7/16 Gringotts this morning

[EMom]

We arrived at 6:45 and by the time we actually made it to Gringotts at 7:35, the wait was 240 minutes. So that is a 4 hour wait with just EE visitors. At 9:30 the wait was 300 minutes. At 10:30 the wait was was 275. At 11:30 it began to rain and we left.

Butterbeer ice cream is VERY sweet. Be warned.

 

[peaches00]

We arrived at 6:45 and by the time we actually made it to Gringotts at 7:35, the wait was 240 minutes. So that is a 4 hour wait with just EE visitors. At 9:30 the wait was 300 minutes. At 10:30 the wait was was 275. At 11:30 it began to rain and we left.

Butterbeer ice cream is VERY sweet. Be warned.

Thank you for report. That is what I have been dreading...EVERYONE with early access is going to da so it is no longer a perk. Does anyone know what higher ups are saying and if people have been complaining. A four hour wait is NOT a perk!!! Is anyone talking about alternating parks?

 

[damo]

Thank you for report. That is what I have been dreading...EVERYONE with early access is going to da so it is no longer a perk. Does anyone know what higher ups are saying and if people have been complaining. A four hour wait is NOT a perk!!! Is anyone talking about alternating parks?

Gringotts is still only running at 50% capacity. From what I have read, the rest of Diagon Alley is not busy at all. I still think we need to give it time before we judge that this is the norm.

 

[DorianDonP]

Hope this is a bit more under control when we arrive in early August.

 

[peaches00]

If they get to 100% capacity, you would halve the 240 minute wait...that's still 2 hours. It's not a perk. Don't advertise it as a perk if there are huge wait times. I think adding an 1800 room hotel and keeping partner hotels; they had to know it would be a traffic jam. I would be pissed staying at cb for ee and having a four hour wait.

 

[wilkeliza]

If they get to 100% capacity, you would halve the 240 minute wait...that's still 2 hours. It's not a perk. Don't advertise it as a perk if there are huge wait times. I think adding an 1800 room hotel and keeping partner hotels; they had to know it would be a traffic jam. I would be pissed staying at cb for ee and having a four hour wait.

It is still a perk though. Yes you get there at EE opening and have a 4 hour wait but imagine getting there at regular opening. Now you have a 4 hour wait but that is a full 4 hours you could have been doing something else. With EE the first hour of your 4 hours could only have been used for sleeping if you wanted to do that but not something inside Universal. So it is a perk when you look at it that way because you are only wasting 3 of your park hours in line instead of 4.

 

[damo]

If early admission is at 7am, you've got to make sure you are there way earlier than 6:45am in order to get on Gringotts for a short wait. Usually they start letting people in before 7 am. Even when Hogsmeade opened you had to make sure you were in line at least 45 minutes early or else you were in for a long wait at Ollivanders and Forbidden Journey.

It is not a 4 hour wait to get into Diagon Alley during early admission and that is the perk you are getting. You can still immediately get into this new area and enjoy what is there. Rides are never guaranteed to be running.

 

[philliplc]

I thought I saw a report that it was down for an hour at open this morning. That would explain the line.

 

[cvjw]

Going next Wed and Thursday, so I will post my experience. Staying onsite at PB.

 

[EMom]

They have been running only one side since opening. We asked and they gave a canned answer of, "It is the same ride on both sides," which did not tell us why they were only running one side.

By 7:00, no one else is allowed in line.

 

[damo]

They have been running only one side since opening. We asked and they gave a canned answer of, "It is the same ride on both sides," which did not tell us why they were only running one side.

By 7:00, no one else is allowed in line.

They have been sporadically running both sides but mostly just one side. They're still having issues with the sensors and timing. Running with more time between trains causes fewer problems because it allows more time for the scenes to reset between vehicles. As they sort out the issues, they'll be able to decrease the time between trains (running both sides).

 

[mackay_j]

how does the end of the day work- is it as long as you are in the queue by closing time or do they close the queue off knowing it will take a few hrs to clear. You cab see where my plan is going

 

[damo]

how does the end of the day work- is it as long as you are in the queue by closing time or do they close the queue off knowing it will take a few hrs to clear. You cab see where my plan is going

They close it off somewhere early evening. Tonight is forecast around 8pm. Posted wait time right now is 150 minutes with actual time being around 70 minutes. They're running 5 trains on one side with 80 seconds between each train, capacity around 1000 people/hour.

