How to do both HP worlds

My friend just came back from Universal and they never got to ride Gingrotts. She said at 9A there was already a 5 hour wait. She was told they start lining up in the middle of the night to get in for that ride.

VWL Mom;2424834 wrote: My friend just came back from Universal and they never got to ride Gingrotts. She said at 9A there was already a 5 hour wait. She was told they start lining up in the middle of the night to get in for that ride.

A friend of mine had the same experience last week, but waited in the line. I'm hoping by February it will calm down a little bit.

Universal does have a park hopper equivalent and, yes, you would need that to see both Diagon Ally and Hogsmeade since they are in separate parks. As for doing both, well, it only takes about 10 min to see all there is to see outside the ride. Hogsmeade doesn't have much to it other than the 3 Broomsticks, Honeydukes, and the Owlry, which is a gift shop. Not sure if they'll keep some version of Olivanders in Hogsmede now or not since it opened in Diagon Alley. Diagon Alley is a little bigger, but, again, it's similar in that it's just a few gift shops, a restaurant, and the ride. The only way to make sure you see it is to stay on Universal property and do their EMH in the morning. Even though Hogsmede has been open a while when we were there in May the lines were HUGE for the general population waiting to get in at park opening and everyone ran straight for Harry Potter (which is all the way in the farthest back part of both parks, it's a bit of a trek). Don't get me wrong, it's cool to see, but I definitely wouldn't want to spend the money for a 2 park ticket just to see it. I was a little let down by the lack of stuff to see and do.

The rides are cool, but if your mother didn't like Splash she probably wouldn't like the Harry Potter rides, especially Gringotts. But, they have a "chicken" exit where she could walk with you through the queue (which is pretty cool) and then go wait for you at the exit if she didn't want to ride.

We had friends go to Universal, a few weeks ago, and they waited 5 hours to ride Gingrotts. They waited because they only go to WDW every 4 or 5 years and wanted to see it while the kids were still interested and still living at home:mickey:

They liked it but they were happy to return to WDW:number1:

If I may, I think you are making a bit of a mistake taking only a half day out... Leave the WDW bubble... It will be okay... Mickey isn't going to send a drone out to get you...

With that said, I also think it is a mistake to give only a half day to do two fully immersive themed lands... Here is why:

Hogsmeade and Diagon are more than two rides, a few shops, and a place to eat...

Are there shops? yes of course... Take your time to go through them though... I'll assume you are a HP fan... Go check out the exclusive merchandise, perfectly themed for the store it is being sold in... The stores are not selling the same generic items found in all the WDW shops... The items in the HP stores are store specific... Check them out, you'll get a kick out of them...

Are there rides? Yep... Hogsmeade has three: Forbidden Journey, Flight of the Hippograph (I think I'm spelling this wrong LOL), and Dragon Challenge.. FJ is one heck of a ride... Technologically advanced and thrilling... Flight is a kiddie coaster... If you are all adults, you may consider skipping it... I rode it once and never again... Too tight for adults to sit together... Dragon Challenge used to be Dueling Dragons... If you are familiar with Dueling Dragons, then you'll know what to expect from Dragon Challenge.. BTW, the dragons are no longer dueling..

Diagon Alley has one: Gringotts... Haven't been on it yet but allr eports have been extremely positive saying this ride now sets the new standard for theme park attractions and sets the bar pretty high, a bar Universal set with Spiderman, broke it with FJ, and now apparently broke the bar again with Gringotts...

Are there places to eat? Yep... Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade... Also have Hogs Head Bar... Diagon Alley has Leaky Cauldron...

But, there is more than just this... There are shows in both lands as well... In Hogsmeade, the Hogwarts Frog Choir performs several times a day... Also, there is another show where the students of Durmstrang and Beaubaton put on a show... Remember, this area is set during the Twi Wizard Tournament... And of course there is Olivanders... Yes, they do a show inside the store... Just a small one where the wand chooses a member in the crowd (a child of course)... In Diagon Alley there are several shows as well... They have a branch of Olivanders as well (larger capacity than Hogsmeade)... Celestina Warbeck performs I believe several times daily... and they also perform a puppet/live action show based on tales of Beedle the Bard.. Remember the Tale of the Three Brothers story from Deathly Hallows? Yes, they do perform this in person... I'm not sure if they perform the other stories in Tales of Beedle the Bard or not... I thought they did, but I may be wrong..

And there are other little areas worth exploring... Knockturn Alley in Diagon is one... You can walk through Borgins and Burkes, which is an attraction all by itself... Also, they have interactive window displays which you can "perform" magic with your interactive wand (which has to be purchased)... Plus taking your time to grab something to eat, having a butterbeer drink or some ice cream...

Oh and let's not forget your trip on Hogwarts Express... Two different experiences depending which park you take it from... You can take it from IOA to Uni or Uni to IOA... You will have a different ride either time...

So, as you can see, there is more than just a few rides, a few shops, and places to eat... You can easily spend an entire day between both... A half day won't cut it... You are paying for it, take the full day!!!

Would one day be enough to do both HP lands? I'm thinking of doing this sometime next spring and combine it with a Flower & Garden trip.

