The thing about me is I’m going to get up early on vacation, especially for a theme park! Because time is money, and it’s worth that early alarm clock for low waits.

Hogsmeade

If you’ve ever committed to a rope drop, you know the vibe. You’re half asleep but fully determined. You’re going over your strategy on the bus. You’re mentally mapping out every turn you’ll take once you scan into the park. And on this particular morning, I was confident. After all, Universal hotel guests get Early Park Admission, usually a full hour before the general public. It’s one of the biggest perks of staying on-site, and when used correctly, it can save you hours in line. Unfortunately, that morning had other plans.

 

When it comes to Early Park Admission at Islands of Adventure, there’s really one primary goal: knock out the headliners before the wait times explode. Typically, there are only four rides and one attraction open during Early Park Admission. This includes Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure and VelicoCoaster, and let’s be honest, if people are getting up this early, there’s a 99% chance they are heading to these two rides.

Islands of Adventure

Hagrid’s is my favorite theme park attraction of all time, so that was our obvious first stop. We scanned in, speed-walked through Seuss Landing and The Lost Continent, and approached the entrance ready to conquer the day. Instead, we were greeted by Team Members announcing that Hagrid’s was delayed due to technical difficulties. Okay. Not ideal. But that’s why you have a backup plan, right?

Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure

We pivoted immediately to VelociCoaster. Surely one of the two biggest rides in the park would be up and running. Wrong. When we arrived, we learned VelociCoaster was also temporarily down, but unlike Hagrid’s, they were allowing guests to wait in the queue. That left us with a choice: stand in a non-moving line and hope for the best, or abandon ship and try to salvage the rest of Early Park Admission elsewhere. We decided to stay put.

Universal Studios VelociCoaster

It felt risky in the moment. Early Park Admission time is precious, and watching minutes tick by while nothing moves is stressful. But in this case, the gamble paid off. We entered the park around 7:50 AM, and at 8:15 AM, the ride officially opened. Because several guests ahead of us had left the queue, we ended up riding in one of the first trains of the day. Once we were off, I kept my eye on Hagrid’s in the app, but it was still closed, and employees were not letting people line up.

VelociCoaster

Luckily Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey and Flight of the Hippogriff were open with no wait. By the time we did both of those Hagrid’s was still closed and the park had officially opened. We definitely got a head start on the rest of the park (and even had time to stop at Auntie Anne’s for a breakfast pretzel!). When the ride finally opened, we were on the other side of the park, and it had a 180-minute wait time.

Flight of the Hippogriff

While some might find it worth it to wait for Hagrid’s, my party decided to move on, and so we boarded the Hogwarts Express to head to Universal Studios. I was definitely disappointed in the way things worked out. We woke up at 6 AM for our number-one priority ride… and never made it on.

Hagrid’s Hut at Universal Orlando

However, with a good attitude and an ounce of patience, we turned our day around and had a great time. You can do the same thing, no matter which park you are rope dropping! It can be a frustrating experience, and it’s easy to let that put a damper on your day, but the theme park employees are doing everything they can to get your favorite rides back up and running. Things like this will likely happen on your vacation, but be ready to pivot and look for the fun!

Islands of Adventure

The addition of Express Pass access at Hagrid’s has also shifted the strategy. For years, that ride did not accept Express, making rope drop almost essential. Now that Express is available, guests staying at Premier hotels or purchasing Express have more flexibility and less pressure to be first through the gates.

Universal Express Pass

I’ll also say this — rope dropping Universal Studios has almost always been a calmer experience for me. If I don’t have Early Park Admission, I often start at Studios instead and knock out rides like and right at park open. Since most hotel guests are over at Islands taking advantage of Early Entry, standby lines at Studios can stay lower during that first hour. It’s an underrated strategy that can save you serious time.

Universal Studios

In short, anything can happen on vacation, and there is still a way to salvage your day. For more tips and tricks for all theme parks, be sure to follow AllEars.net.

4 Sneaky Harry Potter Ride Tricks at Universal Orlando

Do you have any tips for rope dropping at Universal Orlando? Tell us in the comments below!

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