Going in Oct, but want to avoid HHN crowds

[Celesdragon]

Looking to go to Universal and IOA on a one day parkhopper sometime during the last week of October. Just a quick in and out to hit some rides we missed last year and revisit some favorites. My group and I do not want to attend HHN (we're all too chicken), so I'm trying to compare the merits of going one of the two days that week that there isn't a HHN, or if it is better to go on of the HHN days and hit the Studios during the day then jump to the Islands once HHN starts.

I'm worried that like MK and their non-party days, a non HHN day will be actually busier than a HHN day, since everyone not interested in HHN will try to stay on a day that has longer hours and no party, especially when they are the last two possible non-HHN days before Halloween. And vice versa, how crowded do the Islands get when HHN starts, with everyone like us suddenly jumping ship to the other park for the rest of the night. Has anyone gone to avoid HHN and can say which is a better option? We're not paying for Express passes (not staying on property and not buying them either) so the crowd situation is pretty important for us.

 

[KeroKero]

Our last two trips have been in October, the last week actually for both trips and we've never had a problem with the HHN crowds. This year it seems like the only two days without HHN the last week in Oct are the Monday and Tuesday. We've only ever been able to attend on days where it is HHN (and we're big chickens too). We find the crowds minimal and the wait times next to nothing. We've stayed at Cabana Bay in the past so have early entry to the WWoHP, but regardless of that we get to do everything in else in the park we need to by 2ish and are out of there. I don't understand how people spend a whole day in one park, the parks aren't that large and with minimal wait times for queues we are done quickly - which gives us plenty of pool and relaxation time.