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Thread: Best Day to Visit

  1. #1
    Gravity release me... tappenfeat's Avatar
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    Best Day to Visit

    We are doing just one day at Universal Studios with the main interest being HP World end of August.

    What is the best day to visit? We were going to go on a Tuesday, but I read Frommer's and it suggested a Thursday or Friday.

    Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!




    Stephanie

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  3. #2
    Self-Proclaimed Disney Queen! Pammer's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by tappenfeat View Post
    We are doing just one day at Universal Studios with the main interest being HP World end of August.

    What is the best day to visit? We were going to go on a Tuesday, but I read Frommer's and it suggested a Thursday or Friday.

    Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
    I would think any weekday (Mon-Thurs) would be best, avoiding the weekends in case the locals show up. I also think it's possible that people visiting WDW for a week might hit all 4 Disney parks on their first 4 vacation days before visiting Universal, so I would opt for an early week visit. I'm planning on Monday & Tuesday visits when I go to Universal in October, because I want to avoid their Halloween Horror Nights crowds!

    In fact, I just bought my Universal tickets from Undercover Tourist via the exclusive MouseSavers link, since they are still selling them at the old prices...if you haven't purchased yours yet, you might do the same!

    Have fun & stay cool!
    Pam
    DL trips: too many to remember actual dates, but they began in the 60s!
    WDW trips: 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1996, 1999, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2021



  4. #3
    Gravity release me... tappenfeat's Avatar
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    Thanks, I think we are going to stick with the Tuesday we planned on visiting. We purchased our Universal Tickets thru AAA and they gave us their old pricing, too. Much appreciated feedback. Thank you!




    Stephanie

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    Registered User wishiwasthere's Avatar
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    I went on a Tuesday and Thursday last August the week before labor day weekend. Tuesday was EMPTY. The park was due to open at 9AM. We left the Poly at about 7:45. Got there for 8:15. Parked valet because for another $6 it is 100% worth it! We were by the main gate by 8:30 and they were already letting people in.

    We went to IOA, and there was not a soul there! Everyone was heading towards Suess Landing to hit up HP. We went towards Marvel Island. We had our own car on Spiderman. We had our own car on Jurassic Park. There was nobody. We got to HP land by 10:30 and there was a 20 minute wait for FJ. We finished the whole park by 1:00PM. Then we just walked around trying to get on FJ again, but it broke down.

    By going valet we probably got to the park 30 minutes earlier than we would have if we had done regular parking.

    Kristin

  6. #5
    Gravity release me... tappenfeat's Avatar
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    Thanks Kristin,

    We are definitely going to stick with Tuesday. HP World...HERE WE COME!!! eeeeee




    Stephanie

  7. #6

    We may head to IOA for a day the week after Labor Day. I'm assuming Wednesday would be better than Tuesday since Monday is a holiday. Right?

    Shannon
    Mommy to 3 Princesses and 1 Prince
    Miss M(16), J(13) and R(10), and Mr. N(9)

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    Gravity release me... tappenfeat's Avatar
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    I would think so, too. And I know after Labor Day, the attendance does drop significantly until the next Holiday. Smart move!




    Stephanie

  9. #8
    Registered User wishiwasthere's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by 3Princesses1Prince View Post
    We may head to IOA for a day the week after Labor Day. I'm assuming Wednesday would be better than Tuesday since Monday is a holiday. Right?
    I would think so too. The Thursday before Labor Day we headed to Universal Studios and you should have seen the masses heading for IoA. Glad we picked that park to go to on the Tuesday!
    Kristin

  10. #9
    Registered User mousecanuck's Avatar
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    Hey Tappen, I can't speak for day of the week, we went on the weekend (1st in April) and it wasn't too bad, but we stayed on site and that helped, a lot. Two other things, though - IF you head straight to HP first thing in the am, the line will be 90 min to 120 mins right off the cuff. We had 'one hour early admission' and two of three days (the first one we had a late start as we had to 'check in' first and then get to the park) we got in two rides, wait time approx 30 minutes. If you're not on site (and I don't think you are), either be prepared to spend too much time in line and ENJOY the que - it's amazing, just not sure if it's 90 minutes worth of amazing, or go later in the day. The whole 'island' will be a zoo, wall to wall people. The other thing that lines up very very quickly is Ollivanders. Our first day there, we were only in 'the world' for about an hour that morning, then did the rest of the park, then back for the last two hours of the day. Ollivanders was tricky - we thought about 'blowing' a morning and getting in line for it, but then - later in the day - the line was shorter. Trick is to catch the shorter line at the end of the day BEFORE it closes - they will rope off the line and then no one else can get in, to ensure that everyone in line already can make it through before park closing.

