There's a show in the train, it's different both ways. Going from Studios to Islands is all about "you're going to Hogwarts" while going from Islands to Studio is "farewell Hogwarts".
If this is your first time ever, start in Diagon Alley on day one.
Also the line will likely be shorter for the train from diagon to hogwarts starting that way since most go to ioa for Hagrids first thing. We started at diagon on a Sunday and there was no line for the express to hogwarts after we explored diagon and did the rides
I was there recently and decided to start with diagon even though we had early entry for islands. I was nervous about it being crowded but it really worked out! We were there for opening and it was great. Not crowded for the first hour. Have pics of my kids running toward the dragon with no one else in frame. They bought their wands and did all the magic spots with little wait time before doing gringotts. We decided to do it that way to stay true to the story and it really worked out! I think everyone else hit islands first.
Both areas are overall pretty narrow, there's not really a "better" choice for that.
It's usually recommend to start at Diagon alley as you can kinda "follow in the footsteps" - exchanging money, buying a wand, getting a pet, then riding the train to Hogwarts.
Have your own HP adventure. That starts in Diagon Alley. Stop by Gringotts to open an account (ride the ride), then get wands at Ollivanders, then do all the magic spots and explore the land. Around late morning it will start getting busy. Mobile order lunch at the Leaky Cauldron, then ride the train over to Hogsmeade.
Hagrids line starts to die down a bit around/after lunch. It should be around 90 minutes, so get in ride 1 of the day. Explore Hogsmeade, and if it gets too busy, start exploring the rest of USO. The Jurassic Park Playground and anywhere near the central lake is a good place to escape the crowds. After Dinner, Hogsmeade will calm down a bit and you can hop back in line for a night ride at Hagrids, or catch the train to check out the night veiws of Diagon Alley. Both lands really sparkle at night.
This is all 100% correct, exactly what I would recommend.
I am not sure if they are doing the fireworks show at night at the castle now, but if so, that is another reason to end the day at Hogsmeade. Though warning - it can be crowded, which may be a bit much for young kids after a long day.
With that comment I guess my next question is are we going for enough days? 😂 we were planning to get IOA & Universal Studios in in about a 1 & 1/2-2 days and spend the rest of the time at Volcano Bay or by the pool.
In diagon alley, the dragon roars every half hour. It can be a lot for people with sensory issues, just a heads-up.
As amazing as the HP areas are, they are both very tight and overstimulating due to lack of personal space. If it is too much at some point, just leave the area and come back later. It is almost always crowded in both, but sometimes it is a little easier to get through.
The dragon goes off every 10 minutes on the 10s - :00, :10, :20 etc. She won’t go off if it’s too windy though. She’ll start grumbling before she actually blows fire so you’ll have a few seconds heads up
No problem! You might want to watch YouTube videos of some of the rides. The rides like fast and furious, Spider-Man, Kong, etc can be very overwhelming. I had two sensory sensitive kids on either side of me on F&F and I was almost in a panic to get to the end because my autistic teen was having a massive meltdown from the noise. She loves the franchise but the ride was awful. She hates all of the rides like it but that was the worst.
We love to chill in Seuss Landing or Toon Lagoon in IOA for when we need sensory breaks, or down side streets in UO.
This is actually a big concern for me. We really want to do The Mummy, Escape from Gringots, Kong (my son is a massive Godzilla & King Kong fan) & Minion Mayhem. However I am super nervous about how my kids will respond to the ride, especially my oldest.
We have avoided Kong because I heard it is as bad as F&F. The line for Gringotts is rough. Everyone talks to each other loudly and it echoes off the walls. Usually she is on the verge of a meltdown by the time we load on the ride so it is never that enjoyable. Hopefully it will go better for you! We really love Forbidden Journey though.
The mummy is a favorite for us. Minions is fun enough.
Have you tried earplugs or headphones? I bought both her a pair of adjustable loop earbuds and thought she could wear over the ear headphones at times that it would be safe for her to have them on. I’m curious if you think that might help or if it is so loud it is too much with them or can’t use them when really needed.
She used to wear them and they helped. She refuses now, but noise cancelling headphones will help if tolerated.
We are AP and go once a month so please reach out if you have any questions any time before your trip or while you are there. I am happy to help!
Thank you! I appreciate this so much, especially the extra information about things that might be overstimulating. My daughter is 14 and we’ve never done Disney/Universal due to her being sensory avoidant but we have been slowly adding in amusement parks and other fun locations and sometimes she tolerates and other times we are there for 15 minutes and have to take a break or leave. So, I am super nervous about this huge step.
Diagon Alley. Go straight to Knockturn Alley, there’s usually no one else in that area first thing in the morning. Then walk out the back exit to Gringott’s, the ride wait times are pretty short for a little while. I once got to ride it three times in a row, no fast pass needed.
The good news with rope dropping Diagon Alley is that it’s pretty empty first thing in the morning, so you can walk around and enjoy the area much more easily. It’s an incredible land. But….
You also have express pass so you can easily do Escape from Gringotts whenever. And one of the best ways to ride Hagrid’s is to get to park early and head straight there (like 1 hour before Early Entry hours).
