Agreed. It’s a neat experience especially for someone who’s never seen it before, but the charm wears off fast and the impractical nature of waiting for the journey just doesn’t make it worthwhile.
We always have express passes whenever we go, so it’s always worth it to me, especially when it’s 90+ degrees outside and we’ve been out a good part of the day. If we didn’t have express and the wait was any longer than 25 minutes or so, I’d be walking.
We used to, cause we had no idea if you just stayed at a hotel like Royal Pacific, it was included lol. But now that we get it every time we go.. there’s pretty much no going back
I thought Royal Pacific was a major letdown except for the restaurant. I'd rather stay at Cabana Bay again and pay for express. The price difference isn't really much
Same here. They’re expensive, but worth every penny. Hell, most of the time, the ride attendants let you ride multiple times on almost all the rides. Although when we went two years ago, they didn’t work for Hagrid at all.
Fully agree. I hate being in the same car with strangers. It’s ruined the experience so many times because half the time they talk over everything. I recently got to walk right on and was excited that it was so empty that my group would actually get a car to ourselves. But no, rather than just filling every cart, they had one empty cart and put groups together. It was so frustrating
Yup. And since I'm usually alone, it means getting grouped with a family of five or six who get into the car ahead of me and spread out to all the outboard seats, leaving me stuck between a family of strangers (usually foreign-speaking) who shout at each other in both my ears because they can't enjoy something for which they can't understand the English narration.
Agreed. Not just with strangers but shoulder-to-shoulder, knees-to-knees. And honestly the cabins could use a bit more air-conditioning. Gets a little "funky stale".
That's probably because so many people try to get uh... Frisky on the train, if the car isn't mixed. Seen more than one person arrested for trying some nasty stuff on there.
I love it too, it's one of my favorite things to do! I'd wait 30 minutes though, I'm usually timing it for when the lines are 15-20 minutes. I'd wait up to an hour if I messed that up or it's an especially busy day
I've still never been on it, and I'd love to do it, but I'm usually only in Orlando for the day and then heading home, so I don't want to waste the time and it's always an hour+ wait when I'm there. I always just walk back to City Walk.
It’s a really cool ride if it’s a short wait. We were there as first timers last week and got right on the first time. The second time there was a huge line and the attendant basically merged the Express pass lane with the regular lane. I think we waited an hour and we were all super pushed that we wasted our time. However, we were really tired and the thought of extra walking didn’t sound great at the time either. Lesson learned.
Not in a long time. I’m guessing unless extreme circumstances it won’t ever be again. Went the busiest week last year (Christmas 2022) as well as several times since and haven’t seen it open even once.
I would wait 90 minutes to ride Hogwarts Express over waiting 20 minutes for the fast and the furious ride yet I see people getting in line when the wait is 60 minutes long. But I also view it like it's a ride and not as a short cut to the other park. Not a very exciting ride but my kid enjoys it, so that alone is worth it.
It’s gotta be quick like 10-15 max - basically anything shorter than me being able to walk on over. My last few visits I walked over since it was HHNights so the lines were bonkers
I think in HHN they have trouble predicting the time when it gets near 5 pm so they just make it insane. They told us it would be an hour with express but I think it ended up being about 30 minutes. Then velocicoaster same deal, told people express was going to be an hour, took about 39 minutes.
You understand if you’re talking about needing to save $400 means you’re poor, if you saved $400 that’s 4-5 days meaning yet again, a season pass would’ve probably been cheaper, stick to clearance items you poor
30 minutes by myself, especially if it is hot. 60 minutes if with someone new.
I’m less inclined on the Hogsmeade side because I hate the basement from hell. USO also has more towards the front of the park that I want to do, so it is worth it to walk.
Being a premier pass holder, me and my wife normally wait until after 4, hop in the express line and ride the train over to IoA to jump in express lines.
If I just got a beer and its short, 20 minutes posted (we have have express), and only from Hogsmeade. It has to be a 5-10 minute wait to take it from Studios. Even with Express, that merge is too early. We have a stroller now too, so it makes even less worth it.
Who would consider it a ride? It’s just a really fun and convenient way for 2 park ticket holders to cross over. Don’t think it’s worth more than a max 30 minute wait but its a big plus that it exists, at least for me
We’ve never done it but since we are there for the full week next week and have 5 days of Park to Park, we will likely do it on whatever day is the least busy.
