Harry Potter World/IOA on thursday!!!

[thebulldog]

We leave tonight....frozen butter beer awaits!

It's just a one day visit during a visit to see my inlaws but we are excited.

Any other recs/tips for IOA?

i be typing from me phone. typos and grammer dont count.

[Deleted]

So exciting! I went in January and had a great time.

Are you staying at a hotel on site? The express pass is so worth it. There is no express line for the big Harry Potter ride, so visit that one first thing before the line gets to be 2 hours long.

[thebulldog]

No we are just staying with inlaws about an hour away.

i be typing from me phone. typos and grammer dont count.

[thebulldog]

Is the Harry Potter main ride super stomach dropping/ scary? I am not big on major roller coasters.

i be typing from me phone. typos and grammer dont count.

[Deleted]

Sept 18, 2013 11:19:51 GMT -5 thebulldog said:

Is the Harry Potter main ride super stomach dropping/ scary? I am not big on major roller coasters.

i be typing from me phone. typos and grammer dont count.

No, it's not too bad. My husband is afraid of heights and I get motion sick, so many rides don't work for us, but we went on the Harry Potter ride twice.

It's a combination of actual moving (but no crazy roller coaster moves) and movies that make you feel like you are moving. For the second type, I found that if my stomach got a little "dropping", I would close my eyes for a second to regroup.

Since you aren't staying on site, try to be there when they open and beeline for the Harry Potter ride. The rest of the park can be done in any order after that.

[Deleted]

Get there early and run straight back to Harry Potter World. We did that and it was still a 45 minute wait but when we got off our ride the wait was already up to 2+. Also skip the whole backpack/purse storage fiasco

[thebulldog]

Sept 18, 2013 12:45:33 GMT -5 @septimus said:

Get there early and run straight back to Harry Potter World. We did that and it was still a 45 minute wait but when we got off our ride the wait was already up to 2+. Also skip the whole backpack/purse storage fiasco

Yes the plan is to get there and go to straight to HP....so sep are you saying my bag will be ok if i just hold onto it?

i be typing from me phone. typos and grammer dont count.

[Deleted]

Sept 18, 2013 13:04:44 GMT -5 thebulldog said:

Sept 18, 2013 12:45:33 GMT -5 @septimus said:

Get there early and run straight back to Harry Potter World. We did that and it was still a 45 minute wait but when we got off our ride the wait was already up to 2+. Also skip the whole backpack/purse storage fiasco

Yes the plan is to get there and go to straight to HP....so sep are you saying my bag will be ok if i just hold onto it?

i be typing from me phone. typos and grammer dont count.

I wouldn't bring a bag. nothing you can't stuff in your pockets.

[Deleted]

I agree with Septimus. The locker section is total chaos. Try to avoid bringing a bag.

We got really lucky. The resort had messed up our ticket order so we had to wait at customer service for 1/2 an hour our first morning. For the inconvenience, they gave us special express passes for the Harry Potter ride. It was awesome being able to walk all the way up to the front in our own line. (Although, a good part of the "ride" is the lineup itself)

[zitiqueen]

Sept 18, 2013 13:11:24 GMT -5 @septimus said:

Sept 18, 2013 13:04:44 GMT -5 thebulldog said:

Yes the plan is to get there and go to straight to HP....so sep are you saying my bag will be ok if i just hold onto it?

i be typing from me phone. typos and grammer dont count.

I wouldn't bring a bag. nothing you can't stuff in your pockets.

I can't remember if you have kids or not, but this is even better advice than buying the frozen butterbeer! My H wore cargo shorts and I wore cargo capris. We each kept cash/credit cards/IDs/lip balm in our pockets. That's all we took in. Even a little clutch purse they would make you put in a locker. It looked like such a hassle.

[Stingyshark]

Sept 18, 2013 11:19:51 GMT -5 thebulldog said:

Is the Harry Potter main ride super stomach dropping/ scary? I am not big on major roller coasters.

i be typing from me phone. typos and grammer dont count.

