Even with the Express Pass, doing everything in one day takes some planning. Express Pass means your wait will be cut in HALF (often better than half, but don’t expect that every time). It does not mean waits are eliminated.

This plan is for people using Express Pass who are NOT using Early Entry (only available to people staying at a Universal Resort). The two major attractions people race to during early entry will already have long wait times by the time you arrive. Rushing to Velocicoaster or Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure in the morning won’t really save you time when you have Express Pass.

This is the general order we’d recommend, but it’s ok to switch it up! Put in meals when you get hungry. Make sure you use the Express lane and not the regular queue! See the section on Attraction Information below to decide if you want to skip any rides.

1. The Incredible Hulk Coaster
   The other two big coasters are already swamped by regular opening time. Instead, head left and start with the Hulk! This coaster can rattle you around, so skip it or sit near the front if you’re sensitive so it doesn’t give you a headache and ruin your day! You will need to put your things in a free locker or leave them with a non-rider. This coaster has a tall height requirement at 54″, so if you have shorter kids, you can ask a staff person at the front of the line about doing a child swap.
2. Storm Force Accelatron
   This is a good kid’s ride to do while others ride The Hulk. It will have a short wait all day, so skip it in the morning if NOT riding the Hulk.
3. The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man
   This should be your first attraction if skipping Hulk. It’s an excellent, immersive attraction with a 40″ height requirement.
4. Doctor Doom’s Fearfall
   You passed it on your way to Spiderman (purposefully because Spiderman gets a longer line), but now go back and ride this drop ride. It has a 52″ height requirement and is fun for those who enjoy that stomach-dropping feeling. If that is no one in your party, then skip it!
5. Prep for Water
   The next several attractions are ones that will get you soaking wet.
   – If you don’t want to get wet or it’s cold outside – skip the next several attractions in this list!
   – If you want to ride but don’t want to get soaked, put on a poncho or rain suit and either change shoes, put on shoe covers, or plan to wear shoes/sandals that can get wet and dry quickly.
   – If it’s hot and getting wet sounds great – awesome! But you’ll still want to consider your feet. Wet sneakers are not fun and no, you won’t be able to just pick your feet up and keep them dry. Trust us – bring some flip flops in your bag for these rides or wear shoes that can get wet and will dry quickly!
   – Rent a locker and put everything you don’t want to get soaked inside it. Keep your Express Passes and tickets out though so you can use them!
6. Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls
   This is such a fun log flume ride! There are animatronics and a story to follow along with (similar to Splash Mountain at Disney), multiple small drops, and then a big double-hill drop at the end. You get wetter than on other similar log-flume rides.
7. Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges
   A classic whitewater ride where you sit in a big 12-person circular raft and careen down rapids. Kids love seeing who will get the wettest!
8. Play Break
   If you have kids who are interested, you can head over to the Me Ship where they have some slides and water guns where you can try to shoot the people going by on the whitewater ride.
9. Jurassic Park River Adventure
   While you’re still pretty wet, head over to Jurassic Park (yes, you’ll pass Kong and can come back for it later when you’re not as wet). This attraction has dinosaur animatronics on a boat ride, but then things go wrong and you’re sent down an 85-foot plunge to escape a T-rex. The drop is big, but not too steep and is over quickly. You will get wettest in the front or back of the large boats. If you sit in the middle and wear a poncho, you can avoid getting wet.
10. Return to your locker to get your stuff and play at Camp Jurassic
    You’re done with the wet part of your day! It’s a bit of a walk back to get your stuff, so we like to send our kids into Camp Jurassic, the kids play area, while one adult retrieves things from the locker. Camp Jurassic is a really incredible kids play area and a good place for kids to run around and dry off a bit.
11. Pteranodon Flyers
    This is a kid’s ride inside Camp Jurassic. There is NO EXPRESS PASS for this one and it’s pretty low capacity. Kids must be over 36″ tall and accompanied by someone over 56″ tall. Kids over 56″ tall cannot ride without someone smaller. My teenagers like to use my youngest to ride this one together!
12. Lunch
