We Tested Express Pass At Halloween Horror Nights!
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- čas přidán 7. 09. 2023
- We put Express to the test tonight! Here at HHN32, one VERY common question we hear is whether or not express pass is worth the money? Well, let's do a test, and you can make your own decision based on the data we give you! Hopefully this is a good indication of whether or not you would find it worth it or not!
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How do you feel about express? Is it worth it, or too expensive? 🎃🤔
ALSO! Dueling Dragons was off, should have been 32 minutes time saved, not 56. Late night editing, sorry!
Worth it in general whether for HHN or normal. Not having to screw with phone the whole time is worth it
@GoofyGuy-WDW hear that! I love Universals express system, the convenience is wonderful 😄
HHN express has gotten so expensive! 80 dollars 2 years ago vs 130 and up now...we'll be there Wed -Fri but did add express for the Friday!
@@chriss5165 It definitely has, unfortunately. To be fair, EVERYTHING has gotten more expensive, but it is a hefty price tag at the end of the day. There's no denying that. I do believe it is worth the price for those who can put it in the budget, because it will certainly save you a ton of time. Smart move on the Express for the weekend, though! That seems to be the best time to use it! 💪
We did RIP this year, worth EVERY PENNY! Last year we did stand by and missed TOOO much. Either Express or RIP is the way to go!😊
Without a doubt, totally worth it! Especially if you plan to ride as well. I’ve always completed all the houses with an express pass and got on a couple of rides. I’ll never do HHN without an express
We finally used our express for rides the other night, and it was so nice just walking on! We saw a posted 70 on Rip Ride (not sure if it was accurate, though), and we were on in less than 5 minutes. It was amazing haha.
I think the express pass is defintely worth having if you are going to visit only a few days. I will do a RIP tour at the beginning of the season, and then do a couple houses each night when visiting - nice and slow, no rush - enjoying the food and beverages. When friends/fam come down, express pass is the way to go (IMHO). Can be pricey, but at least all can be done. Whoa - that shot of Mel's Die-In was awesome! Megan Horde - hyesterical! 🤣🤣 Great vid as usual. Be well.
Definitely agree! If you don't have much time at the event, Express is 100000% worth it. If you have a few nights, you can definitely get by without it. RIP Tour is by far the best option if it's in the budget it seems like (still hoping to do it one day haha). I say it's worth it but I guess I don't TECHNICALLY know yet lol. I was able to get some pretty decent shots this night, it was a lot of fun. I want to spend more time getting some cool visuals with the camera, I'm loving the image it can show! Glad you enjoyed the show 😂 I need to talk to Universal to get me a fair shot to join the crew. I appreciate yuh!
This is exactly what I needed. I got a little sticker shock with rip tour price and now I’m like okie what if we did just express 🤣
Ya, with the new prices dropping, I'm guessing people will be looking at all avenues for options for their budget. RIP Tour seems to have it's perks (haven't done it yet), but Express is REALLY nice to get everything done, and not feel rushed the whole night.
Great video!! My wife and I took our son this past month on Columbus Day weekend. We went Friday and Sunday. Sunday we had Scream Early. We covered 8 out of 10 houses between the 2 days and did the rides too like RRR. We could have done the other 2 houses but our legs were just crushing us too much. We also spent a ton of time in Diagon as my son loves HP. Next year we will do the same weekend but do Express. It is worth the money. What Express really does give you is the chance to really take in the experience without beating the crap out of you for waiting on lines. Those lines are very long.
Thank you! And I definitely agree on the legs issue! People don't realize how much walking there is and standing around. Just leaving the houses like the ones in back of the park by The Last of Us, Monsters, and the tent houses, those were all VERY long walks to AND from the house. So now imagine waiting and standing around on top of that, it gets to be a lot, you don't really get time to relax and breathe. Express allows you to get in and get out and sit and relax for a bit.
