HHN questions - I know it's early!

[nkereina]

DH and I are planning a quick trip 10/28-10/30 to experience HHN for the first time. We’ll be staying at RPR and will purchase park tickets for the daytime from Undercover Tourist. We’d do HHN Wednesday 10/28 for sure and possibly Thursday 10/29. I know that no info about HHN has been announced yet, but I have some questions after looking at last year’s info (I realize things could change):

1. How frequently have the HHNs during Halloween week sold out? We will buy tix for Wednesday in advance but may want to see how much we get done on the first night before we buy tix for a second night. Is the likelihood high that it will be sold out in advance?

2. It appears that if you already have Uni tix, you can add on HHN for around $50pp. I assume if you want to do two nights, you double that. Does it make sense to purchase one of the frequent fear passes or is it the cheapest to just do the add-on both days?

3. Being Halloween week, I assume we’ll want to purchase EP. I’m assuming that staying on-site does not include this for HHN. Is the additional $85pp for EP in addition to the $50 add-on admission cost of my Uni tix? In other words, can I expect to spend about $135pp for one night of HHN (double that if we do both nights)?

4. Since we’ll be focusing on HHN activities during the party (we will do the rides during the day), if we have EP, is it reasonable to get everything done in one night?

5. Other than priority entrance, any discounts or perks for on-site guests at HHN?

6. What are the hours? I see they let people in around 6:30pm, how late does it go?

Thanks all!

 

[macraven]

check last years threads for some of the details you are looking for.
many of us that went on various nights had different experiences.

if doing a forum search doesn't work for you, google it and it will come up.

the add on ticket is what you are thinking of.
anyone with a day ticket can add on the hhn ticket at any time.
you can buy that at the parks and it doesn't have to be the day of the event.

cost for the hhn depends on the day of the week.
non peak nights are the same cost,
weekends are higher,
set rate for friday and higher cost for saturday.
hhn closes at different hours based on night of the event.
it has been extended on a few nights in advance once i was there on my vacation.
sundays has been the one night that usually closes at 1:00 am but has been extended another hour.
that was based on advanced ticket sales, and last year, the sunday before columbus day was extended to 2:00am the day prior.

i never go to hhn without buying the ep.
for the time period i am there, house waits rise in the early evening for the stand by lines.
i avoid that...

you'll have to wait until the hhn ticket/passes sales are released on the website to determine if a pass is a good thing for you.
what we had last year, might be different this year.

if you get the ep, it is valid one time for the rides.
i concentrate on the shows, houses, scare zones and only do a ride as a filler.
i'm onsite for a lengthy stay and do the rides in the daytime.

with the day ticket, you can stay in the park when it closes to the public at 5:00
you go to one of the holding areas, known as stay and scream sections and wait to be released early to do the houses.
you will have the advantage to do 2 houses before the official opening time, years past, 3 houses were available.

i'll do the early houses but repeat them once it is dark outside.
totally different effect then.

different sites will give out some info about the houses, theme, etc before the event is officially announced on the website.

 

[Bluer101]

It might even be worth doing a private public RIP tour. If you do this one night you will be able to see all houses and shows with no wait and tour guide. It's around $200 per person plus HHN ticket. But this gives you the VIP experience.

Right now you have one possibly two nights of HHN planned. That is $50-$100 pp alone. Then add EP for one or 2 nights will be $85-$170 pp.

So one night with EP for 2 people. $270

So two nights with EP for 2 people. $540.

Then one night private public RIP tour truly a great experience with no waits for 2 people. $500.

These are ruff numbers but pretty close. If it was me I would do the tour and have a fun night. As the month goes on the busier it gets too with locals.

 

[nkereina]

Thanks for all the info so far!. I've done some googling and forum searches but not having much luck locating the specifics for my scenario. I considered the RIP tour but don't care much for the tour guide idea. I guess the main questions that remain for me are:

1. If you're staying onsite and doing rides during the day (focusing on HHN activities at night), and will have EP for HHN, is one night of HHN enough to see and do everything? It will save us close to $300 if we can avoid a second night.

2. If I do the HHN add-on cost of a day ticket plus EP, it would be about $135pp for each night we want to go - sound about right? I realize prices could differ this year, but based on last year, this is what I'm calculating. Just wanted to be sure the EP price was indeed seperate and that there weren't any other perks for on-site guests that I'm missing.

Thanks all!

 

[schumigirl]

Not sure about ticket prices as we buy the Rush of Fear tickets and are usually in the park when they clear it at 5 it gives you a good head start on 2 houses by doing that.

