Express Lines Not So Expressy

[atigeg]

We got Frequent Fear Plus With Express as usual this year, but the express lines were the longest I've ever seen them. I think Uiversal is still selling the same number of passes despite the fact that they're down one house.

We didn't start using Express until later in the evening because we do Stay & Scream and know our pattern, so we knocked out five of the houses in the regular lines and managed to to Walking Dead twice. Then we switched to Express and the lines were a good 15 to 25 mins. First time I've ever seen that consistently. Normally it's just the houses near Bill & Ted when it lets out.

Sure hope they cut down on the number of Express passes sold at some point. I know even half an hour isn't bad when the standby line is 75 to 90 mins. but they've gotten me too spoiled in years past with 5 to 10 mins. max.

[Grime]

It's not just how many express passes they sell though. The people that control the flow at the front of the queue have to keep a specific ratio of normal guests to express guests depending on the wait time of the normal line. Since the normal queues are so much longer this year, the express queue is suffering as well.

Source: I'm an ex-attractions attendant. We did the same thing when loading ride vehicles.

Edited September 28, 2012 by Grime

[atigeg]

Yeah, I think Express is going to be a cluster all year because of being one house down. If they sell the same number of Express passes with one house down, that screws things up already. Then, as you say, the queues for the houses are longer this year because it's the same crowd with one crowd-drawer missing, so that also makes it longer. I can't believe those queues and the walks to get to and from the houses this year. It's like some sort of hellish enforced exercise plan.

[Coast]

I'm still debating Express or not to Express myself. I'll be there on a Saturday night, so if this is true a 25 minute wait is a hell of a lot better than a 60+ minute wait! I'm still fighting myself on wether or not that 25 minute wait is worth $90.

[Troiandan]

Understood and agreed about the Express lines. It is still worth it to me to cut down the time, and we definitely appear to have crowd issues this year. But given the wait times for the regular line, I have a feeling those lines will just get longer

[AaronPaHHNFan]

I'd much rather wait 15 to 25 minutes than 75 to 90 personally.

[LV-426]

I noticed this yesterday in House of Horrors, the Express line was almost as long as the regular line at one point near the house, well, kind of near,

but yeah, I saw that

[atigeg]

For those wondering whether Express is still worth it, I'll say that if the standby lines continue to get longer this year, I'll still be glad I popped the bucks for Express. I got spoiled in past years, but if you never did Express before, you wouldn't even know it (although we did hear a lot of complaints from people around us. and I did mention it in my exit survey). The only way I wouldn't buy Express is if I did Stay & Scream and followed the pattern to hit most of the houses early, before they get lines. Yesterday we did Horror and the sprungs, Walking Dead twice, and one of the soundstages before we needed Express. That's five houses/six walk-throughs, so it would only leave you two more where you might have a long wait. We started with Horror and Alice, ran over to Walking Dead, came back to Penn & Teller (which was just opening...it's one of the late openers), and then did Dead End. I think that's the pattern we'll stick to when we do the Kid Zone holding pen.

[Dr. D]

Ive never used express. Got through every house on opening weekend with time to do the houses again.

[keeper]

Same here..never used it and always able to get everything done in one night. As long as you stay and scream and have done your homework its a piece of cake. Most years I am done with houses by 8 or 8:30. I'd rather spend my movey on a souvineer of the event.

[Mangar]

I'm not sure why anyone who lives local bothers with an express pass. On the years where I actually had multiple days to visit HHN, I'd be able to easily walk onto every single house if I was there at opening/stay and scream. Usually, I'd be able to hit every house in the park in one night, and then I'd sort of pick and choose based on interest/lines. On the odd chance one line was overly long, I'd hit it on my next visit first.

This year since I have only one day(The very last day) - I'll probably be getting one. Even if the lines are little longer then usual, 15-20 minutes Vrs 2+ Hours = An easy decision when you have only one day.

[LV-426]

Friday night I was done with the houses by 8, I did NewKD Las vegas twice, did everything just fine, if you can get early to the lines and do the first 3 houses (silent hill/gothic/ Dead end) then do Walking dead, then the rest,

but, After 8 the park was so crowded you could barely walk,

Edited September 30, 2012 by Mr. Black

[Troiandan]

I don't get nightly Express, but I do get it as part of the FFPPE. I also go early to take advantage of the shorter lines as well. But time is a factor for me, since I usually poop out pretty early, so the additional cost of express over the regular FFPP is really worth it to me. The cost is definitely tricky (I'm one of them that saves up all year for the admission), but over the course of many nights, it breaks down into a small amount per night for me, and makes a huge difference in the quality of my experience.