    This may be a good time to get lunch after people have played and dried off. There are several options in Jurassic Park including Thunder Falls Terrace (ribs and rotisserie chicken), The Burger Digs (burgers and a really good chicken-bacon-avaocado sandwich), and Pizza Predattoria (our picky eater approves of this pizza so that’s a win).
13. Skull Island: Reign of Kong
    We purposely skipped this one earlier because it’s best to knock out all the wet rides at the same time, and going into this air-conditioned, dark, indoor queue while wet is not comfortable. But you may want to go back and do it before riding Velocicoaster, especially if you just ate lunch. The queue is a bit scary for kids, but the ride is awesome and not too scary.
14. Velocicoaster
    We LOVE this coaster! If you really can’t handle roller coasters, then skip it. But it’s awesome and if you’re on the fence – you should try it at least once! It’s smooth, it doesn’t have the big first drop that some people don’t like, and instead is an exciting launch coaster. Sit near the front for the smoothest ride. Our kids rode it as soon as they met the 51″ height requirement and loved it!
15. Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
    It’s Harry Potter time! Walk across the bridge to enter Hogsmeade. Head toward the castle to ride the attraction inside! You’ll have to put any bags or items that aren’t inside a 3-prong fanny pack/cross-body bag into a locker (small ones are free, large ones have a fee). This attraction is awesome and one of our favorites, but it does make some people motion-sick and it does go almost upside down (you’re really just leaned back far for a moment). If you don’t want to ride, you can still go through the queue which is part of the experience! It’s awesome to see the castle!
16. Flight of the Hippogriff
    A small kid coaster. It’s fun enough, but nothing special. Since you have Express, you might as well ride it!
17. Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure
    Another AWESOME coaster! This one is less intense than Velocicoaster, but not less fun! It always has a long line, so even with Express you could wait an hour. But usually by the point in the afternoon when you may reach this ride based on this plan, the queue is slightly shorter.
18. Olivander’s
    Line up at Olivaner’s Wand Shop and every 15 minutes or so, small groups will be led into the wand shop and Ollivander the wandmaker will come out do a presentation about wands and choose one person to get to go through the experience of choosing a wand (or rather the wand choosing them.) Warn your kids that they will most likely not be chosen, but it is still fun to watch. After the show, you will be led out into the shop where you can choose and purchase a wand. Keep in mind there are several versions of wands, and you’ll want the latest version to be able to perform all the magic tricks in the parks.
19. Make Magic
    If you purchased a wand, go around and make some magic! They will give you a map so you can find the spots to stop and the wand motions to do to make the magic happen.
20. Butterbeer, Food, and Shopping
    Hop inside the Hogs Head (drinks only) or the Three Broomsticks (food and drinks) for a butterbeer and enjoy the atmosphere! You can also get butterbeer at outdoor stands, but it’s more fun to see the interiors of the restaurants and sit at a table for a nice break. If you want food, do a mobile order and have a seat and they will bring your food to you! You can also take time to explore all the shops! Honeydukes Candy Shop is a fun one!
21. Suess Landing
    Depending on time and interest, you can do some of the kid rides in Seuss Landing. These include:
    – The High in the Sky Trolley Train Ride – a slow-moving train ride in the air with nice views
    – Carol-Seuss-el – A Seuss-themed carousel
    – One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish – a Dumbo-style spinning ride with water-squirting fish
    – The Cat in the Hat – a Disney-style dark ride that takes you through the story of the Cat in the Hat
22. Hogwarts Always
    If it’s dark already, look for times in the app for “Hogwarts Always” a short projection show on the Hogwarts castle. It runs multiple times a night when it’s dark. You do not need to stake out a viewing spot a long time in advance like you do for nightime shows at Disney. This one is short and you can show up 5-15 minutes before it starts and be fine.
23. Evening Options
    If you’re not too tired, staying to do some attractions at the end of the night is a lot of fun! You can ride any of the roller coasters again in the dark for a different experience! It’s a great time to do Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure because as long as you get in line at least one minute before closing time, you get to ride! And the wait is always less than what is posted. It also moves faster because Express Pass ends at the official park closing time. Then you get a nice, quiet walk out of the park with very few people.If you’ve had enough of the park, you can also go out into CityWalk for some fun and food.

