Trip Advice: HHN, Hotels and Timing

[OhioStateBuckeye]

I am trying to plan a trip for September when HHN starts. My WDW AP expires Sept 13, so I would like to do a few days at WDW then move over to Universal.

There will be 4 of us, my boyfriend and I who have been to Universal before then my younger sister and her boyfriend who are first timers. We are aware it might be a little crowded, but we are going to share a room to save money.

They plan to arrive late Thursday night and leave Sunday evening. My little sister also really wants to do the Pirates dinner show one night, so that will also cut into our available park time.

So here is what I need some help with:

HHN

I see that the first HHN is Friday, Sept 16. Is the first night usually very crowded? I'm considering getting express pass for the houses since we will only have one night to see everything. Isn't there also a tour to see behind the scenes at the houses which will give you a couple express passes for that night, or am I making this up? What will be the best way for us to see all the houses and maybe do our favorite twice? I have done one HHN before and am aware of the trick of staying inside the park (we will be in the park that day) and having a slight jump on the crowds that way.


Hotels

At first I was thinking we should do Cabana Bay, as that will likely be the cheapest. Then again, we wouldn't get the express pass. I know that September likely shouldn't be very busy, but we will be there on a weekend and have limited time to do everything plus favorites again.

I also considered Sapphire Falls, but once again, no express pass.

Then I started to wonder if we should just check prices for the higher end hotels so we'd get the express pass. I also wonder if maybe we shouldn't check club level prices so we could eat all of our breakfasts and some dinners there.

Are the best hotel deals usually on Universal's Stay More Play More? Should one of us upgrade to a mid level AP to get hotel deals, are those usually better than the Stay More Play More? I also plan to check Orbitz since they usually have a 15% off code and work with Ebates.


What I'm thinking right now about our schedule:

Friday: park day then HHN
Saturday: park day then Pirate dinner show
Sunday: park day with maybe lunch at Citywalk

Does anyone have any advice for me about anything? Even about things I haven't mentioned? I would really appreciate any help.

 

[macraven]

Opening night for Hhn does not have huge crowds usually
It usually has an hour or two less if it follows patterns of past opening nights

Once the media leaves, front of the park empties out


Express pass for Hhn is a separate ticket
The express pass for hotel guess is not valid for hhn

 

[macraven]

I need to also respond to your mention of ex pass

There will be public rip Hhn tours
You will go thru all the houses once during the evening and also see bill and Ted show in a reserved seating section

You do not get an ex pass with this tour as the group will follow the tour guide

 

[OhioStateBuckeye]

Anyone else have any advice?

 

[macraven]

so far it's just you and me here.........

others will join in.
by me posting again, your thread will be pushed up

 

[keishashadow]

re HHN 1st night, wouldn't spring for express passes until you enter park and get a feel for whether they are needed.

You don't mention what WDW hotel but, to save $ might want to consider skipping arriving at Universal late on Thursday.

Friday morning you could check in/get express pass @ hotel, then head directly to parks, even hitting early entry. They will text you when your room is ready for occupancy.

Suggest booking your hotel room soon. Often a 3 night minimum weekend stay is imposed during HHN. You can book directly thru the Universal website. Keep checking rates online (SMSM/APH), you can always call in and have your rate modified. Royal Pacific typically comes in less than Portofino.

If you find that orbitz/cheap tickets comes out with a killer rate, can always cancel booking you have in place & rebook thru them.

Be aware that you will pay a nightly surcharge for more than two 'adults' in the room. You need to register them for early entry at SF & CB & for the FOTL perc at the other hotels.

 

[schumigirl]

Excellent idea about staying at a Universal hotel for EP for your day visit to the parks. We are there September and yes it can be fairly quiet, but weekends are always busy and queues can be long.

Opening night last year and year before are busy, not crazy busy like later in the event, but still what we would class as busy.

I the opposite of Keisha with EP on first night of HHN.......we are lazy though The thought of even an hour and a half queue for one house is too much for us, so EP is a must even on so called quiet nights. Plus we don't want to spend all night as we can visit numerous nights over our trip. But for one night I would get it. We were thankful every queue we walked past last year we had EP.

Doing stay and scream you will get released for two houses before general public get in, so if these are two houses you would like to do twice don't use the EP first two times, then you can go back and redo them with EP later in the evening.

 

[keishashadow]

carole 1-1/2 wait eek, would never wait in that long of a line! Anything over 40 minutes and i'd be buying the pass.

do skip it usually our 1st HHN on a Thursday since we do the tour on Friday. If we were there long enough to justify it would buy the whatever of fear pass that includes the express for multiple nights.

multiple nights @ HHN are definitely the way to go