Both Universals in a day?

[chrisblanc]

Morning all.

With less than 3 months to go until we leave, one of my party suggests that we should do Universal this year.

We'd missed it out to spend more time at Disney and save £220 on the tickets. We only spent about 1 1/2 days at Universal last trip so it didn't seem worth it.

Looking through the itinerary, we can only really spend one day there without impacting on other things, so I was thinking of picking up a 1 day 2 park ticket and smashing it all in a day.

Last trip when we got to Islands of Adventure it was already open, but was mostly empty apart from Harry Potter.

According to the park opening hours, Universal opens from 9-7pm and IoA is open until 10pm. I would think I can do everything we want to do in 13 hours right?

I'm was thinking of going into IoA, doing the water rides (so we have time to dry off), Kong and Harry Potter, then over to US for Diagon Alley, then doing all of Universal before heading back to IoA and doing everything there that we missed.

Some things will help us I think. The other three in the group don't do coasters, so I can do the single rider lines on Hulk, Rip Ride Rocket and Mummy

But do you think it's doable? And if the parks say 9am opening, what time will they actually let us in? The earlier we can start the better

[Guest]

Its do-able but depends on Wait times of course.
Plan well!

[Voldemort]

It depends on what day you’re going. With good planning you could do it but it does depend on wait times. I would head for Harry Potter or King Kong first.

[chrisblanc]

Yeah, this is what I was thinking. Kong, Potter, the water rides in case we don't want to do them later in the day, then Diagon alley and Universal.

[FloridaFairy]

Easily doable although it will be tiring.

We usually go to IOA going clockwise so that we end up at Hogwarts to get the train to US.

Don't forget to try the Chocolate Emporium either.

Xx Ff Xx

[sky13]

I’ve done in a day - but with Express pass, and I was solo. I think the first time I did it it was a 8am to 10pm day at Universal with a few re-rides but I did almost everything I wanted to do. It’s intense and you don’t get as much time to stop and smell the roses (e.g. just wander around Diagon Alley). Also I don’t think I would have been able to do it without an Express pass...

And amazingly enough, I just found my notes from that 1 day (Saturday 11 April 2015). Universal was open 8am to 10pm and I got there just around 8 and left around 10. What I did in that time (with Express pass - but this was before the Harry Potter rides were included)
Gringotts
Got a butter beer ice cream
Hogwarts Express
Forbidden Journey
Hippogriff
Dragons challenge red then blue
Hogwarts Express
Mummy
Rip ride Rocket x2
Lunch at Mythos
Trolley in the sky
Cat in the hat
Hulk x2
Dr Doom
Spider-Man
Frozen butter beer
Parade
Twister
Simpsons
Men in Black x2
Watched Celestine Warbeck
Ollivanders (Diagon alley)
Gringotts as single rider
Despicable me
Dinner was gumbo and beignets (Mardi Gras)
Mardi Gras parade
Transformers
Disaster the ride (which broke down halfway)
Hogwarts express
Forbidden Journey x2

I think I intentionally didn’t do the water rides (and then later on it rained and the park cleared out but also meant that they shut down all the water and outdoor rides)...

[LRMD]

I think it's doable, we were there last week and you can do each park in about 4-5 hrs, however that was January with minimal queues. If you get there early and stay late though it should be ok. It always surprises me how small the parks are compared to Disney parks.

[LRMD]

Also single rider lines are great for quicker entry!

[chrisblanc]

Originally Posted by sky13

I’ve done in a day - but with Express pass, and I was solo. I think the first time I did it it was a 8am to 10pm day at Universal with a few re-rides but I did almost everything I wanted to do. It’s intense and you don’t get as much time to stop and smell the roses (e.g. just wander around Diagon Alley). Also I don’t think I would have been able to do it without an Express pass...

And amazingly enough, I just found my notes from that 1 day (Saturday 11 April 2015). Universal was open 8am to 10pm and I got there just around 8 and left around 10. What I did in that time (with Express pass - but this was before the Harry Potter rides were included)
Gringotts
Got a butter beer ice cream
Hogwarts Express
Forbidden Journey
Hippogriff
Dragons challenge red then blue
Hogwarts Express
Mummy
Rip ride Rocket x2
Lunch at Mythos
Trolley in the sky
Cat in the hat
Hulk x2
Dr Doom
Spider-Man
Frozen butter beer
Parade
Twister
Simpsons
Men in Black x2
Watched Celestine Warbeck
Ollivanders (Diagon alley)
Gringotts as single rider
Despicable me
Dinner was gumbo and beignets (Mardi Gras)
Mardi Gras parade
Transformers
Disaster the ride (which broke down halfway)
Hogwarts express
Forbidden Journey x2

I think I intentionally didn’t do the water rides (and then later on it rained and the park cleared out but also meant that they shut down all the water and outdoor rides)...

See more...

Great list, thanks. I'll just be doing the rides once each probably, the coasters will be single rider and I'm not fussed with parades etc. I can save time on food by getting a hot dog somewhere.

We'll just do what we want to do most at first and then do what we can, If we don't do everything it's no real loss.

I really want to do Kong though