David's plan for beating the lines at IOA!
David H.--REMOVE STOPSPAM to reply
Islands of Adventure. It's home to several world-class roller coasters and
some ground-breaking thrill rides, not to mention some of the best theming
at any theme park in the world.
But sometimes people complain about the lines.
I've devised a pretty fool-proof plan for making the most out of a day at
IOA. Here goes:
Whatever you do, arrive early. They usually open the gates 30-60 minutes
early, to get people in and shopping! And as an added bonus, they often
open the Hulk coaster a bit early (anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes! And
remember that you need to allow time to pay for parking, park, and get ALL
the way from the garage to the gates. Then you need to get your tickets,
and get through security! I'd suggest getting there as early as 8 AM, but
no later than 8:30. Arriving 15 minutes earlier than you might have
otherwise could literally mean en extra ride EACH on Hulk, Spidey and Doom!
Skip breakfast and get a muffin in the park's bakery!
I'd also heartily suggest bringing two sets of clothes with you. One set
that can get wet, and another you'll change into. I'd wear the clothes you
can get wet in from the start. Just make sure that your shoes/sandals can
TIE ON (or at least have velcro straps), so that they won't cause problems
on the more intense rides. You can leave your stay dry clothes in the
all-day lockers immediately to the left after you enter the park, right
next to the stroller rental. You can use these lockers for the whole day.
Remember that you get SOAKED on several of the rides at IOA, and you're NOT
going to want to be walking around with wet, uncomfortable, squishy shoes
or sneakers and heavy, wet jeans that don't dry quickly. And remember that
it's gonna take you at least 20 minutes (if you're fast!) to get all the
way out to the car and back, so it's a good idea to plan to put anything
you're going to need during your day in the locker.
Now, I know that IOA is wonderfully themed, with lots of little things
you're going to want to look at and lots of stores to shop in. DON'T let
that take you away from the rides early in the day. Hit them up later,
while everyone else is in long lines! Take your pictures and your video
later. Leave the cameras -- and ANYTHING ELSE that you can't take on the
rides -- in the locker for now. You can get them out later. but you're
NOT going to want to have to deal with the temporary lockers early in the
day EVERY time you want to go on a ride!
Note that there is one big exception to this whole plan, and it will be
noted at the end of this. If you're going to want to go on PTerandon
Flyers (only if you have a kid!), skip to the end of this plan.
You know that Hulk is a big draw. It's also a fairly quick ride with a
great throughput. it's the first thing that people head to. So you want
to get there before the crowds. Hit it first. If there is a less than 3
train wait for the front row, grab it now. it will be your ONLY chance to
ride this in the front without waiting a long time! Then hit it again.
Ride in the back for the greater G-forces. You'll start to see people
showing up behind you. If the crowds aren't there yet, go for a third
time, if you're so inclined, especially if you got a start before the
official 9 AM park opening.
Then head to Spidey. This is the park's other big attraction, especially
since it's the one thrill ride that almost the whole family can do. if
you've moved quickly through Hulk, you should have little or no line for
Spidey. Do it again, while you can. If there is a line, ask if the single
rider line is open. This will allow you to skip most of the line and fill
in empty seats. It most likely will NOT allow you to ride with your
friends/family, however. You'll also miss most of the theming in the queue
area, but you caught that the first time through.
Now hit Doom, while you're in the area. if there is any sort of wait, you
can use the single rider queue. To get there, you have to enter through
the ride's entrance, which is actually in the arcade to the left of Doom's
alley, and up the stairs. There will be a sign pointing you to the single
rider entry.
Skip Storm Force, for now at least. It's pretty standard and not that
great. And if you want to ride it, I'd suggest you do it later. The lines
shouldn't get that long later. And you need the time now to hit the other
star attractions before the crowds get there.
If all goes well, you should have been able to do all of the important
Marvel attractions in the first hour, possibly less. Now everyone else is
finally making it to the park and heading right to Hulk.
That's why you head back to Toon Lagoon.
Note that in the off-season, they sometimes don't open Toon Lagoon until an
hour after the rest of the park opens. if so, hit up the Marvel rides
another time or two.
The lines for the wet rides back here in Toon Lagoon can get pretty long,
especially in the hot summer days. But if all goes well, you've beaten
almost everyone there!
