Well they were a family of 6 so nobody was on their own and they can’t all have been in the last car! He said there was a terrifying drop! I have to admit to not having ridden it but I’ve never heard it described as terrifying before.
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Yeah. I mean, that 10 ft is a killer! 
Hilarious. Just give me one day with him, and I’ll have him riding the 400 footers. 
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Thanks for sharing what you were able to get done, @ryan1 ! I think our plan is to use early admission to USF-HP at 7 am, and spend 2 hours in Diagon Alley (explore, do the attractions) before the HE opens at 9, then take HE to IOA to explore Hogsmeade for two hours or so, including eating an early lunch at Three Brooksticks, ride Forbidden Journey, and then take the HE back to USF by noon, that that we can pretty well cover it in that amount of time? Then go back, nap and swim and then do either IOA or USF in the afternoon for a couple of hours. The next day, would try to cover IOA or USF, whichever we did not do in the afternoon the day before. And then we have 1/2 day (slightly more) on departure day to re-do our favorites. From your experience it sounds like we could easily do this especially with the Express Pass?
One thing to keep in mind about HP is that there really are only 3 rides (4 if you include HE). So, while the Express Pass will definitely get you onto the rides quickly (possibly multiple times), I think you can spend quite a bit of time just exploring, etc. There is a lot to just see…even small details. For example, in Hogsmeade, be sure to visit the restrooms at least once. Moaning Myrtle hangs out in there. Knockturn Alley, the Knight Bus, etc.
Still, I think you can get it all done by noon. But don’t sell your time short there just because you can.
BTW, the food at Three Broomsticks was mediocre at best. Not sure about Leaky Cauldron. But don’t forget to give yourself the chance to try a Butterbeer, Ice Cream from Fortescue’s, a treat from Honeydukes (I tried the Butterbeer fudge…don’t recommend it…very bland), etc.
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I agree completely. Thanks!
Going off of treats, I would do a frozen butterbeer and try some flavors of the hard packed ice cream. My personal favorites were sticky toffee pudding and salted caramel brownie. If you buy any flavor, and you don’t like it, they’ll give you another one, so don’t be afraid to try any of them, a lot were really tasty! Surprisingly, I wasn’t as big a fan of the butterbeer ice cream as I thought I was going to be, I thought the drinks were better. However, I agree with your assessment of the fudge, really bland.
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I’m totally kidding. It was hilarious!
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Don’t worry, I know you weren’t terrified!
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I felt the exact same way! I absolutely adore the frozen butterbeer, but the butterbeer ice cream left me wanting. The Salted Caramel Blondie ice cream and the chocolate raspberry ice cream were incredible!
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i would not do rides at EE with EP as more people have EE than EP and you end up waiting in line longer.
Just to offer a counterpoint. I really enjoyed F&F. I haven’t seen the movies, though I know the gist. I read reviews about the ride and how terrible it is before I went, but there was no line and I had EP so I thought I’d give it a go.
It was great! A genuine surprise. I liked it enough to ride it twice. And next time I go I’ll ride it again.
As to the broader issues, with two and a half days and EP you have zero worries. No need to rush around. Take your time. The worst line was Kong, which seemed unreasonably long for an Express line. But I wouldn’t necessarily recommend that in your case because of the kids. It’s pretty intense and scary.
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Thanks for that feedback, Matt! Do you think anything about it is “inappropriate” for young kids?
I wonder if not knowing the movies was a plus in this situation. Knowing the movies, we truly loved the queue, but maybe our hopes were too high for the ride, even with the bad reviews.
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No, there is nothing “inappropriate” for kids.
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Can you virtually talk me onto a 400 footer?? 
I am a gigantic baby and always chicken out of all the big coasters at our nearby Six Flags while my hubs and our 12-yr-old ride, but this is a special trip and I want to work up the nerve to ride with my son! These days are fleeting and I know it but I have such a hard time forcing myself on…
Maybe. 
The fact that you are WILLING is a good step toward that. Often times I have to overcome the initial lack of desire to ride entirely!
But it is all about tackling the individual things you are afraid of on a smaller scale.
For example, some people hate that “stomach flipping” feeling you get on a lot of coasters (truthfully, rarely an issue on the larger coasters). So, I recommend first getting on the Swinging ship ride several times, riding on the further row possible, just to get yourself used to the feeling.
Some are scared of the out of control feeling. I recommend riding a coaster that is right at the limit of what you’re scared of several times. If it is too much, back it down to an “easier coaster” and then return to the first coaster. After you do it enough times, you’ll, again, get used to it. Maybe not love it, but not scared out of your mind.
Oh, and I also INSIST that when you are riding a coaster you “scream like a little girl”. Yes, even the grown men. The act of screaming does wonders for relieving that pent-up stress/fear. And you start your screen BEFORE you actually start to drop on that first hill, not AFTER you drop. Get the tension out.
Don’t close your eyes, either. That actually makes it harder to get used to the ride and undermines the effort! Instead, I suggest finding a focal point in the distance to concentrate on…particularly when going up the lift hill. For example, I’m TERRIFIED of heights. So I just never look down while going up the hill until we are cresting the top. And, well, by then it is too late and you just go with it.
I also suggest tackling some of the “easier” rides that you enjoy in a new way. If you don’t ride with your hands up, try to do so on a coaster you can handle. You’ll feel a little out of control (which is the point). If it is too much, keep your hands up but push your feet up against the front of the roller coaster car you’re riding in, instead of staying flat-footed.
Do it in baby steps. Truth is, I’ve not manage to get my wife on the 200-ft coasters yet. That’s okay. But she’s far more comfortable than she used to be. (She actually rode Diamondback at King’s Island on a whim and, well…that pushed her too far! I wasn’t there to talk her through the steps, because she was trying to “be brave” for our kids…but I think it was a mistake.) Take your time and celebrate the successes.
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Great ideas! Thank you!
Can you use express pass before official opening time. Is walking the standby queue for the HP rides a must do? first time?