This park is doable without an Express Pass, but you’ll need to prioritize popular attractions in the morning and evening, leaving activities with lower waits and shows for the afternoon. If it’s a busy day, you also may have to skip some attractions.

Utilizing early entry gives you a chance to get to the ride with the longest line (Hagrid’s) before the big crowds arrive. Keep in mind, making use of this benefit means getting on a boat or bus (assuming you’re using hotel transportation because it’s the most efficient) at least 30-45 minutes BEFORE early entry begins.

When you get to the gate, the quickest line is often the one on the far left. Once you enter, walk directly to Harry Potter land, which is to the right through Seuss Landing. 

• There will be a crowd going to Hagrid’s that you can follow, but consult the map in advance so you know where you’re going.
• Walk quickly but do not run. 
• Do not stop for pictures (you can do that later). 
• Have your stuff ready to quickly put in a locker, leave it all in a stroller if you have one, or only carry 3-prong fanny/cross-body bags so you can wear them on the ride.

1. Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure
   An AWESOME coaster! This one is less intense than Velocicoaster and Hulk, but not less fun! It always has a long line, so getting this ride in during Early Entry is ideal. There is no Express Pass during Early Entry so the line also moves faster.
2. Velocicoaster
   AS SOON AS you’re done with Hagrid’s, if it’s still before or close to regular park opening time, try to beat the major crowds to Velocicoaster. If the wait is already over 90 minutes, you can choose to save it for the end of the day, or use the single rider line, but know that your party will be split up.

   We LOVE this coaster! If you really can’t handle roller coasters, then skip it. But it’s awesome and if you’re on the fence – you should try it at least once! It’s smooth, it doesn’t have the big first drop that some people don’t like, and instead is an exciting launch coaster. Sit near the front for the smoothest ride. Our kids rode it as soon as they met the 51″ height requirement and loved it!

