Official 2025 Universal Studios Orlando HHN 34 Discussion Thread

[KrzyAsian]

Interesting - I've always heard they pulse people through in smaller groups. They also allow photos etc..

Standard can be a nightmare - 90 -120 minute waits are not unusual - and this year will be crazy.

They may have pulsed groups at the beginning of the night, but by 9pm, it's just a constant stream of people, unless you're interrupted by one of the litany of celebrities that come through. (So annoying, even for Express, since they clear out the whole house for some of the VIP's)

Also, I wish they didn't allow photos. The streamers and influencers can be obnoxious in their endeavors to get content. I'm talking about slowing down so that they can try to film every scare/actor/sound, even if it means ruining the flow or taking scares from others. It's not like any of these POV's from an iPhone are worth watching anyways. Even the pros can't capture everything in a haunted house.

Since Hollywood is still an hour drive for me, I only go once a year, typically on a Saturday with Express. Sometimes, those standby lines creep up to THREE HOURS. Like I'm not ready to stand for the entire runtime of Titanic just to walk through a 3-5 minute house. And the crazy thing is, it'll usually be 3 or 4 houses with those kinds of waits.

 

[GhostHost24]

Stay the Day and Be One of the First in at Night.
New for 2025: When you arrive at the park starting at 3pm, you’ll get a wristband at one of the check-in locations listed below. After that, instead of being in one designated area, you’ll be free to explore the park to catch a ride or show, grab a bite, shop for merch or simply take in the sights before the event opens. Then starting at 4pm, you can enter select haunted house queues with a wristband.

The designated check-in stations are located at:

• Lombard's Seafood Grill
• Illumination's Minion Café
• Illumination's Villain-Con Minion Blast

 

[MinnieMSue]

Ok I have a few questions because I am doing RIP for first time this year in Orlando (well Hollywood too but it is easier). We always have purchased and also did this year all of our tickets for will call. I always just get printed at the hotel. This year we changed express to public RIP scheduled 8pm. We don’t have early access at this time. All admission tickets on same order (HHN RIP and epic one day).
1) Can I pick up the HHn and epic at the hotel and then RIP at the vip entrance wherever that is?
2) what time should we be at vip entrance? We don’t want to be stuck behind a huge crowd and trying to figure out where exactly the vip entrance is since we have always have the stay and scream ticket and not done RIP
3) should I add early entry to make our lives easier even if we don’t get there until after our hotel room is ready? (Sapphire falls)
4) Does public RIP tour stop at any bars? I have a could have young 20-something’s with me who enjoy an occasional drink. I know there is a bar at the snack area before tour begins. (Also when can you check in at the pre tour snacks? Tour starts at 8).
Thanks all. We have done HHN for awhile but doing the tour since we have a newbie with us and only have one night there. I am lucky to also have my first Hollywood RIP tour also this year since my brother who lives in CA has no family who will go with him to HHN and I gladly sacrificed myself to go with him lol. Fun fact he works for naughty dog and for Neil and worked on Last of Us games. Poor guy missed the houses but he educated me on clickers and bloaters etc

 

[GhostHost24]

I missed this but apparently uo confirmed the tribute store will be in the arcade

 

[soniam]

Stay the Day and Be One of the First in at Night.
New for 2025: When you arrive at the park starting at 3pm, you’ll get a wristband at one of the check-in locations listed below. After that, instead of being in one designated area, you’ll be free to explore the park to catch a ride or show, grab a bite, shop for merch or simply take in the sights before the event opens. Then starting at 4pm, you can enter select haunted house queues with a wristband.

The designated check-in stations are located at:

• Lombard's Seafood Grill
• Illumination's Minion Café
• Illumination's Villain-Con Minion Blast

I’m confused as to the purpose of the wristband. This sounds like what I have always known S&S to be until the insanity of the last few years: enter the corral area between 4-5 and houses open sometime after 5 but before the main entrance opens. Are these actual queues that will start moving or just the normal corral areas?

 

[GhostHost24]

I’m confused as to the purpose of the wristband. This sounds like what I have always known S&S to be until the insanity of the last few years: enter the corral area between 4-5 and houses open sometime after 5 but before the main entrance opens. Are these actual queues that will start moving or just the normal corral areas?

No corral areas. You can walk around the entire park and then starting at 4 you can enter the actual house queue. So no corral for like 3 houses.. So the wristband will the tell the tm to let you in the queue

 

[soniam]

No corral areas. You can walk around the entire park and then starting at 4 you can enter the actual house queue. So no corral for like 3 houses.. So the wristband will the tell the tm to let you in the queue

What time will the house queues start moving, 4? Otherwise, it sounds like a corral but now it’s in the house queue line.

 

[zavandor]

What will prevent people without the wristband to stay for the scare zones, even if not allowed in the lines? Will they have checkpoints in certain areas? Snipers on the roofs?

 

[GhostHost24]

What will prevent people without the wristband to stay for the scare zones, even if not allowed in the lines? Will they have checkpoints in certain areas? Snipers on the roofs?

They'll sweep the park