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Going to Harry Potter World this weekend. Tips?

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Septimus Prime

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So, yeah. As the thread title says, I'll be heading to Harry Potter World with my wife for the coming weekend. We're flying out Friday night and leaving Monday night, so we'll have a pretty solid two and a half days there. Any tips? Secrets? Strategies?

Neither of us is a huge fan, but we've at least seen the movies and enjoy them. We are definitely planning to buy a wand, as well.
 
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Gambit 1138

Banned
Try the butterbeer and do the castle tour. The big must see rides are: forbidden journey, escape from gringotts, and the hog warts express train that actually connects and takes place in 2 separate Harry potter lands in 2 separate parks which is a first of its kind in theme parks.
 
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GrizzNKev

Banned
...you realize Harry Potter is a small section of a pair of major theme parks with plenty of other awesome stuff to do, right? You'll max out at like, 2-3 hours of Harry Potter stuff.
 
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DBT85

Member
The wands were hideously priced when I went there. At least at the Harry Potter Studio tour in Watford, UK most are only £25.
 
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MBison

Member
Go straight to Harry Potter stuff, personally I'd go to gringotts first and use the single rider line. You'll get in super fast and can ride 2-3 times before it gets busy. Forbidden journey isn't as good a ride and Id just hit in first thing another day.

Dueling Dragons is never too busy except for front row.

As someone said, tons of great rides at both parks
 
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Gambit 1138

Banned
MBison said:
Go straight to Harry Potter stuff, personally I'd go to gringotts first and use the single rider line. You'll get in super fast and can ride 2-3 times before it gets busy. Forbidden journey isn't as good a ride and Id just hit in first thing another day.

Dueling Dragons is never too busy except for front row.

As someone said, tons of great rides at both parks
Click to expand...

Does gringotts have huge drops?
 
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casinoman921

Member
When I went in the summer the Gringotts area had just opened up, so the line was around 3 hours at the start of the day. I imagine it'll be shorter during wintertime, but definitely get there first thing. The good thing is the older Harry Potter world has shorter lines for their rides.

Frozen Butter Beer is awesome.
 
DOWN

DOWN

Banned
Butter beer and visit every ride and shop. I live in Florida and have been to all the parks and zones a number of times. Maybe it's because they had the newest resources or whatever, but the Harry Potter areas are the most well-done theme park zones and shops I've ever been to.

GrizzNKev said:
...you realize Harry Potter is a small section of a pair of major theme parks with plenty of other awesome stuff to do, right? You'll max out at like, 2-3 hours of Harry Potter stuff.
Click to expand...
My family spent the whole day in the Harry Potter areas. It's the most completely conceptualizer theme park setting I've seen, and I've been to everything else multiple times at the Disney and Universal Parks.

If it's your only time to see the parks, then sure, move around. But if you've tasted the other stuff before, go milk The Harry Potter sections and be wowed.
 
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Septimus Prime

Member
GrizzNKev said:
...you realize Harry Potter is a small section of a pair of major theme parks with plenty of other awesome stuff to do, right? You'll max out at like, 2-3 hours of Harry Potter stuff.
Click to expand...
I do, but I don't think Universal Studios Orlando offers significantly more than Universal Studios Hollywood, aside from Harry Potter. I could be wrong, of course. Is there anything unique there that I can't see at the Hollywood version?
 
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Toparaman

Banned
Septimus Prime said:
So, yeah. As the thread title says, I'll be heading to Harry Potter World with my wife for the coming weekend. We're flying out Friday night and leaving Monday night, so we'll have a pretty solid two and a half days there. Any tips? Secrets? Strategies?

Neither of us is a huge fan, but we've at least seen the movies and enjoy them. We are definitely planning to buy a wand, as well.
Click to expand...

Y-....yer not a wizard, 'arry! Yeh can't go to 'arry Potter World if yer not a wizard.
 
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guek

Banned
If you want a wand, buy the non interactive ones. The wand gimmicks aren't worth it and you can watch others do them.
 
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d9b

Banned
Watch out for old wizards offering sweets and don't let them touch your magic wand. Ever! Other than that, have fun.
 
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meow

Member
The frozen butterbeer is better.

I went years ago, 2010 maybe? so maybe they fixed this little fluke, but if the line for the hogwarts ride is super long (it stretched all the way to the entrance of jurassic park when I went), you can cheat it by going to the gift shop, through to the lockers, and then into the line...I didn't actually do this though, realized it too late.
 
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Admiral Woofington

Member
meow said:
The frozen butterbeer is better.

I went years ago, 2010 maybe? so maybe they fixed this little fluke, but if the line for the hogwarts ride is super long (it stretched all the way to the entrance of jurassic park when I went), you can cheat it by going to the gift shop, through to the lockers, and then into the line...I didn't actually do this though, realized it too late.
Click to expand...

they fixed it, i'm pretty sure. i went during spring break, and the line is now all around the castle and takes you through different book/movie settings like the classroom and the hallways, it was awesome.
 
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Septimus Prime

Member
Oh man, it was awesome! Super crowded, but really fun!

Turns out there are a ton of rides that aren't available in Hollywood, though the ones they do share are complete duplicates. The food was pretty good, too.

I was a bit disappointed to learn that Butter Beer is not actually beer but more like cream soda. Luckily, a walk to Krustyland got me Duff, Duff Lite, and Duff Dry, so that helped.

Flaming Moe being a soda is terrible, though.
 
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Shanlei91

Sonic handles my blue balls
Edit: (was too late, haha)
Get the early pass that lets you in an hour or two before the park opens. You'll literally have Harry Potter World to yourself with no lines for a small fee. Only one or two rides aren't open until the park is fully open but you can line yourself up for that a minute before the park opens. You'll basically be done with it all by noon, when you should then explore the rest of Universal Studios.

Have butter beer and get the mug. Eat at the three broomsticks or have their actual proprietary beer in the bar/tavern in the back. When using the bathroom, pee in a stall if you have a shy bladder and are distracted easily.

The Simpsons area is probably the only other place there with as much love and care put into it. If anything, it has more attention to detail than Harry Potter World. Also, duff beer with a duff mug is fairly priced.
 
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daviyoung

Banned
Stormhammer said:
dress as a moogle and drink the butterbeer
Click to expand...

moogle1.gif


?

whatever floats your boat
 
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ggnoobIGN

Banned
Stay in a universal hotel or prepare for hell. Hotel grants you front of line.



Butterbeer is legit the best thing I've ever tasted. So fucking good.
 
sensui-tomo

sensui-tomo

Member
Go to the Islands of adventure first then go to the Orlando studios (first harry potter themed area is not the best place to go second... oh and when you go to the universal studio part after youre done with harry potter stuff go to the Simpson place, Nostalgia everywhere.\
BTW get the Frozen butterbeer and a Flaming Moe.
 
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Althane

Member
Butterbeer.

But not the "slush" kind. Get the cool, but still liquid kind. Fuck. Ing. Delicious.

Oh, and the Dueling Dragons ride is pretty awesome, and usually has just about 0 line. Get back-row seats every time.

Plus, you get to go "Ah ha! I get that reference!" every time you're in line. Tons of fun.
 
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