Originally Posted By CarolinaDisneyDad Our first experience with UNIVERSAL was so not magical. We left WDW and trekked to uni because my daughter is a huge Harry Potter fan and she was dying to see the Harry potter world. I walked up to the ticket booth and asked for 4 1 day 1 park tickets. The ticket guy (tg) said there was no such thing and we would have to buy a 2 park ticket. I told him he was incorrect and to please check with someone else because I was sure that ticket existed. He returned and said that I was correct and gave me the price. tg then informed me that I didn't want to purchase that ticket because if I did I would be "stuck in that 1 park all day". And yes he did use the word stuck. tg then said that if it rained most of the rides would shut down and that there was a 70 percent chance of rain today. I told him we would take our chances. I didn't tell tg that the news that morning actually said a 40 percent chance of rain or that of the major rides on island of adventure (there are what, 8 maybe)that at least 2 are indoors and at least 3 others are water rides. Tg then asked me if I wanted to wait in line for 2 hours for every ride. I of course said no, so then he said that I had better purchase the extra feature that allows us to bypass the lines or we would be stuck in lines all day. There was that word stuck again. At this point I turned to my family and asked if we really wanted to do this. But, my youngest daughter had her heart set on HP so we forged ahead against my better judgement. Let me stop here and say that the rides at UNI are great and unbelievably exciting, but the hurdles you have to go through to ride them are unbearable. We entered at rope drop and headed for HP only to find a line that reached all the way to the Jurassic Park entrance. and this line was just to get into the HP area, not to ride anything. I don't know where all those people came from but they had to already have beeen in the park at rope drop because we walked straight there. After 30 minutes of not moving we left the line and rode other rides and I was praying that tg's 70 percent chance of rain would actually come through. Luckily after noon a deluge hit and everyone went running for cover. We on the other hand ponchoed up and headed for HP and we still had to wait another 30 minutes to enter. By this time the rain had stopped and we found a HP world that was beautifully constructed and so packed with people that we could barely move. My daughter sorely wanted to buy a wand in the wand store like Harry Potter and there was a line to limit entry. After a 15 minute wait we entered the store and found ourselves in a roiling sea of humanity so tightly packed that at one point we couldn't move in any direction much less try to find and purchase anything. I kept thinking that if there was any kind of emergency we were all dead. There would be no way to escape without climbing over people and trampling those not strong enough to hold there own. And remember, I paid universal for this experience. After the log jam both my daughters looked at me and said "let's get out of here". My youngest said "Dad I don't want a wand this bad" and so we bolted at the first opening in which I could bull my way to the door. If any here happened to be in the store that day I apologize for my rude behavior but we could not stand to be trapped in that store a moment longer. We found a wand at a booth outside and started for the exit towards the lost continent only to find that people were flowing in uninhibited from that side of the park. It was madness. We wondered on still dazed from our ordeal. We passed a couple rides but my daughters had lost there desire to experience anthing else and so we headed for the exit slowly and listlessly. My oldest said "Dad , let's don't do this again. This sure ain't Disney". as we left we spotted a tcby on city walk and each of us got a cone which we enjoyed immensely. As we left my oldest said "This was the best part of the trip". How sad that an ice cream cone, something I could have purchased anywhere, was the best thing that my $300 plus could buy on our trip to universal. I don't know what Disney would have done with HP but I have to think they would have done better than what I experienced at universal. My overall feeling is what a waste of some great rides. Any one of them would be a must see at WDW. What a shame that I have no desire to ever see them again.
Originally Posted By Disneymom443 Sorry you had such a dad experence there. I hate to say this but.....you were STUCK in the store.
Originally Posted By Mickeymouseclub Reading your experience makes me thankful I allowed myself to be manipulated by marketing strategies designed to force guests to stay on property. Disney uses same tactics and would be just as unbearable. I stayed at the Hard Rock specifically to enter park one hour earlier and for the built-in Front of the Line advantage. That is why you entered and found a really long line immediately. And we never made it into any store I think I should be thankful for that after hearing about your shopping experience. I wish I could say complaining about your experience would have gotten you some sort of return compensation from guest relations. If you read my recent trip report you would see I had as many problems with WDW and actually prefer Universal's. I still love Disney tho and one trip to see HP is enough. But you really must Return to the land of HP eventually I hope. Do you live nearby? I do not and had to "visit" 6 theme parks in 3 days(4 at WDW and 2 at UNiversal) Once the money flow started I realized I was in that spend or fail mode. It should not be that way but it is OFF my list of things to accomplish and these 2 young boys have shared their Disney love with me many times that I will always treasure.I wanted them to experience HP in return. I also want to thank everybody that has posted LP tips and need to know info about accomplishing HP. It does really help.
