Halloween Horror Nights questions, any advice please?

[annichan]

Hi everybody,

while I have been busily planning our second ever WDW trip, and first ever cruise, for the past months, I have yet failed to give too much attention to our planned first visit to Universal and Islands of Adventure this October.

Therefore, I have only just found out that there will be a thing called Halloween Horror Nights held in Universal while we are there (please don't laugh too hard at the newbie ).

I have spent the last hour reading up on what that is at all, and it sound like a great thing to do. Now, I have two questions I hope somebody can help me with:

1. Stay and Scream: I seem to understand that you can only add that option at the time you purchase your tickets. Now, I've already pre-purchased the 7-Day 2-Park tickets online they sold on the Universal website last year. Will we still be able to walk up to a booth on the day in the park and add the Stay and Scream tickets (unless sold out, of course)? The regular ticket price would be too expensive for us, really.

2. The sense of it all: We'll be two clueless Universal newbies on our first day at the park. We will spend the day seeing lots of things, having fun and getting ourselves exhausted. Then when night falls and the party starts - do you reckon it will be a good idea for us to attend at all? Or will everything be crazy busy, leaving us drifting cluelessly from one long line to another and missing all the good things? Would I kind of need a plan in hand to know in advance where to go (which haunted houses? shows? and so on) in order to be able to have fun?

Oh, and by the way, the night we are looking at is Thursday, October 28th. Bound to be horribly busy so close to Halloween? Probably certain to be sold out in advance anyway so I can forget about buying Stay and Scream tickets on the day?

Sorry if this has all been asked a hundred times, but an (albeit admittedly brief ) brief search did not really come up with what I was looking for.

 

[Metro West]

1. Stay and Scream: I seem to understand that you can only add that option at the time you purchase your tickets. Now, I've already pre-purchased the 7-Day 2-Park tickets online they sold on the Universal website last year. Will we still be able to walk up to a booth on the day in the park and add the Stay and Scream tickets (unless sold out, of course)? The regular ticket price would be too expensive for us, really.

2. The sense of it all: We'll be two clueless Universal newbies on our first day at the park. We will spend the day seeing lots of things, having fun and getting ourselves exhausted. Then when night falls and the party starts - do you reckon it will be a good idea for us to attend at all? Or will everything be crazy busy, leaving us drifting cluelessly from one long line to another and missing all the good things? Would I kind of need a plan in hand to know in advance where to go (which haunted houses? shows? and so on) in order to be able to have fun?

Oh, and by the way, the night we are looking at is Thursday, October 28th. Bound to be horribly busy so close to Halloween? Probably certain to be sold out in advance anyway so I can forget about buying Stay and Scream tickets on the day?

1. If ordering online, you must purchase both tickets at the same time. However...you can purchase the discounted HHN ticket (S & S upgrade) that day. Just go to Guest Services and you can purchase the HHN ticket there.

2. HHN is a unique experience and hopefully you will be able to do Stay & Scream that night. It allows you to stay in the park after closing so they can set up for HHN. You will get a jump on the lines by doing this. There really isn't any touring plan for HHN since everyone does their own thing. The houses have staggered opening times so you can go where you want. The show times will be posted that night so you would need to figure out which show you want to do and at what time.

October 28th will be busy so doing S & S and possibly purchasing the Express Plus pass for that night will be important. If you are uncertain if you're going to be there that night, you can call Guest Services and ask what the ticket situation is. If the tickets are plentiful, you shouldn't have a problem getting a ticket during the day. In years past if you already have your park tickets, you can purchase the S & S upgrade ahead of time and not on that night. I don't know if this has changed but if you're going to be at the park a few days early, you could purchase the HHN ticket then instead of waiting until 10/28.

 

[annichan]

1. If ordering online, you must purchase both tickets at the same time. However...you can purchase the discounted HHN ticket (S & S upgrade) that day. Just go to Guest Services and you can purchase the HHN ticket there.

2. HHN is a unique experience and hopefully you will be able to do Stay & Scream that night. It allows you to stay in the park after closing so they can set up for HHN. You will get a jump on the lines by doing this. There really isn't any touring plan for HHN since everyone does their own thing. The houses have staggered opening times so you can go where you want. The show times will be posted that night so you would need to figure out which show you want to do and at what time.

October 28th will be busy so doing S & S and possibly purchasing the Express Plus pass for that night will be important. If you are uncertain if you're going to be there that night, you can call Guest Services and ask what the ticket situation is. If the tickets are plentiful, you shouldn't have a problem getting a ticket during the day. In years past if you already have your park tickets, you can purchase the S & S upgrade ahead of time and not on that night. I don't know if this has changed but if you're going to be at the park a few days early, you could purchase the HHN ticket then instead of waiting until 10/28.

