Harry Potter Question

I think that a lot of people like to spend time looking at the theater and all of the little updates they have made for the show. There is sort of an inordinate amount of people just milling around the theater, which makes it a little harder to just get to your seat right away, and the entry line tends to be a little long/slow. If that holds no interest to you, then you can probably show up closer to 20-30 minutes before the show and still be fine. Doesn't really apply to the second act, although people do spend a bunch of time at the stores looking at merch, etc. again, the re-entry line does take some time.

The lobby and theater are gorgeous. If you're a large enough fan to come to the show, you probably want to allow at least 10 minutes to wander around and explore. (Check out small details like the pattern on the carpet and the carvings inside the theater, in addition to the larger areas like the patronus paintings by coat check.) That's 10 minutes on top of the normal 30 minutes I like to get to the theater early to use the restroom, get a snack, find my seat, peruse the playbill, etc. But if you're not interested in looking around the theater and you're really just coming to see the show and leave, you can absolutely arrive at the theater 20 minutes before curtain and be just fine. There will be a slight line to get in, but it moves quickly. The previous poster is correct - people do seem to arrive a full hour early and mill around the lobby. That's, in my opinion, a little unnecessary.

Having seen both parts twice, I agree with the above posters. They also use metal detectors at the entrances which contributes to them asking people to arrive early. I arrived about 30 minutes prior both times (4 times entering the theatre total), and had plenty of time to use the restroom, explore the newly renovated theatre, and grab a drink!

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