Columbus Day Crowds?

[iluvpluto27]

Hi, hopefully someone can help.

How busy does Universal/IOA get on Columbus day weekend? We'll be there the Friday, Sunday and Monday of Columbus day weekend and wondering what to expect crowd wise?

We'll be staying on site so will have express pass, but last time we visited it was september so we never waited more than 10 minutes with express. Is that likely to be the case this weekend?

Thanks

 

[ky07]

Hi, hopefully someone can help.

How busy does Universal/IOA get on Columbus day weekend? We'll be there the Friday, Sunday and Monday of Columbus day weekend and wondering what to expect crowd wise?

We'll be staying on site so will have express pass, but last time we visited it was september so we never waited more than 10 minutes with express. Is that likely to be the case this weekend?

Thanks

Since it will be the weekend it can get very busy but I think since your staying onsite and will have the unlimited express pass you will be fine and the only ride I would worry about would be the simpsons cause I heard the express pass line can get up to a 30 min wait but if you hit that one first then you will be fine

 

[Metro West]

Since it will be the weekend it can get very busy but I think since your staying onsite and will have the unlimited express pass you will be fine and the only ride I would worry about would be the simpsons cause I heard the express pass line can get up to a 30 min wait but if you hit that one first then you will be fine

Agreed!

 

[iluvpluto27]

Thanks for your help. If we were to go to HHN on the Sunday night do you know if that will be really crowded due to the Monday being columbus day? Is it still likely to be quieter than the Friday/Saturday of that weekend?

 

[Metro West]

If we were to go to HHN on the Sunday night do you know if that will be really crowded due to the Monday being columbus day? Is it still likely to be quieter than the Friday/Saturday of that weekend?

Probably...I would suggest sticking to an offpeak night but Sundays are considered offpeak. But...with the holiday on Monday it's gonna be pretty busy...Express Plus passes are the way to go.

 

[iluvpluto27]

Thanks Metro. We will have the express passes. We went opening night last year and with the express passes our longest wait was 10 minutes, I hope it's not too busy.

On a busy night what's the wait normally like with express?

 

[Metro West]

Thanks Metro. We will have the express passes. We went opening night last year and with the express passes our longest wait was 10 minutes, I hope it's not too busy.

On a busy night what's the wait normally like with express?

On a busy night with Express...I would guess 15-20mins or so. It depends on the house and how popular it is. I'll be there opening night again this year!

 

[macraven]

i have gone the columbus day weekend the last four years, counting five for the columbus day trip for 08.

i too stay on site and do not encounter the crowds in the line due to fotl.

sunday has grown for hhn over the past years.
it is no longer a quiet night for it.

saturdays are very crowded on that weekend.

monday usually does not get crowded until about 1 in the afternoon.


i check in on the thursday of that weekend and find that night one of the lesser crowd evenings for hhn.

crowds do not build in the daytime until around 3ish. people that do the stay and scream area are already in place then.
others come to the park for the rides until closing time at 5 and hit city walk for a dinner before coming to hhn that evening.

the first 2 weekends for hhn are the lightest.
columbus day weekend this year will be weekend 3 and will have more crowds.

 

[tlinus]

Hi, hopefully someone can help.

How busy does Universal/IOA get on Columbus day weekend? We'll be there the Friday, Sunday and Monday of Columbus day weekend and wondering what to expect crowd wise?

We'll be staying on site so will have express pass, but last time we visited it was september so we never waited more than 10 minutes with express. Is that likely to be the case this weekend?

Thanks

we were there columbus day week in 06 - with FOTL we never had an issue.

hope to make HHN one of these years Even though I would be screaming like a baby

 

[iluvpluto27]

i have gone the columbus day weekend the last four years, counting five for the columbus day trip for 08.

i too stay on site and do not encounter the crowds in the line due to fotl.

sunday has grown for hhn over the past years.
it is no longer a quiet night for it.

saturdays are very crowded on that weekend.

monday usually does not get crowded until about 1 in the afternoon.


i check in on the thursday of that weekend and find that night one of the lesser crowd evenings for hhn.

crowds do not build in the daytime until around 3ish. people that do the stay and scream area are already in place then.
others come to the park for the rides until closing time at 5 and hit city walk for a dinner before coming to hhn that evening.

the first 2 weekends for hhn are the lightest.
columbus day weekend this year will be weekend 3 and will have more crowds.

