Official 2018 HHN-28 Thread

[OhioStateBuckeye]

Yeah looks very trick or treat. Which is fine, that was the coolest looking scare zone ever.

 

[macraven]

I just read somewhere that the only food option open during Stay & Scream is Finnegan's. Is that correct? No Fast Food Blvd? I also heard that Finnegan's will not take reservations during S&S this year, just first come/first serve. Looking at their online reservations, that looks to be the case. Is Fast Food Blvd open for food during the event? Trying to plan out food. I don't want to waste too much time eating during the event. Plus, DS is terribly picky, and I am not sure if we will any of the special food offerings. I too am shocked at the thought of a kid who might not like the pizza fries, or even possibly the donuts on a stick He doesn't even really like plain fries. I am very much looking forward to trying these though. I would tell him to suck it up, but I don't want to have to put up with the crankiness that will ensue from not eating, especially if we are trying to stay out later than normal.

Assuming it will be like last years and Simpson’s food court and Louie’s will stop taking food orders at 4:40

But will sell any food already made up and under the heat lamps

They will allow patrons to finish their food but try to clear peeps out soon after 5

They will reopen when hhn opens

I went to the Simpson’s food court one hhn night last year
Was there solo and ordered food prior to their closing

I was not rushed out and sat there until 5:15

Finnegans started the no reservation set up quite a few years ago
I think they stop reservations about 3:30 as last seating on hhn nights

Last year Robbie and I went to Finnegans about close to 10 pm
and no crowds there at all

Maybe plan your main meal before you go to hhn or wait and eat at the studios later in the evening

On the private tours, you will have a designated dinner break
Decide with your group where you want to go for food for that time period

 

[macraven]

I thought the Simpsons fast food boulevard was open last year.

We'll have to check reports from this year to make sure.

So how does the private rip tour work? You said you might not make it until 2? Does that tour last the whole night? I know the public one doesn't.

.

Private rip hhn tours end when the park closes
Most nights it will be at 2:00 am

If people in your private tour want to leave before then, not an issue

The tours will cover all the houses and zones
The group does use short cuts to reach the houses
This cuts back on the time walking on the pathway to the houses and zones

You can easily do each house twice during the tour time period

My groups in the last years will hit particular houses 3 times during the evening

I have had some in the group leave the tour early due to flying out early the next morning
I always let our tour guide know if someone in my group leaves early

So we count a few less noses then
Lol

 

[soniam]

I thought the Simpsons fast food boulevard was open last year.

We'll have to check reports from this year to make sure.

So how does the private rip tour work? You said you might not make it until 2? Does that tour last the whole night? I know the public one doesn't.

And we might have to rework some of our plans

Brian and I were going to fly out of Dallas so his mom could watch the dog, but I'm sick of driving 7 hours right before and after vacation so we found really cheap flights out of Kansas City. Only problem is we're now leaving at 7 am Saturday. I'm wondering if we should even go to sleep.

I'm going to have to pm you.

Like @macraven said, I was told the tour lasts until the park closes We'll see how long we make it. I want to at least make it until midnight.

Assuming it will be like last years and Simpson’s food court and Louie’s will stop taking food orders at 4:40

But will sell any food already made up and under the heat lamps

They will allow patrons to finish their food but try to clear peeps out soon after 5

They will reopen when hhn opens

I went to the Simpson’s food court one hhn night last year
Was there solo and ordered food prior to their closing

I was not rushed out and sat there until 5:15

Finnegans started the no reservation set up quite a few years ago
I think they stop reservations about 3:30 as last seating on hhn nights

Last year Robbie and I went to Finnegans about close to 10 pm
and no crowds there at all

Maybe plan your main meal before you go to hhn or wait and eat at the studios later in the evening

On the private tours, you will have a designated dinner break
Decide with your group where you want to go for food for that time period

Great! That will allow us to maybe grab something from FFB that we could maybe eat at our S&S area, if it's not at Simpson's. I knew we would be good on the tour night, since there's the setup in Cafe La Bamba at the beginning and a food stop during the tour. Thanks

 

[macraven]

Last year our group went back to Labamba twice after we meet there at 6ish

We sat and introduced the newbies to our group to the others in our group
Had snacks ( appetizers) soda/water and desserts

We stopped there again about 10 as it was in the way and many in the group wanted water or a soda
Did another stop close to 11:30
For snacks
Items on the hot tray sections were not replenished and nothing was out
So we struck out on that

They did have sweets left out of what was left of it
Some cake and cookies were about it for the groups
Slow picking for grub at that time we were told Labama had nothing at midnight and they were cleaning and were close to closing the place

