My First "Real" Trip To Universal. I have some questions.

[Uncle Coaster]

Allow me to start with a brief introduction.
My name is Jeff, I’m 48 years old and a long-time roller coaster and amusement park enthusiast. I first joined the online enthusiast community back in 1997. I love all types of parks from the smallest to the largest and everything in between. When I stopped keeping count I was at just over 250 different coasters ridden and am probably around 275 at this point. While I am nowhere near the most traveled enthusiast, I have been fortunate to have done some great things like a coaster marathon to raise money for the Blue Streak at Conneaut Lake Park, to being invited to spend the night inside Kings Dominion to ride Volcano: The Blast Coaster for the local TV morning shows the next morning, to recording a commercial for Hersheypark.

If you were to ask me about my least favorite days I’ve spent at a park, one of the first that would come to mind is Islands of Adventure. My first trip there was back in 2001 with my father. I had heard how IOA was changing the game as far as theme parks go and it was a rare case of me getting myself too hyped up. To say we walked away disappointed would be an understatement. To put it in perspective: we left Islands of Adventure early to eat dinner at a Denny’s on International Drive.
I would return two more times over the next few years with mixed results but never really thinking that the parks were anything special. Both times were one-day visits while I was in town for other reasons so I’ve never really gone to Florida with the primary purpose being Universal other than that first disappointing day.

I long felt that I owed it to myself to visit the resort, stay on property and just try to take in more of what Universal has to offer and give it another try. That’s especially true considering how much new stuff is there since my last visit, which was before Harry Potter. I’ve looked into it a few times but either the price would prohibit me from going when compared to other places I wanted to travel to or I’d just about decide to go but then find a way to get to WDW for a comparable price instead.
That brings me to this year. I have had a good run at my local casino this summer that has allowed me to (1) give some money to charity, (2) tuck some extra money into savings, and (3) take one extra vacation. After debating between Universal, Vegas, Branson, and a driving trip around Delaware and Virginia, I finally decided upon the long-awaited choice to visit Universal again. And I’m very excited to go back and have my first “real” Universal visit.

It is a short trip. Staying at Sapphire Falls with an annual pass and arriving late afternoon/early evening on Monday, November
15. Tuesday and Wednesday are my full days in the parks with Express Passes. Thursday is a partial day in the parks before heading down to Magic Kingdom for the Merriest After Hours event. I then fly back home on Friday.

My Questions

1. If everything goes perfectly, I may have time to stop into a park for the last 30-60 minutes of day one. Do Universal lines get short right before closing enough to make it worth dropping in and knocking off a ride or two on that first day?
2. Any suggestions for dinner my opening night? I am not a foodie, but it will be only my third actual meal in a month (on an extreme diet) and I’m already hungry for a decent steak.
3. Are the lockers for the rides that don’t allow loose articles a pain or are they something I’ll get used to quickly? Any tips?
4. Does it matter which way I ride the Hogwarts Express first?
5. I know nothing about Harry Potter (and don’t really care to learn). Is there any specific piece of theming or item I should be aware of that somebody ignorant to the story like me might otherwise miss?
6. The only show I remember from my first trips is the Blues Brothers, which I enjoyed very much. Are any of their shows a can’t miss?
7. Early Admission each day is at IOA. I’m assuming I’ll want to do Hagrids and Velocicoaster then. Is that correct? Anything else to look for?

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[tony67]

My Questions

1. If everything goes perfectly, I may have time to stop into a park for the last 30-60 minutes of day one. Do Universal lines get short right before closing enough to make it worth dropping in and knocking off a ride or two on that first day?

I would not scramble to do this - not sure you will get a big benefit out of it

2. Any suggestions for dinner my opening night? I am not a foodie, but it will be only my third actual meal in a month (on an extreme diet) and I’m already hungry for a decent steak.

The Palm in the Hard Rock is probably the best steak

Nowhere else really comes to mind, not sure you will see a big difference in the steaks elsewhere - Bigfire is probably a decent option

Since you are at Sapphire Falls be sure to check out Strong Water tavern - they have some really good small plates - probably the best food at Universal. Very good drinks as well

3. Are the lockers for the rides that don’t allow loose articles a pain or are they something I’ll get used to quickly? Any tips?

They are pretty easy - most of all remember your locker number

4. Does it matter which way I ride the Hogwarts Express first?

If your not into Harry Potter then really does not matter -just be sure to ride it both ways as its different.
The correct way is UO to IOA

5. I know nothing about Harry Potter (and don’t really care to learn). Is there any specific piece of theming or item I should be aware of that somebody ignorant to the story like me might otherwise miss?

