Finnegans before HHN

DCTooTall

<MARQUEE BEHAVIOR=ALTERNATE><img src=http://www.em
Joined
Apr 24, 2008
Ok,

So this is the first time I've done this, so I wanted to get some input from those experienced to see if I should adjust my plans.

I'll be attending HHN on 10/24 (thursday... looks like it may be a hell week :sad2: ) this year, and will be bringing with me my fiance (my wife at the time of HHN) for her first HHN experience.

To try and make the S&S holding period more enjoyable, and to get some food and pre-HHN liquid courage into her, I decided we might as well do dinner at Finnegan's during S&S holding period. I just made my reservation via Opentable for 4:30pm. For those of you who've done Finnegans in past years, do you think the 4:30 reservation would be sufficient to allow us a decent meal and wait period without a lot of stress or headaches? Or should i maybe move the reservation up a bit more before park close to give us more pre-rush time to eat (and get our table)?
 
my ressies at finnegans prior to hhn is about 5:00.

at that time, you have to show your hhn ticket in order to be seated.


you can easily have a meal and drinks and out by 6ish.
if it is just the 2 of youse, it can be done.



i have done earlier ressies there prior to hhn, maybe 4:15....4:30.


problem is with the earlier times, when you're done, it is difficult just to sit at the table while others are waiting to be seated.

you end up going outside and waiting for the release for hhn then.


(like we did last year)
 
I don't eat at Finnegan's prior to HHN...my ritual is Louie's and then the holding area. I don't want to take a chance of getting stuck in there with a waiter/waitress who's either too slow or too busy and I miss when the holding area is released.
 
DC - my wife and I do exactly as you're planning every night we go to HHN. We've always had plenty of time to finish and pay before they released us.
 


We made our ressie at 4 last year and we were waiting for awhile outside. We really didn't even need a reservation, half the restaurant was empty! But like Mac said, we tried sitting at our table for a little bit longer after we paid but there were a lot of people waiting to get seated. This year I think I am going to make ours for 4:30.
 
Wow, great tip:thumbsup2 We are new to the HHN thing (and only do UO every decade or so ~ haven't been since 2008) so I'm keeping a close eye on this board.

I made 4:45 reservations for the six of us on Thursday, 10/10. What is the holding area and do you think this is an appropriate time for this reservation? Did I read somewhere that the haunted houses will be available 6-7 pm only to people who were in the park for the day and purchased HHN tickets?
 
I made 4:45 reservations for the six of us on Thursday, 10/10. What is the holding area and do you think this is an appropriate time for this reservation? Did I read somewhere that the haunted houses will be available 6-7 pm only to people who were in the park for the day and purchased HHN tickets?
The holding area is where people who have HHN tickets for that night and were able to enter the park before it closed wait until approximately 6PM when they are released into the park. The advantage is you can get a much needed jump on the houses and the general public. The outside gates will open for the general public at 6:30PM...sometimes a few minutes early depending on if they've cleared the day guests out ahead of schedule. There is no exclusive access from 6-7PM for anyone. The holding areas are released at 6PM and the general public is allowed to enter at 6:30PM.
 


So its exclusive access from 6:00-6:30 is the way I read that:confused3

Also, what time does the park generally close after HHN? Just wondered if we still wanted to get there at opening if we'd be there very late...
 
So its exclusive access from 6:00-6:30 is the way I read that:confused3

Also, what time does the park generally close after HHN? Just wondered if we still wanted to get there at opening if we'd be there very late...
People who are in the holding area are released into the park early to start touring the houses. Several houses are open early depending on which holding area you are in. I don't think of it as exclusive access considering the park is still technically closed until 6:30PM but whatever. ;)

The park closes after HHN any where from midnight to 2AM depending on the night of the week. Weekends (Friday/Saturday) close later than Thursday/Sunday but those can change depending on the crowd level.
 


i have done earlier ressies there prior to hhn, maybe 4:15....4:30.


problem is with the earlier times, when you're done, it is difficult just to sit at the table while others are waiting to be seated.

you end up going outside and waiting for the release for hhn then.


(like we did last year)

That's not necessarily a bad thing. If you really want to get a jump on HHN, I advise being over by the side street near Transformers by 5:45. You want to be in that initial crowd that rushes to the first house.
 
Wow, great tip:thumbsup2 We are new to the HHN thing (and only do UO every decade or so ~ haven't been since 2008) so I'm keeping a close eye on this board.

I made 4:45 reservations for the six of us on Thursday, 10/10. What is the holding area and do you think this is an appropriate time for this reservation? Did I read somewhere that the haunted houses will be available 6-7 pm only to people who were in the park for the day and purchased HHN tickets?

We went that week last year and both nights they opened the S&S gate at 5:45 instead of 6. Who knows if they'll do it again this year, but it may be something to consider when making your reservation! Plus you never know how packed it will be and you don't want to be waiting on your waiter to bring you the bill when the gates are opening! :goodvibes
 
We went that week last year and both nights they opened the S&S gate at 5:45 instead of 6. Who knows if they'll do it again this year, but it may be something to consider when making your reservation! Plus you never know how packed it will be and you don't want to be waiting on your waiter to bring you the bill when the gates are opening! :goodvibes
I think they opened the holding area gates early because of the crowds. I've never seen so many people in the holding areas as I did last year.
 
Last year we did pretty much what you are planning. 4:30 ressie, eight of us, we ate, did a beer flight, even did a meet and greet with Mac, then went outside into the crowd. I believe we were released about 5:50, this on a Sunday evening, and managed to do three houses before the masses crushed out the rest of our night (didn't have Express Passes - might want to consider them).

Still, we had a blast. Nothing like HHN - anywhere.
 
I think they opened the holding area gates early because of the crowds. I've never seen so many people in the holding areas as I did last year.

Yeah, there was quite a crowd, so we were happy when they opened early! With the extra 15 minutes and tips from the dis, we had finished all the houses by 8:30, and with no express pass! :thumbsup2
 
We ate at Finnegan's last year a bit later than that and had plenty of time. There was luckily just the two of us because the place was pretty full and we didn't have reservations. There were only a few two person tables left when we came in.

I ate lightly because I'm always too keyed up to be hungry. It was good.
 

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