4th time to Orlando with DD13 coming up in 3 weeks. We’ve done 2 trips to Disney World and one to Universal (without EP) with this forum’s help. We will be there sunday, monday, tuesday in mid Jan with express passes (our first time). DD13 is officially a ride-holic and I am a plan-holic. Our main focus will be Epic and HP lands and DD13 is excited to finally ride VC. We will plan to park hop and given that this will be new, I’m struggling to decide how to tour. USF is a bit underwhelming with no Mummy while we are there. We’ll hit up the shows x 1 and some of the rides we remember as fun. Some time in Diagon Alley but I’m not super inspired by USF. I can easily see us just riding our favorite rides all at all three parks each day but is that insane or take too much time? I do want a full Epic vibes day. Though honestly I could easily duck out to ride Hagrids each day. We’ll take some breaks…maybe. Do you have guilt skipping certain rides? Would you hop all three parks?
Which kind of express passes will you have? One-use at all three parks, or unlimited at the two older parks?
We’ll be there with 5-day one-use express passes that we can use over 8 days. The plan is to do a whirlwind of just EP rides on those 5 days. Trying for all three parks each day. But, then we’ll have a couple of chill non-EP days in the middle of that to take in the atmosphere.
With the unlimited EP’s, I’m a fan of circling around a ride until you get tired of it and then moving onto the next. DD did 8 times in row on Spinderman with EP. DH did the Hulk a couple of times while she was doing that.
Both sound super fun! We will have the one time use at all 3 parks. And agree most of the energy will go into Epic but it feels worth considering going to the other parks given that there are reports you can do epic relatively quick if everything is working well. I just worry about everyone else now park hopping too. BTW I have never been on Hulk and DD13 is considering it but I don’t know if my neck/head can handle it. But I hear it’s smoother now? Is that relative?
Also, is there any point going to DreamWorks Land? I hated ET. Sorry not sorry.
Our first day of EP’s is Jan 8th. Plan is to start at Epic. I am going to try to enter all my wait times as a go. If you will be later, there will at least be some data for 3-park whirlwind touring.
We’re over MLK weekend. Please post your trip!!! I’ll be super excited to see how you like it and how it is/ isn’t different in the new year. I hope you have an amazing time.
I was just playing around with TP’s for our first day of EP’s.
It says we can do the most important things with EP’s at all three parks. It says we will wait 10 minutes for Hagrid’s a couple of hours before close.
That’s super reasonable. I’ve got the first day starting at EPIC and if things are going well we will head to IOA in the afternoon and return to EPIC for the evening. IOA is closing at 8pm on the sunday I’m there or I would have tried to end there. I really doubt we will need 12 hours at EPIC with EP each day!
Our touring will be a bit different from yours since we’ll also have non-EP days to meander around and go Oooh Ahhhh. But, at the minimum you will have very recent submitted EP ride times to look at. I strongly suspect that Epic being added to park hopping will change the crowds touring. I’m crossing my fingers that the crowds will be slow to realize the opportunities from the change. Based on the couple of Epic graphs that I’ve seen of wait time throughout the day, I plan on us starting every day (or almost) at Epic. Starts low and peaks around noon. With the discussion of rope drop crowds still being really large, I’d have thought that waits would have started long. But I trust the TP data. Maybe half the people at rope drop spend the first couple of hours mostly gawking.
I’ve started a trip report that just has our plans. I’m calling it our Epic Epic trip.
I am pondering whether to try the EPA BotM plan on our first day. I’ll have to get the family on board if we do. Our first first day at Universal, Hagrid’s was really new. We walked in early afternoon and I saw that Hagrid’s wait was a half-hour when a really-good wait was 90 minutes. I tried to hussle the family but we lost daughter in Seuss Land. I told DH “But the wait at Hagrid’s was a half-hour”. He said “Maybe it will be less later."
Me, “%$%^!”