The entrance to Diagon Alley - people walk right by it and ask where it is.
Make sure you get an ice cream in Diagon Alley the ice cream shop is really good.
I'm no fan of HP - but the area are really well done and I enjoy them

6. The only show I remember from my first trips is the Blues Brothers, which I enjoyed very much. Are any of their shows a can’t miss?

Well at least for now the Blues Brothers is still there.
I cant think of any others that are must see to be honest.

7. Early Admission each day is at IOA. I’m assuming I’ll want to do Hagrids and Velocicoaster then. Is that correct? Anything else to look for?
Thanks in advance for any help.

You will probably only get 1 of the 2 done - really nothing else that is high demand that you need to rush too.

 

[TommyJK]

PP gave good answers for everything. For this question:

7. Early Admission each day is at IOA. I’m assuming I’ll want to do Hagrids and Velocicoaster then. Is that correct? Anything else to look for?

I'd recco going to Hagrid's first, then Velocicoaster. Hagrids lines tends to get longer/slower quickly whereas Velocicoaster's line seems to move faster (based on wait times I've seen noticing Hagrids jumps longer right after park entrance).

 

[BroadwayHermione5]

I second the start at UO then Hogwarts express to IOA for theming with HP

 

[DuskKodesh]

The horror makeup show was cheesy but a blast. if you decide you like the HP areas catch the the Tales of Beedle the Bard. Honestly the street atmosphere we'd just stumble upon was great. Beat Builders were fun, too and we caught them, as well as watching people at the talking fountain.

If Hagrids is down when you go might be worth asking a cast member how long Hagrid will be 'sleeping in'. It went down one morning of our trip and we heard HP cast talking about Hagrid sleeping in nearly all day. Dunno if that's their 'subtle' code or if this is a regular occurrence but still, they seemed to warn the cast in the area at least.

 

[nkereina]

It is a short trip. Staying at Sapphire Falls with an annual pass and arriving late afternoon/early evening on Monday, November
15. Tuesday and Wednesday are my full days in the parks with Express Passes. Thursday is a partial day in the parks before heading down to Magic Kingdom for the Merriest After Hours event. I then fly back home on Friday.

So are you paying for EPs? Often, staying at Hard Rock, Portofino Bay, or Royal Pacific where EPs are included is cheaper than staying elsewhere and paying for EPs each day. That might not be the case for a solo traveler, but just throwing it out there for comparison or future consideration.

1. If everything goes perfectly, I may have time to stop into a park for the last 30-60 minutes of day one. Do Universal lines get short right before closing enough to make it worth dropping in and knocking off a ride or two on that first day?

I agree with PP that it might not be worth the rush/effort to get over there. We were there the weekend after Columbus Day and did notice it felt less busy toward park closing. But I know I like to get settled and then explore City Walk on the first day, so that would be my suggestion.

2. Any suggestions for dinner my opening night? I am not a foodie, but it will be only my third actual meal in a month (on an extreme diet) and I’m already hungry for a decent steak.

I agree with PP that Big Fire at City Walk might be good option. We also love Antojitos for Mexican. DH loves Cowfish for sushi. Toothsome is also a fun place and I think they may have a steak, though its not a steakhouse. We think the restaurants at City Walk are better than any in-park ones, and we enjoy hopping around for drinks at each of them too.

3. Are the lockers for the rides that don’t allow loose articles a pain or are they something I’ll get used to quickly? Any tips?

I carry a purse so I always have to utilize the lockers when required. IMO, they are easy enough where I'd rather deal with them than try to go without something to avoid them. You will need to use a barcode (like from your AP or your EP) to open and then re-open a locker, so you'll need to keep your ticket in your pocket when you go on the ride. If you're worried about that or won't have pockets, I highly suggest wearing a lanyard for this purpose. Wearing a lanyard lets you keep your ticket on one side and your EP on the other, so its also easy when going through the EP line to just hold out lanyard so the CM at the entrance can check it and the CM in the queue can scan it.

The only rides that require absolutely nothing on your person are Hulk and Rip Ride Rockit. For the other locker rides, you can have things in your pocket or you can leave on a fanny pack style bag that has a three prong clasp.

4. Does it matter which way I ride the Hogwarts Express first?

Since you aren't a Potter fan, I would say no. The Potter fans often like to start at Universal/Diagon Alley, which is London, since its where Harry started from. Riding HE from Diagon Alley to Hogsmeade replicates the journey he took. But, I try to just get in a ride on HE when its convenient for me. I will say the ride from UO to IOA is often busier, especially mid-day, so I'd suggest doing it early or late, or going the opposite direction.