3. Summer: Prep for Water
   The next several attractions are ones that will get you soaking wet. We recommend doing them in the morning because they get longer lines in the afternoons on hot days. 
   – If you don’t want to get wet or it’s cold outside – skip the next several attractions in this list or switch over to our “NO water attractions” itinerary in the tab below.
   – If you want to ride but don’t want to get soaked, put on a poncho or rain suit and either change shoes, put on shoe covers, or plan to wear shoes/sandals that can get wet and dry quickly.
   – If it’s hot and getting wet sounds great – awesome! But you’ll still want to consider your feet. Wet sneakers are not fun and no, you won’t be able to just pick your feet up and keep them dry. Trust us – bring some flip flops in your bag for these rides or wear shoes that can get wet and will dry quickly!
   – Rent a locker and put everything you don’t want to get soaked inside it. 
4. Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls
   This is such a fun log flume ride! But it’s low-capacity and gets a long line during the summer months, so doing it in the morning should help. There are animatronics and a story to follow along with (similar to Splash Mountain at Disney), multiple small drops, and then a big double-hill drop at the end. You get wetter than on other similar log-flume rides.
5. Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges
   A classic whitewater ride where you sit in a big 12-person circular raft and careen down rapids. Kids love seeing who will get the wettest!
6. Play Break
   If you have kids who are interested, you can head over to the Me Ship where they have some slides and water guns where you can try to shoot the people going by on the whitewater ride.
7. Jurassic Park River Adventure
   While you’re still pretty wet, head over to Jurassic Park (yes, you’ll pass Kong and can come back for it later when you’re not as wet). This attraction has dinosaur animatronics on a boat ride, but then things go wrong and you’re sent down an 85-foot plunge to escape a T-rex. The drop is big, but not too steep and is over quickly. You will get wettest in the front or back of the large boats. If you sit in the middle and wear a poncho, you can avoid getting wet.
8. Return to your locker to get your stuff and play at Camp Jurassic
   You’re done with the wet part of your day! It’s a bit of a walk back to get your stuff, so we like to send our kids into Camp Jurassic, the kids play area, while one adult retrieves things from the locker. Camp Jurassic is a really incredible kids play area and a good place for kids to run around and dry off a bit.
9. Pteranodon Flyers
   This is a kid’s ride inside Camp Jurassic. There is NO EXPRESS PASS for this one and it’s pretty low capacity. Kids must be over 36″ tall and accompanied by someone over 56″ tall. Kids over 56″ tall cannot ride without someone smaller. My teenagers like to use my youngest to ride this one together!
10. Lunch
    This may be a good time to get lunch after people have played and dried off. There are several options in Jurassic Park including Thunder Falls Terrace (ribs and rotisserie chicken), The Burger Digs (burgers and a really good chicken-bacon-avaocado sandwich), and Pizza Predattoria (our picky eater approves of this pizza so that’s a win).
11. Skull Island: Reign of Kong
    We purposely skipped this one earlier because it’s best to knock out all the wet rides at the same time, and going into this air-conditioned, dark, indoor queue while wet is not comfortable. But after lunch should be a good time to do it. The queue is a bit scary for kids, but the ride is great and not too scary.
12. The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man
    Walk through Toon Lagoon and into Marvel Super Hero Island to another attraction with an indoor, air-conditioned queue. This is an excellent, immersive attraction with a 40″ height requirement.
13. Doctor Doom’s Fearfall
    This drop ride has a 52″ height requirement and is fun for those who enjoy that stomach-dropping feeling. If that is no one in your party, then skip it!
14. The Incredible Hulk Coaster
    A roller coaster that has been here since day 1 and used to be in my top 5 list – The Hulk! This coaster has an awesome inclined launch, but it can rattle you around, so skip it or sit near the front if you’re sensitive so it doesn’t give you a headache and ruin the rest of your day! You will need to put your things in a free locker or leave them with a non-rider. This coaster has a tall height requirement at 54″, so if you have shorter kids, you can ask a staff person at the front of the line about doing a child swap.
15. Storm Force Accelatron
    This is a good kid’s ride to do while others ride The Hulk. It is similar to the teacups at Disney parks.
16. Suess Landing
    Depending on time and interest, you can do some of the kid rides in Seuss Landing. These include:
    – The High in the Sky Trolley Train Ride – a slow-moving train ride in the air with nice views
    – Carol-Seuss-el – A Seuss-themed carousel
    – One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish – a Dumbo-style spinning ride with water-squirting fish
    – The Cat in the Hat – a Disney-style dark ride that takes you through the story of the Cat in the Hat
17. Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
    It’s Harry Potter time! Walk through the Lost Continent section (that will hopefully be reimagined soon), and enter Hogsmeade. Head toward the castle to ride the attraction inside! You’ll have to put any bags or items that aren’t inside a 3-prong fanny pack/cross-body bag into a locker (small ones are free, large ones have a fee). This attraction is awesome and one of our favorites, but it does make some people motion-sick and it does go almost upside down (you’re really just leaned back far for a moment). If you don’t want to ride, you can still go through the queue which is part of the experience! It’s awesome to see the castle!
18. Flight of the Hippogriff
    A small kid coaster. It’s fun enough, but nothing special. If the line is too long for you, skip it! 
19. Olivander’s
    Line up at Olivaner’s Wand Shop and every 15 minutes or so, small groups will be led into the wand shop and Ollivander the wandmaker will come out do a presentation about wands and choose one person to get to go through the experience of choosing a wand (or rather the wand choosing them.) Warn your kids that they will most likely not be chosen, but it is still fun to watch. After the show, you will be led out into the shop where you can choose and purchase a wand. Keep in mind there are several versions of wands, and you’ll want the latest version to be able to perform all the magic tricks in the parks.
20. Make Magic
    If you purchased a wand, go around and make some magic! They will give you a map so you can find the spots to stop and the wand motions to do to make the magic happen. Later in the day like this, there should be slightly less crowds.
21. Butterbeer, Dinner, and Shopping
    Hop inside the Hogs Head (drinks only) or the Three Broomsticks (food and drinks) for a butterbeer and enjoy the atmosphere! You can also get butterbeer at outdoor stands, but it’s more fun to see the interiors of the restaurants and sit at a table for a nice break. If you want food, do a mobile order and have a seat and they will bring your food to you! You can also take time to explore all the shops! Honeydukes Candy Shop is a fun one!
22. Hogwarts Always
    If it’s dark already, look for times in the app for “Hogwarts Always” a short projection show on the Hogwarts castle. It runs multiple times a night when it’s dark. You do not need to stake out a viewing spot a long time in advance like you do for nightime shows at Disney. This one is short and you can show up 5-15 minutes before it starts and be fine.
23. Evening Options
    If you’re not too tired, staying to do some attractions at the end of the night is a lot of fun! You can ride any of the roller coasters again in the dark for a different experience! It’s a great time to do Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure because as long as you get in line at least one minute before closing time, you get to ride! And the wait is always less than what is posted. It also moves faster because Express Pass ends at the official park closing time. Velocicoaster is also a great end-of-night choice and more thrilling in the dark!
24. Time to leave
    If you stay for one last ride, you get a nice, quiet walk out of the park with very few people. 

