Early Entry for Harry Potter

[MaxPower]

I will be at Islands of Adventure the first week of December.

I plan on being at the park entrance first thing in the morning before the gate opens to be one of the first to get back into the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

Can anyone answer the following questions:

1) I know that guests at the Universal Hotels can buy a package that allows them "early entry" to the Harry Potter section. How is this set-up at the entrance to the park and how does it work?

2) How much earlier are hotel guests allowed into the park before regular guests?

3) When the regular guests are allowed in at rope drop--do Universal employees escort the crowd back to Harry Potter?

Any detailed information that can be given about Islands of Adventure rope drop will be appreciated.

[NJGIRL]

At this point I can only answer one of your questions. Hotel & package guests can enter IOA 1 hour earlier than other visitors. The park is opened at 8:00 for hotel guests and 9:00 for everyone else. I am going to be there next week so if I find out anything else I will let you know.

Just a side note: You can not use Express Pass for HP and the Forbidden Journey.

[MaxPower]

Thanks Rita.

I've been doing a little research myself, and from what I've found, the Hotel guests enter at 8am and they go the shorter route to Harry Potter- that is, they enter the park and go right through the Dr. Seuss and Lost Continent section.

Then, once the regular day guests are allowed in, they send them left through Marvel and Jurassic Park sections so that a queue can start forming through Jurassic Park once the Harry Potter part is filled.

Of course, it all depends on crowds, but I'm hoping to be able to go the shorter route and not wait in a queue just to get into the Harry Potter section in the back of the park.

Let me know what you find out.

Thanks.

[disneyfamily05]

I know they sent hotel guests via day guests seperate routes in the beginning - but i'm not sure that this is true anymore.

I was there Sat. Oct. 1st, we arrived at 9:00AM (we stayed at a Disney property) and walked through Seuss Land & the Lost Continent without a problem as days guests.

[Mogie]

This doesn't answer your question but I think it is still a good tip for Wizarding World...

I was in Wizarding World on 9/14. The longest line in all of Islands of Adventure was Olivander's Wand Shop. Well over an hour and a half all day long. So I would make this your first stop if you have early access to the park.

The Harry Potter Ride at its longest was 60 minutes that day. And has a single rider line option that will get you on the ride in 5 minutes (but you miss half of the Hogwarts interior...so i recommend the single rider line for a 2nd ride).