On our USF morning (if it’s slated to be open per TA predictions), I’m wondering if it’s worth it to do Early Access at USF when we have an Express Pass. I know Minions is open, so we’d hit that up, as from experience I feel like that line is terrible with or without EP, and then head to Diagon Alley. However, once in DA, seems like the one real advantage is to do spells and see DA with lower crowds. We don’t need to run to Escape from Gringotts b/c we could hop on at 9am using Express. Nothing else is open from my understanding till regular park opening, right?
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We don’t do early entry because we don’t do spells and we don’t ride Minions. I think Mummy used to open sometimes, but it was still closed on our last trip. I don’t know if it still does since it reopened. It is still quite cool to be in the almost empty park.
I think it’s worth going in for Minions because that line sucks.
I would also enjoy a quiet DA, a short Gringotts wait and maybe even a short HE trip if you’re planning to park hop.
They used to accept EP during EE, but I’ve heard that’s not the case anymore. Confirm that from someone else if it’s important.
Last trip we used EE for Hagrid and VC so I never tested EP use during that time.
I find EE to be much more useful in IofA.
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While The Mummy is open, it isn’t listed as part of EPA for May at this point.
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I can confirm that no EP during early entry.
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Minions line is terrible during EE. With so few things open and so many hotel guests (and it right there at the entrance), what is open isn’t a short line. At least that has been my experience. Unless you want DA without others, I’d skip it.
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I’m going to reiterate that the best thing during EPA at USF is doing the spells. It’s really the best time as almost everyone is doing rides. Once the park opens those spell locations can be so tedious because it’s all unmonitored and everyone is allowed to take as long as they want at each spot. You can sometimes have little kids that are struggling to get the spell to work take 10 minutes or more before moving on. Often there can be a 6 - 10 person wait for each spot in peak times. Those waits really add up!
Plus, you can get into an Olivander’s Wand show much quicker. (I can’t remember if it takes UXP??!!??)
For me, it’s also a great time to get that first HOT butterbeer of the day. (IMHO - the best and “TRUE” butterbeer!!) Once the sun comes out it’s much harder to have the motivation to drink a hot beverage!
The Florida HEAT is another big reason to go ahead and get to the parks early. It’s so HOT most of the year by 10am! If you have kids and/or family that can’t take the heat you can do EPA then hit up a bunch of things before lunch and then take a mid-day break until after 2pm/3pm to avoid the worst of the heat.
Diagon Alley is the best of the two parts of WWOHP and when you aren’t shoulder-to-shoulder with crowds it’s a very pleasant place to explore in the morning!
However, if you aren’t doing wands and don’t want to wake up early then feel free to skip EPA.
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Everything @darkmite2 says is accurate and wise.
All apart from his nonsense about hot butterbeer 
Frozen all the way…!! 
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Agree!
Totally agree! 
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Frozen is my second choice, but even the books describe “real” butterbeer as a hot drink!! All other BB are imposters…yummy imposters to be sure!
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Book setting - Scottish Highlands, Winter
Park setting - Florida, Summer 
Will re-evaluate my preference depending on the setting 
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I’m in the Frozen court myself!
Thanks for all the tips. I’ll stick with our regular rope drop routine, if only to be ahead of the crowds and afternoon storms. Because it’s 4th of July week, TP is forecasting that both parks will have EA, but we will rope drop USF one morning, and really, really rope drop IOP another, and then park hop in the evenings after a mid-day break. Our first 1/2 day of our 2.5 days will be at IOA (at night), where we will tick off most of the IOA headliners.
We’re going to do Hagrid’s our first two evenings so as not to put all our eggs in the early AM rope drop bucket on our last day in the park.
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