This park is doable without an Express Pass, but you’ll need to prioritize popular attractions in the morning and evening, leaving activities with lower waits for the afternoon. This plan does not include the 3 water attractions so it’s perfect for cold days or if you don’t like getting wet.

Islands of Adventure is best with older kids, but there’s a lot more for little kids to do than people think! If visiting with younger kids, Express Pass is usually not worth purchasing unless the adults in your group want to ride the bigger attractions using rider swap.

This plan does not include doing the bigger rides with rider swap and just focuses on what kids who are 40″ or shorter can do.

This is the general order we’d recommend, but it’s ok to switch it up! Put in meals when you get hungry. Check out our recommendations above for the best restaurants.

General Information:

• Islands of Adventure typically opens first so you should start there.
• Closing times vary more. Check your app to see if one park is open later than the other.
• If you’re staying at a Universal Hotel, you can use early entry to enter the park 1 hour earier which will help if trying to get everything done in one day, but isn’t required since you have Express Pass.
• Keep in mind that Express Pass makes the line SHORTER by at least HALF, but it does NOT remove the line completely. It also doesn’t skip the preshows (for the attractions that have preshows). This means you won’t be speeding through everything as quickly as you might think, especially on higher crowd days.
• Example: On a crowded day where the wait for Hagrid’s is 190 minutes, your wait with Express may be 45-60 minutes. That may still feel too long to you, but that is still so much better than the regular queue.
• Doing EVERYTHING in one day, even with Express Pass is hard to do. You’ll need to pick and choose some things and adjust on the fly depending on how fast you’re getting through everything.