What do you think? One or two days for HP? I don't care about the rest of Universal, and I don't do thrill rides. I visited Hogsmeade a couple years ago, but would like to do both as a full experience this time.

Since I drive up from South Florida, I probably would get there around noonish. So ... just that one day?

Thanks!

DizneyFreak2002;2424881 wrote: If I may, I think you are making a bit of a mistake taking only a half day out... Leave the WDW bubble... It will be okay... Mickey isn't going to send a drone out to get you...

With that said, I also think it is a mistake to give only a half day to do two fully immersive themed lands... Here is why:

Hogsmeade and Diagon are more than two rides, a few shops, and a place to eat...

Are there shops? yes of course... Take your time to go through them though... I'll assume you are a HP fan... Go check out the exclusive merchandise, perfectly themed for the store it is being sold in... The stores are not selling the same generic items found in all the WDW shops... The items in the HP stores are store specific... Check them out, you'll get a kick out of them...

Are there rides? Yep... Hogsmeade has three: Forbidden Journey, Flight of the Hippograph (I think I'm spelling this wrong LOL), and Dragon Challenge.. FJ is one heck of a ride... Technologically advanced and thrilling... Flight is a kiddie coaster... If you are all adults, you may consider skipping it... I rode it once and never again... Too tight for adults to sit together... Dragon Challenge used to be Dueling Dragons... If you are familiar with Dueling Dragons, then you'll know what to expect from Dragon Challenge.. BTW, the dragons are no longer dueling..

Diagon Alley has one: Gringotts... Haven't been on it yet but allr eports have been extremely positive saying this ride now sets the new standard for theme park attractions and sets the bar pretty high, a bar Universal set with Spiderman, broke it with FJ, and now apparently broke the bar again with Gringotts...

Are there places to eat? Yep... Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade... Also have Hogs Head Bar... Diagon Alley has Leaky Cauldron...

But, there is more than just this... There are shows in both lands as well... In Hogsmeade, the Hogwarts Frog Choir performs several times a day... Also, there is another show where the students of Durmstrang and Beaubaton put on a show... Remember, this area is set during the Twi Wizard Tournament... And of course there is Olivanders... Yes, they do a show inside the store... Just a small one where the wand chooses a member in the crowd (a child of course)... In Diagon Alley there are several shows as well... They have a branch of Olivanders as well (larger capacity than Hogsmeade)... Celestina Warbeck performs I believe several times daily... and they also perform a puppet/live action show based on tales of Beedle the Bard.. Remember the Tale of the Three Brothers story from Deathly Hallows? Yes, they do perform this in person... I'm not sure if they perform the other stories in Tales of Beedle the Bard or not... I thought they did, but I may be wrong..

And there are other little areas worth exploring... Knockturn Alley in Diagon is one... You can walk through Borgins and Burkes, which is an attraction all by itself... Also, they have interactive window displays which you can "perform" magic with your interactive wand (which has to be purchased)... Plus taking your time to grab something to eat, having a butterbeer drink or some ice cream...

Oh and let's not forget your trip on Hogwarts Express... Two different experiences depending which park you take it from... You can take it from IOA to Uni or Uni to IOA... You will have a different ride either time...

So, as you can see, there is more than just a few rides, a few shops, and places to eat... You can easily spend an entire day between both... A half day won't cut it... You are paying for it, take the full day!!!

THANK YOU for this. I was getting a bit disappointed. I am a HUGE HP fan and was really looking forward to seeing the Wizarding World, Diagon Alley especially because it seems more polished than Hogsmeade. I appreciate that you pointed out that all the shops are different. Based on others descriptions I was thinking they were just generic gift shops that I wouldn't be able to spend more than a half hour in.

I really want to take our time and explore everything in the WW, but I'd also like to ride FJ and Gringotts. I do not want to waste a whole day away from WDW just waiting in line and not exploring and seeing everything else there is to do. Any suggestions? I don't mind getting there an hour or so before rope drop because that's what we do at WDW, but it seems that's not even enough. There's no fastpass system or anything right? Would the best plan be to do Gringotts at opening and then do FJ right before closing?

In my opinion taking half a day from Disney to visit both Universal parks is a waste of time and money. If your going to spend the money and take the time to travel to Universal, please AT THE VERY LEAST, give yourself a whole day. Otherwise I don't think you'll have a very enjoyable day.

We spent hours just in Hogsmeade, even after having visited already. I can't imagine trying to cram both parks into half a day for the very first visit. If your a Potter fan take your time and truly enjoy what they have done with the park. I am of the opinion that nothing is really worth it, or enjoyable, if you are rushing through. Disney isn't going anywhere. Surely you can give up a day in Disney to really appreciate and enjoy Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

And I would also suggest NOT to limit yourself to just the Potter stuff. Universal Studios has some really amazing attractions that are not Potter related. Mummy is one of our favorite attractions anywhere.

crazygoalie39;2424932 wrote: Any suggestions? I don't mind getting there an hour or so before rope drop because that's what we do at WDW, but it seems that's not even enough. There's no fastpass system or anything right? Would the best plan be to do Gringotts at opening and then do FJ right before closing?

