Universal for one day - Touring plan help

[princessgabriella]

Hi! My fiancé and I will be in WDW for 8 nights in august, and we plan on doing one day at Universal. We mainly want to go to visit the Harry Potter sections of the parks, so this would be our main priority. We want to do both parks in one day, so it might be a bit of a challenge, but we plan on getting there for rope drop and only leaving when everything is closed!

I've never been to Universal, so i'm a bit lost as to what to do first. I was thinking about doing Island of Adventures in the morning, and then switching to Universal Studios after lunch (maybe around 1-2 PM). Our priority is to do all the Harry Potter rides and enjoy the shops in the Harry Potter sections. If we have time, we can do other rides, but I don't mind skipping a few. What rides would you prioritize for two adults? Also, when should we do the Harry Potter rides to have less wait times? I'm not sure if I should pay for the express pass or not.

Also, any recommendations for restaurants?

TIA!

 

[pcstang]

When in August do you plan to be at USO? That can make a big difference in crowd levels.

 

[princessgabriella]

When in August do you plan to be at USO? That can make a big difference in crowd levels.

We will be there on August 17 (it's a wednesday). I checked some crowd calendars and this seemed like the best day to go during our travel dates. It probably will still be crowded because it's a school holiday though!

 

[macraven]

Go to www.universalorlando.com
Look at the park layout and get an idea of rides/show/eateries/restrooms , etc

Read the descriptions of rides/shows so you know in advance what you must do that day so when you are done with the potter stuff you have a full days plan in mind

Ride waits can be long so check the time wait boards in the park
If one potter ride is less of a wait, go to that one first
Check the potter shows at ioa so you can catch some of them
The Celeste/sp is a great one

Wish you the best time at your day at the darkside!

 

[wookiebeck]

You can google one-day touring plan for USO and IOA and start browsing. I think I found a downloadable pdf plan that is on my computer now. There are definitely 'headliner' rides that you should not miss.

If you do stay focused on the WWoHP sections first, you will not be disappointed and might use most of your day doing so. Truth is, there is a lot to do at Universal, more than one day, IMHO.

Here is my suggestion;
Start at USO. Go to London, experience becoming a wizard by touring Diagon Alley shops. Hop on the Hogwart's Express and get over to Hogsmede. Ride Forbidden Journey and Dueling Dragons.

Then you can eat at Three Broomsticks for lunch. Head back to Hogwart's Express to go to London again. This time ride Gringotts. That is approximately the order that things happen in the HP books.

Then you might want to ride Mummy, Transformers, and maybe finish day back at IOA for Jurassic Park, Spiderman, and Hulk. You probably do not have enough time to wait in line for the new Kong ride. Sun might be setting by this time.

Have fun!

 

[princessgabriella]

You can google one-day touring plan for USO and IOA and start browsing. I think I found a downloadable pdf plan that is on my computer now. There are definitely 'headliner' rides that you should not miss.

If you do stay focused on the WWoHP sections first, you will not be disappointed and might use most of your day doing so. Truth is, there is a lot to do at Universal, more than one day, IMHO.

Here is my suggestion;
Start at USO. Go to London, experience becoming a wizard by touring Diagon Alley shops. Hop on the Hogwart's Express and get over to Hogsmede. Ride Forbidden Journey and Dueling Dragons.

Then you can eat at Three Broomsticks for lunch. Head back to Hogwart's Express to go to London again. This time ride Gringotts. That is approximately the order that things happen in the HP books.

Then you might want to ride Mummy, Transformers, and maybe finish day back at IOA for Jurassic Park, Spiderman, and Hulk. You probably do not have enough time to wait in line for the new Kong ride. Sun might be setting by this time.

Have fun!

Thank you for all the ideas! I didn't even realise there was a train between the two Harry Potter areas. This will be a huge time saver i'm sure!

 

[princessgabriella]

Go to www.universalorlando.com
Look at the park layout and get an idea of rides/show/eateries/restrooms , etc

Read the descriptions of rides/shows so you know in advance what you must do that day so when you are done with the potter stuff you have a full days plan in mind

Ride waits can be long so check the time wait boards in the park
If one potter ride is less of a wait, go to that one first
Check the potter shows at ioa so you can catch some of them
The Celeste/sp is a great one

Wish you the best time at your day at the darkside!

Thanks! I'm looking at the park layouts and having a hard time figuring out how big it is. How does it compare to Magic Kingdom in size?

 

[macraven]

You will need the park to park ticket to ride HE to the other park

 

[wookiebeck]

How does it compare to Magic Kingdom in size?

According to stats, each Uni park is just as big as MK (by the acre). That is why one day is cramming in a lot (of walking). But the circular layout of the main walking path of each Uni park might make it feel smaller. It also feels like the main rides are spread out further apart into their themed areas so that makes it feel bigger.