General plan recommendations:

Using Early Entry:

• Hagrid’s: If you’re making use of Early Entry, make the most of it by getting there early and going straight to Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure. You can’t use Express Pass during early entry, but trust us, you will most likely want to ride this attraction more than once! Ride it once during early entry, then ride again later with Express Pass.
• Olivander’s and Wand Magic: If you want to do Olivander’s, do that next before the regular park guests arrive, and take some time to do interactive wand things in Harry Potter World.
• Pteranodon Flyers and Camp Jurassic: If you have kids between 36-56″ tall who want to ride Pteranodon Flyers (a ride where you soar through the air sitting in seats suspended by a track above), head to Camp Jurassic to ride this before the lines get long. There is no Express lane and it’s low capaicty so the lines will get long. Do the ride BEFORE exploring the rest of Camp Jurassic.
• Go in Order: From there, you can generally do the park in order, skipping what you don’t want to do and keeping an eye on time. Since you’ll be starting from either Harry Potter or Jurassic Park, go counter-clockwise around the circle (the park is generally laid out in a circle). General order of attractions starting from Harry Potter (or if starting from Jurassic, move the other Harry Potter rides to the end) –
• • Flight of the Hippogriff (kids coaster)
  • Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey (the ride inside the castle)
  • Velocicoaster (Intense and awesome coaster. Will take more time if doing rider swap.)
  • Raptor Encounter (Not a ride – just a chance to meet a very realistic animatronic raptor. No Express Pass on this one and shows happen every 20 minutes, so this will take up a bit of time)
  • Jurassic Park River Adventure (You’ll get wet, but not soaked, especially if you sit in the middle behind other people.)
  • Skull Island: Reign of Kong (the queue is scarier than the ride itself)
  • Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls (Only if you’re prepared to be SOAKED. During hot times, this ride will get long lines even with Express, but it is a lot of fun!)
  • Popeye & Bluto’s Blige-Rat Barges (A white water raft ride where you can get soaked.)
  • The Amazing Adventure of Spider-Man (A great 4D ride combining real sets and screens with 3D effects.)
  • Doctor Doom’s Fearfall (Shoots you up into the air and pulls you back down faster than gravity.)
  • The Incredible Hulk Coaster (A great coaster but a bit rough so sit toward the front if you’re sensitive to motion.)
  • Storm Force Accelerator (Spinning in a figure-8. A fun activity for smaller kids if others are riding the Hulk)
  • Suess Landing (This land is mostly for kids. If you have young kids, they will probably want to do it all and you will spend a good amount of time in this land. If you don’t have young kids, you could skip this land altogether, but walking through it is fun. If you choose one ride, try Cat and the Hat – a classic dark ride of the story from the book. If you choose two rides, add The High in the Sky Trolley for some nice views of the park.)
• Between 2-4pm – Get over to Universal. The time you get over there may depend on your priorities for what you want to do at both parks.
• Explore Diagon Alley – this is the part of Harry Potter World on the Universal side. The primary attraction is Gringotts which is a dark ride/roller coaster with 3D projections. There are also tons of interesting shops, live entertainment, interactive wand areas, and restaurants. You could spend a while here if you wanted, so keep an eye on time and your own priorities.
• Tour the rest of the park clockwise: Men in Black, Simpsons, E.T., Minions, Transformers, Jimmy Fallon, and ending with The Mummy at the end of the evening. As long as you get in line one minute before park closing, you’ll get to ride! Doing it all in one day may mean you have to skip a few things. Check out our attraction info below to pick and choose your priorities.
• IF Islands is open later, you could go back over the Islands for one more ride or two. Taking the train may take too long or be closed, so walk between the two parks. We enjoy going to Hagrid’s or Velocicoaster at the end of the night for one last ride because they are both even more exciting in the dark!

If you have 2 days with park-hopper passes to spend at Universal and Islands, some people like to have one day to focus on Harry Potter stuff, and do everything else the other day.

This will require park-to-park tickets. It can be done with or without Express Passes. We do not recommend also trying to do the Harry Potter section of EPIC Universe on the same day because the parks are not close together and the one attraction in EPIC will take up a ton of time. It’s better to have one or two days dedicated to EPIC.

