Universal Orlando Resort - Day 1 - Islands of Adventure

It was so worth it to have the Harry Potter early access privilege (part of the on site hotel package). We were at the park shortly after 7 am and walked immediately through the attraction. By 7:30 it was a 15 min wait and shortly after 8:00, when the park opened to all guests, the line quickly jumped to an hour long. Another popular good spot to hit in the early hour is the wand shop, where the lines also grow pretty fast. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter becomes extremely crowded later in the day. The creation of the Harry Potter environment was extremely well done - it is no surprise why this is a very popular attraction. Go really early and then enjoy a nice sit down breakfast at the Three Broomsticks Cafe, before moving on to other parts of the park.

Despite not having any young children, we all enjoyed the Seuss Landing. I had to do the Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls in Toon Lagoon, as well as the water rides in Jurassic Park and Marvel Super Hero Island. While the line-ups were quite short, the express pass was helpful to bypass the long, weaving paths to the rides. Warning about the water rides - they are a lot of fun, but you will absolutely get wet. Bring a raincoat and, if its not down to your knees, an extra pair of shorts might also be required. But don't worry, in March its warm enough to dry off quickly (we didn't have rain gear .....).

We got through almost all of the park on our first day, but it was definitely a long day. We had a great finish by visiting the all-you-can-eat stir fry bar at the hotel and it was amazing. Definitely recommended !