Are wait times really as low as the app says?

[ShyMiss]

Okay. Thank you. That's the only thing I read last year online. Annual passes. The lady I talked with lives in Michigan & does not have annual passes & while she was at universal a team member told her she could just buy an after 4 EP pass for less. So that's what she did. This is all what she told me. She's a cute blonde so maybe it was special treatment ? LOL I don't know. I was just curious if this was actually a "thing." Thanks.

 

[pattyw]

Okay. Thank you. That's the only thing I read last year online. Annual passes. The lady I talked with lives in Michigan & does not have annual passes & while she was at universal a team member told her she could just buy an after 4 EP pass for less. So that's what she did. This is all what she told me. She's a cute blonde so maybe it was special treatment ? LOL I don't know. I was just curious if this was actually a "thing." Thanks.

I haven't heard about being able to purchase EP for a discounted price after 4pm. I guess it's possible she "got a deal" - team members can do certain things for guests.

 

[damo]

I've read that the after 4 express is only offered during slow times.

 

[stenmarks]

Just finished our first day at universal, and we had a blast! Crowds seemed to build up mid afternoon, but with Express pass we hit all of the Harry Potter rides with ease. We spent our morning at Volcano Bay and ate lunch at City Walk, so we entered USF around 12:15. By 4:00 we were back in our room resting, just in time for the thunderstorm

 

[pattyw]

Just finished our first day at universal, and we had a blast! Crowds seemed to build up mid afternoon, but with Express pass we hit all of the Harry Potter rides with ease. We spent our morning at Volcano Bay and ate lunch at City Walk, so we entered USF around 12:15. By 4:00 we were back in our room resting, just in time for the thunderstorm

That's a wonderful first day at UO!! Where did you eat lunch at City Walk? Love having lunch there as it's not crowded!

Can't wait to hear about today!!

 

[only hope]

Yesterday was slow until noon. Everyone poured in at the same time and most of the wait times skyrocketed. Before then, most things were 25 minutes or less. FJ had a wait time of 20mn on the app but 45 mn at the entrance. There was a long line just to get to the lockers! Stinks for single riders who aren’t going to wait in the main line anyways. Wish they’d let single riders go through the gift shop when the lines like that.

 

[pattyw]

Yesterday was slow until noon. Everyone poured in at the same time and most of the wait times skyrocketed. Before then, most things were 25 minutes or less. FJ had a wait time of 20mn on the app but 45 mn at the entrance. There was a long line just to get to the lockers! Stinks for single riders who aren’t going to wait in the main line anyways. Wish they’d let single riders go through the gift shop when the lines like that.

Yay for the morning low crowds! Yep- I hate the locker areas at FJ and Gringotts! So tight and crazy crowded!

 

[Polyonmymind]

We were just there Thursday 6/14 - Sunday 6/17. Thursday afternoon the crowds picked up, and Hogsmeade for the light show that night was uncomfortably crowded like MK is for the fireworks show.

Friday both parks were packed. A lot of Disney family's and tour groups were in the park Friday. I don't mean this to sound bad or anything. The tour groups had the matching color shirts with writing in the Disney Font. Families all wearing WDW clothing, and girls with Minnie Ears headbands. I guess we hit the one day people planned their day away from WDW? My 14 year old daughter kept commenting on how weird it was to see people wearing a Mickey Mouse shirt inside Uni. Meh, no biggie..

I expected Saturday to be packed out like Friday, but both parks were empty. We ate lunch in Springfield, sat inside of Moe's. When we sat down we were the only people inside with no Team member guarding the outside door. We had a local with us, and he could not believe how empty the park was for a Saturday. It was fantastic. We went into USF for a couple of hours Sunday morning before we left, and the crowd was similar to Saturday.

It was hot, humid with the expected afternoon showers each day but in all a great trip. EP makes those crowded days easy.

 

[DrummerBoy523]

Also, there was rain in the forecast all last week. That scares away the crowds.

there's rain in the forecast every day in Orlando LOL. Wish it would work more often

 

[tarak]

Just finished our first day at universal, and we had a blast! Crowds seemed to build up mid afternoon, but with Express pass we hit all of the Harry Potter rides with ease. We spent our morning at Volcano Bay and ate lunch at City Walk, so we entered USF around 12:15. By 4:00 we were back in our room resting, just in time for the thunderstorm

We were just there Thursday 6/14 - Sunday 6/17. Thursday afternoon the crowds picked up, and Hogsmeade for the light show that night was uncomfortably crowded like MK is for the fireworks show.

Friday both parks were packed. A lot of Disney family's and tour groups were in the park Friday. I don't mean this to sound bad or anything. The tour groups had the matching color shirts with writing in the Disney Font. Families all wearing WDW clothing, and girls with Minnie Ears headbands. I guess we hit the one day people planned their day away from WDW? My 14 year old daughter kept commenting on how weird it was to see people wearing a Mickey Mouse shirt inside Uni. Meh, no biggie..

I expected Saturday to be packed out like Friday, but both parks were empty. We ate lunch in Springfield, sat inside of Moe's. When we sat down we were the only people inside with no Team member guarding the outside door. We had a local with us, and he could not believe how empty the park was for a Saturday. It was fantastic. We went into USF for a couple of hours Sunday morning before we left, and the crowd was similar to Saturday.

It was hot, humid with the expected afternoon showers each day but in all a great trip. EP makes those crowded days easy.

Thank you for the updates! We were at WDW during that time but plan to hit Universal next summer during that week, so I’m definitely paying attention to this for next year!