HHN planning - a few ?'s

[HayGan]

I'm trying to get our flights and accomodations in-line for our October trip. We usually do WDW first and then come over to the dark side. This year the kids REALLY want to do HHN. I have to figure out when it is best to put it into our schedule so I have a few ?'s.

1) What nights do they usually have HHN?
2) What nights are best to go to HHN?
3) Can you still use FOTL from staying on-site during the event?

Thanks

 

[DCTooTall]

I'm trying to get our flights and accomodations in-line for our October trip. We usually do WDW first and then come over to the dark side. This year the kids REALLY want to do HHN. I have to figure out when it is best to put it into our schedule so I have a few ?'s.

1) What nights do they usually have HHN?
2) What nights are best to go to HHN?
3) Can you still use FOTL from staying on-site during the event?

Thanks

1. Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Towards the last few weeks they will also do it on Wednesdays.

2. From what I remember reading, The general recommendations are in order, Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday, Friday, Saturday.... but as it's gained in popularity, it's going to be crowded every night.

3. The on-site Express benefit does not extend into the hard-ticketed HHN event. You can however purchase a Express Pass valid for the houses and it is HIGHLY recommended since house waits can easily approach 2hrs on busier nights and often sell out.

 

[Metro West]

I'm trying to get our flights and accomodations in-line for our October trip. We usually do WDW first and then come over to the dark side. This year the kids REALLY want to do HHN. I have to figure out when it is best to put it into our schedule so I have a few ?'s.

1) What nights do they usually have HHN?
2) What nights are best to go to HHN?
3) Can you still use FOTL from staying on-site during the event?

Thanks

1) Normal HHN nights are Thursdays through Sundays. There are usually two Wednesday nights towards the middle to end of the month which signify Hell Week...you don't want to go on those nights since it's mainly teens.

2) Thursdays and Sundays are usually the least crowded but it will still be busy. If you go towards the beginning of the month, the crowds are usually lighter than the end of the month.

3) Onsite privileges do not carry over to HHN. If you want Express, you would have to purchase it and like DC stated lines can reach two hours if you go on the wrong night.

If you have any other questions, ask away. Macraven and I usually meet up and go together when she's here in October. She's been eleven years I believe and this will be my ninth year.

 

[macraven]

the colombus weekend is pretty crowded for hhn nights. (f-sa-sun)
last year they had sunday night closing at 1:00 instead of the non peak hour of midnight.

the past 2 years, sundays have been packed.
earlier in the evening, not so bad.
once it hits around 10ish, lines are long everywhere.
even the restrooms.

i can remember when Metro and i would do a Sunday some years back and it was great.
low crowds, less lines for everything.

but as it is, HHN has caught on and more are attending.

opening weekend is only on Friday and Saturday nights.
the week after will have lower crowds than the last 2 weeks of the month.

if you plan to stay onsite, that would be so convenient for your family.
if you didn't want to do hhn and the kids did, it wouldn't be any problem for them to go and stay til closing.

one thing i truly enjoy is the short walk back to the hotel when hhn closes.

 

[HayGan]

Thanks for all the advice. We had a family discussion about it last night and decided to hold off on HHN for a few years. Our boys are 10 & 12 and even though they did fine at Cedar Point's Halloweekends we think HHN will be best when they are older.

 

[macraven]

that sounds good.
10 & 12 is a bit young to do hhn.

for some reason i thought your kids were older teens.

 

[cbsnyber1]

the colombus weekend is pretty crowded for hhn nights. (f-sa-sun)
last year they had sunday night closing at 1:00 instead of the non peak hour of midnight.

the past 2 years, sundays have been packed.

Now you're scaring me. Our plan this year is to attend HHN Sunday Oct 7 - Monday is Columbus day. I was hoping to avoid having to buy Express passes because we are going on a Sunday early in the month. So, like what has happened to Disney in early December (used to be light attendance, good time to go), crowds are likely on that night?

 

[macraven]

Now you're scaring me. Our plan this year is to attend HHN Sunday Oct 7 - Monday is Columbus day. I was hoping to avoid having to buy Express passes because we are going on a Sunday early in the month. So, like what has happened to Disney in early December (used to be light attendance, good time to go), crowds are likely on that night?

nope.
sunday night for hhn on that date will be crowded.
unless it rains, then it won't be crowded that much.

