Official 2023 Halloween Horror Nights 32 (Orlando)

[macraven]

I am not close to a calendar so not sure to the time frame how long you plan to sit at a table in Finnegans if you get your table at 2:45
To sit for 3 hours might not work out
since you will done eating and not there for just drinking.

Call the restaurant and check with them if that is ok or frown on how long you hold that table

When I have tied up a table in the past and have a couple hours before I move on to the holding bins, I was asked to wait outside the dining area as others have reservations waiting for their table.

Think about renting a scooter since standing for hours may be too uncomfortable with your foot.

If not a scooter, try a wheelchair as it gives you a place you won’t have to stand for a long period
there are electric and manual chairs you can rent in the park.


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[gssmks]

I am not close to a calendar so not sure to the time frame how long you plan to sit at a table in Finnegans if you get your table at 2:45
To sit for 3 hours might not work out
since you will done eating and not there for just drinking.

Call the restaurant and check with them if that is ok or frown on how long you hold that table

When I have tied up a table in the past and have a couple hours before I move on to the holding bins, I was asked to wait outside the dining area as others have reservations waiting for their table.

Think about renting a scooter since standing for hours may be too uncomfortable with your foot.

If not a scooter, try a wheelchair as it gives you a place you won’t have to stand for a long period
there are electric and manual chairs you can rent in the park.


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For those who have posted that they have stayed inside the restaurant, do you know what time their reservations are? Since 2:45 is the last available reservation time, I assumed that Finnegans stopped taking reservations after that time meaning there would be no other people coming in after us to dine. Are you saying there are later reservations available on HHN nights and that they must just be booked up?

 

[soniam]

For those who have posted that they have stayed inside the restaurant, do you know what time their reservations are? Since 2:45 is the last available reservation time, I assumed that Finnegans stopped taking reservations after that time meaning there would be no other people coming in after us to dine. Are you saying there are later reservations available on HHN nights and that they must just be booked up?

There are probably not other reservations. They tend to stop them early on HHN nights. However, they do set up a walk-up waitlist. So there will be people there waiting for a table up until they close for the evening, even after HHN starts.

 

[Skippyboo]

You still have to walk a lot to get to the houses since most are in the back stage area. I would second looking into getting a scooter. They don’t let you take the scooter inside the houses but it will save you on the walking to/from houses.

 

[tony67]

Okay...I just want confirmation from the experts who have done this before that my plans are going to work out. Keep in mind that my entire plan is built around minimizing walking/standing in lines. I have developed a medical condition with one foot, plantar fasciitis, that is minor (I do not need a wheelchair) but it will make standing and walking for long periods of time very uncomfortable for me. We are doing everything we can to reduce the number of steps that I will have to take in order to increase my chances of still enjoying HHN.

We will be at Universal Sept 17th - 23rd. We will be at HHN on the 17th and 21st. We are staying at the Hard Rock (because it's the closest resort to the parks). We have purchased Express Passes for both nights of HHN. I don't want to wait in one of the stay and scream holding areas either day because I don't want to stand there for 1-2 hours. On the 17th we have a 5:00 reservation at Toothsome and the plan is to eat and then go to the HHN entrance for resort guests. The hope is that we arrive at that entrance right at 6:30. I have two questions about this. First, does that resort guest entrance open right at 6:30? Second, is it realistic that we will finish our meal and make it to the resort guest entrance by 6:30, or should we get an earlier dinner reservation?

Then, on the 21st, we will have a day ticket to the park, but we are not concerned with doing any attractions that day because we will have at least one other full day in that park. We have made a 2:45 reservation at Finnegan's and plan to arrive at the park just in time to go straight to that reservation. That was the latest reservation that Finnegan's had available. Am I understanding the posts on here in that when we show up for that reservation and finish our dinner, we will be allowed to just sit at our table in that restaurant until HHN starts and will be released from there to get in line for one of the houses? If I am correct, do we need to tell either the person who seats us or our server that we plan to wait there after dinner for HHN to start so they will know what we are doing? No one in our party drinks alcohol. Will they expect us to be buying drinks in order to sit there that long, or can we simply just sit there? If I have completely misunderstood the Finnegan's approach, is there any way to guarantee that we will have a place inside the park to sit while we wait between 5:00 and the start of HHN? I don't care if it's in air conditioning or not.

So cant really comment too much on your plan other than they would expect you to buy drinks if you are still at the table. You can slow it by order apps first then the meal when you are done with the apps. then the dessert.
If you can snag a table in the fast food area of Simpsons that might work - Im not positive though.
When you arrive at the hotel guest entrance I would not expect anywhere to sit.

