PirateLover
06-25-2010, 12:33 AM
Feel free to merge into main thread, I just wanted to give some up to date tips that wouldn't get lost in the other thread for those of you who are planning to visit IOA soon specifically for this land, based solely on our experience today. This may get long so the basic tip is- go in the evening!!!
Our original plan was to get there bright and early on Friday June 25th, but we found ourselves with some time on the 24th to pop over in the evening and see what was happening. We got there a little before 7. Lines for shops were still long, but Dueling Dragons/Dragon Challenge was pretty much a walk on, and Flight of the Hippogriff was 15 minutes. Forbidden Journey was still 90 mins.
We talked to a woman who was there at opening. She got there a few hours before the park opened. It took her an hour waiting in line for a separate wrist band which made sure you were one of the first to get into the land. by the time she got her wristband, and got into WWoHP, Forbidden Journey was already 2 hours and each store was an hour wait. By 11 people without wristbands were pouring in.
As far as Forbidden Journey goes, I would definitely save this long wait for the evening. You spend a good portion of the queue in the greenhouse outside, which is just brutal. The worst part of an otherwise perfectly themed line. We were in there at 8pm and could barely stand it, I can't imagine what it's like in the dead heat of the afternoon.
Wands- I know everyone wants to go in Ollivander's... But that line was the only one that was still ridiculously long at the end of the day. If you or your child has to have a wand, but you can't wait in that line, there is a wand cart outside of Forbidden Journey. They have about 10 different wands that are non-character specific, and then Ron, Harry, and Hermione wands that light up. The light up are 42 and regular are 31, although I think the regular ones are nicer, personally. We had a 10 minute wait from back of the line to check out.
At about 9:30pm, the line for butter beer from the wagon outside was about a 10 minute wait, and I got right into Honeydukes and the Joke Shop.
These circumstances may change overtime, but for the near future I expect a similar pattern. I just wanted to share since our original plan would've blown up in our face.
Our original plan was to get there bright and early on Friday June 25th, but we found ourselves with some time on the 24th to pop over in the evening and see what was happening. We got there a little before 7. Lines for shops were still long, but Dueling Dragons/Dragon Challenge was pretty much a walk on, and Flight of the Hippogriff was 15 minutes. Forbidden Journey was still 90 mins.
We talked to a woman who was there at opening. She got there a few hours before the park opened. It took her an hour waiting in line for a separate wrist band which made sure you were one of the first to get into the land. by the time she got her wristband, and got into WWoHP, Forbidden Journey was already 2 hours and each store was an hour wait. By 11 people without wristbands were pouring in.
As far as Forbidden Journey goes, I would definitely save this long wait for the evening. You spend a good portion of the queue in the greenhouse outside, which is just brutal. The worst part of an otherwise perfectly themed line. We were in there at 8pm and could barely stand it, I can't imagine what it's like in the dead heat of the afternoon.
Wands- I know everyone wants to go in Ollivander's... But that line was the only one that was still ridiculously long at the end of the day. If you or your child has to have a wand, but you can't wait in that line, there is a wand cart outside of Forbidden Journey. They have about 10 different wands that are non-character specific, and then Ron, Harry, and Hermione wands that light up. The light up are 42 and regular are 31, although I think the regular ones are nicer, personally. We had a 10 minute wait from back of the line to check out.
At about 9:30pm, the line for butter beer from the wagon outside was about a 10 minute wait, and I got right into Honeydukes and the Joke Shop.
These circumstances may change overtime, but for the near future I expect a similar pattern. I just wanted to share since our original plan would've blown up in our face.