2 years past Metro and i did the sunday hhn and he left early.
too crowded in the park that night at 8:30ish and he had to be at work the next day.
he also has to deal with the parking garage and if he left when the park would close, he could be stuck in traffic out of the garage for a LONG time.

last year they extended the hours on sunday night to 1:00 am.
that's an indicator of how much the crowds have grown the past 4 years.

sundays used to be a well kept secret on light crowds for hhn.
it is now a thing in the past.

if you do the stay and scream section and hit the first 3 houses before hhn is open to the general public, you can cover a lot.

go to the next section of houses that open when done with the first 3 and do them in a row.

check out the hhn map and use that to guide you to the houses.
try to figure out a plan of action that will help lessen long lines for the houses.

don't miss Bill and Ted's adventure show.

the first show has the lightest attendance but so do the houses that early in the evening.

you will probably start seeing long lines for house waits around 10:30 pm.

so, if you don't buy the express passes, you can do a lot on that sunday but will have lines for the last houses you visit.

go earlier in the day to do the rides.
skip the rides at night if you are there for the scare zones and houses.

if the crowds are really big, you might not be able to catch all the houses.


i don't do the motherland in the winter so i can't answer that question for you when you are asking for a comparison to the darkside.

but, can tell you that anytime you have a 3 day weekend, sundays are not light in crowds.

i buy the express passes if i need them or not.
have been doing that ever since they were sold.

back in 04, it could have been later, i never needed them but they were so cheap, i bought them and they did come in handy over at ioa hhn.
the year hhn was held strictly at ioa had good points and bad.
it was a lot of walking and the order for houses wasn't the best to get to in a timely fashion.

so glad it (HHN) all returned to the studios where it first started.


btw, make contact with me before hhn and i'll meet up with you and be your tour guide for the houses.....

Metro, you're coming too!

 

[glocon]

Do you recall what the price was for the HHN express pass last year? And if you have an AP is there a discount?

 

[macraven]

you get a great discount with the ap on the hhn tixs.


i bought the special hhn tickets last year w/ the ap discount.

it was valid for the first 2 weeks for admission that included the express passes each night i went.

i need to check my past journal for that exact cost.

i didn't need the express on the friday night as i booked a vip private tour for hhn.
it came with the deal but i still came out ahead on the other 3 nights i used it.

 

[Disney 4 2]

We will be there October 25-28 planning to do HHN Thurs and Fri night. I know these may be very crowded nights and I want to take advantage of the most tips you have to offer.

1. Plan to stay at Hard Rock close to walk back
2. Plan Stay and Scream be at Finnegans at 4:30pm
3. Buy Express passes.

Questions:

1. What time are you let in before the public to try and do the first three houses
2. Do you recommend buying a VIP ticket on Friday night?
3. I am reading mixed review on Ted show

We are a mid 50 couple. Hubby has been wanting to do this for years and I the planner want to make the most of this trip

 

[Metro West]

Do you recall what the price was for the HHN express pass last year? And if you have an AP is there a discount?

There is never a discount on Express for anyone. EP prices last year were all over the place depending on the date in question. Friday and Saturdays are always the most expensive so try to stay away if you want Express. I don't remember the exact prices but they were anywhere from about $30.00 to $90.00 per person and again...it depends on which night you're going.

We will be there October 25-28 planning to do HHN Thurs and Fri night. I know these may be very crowded nights and I want to take advantage of the most tips you have to offer.

1. Plan to stay at Hard Rock close to walk back
2. Plan Stay and Scream be at Finnegans at 4:30pm
3. Buy Express passes.

Questions:

1. What time are you let in before the public to try and do the first three houses
2. Do you recommend buying a VIP ticket on Friday night?
3. I am reading mixed review on Ted show

We are a mid 50 couple. Hubby has been wanting to do this for years and I the planner want to make the most of this trip

1. The S & S area is released around 6pm...sometimes a little earlier.

2. I've never done the RIP Tour so I can't really comment on it.

3. I don't care for B & T...I'm not a fan of that kind of humor.

 

[Disney 4 2]

There is never a discount on Express for anyone. EP prices last year were all over the place depending on the date in question. Friday and Saturdays are always the most expensive so try to stay away if you want Express. I don't remember the exact prices but they were anywhere from about $30.00 to $90.00 per person and again...it depends on which night you're going.

1. The S & S area is released around 6pm...sometimes a little earlier.

2. I've never done the RIP Tour so I can't really comment on it.

3. I don't care for B & T...I'm not a fan of that kind of humor.

More questions

1. What is the opening hour for general public for HHN?
2. How would you describe T&B. show humor?
3. Anyone with RIP tour experience?