Universal does have a fastpass (you have to pay for it) but neither HP ride offers that option. If you really want to see it I would suggest you add a day onto your trip, stay at Universal and then have access to the pre-opening option where you can get into the park before the general public. I haven't been able to find any other way to see the HP ride without a huge long wait (for Forbidden Journey. Flight of the Hippogriffs is rarely a long wait and Dueling Dragons doesn't either as both of those are just re-themed rides that were there previously).

I hope you really enjoy it. My family are huge HP fans, too, and were really excited about this but we were definitely underwhelmed by the experience of Hogsmeade. Fortunately, we enjoyed the rest of Universal for the most part so it wasn't a waste of time at all. What DizneyFreak said is totally true, we just didn't find it that exciting because we could get through it all very quickly. What we saw was neat, there just wasn't that much of it. Hopefully Diagon Alley will be a better experience. You might love it, though, so go with an open mind and have fun!

Gonna have to agree with DisneyFreak on this one. We've been twice to Hogsmeade and we easily spend a half day there (arrive at opening, stay until after lunch). We ride all three rides, meander through the shops, and have lunch at the 3 Broomsticks. When we go back (in 2 years :(), we will be getting a two day-two park pass so that we can spend as much time as we want in both lands. We also ride the other rides there, DH has to have his thrill rides, and the kids like Seussland; but these Potterheads go for the experience, not just to see the rides. While Disney is my absolute favorite place to vacation, Universal can't be beat on theming for HP. When you walk through the gates of Hogsmeade, you're IN the books. Don't sell yourself short on time.

Tinky-Bell;2424912 wrote: Would one day be enough to do both HP lands? I'm thinking of doing this sometime next spring and combine it with a Flower & Garden trip.

What do you think? One or two days for HP? I don't care about the rest of Universal, and I don't do thrill rides. I visited Hogsmeade a couple years ago, but would like to do both as a full experience this time.

Since I drive up from South Florida, I probably would get there around noonish. So ... just that one day?

Thanks!

If you are only going to go to see the HP stuff, one full day should be enough... I stress SHOULD... You can easily spend a half day in Hogsmeade... I haven't been in Diagon Alley, but if you read my post above, You will get a good idea what is inside each land... I'm probably missing some stuff too...

Don't forget... You will need a park to park pass in order to experience the Wizarding World in one day... You cannot buy 1 park 1 day tickets and expect to see both sides...

crazygoalie39;2424932 wrote: I really want to take our time and explore everything in the WW, but I'd also like to ride FJ and Gringotts. I do not want to waste a whole day away from WDW just waiting in line and not exploring and seeing everything else there is to do. Any suggestions? I don't mind getting there an hour or so before rope drop because that's what we do at WDW, but it seems that's not even enough. There's no fastpass system or anything right? Would the best plan be to do Gringotts at opening and then do FJ right before closing?

Unless you are staying on property, there is no early entrance... So, you won't be able to get into the park until 9:00 AM... Universal does not use their Express Pass system with the Harry Potter attractions... And really, there is no need to... Forbidden Journey is a people eater... Gringotts is a people eating machine as well... You saw, and are seeing, the huge wait times now because it is the height of the busy season, the land is brand spanking new, and Gringotts still isn't running at full capacity... Once they have all 8 trains running, this ride will gobble up people like mad...

As far as what to see first, that would be totally up to you... You can do it the way they did it in the movies... Visit London/Diagon, hit everything there, hop on the Hogwarts Express into Hogsmeade, go to Hogwarts...

It is hard to say how you should approach things in February... I would suspect the lines to have simmered down by then, especially if they have Gringotts at 100%...

But seriously, take the full day (if only for Potter), or even two (to see it all)... Try to see the rest of Universal/IOA... You really won't be disappointed...

IloveJack;2424961 wrote: Gonna have to agree with DisneyFreak on this one. We've been twice to Hogsmeade and we easily spend a half day there (arrive at opening, stay until after lunch). We ride all three rides, meander through the shops, and have lunch at the 3 Broomsticks. When we go back (in 2 years :(), we will be getting a two day-two park pass so that we can spend as much time as we want in both lands. We also ride the other rides there, DH has to have his thrill rides, and the kids like Seussland; but these Potterheads go for the experience, not just to see the rides. While Disney is my absolute favorite place to vacation, Universal can't be beat on theming for HP. When you walk through the gates of Hogsmeade, you're IN the books. Don't sell yourself short on time.

The two times I been to Hogsmeade so far, I felt like I still haven't spend enough time there... And this is coming from someone who has spend half the day in the land, both times... I haven't seen Diagon Alley yet, but something tells me I could spend almost all day in DA alone...

I'm looking into Universal Annual Passes now (imagine that, a DVC owner buying an Uni annual but not a WDW annual, spending more time in Uni and not WDW)... Great things are coming... Exciting things...

Just a note on FJ. We did a Tues/Wed on site stay in May. FJ had massive lines in the morning and was empty during the hour or so before closing. We ran thru it several times, or until the empty queue itself seemed too long.