Should I buy annual passes?

[Spacedog1975]

I'm headed to Orlando for a Sia concert on 10/30.
I thought I'd use this as an opportunity to hit the Universal resort for the first time.

In comparing prices, I started to wonder if we should buy premiere passes.

We would want to do 2-3 park hopping days in Universal with Fast Pass.
We would want to do HHN with fast pass.

We could buy $300 tickets without fast passes and add them for each day or stay at a more expensive resort, then add HHN, or the AP includes a Su-Th HHN and fast passes after 4PM (restrictions apply). It would also potentially reduce the hotel fee. Thoughts?

My agent does not know how to execute this. I'm also concerned about cutting her out of the process.

 

[damo]

HHN express passes are separate.

In the fall, parks aren't open very late, so you'd only get a couple of hours use.

All the annual passes have the same hotel discount.

Have you looked into bundled tickets? They are generally cheaper. Check them out on the ticket page.

 

[macraven]

Staying at the deluxe hotels would allow you unlimited usage of the express lines during the day

Hhn is separate like damo posted
You can buy the ep for Hhn but it is only valid for a o e time use for each house and the 6 rides that will be open

You should try to book your onsite hotel before Hhn ticket prices are released if you plan to stay onsite

Rooms and discount to go fast once the Hhn site goes live

 

[bumbershoot]

It would also potentially reduce the hotel fee.

Go to the loews hotels site and enter APH into the code field. That will show you if there's an AP rate right now for your timeframe.

If you haven't already used the TA for your Universal stay, I'd drop the idea. I see little need for a TA for Universal. It's just so easy once you start reading here.

 

[Spacedog1975]

Go to the loews hotels site and enter APH into the code field. That will show you if there's an AP rate right now for your timeframe.

If you haven't already used the TA for your Universal stay, I'd drop the idea. I see little need for a TA for Universal. It's just so easy once you start reading here.

Appreciate this advice but feeling foolish because I can't for the life of me find the code field.

 

[Spacedog1975]

HHN express passes are separate.

In the fall, parks aren't open very late, so you'd only get a couple of hours use.

All the annual passes have the same hotel discount.

Have you looked into bundled tickets? They are generally cheaper. Check them out on the ticket page.

You're right. The time I'm looking at, the main park closes at 5 every night (I suppose for HHN). Unless we stay another day or two into NOV.
I presume the HHN and fast passes for the same will be spends at the end of October, if we can even get them.

 

[damo]

https://uo.loewshotels.com/en/booking/uo?hotel=UEPBH,UEHRH,UERPR

 

[Spacedog1975]

Thank you for your help with this. I finalized my arrangements, and boy is Universal expensive. I did not go with an annual pass. I went with 4 days + HHN + HHN Express at the Hard Rock. Unless I'm supremely impressed, at these prices it will probably be once and done and back to Disney.

 

[schumigirl]

Thank you for your help with this. I finalized my arrangements, and boy is Universal expensive. I did not go with an annual pass. I went with 4 days + HHN + HHN Express at the Hard Rock. Unless I'm supremely impressed, at these prices it will probably be once and done and back to Disney.

HHN will always be an added expense. Especially with HHN EP. It's worth it though, we can go up to 10 nights at horror nights and wouldn't be without EP for any of them. Queues can be horrendous without it.

Most folks costing a Universal trip don't have that to add on, so trips can be cost effective.

I hope you like it anyway.

 

[macraven]

with your day ticket for the parks, you can buy the hhn add on ticket at a decent discount.
if you bought park tickets from UO, they can sell you the hhn add on ticket now.

or you can buy the hhn add on price at guest services in the park once you get there.
show them your hhn ticket and that is all you need to buy the discounted hhn tickets.

unless you have a travel agent that specializes in UO, i would do it on my own.
you can always get guidance on your plans from many of the posters here.

 

[Spacedog1975]

The HHN is definitely a significant part of the up charge, particularly because of the express pass. We are limited to going on Halloween night, so that won't help with crowds or cost. I'm mostly anxious that the express pass will still not allow us to do a significant portion of the event given the date.

We will have fun. We did pay extra to be at Hard Rock for proximity and Daytime fast passes. Anytime I can pay extra to avoid standing in line I will. I'm sure that Universal knows this. Only disappointing that the HP stuff isn't included in the fast pass list.

I'm going with an open mind, and I do acknowledge that without HHN, it would have been a few hundred less, but all that said, I can configure a week in Disney with dining plan for about what I'm doing for 4 days at HR/Uni without food included. One thing is for sure, neither of the theme park properties in Orlando is cheap.

 

[macraven]

When I buy the Hhn ep , I have always been able to do all the houses , bill and Ted show and hit the scare zones

I go on weekdays and weekends to hhn

 

[Spacedog1975]

When I buy the Hhn ep , I have always been able to do all the houses , bill and Ted show and hit the scare zones

I go on weekdays and weekends to hhn

Here's hoping. I'm not going to expect it, though, since Halloween night might be crazy busy. Perhaps it being a Monday will be in my favor.

 

[schumigirl]

Here's hoping. I'm not going to expect it, though, since Halloween night might be crazy busy. Perhaps it being a Monday will be in my favor.

It could be.

Halloween night historically is a tad quieter than other nights, it was quieter the one time we did it actually on Halloween. We were surprised. It wasn't empty but significantly less manic.

And with it being a Monday.......people have work so hopefully it won't bring the crowds out.

 

[macraven]

work day or school the next day will take many out of the park for hhn.

 

[Spacedog1975]

Appreciate all the advice and feedback here. This trip is right around the corner. Feels weird because if it were a Disney trip, I'd have scheduled everything by now. I feel like I'm going in almost blind.

Any further advice on:

Must see HHN attractions?
Restaurants worth hitting?
Anything else I should make sure to do?

Much thanks!

 

[macraven]

I would be in the park before it closes at 5
Since you have the Hhn tix you can stay in one of the holding pens and be able to start on the houses before it opens to the peeps outside the gate


Wait in the Betty boop area and do AHS house when it opens
Use the regular line and repeat the house later again

I did 4 nights of Hhn and ate in the park those nights

Pizza and salad meal was the best of the 4 at Louie's

Finnegans was ok and not crowded around 8:30 pm

Simpsons was good but I eat there twice a stay during the daytime

Ribwich sandwich is good but messy and if the waffles are not hard and been sitting under the hear lamp very long, the chicken waffle sandwich is my other choice

 

[macraven]

One tip

Read up on background / storyline of the Hhn houses

It will help you get the connection and theme when you go thru the houses

The house ancient tombs made more sense to me once I had more info about it

I did the day Hhn tour and saw 6 of the houses with a tour guide during the day

The background helped me understand a great deal more

Suggest you google some of the houses to decide which ones will be ones you would like to do twice

You have the ep for Hhn and you should use that to avoid long waits

But you could do a few houses that have very little waits in the regular line early

My last night I did AHS before the park opened early at 6
I used my ep for later in the evening when the regular line was at a 120 minute wait
(So line got me thru AHS in 16 minutes around 10.30 pm)


When the park opened I went And did the houses in the back of the park
Hardly any lines at 6:30
Did 4 houses in one hour
Then I worked towards the front of the park and hit A-b-c-D houses

Did bill and Ted show midway thru the night