Honestly, I don't know if I'll ever do HHN without Express after our experience this year, it's just worth every penny. Hopefully you guys were able to see the Death Eaters roaming around! I was glad they brought them to Diagon Alley this year instead of Hogsmeade, just fit better wit the HHN vibe to keep it in the same park. I'm glad you guys had a good time and were able to get most of the houses and everything done! Funny enough, next year will be here sooner than we think haha 😂
Purchased Express for HHN in Hollywood and it was totally worth it. Entered the park around 8-830pm and we were able to do all of the mazes we wanted to see. Missed the Terror Tram due to it stopping at 11pm but we saw about 6 mazes + Purge show and we were able to sit down and eat for about 30 min. Also went before “official” Halloween season but last year went without Express and we only saw 3 mazes through the 6 hours we were there and didn’t even eat
That's awesome you were able to get so much done! And at least it was a timing thing, not an express thing for the terror tram. I still want to make my way out to Hollywood's event one year. It looked REALLY good his year. But I definitely feel like Express has been a game changer for getting houses done in my opinion. I do think it's quite expensive, but if people can budget it, dang is it worth it!
100% worth we did it on a friday night and started at 7:40pm and got done with all the houses by midnight could not have done that without it
Heck ya!! Love to hear it! It's pricey, but I find it WELL worth every penny. What was your favorite house??
great video. My boyfriend and I are traveling out of state for this and it will be my first time going. We are doing express as well and on tik tok it’s nothing but negative comments saying how awful this year was and was making me sad and was second guessing on going.. So glad I found this video to confirm tik tok is just full of negative people 😂. Thank you!!!
Definitely get multiple peoples feedback for sure! A lot of people were not happy with opening night/opening weekend because of the storms and the craziness. But after that, it's been so much smoother, and the team members did the best they could for a crazy night on opening night anyway lol. You'll have a great time! The houses are all SUPER well done this year, and express is going to be a life saver for you two! Plus the event gets better and better as the weeks go on, the scare actors get their timing and feel down for everything. And a lot of times they add more people in time, too. You're going to have a blast! 😊
I went 2 weeks ago and we only did one night which I regret because we did it on our 3rd week, but we got express and got on absolutely everything every maze and 4/5 rides also time for snacks and drinks to! it was a great night!
Wish we did it twice tho! Next time I’m back I’ll be doing it 2/3 times! With express every time!
Heck ya!!! Love to hear that! I tell people that you can probably do all the mazes without Express (specifically with Stay & Scream). But I do think you'll miss out on rides, eating/drinking, and just being able to take a breather. Definitely look at multiple nights next time! The houses can hit SOOO different between each run, and especially on different nights!
Was worth it for my family, did stay and scream and was done with all houses and the show by midnight. They didn't spend too long in the scare zones as it was raining which may have added another 30min or an hour extra just to enjoy those. Only had one night so defiantly a must for them
Definitely a must for one night in my opinion, but that's awesome you had everything done in 1 day! Still love hearing the stories about the success of their Express and Stay and Scream!! But it's nice you weren't crammed and rushed to do everything, and you can take it at your own pace!
This video was exactly what I needed! Thank you so much!!
Of course, glad it was useful!!
I normally go to Hollywood and this will be my first year in Orlando so I can say that Express is definitely worth it.
10000% worth it! Enjoy Orlando! I feel like a lot of people say Orlando's is such a great experience, hopefully you love it.
Awesome video and congrats, people are giving you rave reviews in various universal Orlando groups for your coverage of HHN despite the fact that you did not get invited as a media personality. That was a Universal’s fail.
I appreciate that!! I'm glad people are liking the content, I'm really just glad I can showcase the event as much as I can right now 😊 I'd love to show the house coverage as well, but I know Universal has to make the best strategic decision for their company. Maybe one year, though!
Amazing video, exactly what I wanted to see! I have enjoyed watching videos of the M3gan horde, but think I love your version the best 😂 Also love that you don’t do spoilers. Awesome content Dillion!
I appreciate it! I have my opening night video which has spoilers in it, but when it comes to other content, I know many people are watching in preparation. So it makes sense to leave those details out moving forward 😄 I'm glad the video was helpful!! I had to leave a little secret at the end 🤣 I thought it was a solid representation haha.