Thanks that was really helpful. Not sure whether to stay an extra night at Universal so I can go to HHN on the Thursday instead, as it should be quieter. Though I guess with express pass sunday should be doable.

 

[macraven]

the last two years, HHN on that sunday before columbus day has been very crowded.

take into account that many have the columbus day off of work.
also, guests that have bought the FFP, can use it on sunday.

put those two factors together and the place is pretty packed.
nothing like a saturday night crowd but still some waits even with the Ex pass.

thursday last year was the lightest of the 4 nights i attended.

i will probably get the homies together for the RIP tour for perhaps that sunday. i'll have to take a poll on which night they want. peak or non peak.


if you go sunday, buy the express pass. it will be worth it.
and take advantage of the stay and scream perk.

you can do sunday night and see each house. start early from S & S and save your ep until the lines start to hit 20 minute waits.
that way, you can do some repeats in the evening.

i think thursday is lighter for crowds mainly due to the fact the next day is a work day for locals there.

 

[thumbalyna]

we were there for columbus day weekend 07 --- we stayed at the HRH arrived on saturday and left on monday --- we did HHN on sunday without EP and we waited close to 2 hours for a couple of the houses and we only managed to do .... Jason, Freddy and Dead Silence --- Freddy's wait was well over the 2 hour mark.

this year we will be there the week before and are going to get EP and do S&S ... we were unaware of S&S last year so we missed out on doing one of the houses before the crowds got in.

we did notice on both saturday and sunday the crowds started lining up to get into HHN around 4pm.

123 days til we arrive in orlando

 

[macraven]

we were there for columbus day weekend 07 --- we stayed at the HRH arrived on saturday and left on monday --- we did HHN on sunday without EP and we waited close to 2 hours for a couple of the houses and we only managed to do .... Jason, Freddy and Dead Silence --- Freddy's wait was well over the 2 hour mark.

this year we will be there the week before and are going to get EP and do S&S ... we were unaware of S&S last year so we missed out on doing one of the houses before the crowds got in.

we did notice on both saturday and sunday the crowds started lining up to get into HHN around 4pm.

123 days til we arrive in orlando

i'm sorry you weren't aware of the S & S system.
it would have helped you tremendously.

i was there last year on that sunday also.
i took the RIP tour that night and glad i did.
the crowds were there the entire evening.

do the stay and scream this year when you go.
buy the express pass.

the park closes at 5 but be inside the park before then.
hopefully you have a 7 day pass so you can as you need a park ticket to enter US prior to 5:00.

people that can not enter until the general admissions begins start to line up just after 5:00 at the gate.
the line gets long.
you have to pass thru a metal detector and that takes up more time.

if you are inside the park and at s & s, you will have a head start.
there will be 3 houses open at 6 and you can go thru them without using your express pass.

when the lines start to grow up to 20 minutes, then use your express pass.

the express pass is only valid for Bill and Teds adventure for the first showing of the night.

 

[thumbalyna]

thanks macraven - that helps alot - when we were there we were meeting up with friends who moved from up here to PA 2 years ago and they told us to meet them on sunday for HHN --- guess waiting in line was no biggie for them since they went back the next weekend while we were home.

i have plans to buy express pass for saturday (oct 4) and sunday (oct 5) this year -- we dont want to miss out on anything -- we heard such great reviews on bill and teds and i was dissappointed that we missed it

better planning on my part this year --- mostly thanks to these boards -- the ironic thing of it all was we were in the park at closing we were just coming out of terminator and thought we had to leave the park and get into the HHN lines -- the little things you think the HRH would have told us prior -- but it was a good time anyhow --- freddy managed to scare my daughter 6 times in his house so it was well worth the wait

 

[macraven]

i always do as many nights i can when i stay at hrh during the hhn event.

there are two team casts.
team A and team B...

i time it so i can see both sets in action in the houses each year.
i am totally and completely addicted to HHN