Official 2024 Universal Studios HHN 33 Thread

[spookymickey]

You are making me feel better about buying the EP and being able to see it all! Thanks!!

Agreed, feel the same. And we're going the night before Halloween, which seems to be slower from all the information I'm gathering, so might get lucky and be able to hit a few houses up twice, one with EP and one without.

 

[namelessoracle]

Its odd that we havent gotten the unique food offerings yet. I would have sworn they dropped by now last year.

 

[soniam]

Its odd that we havent gotten the unique food offerings yet. I would have sworn they dropped by now last year.

I think they were pretty late last year.

 

[GhostHost24]

Its odd that we havent gotten the unique food offerings yet. I would have sworn they dropped by now last year.

I think that was only because of the event they did. Didn't bring it back this year.

 

[Naomeri]

 

[tony67]

View attachment 883824

Sort of surprised this was not already announced since the signs for it are already in the parks.

Should be good though.

 

[GhostHost24]

View attachment 883824

I'm shocked!

 

[keishashadow]

Agreed, feel the same. And we're going the night before Halloween, which seems to be slower from all the information I'm gathering, so might get lucky and be able to hit a few houses up twice, one with EP and one without.

That’s how it’s gone for years, good luck.

I think they were pretty late last year.

Believe so. Hope purchasing dept orders enough of the “hot” items. Know many were disappointed that canned thing ran out last year.

Should be good though

Good enough will work for most people

Blumhouse has such popular franchises the characters could just wind up being set pieces on those raised, small stages they’ve used in the past (deadly sins). Easier to pull off & most people will be happy vs entirely interactive encounters.

 

[spookymickey]

That’s how it’s gone for years, good luck.

Believe so. Hope purchasing dept orders enough of the “hot” items. Know many were disappointed that canned thing ran out last year.

Good enough will work for most people

Blumhouse has such popular franchises the characters could just wind up being set pieces on those raised, small stages they’ve used in the past (deadly sins). Easier to pull off & most people will be happy vs entirely interactive encounters.

Thanks! Kids (dad included ) are already eager to get there.

 

[Skywalker3]

Ok, plunge was finally just taken. Bought our HHN tickets for the Sunday night. woohoo! Just under $939 for 3 tickets/express...yikes.
Now have to go watch Ghostbusters Frozen Empire..acutally the kids need to see the first one.
Hopefully we'll get there with no issues the Saturday night before, driving all day, so can head to Universal fairly early Sunday AM, and get some stuff done at IoA before getting to Stay/scream pens by 5. Need to start getting my steps in now,. I'm waaaaay out of shape, and HHN nights have been the most steps I've ever gotten on an Orlando trip.
Getting excited now!

 

[Cluelyss]

First timer and want to make sure I understand scream early before purchasing! We are not staying on site, do not have park tickets for the day, and are only going for one night (we did purchase EP).

So with scream early I can enter at 3 and need to be in a holding area by 5, correct? So what can I do between 3 and 5? Rides, dining? Then from 5-6:30 we remain in the holding area of our choice? Can we run out to grab food or are we pretty much “stuck” at that point?

And what time would you recommend arriving to be in close to 3? Better to grab food in City Walk prior or eat once inside the park?

Thank you - just trying to make the most of our night!!

 

[GhostHost24]

First timer and want to make sure I understand scream early before purchasing! We are not staying on site, do not have park tickets for the day, and are only going for one night (we did purchase EP).

So with scream early I can enter at 3 and need to be in a holding area by 5, correct? So what can I do between 3 and 5? Rides, dining? Then from 5-6:30 we remain in the holding area of our choice? Can we run out to grab food or are we pretty much “stuck” at that point?

And what time would you recommend arriving to be in close to 3? Better to grab food in City Walk prior or eat once inside the park?

Thank you - just trying to make the most of our night!!

Once 5 hits you won't allowed to get out of the area that you choose the stay and scream in. I believe most of them have access to a Restuant or bar however.

Yes from 3-5 you can do what you want in the park everything is still open.

Having said that. If you have express, I don't think it's worth spending another $50 for scream early tickets. Unless you want to do rides or shows thats not open during hhn (ET, Bourne show etc)

 

[CAPSLOCK]

So what can I do between 3 and 5? Rides, dining?

Rides, dining, shows, shop, go to holding pen, whatever you want within Studios. If you want to be near the front of the line for a more popular house, you will need to be in that line well before 5pm.

Then from 5-6:30 we remain in the holding area of our choice?

Yes, although they do release before 6:30 - basically as soon as the park is cleared of day guests & the first houses are ready.

Can we run out to grab food or are we pretty much “stuck” at that point?

You cannot go back out of the stay & scream area once you have scanned in. All of the areas do have bathrooms. The Simpsons one has their whole food court open to utilize. There may be food in the others, one has Finnigan's but it gets very busy (from my understanding, we haven't used that stay & scream area). The Simpsons one is the most area / most A/C.

Having said that. If you have express, I don't think it's worth spending another $50 for scream early tickets. Unless you want to do rides or shows thats not open during hhn (ET, Bourne show etc)

I probably agree. Unless you want/need to get in near opening and don't want to be in the unholy mass of humanity at the gates. You are probably gaining 1-2 extra houses on the masses, plus the priceless benefit of not being amongst the masses.

