Universal in a day

[Charl_bb]

I've got a day at Universal and IOA. I'm on my own and the main purpose of it is to do Harry Potter as I'm fully aware I won't get everything done. What should my plan of attack be? Which park to start in etc?

[lizzie145]

Whichever one has the shortest wait times

[michaelb136]

Originally Posted by Charl_bb

I've got a day at Universal and IOA. I'm on my own and the main purpose of it is to do Harry Potter as I'm fully aware I won't get everything done. What should my plan of attack be? Which park to start in etc?

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It is doable, I did it a couple of years ago. I’d suggest getting an express pass and getting there early. Not sure if it’s still the case but Harry Potter rides weren’t included so we headed to Gringotts as soon as we got there, went on that twice, did the rest of studios and then went to islands. It was an intense day and we were exhausted but we got onto pretty much everything.

[Alices Aunt]

We pretty much managed to do universal in a day but the was without the Harry Potter land opening in the studios.

If that was my priority then I’d start early in studios and then get the hogwarts express to visit Harry Potter at IOA so I’d done it and then go back through the rest of IOA into US again to finish.

Not that I’ve thought about it. And of course would depend on queues

[scottsman]

Doable but your gonna miss so much!
if your main concern is Harry Potter I would start in Diagons Alley to escape from Gingottes, Hogwarts express over to IOA and Hoggsmead, then the Harry Potter rides on that side been prepared for massive lines for the new coaster

[Charl_bb]

I know I'm going to miss a lot but it's a family holiday and I'm doing universal in my own hence only one day. Thanks for the advice, I will start at Studios then Hogwarts Express to IOA, try and get on some other rides single rider at IOA and maybe a few other bits at Studios if I'm lucky.

[RobandLynsey]

We did this last year in Aug. The key is to get there for rope drop. We started at Diagon Alley straight on to Gringotts (no wait at all). Next Mummy, ET, Woody, MIB. Back to Diagon for a wander around and play with the wands eat ice cream etc. probably around an hour. Then on to Kings Cross over to IOA. Did Hippogriff and then back on to the train. Walking out of Kings Cross did Fast and Furious as no wait. Walked to Hard Rock for late lunch/early dinner. In to IOA, did one fish and carousel. Next JP was going to do rip saw but a storm arrived so went and did Hogwarts (queue is indoors). Once rain had cleared up played around Hogsmead with wands again and waited for the Hogwarts lights.


We have been to Universal quite a lot before and the DW isn't a big rollercoaster fan and HP was our priority. Yes you would miss quite a bit in a day but is certainly possible and to do quite a lot. Was completely shattered at the end of the night as we had done opening to close but was worth it.

Oh and no FOP was all on standard lines.

[glenandem]

We was at universal studios Friday and we noticed so many people go into the park and just head for hp!
We’re heading back to do ioa tomorrow first thing but we’ve planned another day to do hp if queues are too big again like they was the other day!

[sky13]

I've done Universal/IOA in a single day (solo) on a couple of trips.

Definitely get Express and especially so if you are solo... the less time spent waiting in a queue the better especially if it's a queue where mobile phones aren't allowed (the big coasters and some other rides).

The couple of times I did this the Harry Potter rides weren't included in Express, so I would rope drop one of the parks and head straight for the headliner (FJ or Gringotts) and ride that. Then Hogwarts Express to the other park and do the headliner there. Both FJ and Gringotts have single rider lines that may be useful at certain times of the day (but with Express maybe not so much now).

But - now that they are included in Express - if I had to make a plan I'd probably go to either Hogsmeade or Diagon Alley first. Ride the headliner. Then spend a bit of time wandering around the shops (before they get crowded later in the day) and then Hogwarts Express over to the other side, ride the headliner, and wander around the shops. Then once I feel like I've had enough of Harry Potter, go around the rest of the parks and do rides using the Express pass. Get lunch somewhere (I went to Mythos once which was great, but there's decent pub-style food in both Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley, and an interesting looking Simpsons food area that I wanted to try but didn't manage to). The plan of attack is a lot less vital with the Express pass as you get onto rides so quickly!

[glenandem]

Wow well went back this morning got there for 8:30ish as we always do and they let you into the park but stopped you before hulk, opened it up at 8:40 and by 9am we’d done hulk twice and Spider-Man and just walking into kong, by 11am we’d done everything bar the water rides!
Loads of pics with the grinch,cat in the hat and the others and just caught puss in boots on the way out!
We thought about getting on the train to studios but we’re going back just to do hp and rip ride rocket we missed the other day, we’ll pleased with that and pretty much straight in every ride, cracks me up when it takes longer to walk down the queuing areas then to do the ride itself, the 5 mins they all have must be just for the walk from the entrance to the ride😂