Originally Posted By A Happy Haunt As I read this all I could think was Fire Hazzard! This is a serious safety issue.
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper I'm just going to say any of this could have easily happened at Disney and be done with the thread.
Originally Posted By leobloom >> I'm just going to say any of this could have easily happened at Disney and be done with the thread. << You mean the Emporium and Main Street are crowded after the fireworks? I won't believe it!
Originally Posted By vbdad55 makes me glad we kepy our $600-$700 for family of 5 in our pockets and headed to Vero instead. I have had your experience shared with me by a number of people who have gone. I will wait for the pandemonium to die down ( and it will)- and then we'll go as I'd actually like to enjoy the experience not just say I did it. No one I know was able to get the Olivander experience due to mobs like you were stuck in. The place looks amazing - but not unless you can take in the experience, not just survive
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper << The place looks amazing - but not unless you can take in the experience, not just survive>> I was there when it was mobbed and took it in juuuust fine.
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer ^ Yeah, we only lost a member of our party in the crowd how many times? Heh.
Originally Posted By CarolinaDisneyDad >>>Do you live nearby? I do not and had to "visit" 6 theme parks in 3 days(4 at WDW and 2 at UNiversal)<<< No I live in NC, but we stayed 8 days and I spent 7 of them in disney parks <<<Did you guys get on HP and the Dorbidden Journey?>>> Yes, and like I said, the rides were awesome. My wife was in the second seat from the left and was squirted repeatedly. we found out later that that was the wet seat from universal employees >>>I will wait for the pandemonium to die down ( and it will)- and then we'll go as I'd actually like to enjoy the experience <<< That was my thought. It will be alot more fun when the newness wears off and it isn't so crowded.
Originally Posted By 20years I am very nervous about going to Harry Potter World after reading this post. Actually, I was nervous about it before. We'll be at WDW in about 6 weeks, and are planning a day at IOA to see Harry Potter. Being from California, we will not get back to Florida in....well maybe never, who knows! My whole family are big HP fans and have been very excited about spending one of the days of our trip there. But I've been having second thoughts about spending that $300+ lately (because of the potential of huge crowds), and am now REALLY having second thoughts. I wonder if it will be less crowded in October?
Originally Posted By MPierce Man, that does sound like a nightmare CDD. I don't think I could have enjoyed myself under those circumstances even if admission was free.
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer 20Years, don't be nervous, crowds are probably down. Besides, it's awesome to see in person. I was blown away.
Originally Posted By A Happy Haunt School will be back in session in Oct, I wouldn't worry about too big of a crowd.
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper <<I am very nervous about going to Harry Potter World after reading this post. Actually, I was nervous about it before. We'll be at WDW in about 6 weeks, and are planning a day at IOA to see Harry Potter. Being from California, we will not get back to Florida in....well maybe never, who knows! My whole family are big HP fans and have been very excited about spending one of the days of our trip there. But I've been having second thoughts about spending that $300+ lately (because of the potential of huge crowds), and am now REALLY having second thoughts. I wonder if it will be less crowded in October?>> Crowds will be down, but it'll still be crowded. And as I said before, when we were there the place was mobbed and I had a fantastic time.
Originally Posted By serendipityaey We went last Tuesday (the 17th) and it was definitely super crowded, but we never waited more than 45 minutes for anything (45 minutes for first forbidden journey ride around 930am I think). We rode twice (30 min wait around 730pm I think), had lunch and butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks, bought wands in the store, came back for more butterbeer and had a great time. I loved it and Forbidden Journey was amazing.
Originally Posted By CarolinaDisneyDad The new HP ride was great. If you are going to go though get with someone who has gone successfully and have a plan on how you are going to attack. It seemed to me that we wasted our best time for riding all the other rides by waiting for HP for a while right off the bat. By the time we realized that the line wasn't moving the rest of the crowds were filling the other rides. Oh and by the way the express pass doesn't include the HP ride.
Originally Posted By -em >>rowds will be down, but it'll still be crowded. And as I said before, when we were there the place was mobbed and I had a fantastic time.<< I've been 4 times and have had varying crowds each time. The lines tend to drop off later in the afternoon so if its bad go see the other parts of the park and come back later in the afternoon. For Butter beer the lines at the Hogs Head and the cart near the snowman are generally less crowded then the Butterbeer cart and the Three Broomsticks. For lockers for FJ if they are creating a queue for them head over to Filch's (the exit) and access the lockers that way or head towards single riders and use the 2nd bank of lockers. I recommend the Regular queue at least once as thats the only way to see most of the castle. After that single riders line rocks! As awesome as I think a lot of the merch is they do have a great "best sellers" selection at the main store up front of the park as I will agree as amazing as the stores are they are quite "quaint"/tiny/crowded... Make sure to catch the "shows" as they are quite good- -em
