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10/21 Trip Planning--Please Help!


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Greetings,

Recently, I won a pair of tickets to HHN and Universal Orlando. Having been a long time fan of UO, I have always wanted to attend the event ever since reading about HHXII: Island of Fear. Needless to say, I am beyond thrilled I finally get to experience the event...and for free!

The tickets I won grant admission for any event night, and does not require my day time passes for admission. Since I'm coming down from Raleigh, NC, I plan on using my park pass Saturday and my HHN pass Sunday night in hopes to avoid the peak night crowd.

Here's where I need help: I haven't been able to find much information regarding the Sunday night crowds. I would like to see all seven houses without the use of an express pass. My plan is to arrive to the event an hour before gates open, and hit all the houses before seeing any shows or riding any rides. I've seen various plans regarding the order of houses to do first. What would you guys recommend for a Sunday night?

Thanks for your advice!

-Ticholas

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Exactly. Definitely do the stay and scream. When 5:00pm rolls around head over by Finnegan's to the stay and scream area. You get to wait inside the park while the other day time park guests who aren't attending HHN that night leave. When they start letting you guys into HHN which is generally about 30 min before they let the people who are waiting outside the gates in head over to Silent Hill first. After that continue doing the other sound stage houses next Gothic and Dead End. The sound stage houses tend to have the longest wait times. After you do those continue heading clockwise to the next house which will be The Walking Dead. After that head over to kidzone where the Universals House of Horrors and Alice cooper houses are. Make sure you do House of Horrors first because the exit from that house will bring you right to the entrance of Alice Cooper. And when you exit Alice Cooper it will bring you right by the entrance to Penn & Teller. Saves you a little walking time doing that way. After you've been through all the houses or if one of the houses has a long wait time and you don't feel like waiting try catching the Bill and Ted show. It's always alot of fun to see. After seeing the show go back to the house or houses that you haven't been through yet. This is the direction i've been using for years and i've always been able to do all the houses in the same night. Hope this helps and you have a blast at HHN 22... :)

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Although I would like to do the Stay and Scream option, I simply cannot. I am meeting family at the parks on Saturday and they're too yellow for HHN. Also, I get an extra 3 hours for IOA versus cutting my park day short. This is why I'm doing the parks Saturday and HHN Sunday.

Another reason for splitting it up is exhaustion. I will have my girlfriend with me, and I doubt she can handle a 17 hour day at the parks. I'd like to make it through the entire night for HHN.

So, how do you recommend hitting all the houses if I am arriving from outside the gates?

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Probably safe to stick to horrorlando's plan even if coming in during normal opening. The two nights that I've gone this year the walking dead was easily the busiest house. This past Thursday the average wait time for TWD was 2 hours most of the night. The soundstage houses (silent hill, gothic, dead end) averaged an hour wait most of the night. Absolutely do the houses right away before anything else. No rides, no shows, no meal breaks. I know I sound a little militant, but it's for your own good. This time of the month (not a period joke) even the off peak nights can get busy. Also, get there early. Even though the event may officially start at 6:30, they will open it at 6 if the park sweep went quickly. The park will close at 5 which gives them plenty of time to get everyone out and give annual pass holders/stay & scream guests a head start.

Speaking of head starts, hotel guests get early access to the parks in the morning. So if you want to go to harry potter land, do yourself a favor and get to IOA at opening on saturday and just go straight there. And if there are people/signs directing you to go left/clockwise from the front of the park (port of entry) to get to Harry potter, ignore them. Go right/counter-clockwise. They can suggest, but they can't force you to go the other way. If you go all the way around clockwise past Jurassic park you may find yourself in a queue just to even get in that area, never mind the long wait time for the ride.

Congrats on winning those tickets, and hope you have a great first HHN!

Oh, and if you end up not getting to hit all the houses before the wait times get long, you might be able to get discounted express if you wait until later in the night. When I was there last time I overheard an employee telling a guest that at 10pm express dropped from $60 to $35. It should be cheaper than that on a Sunday though as initial price for express is $40. Unless they don't discount on Sundays of course.

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I really appreciate the input guys. So, I should plan on getting there early--I'm going to aim for 5:30--and hit the sound stage houses, followed by The Walking Dead, and then House of Horrors>Alice Cooper>Penn & Teller.

I was thinking about buying express, but it's $69.99+tax each. I can't justify scoring "free tickets" than spending $140+ on express. Thanks for the heads up on the discount Dave. I'll be sure to take advantage of the deal if we're having trouble knocking out the houses by 10.

Another question: Does anyone have a rough idea on show times? I hear there's a "secret" lagoon show this year too; can someone elaborate? Also, where's the best seating area for each of the shows?

Edited by Tich0las
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A few things:

1) The locals can verify/deny, but I believe both parks close at 5 PM on HHN nights, not just Studios. So you won't have the extra three hours like you referenced. At least, that was the case when I was there in 2010.

2) There are I believe three lagoon shows, one for Chucky, one for Frankenstein, and one other the escapes me at the moment. From what's been said elsewhere, I don't think there are set showtimes. If you hear thunder rumbling through the park, that means the show's about to start, and you should get your butt over to the lagoon.

3) Express for me is a MUST; especially if you won't be doing the Stay and Scream. In 2010, the Express Pass meant the difference between a 5-10 minute wait and a 60-90 minute wait. And from what I've been reading here, the lines are a lot worse this year.

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A few things:

1) The locals can verify/deny, but I believe both parks close at 5 PM on HHN nights, not just Studios. So you won't have the extra three hours like you referenced. At least, that was the case when I was there in 2010.