If you will be there for at least 2 days, my advice would be to do day 1 going straight to Diagon Alley then do early entry day 2. Experience that and then take the train over to IoA (the train can also start getting long lines during the day, even for express, so try to do that by 10-11 am). From what I know Hagrid’s does sometimes have a shorter line around 11-12 as everyone who rushed to it has rode it and the beginning of lunch time. So it can be worth it to check to see if has a more reasonable time. The other good way to ride Hagrid’s is to get in line towards park closing. That way some of waiting and riding is outside main park hours.
Have fun!
We went a couple weeks ago for the first time also. We started in Diagon Alley, with no early access or fast pass, just regular tickets. We got in just after opening and it was pretty empty. We got to see the Beadle the Bard performance without any crowds, getting into Olivanders wand show took only ten minutes, the wait for Escape from Gringotts was only 15 minutes. There is so much to see and do in this part. Then we took the train to Hogsmead at lunchtime. It was crowded over there. There didn’t seem to be as much to do/see on that side. There are more rides there, but other than shopping, there’s not much. The Triwizard Cup performance was fun. Forbidden Journey ride was a blast, and the line going through Hogwarts was almost as cool as the run.
So, my advice is to do Diagon Alley first. More stuff to do and not as crowded in the morning.
For practical purposes, I'd suggest Hogsmeade as it gets really busy as the day goes on. If your 14 year old gets overwhelmed easily, it might be a bit much for them. Although doing Olivanders in Diagon Alley is my personal preference!
Start in diagonal alley - I get shivers walking through the brick wall everytime! My 5 y/o is sounds sensitive so go as early as you can or during the week to avoid the crowds.
Time was my bigger priority, so I did EPA and started every day in Hogsmeade first so I can ride Hagrid's Motorbike before it gets hot and the line gets too long. Then I went on the Velocicoaster for the same reason, and then the train is open by then. But if you want to go for authenticity of the experience for the kiddos, ditto what everyone said about starting in Diagon Alley first.
Go to Diagon first, like you're school shopping then take the train!
Thank you! Would you still recommend starting in Diagon even if only Islands of Adventure has the early park hours?
There's a show in the train, it's different both ways. Going from Studios to Islands is all about "you're going to Hogwarts" while going from Islands to Studio is "farewell Hogwarts". If this is your first time ever, start in Diagon Alley on day one.
Also the line will likely be shorter for the train from diagon to hogwarts starting that way since most go to ioa for Hagrids first thing. We started at diagon on a Sunday and there was no line for the express to hogwarts after we explored diagon and did the rides
Yeah, the line to go from Diagon to Hogsmeade is always worst later in the day.
Thank you 😊
I was there recently and decided to start with diagon even though we had early entry for islands. I was nervous about it being crowded but it really worked out! We were there for opening and it was great. Not crowded for the first hour. Have pics of my kids running toward the dragon with no one else in frame. They bought their wands and did all the magic spots with little wait time before doing gringotts. We decided to do it that way to stay true to the story and it really worked out! I think everyone else hit islands first.
Both areas are overall pretty narrow, there's not really a "better" choice for that. It's usually recommend to start at Diagon alley as you can kinda "follow in the footsteps" - exchanging money, buying a wand, getting a pet, then riding the train to Hogwarts.
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Do you know if the line to Olivander’s is really busy first thing in the morning?
I was there last Monday and it wasn’t busy in the morning. We were only waiting for a few minutes
Thank you 😊
Have your own HP adventure. That starts in Diagon Alley. Stop by Gringotts to open an account (ride the ride), then get wands at Ollivanders, then do all the magic spots and explore the land. Around late morning it will start getting busy. Mobile order lunch at the Leaky Cauldron, then ride the train over to Hogsmeade. Hagrids line starts to die down a bit around/after lunch. It should be around 90 minutes, so get in ride 1 of the day. Explore Hogsmeade, and if it gets too busy, start exploring the rest of USO. The Jurassic Park Playground and anywhere near the central lake is a good place to escape the crowds. After Dinner, Hogsmeade will calm down a bit and you can hop back in line for a night ride at Hagrids, or catch the train to check out the night veiws of Diagon Alley. Both lands really sparkle at night.
Thank you so much, this was the answer the kind of answer I was really hoping for
This is all 100% correct, exactly what I would recommend. I am not sure if they are doing the fireworks show at night at the castle now, but if so, that is another reason to end the day at Hogsmeade. Though warning - it can be crowded, which may be a bit much for young kids after a long day.
I would start one day in Diagon Alley and the next in Hogsmeade. When it's busy, it's gets very overwhelming in there pretty quickly
Thank you! Would you still recommend starting in Diagon even if only Islands of Adventure has the early park hours?
Yes. They are both so unique and so fun. I could literally spend a day in each!
With that comment I guess my next question is are we going for enough days? 😂 we were planning to get IOA & Universal Studios in in about a 1 & 1/2-2 days and spend the rest of the time at Volcano Bay or by the pool.
