Help planning a trip to Halloween Horror Weekend...

[joeking1978]

I live in Tampa and will be coming over with my wife, brother and his better half.

My younger brother is in grad school and is on a very limited budget so I am trying to do my best to help plan the weekend as economically as possible.

I've been to Disney plenty of times since moving to Florida a couple years ago, but only to Universal twice (City walk a few times).

1st: Outside the Florida resident discount- is there any other way/connection for additional discounts on the weekend tickets?

2nd: i planned on coming for all day Saturday- then hitting City walk in the evening, and coming home on Sunday... is this enough time for Halloween horror nights?

3rd: Any suggestions on itinerary- what tickets to buy, shows to see, etc. Any and all planning help will be appreciated from those who've been there done that.

Thanks for your help everyone!!

 

[Metro West]

1st: Outside the Florida resident discount- is there any other way/connection for additional discounts on the weekend tickets?

2nd: i planned on coming for all day Saturday- then hitting City walk in the evening, and coming home on Sunday... is this enough time for Halloween horror nights?

3rd: Any suggestions on itinerary- what tickets to buy, shows to see, etc. Any and all planning help will be appreciated from those who've been there done that.

Thanks for your help everyone!!

The only other discount for HHN tickets is the Stay & Scream upgrade provided you can enter the park during the day. If you can't, then you would need to rely on the FL resident ticket discount. For the day you're planning on going, the FL resident and the S & S upgrade is the same price...$59.99 so there's no advantage to the S & S upgrade on this occasion. However...if you are planning on going to the Studios during that day, definitely purchase the S & S upgrade so you can stay in the park and get a jump on the houses.

Not sure how you're going to hit CityWalk in the evening unless you're talking about after HHN...which runs 6:30pm-2am on the weekends.

If you have no way of getting into the Studios during the day, make sure to get to the outside gates as close to 5pm as you can so you can keep the wait time to a minimum before entering the park...this is where S & S is so valuable.

There are two shows this year so you should see both if you can. Since they have a scheduled show time, you're going to have to plan your night based on the line lengths at the houses and what you really want to do. I don't care about the shows...I want to make sure I do as many houses as I can.

 

[joeking1978]

The only other discount for HHN tickets is the Stay & Scream upgrade provided you can enter the park during the day. If you can't, then you would need to rely on the FL resident ticket discount. For the day you're planning on going, the FL resident and the S & S upgrade is the same price...$59.99 so there's no advantage to the S & S upgrade on this occasion. However...if you are planning on going to the Studios during that day, definitely purchase the S & S upgrade so you can stay in the park and get a jump on the houses.

Not sure how you're going to hit CityWalk in the evening unless you're talking about after HHN...which runs 6:30pm-2am on the weekends.

If you have no way of getting into the Studios during the day, make sure to get to the outside gates as close to 5pm as you can so you can keep the wait time to a minimum before entering the park...this is where S & S is so valuable.

There are two shows this year so you should see both if you can. Since they have a scheduled show time, you're going to have to plan your night based on the line lengths at the houses and what you really want to do. I don't care about the shows...I want to make sure I do as many houses as I can.

I plan on getting there around 10-11am... you say "if I can't get into the studio's during the day"... is there something that could complicate this? ticket availability? houses open or closed? etc?

This being said... how long does it typically take to see all the houses?

thanks for the help btw!

 

[Metro West]

I plan on getting there around 10-11am... you say "if I can't get into the studio's during the day"... is there something that could complicate this? ticket availability? houses open or closed? etc?

This being said... how long does it typically take to see all the houses?

thanks for the help btw!

No...I meant if you didn't have a day ticket or annual pass to go to the Studios before they close. You have to have a day ticket or annual pass to enter before they close if you don't want to have to wait in the long line outside.

It usually takes several hours to do the houses...it's completely dependent on the lines. If you can swing it purchase the Express passes which will save you some time but they are expensive.

The houses are not open during the day.