 

[Metro West]

More questions

1. What is the opening hour for general public for HHN?
2. How would you describe T&B. show humor?
3. Anyone with RIP tour experience?

1. Usually around 6:30pm but it could be earlier depending on whether the park has been cleared sooner.

2. I'm not sure how to describe the humor. To me...it's a lot like Saturday Night Live where they take the current headlines and poke fun at them. Something like that. I'm sure someone who enjoys the show will come along and give their opinions.

3. There are a few posters who do the RIP Tour every year and I'm sure they'll chime in. The nice thing about the RIP Tour is you have true front of the line access to all the houses. But...it's pricey and has only a limited number of people per night.

 

[macraven]

We will be there October 25-28 planning to do HHN Thurs and Fri night. I know these may be very crowded nights and I want to take advantage of the most tips you have to offer.



Questions:

1. What time are you let in before the public to try and do the first three houses
2. Do you recommend buying a VIP ticket on Friday night?
3. I am reading mixed review on Ted show

We are a mid 50 couple. Hubby has been wanting to do this for years and I the planner want to make the most of this trip

vip ticket, you mean a vip rip tour?

hhn has different rip tours for hhn.
you have the general tour and the private tours.
gratuity is not included in the tour cost.
most tip the tour guide at the end of the tour.


i have done both.
i started with general tours then switched over to private tours some years back.

the general tours last year ran $175 a person for the 5 hour tour on a peak night.
rates were less for the shorter tours and non peak nights..
thursday is a non peak night.
friday is a peak night.

last year there will 3 different start times for the general tours on peak nights.


you are placed in a group with about 15 others. (some years 20 have been in a group)
you have a tour guide who will take you to the houses and shows.
if you chose the shorter time period tour, it is a possibility you might not be able to hit all the houses on a non peak night.


you are with others you do not know in the general tours, but after an hour, you will be able to get to know the others.


if you have the preferred or premier ap, you can get a discount off the tour rates.


the private tour is for 7 hours.
it begins at 7:00 on the peak nights and ends at 2:00.
30 minute dinner break during this night tour.

you book the private rip tour and can include up to 9 others in your group.
maximum for this group is 10.
the cost last year was under $2000.
you can chose your tour guide and decide the agenda for the evening.


i always inform our tour guide in advance our plans.
we do each house twice and a few a third time.
hit the shows and a couple of rides.
no waiting in lines for the tours that you take.


you do need to buy the HHN ticket besides the cost of any of the tours.



Metro answered your question about the time frame of hhn opening to the general public and early start on house.


for me, i always do bill and ted's show.
some years it has been lame and others excellent.
it's been a lull for me the past 2 years but i'm hopeful that '12 will be great.

i've done the show at various times in the evening and find i like the final show of the night my favorite time period.


if you decide to do the vip rip hhn tour, you probably would benefit it more if you took it on a friday.
fridays are crowded.
with the tour, you won't have to deal with the lines for the houses or rides.

thursdays usually are lower crowds.
buy the ep for that thursday if you find you need it.
if you don't want to buy it in advance, you can purchase it at the park that night.
if you do the S & S on thursday, you will be hitting 3 houses early and should be able to get a lot done in the park that night.

what you don't get done, can be accomplished the next night you go.

if your budget is tight, don't do the tour but buy the ep for both nights.
surely you will be able to do everything in both nights with some repeats.


hit the parks in the daytime for the rides.
concentrate on the shows, scare zones and houses in the evenings.

 

[Disney 4 2]

Thanks again for quick responses!

I think I will go with HHN Express on Thursday night and a tour on Friday night. We have been to US and IOA twice past 4 years so the rides are not a priority. We still will have Saturday to rest, do rides or City Walk before heading home.

 

[cbsnyber1]

if you do the stay and scream section and hit the first 3 houses before hhn is open to the general public, you can cover a lot.

go to the next section of houses that open when done with the first 3 and do them in a row.

check out the hhn map and use that to guide you to the houses.
try to figure out a plan of action that will help lessen long lines for the houses.

don't miss Bill and Ted's adventure show.

you will probably start seeing long lines for house waits around 10:30 pm.

so, if you don't buy the express passes, you can do a lot on that sunday but will have lines for the last houses you visit.

but, can tell you that anytime you have a 3 day weekend, sundays are not light in crowds.

i buy the express passes if i need them or not.
have been doing that ever since they were sold.

back in 04, it could have been later, i never needed them but they were so cheap, i bought them and they did come in handy over at ioa hhn.
the year hhn was held strictly at ioa had good points and bad.
it was a lot of walking and the order for houses wasn't the best to get to in a timely fashion.

so glad it (HHN) all returned to the studios where it first started.


btw, make contact with me before hhn and i'll meet up with you and be your tour guide for the houses.....

