If you are doing early park hours (8 am entry to USF) and are planning to do Diagon Alley (Gringott’s), what time does the first Hogwarts Express train typically run to Hogsmeade (IOA)?
Will it get you there in time for rope drop? Or is it better to walk around and enter the main IOA gates to get there right at 9?
[Trying to make plans for crowd level 10 days.]
It doesn’t run until IOA is open. You’ll be behind the RD crowd.
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We should pin this thread or something. I know I’ve answered this same question multiple times. 
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You can queue outside of Kings Cross station until close to 9am. They’ll start letting ppl into the station and queue right about then - sometimes a couple minutes early.
Then you have to take the long walk to the train. Then you wait to board & travel over. This can take 10 - 15 minutes. This is if you are lucky to load on the first train.
Once you arrive to Hogsmeade you are, probably, in at least the second wave or so of ppl who did the RD at the IOA gate.
I’ve walked all the way from Diagon Alley around CityWalk to Hogsmeade. It is not a short trip - especially with kids. When I’m there solo and can speed walk it takes about 15 minutes if there is no traffic at the entry gates to IOA.
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I can’t speak to CL 10 days, but in both parks, the WWOHP is in the BACK of the parks. Which means it is a bit of a haul to get from the gates to the WWOHP. At USF, you will walk from gates to the back of the park, get in line for Gringott’s and then get in line for HE. The question is if you will get on HE and over to Hogsmeade in less time than it would take to walk BACK to the front of USF, over to IOA, wait for Rope Drop, and then back through to the back of IOA. And even if it is faster, would you want to start your day rushing around walking that much. Hogwart’s Express is an attraction in and of itself.
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Agreed. HE is more attraction than transportation. The line speed can be glacial.
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