Great Video thanks for the info, I do RIP then a few houses each visit using Stay and Scream, Did anyone from Casting approach you after your Megan Dance
You're welcome! Glad it was helpful. Super jealous of the RIP tour! You're probably able to knock out a ton of houses with all of that 😎 and they haven't yet, but they have my contact information if they change their mind haha 🤣
This was super informative, thank you for the info! I hope to visit HHN one year.
You definitely should, this years SUCH a good event! But I highly recommend checking it out at some point, it's such a unique experience, honestly nothing like it. Thank you for checking out the video!
So far, I have to admit, the Megan downs was the scariest part of your video. 😅😅😅😮
LOL I cringed at myself so hard doing it, but I had to laugh at myself at the same time. Probably the scariest part of HHN this year is my interpretation of the dance 😂
Loved the video!! No spoilers. To the point. Tips! Tricks!! Subscribed!
I'm glad it helped! I really wanted to help show a real example of the passes being used and what someone can expect. I appreciate it 🙏
Great video!!! Thankyou. Defo getting express pass !
Definitely worth it! You're going to have a great time 😎
Super helpful! I was wondering about the same thing!
Thank you! I know you guys just had your opening night on the west coast over there!
I’m glad they were able to figure the kinks out from opening night. I can’t wait until October
Ya, opening night is always rough, but the rain also put a huge shift in the night because of how long and intense it was. But they seem to have gotten everything under control very quickly after that!
Great video, will be helpful for our upcoming trip.
Glad it was helpful! 😄
My Favorite house was Dueling Dragons! Really LOVED the design! Stranger Things and Universal Monsters were tied for second for me. I REALLY enjoyed this year. Was not a fan of Bloodmoon or Chucky, but that was my personal preference. Great Video!🎉
Dueling Dragons was soooo good! I loved the set work, it was incredible. Stranger Things just does so well at honoring the show, I love it! I was much more of a fan of last years Monsters house to be honest, but this years has been getting better as we go through it more. I'm surprised so many people didn't like last years Monsters house, I thought it was soooo good! Chucky didn't quite deliver like I thought it would, but I do think Bloodmoon is an AMAZING set and story. I was actually quite surprised with that house, but I know people are mixed on it haha.
I know that everyone has their own opinion but Dueling Dragon was one of the worst houses that I have ever done.
I genuinely appreciate videos like this 👌🏻
Thank you! I figured a lot of people are just going to tell you what they think, but I figure let's just show you how things go with express and make it more practical.
No express purchased here. Platinum member so I got a free pass - did early scream. I did all 10 house this past Sunday. 4 pm early scream to 2 am. Stranger things 60 minutes 5:15 pm to 6:15 pm - exorcist 5 minute walk-in - it was 6:30 pm - the dueling dragons - 25 minutes - Yeti - 35 minutes - Chucky 65 minutes - at this time it was around 8:30 pm - took a dinner break - did MiB ride - Walked all the way around to bloodmoon - did that 25 minutes wait - finished around 10:00 pm. Took coffee break and snack - sat around to rest feet - did monsters unmasked at around 11:50 pm 25 minute wait - did deadly deal at 12:50 am 15 minute wait did the last of us at 1:10 am 25 minutes wait - completed last house Oddfellows at 1:50 am 5 minutes walk-in - finished with 2 minutes to spare at 1:58 am🎉 it can be done!
Nicely done!! Impressive! I think if you do Stay & Scream at New York and you do Stranger Things first, you can probably do everything without Express on most days. Since you can hit Exorcist, Dragons and Yeti all quick. Those 4 houses being done early is a huge boost. I would say it helps to not be a Saturday. I was seeing MANY houses at 90+ minutes on Saturday by 730pm. So it may be harder to do all 10 on Saturdays, but PROBABLY still doable? I guess it also depends on if people want to risk it. Plus, I love doing Express for the sheer reason that I enjoy not having to wait 1-2 hours in a line haha. I like the ability to take things slow, relax, and not feel like I have to push it. I also like to be back home by midnight or 1am if possible. HOWEVER! That's just me, and everyone is different. I love hearing people do 10 houses without express, but I don't know if anyone has done it by midnight yet. I think it takes doing Stay & Scream and most likely staying the entire length of the night. BUT! That'll save you money, so it all depends. I also love the runs in the prime of the night, since I feel like you have fully casted houses and it's really flowing. I feel like sometimes early runs are a bit empty as some people are still getting ready, and the last runs tend to have tired actors (rightfully so) and sometimes they're missing a few as well. Personal opinion, again, though!