Something like this dessert and beverages were the only items left. There were some cookies out besides a few other sweets

Bartender shut down the drinks at midnight


Don’t wait that longer or food will be gone

Nice place to see what is available beside water and soda

Food was fair for our group

Assuming the set up will be the same this year

Lots of groups already booked to stop there during the even time

 

[lolomarie]

We purchased the BOGO and our nights are Sunday, Sept 16 and Thursday, Sept 20th. We've budgeted for express pass for 1 night if we need to. But budget is tight right now, so if we could skip EP that would be money in our pocket. Would you do as much as you can Sunday then see if EP is needed for Thursday, or purchase EP on Sunday? It's $20 more on Sunday. I'm confused on the best game plan.

 

[OhioStateBuckeye]

We purchased the BOGO and our nights are Sunday, Sept 16 and Thursday, Sept 20th. We've budgeted for express pass for 1 night if we need to. But budget is tight right now, so if we could skip EP that would be money in our pocket. Would you do as much as you can Sunday then see if EP is needed for Thursday, or purchase EP on Sunday? It's $20 more on Sunday. I'm confused on the best game plan.

I'd probably wait.

Someone will chime in if I'm wrong, but I thought I saw signs last year that express pass goes on sale Midway through the night if it's not sold out.

 

[HollyMD]

We purchased the BOGO and our nights are Sunday, Sept 16 and Thursday, Sept 20th. We've budgeted for express pass for 1 night if we need to. But budget is tight right now, so if we could skip EP that would be money in our pocket. Would you do as much as you can Sunday then see if EP is needed for Thursday, or purchase EP on Sunday? It's $20 more on Sunday. I'm confused on the best game plan.

I’d like to know this as well, but our dates are Oct 11 and 12

 

[lolomarie]

I'd probably wait.

Someone will chime in if I'm wrong, but I thought I saw signs last year that express pass goes on sale Midway through the night if it's not sold out.

Do you happen to know if it's sold at full price or at a discount if you wait until part way through the night?

 

[OhioStateBuckeye]

Do you happen to know if it's sold at full price or at a discount if you wait until part way through the night?

Half price I believe.

 

[macraven]

Over some past years, ep sold for a discounted price and covered the last 4 hours of hhn

But some nights they sold out

It has to have been 4 years since I did houses with a friend that bought the discounted ep for the late evening at hhn

I’m sure someone will post of their experiences of buying those ep that night for late start time usage

 

[Brownie54]

The tours will cover all the houses and zones
The group does use short cuts to reach the houses
This cuts back on the time walking on the pathway to the houses and zones

I never really thought about the tours taking short cuts to the houses, but it would make sense that they do it. The "saving steps" could be a big plus for some of us.

 

[macraven]

When I do the private tours, it saves a lot of walking times

And we can easily do each house twice with time left to do some houses a third time

I’m including the break time that the private tour includes in getting houses down twice

 

[Linlindoujin]

Odd and probably silly question
First time for Halloween horror nights and universal ever. Received my tickets and express passes in the mail but the express pass just looks like a run of the mill ticket. How do they tell what houses you've been to?
Or do I have to pick up a different sort of physical pass at the gate ? Slightly confused.

 

[Robo56]

They will scan your Express Pass in the Express line for each house.

 

[vrajewski10513]

They just went Live with the AP early entry sign ups!! We will be there the 21st!

You can access on the AP page on the universal Orlando website.

 

[vrajewski10513]

Also for those of you who have done the early entry, it says there’s no check in. But you need to show your AP and ID along with the email. I got the confirmation for both mine and my sisters AP’s, but there is no identifying information on the confirmation other than the date and time. So essentially aren’t we just showing the same email since they were both sent to me? Do they have a system where they confirm you’ve signed up by scanning your AP or something??

 

[patster734]

They just went Live with the AP early entry sign ups!! We will be there the 21st!

You can access on the AP page on the universal Orlando website.

Thanks. I just got signed up for September 14th.

Edit: And now that I’m signed up for this, I went ahead and purchased my HHN ticket, and the EP for that night.

 

[eccobleu]

They just went Live with the AP early entry sign ups!! We will be there the 21st!

You can access on the AP page on the universal Orlando website.

Do you need an activated AP to sign up for this? I bought an AP online but won't be able to activate it until Sept 20th. Would love to do this on the 21st!

 

[vrajewski10513]

Do you need an activated AP to sign up for this? I bought an AP online but won't be able to activate it until Sept 20th. Would love to do this on the 21st!

I believe you do. You need to enter your AP# to sign up.