Freak Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 Last year, I was blessed with the privilege of being able to go to HHN 20 last year since we won free plane tickets that were randomly given to us on a flight. Now, after consideration, I'm thinking of possibly flying out to Orlando just for the weekend this October just to attend HHN 21. If I still habve the finances, I might try to do this every year and go to both coasts. Now my question: Does UO offer any sort of hotel packages for going to HHN and staying at one of their hotels for two nights (Friday and Saturday night, then leave on Sunday)? Did they offer such a thing last year (I went with my family on a week-long trip last year and we stayed at a hotel outside of Universal that time)? It would just be nice to save some money on renting a car and buying gas. Also, is there some sort of shuttle that will be able to transport me from Orlando Int'l to Universal Orlando and back, or would it be better to rent a car? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
traveller Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 (edited) For a 2 night stay at one of the onsite hotels the only discounts would be aph or aaa, which for the 1st couple of weekends are pretty sweet for aph holders. The Royal Pacific is $169.00 weekends, $139.00 weekdays. not to mention ticket discounts. As fo the gory getaway packages, or any other package deals , its usally cheaper to book it seperately. Experience it all with: 3-Night accommodations at a Universal Partner Hotel 2-Day Base Ticket** to both Universal Orlando theme parks – one theme park, per day Early Park Admission*** to Islands of Adventure before the rest of the general public 1-Night admission^ to Halloween Horror Nights Access to live entertainment^^ venues at Universal CityWalk® One 5”x7” souvenir photograph This was taken from last years gory getaway , They start at $299.00 per person plus tax. I belive it would be cheaper to book everything seperate, especially if there is more than one going(split the room cost.) about the shuttle: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2715630 Edited May 13, 2011 by traveller Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombieman Posted May 14, 2011 Share Posted May 14, 2011 (edited) Freak, As you know, I take the yearly trip you hope to start this year. If you are hoping to save a car rental by staying at USO, think again. The on-site hotels cost so much $$, all the money you save on a car wil be spent on the room (and then you'll be captive). If you want to stay nearby, you have 2 options: 1) There are a TON of super-cheap hotels on International Blvd. This is close, but not a fun walk (at least 20 min). 2) There are a bunch of slightly higher priced hotels right across the street, on Caravan Court. These are about 10-15 min walk. By Google Maps, they look really close, except you need to walk around Universal's massive parking structures. Even if you stay far away and drive in, the walk from the parking structure is formidable. I recommend the 2nd option. I've stayed at the La Quinta (about $50 a night), and the Hyatt Place (about $120 a night). There's also a Doubletree and I think a Ho-Jo also. Book at least 6 weeks in advance, as rooms start to sell out and prices start to rise. If possible, make sure your reservation can be cancelled. Many nearby hotels offer shuttles to Universal, BUT the departure and pickup times can vary like crazy, and the final pickup may be surprisingly early and inconvenient. Remember that some of these shuttles service half a dozen hotels, so your trip to and fro may be very indirect. Things to consider about not getting a car: 1) You'll need to take a cab or shuttle to/from the airport. That's going to cost at least $30 each way. It's quite far. 2) Walking to the event from a nearby hotel is no big deal. Walking back at 1AM when you're dog tired and it's humid as hell is another thing entirely... 3) Shuttle/cab/walking will take longer than you think. You might not make it to HHN the first night before it opens. However, if you do get a car, you're looking at $15 for parking each night and plan on a 20 minute drive back to your hotel (even if it's across the street). The way I always plan my trip is to take the 1st plane out of LAX on Southwest. Book very early and you'll get amazing fares. (Remember, October is a very slow season in Orlando, so booking around early Aug yields great fares). This flight will stop in LAS, and arrive in MCO around 4:30. That's just enough time to pick up your car, drive to Orlando, check into the hotel, get to the USO kiosks to print your tickets, and still get in when the gates open early. If you fly out on a Fri, or back on a Sun, your fare will be very high. Better to fly out on a less popular day (out on Thurs and back on Sat morning or Mon morning). If you're there for 2 nights, I think your best plan of action is as follows: Day 1: * Fly to MCO * Get your car, check in to hotel, then drive directly to HHN * Hotel in Orlando Day 2: * Attend a morning Unmasking the Horror tour at USO! (and stay a few hours FREE in USO - they never escort you out...) * Around 3:30pm, drive to Tampa (1 hour drive) * Go to HOS * Drive back to Orlando * Catch a couple hours sleep in your Orlando hotel Day 3: * Fly back home Unlike HHN, HOS is perfectly FINE to attend on a Fri or Sat. If you do the Fright Feast, you'll get a wristband that will get you into every house at least two times before the event even opens. Then enjoy the event at your convenience and take it all in. Couple this with a NON_PEAK night at HHN (with a lower priced Express pass) and you've got a fairly economical trip that will net you about 16 houses, plus a lights-on