke his ankle in the ocean the day before Universal), so I have two one-day admission tickets. Kinda bummed about not getting to ride the Hogwarts Express, however I'm just grateful I get to go at all. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 I bet you can buy up. Uni would be pleased to take your money. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shark6495 Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 Mythos is great and frozen Butterbeer was awesome. My wife and I were very happy with Mythos. It cost us just shy of $30 to eat a good meal in the park (we thought it would be $30 per plate). Get reservations for Mythos or any other place you go. Get them months in advance. We had reservation for the restaurant and when we showed up to eat, the couple a head of us was told their wait would be 4 hours. We walked up and claimed our reservation and were sat in 10 mins. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkroz Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 I bet you can buy up. Uni would be pleased to take your money. Sure can! Both train stations have convenient upgrade kiosks disguised as regular ole train station ticket kiosks. From what folks are saying about Hogwarts Express, it would be worth it. And it's an entirely different attraction in each direction... 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonofbeast2.0 Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 Related but unrelated note... Harry Potter and the Escape From Gringotts for opening day (July 8th), the ride alone got up to 7.5hr wait! Maybe even longer! But first if you wanted into Diagon Alley, you had to wait in a line all the way out past to Fear Factor Live!, back where their is usually a line for a HHN house/tent! Which was zig-zaged up and down! that's just insanity! Shows the long wait to get into DA and HPEFG. A different video I have watched showed HPEFG getting up to 450min (7.5hrs)! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emileeee Posted July 11, 2014 Author Share Posted July 11, 2014 That's my biggest worry the timing of this trip just happened to fall a month after a new attraction opened. I'm hoping to get to ride Gringotts but if the line is outrageously long I won't let it take away from experiencing the rest of the park. To put it in perspective, I haven't been to Universal since I was a three year old Florida resident. Not sure when I'll get the chance to go again. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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