family will be visiting Universal Hollywood on Tuesday September 5...day after Labor Day. Plan to arrive at park 9am and leave around 5-6pm..so a solid 8 hours.
Is a front of the line pass necessary or do you think we will be able to see all rides/ attractions with a regular ticket?
and honestly were not very big Harry Potter fans so if we don't do the Harry Potter rides it wont be any kind of a let down
thanks in advance
I agree with Jay. You may not be Potter fans, but once you enter Hogsmeade and see the level of detail, it will get you excited to see what lies inside the castle.
I just checked IsItPacked.com to see what their predictions are for crowd level that day. September 5th is showing their lowest crowd level - "Ghost Town" so ought to be fine.
Front of the Line passes at Universal Studios Hollywood are really only worth the cost in two situations: You are visiting on a sold out day, or you have less than five hours in the park. The date you've picked for your visit is neither, and is actually expected to be a lower crowd day. Therefore, spending $74 per person on the pass would be an enormous waste of money. Expect waits of around 15 minutes for most attractions on that date, with notably longer lines only if a ride is operating at reduced capacity.
On your visit date, the park opens at 10 A.M. However, if you have early entry (included with any day ticket purchase from the park's website), you will be allowed to enter the park at 9 A.M. Only the Wizarding World of Harry Potter will be open during this time, but you'll have more than enough time to ride both rides here and see the area. If you don't have early entry, arrive by 9:30 A.M. to allow enough time to park and get inside the park...it is a bit of a walk from the parking structures.
Once the park opens at 10 A.M., head directly to the Lower Lot and ride the three rides down here (I usually do Transformers, Mummy, Jurassic Park, but order doesn't really matter). You should be able to do everything down here in about an hour, and if you want any re-rides grab them now. Once you head back up the Starway, check the wait times for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. If waits are still under 30 minutes, head there now. If lines are longer (or you did the area earlier), instead do Simpsons Ride, then plan the rest of your day around the show schedules, working in the rides where they fit. If you still need to visit Harry Potter, save it for the last two hours.
While you should easily have time for everything, the not to be missed attractions are Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, Jurassic Park-The Ride, Studio Tour, Transformers The Ride 3D, and Waterworld. Most other attractions are still pretty good, but I'd prioritize the above if for some reason you can't fit everything in. Also, in the event that only one or two members of your party want to ride (or re-ride), single rider lines are available for the Lower Lot attractions and Forbidden Journey, and those will usually get you on in 10 minutes or less.
Lastly, have a great time!
What AJ said.
Seriously, great advice there. Thanks.
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If you plan to be there all day, front of the line won't be necessary. Sure, it will be helpful if you plan to re ride attractions, but even without it, you'll be able to do everything.
Although you aren't Potter fans, I still highly suggest walking through Hogwarts & riding Forbidden Journey, it's worth it (and if you'll be there at park opening, just head straight there) There is also a single rider line that you could utilize.
You'll certainly have time to do Potter & everything else if you'll be there all day.
Many times, people suggest hitting the Lower Lot first thing & riding Transformers, Mummy & Jurassic (just be sure to check the ride times for the day, occasionally attractions open at different times). Then you'll be able to sin the rest of the day on the Upper Lot.
Have a great time!