Thank you very much for your advice! We are planning to visit IOA on October 26th already, so we can try and buy the Stay and Scream ahead of time for the 28th then, if available.

 

[Uncleromulus]

Did they not have all sorts of violent behavior at this event last year???
Or was that some other Universal Halloween thing?

 

[Cdn Friends of Pooh]

Did they not have all sorts of violent behavior at this event last year???
Or was that some other Universal Halloween thing?

As Halloween Horror Nights is geared towards adults, and during the event alcohol is freely flowing, you may encounter a few over-served party goers but since we've been going (every year since 2003), we have never seen a fight break out. Not saying that it couldn't happen but Security is very visible and ready to step in to stop anything before it gets out of hand.

 

[Metro West]

Did they not have all sorts of violent behavior at this event last year???
Or was that some other Universal Halloween thing?

I don't remember anything going on last year or in the previous six years I've been going to HHN.

 

[Faline]

You go online, enter the tickets you need, then click add to cart. it will tell you to buy other tickets. Click on back to shopping. from that page, click on checkout. You will then be allowed to purchase without buying other tickets.

 

[momnum1]

Sorry to hijack your post, but someone earlier mentioned purchasing express passes for HHN... just wondering if express is necessary for this... We're thinking about going on the 31st for the first time and wondering how crowded it might be....

 

[Metro West]

Sorry to hijack your post, but someone earlier mentioned purchasing express passes for HHN... just wondering if express is necessary for this... We're thinking about going on the 31st for the first time and wondering how crowded it might be....

In the past...I've chatted with TMs who said Halloween night isn't that busy. I've never been on Halloween night but have been the day after a few years ago. You couldn't tell Halloween had passed...it was still crowded. Since you only have the one night, you should still consider the EP since you'll have a lot to do.

 

[Lizboo]

Last year was the first year me and DH went and it was just before Halloween. We did the S&S option and we were able to see 3 houses and were in line for the 4th before the others were allowed in. From there, we saw Bill and Ted and by the time we got out, the place was wall to wall people. We did a ride and headed to one more house. We did all the scarezones (which I have heard were much scarier in the past).

I so wanted to try this event as I love Halloween and horror movies. I knew it would be intense, but I had NO IDEA how intense it would be. The first house (Silent Screams) was so well done, but I screamed my head off, almost put a hole in my hubby's t shirt and almost tripped him multiple times because I was walking so close to him. One of the neatest things about being there so early is you can see the daylight in the exit when you are close to the end of the house. In the case of the first house (and usually most of them), this is where they pull out all the stops. I screamed my head off at the ushers coming from both directions.

With the next house, I let up on the death grip of hubby's t shirt, but the tunnel that started the house was so disorienting and there was so much fog, I was sick and gasping, but I did look around more and not scream as loud.

The third house was the Saw house and I had a blast. I was looking around, interacting with the pig guys and only screamed once.

Long story short, it is an amazing experience, but super intense. Did I know it was all fake? Absolutely. Did it matter? Nope. Will I do it again? I will be there in September. I am already looking forward to it and dreading it at the same time, but I know once I get one house behind me, it will be awesome. Kinda like the scary/fun thrill of a rollercoaster.

Go and have a wonderful time.

 

[momnum1]

Thanks! Since there's only two of us I think we'll get EP's for it.... One more question, is it only at US or is it at IOA too? oops, two questions, are all the rides open also? okay, three, if so does express work on the rides?

Thanks again!!!

 

[Metro West]

Thanks! Since there's only two of us I think we'll get EP's for it.... One more question, is it only at US or is it at IOA too? oops, two questions, are all the rides open also? okay, three, if so does express work on the rides?

Thanks again!!!

HHN is only in the Studios so you won't find any Halloween stuff in IOA at all. Other attractions are open but it depends on which queues are being used for the houses. Last year Revenge of the Mummy, MIB and Jaws were open and the EP DOES work for the attractions as well as the houses.

 

[CairnsGirl]

Hi all,

Just a quick question regarding the stay and scream tickets. Does it matter where you have purchased your regular day time tickets from to be able to add the stay and scream tickets?

I have purchased 7 day two park tickets through Viator.

 

[Faline]

If you do what i did in post 7 you should be fine

 

[CairnsGirl]

Thank you Farline I followed your instructions and all went through fine