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@Buckeye posted on my Hagrid's thread that he found express pass waits were about 1/3 of standby. Does anyone have experience with express at Epic? Approximately how much time it saves over standby?

10:51am on 4/1/26 by PrincipalTinker

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I'm not sure it was that busy when we were there on March 29th and we didn't use it on Battle. But saved us way more then 1/3 on mine cart, Mario cart, curse, hiccups. Didn't use express on Yoshis, Frye drill, carousel or battle(wish we had). Dragons.....

11:54am on 4/1/26 by clyde4242

Racer doesn't have express and wasn't needed on stardust or monsters. It saves a lot of time on those 4 rides and I'm sure it does battle as well but they are very expensive

11:57am on 4/1/26 by clyde4242

Guess I don't really directly answer ur question. Saved probably an hour on mine cart and Mario kart. Probably 40 minutes on werewolf and hiccups. Have fun

1:24pm on 4/1/26 by clyde4242

Thanks!

2:53pm on 4/1/26 by PrincipalTinker

We've had expressed there a couple of times and it really is extremely helpful. Some of the rides aren't as bad like monsters moves pretty quickly, but it really helps for ministry of magic. Mine cart and Mario are pretty much any of the long wait rides.

8:22pm on 4/1/26 by Buckeye86

Or pretty

8:23pm on 4/1/26 by Buckeye86

We still find mine cart to be probably one of the most painful weights. It feels like the line never moves even with express. It is definitely the one ride I would not try single rider for. I don't know why, but that line doesn't look like it ever moves a

8:23pm on 4/1/26 by Buckeye86

Waits

8:23pm on 4/1/26 by Buckeye86

@clyde why not use it in Battle? Is there a portion of the queue you miss with express? Or were you saving it for a second ride?

9:55pm on 4/1/26 by SusannaBee

@SusannaBee..... Ministry opened delayed, we finished Nintendo world and it had just opened to a 45 minute wait. I thought we have all day and I didn't want to miss any of the queue, so we took our chances it would t be too long. It was only 75 minutes...

3:52pm by clyde4242

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But we never went back so saving it backfired. And I will say towards the end of the day the wait came way down. Park closed at 9 and probably from 7 on it was 30 minutes or less.

3:53pm by clyde4242

This might help. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DWUXMyGibQH/?igsh=cjFyc2tpZGxqNzBo

5:14pm by Buckeye86

You may miss a part of the queue using EP depending how they have it routed but the part u miss is worth an extra 2 hour wait. The last time we went u didn't miss it but a different time it was a slightly different route.

5:15pm by Buckeye86

Hello at Toadstool Cafe is that correct that reservations open up day of and you have to have a reservation, even though it is quick service?

8:31pm on 4/1/26 by ICONTROLWDW

I think I figured it out that's Hollywood but please verify.

8:45pm on 4/1/26 by ICONTROLWDW

I have been watching dining videos and none have said anything about reservations for Toadstool.

7:36am by PrincipalTinker

If Forbidden Journey makes one ill, is Battle of the Ministry off the table?

11:57am on 3/27/26 by cpowers

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Ok with Hagrids and Velisicoaster, but Forbidden does me in!

12:00pm on 3/27/26 by cpowers

Felt less sick with Ministry than Forbidden Journey. Can just barely do sim rides. Thankfully the ride is over before bad things happen. Monsters Unchained is the best & least queasy for me.

4:24pm on 3/27/26 by urbyq

I'm hoping to get dmil/fil on Battle. They can do SpiderMan - once- prob won't do FJ again. Def not big coasters but we'll make them try hagrids...

5:13pm on 3/27/26 by hodg

And how is monsters unchained on the same scale?

5:28pm on 3/27/26 by hodg

FJ is by far the worst for motion sickness of the HP rides IMO. Ministry is not as bad but I had to shut my eyes for some bc of the moving elevator zooming around on the screen. It definitely can make a person sick. Monsters was less so. For me it is way

9:31pm on 3/27/26 by Buckeye86

Better for motion. The difference is that while arm/car you ride in is very similar, Monsters does not have a bunch of virtual screens. It's mostly "real" things to look at so u don't get that VR motion which does me in. I'd take monsters over the other

9:33pm on 3/27/26 by Buckeye86

2 any day for motion.

9:33pm on 3/27/26 by Buckeye86

Maybe we shld save MoM for day 2 so dfil doesn't reduce to ride it. Not that he ever opens his eyes on these things.

9:33am on 3/28/26 by hodg

Refuse

9:33am on 3/28/26 by hodg

Even if u don't find it you can walk a good portion of the queue. You miss a bit of it but it is worth seeing what you can and there hasn't been a wait to just walk it. The queue is better than the ride IMO.

8:37am on 3/31/26 by Buckeye86

For some rides I just wait with my family and bail when it's time to board. You could do that as well sometime ride and some don't but everyone is together and sees the whole thing.

8:38am on 3/31/26 by Buckeye86

*Some ride and some don't

8:38am on 3/31/26 by Buckeye86

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I cannot do FJ, with or without motion sickness meds. I had a touch of the queasiness on MoM. No queasiness on MU at all. I can ride everything else in all parks with motion sickness meds.

5:11am on 4/1/26 by ladyortramp

My husband rode MOM no problem cannot ride FJ

10:22am on 4/1/26 by snelvis

Now that's what I call a close-knit family!

11:47pm on 4/1/26 by Fatty McButterpants

We have universal attraction assistance pass how can we include that info as we are planning our day at epic?

9:45pm on 4/1/26 by pbjbylund

We just purchased our annual passes online (paid in full) for a trip in July. Is it correct that I cannot get a discounted epic ticket until they are activated?

