Ride Specific Info?

[Nikki0923]

Hi everyone! I'm a Disney expert but a total fish out of water when it comes to Universal! I have been before, but only when the Harry Potter section first opened and we were there just for that. I did go a second time but again main focus was Harry Potter.

I will be at US & IOA for one day only, a Saturday, end of Sept. US is only open till 5, IOA till 8. I really want to see HP stuff and the new section & ride Hogwarts, but I do not do rollercoasters or any rides with drops. I will be with my boyfriend, his first time there & he loves anything fast, drops, basically will ride anything. Are the attractions like at Disney where I can walk through with him & take the chicken exit? lol What rides other than Hogwarts is there for me that isn't a coaster? And what other attractions at either US or IOA can I go on? I'm having a hard time in my research finding secific ride info.

TIA

 

[bchbetha]

You can take the chicken exit at all but I really encourage you to just try the rides. None of the HP are so intense that you should sit them out. What rides at Disney can you handle?
There are only 4 Harry Potter rides anyway:
train- anyone can do that
Forbidden Journey- some people have trouble with it, most don't. Because it's so cool, I wouldn't skip it. If you rode way back when it first opened, it's been modified a bit since and easier to handle.
Flight of the Hippogriff- a kiddie coaster and you really should have no trouble riding it.
Gringotts- there's one small drop and you kind of hang for a second (not anything I noticed but ride wusses sometimes comment on )Otherwise it's really not intense.

 

[macraven]

universalorlando.com

Check out the park map for ride locations and info about the ride

Go early that day as it will have crowds

Onsite hotel guests can enter the park one hour before official opening

Many come early afternoon to do rides before the park closes at 5 for prep in starting up hhn

Start at the studios and switch to IOA around 3:30 so you can hit rides with less waits

Take the Potter train ride from one park to the other

Hope you have a great time!

 

[Nikki0923]

You can take the chicken exit at all but I really encourage you to just try the rides. None of the HP are so intense that you should sit them out. What rides at Disney can you handle?
There are only 4 Harry Potter rides anyway:
train- anyone can do that
Forbidden Journey- some people have trouble with it, most don't. Because it's so cool, I wouldn't skip it. If you rode way back when it first opened, it's been modified a bit since and easier to handle.
Flight of the Hippogriff- a kiddie coaster and you really should have no trouble riding it.
Gringotts- there's one small drop and you kind of hang for a second (not anything I noticed but ride wusses sometimes comment on )Otherwise it's really not intense.

I am such a chicken I don't even ride The Barnstormer lol I did do The Dinosaur ride for the first time this year and liked it. Anything that has a drop worse than POC is not for me, yes I'm a big baby haha I never did any rides at HP last time I was there.

 

[Nikki0923]

universalorlando.com

Check out the park map for ride locations and info about the ride

Go early that day as it will have crowds

Onsite hotel guests can enter the park one hour before official opening

Many come early afternoon to do rides before the park closes at 5 for prep in starting up hhn

Start at the studios and switch to IOA around 3:30 so you can hit rides with less waits

Take the Potter train ride from one park to the other

Hope you have a great time!

Great info! Thank you! We will be offsite, actually staying in Cocoa Beach. I will take your advice and get there early and do US first!

 

[skylock]

Since it doesn't seem like you will be willing to ride very much, instead of waiting in line with your bf, he should take advantage of the single rider lines and you can find a nice shady area to wait.

Actually you can wait for him in the HP area even. Nothing is that far away at UO.

I do encourage you to try some of the rides. Even if you have to shut your eyes while you ride. The only thing there that was rough on me was hulk, but that one has been redone and is now a way smoother ride and dueling dragons that almost shook the fillings out of my teeth, but that ride is now gone. I guess rip ride rocket will be out, but honestly even that one, once you get past that first drop is a really fun coaster. And you get to play your favorite music on that one.

Be sure to do cat in the hat and sky high trolley. Supposedly kiddie rides, but very nice. Go to the Jurassic station and you can see a dinosaur hatch. I find that place interesting. I even got to name the baby one time.

ET is nice and calm, men in black is a calm ride that you can shoot aliens. Be sure to hit the horror makeup show if you can squeeze the time in.

Minions ride is pretty calm. Shrek 4d.

The fj ride at HP in IOA is one of the smoothiest rides I have ever been on. No motion sickness for me.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

Kong is a no-drop ride, and a lot of fun. Minions & Shrek are theaters w/ motion seats. Simpsons is also a theater-ish ride (no drops, 3D motion in a car). Popeye barges are non-droppy / non-scary if you don't mind being utterly soaked. Spiderman & Transformers are both 3D rides w/ no drops and no coaster feeling.

Forbidden Journey does not have actual drops. You are on a robot arm moving along a conveyor belt, with screens / scenes in front of you. It is so worthwhile - give it a try! Honestly, if you try and enjoy Spiderman or Transformers (they are similar ride styles), give Gringotts a try. There are no large drops, just a tilted dramatic beginning. That ride is worth going through the line w/ BF and if you must chicken out, you can. But you may enjoy it quite a lot.

I second having the BF do the single rider lines. There is so much cool stuff to check out, no point to standing in a line if you aren't going to ride anyways.

 

[Disney Addicted]

I don’t do roller coasters. I don’t do flume rides either. But I tried Forbidden journey while at Universal Studios in California and loved it!!

 

[zebsterama]

I would argue ... if you can handle Dinosaur then you can (and this may sound crazy to some) handle every Potter ride minus Hippogriff. Hipoogriff, although not intense (by today's coaster standards) is still a "traditional" coaster-like ride. Nice thing is, that's the one ride that you can judge for yourself because it's outside/exposed: it's most like Barnstomer.

The Potter stuff (Gringotts / Forbidden Journey) is more dark/scary/fun then hard dips/plunges etc. (unlike a traditional roller coaster). Gringotts has one small dip-drop that lasts a whole 3 seconds but then flattens out quickly (think Pirates drop). Forbidden Journey has simulated dips - but that's just a good 3D effect (close your eyes if it's too much ... you're not really dropping ).

If you can do Dinosaur, you can do these IMO.

Things like Spiderman, Simpsons, Transformers ... all the simulation rides (including Kong) - you'll be fine on IMO.

Give them a shot - I really think you'll be ok!

Enjoy Diagon Alley and Hogwarts Express - they're fantastic!

 

[Nikki0923]

Thank you all so much! This is all such great info! I think I'm going to give some of these rides a try! Wish this chicken luck lol

 

[skylock]

I used to be a chicken too, but I have overcome my fear and have found most rides to be great no matter what they look like.

I try everything once or maybe twice, and the only thing I can think of that is a no for me in the orlando area is Kracken at seaworld. I am way too dizzy from that ride when I get off.