HHN entry

[3reds]

Just got my HHN tickets in the mail today.
It gives these options:
1) If you're already in IOA that day, when the regular day closes you can wait in a special area until the park re-opens at 7:00. (Does that mean just standing around doing nothing for an hour or so??)
2) If you go to Universal that day, or only have a HHN ticket, you have to stand in line outside until 7:00 pm.

Is one of the options better than the other? We'll have a park hopper ticket so we could do either. (Actually, my plan was to take a dinner/rest break at 5:00 or 6:00 and then just go to the party at our leisure after 7:00.) Is that okay, or is there a pressing reason to be the "first one through the door"?

Thank you!!

 

[TheSecondCook]

In years past, they usually had a dj playing music, or a comedian; soem kind of entertainment in the waiting area. They'd throw out beads and candy; some scharacters would pop in and out to get everyone hyped out. At the designated time, the ropes went down and the cattle went running. It's a useful tool because it gives those in that area first crack at all the houses before they fill up with 15, then 30, then 60, then sometimes 90 minute waits on one house alone. If you wait there, you might be able to hit two or more houses before anyone else even gets to them; this would allow you to spend more time on rides or redoing houses than waiting in line.

Hope that's a Helpful suggestion!

 

[skiwee1]

I was told today that getting to stay for those hours will get you into a couple of haunted houses and some rides before anyone else. You have to use a park ticket day up though to be able to be there at closing of course. If you have an AP then you don't lose anything. I think it is called Stay and Scream. Some guy form Guest Services told me that I get that when I get my HHN tickets in the mail too.

 

[Mittman]

We have always gone to the park by day, and done HHN by night. Stay and Scream was always worth it in years past. Usually they open one house a little before 6, you can walk right on that and do it 5 or 6 times in 30 minutes if you like. Then around 6:30 they usually opened the other houses. The doors open for everyone else at 7:00, and by the time people get in and through security you could practally have all the houses done already. We always had all 5 houses done, having done them each more than once, before the first Bill and Ted show. We would go to that and then while everyone else was waiting in line for the mazes, we could get done all the rides we wanted to do. Stay and Scream is worth it. You don't just get a jumpstart on one thing, but the whole park if you know how to plan it.