September 23 - Too Ambitious?

[coldneverbotheredmee]

We are going back to Universal (wooh hoo, super excited!)

• Sept 8-12th (arriving 9am-ish the 8th & will totally park this day.)
• staying at RPR (my favorite ever hotel anywhere)
• AP holders
• Some of us have been many times, some 1 or 2 times, some first timers. For all of us, it's our first ever HHN
• 3 of our nights there will be HHN nights - Friday the 8th, Saturday the 9th, Sunday the 10th.
• Crowd levels are showing low on touring plans -
  • 3 on the 8th
  • 6 on the 9th
  • 4 on the 10th
  • 3 on the 11th
  • 3 on the 12th, but undetermined if we will be parking this day

I've only ever done a day or two at the parks and really packed everything in, excited to tour at a more lenient pace, maybe even without having to have a set itinerary and being more chill about it (this is a lot for my type A self to aspire to LOL) With that being said, i have a lot i want to accomplish. With the low crowd levels, having express passes, early admission and late closes for HHN available, i think we can do it all without losing our minds - here is what i want to accomplish - thoughts?

Rides (musts) (EA means runsduring early park admission, HHN means runs during HHN nights)

• Despicable me (EA)
• Hollywood Rip Rock It (HHN)
• ET
• Simpsons (HHN)
• Escape from Gringotts (EA, HHN))
• MIB (HHN)
• Hogwarts Express
• Hagrid’s Motorbike
• Forbidden journey (EA)
• Velocicoaster (EA)
• Doom’s fearfall
• Hulk
• Spiderman
• Kong

Rides (would like to, if we can)

• Race thru NY
• Transformers (HHN)
• Mummy (HHN)
• Fast & The furious (HHN)
• Jurassic Park Adventure
• Seuss Trolley Train
• Carosuessel
• Ripsaw Falls

Shows (musts)

• Horror make up show
• Hogwarts night show

HHN - i've never been so no idea if i actually want to do all 10 houses and 5 scare zones, so just saying all until we get more info on houses & zones

• 10 houses
• 5 scare zones

Pools - one of my favorite parts of UO - pool hopping! would like to hit these

• Sapphire falls
• cabana bay
• portofino beach pool
• Hardrock (could go either way on this, haven't been before so would be something new)

And my top priority is

• going to non crowded diagon alley during HHN
• going to non crowded hogsmeade during EA

I am thinking with a combo of going early, hitting pools & resting in the afternoons, then going back for HHNs and staying late it could be possible? we don't care much for sit down reservations, are good with grab and go's or quick service & love eating at the pools while we chill. thoughts? have i lost it?

 

[CAPSLOCK]

I don't think you'll have any problem doing all that. The pools are open late enough to be able to swim after parks (not after HHN obviously), and/or during afternoon breaks.

Make sure you rest somewhat during the day before HHN. It's a lot of walking, and you'll hit the lowest lines way at the end of the night, so it's in your best interest to make it through to the end.

 

[lisam70]

You will absolutely be able to do all the rides you want since you have EP
Hagrids a still a challenge but doable
How many days will you be doing HHN? Its impossible to do everything in one night without express and pretty exhausting even with it. Even if crowd levels are predicted to be on the lower side HHN will still be packed. I wouldn't do many rides during HHN unless you're going multiple nights since you can do them during regular park time with EP but definately go to Diagon Alley its amazing when its nearly empty! Don't underestimate the amount of walking and standing that you will have to do to see everything-easily as much as twice a regular park day so be prepared and rest before going and sleep in the next day!

 

[coldneverbotheredmee]

You will absolutely be able to do all the rides you want since you have EP
Hagrids a still a challenge but doable
How many days will you be doing HHN? Its impossible to do everything in one night without express and pretty exhausting even with it. Even if crowd levels are predicted to be on the lower side HHN will still be packed. I wouldn't do many rides during HHN unless you're going multiple nights since you can do them during regular park time with EP but definately go to Diagon Alley its amazing when its nearly empty! Don't underestimate the amount of walking and standing that you will have to do to see everything-easily as much as twice a regular park day so be prepared and rest before going and sleep in the next day!

wow twice as much walking as a regular park day, i definitely underestimated LOL. I will probably do all 3 nights HHN. Will i miss much by not going to HHN as it opens/doing holding zones, and just having a longer mid-day break and starting HHN later, therefor staying later? Does Diagon Alley close at a certain time, or start getting busier?

 

[CAPSLOCK]

Will i miss much by not going to HHN as it opens/doing holding zones, and just having a longer mid-day break and starting HHN later, therefor staying later?

You will miss the unholy mass of humanity waiting at the gates...
After seeing it, I plan to either be already in the park in a stay and scream pen, or wait til at least 7pm to show up. Or join an RIP tour, you can bypass the main gates that way too.

The crowds die down at the end of the night, too. The houses will run through the end of the event, but some rides close early (they need to have certain rides clear of riders by midnight).

 

[lisam70]

wow twice as much walking as a regular park day, i definitely underestimated LOL. I will probably do all 3 nights HHN. Will i miss much by not going to HHN as it opens/doing holding zones, and just having a longer mid-day break and starting HHN later, therefor staying later? Does Diagon Alley close at a certain time, or start getting busier?

If you’re going 3 nights then you can have a more relaxed plan. We’ve only done single nights starting with stay and scream so it’s a loooong evening. I‘m not sure how early diagon alley closes I think we were there around midnight last year and it was so amazingly empty- just a completely different experience than during regular hours. If you don’t go for stay and scream then you’re probably better off starting later.

 

[Flyg1rl]

If you are interested in a Private RIP tour, there is a group on Facebook that helps interested people to fill a private group. (Private Groups are 10-12 people.) The name of the Facebook page is "Halloween Horror Nights - Orlando"
I think, from there, you can look in their chat section for a chat called "Private RIP Tour Group Finder"

I am a member of that chat. My husband and I are looking for ppl who want to join a Private RIP tour on Saturday September the 23rd. The price for Private RIP varies dependent on day. Saturdays are expensive. Price would be $460 per person. If you would like to join, please private message me there in the chat for details. See you in the fog!