I enjoyed your video. I watch quite a few vloggers. I enjoyed you were pretty much straight to the point.
Thank you! We tried to give a real world test and not just talk about it, but show you.
@@Dillon.Thomas I’ll be going to HHN in Oct. I’m glad I got the express pass. Thank you for the content!
@@Nico_El_Tornado nice! Have fun! It gets better and better every week as everyone gets more comfortable!
Great vid, thanks for the stopwatch efforts. Sorry if I missed it but was this on a weekday or weekend? I’ll be there on Friday the 13 so I doubt I’ll be seeing those sub 15 minute express times 😅
So this was Wednesday, the 4th event. We did just go last night (Friday) and we did a few houses off camera, and it was very busy last night. However, we still waited around 10 minutes for each express line. It may not be as short as 3-4 minutes, but it still looks to be quite short comparatively!
Great vid good work. Booked for 2024. Solo 😊
Nice!! Congrats! You'll love having the ability to cruise through the lines haha. I don't know if I could do it without having express anymore 😆
Great review! Thank you so much
Of course! Glad it helped! 😄
@@Dillon.Thomas Do you think Early Access Ticket (+ Express) really worth it if we wanna spend also time in attractions and rides in the park?
@Francooo.molina this year definitely requires more planning with how busy it has been. With scream early and express, I would think you should be good to hit all 10 houses and probably the show while trying a few items for food/drinks. You may be able to fit in a few rides if you time it up well, but you still have 5 scare zones to see, too. So just keep in mind there is a lot of time leaving the queues, too. So each house is about 5 minutes, then you have to walk out of the queue, and then to the next house and walk the queue. So I'd have a decent game plan and then adjust and move accordingly and you should be good! 👻
Thanks for showing the wait times and how much time express saves. I am going next Wednesday for the 1st time but we are flying in just for the day and leaving the next morning so I bought it. Cause I would hate to get to go and spend a lot of the night waiting.
You're going to love having it, especially if you're there early and plan on spending the whole night there. You'll save so much time and be able to really experience the whole event! Have fun!!
How was your trip? I’m going the 18th to HHN with early access and hoping it’s worth it! Worried about crowds
I’ve heard the same about exorcist but I’ll see this weekend. I know a lot of people said the same about the tooth fairy house from a couple years ago but I never smelled it 😂
Lol I'm not really bothered by the smell, I can definitely tell there's something in there, but I'm not grossed out. But Nicole and others say it's horrible, just depends on your nose triggers I guess haha 😄
Loving the vids Brother! Love Universal!
I appreciate it! We've been at universal a lot recently haha, lots going on 😆
Thanks for the video, it definitely helps! Do you find that later in the season the Express lines get longer? It’s worth it for sure, but the time saved seems crazy to me, and it can’t possibly be the same for peak season/sold out nights.
Definitely something that will depend on the night and how much time you truly save. I would say there's a good chance you will save a GOOD amount of time no matter when you go. I still have yet to wait more than 15ish minutes max for an express line. Most of the time it feels like 10 or under, honestly. Even the long lines. If you get in an express where a LOT of the express users congregated to it, that can make it closer to the 20-30 minute mark. But this Chucky run in this video was still the longest we've waited. And we've used it on Fridays and Saturdays. I'd expect they have numbers in place to account for increased crowds, as they are still adding things week to week it seems, and that's going to help manage crowds a little bit.
But overall, I'd say Express should stay RELATIVELY consistent all season long. Hope that helps!
@@Dillon.Thomas thanks so much
Fantastic video thanks so much ill definatly be getting the express pass
Thank you! We love express!!
