What to ride first?

[BBB Family]

This is our first trip to IOA and we are only visiting for one day. We have three boys, 11/10/8. What do we ride first?

Our main objective is to ride Hulk, Duelling Dragons and Spiderman without waiting (we're staying at HRH and will be doing early entry). I read another post which indicated that everyone will go left when the park first opens and that we should go right. What's to the right?

What should our plan of attack be? What do you do?

HELP! Thanks....

 

[KimCon]

Spiderman! I rode that first because I couldn't wait!!!!!!!!!!!!


Kim

 

[CoasterFEV]

Honestly?

Pteranodon Flyers !!!!

Why? It's the slowest moving line in either park and the only one at IOA where on-site hotel guests DO NOT get Express access (nor is there any Express at all for this ride).

Plus! The staff usually let's ALL guests (as long as they are at least 36" tall) onto the ride for the first 15 minutes or so the park is open since there is no line at the attraction. YEP! Even us tall adults get the "sneak" a ride on this "kids only" attraction!

 

[WebmasterBarry]

Does Camp Jurassic usually open right when the parks open? I recall sometimes the area doesn't open until 10 am.

I'm there, dude.

 

[eetsoop]

If you are staying in an onsite hotel you are considerably better off. Try to schedule it so you visit on an early entry day for the park. What I usually do is ride all of the rides in Marvel SuperHero Island that are open for early entry. I do spiderman first and can usually go on several times with no wait even in the regular line. The waits will build up fast though because everyone goes to MSHIsland first. It will definatly help that you have the FOTL access. But by going for early entry you get a head start on most of the crowds. The crowds fill up the park from left to right. Left from Port of Entry is Marvel Super Hero Island, then Toon Lagoon, then Jurassic Park, then Lost Continent, then Suess Landing (which is immediatly right from the Port of Entry). If you go right to suess landing when you get there in the morning, sure there will be no waits and noone will be over there, but you will inevitably run into the crowds later in the day. It is usually not very crowded in Lost Continent and Suess landing throughout the day because everyone is over on the left side doing rides. The crowds thin out around Jurassic Park River Adventure usually. You really wont do that much waiting with FOTL anyway so you might want to just get a park map and go for it.

 

[CoasterFEV]

Camp Jurassic and Pteranodon Flyers ALWAYS opens with the park.

Triceratops Discovery Trail and the Discovery Center open at 10am daily. Also, Flying Unicorn and Bluto's sometimes have a later opening during the REALLY slow seasons.

 

[MIB999999]

i just went today at 9:00 am and rode dragons twice in front row. after eating a cinnimon roll at croissont moon bakery first. went and rode jurassic park river adventure and stopped in the betty boop store to see what was new. I was at spider man by 10:00 and the line was 30 minutes already and Hulk was 45 minutes. If it were me i would go left and hit spiderman first and then go to the hulk. then go thru suessland and do the dragons. this should all be doable by 10:00 to 10:15 if you are there when the gates for the park open.
for me it is not important where you ride on the hulk due to its design, but i have to ride front row on the dragons cause i want to see more than the backside of the person or persons in front of me.

 

[BBB Family]

I'm such a planner -- All of these tips have been the greatest! I'm finally getting a "feel" for the park. We don't get to Orlando often - can't say when we'll be able to go back so I don't want to waste my precious one day standing in an hour-long line!

We are going on a Wednesday -- I think that is early entry for IOA from what I've read. We can't wait to go!!!

Thank you!

 

[gschmerl]

I agree with the previous poster. You HAVE to ride the front row of Dueling Dragons!! If you go to the right you pass through Seuss Landing and head for the Lost Continent and DD. No one will be there and you can ride the front row over and over. It won't matter much on the other rides because you'll have your magic room key to get in the express entrance.

 

[MIB999999]

BBB Family:
please post a reply for how the early entry worked for you. those of us who live and work here in orlando know the routine on the weekends but i have a feeling that thru the week it is a whole nuther animal!!!

 

[BBB Family]

MIB9's -- I'll for sure post how our plan of attack went. I just finished talking to DH -- He nods like he is listening but I know the real him is just thinking "Just tell me what to do when we get there." It will more than likely be the center topic on the long flight to Orlando!

Thanks again for the help!

Obssessive Planner,

Queen BBB

 

[sha_lyn]

Camp Jurrasic did not open for EE when we were there in April. The only areas we were allowed in were Marvel and Seuss.

 

[jlima]

My family was there on the 4th of July. We had early entry and were in the park at exactly 8am. We did the Spiderman ride 2x, Cat in the Hat 2x, and One Fish 1x before 9am. Then we went straight to Camp Jurrasic, and rode the Pteradon Flyers 2x with minimal waits each time (less than 5 minutes). We didn't need the PBH key until about 10:30; the park wasn't crowded until them.

We used the PBH key to ride Incredible Hulk at about 11:30am. The walk to the front of the line took longer than the mimimal wait once you got there. Had to do a child swap for both of us to ride, as DS7 wasn't tall enough.

I recommend checking the height requirements for all of IOH rides. I see you have an 8-yr-old; our 7-yr old wasn't tall enough for the Hulk and I think he was afraid to ride it anyway! He had a very good "next time" attitude, thank goodness.

Hope this helps!!

 

[MIB999999]

just got back from another day in paradise at IOA and it was a whole different animal today. There were a lot of PENNET PEOPLE today and hulk and sipderman were slammed from the get go. wait times immediately went to 30 and 45 minutes and then hulk went to 45 and spidey went to 60, and we are talking a FULL 60 minute wait. Is it true you can not get to dueling dragons until 9:00 am on early entry days?????? if so that is a big factor in your plans.

 

[gschmerl]

I was at IOA on an early entry day. They had the gates to the Lost Continent closed and a guy was there saying no one could go in until 9:00. However, at 8:40 his walkie talkie sprung to life and he was given a message to let us in. I rode DD four times (front row) before 9:00. The seats were mostly empty!!

 

[KimCon]

You Florida people are so lucky to be able to go all of the time!!!!
I am also just curious, what are Pennet People? Would that be the South American tour groups? Just wondering.

Thanks!

Kim

 

[BBB Family]

MIB9's -- Is it true that Florida kids go back to school in the early part of August? If so, would that make it less crowded on Hulk and Spiderman? We'll be visiting on Wednesday, August 15th.

 

[fboy9287]

It should be less crowded then. The closer you get to Sept it will die down.

 

[MIB999999]

my grandkids start back 8/13/01. so yes most all florida kids are back in school prior to 9/1/01.
Yes KimCon that is the nickname for the south american tour groups. When you see 50 to 100+ heading for one of the rides you were thinking of going on you better run there ahead of them or change plans and go to another ride. I notice there are more pennet people in IOA than studios. Studios was somewhat light today as far as crowds go.