As far as plantar fasciitis check out orthofeet - they make sneakers for plantar fasciitis and the do make a difference.

Also Walk Hero makes insert you could use instead that work really well and are much more budget friendly than other inserts.
I had PF for a few months and dont suffer from it anymore just using the inserts.

My wife has it much worse and uses the inserts and now the orthofeet sneakers and sandals. I am considering a pair just for all the walking in the parks.
She finds the night splints and foot massage roller you keep in the freezer also help.
You may be able to alleviate the pain from it - especially if you be sure to wear the inserts or shoes all the time and use the splits every night.

Compression socks for plantar fasciitis also work.

 

[keishashadow]

I have developed a medical condition with one foot, plantar fasciitis, that is minor (I do not need a wheelchair) but it will make standing and walking for long periods of time very uncomfortable for me. We are doing everything we can to reduce the number of steps that I will have to take in order to increase my chances of still enjoying HHN.

ask anyone with PF, most will agree, the worst thing you can do is not continue to use the foot.

never heard of anyone needing a WC with PF, well, unless they’ve had surgery on it or tore it. It’s very common and very treatable.

Find yourself a good podiatrist who is up to date on current protocols

Most will automatically send a person to PT to get that foot in the best possible shape. This includes teaching you to learn how to use KT tape to support the foot. You could also watch YouTube videos to see the correct way to wrap

this, along with starting a conditioning program which includes “X” number of steps a Day to strengthen the foot, along with daily exercises, ultra sound treatments, weight training on legs, massages, stretches, sometimes water aerobics

if moderate to severe condition, will often recommend steroid injections, custom orthotics and refer specific models of shoes to support your foot.

Will they expect us to be buying drinks in order to sit there that long, or can we simply just sit there? If I have completely misunderstood the Finnegan's approach, is there any way to guarantee that we will have a place inside the park to sit while we wait between 5:00 and the start of HHN? I don't care if it's in air conditioning or not.

restaurants & servers rely upon turning a table over approx every hour. If you don’t order the same amount of $, you are basically stiffing them on one of their busiest nights

We used to grab a table at 4 pm, host friends and family and hold it down until the scarezone was released. we made sure to let the server know our plans and to tip double for the extra hour as well as a few rounds of drinks.

Three hours is just too much for me to sit there. Was told that is exactly why they quit taking res after 2:45 Pm.

you could enter the scarezone area early & try to grab a seat, or a curb lol. The issue in FInnegans scare zone tho is there are dedicated lines for the houses that will be open. They form before 5 pm. Doesn’t really give you much of a jump if you aren’t actually standing in one.

since you are staying onsite, why not just enter thru that guest line (near BMG). Will beat the f don’t gate crowd and get one to two houses done before the throng enters.

 

[zavandor]

I have been able to sit down on the pavement in the past while in the line in the holding pen, is it still allowed? However, 90 minutes wait under the Florida sun is tough.

 

[Skippyboo]

If you go to the Ritcher Burger stay and scream area, you can sit inside the restaurant and then get into the line closer to 5 pm. It is going to the house at Fast and Furious which is Chucky. Looking at the spec map, Exorcist and Blood Moon are probably the early entry houses for NY maybe Yeti. The 2 back by tribute store normally don’t open early.

 

[coldneverbotheredmee]

We arrive 9/7 @ 10pm, my plan was to just go to hotel (PB) and rest but I jut realized HHN is that night as well, and we have rush of fear pass, so we may stop over there and get our vacation started right! not even more excited! 26 nights until our first ever HHN!

quoting myself, this is new LOL.

so my flight lands at 10:21, will have a checked bag. Then uber to PFH to check in & drop luggage in room - what time do you think I'll be able to make it to HHN? I was thinking at gate by 12:30, does this seem realistic?

once there, should i try to get 2 houses out of the way? maybe Last of Us and Stranger things? we are also going 9/8, 9/9, 9/10 but likely won't stay all night these days and would like to spend some time in Diagon Alley and on rides as well, so without express passes thinking it may be helpful to get the bigger houses done close to closing the first night

 

[Skippyboo]

quoting myself, this is new LOL.

so my flight lands at 10:21, will have a checked bag. Then uber to PFH to check in & drop luggage in room - what time do you think I'll be able to make it to HHN? I was thinking at gate by 12:30, does this seem realistic?

once there, should i try to get 2 houses out of the way? maybe Last of Us and Stranger things? we are also going 9/8, 9/9, 9/10 but likely won't stay all night these days and would like to spend some time in Diagon Alley and on rides as well, so without express passes thinking it may be helpful to get the bigger houses done close to closing the first night

What day did you pick for your Rush of Fear pass to start? You can’t go before your chosen start date. The event goes to 2am, I would just play it by ear when you get there. They will have the wait times for the houses on the Universal app. You may be able to hit a couple of the lower wait houses in the same time spent waiting for Last of Us or Strangers Things.