    As far as Forbidden Journey, we were able to get on this two or three times at night, the end of the day, and the shops were not near as crowded as earlier. The only thing I'd watch for (and maybe even contact them in advance to find out if there's any scheduled) was that on the Sunday, our last day there, they had an 'early closing' (not posted to the website, but then it wasn't Disney and we weren't anal about checking it before we left...!) and had rented the park out to a university. It was packed packed packed but they didn't really have 'full reign' until the posted closing hour (8 pm), so although it got less busy at the end of the evening, it picked up again. And if you can (and I apologize, I don't recall the ages of your kids), use the single rider option - it goes fast! Send DH or yourself first, then kid 1 and then kid 2 and then the second parent (then first parent is at the other end - Filch's Emporium - waiting, and 2nd parent is with the kid until everyone's on). Just have to go through once altogether to try and get a picture together if you wish.

    I really, really hope this advice works - it should be much warmer in August than it was in March, and I have no clue what the hours are, but for when we went, it helped a lot to take advantage of the end of the day when things were winding down. HAVE FUN! It is so very, very cool and the details so impressive you will love it either way, just try to stay cool (and Universal is good for that - they have misters all over (even ones that are fountains) to run through, awesome water rides, and in the que in HP, they actually sell beer in the line up mid-way through (!) Butterbeer is amazing - get it from the small cart near the castle (line up is always shorter) instead of the one in the town or duck into the HogsHead/Three Broomsticks and order one and take it with you (if it's not busy). My kids (especially DD16) were really funny - she liked the regular Butterbeer because it was more 'true to the books' vs. the frozen/slush one (I loved) because 'they weren't frozen in the books!' And you have to try the Pumpkin Juice (unless you KNOW you'll love it, buy only one to share) - it is 'Pumpkin Pie' juice (tastes a lot like pumpkin pie but in juice form...weird, but good, just not really good like the Butterbeer!)

    Oh yeah, three hours will get you just Forbidden Journey and Ollivanders, if timed right - you'll need more time to do the Dragon Challenge and the Flight of the Hippogriff (which was a really fun little coaster!) and also browse the shops, which all have line ups fairly early unfortunately!

    There are some other neat areas and rides in the park - check out Jurassic Park (pretty much the same as at Universal) and - if your kids are short enough - the 'pteredactyl flyers' (I think that's what they were) which takes them on a ride 'above' the 'jungle' - it looked really cool; sadly only DS & DD got to go on as DS was JUST short enough and could only take one 'escort' so she won, or we could have waited and each ridden once with him. Cartoon area is cool and there are two great water rides, the restaurant there ('quick service') is pretty good, also. Suess area is neat, though definitely for younger kids more, but if you only do one thing there, ride the 'high in the sky' trolley, it's got some great views, very relaxing. Hmmm...what else? I'll think on it and let you know if more occurs to me - you only have a day, make the most of it!

    Last edited by mousecanuck; 07-05-2011 at 03:26 PM.
    “I think most of all what I want Disneyland to be is a happy place, where parents and children can have fun, together.” - Walt Disney

    And we do!!!

  11. #10
    Registered User mousecanuck's Avatar
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    Oh yeah - when you're in Filches Emporium (at the end of Forbidden Journey), be sure to check out the Marauders' Map on display in a glass case. Also make sure to go inside the Hogshead/Three Broomsticks and watch the ceiling in case you happen to notice a shadow of, say, Dobby, perhaps?

    “I think most of all what I want Disneyland to be is a happy place, where parents and children can have fun, together.” - Walt Disney

    And we do!!!

  12. #11
    Gravity release me... tappenfeat's Avatar
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    Thanks! I can't wait!!! So many great tips!!!

    Tonight, the dd's and I watched vacation videos from 2008, 2009 and 2010. We laughed so hard....always good times at WDW! We will add on this year....more laughs to come!




    Stephanie

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