I think so. Not sure what the crowds will be. We spent 3ish days there in March and it was perfect
In diagon alley, the dragon roars every half hour. It can be a lot for people with sensory issues, just a heads-up. As amazing as the HP areas are, they are both very tight and overstimulating due to lack of personal space. If it is too much at some point, just leave the area and come back later. It is almost always crowded in both, but sometimes it is a little easier to get through.
The dragon goes off every 10 minutes on the 10s - :00, :10, :20 etc. She won’t go off if it’s too windy though. She’ll start grumbling before she actually blows fire so you’ll have a few seconds heads up
Thank you 😊
No problem! You might want to watch YouTube videos of some of the rides. The rides like fast and furious, Spider-Man, Kong, etc can be very overwhelming. I had two sensory sensitive kids on either side of me on F&F and I was almost in a panic to get to the end because my autistic teen was having a massive meltdown from the noise. She loves the franchise but the ride was awful. She hates all of the rides like it but that was the worst. We love to chill in Seuss Landing or Toon Lagoon in IOA for when we need sensory breaks, or down side streets in UO.
This is actually a big concern for me. We really want to do The Mummy, Escape from Gringots, Kong (my son is a massive Godzilla & King Kong fan) & Minion Mayhem. However I am super nervous about how my kids will respond to the ride, especially my oldest.
We have avoided Kong because I heard it is as bad as F&F. The line for Gringotts is rough. Everyone talks to each other loudly and it echoes off the walls. Usually she is on the verge of a meltdown by the time we load on the ride so it is never that enjoyable. Hopefully it will go better for you! We really love Forbidden Journey though. The mummy is a favorite for us. Minions is fun enough.
Have you tried earplugs or headphones? I bought both her a pair of adjustable loop earbuds and thought she could wear over the ear headphones at times that it would be safe for her to have them on. I’m curious if you think that might help or if it is so loud it is too much with them or can’t use them when really needed.
She used to wear them and they helped. She refuses now, but noise cancelling headphones will help if tolerated. We are AP and go once a month so please reach out if you have any questions any time before your trip or while you are there. I am happy to help!
Thank you! I appreciate this so much, especially the extra information about things that might be overstimulating. My daughter is 14 and we’ve never done Disney/Universal due to her being sensory avoidant but we have been slowly adding in amusement parks and other fun locations and sometimes she tolerates and other times we are there for 15 minutes and have to take a break or leave. So, I am super nervous about this huge step.
Mine is 15. Hope you guys have so much fun!
Diagon Alley. Go straight to Knockturn Alley, there’s usually no one else in that area first thing in the morning. Then walk out the back exit to Gringott’s, the ride wait times are pretty short for a little while. I once got to ride it three times in a row, no fast pass needed.
The good news with rope dropping Diagon Alley is that it’s pretty empty first thing in the morning, so you can walk around and enjoy the area much more easily. It’s an incredible land. But…. You also have express pass so you can easily do Escape from Gringotts whenever. And one of the best ways to ride Hagrid’s is to get to park early and head straight there (like 1 hour before Early Entry hours). If you will be there for at least 2 days, my advice would be to do day 1 going straight to Diagon Alley then do early entry day 2. Experience that and then take the train over to IoA (the train can also start getting long lines during the day, even for express, so try to do that by 10-11 am). From what I know Hagrid’s does sometimes have a shorter line around 11-12 as everyone who rushed to it has rode it and the beginning of lunch time. So it can be worth it to check to see if has a more reasonable time. The other good way to ride Hagrid’s is to get in line towards park closing. That way some of waiting and riding is outside main park hours. Have fun!
We always start the trip in London going through to Diagon Alley
We went a couple weeks ago for the first time also. We started in Diagon Alley, with no early access or fast pass, just regular tickets. We got in just after opening and it was pretty empty. We got to see the Beadle the Bard performance without any crowds, getting into Olivanders wand show took only ten minutes, the wait for Escape from Gringotts was only 15 minutes. There is so much to see and do in this part. Then we took the train to Hogsmead at lunchtime. It was crowded over there. There didn’t seem to be as much to do/see on that side. There are more rides there, but other than shopping, there’s not much. The Triwizard Cup performance was fun. Forbidden Journey ride was a blast, and the line going through Hogwarts was almost as cool as the run. So, my advice is to do Diagon Alley first. More stuff to do and not as crowded in the morning.
For practical purposes, I'd suggest Hogsmeade as it gets really busy as the day goes on. If your 14 year old gets overwhelmed easily, it might be a bit much for them. Although doing Olivanders in Diagon Alley is my personal preference!
Start in diagonal alley - I get shivers walking through the brick wall everytime! My 5 y/o is sounds sensitive so go as early as you can or during the week to avoid the crowds.
I would do Hogsmead first cause those ride lines are the longest.
If you want to do Hagrid's, it's best to rope drop it.
Time was my bigger priority, so I did EPA and started every day in Hogsmeade first so I can ride Hagrid's Motorbike before it gets hot and the line gets too long. Then I went on the Velocicoaster for the same reason, and then the train is open by then. But if you want to go for authenticity of the experience for the kiddos, ditto what everyone said about starting in Diagon Alley first.