I know that some of you HATE wet rides. but these are easily some of the
best wet rides on the planet, hilariously themed to some of the world's
favorite toons. I'd STRONGLY advise biting the bullet, and riding them, no
matter how wet you'll get. Besides, if you followed my advice, you'll have
a change of clothes, so change after you get off Jurassic Park, if
necessary. Or spin dry on the Dueling Dragons!
You might want to hit up Dudley Do Right first, since it can get longer
lines. Plus, it will be better if you're not alone on Bluto's Bilge-Rat
Barges, since half the fun is seeing others on your raft get soaked! I'd
do Dudley two or three times, if you're so inclined, now. You won't want
to wait in the lines later. (Unless it's the end of the day, but then
you'll have to change clothes AGAIN!
Then hit up Bluto. Hopefully, there aren't long lines yet. If there is NO
line, you don't even have to walk around to reride. Just go back in
through the baby swap/clothes changing area if you want to ride again.
At this point, if all has gone well, you have not even been in the park two
hours. And you're already in the back of the park. Good job!
Now, you're already wet. So it's time to ride the last of the really wet
rides at IOA (though the amount of wet can really vary): Jurassic Park
River Adventure. This can get longer lines, but it has a decent
throughput, so you should still be enough ahead of the crowds to not have a
long wait. Ride it again, if you can, while you're still wet.
Now, if all goes according to plan, it's not even 11:30, and you're in the
back of the park. you're probably getting hungry, but resist the
temptation to eat now for three reasons. 1) Everyone else eats around noon
time. 2) The best restaurants are up ahead in The Lost Continent. 3)
You're probabaly still ahead of much of the crowds. So get your rides in
while you can.
Speaking of Lost Continent, you'll pass by Flying Unicorn when you get out
of Jurassic Park. I'd pass on by for now, since the Dragons will develop
longer lines.
Head right to the Dragons. Hopefully, the lines haven't grown
significantly yet. Ride one of them now. Ice has the better dueling
effects, and Fire has the greater G-Forces. Then after you get off of the
ride, look carefully for the RE-ENTRY DOOR. This is crucial, because it
will save you a whole lot of walking through the whole outside pathways and
most of the castle! now reride. If the lines aren't long for a front row
seat, grab a ride now. I'd ride Ice in the front, if you only do one,
because the effects are that much better. Ride Fire in the back row for
the more extreme G-Forces. If lines aren't long, grab a few rides now, if
you so choose.
What you do now will depend on how hungry you are and how uncomfortable you
are from being wet. You have a few options now. You can grab a ride on
Unicorn, which is still nearby. You can head over to Suess landing, if
you're not hungry.
Or you can eat. But before you eat, I'd check out the times for the
Poseidon's Fury show/attraction. If you time it right, you can get a
Universal Express ticket that will keep you from having to wait in the heat
for the next show. Ideally, you'll see the times for the UE are around 1-2
hours afterwards, allowing you time to eat, and maybe hit another
attraction or two. I strongly recommend getting the UE for this attraction
because of it's nature. It's a show that only happens every 20-40 minutes,
depending on how busy the park is. If you are waiting in line, it's hard
to tell if you'll make the show, which could mean an extra 20-40 minutes of
sitting there. But with the UE ticket, you can get there 5-10 minutes
before showtime and still get in, no matter how many people are waiting!
Now go eat!
Now might also be a good time to go back to the front of the park and
change into your dry clothes. Especially if you're going to sit in the air
conditioned Mythos (unless you choose to sit on the outside patio.) But if
you're going to eat at Mythos, you might want to check to see if there is a
wait so you can put your name on the wait list, if necessary.
Lost Continent is home to two of the best restaurants at ANY amusement park
on the planet. Mythos has achieved legendary status as a favorite of many
park goers. This is more upscale higher class gourmet dining, and you'll
pay for it, though they have started offering more items like sandwiches
that are cheaper. But believe me when I say that it is DEFINITELY worth
the price. And leave room for the chocolate dessert sampler! If you're
more in a BBQ mood, the Enchanted Oak Tavern offers excellent BBQ ribs and
chicken as well. If you're not yet hungry, but are going to want to eat at
Mythos, I'd recommend making a reservation while you're already in the
area.
Now that you've eaten, it's probabaly a good time to enjoy some of the
milder things to do at IOA. Hit up Flying Unicorn, if you haven't already
done so. Get to Poseidon when your UE ticket says to. Maybe it's now
time to hit up the rides in Suess Island. If the lines are too long for
One Fish, Two Fish, save it for later. Same with Cat in the Hat. But do
NOT miss them!