Recommended Harry Potter Day Itinerary:

1. Arrive early
   Take advantage of Early Entry if you are staying at a Universal hotel. If not, arrive at the gate about 20 minutes before park opening. If you’re driving and parking, this means getting to the parking garage entrance about 40 minutes before park opening.
2. Go straight to Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure
   If you aren’t using Early Entry and don’t have Express Pass and the line is already over 2 hours, you can skip it and come back to it at the end of the night.
3. Ollivanders 
   If your kids (or you!) want to purchase an interactive wand to use around Harry Potter World, get in line for the Ollivanders Experience. Small groups will be led into the wand shop and Ollivander the wandmaker will come out do a presentation about wands and choose one person to get to go through the experience of choosing a wand (or rather the wand choosing them.) Warn your kids that they will most likely not be chosen, but it is still fun to watch. After the show, you will be led out into the shop where you can choose and purchase a wand.
4. Make some magic 
   If you have a wand, take some time to check out the interactive wand areas! These often get more crowded later in the day so doing some in the morning is best!
5. Flight of the Hippogriff
   A small kid coaster. It’s fun enough, but nothing special, so skip it if the line is more than 45 minutes (unless you have Express Pass).
6. Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
   Head toward the castle to ride the attraction inside! You’ll have to put any bags or items that aren’t inside a 3-prong fanny pack/cross-body bag into a locker (small ones are free, large ones have a fee). This attraction is awesome and one of our favorites, but it does make some people motion-sick and it does go *almost upside down (you’re really just leaned back far for a moment). If you don’t want to ride, you can still go through the queue which is part of the experience! It’s awesome to see the castle!
7. Butterbeer, Food, and Shopping
   Hop inside the Hogs Head (drinks only) or the Three Broomsticks (food and drinks) for a butterbeer and enjoy the atmosphere! You can also get butterbeer at outdoor stands, but it’s more fun to see the interiors of the restaurants and sit at a table for a nice break. If you want food, do a mobile order and have a seat and they will bring your food to you! You can also take time to explore all the shops! Honeydukes Candy Shop is a fun one!
8. Hogwarts Express
   It’s time to leave Hogsmeade and travel to Diagon Alley! Have your park-to-park ticket ready to show at the entrance to the queue. The train ride serves as both an attraction and transportation to Universal Studios. Inside the train you will be seated in a compartment that looks exactly like the movie, and the windows will show projections so you feel like you are traveling to London.
9. Welcome to London!
   When you arrive on the train, you’ll walk out of the train station and into London. Look for the Knight Bus and you can go talk to the shrunken head! Then look down the road for number 12 Grimmauld Place, the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix. If you go knock on the door, look up to the second-floor window, and Kreacher the house elf might peek out at you! (Make sure you knock on the right door. Some people knock on door 13 by mistake. It’s a good way to weed out the true Potter fans 😉 )
10. Explore Diagon Alley
    The entrance is purposely hidden from muggles, but across from the Knight Bus you’ll find the entrance to Diagon Alley. As you come around the corner, you’ll be greeted with an awesome view! Take time to take photos, watch the dragon breathe fire, stroll through shops, and do magic with your interactive wand. Be sure not to miss Knockturn Alley – home of the dark arts stores and some very cool magic wand stops.
11. Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts 
    Put your things in a free locker, then enter the awesome queue for Gringotts. You can come through the queue even if you don’t ride and see the incredible interior of Gringotts Bank. The ride itself is part coaster, part dark ride with real sets, and part 3D/screen projections. It’s very immersive and fun!
12. Food and Entertainment
    Check the app for showtimes for the two shows in Diagon Alley – Celestina Warbeck and the Banshees (singing) and The Tales of Beedle the Bard (acting). You can also order food and beverages from The Leaky Cauldron, and get some delicious and unique ice cream from Florean Fortescue’s Ice Cream Parlour.

You’ll have plenty of time to do everything you want to do if you have 2 days to spend at Islands of Adventure! Follow one of the plans above as a start, but slow it down and take time for breaks, longer meals, or do things more than once!