Metro, you're coming too!

Thanks Macraven - lots of good advice. That Sunday is our next-to-last day there, and we have only one HHN planned, so we have to make the most of it.

The last time I was at HHN was 2002, "Islands of Fear", when it was held at IOA. I remember that it was a lot of walking, and I also remember how totally creepy it was in Jurassic park (terrified of dinosaurs, to start). I do not believe they had the EP or SnS then, but they did offer the Frequent Scream pass for $19.95. Pretty sure our tickets - for a Saturday night - were $29.95 I still have the map from that one.

I do remember getting into the first house fairly quickly, but by the time we hit the fourth one the lines were immense. A couple of guys told us later that night that they went to the left from the entrance, through the Marvel area, and worked clockwise through the houses, which were scattered all over IOA. They were able to get through five of six without waiting much from that strategy since most people naturally move right and go counter-clockwise.

One thing to mention to those who've never been: it's easy to get dis-oriented in the parks at night, but especially IOA, with the circular layout and little paths everywhere. I am glad it's at the Studios for that reason alone.

I will definitely take you up on your tour guide offer. I don't yet know if we'll do SnS or EP - it will be one or the other, but if we could hook up with you any help will be appreciated . . .

 

[macraven]

Thanks again for quick responses!

I think I will go with HHN Express on Thursday night and a tour on Friday night. We have been to US and IOA twice past 4 years so the rides are not a priority. We still will have Saturday to rest, do rides or City Walk before heading home.

anyone that has a ticket for hhn is allowed to stay in the park at the holding sections. ( S & S )
be sure to do that.
if you pick the tour for 9:00 to 2:00, you can stil do the S & S and get some of the houses done before there are many big huge lines.
when you do the tour, you need to check in 30 minutes prior to the tour time.



wish you the best success in your hhn adventure!

Thanks Macraven - lots of good advice. That Sunday is our next-to-last day there, and we have only one HHN planned, so we have to make the most of it.

The last time I was at HHN was 2002, "Islands of Fear", when it was held at IOA. I remember that it was a lot of walking, and I also remember how totally creepy it was in Jurassic park (terrified of dinosaurs, to start). I do not believe they had the EP or SnS then, but they did offer the Frequent Scream pass for $19.95. Pretty sure our tickets - for a Saturday night - were $29.95 I still have the map from that one.

I do remember getting into the first house fairly quickly, but by the time we hit the fourth one the lines were immense. A couple of guys told us later that night that they went to the left from the entrance, through the Marvel area, and worked clockwise through the houses, which were scattered all over IOA. They were able to get through five of six without waiting much from that strategy since most people naturally move right and go counter-clockwise.

One thing to mention to those who've never been: it's easy to get dis-oriented in the parks at night, but especially IOA, with the circular layout and little paths everywhere. I am glad it's at the Studios for that reason alone.

I will definitely take you up on your tour guide offer. I don't yet know if we'll do SnS or EP - it will be one or the other, but if we could hook up with you any help will be appreciated . . .

i'll pencil you in for Sunday.
i'll send you my info and cell sometime in september.
i leave on 9/24 for the motherland and switch to the darkside on 10/2.

i will be doing S&S and buying the ep.
but, i'm sure we can work out a system to do houses and zones until the lines are over 20 minutes.

i'll stand in the lines up to 20 minutes.
after that, i do the express.

i like to do the houses twice.
it is still light out when you do the first 3-4 houses.
it is really a different effect when you go into them when it is completely dark outside.
that is why i do houses twice.
the ep is a necessity for me because of that.

i'll start a thread of "when will you be at HHN" later this summer once the info on hhn is announced.
that is how i find peeps that are going when i go.

i love trying to set up mini meets with other homies on the darkside/motherland.

sometimes plans are not the same and the meets are at finnegans waiting out until the all clear is given by security.

either way, i enjoy putting faces with screen names.

i totally agree with ya on that year at IOA/hhn.
so much back tracking that year.

i would have to look at my past journals to have the yea® correct but maybe it was 04 when the foam was used in marvel land.

that was thrilling.......
other than that, the houses were a trip trying to get to that one year.

 

[macraven]

Metro...........
get ready for that sunday.


we are having company...............

 

[Metro West]

Metro...........
get ready for that sunday.


we are having company...............