5. I know nothing about Harry Potter (and don’t really care to learn). Is there any specific piece of theming or item I should be aware of that somebody ignorant to the story like me might otherwise miss?

IMO, the details of the area will be lost on you if you're not into Potter. Before our first trip to Universal, we watched all of the Potter movies so we'd understand the context. I know that's a big time commitment, but we thought it was worthwhile. We're casual fans - we thought it was good for what it was, but haven't read books or re-watched movies or bought any merch from it. But we like being able to appreciate the details of the areas.

Another spot that's often missed in Diagon Alley is Knockturn Alley. If you walk towards Gringott's and hang a left, going past the bathrooms (on the right), you'll find a dark alley at the very end of the walk with a small sign that says Knockturn Alley. It doesn't look like you're even allowed down there at first, but you are. Its dark and cool, at the very least, but there's also a small store in there and some interactive wand spots for people who have them.

6. The only show I remember from my first trips is the Blues Brothers, which I enjoyed very much. Are any of their shows a can’t miss?

We are not show people by any means but we were dying for some AC on our last trip and popped into the Bourne show. We were very pleasantly surprised by it! Very unique IMO.

7. Early Admission each day is at IOA. I’m assuming I’ll want to do Hagrids and Velocicoaster then. Is that correct? Anything else to look for?

I agree with PPs that Velocicoaster's wait times have been relatively manageable. When we were there right after Columbus Day, which is a busier time, we got on in about 30 minutes. Hagrid's mid-day took about 50 minutes, but the line was up and down all day.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

If possible, hop in line to re-ride Hagrids at night.

I really like the Bourne Stuntacular. Good show with really neat effects.

I agree with nkereina above, make sure to find Knockturn Alley - it has a dark creepy vibe and tends not to have the crowds of the "main drag" HP streets.

 

[AuroraluvsPhillip]

You can get the basic Harry Potter vibe if you watch the first movie only. The train, Diagon Alley, the Leaky Cauldron, Ollivander's wand shop and some of the other shops are in it, as well as Hogwarts castle itself. When you're in Diagon Alley and you hear some rumbling, it means the dragon on top of Gringott's Bank will be breathing fire imminently, happens about every 15 minutes so don't miss it!

I like to go grab a beer at the Fountain of Fair Fortune across from the restrooms in Diagon Alley and then pop right into Knockturn Alley and sit down. It's dark and cool in there, a nice break and you can watch people do their spells with the interactive wands.

The free lockers are easy to use. They aren't huge: 14"x5.5"x16.9" so you can fit a small backpack and a hat or fanny pack. As others said, if you have a lanyard, put your AP barcode facing out one way for scanning and your Express Pass facing the other way. Then tuck it into your shirt on rides.

I prefer the steaks at the Palm at the Hard Rock Hotel to those at Bigfire in City Walk. Hard Rock is a short walk from the parks so easily done. I would definitely make advance reservations for any table service restaurants you want to go to as capacity is limited with current staffing issues and people walking up can be turned away.

 

[Uncle Coaster]

Thanks to everyone for the replies thus far. The Knockturn Alley tip is exactly the type of info I was looking for!

 

[Kit Jackson]

The lockers are easy to use and not a big deal. The lockers are usually near the line or shortly before you board the ride. Unless you have gigantic backpack/bag you will be fine in terms of size. I have no trouble fitting my regular day to day pocketbooks that I also bring to the parks into the lockers. Remembering you locker number is important. During one visit, I remembered which section I the locker was in, but not the actual locker number. Someone who worked there was able to do an override and help me, so there is a system in place if you forget.

If you want steak, The Palm at the Hard Rock Hotel is great.

Last time I went there, The Blues Brothers show was still there. I enjoyed an acapella show as well.

 

[cschaaf]

I think the lockers take one or two rides to get used to. The Velocicoaster lockers are unique in that 1. they are in the middle of the queue and 2. you put your stuff in one one side, then retrieve on the other. This really confuses a lot of people - despite the video in the queue that explains it and the TMs in the locker area continually saying that you are on the other side of the lockers and that the room doesn't 'look the same', but they are the same lockers.

On our last trip, one TM was having fun parodying "the back side of waterrrrrr..." line by saying, "the back side of lockerrrrs"

I'd have a hard time not wanting to take advantage of that last 30-60 minutes of the first night, but it's probably not worth the rush.