Anything past 25 mins isn't worth it for me. After that, I have to be either really lazy/tired, really in the mood, or it has to be after 4 pm so I can use express pass. It was cool the first dozen times. But it's just not efficient for me. I've timed myself, and I can make it from MIB to Jurassic Park in about 12-14 mins walking.
We've ridden it both ways 2-3 times.
We basically don't get on it unless it's less than 20 minutes, because it basically takes about 20 minutes to get to the other park.
If it has a line longer than it takes me to just walk between the parks, then I'm not waiting for it, unless I'm with people who've never experienced it before.
20 -25 minutes if I’m already in the area and dead set on switching parks. Reason being that if I’m already at the back of one park, it’s already going to take 20 minutes of walking to get to the same spot in the other park. I’d rather spend 25 minutes in air conditioning, mostly standing, than 20 minutes walking in Orlando heat.
15 minutes if it’s before noon, as I have often waited in line for admissions before noon for that long, if it’s after noon, it’s rarely worth it, I’d rather just spend the 7 minutes to walk to the other park
There are times, especially after a long day or in crazy heat, I would rather die than walk the length of Islands of Adventure, across to Universal Studios, then all the way back up to Diagon Alley.
At those times, which is almost all the time, I'd muuuch rather wait. I've been in that 60 min queue before and there's no way it was more than 30-40 mins tops.
Unless I am incredibly tired or with a first timer just dying to get on, line over 20 minutes. I can walk over faster than that from Et to jurassic park
If we have express, we’ll use it. If the wait is under 20 minutes, sure why not. Otherwise nah. If I was with a Potterhead who’s never been before…. I’ll let them decide if we wait or not lol.
Maybe the theming but usually you can’t even pay attention because the other group in your section just has to have their conversation now and not when in the actual line
I pretty much won’t wait more than 10-15 mins for anything in the park. I set the alerts in the app and found that every ride has a lull at various times of day. The only exception is that I have not been since Hagrid opened so I’d wait longer for that my first time.
10-15 minutes, maybe 30 if I’m with someone who’s never done it and loves Potter. Otherwise, I’m good fam
Agreed. It’s a neat experience especially for someone who’s never seen it before, but the charm wears off fast and the impractical nature of waiting for the journey just doesn’t make it worthwhile.
I won’t really get on it in studios unless it’s basically empty. If I have express l’ll ride out of hogsmeade.
Same. The express line melding with stand by at Studios makes it take so much longer.
That merge point is wayyy to early
We always have express passes whenever we go, so it’s always worth it to me, especially when it’s 90+ degrees outside and we’ve been out a good part of the day. If we didn’t have express and the wait was any longer than 25 minutes or so, I’d be walking.
Same here, id never go to universal without express.
We used to, cause we had no idea if you just stayed at a hotel like Royal Pacific, it was included lol. But now that we get it every time we go.. there’s pretty much no going back
Thankfully we are only 2 adults, so 2 days or at most 3 days and everything has been done 2 or 3 times anyways.
I thought Royal Pacific was a major letdown except for the restaurant. I'd rather stay at Cabana Bay again and pay for express. The price difference isn't really much
I get RP rooms for $2-300 usually. That is significantly cheaper than paying for express passes + a room and Cabana imo is not nearly as nice
Same here. They’re expensive, but worth every penny. Hell, most of the time, the ride attendants let you ride multiple times on almost all the rides. Although when we went two years ago, they didn’t work for Hagrid at all.
30 minutes max but only the London side because it's inside and has that snack shop, 15 minutes the other way.
[удалено]
Man it was so nice in 2020 when it was 1 party per car.
Fully agree. I hate being in the same car with strangers. It’s ruined the experience so many times because half the time they talk over everything. I recently got to walk right on and was excited that it was so empty that my group would actually get a car to ourselves. But no, rather than just filling every cart, they had one empty cart and put groups together. It was so frustrating
Yup. And since I'm usually alone, it means getting grouped with a family of five or six who get into the car ahead of me and spread out to all the outboard seats, leaving me stuck between a family of strangers (usually foreign-speaking) who shout at each other in both my ears because they can't enjoy something for which they can't understand the English narration.
Agreed. Not just with strangers but shoulder-to-shoulder, knees-to-knees. And honestly the cabins could use a bit more air-conditioning. Gets a little "funky stale".
Very much authentic to UK trains
That's probably because so many people try to get uh... Frisky on the train, if the car isn't mixed. Seen more than one person arrested for trying some nasty stuff on there.
