Short Lines during Thanksgiving?

[fltourist]

Can I make a day out of short-line attractions at Universal? If so, how would you do it? There has to be someone that has actually considered this.

Purpose: Save costs on one night by staying across the street at Holiday Inn that day. No express passes. No problem. Just go to attractions with short lines that day. Then check into a Universal resort the next day and get express passes for the next 2 days to hit the important stuff with early entrance and express passes.

Note: We plan to be there the week of Thanksgiving (including Thanksgiving Day). We plan to stay every day until about 1-2pm, then go back to the resort for pool/relaxation and then maybe come back after dinner for a bit. Plan to buy the 2 tickets, get third ticket free.

Its $294 a night at the resort ($332 after taxes and fees)...yikes!!

 

[TylerDurden]

From opening until 1-2, yes you can make a full day without Express, even during Thanksgiving. I would use that day to go to The Studios and see Terminator 2 (starts at 11 am and doesn't usually attract a line), and maybe a stage show that starts before you're planning on leaving. Even the big rides don't get long lines until around lunch time. I think you'll have a great trip :thumbs:

 

[Brian G.]

Thanksgiving day, will be mostly doable without express, but Fri-Sun will be a little more busier.

 

[fltourist]

Any other rides that you think will be a short wait?

 

[TylerDurden]

Any other rides that you think will be a short wait?

In my personal experience, if you get to Universal Studios right when it opens, you can walk on pretty much everything. Do Rip Ride Rockit first, because it has a low capacity yet a great curbside appeal which keeps its waits very high throughout the day. From there on out you could hit pretty much anything else. I'd guess that during Thanksgiving week, things will start getting busier around an hour and a half after park opening, at which time you should do the back half of the park (The Simpsons, Men in Black), or start seeing shows. In that first hour of the day, do HRRR, Transformers, Mummy, etc. By the time you're planning to leave rolls around, you should have done a good majority of the park, and your day with Express will help you fill in whatever you missed :thumbs:

If you're planning to do IOA, I would actually NOT go to Harry Potter first thing in the morning (that's so cliche ). Instead, I would do the rides at Marvel Superhero Island. Since you are planning on heading back to your hotel around lunchtime, hit the water rides at around 11 am...people won't be getting on them because for us Floridians Thanksgiving weather is too chilly to get wet in, and it won't matter to you since you'll be able to change. Do Harry Potter when you come back to the parks for dinner or whatever you were planning on doing, because during the last half hour or so of park operation, the WWOHP is very do-able (this is my advice even for the two days you have Express, because FJ does not honor it).

And again, you can fill in whatever you missed when you have your Express. It's great that you will have that for at least part of your vacation, because Thanksgiving has the potential to get pretty crowded.

 

[Smitty]

If your at IOA Dr Dooms Fear fall and Poseidon's fury have pretty low waits. But the morning their should be ok lines at the very least.

Enjoy staying on property! I stayed at the Hard Rock for 2 nights during a busy spring break week. Express passes made the trip. most of the stuff was a 10-15 minute waits at the most, besides FJ obviously, which we just took the single rider line for, only about a 20 min wait. What property are you staying at?