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So does anyone have a recent strategy for an early morning hours at IOA for hitting Velocicoaster and Hagrids specifically? We’ll have Express, going in early December… (CL 3/4ish).
I actually prefer early entry at Studios- only way to get Diagon alley so empty…
I don’t know about VC but I would watch Hagrid’s in the cooler morning temps. It has had issues in the past.
In my experience, more guests will ride Hagrid’s so that would be my priority. VC lines were always shorter for me (some people won’t ride those big coasters).
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If you are staying on-site you’ll have access to early entry to IOA. (I checked the Universal calendar to verify)
It’s a full hour of time and you can easily complete one if not both before park open.
If you are off-site though, typically Hagrid’s will be the longer queue. I have a TP for the first week of December already done. TP recommends VC first - with a wait of 35 - 40 minutes. The Hagrid’s queue is about an hour all day.
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If it is a busy day Hagrid’s is usually converting to a virtual queue quickly.
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We will be there in a couple weeks on a high crowd day. Our first day at Universal we will be checking out of our Disney hotel and into Royal Pacific and will probably miss early entry. I have read that we have to be on Universal property or at one of their hotels to get a VQ so I’m not sure we will be able to get a VQ for Hagrids our first day. I am assuming then VQ will be in affect but we will have early entry the second day. So, on our second day I was going to try and do Hagrids during the early entry and then maybe try to get a VQ for later in the day. My question is: even on busy days does Hagrids always starts with standby and then move to VQ or on some days is it VQ from the get-go?
According to the Universal chat- yes, it generally starts with standby . During my last trip it was only virtual on the weekends. It had a delayed opening so it did not have a standby by queue at that time.
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I can confirm. It starts as standby and then goes to VQ (when needed)
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Does the Universal app let you know/ping when the VQ is operational or do you have to keep checking?
Adding our data points…
We went to IOA for EPA (0800) on 21 Nov (Sun). We were in security line at ~0655 after early check-in at HRH (for 2 day UEP) and walking the path. About 20-30 people in front of us there. At ~0700 they opened that security line and we walked over to IOA with us ending up behind about 3-4 groups in the far right line. My son and I walked directly to Hagrid’s after they opened the gates at about ~0742. Hagrid’s was a walk-on with us only pausing briefly 2 groups back at the moving platform. After Hagrid’s (I think we got to lockers at 0802) we had a small issue accessing the locker (so a small delay), but we made it over to VC which was running and probably waited about 15 minutes to ride this. We had previously tried this approach in late May/early June 2021 with decent success (VC didn’t open quite as early then) and it worked even better this time. My two cents: Do Hagrid’s first thing and then VC to minimize time waiting in line.
The following day (22 Nov Mon with 0800 EPA for IOA), we repeated the process showing up a few minutes after 0700 (walking path security line was empty as they opened once again at 0700). This time we were in pretty much the same spot (maybe a couple people deeper). This time my daughter and wife went as well, and we ended up waiting ~5 minutes for Hagrid’s (after walking the queue). Then we walked on to FJ before perusing Hogsmeade and bouncing on the first 0900 Hogwart’s Express to USF. I believe VC was open again, so the same Hagrids 1st, VC 2nd approach would’ve worked similarly.
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You just have to keep checking.
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Sorry, to resurrect a zombie thread, but the strategy I am landing on for rope dropping Hagrid’s is kind of annoying. We are staying at Portofino, so we get in early. However, Universal’s website says that Hagrid’s will open at regular park time (which seems unnecessary but I digress). The wife however has heard that Hagrid’s opens “early,” at 8:30 or so. But even supposing we are the first people in line, it seems like we’d be wasting our entire “extra” hour on one ride. Is there an alternative? Is getting a VL spot hard or easy? Sorry if this was answered above.
What are crowd levels looking like the day you are there? Honestly, the wait for Velocicoaster is usually tolerable, so I would just plan to go when it’s convenient. The wait for Hagrid’s is mostly subject to the whims of breakdowns and weather, so I wouldn’t waste my early hour there, personally. It’s another one I would just plan to wait for. Better to use EE to rack up a few moderate-wait attractions (like Gringotts at USF … I can’t think of something else I’d want to ride at IoA that is open. 
)
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You are right. You would be wasting much of your EPA time waiting for Hagrid’s to open. I have not heard of it opening a half hour early. The VL hasn’t been used for a long time, I think last summer/early fall.
When Universal took Hagrid’s off the EPA attraction list, it changed the early waits. Now you have everyone showing up at the same time. The highest waits of the day have been early, but calm down in a couple hours or so. A higher crowd day can draw it out longer. But it has typically been shorter waits in the afternoon and evening than morning.
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I scanned through the Universal chat in the app. It was recommended that you could do VC twice before heading to Hagrid’s . There is a concern that Hagrid’s queue does not open early even to line up.
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I’m here at EPA. People started queueing up for it right at the start. They are sacrificing the entire Early Entry to queue.
I went on it yesterday and even with a 70 minute posted wait I never waited longer than 40 minutes. The queue moves constantly!
I wouldn’t give up my EPA, waiting 60 minutes just just to save about 10 minutes overall. EPA is the best time to explore WWOHP
Plus at park opening the posted wait was 100 minutes. (90 minutes predicted) An hour later it was down to 70 minutes predicted (50 actual)
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We went a few weeks ago and my son and I ran to VC and walked on, then rode again with a 10 minute wait, (My wife and daughter did hippogriff x2 then HP, then hit up HP together,then started left around the island and we rode all of the major rides by 12 (hulk was delayed until 2pm due to cold weather. We jumped in line for hatreds at 2 after warming up for a sit down lunch and it was a posted 60 and I think we waited 45ish?
We went on a Sunday CL 6/10 and we were 2nd from taps in the AM. Use the hotel buses they were great! We left endless summer right at 7 with a 1/4 filled bus.
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Here’s my experience from earlier this week as posted in another thread.
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Got it, so basically rope drop something else, but that still gives you plenty of time to get on a short line for Hagrid’s. Two rides versus being first in line for Hagrid’s, which has almost no advantage.
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Short line is a relative term! 
You’ll wait only 1 hour instead of 90 minutes! 
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