tour of a couple of houses. Realistically, you're still looking at: $30 LAX shuttle or airport parking $300 Round Trip LAX-MCO $120 2 nights Hotel $80 2-day car rental $45 gas $150 HHN (Ticket, Express pass, Event Shirt) $50 UTH tour at USO $100 HOS (Ticket, Feast, Event Shirt) $25 HOS Upcharge house ticket (i.e. "Alone") ----- $900 <-- That's a lot of cash for 2 days (and doesn't even include food!), but you get the most intense Halloween experience possible. As you will eventually find out - vacationing ain't cheap. Transportation costs are what most people fret over, but they account for a quite small piece of the overall bill. The trip I outlined is an a'la carte package; everything is purchased separately. Often, Expedia or Kayak can shave a hundred here and there if you book air, hotel and car in one shot. You'll almost definitely get the car essentially free. Play around with it and see what you can find. If you're renting a car, then proximity of the hotel is less of an issue. Keep in mind that those package deals are almost never refundable and changing them is a royal pain. Also, you NEED to get the first flight out of California to arrive in Orlando with time to get to HHN. You are looking at at least 10 hours travel time for air, rental car, driving and time change. Count backwards - to arrive at HHN by 6 PM, you need to leave LAX by 8 AM. Unless you get a direct flight, your options are slim. EDIT: About those "Gory Getaway" packages... They seem reasonable until you read that the price is PER PERSON, based on double occupancy. That means if you are travelling alone, you get to pay double. Understandibly, they want you captive at the resort for at least 2 days. Edited May 14, 2011 by zombieman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freak Posted May 14, 2011 Author Share Posted May 14, 2011 Thanks for the info both of you! BTW, I'm 18 years old so I don't think I can rent a car until I'm 21, putting Howl-O-Scream out of the equation. It looks a like a really good event (Especialy with Alone), but my plan is only to stay on the Universal Orlando property for the weekend. I'm going to be taking some college classes during the Fall so flying out there on Friday and then coming back on Sunday will be the only logical option for me. I'd rather not try to rush and go straight from the airport, to the hotel, then rush to get to HHN and try to cram everything into one weekend. I plan on just relaxing the night I arrive and then maybe spend the day at Islands and then go straight to HHN. As for Transportation, we stayed at the Crowne Plaza on Universal Blvd. last year and it was a really nice place. They provide shuttle to-and-from Universal and I think I can find a shuttle to and from the airport. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombieman Posted May 14, 2011 Share Posted May 14, 2011 (edited) I'd rather not try to rush and go straight from the airport, to the hotel, then rush to get to HHN and try to cram everything into one weekend. I plan on just relaxing the night I arrive and then maybe spend the day at Islands and then go straight to HHN. You're 18 and you want to relax? Remember that when you're 40 with kids, have no time to relax, and wonder why you didn't do more when you were 18... If you're spending a lot of dough on a two day trip, pack as much as you can into it. Try your best to hit HHN Friday night - it will be open till 2. BTW, I'm planning for my trip to be the weekend of the 7th this year. Beat Hell Week and the crowds that will follow. We should see when DTH will be going and try to meet up. Edited May 14, 2011 by zombieman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freak Posted May 14, 2011 Author Share Posted May 14, 2011 You're 18 and you want to relax? Remember that when you're 40 with kids, have no time to relax, and wonder why you didn't do more when you were 18... If you're spending a lot of dough on a two day trip, pack as much as you can into it. Try your best to hit HHN Friday night - it will be open till 2. BTW, I'm planning for my trip to be the weekend of the 7th this year. Beat Hell Week and the crowds that will follow. We should see when DTH will be going and try to meet up. I'm probably going to go on the eighth or something. DTH is going to be in Orlando this year? Really? Awesome! Does Saturday really end at an earlier time? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombieman Posted May 15, 2011 Share Posted May 15, 2011 I'm probably going to go on the eighth or something. DTH is going to be in Orlando this year? Really? Awesome! Does Saturday really end at an earlier time? I happened to meet DTH while leaving the park one night last year. I overheard two people talking about "what a disaster DCA was". Being from So Cal, that could only mean one topic. I struck up a conversation and The Vault and HNN quickly came up. What a small world! Fri and Sat are open till 2AM. Since you were most lilely arriving on a Fri, my suggestion was by all means to hit HHN, since it's open late that night anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jakemeister Posted May 15, 2011 Share Posted May 15, 2011 I'd consider going that Friday even if only for a couple hours. There was multiple times last year where I got off work and was just like...hmm...it's 10 I could still go to HHN for about 4 hours. Worse comes to worse you could get there at opening. Do Stay and Scream and probably knock all the houses out by 10ish and leave after your done. Then just go hang out in Citywalk or retire for the night at your hotel. You can do a lot more in 4 hours than people really realize. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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