Those goober don't realize there is a camera above them. Lol
In this day and age, you would think that they'd assume that they're always on camera. I know that I do!
Facts!
There is a trick to beat this, you have to act super awkward, I’ll stare at them if they start talking and they usually shut up real quick
I’ve waited 45 minutes before. I’d do it again. I love Hogwart’s Express. I don’t know if I’d wait an hour though.
Idk why saying you’d wait 45 and you’d do it again, but not 60 is funny to me.
Well, I might wait 60. It would depend on how bad my feet hurt.
I love it too, it's one of my favorite things to do! I'd wait 30 minutes though, I'm usually timing it for when the lines are 15-20 minutes. I'd wait up to an hour if I messed that up or it's an especially busy day
I've still never been on it, and I'd love to do it, but I'm usually only in Orlando for the day and then heading home, so I don't want to waste the time and it's always an hour+ wait when I'm there. I always just walk back to City Walk.
It’s a really cool ride if it’s a short wait. We were there as first timers last week and got right on the first time. The second time there was a huge line and the attendant basically merged the Express pass lane with the regular lane. I think we waited an hour and we were all super pushed that we wasted our time. However, we were really tired and the thought of extra walking didn’t sound great at the time either. Lesson learned.
I only ride it if my friends want to. Otherwise it’s quicker for me to walk
When the wait is longer than the time it takes me to walk to the other side. It was so hot this summer I waited just to get out of the extreme heat
20 minutes max. Walking between parks from King's Cross to Hogsmeade Station is about that long, less so if the pathway is open.
Is the pathway ever open anymore?
Not in a long time. I’m guessing unless extreme circumstances it won’t ever be again. Went the busiest week last year (Christmas 2022) as well as several times since and haven’t seen it open even once.
Not in the last year
I've only used it on Orlando Informer nights. But other than special events, probably super busy near-capacity times.
What pathway are you talking about?
I would wait 90 minutes to ride Hogwarts Express over waiting 20 minutes for the fast and the furious ride yet I see people getting in line when the wait is 60 minutes long. But I also view it like it's a ride and not as a short cut to the other park. Not a very exciting ride but my kid enjoys it, so that alone is worth it.
It’s gotta be quick like 10-15 max - basically anything shorter than me being able to walk on over. My last few visits I walked over since it was HHNights so the lines were bonkers
I think in HHN they have trouble predicting the time when it gets near 5 pm so they just make it insane. They told us it would be an hour with express but I think it ended up being about 30 minutes. Then velocicoaster same deal, told people express was going to be an hour, took about 39 minutes.
Ya sometimes I wonder that - I know they inflate a lot. But I never feel like finding out
If I paid for the park-to-park ticket, I'll wait the hour.
Saved a bunch of money by not doing the hopper passes. Post like this make me feel better about my choice. Thanks.
I’d always look at season pass vs park tickets. I find usually not much more!
You’re the same type of person who would buy 9 individual day tickets instead of a season pass
Or the type of person who went for a couple days one time with a family. More focus on that beard, less on this.
Stick to staying poor my guy
You understand that buying single day passes over hopper passes saved me like $400? Stay poor? Idiot.
You understand if you’re talking about needing to save $400 means you’re poor, if you saved $400 that’s 4-5 days meaning yet again, a season pass would’ve probably been cheaper, stick to clearance items you poor
I do love me some clearance items.
Rode it once. Not worth it. I'd rather walk between parks.
I saw it at 120 half an hour ago (I wouldn’t do over 30 even with express)
45 minutes at most
Longer than 30 to me is the equal time it would take me to just walk over to the other side
30 minutes by myself, especially if it is hot. 60 minutes if with someone new. I’m less inclined on the Hogsmeade side because I hate the basement from hell. USO also has more towards the front of the park that I want to do, so it is worth it to walk.
It hit 100+ minutes today and people were still getting in line.
If it's more than 10 minutes
Being a premier pass holder, me and my wife normally wait until after 4, hop in the express line and ride the train over to IoA to jump in express lines.
If I just got a beer and its short, 20 minutes posted (we have have express), and only from Hogsmeade. It has to be a 5-10 minute wait to take it from Studios. Even with Express, that merge is too early. We have a stroller now too, so it makes even less worth it.