Express Pass is a seperate purchase.

With buying the EP you could do all the houses in one night.......especially if you're in the park when it closes. I would always recommend EP for horror nights.........queues can be horrendous without it......really horrendous.

A benefit for Onsite hotel guests that don't do stay and scream is that they can go in a seperate entrance off to the side of the main queue where the metal detectors are. You can avoid lengthy queues that way. We went in later one night last year and went through it......no one in front of us at all

 

[macraven]

the far right side gate that is designated for onsite hotel guests only (for hhn entrance), opens at 6:00 and closes at 8:00 pm.


if you do the stay and scream holding area, you never come across the metal detectors.

 

[macraven]

Thanks for all the info so far!. I've done some googling and forum searches but not having much luck locating the specifics for my scenario. I considered the RIP tour but don't care much for the tour guide idea. I guess the main questions that remain for me are:

1. If you're staying onsite and doing rides during the day (focusing on HHN activities at night), and will have EP for HHN, is one night of HHN enough to see and do everything? It will save us close to $300 if we can avoid a second night.

2. If I do the HHN add-on cost of a day ticket plus EP, it would be about $135pp for each night we want to go - sound about right? I realize prices could differ this year, but based on last year, this is what I'm calculating. Just wanted to be sure the EP price was indeed seperate and that there weren't any other perks for on-site guests that I'm missing.

Thanks all!

the non private hhn tours are not a bad deal.
you will be with a group (number will be determined by vip tours) of people you don't know.
you can book the tour with both of you in the same tour.
if you have a large number (6/7) to include, you would be advised to think about a private tour, or be split up with other tour guides groups.

if you do a non private tour on the non peak nights, the cost is affordable.
sunday would be best for it as the parks close at 1 or 2:00 depending on how the officials call it if the place is packed that night.
you do a 4 hour group tour, then you are on your own until the park closes.
if you go on a peak night, the price is higher.

over the past years, some of the set ups have changed.
on peak nights, there could be 3 different time starts for the tour.
non peak nights, possbily 2 different time start periods.

i hate to say what it was last year as each year i have seen changes in the set up.
bottom line is you sign up for a non private group tour for a specific date.
when the enrollment has been filed, that group has been organized with a specific number of guests for it.
on some years i have seen the non private tours start at 8, 9, 10 on a peak night.

you will have one tour guide that will make the decisions for the entire evening for everyone in the group.
you will be guarenteed to see all the houses once, and have a reserved seat for the Bill and Ted's show.
rides can be included if you are under the time limit of your tour.
non peak nights have had 3 and 4 hour tours.
same with the peak night ......staggered start hours for groups.

you are given a glow stick to wear so when you are lined up to enter a house, it is known you are a part of a group.

last year, non private groups began their tour at 8:00 pm.
if they were done before midnight, and the park was still open, their glow stick allowed them to use the express lines to do any repeats on houses, shows, rides.
that's not a bad thing as you are not buying the ep for that.
it's a gift from the darkside to continue your time in the park for hhh.
the tm's at the houses will see your glow stick and allow you to enter the express lines, not the standard by with long lines one....

so for the price you are paying for the day of the event for a tour, you can come out ahead sometimes.

many years ago i did the non private tour on a peak night.
i enjoyed it but couldn't give my imput in for what i wanted to do.
it was a good tour but i had wanted to do a repeat on a specific house.
the tour is set up in advance so all the tours would not be in the same house line at the same time.


i changed over to the private rip hhn tours on a peak night and been setting that up for over 13 years now.
i book a private rip tour and pay for it.
then i ask friends i have meet on the disboards if they want to join in my group for that night.
sometimes i have a full house of 10 sometimes i don't.
i pay the charge and in turn ask the others to split the total costs with me.
i use my AP for the disccouted tour rate and we all pay the same amount.
well, the tour is already been taken out of my cc so what i do is divide the number that are in my group divide the discouted cost by the number that will be in it.
they give me their share and we all have equal say on how we want the evening to go,

private tours let the tour guide know how they want the nigth to be done.
house repeats, bathroom stops as a group, seating for bill and ted show, any rides for fillers, etc.
private tours meet in the vip lounge by 6:15.
we visit with our tour guide and go over the plans for the evening.
we get our glow necklace , listen to the rules plan a dinner time and location for a break.
employees are allowed a 30 minute dinner break while they are working.
so, our group takes the dinner break with the tour guide.
it's a nice time to talk to the others in the group of what they say and what they liked.
sometimes we see different things in the houses so we compare notes
this tour is set up until the park closes.
we have the TG for the entire time the event is going on.
that 7 hours of private touring in the long run, costs less privately than doing the non public tour.
if we didn't have all the slots filled, then it wouldn't be cheaper individually.