2) There are I believe three lagoon shows, one for Chucky, one for Frankenstein, and one other the escapes me at the moment. From what's been said elsewhere, I don't think there are set showtimes. If you hear thunder rumbling through the park, that means the show's about to start, and you should get your butt over to the lagoon.

3) Express for me is a MUST; especially if you won't be doing the Stay and Scream. In 2010, the Express Pass meant the difference between a 5-10 minute wait and a 60-90 minute wait. And from what I've been reading here, the lines are a lot worse this year.

Thanks for your response. Regarding the park hours: the closing time listed on UO's official site states IOA closes 8:00 PM on Saturday October 20.

I'll be sure to keep an ear out for thunder while I'm there. I've read the other edition of the lagoon show (and, in one reviewer's opinion, the coolest) is a Hitchcock tribute ending with Psycho.

I realize this year is worst with lines due to construction and the absence of an eighth house. Although it is not as big of an event, I was able to hit all six houses at Howl O Scream VA within two and a half hours of the event with careful planning. We avoided hour+ lines by getting there early and having a definite strategy from the start. My goal is to use a similar tactic here and save my money when it comes to express.

I have seen an "express add on" price of $35 for Sundays. However, when I look at the site, it states $69.99 for our specific night. If I could get two express passes for $35 each, I'd definitely go for it.

Edited by Tich0las
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If not doing the stay and scream be at the gates no later than 5:30 if you can get there earlier than do so. You'll be surprised how fast the lines start to build up. If your going to add an express pass you will shell out either $59.99+tax each for the 21st or $69.99+tax each for the 28th. Show times for Bill and Ted are 7:30-8:45-10:00-11:15 and the Lagoon show times happen at random throughout the night. When you hear a loud thunder crash as boogeyman 13 stated that means the lagoon show is about to start. Also something to keep in mind the last two Bill and Ted shows tend to be the ones most people go to so that would be the best times to visit the houses that you've haven't yet done. Another thing to keep in mind is between 8 and 9 is when people stop to grab a bite to eat so the wait times on the houses might go down some around that time. These are just a few things to keep in mind when you go to HHN. These tips may not seem to be alot but when only attending one night of HHN remember every little detail counts. These are just some things that i've picked up on in my 15 years of attending HHN. And one other cool tip I can give you is if it's almost closing time and you want to get in line for a couple more houses then go ahead and do so. As long as your in line for a house they can't tell you to leave... ;)

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If not doing the stay and scream be at the gates no later than 5:30 if you can get there earlier than do so. You'll be surprised how fast the lines start to build up. If your going to add an express pass you will shell out either $59.99+tax each for the 21st or $69.99+tax each for the 28th. Show times for Bill and Ted are 7:30-8:45-10:00-11:15 and the Lagoon show times happen at random throughout the night. When you hear a loud thunder crash as boogeyman 13 stated that means the lagoon show is about to start. Also something to keep in mind the last two Bill and Ted shows tend to be the ones most people go to so that would be the best times to visit the houses that you've haven't yet done. Another thing to keep in mind is between 8 and 9 is when people stop to grab a bite to eat so the wait times on the houses might go down some around that time. These are just a few things to keep in mind when you go to HHN. These tips may not seem to be alot but when only attending one night of HHN remember every little detail counts. These are just some things that i've picked up on in my 15 years of attending HHN. And one other cool tip I can give you is if it's almost closing time and you want to get in line for a couple more houses then go ahead and do so. As long as your in line for a house they can't tell you to leave... ;)

This is very helpful. Much appreciated. I found the lagoon show time schedule in another thread and added it to my trip itinerary. I'll be sure to do the same with the Bill & Ted show times. Folding and unfolding maps cuts back on haunt time.

I'll be sure to post a review of my experience next week. 5 days and counting...can't wait! :D

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i'm going to my first HHN event on thursday - 10/18 - would you guys suggest the same touring plan? i'll be in a group of 6, stay & scream is not an option and we're not currently planning on buying express passes.

I think this may be one of the busier Thursdays with a lot of counties being out of school on Friday, but I think if you stick to a plan you should be able to see everything in one night! :)

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In my opinion I would say yes. Only reason I say this is because in all the years of me going i've always got to see everything in the same night even without buying express passes. Now granted it might be very busy on Thursday because there is no school for some on Friday . So Thursday might be very crowded. Last Thursday was pretty crazy. Just get to the gates as early as possible no later than 5pm and keep moving until the event is over that night. Grab a bite to eat before you get into the park that way you don't have to stop. Remember when you head over to kidzone to do House of Horrors first and then Alice Cooper and Then Penn and Teller. Each exit will bring you to the entrance to each house in that order as I mentioned in the above posts. It will save you some walking time. And if there is time left towards the end of the night around closing time don't hesitate to jump in line for a couple more houses. If you're in line for a house they won't tell you to get out. Hope you have fun...

Edited by HORRORLANDO
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Here you go man. I think it's just for Florida residents though but you can call and find out...407-224-7840

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Edited by HORRORLANDO
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Hey Guys. Quick update: I saw how ridiculous the crowds were last night and purchased express for tonight. I'm still going o get there around 5:30 to get in quickly. Which houses are worth hitting twice? Gothic, Dead End, TWD, P&T?

Smart move! I don't go until tonight but I think Gothic would be worth a double run due to the good reviews, plus on the UTH tour I went on everyone raved about it.

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