How early can you get in?

Universal Orlando Resort
1

We frequently rope drop WDW early. We have found we can get into the parking lot 55 minutes early and into the parks about 45 minutes early.

Has anybody found UOR doing the same thing?
We are staying at Portofino July 2nd through the 5th.

How early can you get in with early park admission?

Thanks!

2

Generally speaking, it’s been our experience that UO opens much closer to actual time - maybe 5-15 minutes earlier but that’s at the most. So if early entry is at 8:00, they won’t start letting folks in before maybe 7:45 at the earliest BUT if you want to be one of the first ones in the park, I’d suggest leaving your hotel about an hour before the EE opening time.

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3

Thank you!

I am trying to plan out our early days, as we suspect it will be packed.
So i am hoping to rope drop/VQ… Velocicoaster,Hagrads,Gringots, etc…
Then use are fast passes to about lunch and head back to the hotel pool.

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4

Peking garages usually open at 7am, same for all CityWalk security entrances. As said before park starts letting people in around 15 minutes before open with rides opening at park open.

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5

Does anyone know what time Velocicoaster starts running?
If the ride doesnt start running till 9:00 i would hate to get in line at 7:00, may not be the best strategy.

6

VelociCoaster opens with the park. If you’re doing early entry Hagrid is probably still a better option.

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7

UOR hasn’t posted early park times yet for July.
For June both IOA and USO had early park admission.
So I’m hopefull the same will be for July.

I guess we could do HMA first but then when we ride Velocicoaster it will be a epic wait.

We may just have to bite the bullet on waiting in line for Velocicoaster starting at early park admission. I don’t see another way around it.

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Looks like hours are through July 11. Have they been posted around 30 days out consistently of late?

9

It will be interesting to see how that works out when EE starts at IoA side on Monday. You might also want to keep an eye on the evening waits for VC. If consistently gets down to an hour or so, probably better off using the early entry on HP stuff and hitting VC later.

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10

Last Oct we got there 30 min early and waited an hour for Hagrids eating up all of EE on a day with a crowd level of 10. The next Saturday, also a 10, got there 60 min early and were 2nd at the turnstiles and pretty much walked on Hagrids and were off about 12-13 min into EE I believe and riding Hulk.

Yesterday we were 40 min early and waited about half an hour for VelociCoaster and it took almost 15 min once the line started moving to even get thru the turnstiles now that fingerprints are back.

So point it you’re going on a busy day I’d get there an hour early, not 30-45 min but a full hour.

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11

We rode VelociCoaster first and then Hagrids and waited about 30 min for VelociCoaster (35 min counting ride and retrieving my phone from the locker to check the timer) and 45 min for Hagrids (55 min for line, ride, and locker line then retrieving phone from locker to check timer). This was not early entry day but to give you an idea. Both rides got up to 90 min waits shortly after and I didn’t ever see Virtual Line for Hagrid’s offered.

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12

This is accurate from our experience yesterday it was 17 min early the line started moving to let people move but if you got there then the line will be out onto the bridge and might take a bit to get thru.
No EE so everything was operating immediately.

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13

Be prepared to wait 30 min with EP for rides starting from lunch time on (like 11-1130am the EP lines get long). It’s never been that long before and some of that is lockers for some rides but I was noting it was taking us 40-45 min to complete one attraction from 1130am on with Express passes (a trend I first noticed back in Oct). With you going July 4th weekend I assume it’ll be similar. TP always has very little wait times for Express lines and I think those days are gone unless maybe traveling during a non-busy time.

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14

This is what i was wondering, thank you.

Now, I have to see what happens wtih Early Park Admission starting tommorow.
If Velocicoaster isnt running, i wonder if you ride Hagrads first, if you can still beat people withouth EPA into the line for VC?

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I personally would do that. The line was posted at 70 min when we got in line for VelociCoaster and it was 35 min till we got our bags off the locker after riding so not even half that wait. I wouldn’t think you’d wait much more than that if you’re thru Hagrids in the first 30 min.

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