costs paid in advance was just under $2000 but the group i ask to join me split the costs averanging.
with me having the AP, costs was less with the discount.
the year the werewolf was featured, we did that house as a group 3 times.
always saw a different scare actor on set.
scareactors do their thing a little different from others in some houses, and we enjoyed that.

private tours used the shortcut ways to get to the houses so we were able to avoid crowds.
our line would get in before before the standby line would.

i like having the full 7.5 hours in the park with a TG.
the TG set up our pace and zig zag us to everything

it is well worth the money especially since out TG plans the evening out for us in advance.

but doing a group non public tour is a good thing also you can't go wrong setting it up.


i started doing the private tours as it gave the leader in our group informationm that we wanted to cover during the evening.


most of the hhn guests do not book private tours as they want to do it on their own by themselves.
nothing wrong with that. some don't want to be in a tour with unknown people.
or some want to do the park in their own way and do houses, shows worked into their schedule based on where they were in the parks.

this all works for everyone as you are at hhn to see the higlights of th houses, shows, characters and thrill of being surprised during the night.

eevery one needs the hhn park ticket to enter the park.
people that have a tour booked also need the hhn ticket.

doing any tour is fun as it has been preplanned for the group in advanced.
all houses, will be seen one time. no need to buy the ep to help cut down line waits as tours go ahead of the standby lines.
this can save you an hour on some nights from long wait,


you are paying a little bit more for a tour than adding on express pass

being with a tour means you will see all the highlights of hhh without checking the maps for times and places to go and see it all in one night.

you can have a non private tour set up on a non peak night to have a shorter tour.

 

[johde]

It's still early but you'll want to look at all of your options for tickets including getting a power pass. Annual Pass holders in the past have gotten an even bigger discount on HHN tickets and passes. You might also be able to get a discount on your hotel as well. Also, in past year, the price of the add on tickets have depended on what night your adding on with peak nights like Saturdays being the most expensive.

 

[imprint]

Macraven, thank you very much for your detailed post about the private and public RIP tours!

 

[Bluer101]

I have to add that for many years I never had a want to stay and do HHN because of the large crowds and waits. Also with the purchase of express plus ticket to event.

But after joining my dis board homies a few years ago on a private tour we are absolutely hooked. All you have to do is show up and have fun. Like Mac says, they do all the guiding through the crowds and right to the house entrance an in you go. It's nice to be a vip and not think about anything besides fun, would not do it any other way.

 

[pixeegrl]

ast year, non private groups began their tour at 8:00 pm.
if they were done before midnight, and the park was still open, their glow stick allowed them to use the express lines to do any repeats on houses, shows, rides.
that's not a bad thing as you are not buying the ep for that.
it's a gift from the darkside to continue your time in the park for hhh.
the tm's at the houses will see your glow stick and allow you to enter the express lines, not the standard by with long lines one....

Ok, this is super cool and I did not know this! Is it pretty common to have some left over time after the tour or does it depend on crowd level and a later park closing?

 

[macraven]

Ok, this is super cool and I did not know this! Is it pretty common to have some left over time after the tour or does it depend on crowd level and a later park closing?

yes, on the public tours if you do the early start of 8:00, you have left over time before the parks close.
(on the private tour, it ends at 2:00 am when the park closes)

 

[macraven]

in the past years, the public /non private tours are 4 hours on non peak nights and can be 5 hours on peak nights.

things can change each year so i do not know how the rip tours will be set up until they are announced.

 

[macraven]

Macraven, thank you very much for your detailed post about the private and public RIP tours!

i'm very happy to help and share my experiences
if you have any more questions, post here and i'll do what i can to answer them.

if you work the numbers, you might find that the cost of your public rip tour would make it worth it than buying an ep that night.

your tour guide takes the group to the front of the lines and you enter the house quicker than if you were in the express line.
you can see all the houses once, do the bill and teds show, a ride or two (depends on the tour guide if you do more than one ride)
within the 4 hour time frame.
after your tour is over, use the glow stick/card for the express lines in the park.
they are good for each house and ride once.

the ep is only valid for the first show of the night so you would luck out on that one.