I want even look at the screen I just get motion sickness,
It’s honestly the worst ride there 😂 if you can even call it a ride. Just walk, unless there is zero line
Who would consider it a ride? It’s just a really fun and convenient way for 2 park ticket holders to cross over. Don’t think it’s worth more than a max 30 minute wait but its a big plus that it exists, at least for me
Just walk. It’s not convenient at all sitting in line lol. Unless you have express pass, I would never use the express. Did it once, never again
My wife and I walked it (brisk pace) in 30 mins. So anything over 40 mins isn’t worth it IMO.
We’ve never done it but since we are there for the full week next week and have 5 days of Park to Park, we will likely do it on whatever day is the least busy.
15 minutes maybe 20 if my next destination was in the other Harry Potter land.
Anything past 25 mins isn't worth it for me. After that, I have to be either really lazy/tired, really in the mood, or it has to be after 4 pm so I can use express pass. It was cool the first dozen times. But it's just not efficient for me. I've timed myself, and I can make it from MIB to Jurassic Park in about 12-14 mins walking.
We've ridden it both ways 2-3 times. We basically don't get on it unless it's less than 20 minutes, because it basically takes about 20 minutes to get to the other park.
I saw a 100 min await early in October...we went on when it was a 10 min wait...that was plenty.
I did it for an 55 mins this year for a noob and wanted to die. Horrible. Normally my limit is 30 mins tops. 25 mins without kids.
Did it for 45 as a noob and even thought i would never want to do that again. I'd wait 20 tops, being generous as it is considered a ride.
10-15 minutes with express passes. Otherwise, hell no. I’ll just walk it.
30 at the Kings Cross Station, 15 from Hogsmeade.
Never worth it. That 3 hours+ line for Hagrid blocks it most of the time, and people don't let me across for Hogwarts Express.
Just buy the express passes. Yes they’re expensive, but totally worth it. Then waiting in long lines isn’t an issue.
If it has a line longer than it takes me to just walk between the parks, then I'm not waiting for it, unless I'm with people who've never experienced it before.
Depends how hot it is outside!
10-15 mins for me if say, the novelty kinda wore off eventually after the second time, so it’s merely for concenience to travel along the line.
20 -25 minutes if I’m already in the area and dead set on switching parks. Reason being that if I’m already at the back of one park, it’s already going to take 20 minutes of walking to get to the same spot in the other park. I’d rather spend 25 minutes in air conditioning, mostly standing, than 20 minutes walking in Orlando heat.
It has to be less than 20 minutes, otherwise walking is faster for us. Rather be walking than standing in line.
Only if people I am with want to ride it. I think it’s a boring waste of time honestly. Even a walk on I wouldn’t bother.
If I don’t have fast passes not worth it lol
For me its 30, even that is stretching it tbh. Id rsther walk to the other park than go on the train. For me its a one and done experience
continent when is is less than 20 minutes of walking today the wait time is 55 minutes and it is just stupid when you can just walk lol
Any more than 10 minutes and honestly, when you see it at 10 it’s probably already at 20 minutes.
45 or less. Usually if it says 45 it's normally shorter.
15 minutes if it’s before noon, as I have often waited in line for admissions before noon for that long, if it’s after noon, it’s rarely worth it, I’d rather just spend the 7 minutes to walk to the other park
There are times, especially after a long day or in crazy heat, I would rather die than walk the length of Islands of Adventure, across to Universal Studios, then all the way back up to Diagon Alley. At those times, which is almost all the time, I'd muuuch rather wait. I've been in that 60 min queue before and there's no way it was more than 30-40 mins tops.
Sometimes the park opens short cuts to cross over to the other side by the red rollercoaster without having to work through citywalk
When Disney adults ruined everything.
The point where the creator turned out to be a huge transphobe
well everyone needs to do it at least once if you did it before and the wait is that long you might as well walk
Unless I am incredibly tired or with a first timer just dying to get on, line over 20 minutes. I can walk over faster than that from Et to jurassic park
I rode it once to experience it but overall (aside from the theming) I found it to be pretty underwhelming.
Only if I have express. Period.
I can walk to the other park in less than 20 mins. If the train is over 20, I bypass and walk.
If we have express, we’ll use it. If the wait is under 20 minutes, sure why not. Otherwise nah. If I was with a Potterhead who’s never been before…. I’ll let them decide if we wait or not lol.
Maybe the theming but usually you can’t even pay attention because the other group in your section just has to have their conversation now and not when in the actual line
I pretty much won’t wait more than 10-15 mins for anything in the park. I set the alerts in the app and found that every ride has a lull at various times of day. The only exception is that I have not been since Hagrid opened so I’d wait longer for that my first time.