 

[coldneverbotheredmee]

What day did you pick for your Rush of Fear pass to start? You can’t go before your chosen start date. The event goes to 2am, I would just play it by ear when you get there. They will have the wait times for the houses on the Universal app. You may be able to hit a couple of the lower wait houses in the same time spent waiting for Last of Us or Strangers Things.

i chose 9/1 as my start date

 

[CAPSLOCK]

It is no problem to sit for a while at Simpsons area. But as noted, if you're sitting for a while, the line is growing in the meantime. So you'd want to go to a "less popular" house upon release, rather than joining the back of the pack for a more popular house.

On the other hand, this does mean that you don't need to get to the holding area until closer to 5pm.

 

[gssmks]

There are probably not other reservations. They tend to stop them early on HHN nights. However, they do set up a walk-up waitlist. So there will be people there waiting for a table up until they close for the evening, even after HHN starts.

Thank you so much for this information. I am glad I posted. I would never have intended to take up a table for 3 hours with other people waiting and I definitely would not have intended to knock a server out of tips. I am one that always tips very generously. I just did not realize there would be a walk up waitlist that started after those 2:45 reservatons. This is my first time at Universal and first time at HHN. I honestly thought from reading the other posts that the restaurant closed during HHN and they stopped seating people earlier so that the people who were not staying for HHN could finish eating and exit the park by 5:00, and then allowed those who were staying for HHN to remain in the restaurant. Now that I know otherwise, I think I will just cancel that reservation and make one somewhere in City Walk and do the same thing on the 21st that we are planning to do on the 17th.

 

[soniam]

Thank you so much for this information. I am glad I posted. I would never have intended to take up a table for 3 hours with other people waiting and I definitely would not have intended to knock a server out of tips. I am one that always tips very generously. I just did not realize there would be a walk up waitlist that started after those 2:45 reservatons. This is my first time at Universal and first time at HHN. I honestly thought from reading the other posts that the restaurant closed during HHN and they stopped seating people earlier so that the people who were not staying for HHN could finish eating and exit the park by 5:00, and then allowed those who were staying for HHN to remain in the restaurant. Now that I know otherwise, I think I will just cancel that reservation and make one somewhere in City Walk and do the same thing on the 21st that we are planning to do on the 17th.

No problem. Even people who have been to HHN might not know. I only know, because we by chance had a later, 3:45, reservation one year. They were shocked at the podium but found it. People on the waitlist weren’t happy about, because they seated us immediately. Things can change from year to year though.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

What day did you pick for your Rush of Fear pass to start? You can’t go before your chosen start date.

If entering after midnight of 9/7, could make a solid case that the first use is indeed 9/8... I know it's not relevant but the technicality makes me happy.

I was thinking at gate by 12:30, does this seem realistic?

Even if it's not til 1am, I'd go for it if you're up to it - crowds on Thursday in Sept after midnight should pretty minimal. Can probably get at least 1 big house in, then get in line for another.

 

[keishashadow]

entering after midnight of 9/7, could make a solid case that the first use is indeed 9/8... I know it's not relevant but the technicality makes me happy.

Ditto

 

[coldneverbotheredmee]

Even if it's not til 1am, I'd go for it if you're up to it - crowds on Thursday in Sept after midnight should pretty minimal. Can probably get at least 1 big house in, then get in line for another.

Ok I'm gonna do it! even more excited now!

 

[Mrs.AMC]

If entering after midnight of 9/7, could make a solid case that the first use is indeed 9/8... I know it's not relevant but the technicality makes me happy.

true technically but I bet for the sake of their tracking the event date is still 9/7. It’s 9/7 event night from the time it opens till the time it closes even if it ends on 9/8. Make sense? Otherwise someone who buys a ticket to the night of 9/8 could claim they are allowed in at midnight on 9/8 and get 2 event entrances. I don’t see that happening

 

[keishashadow]

RE ROF, “think” i did see an option on the website when ordering to modify the start date not sure.

wouldn’t hurt to check to see if it could be moved back (online or via calling) if one has remote chance to catch tail end of HHN at beginning of their trip.

 

[macraven]

You saw it correctly Janet