9:40am on 3/28/26 by mmmartin

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@sneezy, thank you for the suggestion, but three months added onto the annual pass couldn't be passed up! So we decided to just go with a one day ticket.

1:27pm on 4/1/26 by mmmartin

Oh I meant we had APs but wanted Epic. I bought three 1 day AP discounted tix to epic but then realized I could save about $50-75 to switch to a 3 park 1 park per day ticket instead :) they let me do that!

6:46pm on 4/1/26 by sneezy93

Ours was a 3 day ticket so if the 3 park ticket was cheaper for your dates you would be able to purchase that now and it can be used for Epic every day.

6:49pm on 4/1/26 by sneezy93

Also, just for information sake not complaining but the annual passholder lounge at Universal Islands of adventure just seems to be a horrified gift shop. There's no snacks, sodas, etc. there are seats and honestly, I didn't even see places for charging.

2:52pm on 3/31/26 by snelvis

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I didn't know they got rid of them. We walked the entire way around the park because with construction Jurassic Park from hogmede is closed. I told my kids we are getting this.

6:08pm on 3/31/26 by snelvis

Also replying so people know that way is closed. I think that's why hogsmede seems so packed. Only one way in and out

6:44pm on 3/31/26 by snelvis

You know there is a walkway and a gate by the FJ lockers that brings you out right by Jurassic snack stand

5:05pm on 4/1/26 by clyde4242

Universal studios opened at 850

8:52am on 3/31/26 by snelvis

FUN!!!!!!!!!! HAVE A GREAT DAY!

9:40am on 3/31/26 by browndalmatian

Thanks we had a great time now. Headed back to the hotel to rest.

2:51pm on 3/31/26 by snelvis

Any intel on the drained lagoon fountain? Wondering if anyone is seeing work done or what...

8:55pm on 3/29/26 by SusannaBee

I didn't see any eork yesterday

6:55am on 3/30/26 by snelvis

Wed, 3/25 there was water in the fountain between Darkmoor & Potter. Access Hollywood was filming in front of it. Then 3/26 it was drained. I had to ask my teen to confirm there was water day before. No sign of work being done.

11:58pm on 3/30/26 by urbyq

Hm. I wonder if this is just very temporary. We go April 19 and I would love to see the full show! Or maybe they are adding something special

1:08pm on 3/31/26 by SusannaBee

Epic universe day. Arrived at 6:55 gates closed around 30 people here max I'll update as we go.

6:57am on 3/29/26 by snelvis

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Through main gate at entry gates at 705. Only 10 people cut us off

7:05am on 3/29/26 by snelvis

Through security at 7:17 at ticket gates

7:17am on 3/29/26 by snelvis

Through admission at 7:30 stopped at 7:36 before can enter worlds. We are now probably behind 200 people but I refuse to run and push.

7:37am on 3/29/26 by snelvis

Speech to open gates 7:50.

7:50am on 3/29/26 by snelvis

Stopped before ride. Through portal 7:56

7:56am on 3/29/26 by snelvis

Single file land probably 500 people in front of us. Now stopped outside

8:05am on 3/29/26 by snelvis

Waiting to load

8:28am on 3/29/26 by snelvis

Off around 845. Did both dark universe rides and to crepe at 940. Didn't use express passes yet. BOM my least favorite of all Potter rides.

9:47am on 3/29/26 by snelvis

Breakfast at cafe L'air. Ham sandwich large enough to sit and fruit was great.

10:54am on 3/29/26 by snelvis

Nice. We entered thru Helios with plan to hit Battle but 5 minutes before opening it went delayed so we rushed like everyone else to Mine cart and waited around 70 minutes and saved our express.

10:58am on 3/29/26 by clyde4242

Enough to share ! Thought I'd just update my day as we go along so people know what to expect. It seems like if you entered from Helios they made you walk around a fair distance instead of going straight to the Potter portal

11:04am on 3/29/26 by snelvis

Thanks for sharing. Would be interested if you could share any more you see/hear on RD from Helios, we'll be doing this in July and haven't seen much on how it works!

11:16am on 3/29/26 by NTEI

We were at Stella nova. I just saw the Helios people coming in and it seemed as if there wasn't a great advantage.

11:51am on 3/29/26 by snelvis

Also hiccups winged gliders was great ! Slinky dogesque but 2 xs as long. Better than MOM IMO.

12:02pm on 3/29/26 by snelvis

I think Helios would have an advantage to Dark Universe and Wizarding World and main gate would have advantage at Isle and Nintendo with all things being equal(same release time). We were probably 15 people back at Helios and raced to mine cart. 70 minute

1:21pm on 3/29/26 by clyde4242

Wait

1:21pm on 3/29/26 by clyde4242

Bowser's challenge was 35 minutes for express. Not worth it.

1:37pm on 3/29/26 by snelvis

Took a break Nintendo land was too much!! Now back at park for night dark universe

8:25pm on 3/29/26 by snelvis

In summary epic theming is amazing. In general my family DH 54 DD18 and DS 16 prefer the original parks.

6:54am on 3/30/26 by snelvis

Thanks for the report!

10:46am on 3/30/26 by PrincipalTinker

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Welcome. Also it's packed today at islands. The bartender said 33 k in park.

11:28am on 3/30/26 by snelvis

Thanks for sharing. Do you think the express passes were needed?

8:58pm on 3/30/26 by kateschmidt

If there are crowds EP is worth its weight in gold. Spring break can be jam packed depending when your go.

8:32am on 3/31/26 by Buckeye86

Hi- Your crowd levels and wait times have been very off. I wouls like to requeat a full recund and to cancel my subscription please

9:51pm on 3/30/26 by seguel.m@yahoo.com

You may want to go to the touring plans website for assistance from the company. This is mostly people like you who just share and ask info.

8:28am on 3/31/26 by Buckeye86

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