See the Sinbad show, if you time it right for one of the shows. The Sinbad
show is definitely designed more for kids. It uses a lot of the same kind
of adventure, fantasy humor and mild fighting as the Hercules and Xena
shows. If you or your kids are a fan of these, you'll probabaly love it.
If you're not, you'll probabaly find it corny, so you might want to skip
it.
At this point, you can wander, relax, shop, take pictures and video, enjoy
the incredible theming, do the things you missed and hit up things that
don't have very long lines. I'd suggest taking another circuit of the
park, and seeing all the little things you missed, like Me Ship the Olive
(where you can squirt people on the Bluto boats for free! -- or you can
just pay a quarter to really soak them from a nearby bridge) the stores and
photo ops, Triceratops Encounter, Storm Force, and the WONDERFUL If I Ran
the Zoo. Hopefully the sneezing underground prisoner will be working!
The line for Hulk should go down as the day goes on. The line for the
Dragons actually gets much longer mid-day, as the crowds finally make it
back there. But the Dragons lines are almost nonexistent at the end of the
day as everyone heads for the front of the park, so if you're up for some
Dragon marathoning, plan to spend the last hour or so back there.
Congratulations, you've done the whole park!
Now, if you want, you can head over to Universal Studios. (You might also
want to come back to end the night marathoning on Hulk or Dueling Dragons,
But be warned. it's a LONG walk from USF to Dueling Dragons!) One quick
USF tip: use the SINGLE RIDER ENTRANCE for Men in Black. You'll miss some
of the cool theming in the line, but you'll save a LONG wait! if the line
is short, then go back in and ride again using the regular line!
Now the ONE exception to this plan I mentioned earlier is if you have
children with you and plan to ride the Pterandon Flyers (assuming they are
open. I've heard that they currently are not.) This ride has insanely
low throughput, and as such has insanely long lines even on the VERY
slowest days. To help combat this, the park ONLY lets adults ride if they
are with a child below a certain height.
But if you are with a child, and really want to ride this mild suspended
coaster (a credit whore, perhaps? <grin>), you will definitely want to hit
it as early as possible. If it is open with the park (ask at guest
relations), then head STRAIGHT back there as soon as possible, preferably
at opening. Believe me when I say that the lines WILL get to be over an
hour, and possibly over two hours, even if it looks like there are few
people in line. Note that this will probably mess with my whole plan
above. If you're spending two days there, do this on one day, and my plan
on the other.
If not, try to fit into my plan as early as the crows will allow, knowing
that you might miss Hulk at first. You can probabaly still get Spidey in,
using the single rider line, if the line is already long. Otherwise, you
might want to just bite the bullet and ride these later, and head straight
to Toon Lagoon, where you should still be ahead of the crowds. The lines
for Hulk should go down as the day progresses. And you can always do the
single rider line for Spidey if the lines are long.
I hope this helps!
David Hamburger, davi...@bellatlantic.net, Boston, MA
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FlipFlopsSox
children with you and plan to ride the Pterandon Flyers (assuming they are
open. I've heard that they currently are not.) This ride has insanely
low throughput, and as such has insanely long lines even on the VERY
slowest days. To help combat this, the park ONLY lets adults ride if they
are with a child below a certain height.
But if you are with a child, and really want to ride this mild suspended
coaster (a credit whore, perhaps? <grin>), you will definitely want to hit
it as early as possible. If it is open with the park (ask at guest
relations), then head STRAIGHT back there as soon as possible, preferably
at opening. <<
A little "correction" to David's great directions....credit ho that I am, I was
able to get a ride on PF first thing in the morning (thanks to a tip by a
fellow RRC'er). They let adults on the ride when the ride first opens (info
for the hos among us - and there are many).
Andrea
It's all about the Ride
Evil One
early, to get people in and shopping! >>
Wrong.
Unless of course by this you mean 10-15 minutes early.
It's been a long, long time since the park opened any earlier than announced.
Sometimes, as a new thing, Marvel Island opens earlier than the park - but I'm
not sure if that was just a summer thing. If that's the case it would already
be over, as Universal Orlando's summer hours have ended..