I'm not sure which ride is the "main ride."  The one ride in the castle made me queasy... and I've never gotten sick on any kind of ride and I don't have motion sickness... but that ride ... ugh. I've been on it twice. The first time I made it half way through and had to close my eyes bc all the graphics and rolling was making me sick. 

The 2nd time I had no choice; I went for my niece's bday specifically so I could ride all the rides w/ her and her friends (My sister was pregnant & my mom had just had shoulder surgery).. I closed my eyes the entire time, i didn't even bother trying to watch what was going on. 

I haven't been on the roller coaster since they changed it into a harry potter ride. It wasn't open both times we were there most recently. The last time I went on it, it was dueling dragons, and I loved it. Not scary, not stomach dropping.. but I like roller coasters. The only roller coaster I don't like is the rock n whatever it is at Universal. It's really rough. 

[hymen]

Sept 18, 2013 11:19:51 GMT -5 thebulldog said:

Is the Harry Potter main ride super stomach dropping/ scary? I am not big on major roller coasters.

i be typing from me phone. typos and grammer dont count.

My H and I agreed that the HP ride is one of the most awesome rides we have ever been on, but it made us both pretty nauseous by the end. And the locker rooms are a major PITA.

i actually prefer regular butter beer to frozen.

The food at the Three Broomsticks is pretty good.

Also, I know you said you aren't into major roller coasters but the Incredible Hulk is sooooo much fun.

[hymen]

Sept 20, 2013 12:05:20 GMT -5 Stingyshark said:

I haven't been on the roller coaster since they changed it into a harry potter ride. It wasn't open both times we were there most recently. The last time I went on it, it was dueling dragons, and I loved it. Not scary, not stomach dropping.. but I like roller coasters. The only roller coaster I don't like is the rock n whatever it is at Universal. It's really rough. 

It's still the same roller coaster, just a different name and some Harry Potter themes in line. The coaster itself is exactly like it was before.

The Rockin Roller Coaster is at Hollywood Studios at Disney.

[sunnysally]

The only difference I noticed between the former Dueling Dragons and the newly themed Harry Potter coaster was that they no longer run at the same time. I loved the experience of nearly "crashing" into the other coaster. I read that someone lost an eye when one coaster went under another and something fell from the pocket of a rider on the top coaster.

I prefer regular butter beer to frozen.

I didn't think Ollivanders was worth a really long wait. We stayed on site, so were in the park early. We did the Hogwarts ride (which made me feel queasy despite wearing a motion sickness patch) and then waited about 30 minutes to get in Ollivanders. It was cute, but if the park is crowded I might skip it in favor of other attractions. I love rides, so I may be biased.

[Stingyshark]

Sept 21, 2013 19:53:37 GMT -5 hymen said:

Sept 20, 2013 12:05:20 GMT -5 Stingyshark said:

I haven't been on the roller coaster since they changed it into a harry potter ride. It wasn't open both times we were there most recently. The last time I went on it, it was dueling dragons, and I loved it. Not scary, not stomach dropping.. but I like roller coasters. The only roller coaster I don't like is the rock n whatever it is at Universal. It's really rough. 

It's still the same roller coaster, just a different name and some Harry Potter themes in line. The coaster itself is exactly like it was before.

The Rockin Roller Coaster is at Hollywood Studios at Disney.

There is a coaster at Universal Studios that has some rock name... rip ride rockit 

[hymen]

Sept 22, 2013 6:34:10 GMT -5 Stingyshark said:

Sept 21, 2013 19:53:37 GMT -5 hymen said:

It's still the same roller coaster, just a different name and some Harry Potter themes in line. The coaster itself is exactly like it was before.

The Rockin Roller Coaster is at Hollywood Studios at Disney.

There is a coaster at Universal Studios that has some rock name... rip ride rockit 

Oh, I don't remember that one. Whoops, sorry!