 

[Bethry]

We did Gringotts on Sunday and Monday mornings. Stayed at Hard rock. Arrived at the gate around 6:05 AM both days, were about 10th or so at our turnstile. They started letting people in the parks about 6:25, we were guided down the street past Despicable Me and Shrek4D. Room keys/express passes were validated for early entry. Then went down the road through Springfield, past MIB into queue for Diagonal Alley entry. We were held there until maybe 6:45 or so, then they started letting people into DA. We followed the crowd into the Gringotts line, got to the security photo part, then we're held in line till it started running at 7 AM.

When we exited the ride around 7:30 on Sunday the line was at 90 mins. On Monday we did child swap, exited closer to 7:45. The park was noticeably busier that morning and the line said 210 mins.

 

[peaches00]

They close it off somewhere early evening. Tonight is forecast around 8pm. Posted wait time right now is 150 minutes with actual time being around 70 minutes. They're running 5 trains on one side with 80 seconds between each train, capacity around 1000 people/

I've noticed ride wait times seem to be less late afternoon/evening...it seems ee is overcrowded free for all. I don't know; I'm hopeful middle of September will be less crazy. I'm not getting up early to fight crowd for hours. I will wait for next vaca.

 

[ohiotinkfan]

Just returned from a 5 night/6 day stay on site at PBH. We did't go to any earl yours since we had heard the stories of mounds of people waiting and waiting. Here is what DD (17) and I did and it worked well, at least for us.
1 Go to IOA first and do stuff there and of course FJ and Harry Potter. We usually slept in , ate lunch and then went around 1:00 or so.
2. Ride Hogwarts Express from IOA to Diagon Alley at US, early evening 5 or 6 pm.
3. Do a few things at US and then go to Diagon Alley. Less crowded, no waits for the stores or at least very small waits! We walked right in at Ollivanders! Ice cream shop small wait!
4. Ride or at least get in line for Gringotts BEFORE 7 or 7:30- They close the line very early because of the so called wait! We tried to wait until 8 one night when they closed at 10 and couldn't! Single line is much shorter so maybe second ride you might pick that option if you don't have small children.
5. Go later for less crowds and same fun! Usually cooler too!
6 . Have fun and enjoy!

 

[missesdisney]

Just returned from a 5 night/6 day stay on site at PBH. We did't go to any earl yours since we had heard the stories of mounds of people waiting and waiting. Here is what DD (17) and I did and it worked well, at least for us.
1 Go to IOA first and do stuff there and of course FJ and Harry Potter. We usually slept in , ate lunch and then went around 1:00 or so.
2. Ride Hogwarts Express from IOA to Diagon Alley at US, early evening 5 or 6 pm.
3. Do a few things at US and then go to Diagon Alley. Less crowded, no waits for the stores or at least very small waits! We walked right in at Ollivanders! Ice cream shop small wait!
4. Ride or at least get in line for Gringotts BEFORE 7 or 7:30- They close the line very early because of the so called wait! We tried to wait until 8 one night when they closed at 10 and couldn't! Single line is much shorter so maybe second ride you might pick that option if you don't have small children.
5. Go later for less crowds and same fun! Usually cooler too!
6 . Have fun and enjoy!

Thanks for this info!

Anyone else have other info on how Diagon Alley is OTHER than the ride? And what is the best way to ride the Hogwarts express? From IOA or to IOA crowdwise? We are headed to Disney Monday for a week and going back in Oct so happy to skip the ride with those lines but I really want to see Diagon Alley and would love to do Hogwarts express.

Was thinking of heading over that way (we have annual passes) mid to late afternoon to do these things. Anyone else's experience give me hope as well?

 

[damo]

They close it off somewhere early evening. Tonight is forecast around 8pm. Posted wait time right now is 150 minutes with actual time being around 70 minutes. They're running 5 trains on one side with 80 seconds between each train, capacity around 1000 people

I've noticed ride wait times seem to be less late afternoon/evening...it seems ee is overcrowded free for all. I don't know; I'm hopeful middle of September will be less crazy. I'm not getting up early to fight crowd for hours. I will wait for next vaca.

We're going to be there end of September. I'm hoping (counting on) the same thing.

 

[Cheesehead9]

I've been watching EFG wait times the past week and the largest waits are during EE. They progressively reduce throughout the day (albeit small reductions).

EE is not a perk anymore.

 

[damo]

I've been watching EFG wait times the past week and the largest waits are during EE. They progressively reduce throughout the day (albeit small reductions).

EE is not a perk anymore.

If you are one of the first bunch of people to get to the park, your wait will be shorter. If you watch twitter, there are lots of reports of people who are through the ride in the first half an hour. You just have to get there early.... just like you did in the early days when Hogsmeade opened.