Kenny
> effects, and Fire has the greater G-Forces
No way. Ice has that tight Cobra Roll, more intense than any element
on Fire. And for the collision points, there are three. The
corkscrews are equal and the loops are equal. The other is the Fire
fly-over of the Ice Zero-G Roll. Having Ice spin right below your
feet is much easier to notice and nerve-wracking than spinning below
Fire, IMO.
-Kenny
Chris Baran
I have another suggestion for 'beating the crowds' at Universal during
the summer:
We stayed at the Royal Racific (one of the Universal Hotels) on the
weekend before the one Bob Hooley mentioned in his TR, and despite
ridiculous crowds (90 minutes for Spidey, 150 minutes for Shrek,
etc.), we were able to do everything in both parks numerous times by
using the express pass built in to our room keys.
I know it's not always a feasible solution for everyone, but if you
can swing it, I'd highly recommend it. The hotel even had a boat that
shuttled us back and forth between the hotel and the parks every ten
minutes or so.
Watch the national 'entertainment books' for Universal Resort coupons,
we scored a half off coupon and only paid $100/night for our room.
It's not the cheapest, but it was worth the extra money for the built
in express pass when the parks were so crowded.
I'm not trying to open up the 'Is the express pass fair?' can of
worms, I'm just relaying some info to folks trying to beat the crowds.
David H.--REMOVE STOPSPAM to reply
><<They usually open the gates 30-60 minutes
>early, to get people in and shopping! >>
>
>Wrong.
>
>Unless of course by this you mean 10-15 minutes early.
That's easily possible. I always go in the off season and don't bother
getting there more than 10 or 15 minutes early.
I'd heard from others that they'd been inside the park at least a half hour
early. That may no longer be the case.
>It's been a long, long time since the park opened any earlier than announced.
>
>Sometimes, as a new thing, Marvel Island opens earlier than the park - but I'm
>not sure if that was just a summer thing. If that's the case it would already
>be over, as Universal Orlando's summer hours have ended..
New? I've definitely been on Hulk at least 10 minutes before the official
park opening on at least 4 different occasions over the years since the
park first opened. And usually as I'm walking into the park, there are
already people riding Hulk.
Admittedly, I haven't been there since November, so things might have
changed since then.
David H.--REMOVE STOPSPAM to reply
Well, of course, this is a matter of opinion. One big difference is that
Ice has "the wall", but I was trying to leave some surprises in. That's a
big reason why many people prefer Ice in the front.
And I definitely prefer the dueling effect more on Ice when the fire train
-- and passengers -- are spinning through the roll right under your feet.
I also feel that the dueling elements work better in the back rows on Ice.
As for intensity, yes the snap of the cobra roll is great, but Fire really
pours on the positive G's, especially during the batwing, and coming out of
it. And it has more sustained positive G's that Ice does.
But, I AM a fan of both of them. Both offer decent forces throughout the
coaster. But most enthusiasts seem to prefer Fire to Ice, due to the
forces involved. Check most polls that have them listed separately,
particularly Mitch's one.
Ted Ansley
Baran) wrote:
We booked the Royal Pacific on Hotwire for $114 per night in November and
you can bet we will take FULL advantage of the express passes during
our visit. I've also seen the Portofino Bay for like $125 per night. For info
on how do to this, and know you are getting the right hotel, visit
www.betterbidding.com
--------------------------
Ted Ansley
ans...@usa.com
RollerCoaster Fan<atic>
Evil One
park opening on at least 4 different occasions>>
No Mayor McCheese, not ten minutes early. Marvel Island officially opens at 8am
on certain mornings. This is a new thing- but I'm not positive that it
continues now that summer hours are over.
David H.--REMOVE STOPSPAM to reply
Well, thank you for telling me that I did not experience what I distinctly
experienced -- with witnesses to back it up.
Evil One
experienced -- with witnesses to back it up.>>
God I can't stand you. Did you read what I said? Because I clearly said that
Marvel Island DOES open early on certain days - and in the last post, I clearly
said on busy days, the park will unofficially open 10-15 minutes early.
Furthermore, I've kill-filed you so many times why is it that your posts still
show up?!
Kenny
> -- and passengers -- are spinning through the roll right under your feet.
Ice does the spin below Fire... That's why I'm saying Fire has the
better effects. Sure you're not confused?
-Kenny
David H.--REMOVE STOPSPAM to reply
Duh, you're right. But, I do like that moment on Ice a whole lot more.
But it is also very cool watching the people spin with that moment of
slight airtime on Fire as well.