HHN - Express Pass Vs Early Entry and staying onsite

[HatboxHaint]

I am wondering if have an HHN express pass overcomes the advantages that could be had from being a resort guest and/or day guest.

Is early entry to HHN (where you are day guet that checks into a waiting area and get slightly early access to one or two of the houses) still a big deal if I have express pass for HHN? So essentially if I am forking out the money for HHN express pass should I worry that I am not a day guest starting from inside the park?

Also, how much will I regret not staying onsite for other reasons? I'm kinda dreading leaving the even that late and not being onsite, thought about using uber instead driving/parking. Never stayed onsite at UOR so I am not familiar with bus system from value hotels.

 

[schumigirl]

We stay exclusively at RP and more recently Sapphire too.......in all our visits we have never once made Early Entry......sure it can be quieter for certain things but that was never enough to entice us that early.......with EP you don’t need to plan anything.

Give yourself a rough idea of what you want to do......familiarise yourself with the park layout.

Have only heard good things about the buses to and from Cabana Bay.

Many people leave HHN late and get back to hotels, some even walk to Doubletree area on Kirkman which is a 15/20 minute or so walk. Roads are well lit.

Or use cabs or Uber.

 

[nkereina]

I'm a little confused by the wording of the question. Its my understanding that anyone with regular park tickets (resort guest or not) can remain in the park holding area between the time the park closes and the time HHN begins. The only requirement is that you have regular park tickets and are in the park before it closes. I'm not aware of any perks resort guests have related to HHN. But if there are any, I'd definitely like to know! We are staying onsite for HHN, but will not have regular park tickets.

We did HHN last year without regular park tickets so we were not in the holding area. We got in line about 30 minutes prior and were backed up to about the big archway. Once the line opened, it moved fast and we still got a jump on some houses. We did have EP and felt it was well worth it.

 

[macraven]

Only perk I can think of is onsite hotel guests can enter hhn from 6-8 using the designated line for hhn
It is to the right of coming into the park

Using this line you do not need a day park pass, just your hhn tix

 

[Robo56]

Folks (Resort guest or not) that do not want to purchase EP have the option of staying in the park in a Stay and Scream area. You have to have a day park ticket and your Halloween Horror night ticket to do that. You must be in the park (Universal Studios) before it closes.

There was an exception to the above scenario last year. If you had a reservation to the Scareator Dining Experience for between 4:30 to 5:30 someone from guest services walked you to Monsters Cafe and you were able to have your dining experience and you were able to go to out and hit houses with Stay and Scream group. You did not have to have day ticket for this. Not sure if that will be same this year.

Advantages of staying onsite are that you can get back to your Resort late at night easily. You can also use the Resort guest entrance.

If you have EP you have the advantage of not standing in long lines to get in houses, but everyone has caught onto the advantage of having EP. On busy nights Friday and Saturday last year there was some waiting in EP lines too.

 

[HatboxHaint]

I'm a little confused by the wording of the question. Its my understanding that anyone with regular park tickets (resort guest or not) can remain in the park holding area between the time the park closes and the time HHN begins. The only requirement is that you have regular park tickets and are in the park before it closes. I'm not aware of any perks resort guests have related to HHN. But if there are any, I'd definitely like to know! We are staying onsite for HHN, but will not have regular park tickets.

We did HHN last year without regular park tickets so we were not in the holding area. We got in line about 30 minutes prior and were backed up to about the big archway. Once the line opened, it moved fast and we still got a jump on some houses. We did have EP and felt it was well worth it.

Resort guests have a dedicated ticket validation line off to the right, that is the only perk I know for HHN, that would get you out of the masses at the start. I guess I'm trying to understand if I get the HHN express pass should I worry that I am missing out on a super short line if I only show up at the start of HHN and I am not already in the park as a day guest OR will the express pass make up for it with short lines all night.

 

[Robo56]

I think the ultimate option for people who only have one or two nights to visit HHN is to buy a public RIP Tour or buy into a Private RIP Tour. You have to have a HHN event ticket in addition to your tour.

Your Tour Director will take you to the front of the line of all the houses. No waiting. If you are there for a number of nights and have a pass with Ep. Its not a big deal. You will have plenty of time to see all the houses with your EP.

 

[nkereina]

I guess I'm trying to understand if I get the HHN express pass should I worry that I am missing out on a super short line if I only show up at the start of HHN and I am not already in the park as a day guest OR will the express pass make up for it with short lines all night.

We have waited in the holding area before it opens, and it allowed us to get a jump on two of the houses before the lines started building. We also had express pass, so we opted not to use our EPs on those lines when we were first let out. It allowed us to come back later on at night and use our EPs to go through it again. IMO, its the only good way to go through a house twice without waiting in line for a while.

 

[schumigirl]

I’m confused with what the OP was asking originally too it seems. Question has been reworded ........So it’s early entry to HHN you’re asking about.

Seems it’s been covered now.......

 

[HatboxHaint]

We have waited in the holding area before it opens, and it allowed us to get a jump on two of the houses before the lines started building. We also had express pass, so we opted not to use our EPs on those lines when we were first let out. It allowed us to come back later on at night and use our EPs to go through it again. IMO, its the only good way to go through a house twice without waiting in line for a while.

EP's can only be used once per house?

 

[macraven]

The hhn ep is valid for each house / ride one time only

 

[nkereina]

EP's can only be used once per house?

For the EPs you purchase with your HHN ticket, yes, they can only be used once per house. The EPs you get with your deluxe hotel stay for the park during regular hours are unlimited.