 

[keishashadow]

Now have to go watch Ghostbusters Frozen Empire..acutally the kids need to see the first one.

Realize I’m in the minority, enjoyed FE. It’s a need, not a want, for the kids to cross the 1st one off their bucket list!

So what can I do between 3 and 5? Rides, dining?

Don’t count on getting in more than 2 or 3 attractions during that time span. Bourne is good option, can eat up an hour factoring in preshow arrival time

There is food truck/CS dining in the holding areas

Then from 5-6:30 we remain in the holding area of our choice?

EP will do you well. Think of it as making up the time you lose in S&S (& then some)on the back end of the night. Although, even with EP on HHN nights, we do holding zones since we have APs

Once in holding area you need to choose wisely.

Do you mill around and play it by ear?

Or, do you pick a line, any line, as to which you plan on standing in for one of the “e-ticket” houses that will open early.

It’s a fun atmosphere. However, guests don’t mess around in these lines, there is zero tolerance for trying to cut

If staff does sweep the day guests in timely fashion and the scareactors are ready to go; it’s not uncommon for houses to open early. Had a few nights last year we were walking back to a house just after 5:30 pm. Often, closer to 6 pmish, no guarantees.

You can enter holding area earlier, they start clearing park of day guests well before 5 pm.

If you wait until 5 pm you will be spending time in line to enter the scarezone

Just be sure to be in line to enter one by 5 pm as staff starts to sweep the park of day guests promptly then. You could get deposited in the nearest zone, not necessarily the one you want.

Better to grab food in City Walk prior or eat once inside the park?

Parking can be a h-u-g-e problem with long lines to enter the garage for the after work crowd, especially on Fridays.

Even without purchasing S&S, arrive early. Have a drink or two. Make a reservation somewhere @ citiwalk for dinner and then meander over.

Unless you want/need to get in near opening and don't want to be in the unholy mass of humanity at the gates. You are probably gaining 1-2 extra houses on the masses, plus the priceless benefit of not being amongst the masses.

Lol, I tend to refer to it as the great unwashed. Every time we’ve arrived around 3 pm there are people sitting on ground near gate. They are so packed in there, can’t be much a breeze ugh.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

Lol, I tend to refer to it as the great unwashed. Every time we’ve arrived around 3 pm there are people sitting on ground near gate. They are so packed in there, can’t be much a breeze ugh.

I took a picture of the "HHN gate crowd" once, and determined we would never be joining that situation.

 

[GhostHost24]

I took a picture of the "HHN gate crowd" once, and determined we would never be joining that situation.

View attachment 885428

I'm weird but I enjoy being in there lol. I love the atmosphere as it builds up and opening scaremonies start

 

[Cluelyss]

I probably agree. Unless you want/need to get in near opening and don't want to be in the unholy mass of humanity at the gates. You are probably gaining 1-2 extra houses on the masses, plus the priceless benefit of not being amongst the masses.

Thank you everyone!!

This would be my primary reason for purchasing, to avoid the masses!!

If we opted against scream early, would we realistically still need to arrive that early to avoid the crush??

 

[Cluelyss]

Parking can be a h-u-g-e problem with long lines to enter the garage for the after work crowd, especially on Fridays.

So would we actually be better off putting the scream early funds toward an onsite stay? Our HHN is the last night of a WDW trip, so we could easily move hotels for that night and avoid the parking nightmare (and get to bed earlier after!). We are attending on a Saturday, so won’t be light crowds!

 

[AaronRif]

Thank you everyone!!

This would be my primary reason for purchasing, to avoid the masses!!

If we opted against scream early, would we realistically still need to arrive that early to avoid the crush??

It just depends on what you want to do. Scream Early gets you a head start on the houses before the lines build. Waiting in line at the gate starting at 3:00 pm ensures that you'll still be in the first group of folks for most houses. If you didn't wait at the gate starting at 3:00 pm, you'd miss out on being some of the first folks to houses as the lines build. I think Scream Early is worth the price if you don't plan on getting Express since the lines will reach 30-60 minutes for the popular houses within the first hour of the event.

What is your line wait time threshold for a haunted house? If you don't want to wait more than 30-45 minutes, I'd do Scream Early or join the masses around 3:00 pm so that you can do at least 1-3 houses with more reasonable waits. You can absolutely enter the park around 6:00 pm when Horror Nights starts, but you risk waiting in longer lines for all the houses rather than getting a head start that Scream Early or waiting at the gates around 3:00 pm would offer.

 

[AaronRif]

So would we actually be better off putting the scream early funds toward an onsite stay? Our HHN is the last night of a WDW trip, so we could easily move hotels for that night and avoid the parking nightmare (and get to bed earlier after!). We are attending on a Saturday, so won’t be light crowds!

That's my vote! You'll save yourself a HUGE headache. Hotel guests get their own entrance into the park for Horror Nights BUT it doesn't really offer a huge advantage other than there's a smaller line. You'll be let into the park at the same time as everyone else. My vote says do Scream Early for everyone.