 

[joeking1978]

No...I meant if you didn't have a day ticket or annual pass to go to the Studios before they close. You have to have a day ticket or annual pass to enter before they close if you don't want to have to wait in the long line outside.

It usually takes several hours to do the houses...it's completely dependent on the lines. If you can swing it purchase the Express passes which will save you some time but they are expensive.

The houses are not open during the day.

so the 2 seperate tickets... the day pass and the stay and scream are different packages?

I assumed when I saw the prices of $39-59 (for Florida Residents- depending on day of the week) that included both the park pass AND the S&S, is this correct?

If so, what is the price if one wanted to do JUST the stay and scream?

 

[Metro West]

so the 2 seperate tickets... the day pass and the stay and scream are different packages?

I assumed when I saw the prices of $39-59 (for Florida Residents- depending on day of the week) that included both the park pass AND the S&S, is this correct?

If so, what is the price if one wanted to do JUST the stay and scream?

HHN requires a separate ticket apart from the regular park admission. The FL resident park admission is $54.99 for the one day/one park ticket when you purchase online. The HHN ticket is $59.99 which is either FL resident or S & S upgrade. In this case they are both the same. So...in order for you to do S & S you would need to spend $114.98 plus tax per person for both tickets with the FL resident discount. Or...you would just spend the $59.99 plus tax per person for the FL resident HHN ticket.

To try and make this clear...Stay & Scream is the discounted HHN ticket you can purchase when you are already in the park for the day. You can not purchase the S & S upgrade w/o a valid day admission to the Studios.

 

[joeking1978]

lol... wow... now I am REALLY confused!!

So the day pass is $54... and then the HHR AND S&S is another $59.00

This is a package price with the discount, so essentially the HHR and S&S are two seperate tickets. If you do HHR without S&S, what are you allowed to do? What does the S&S get you? what typically is the cost for the S&S?

Finally, so if you buy the day pass at Universal... that does not automatically get you into HHR? You have to buy a seperrate ticket to stay in the park after 5pm when it begins?

I really appreciate you helping out, I wouldn't have thought this would be this complicated!

 

[Metro West]

lol... wow... now I am REALLY confused!!

So the day pass is $54... and then the HHR AND S&S is another $59.00

This is a package price with the discount, so essentially the HHR and S&S are two seperate tickets. If you do HHR without S&S, what are you allowed to do? What does the S&S get you? what typically is the cost for the S&S?

Finally, so if you buy the day pass at Universal... that does not automatically get you into HHR? You have to buy a seperrate ticket to stay in the park after 5pm when it begins?

I really appreciate you helping out, I wouldn't have thought this would be this complicated!

OK...let's start again.

If you are going to the park during regular operating hours (during the day) you would need a ticket to enter...which is $54.99 plus tax for the one park.

If you are going to HHN you would need to purchase a ticket for HHN only which is $59.99 plus tax for FL residents.

You have to have two tickets to take advantage of Stay & Scream which is actually a holding area you are put in while the park is transformed for HHN. You would get early access to several houses and would be able to beat some of the crowd so if you are planning on attending the Studios during that day, you can stay in the park after closing with your valid HHN ticket for that night.

Buying a day ticket is just that...you are able to enjoy the park during the hours of 8am and 5pm which is normal operating hours only. If you weren't going to HHN you would have to leave.

Buying a HHN ticket is just that...you are able to enter the park at 6:30pm when HHN begins and stay until it closes...which is either midnight or 2:00am depending on the night.

Having a day ticket does not entitle you to stay in the park after hours...HHN is a hard ticket event and everyone must have a separate ticket for admission.

The main reason for purchasing the S & S upgrade tickets is you can buy them at a decent discount. The S & S upgrade tickets are discounted HHN tickets for people who already have their day admission. In the case of you going on a weekend, the FL resident ticket for HHN and the S & S discount is the same so if you aren't planning on going to the Studios during the day, you would only need to purchase the HHN ticket.

Does that make sense?