I think the value of Express will probably be different for each of us depending on our situations. And to try to be a little OT, as of Friday night I was still seeing some pretty bodacious lines in Express. I think both sets of queues will give us Nightmares this year

[atigeg]

For me, Express is an insurance policy. I'd probably do just fine with Stay and Scream, although this year the soundstage lines are getting long very fast. We knock out Horrors, Cooper, P&T, and Walking Dead very quickly, though. But I like seeing how many houses I can do without it, then using it to repeat favorites or to do another complete round. I never have to worry about the line lengths because, no matter what, I know Express will always get me one complete round.

[Jakemeister]

Waited a bit longer for P&T than I realistically should have last night. A lot of the back ups was due to lack of efficiency while checking express passes at the check points.

[Goo]

I waited like 20 minutes for cooper last night. I was not happy. They weren't letting enough of the express pass holders in at a time from I understand. There was literally a line of people starting just outside the barney entrance.

[YourPallbearer]

You got royally screwed considering the regular line for Cooper fluctuated between 10 to 20 minutes throughout the night.

Express Pass was a waste last night (Friday the 12th) I thought. Got every house done by 7:30pm (and SILENT HILL twice) without it.

It's a question of getting their early and having the employees let you in a half hour before the event is supposed to start if you're lucky.

Last night the event was supposed to begin at 6:30. I was let in by 6:05.

The park did become rather crowded by around 9 but it wasn't unbearable.

Got to hit HOUSE OF HORRORS, DEAD END and GOTHIC a second time (and COOPER 3 times before the closing of the park and my group sat around and did nothing for about 90 minutes in between all that.

Edited October 14, 2012 by YourPallbearer

[Kimber]

If you get to the event early enough, or wait in the Stay and Scream areas, you can see all the houses before 8 pm with less than a 15 minute wait for each. The majority of the people come after 8 pm as the parking is cheaper then...

[blacklagoontaylor]

hmm this is kind of making me regret buying my express passes for the 21st, which is a Sunday. I was told it was cheaper for UCF students that day by a friend who attends UCF so I figured it would be worth it, but I've never been on a Sunday since I started going. Hopefully it's worth it at some point of the night.

[Tich0las]

hmm this is kind of making me regret buying my express passes for the 21st, which is a Sunday. I was told it was cheaper for UCF students that day by a friend who attends UCF so I figured it would be worth it, but I've never been on a Sunday since I started going. Hopefully it's worth it at some point of the night.

I'm going on the 21st and am on the fence about Express as well. My original justification was to save money, show up early, and have a plan (which I do). However, I only have one night for HHN--without Stay and Scream--and want to see everything and some. I'd hate to spend $150 for express, only to realize it's unnecessary.

Edited October 16, 2012 by Tich0las

[LV-426]

Express Pass was a waste last night (Friday the 12th) I thought. Got every house done by 7:30pm (and SILENT HILL twice) without it.

It's a question of getting their early and having the employees let you in a half hour before the event is supposed to start if you're lucky.

Last night the event was supposed to begin at 6:30. I was let in by 6:05.

The park did become rather crowded by around 9 but it wasn't unbearable.

Got to hit HOUSE OF HORRORS, DEAD END and GOTHIC a second time (and COOPER 3 times before the closing of the park and my group sat around and did nothing for about 90 minutes in between all that.

the thing I cannot understand, at all, is why Use the express pass when the line says 5 or 10 minutes, I Have seen people do this. I have seen people use their express when the line was 10 minutes, it always makes me think Wouldn't it be better if they did the regular line and used the express pass later at night when the lines are longer? is it just me?

Edited October 16, 2012 by Mr. Black

[blacklagoontaylor]

I'm going on the 21st and am on the fence about Express as well. My original justification was to save money, show up early, and have a plan (which I do). However, I only have one night for HHN--without Stay and Scream--and want to see everything and some. I'd hate to spend $150 for express, only to realize it's unnecessary.

I think you should be fine, I just can't get there early enough for stay and scream due to work conflicts, so my express pass is kind of an insurance plan.