Cry-laughing at the M3gan horde re-enactment🤣 It seems like you really got your money's worth with express! There are some great strategic tips in this video to help determine whether it's worthwhile for the average person. Awesome, awesome video and I hope Nicole had a better time in Darkest Deal
LOL you got the end of video surprise! It's my treat to the viewers haha. Definitely feel like Express has been SUPERB this year for saving time. She liked it much more this time, I had to point out a few details lol, but she overall was very impressed this time through. I think we're going to do a video of "simplifying HHN" because we see a lot of questions popping up, and I think there's a TON of questions that need to be answered still!
😂😂
Definitely worth it, especially if you'll only be there for a night or two. Yes, it is expensive and I wish the price was a little lower, but if it wasn't, everyone would get it. Gonna be there for four nights, so I don't expect I'll need it, but depending on how the crowds are looking on my first night, I may grab express for a night.
It really is, and you're right, if it's priced too low, then everyone will buy it. Then it kind of defeats the purpose. But it seems SUPER worth it for those that budget for it. However, multiple nights should be fine for doing everything for sure. It just depends on how much time you want to spend in the queues also haha. Be careful on Express, it does tend to sell out a lot of nights. Especially on weekends! So buying earlier than later will guarantee it for you, but obviously you may want to judge attendance. I just know the crowds get busier and busier week to week.
I was there on Wednesday (I was the guy who yelled “great content” at you near Springfield). Express was definitely an enormous timesaver like usual, but it did seem to get backed up a bit more than I remember in the past. Waited on the Last of Us line for around 35-45 minutes. Can’t really complain because the standby was 90 mins at the time, but still felt too long.
I remember, by the drink stand! I appreciate that! We didn't have many backups minus Chucky, but I definitely have seen some increased wait times at points. I think it also depends on where the crowds congregate, too. But we definitely were shocked how much we got done in like 4 hours! I still imagine TLOU and ST4 will get some long express lines from the popularity. But I think they're trying to avoid flooding the express like they did last year, where you could sit in standby for like 3 waves of express it felt like. I think they're trying to strike a balance this year from what I see.
@@Dillon.Thomas definitely agree with all your points. We knocked out 7 houses within about 2-3 hours with express before taking a break to relax a bit and soak in some of the scarezones.
@@mattm9160 Ya, it felt really good using Express that night, I know lines were a LITTLE shorter across the board, but it helped us get through it that much quicker haha.
Love the videos. We are visiting from the U.K. this time next year.Would you recommend doing HHN over two nights rather than the express pass?
Oooo, that's a hard call. I would say it depends on what your other plans are. 2 Nights gives you more freedom to do other things you may have missed the first night, but if the lines are SUPER long, you don't want to feel like you're only able to do 4-6 houses a night and miss out on other activities. DEPENDING on the budget, I would say maybe 2 nights, one of them with express to get all of the houses done and make sure to experience the houses without issues. And then the second night to do a few repeats, spend more time at the bars, food stands, scare zones, merch shopping and shows.
If I were doing it with your 2 options given, I would do 2 nights, and I would do Stay & Scream for both nights. That would let me get 2-4 houses done early, and then continue on with the rest of the 6-8 while going amongst the park. This costs an extra $40/person per night, but it also allows you to go in the park at 3pm to hangout for a bit and maybe ride a few rides and then get in line for the houses early! Express is SUPER nice, but it is pricey, so if it's not in the budget, I would AT LEAST do stay & scream to guarantee yourself the houses over 2 days. Hopefully that helps! I'll have a video on "simplifying HHN" coming out soon! That may be helpful, too!
very good, thanks
We travel to HHN from TX so it is expensive to me because we are already spending money in other areas. But if we lived near their I would for sure buy it. We are going two days and doing stay and scream the first day! I’ve heard on average you can do 3 houses during early access so that will help knock out the popular ones!
We plan on doing a stay & scream video test! Basically see how many houses we can get done before the park kind of officially opens! We didn't get a good take on it opening night because of the rain haha. I think express is definitely something you have to determine if the budget works for it. As it is VERY expensive. Definitely a massive time saver, but there's a price tag to that. Hopefully you love the event! It's been so dang good this year!
I did 4 houses by 7:30 pm using stay in scream Sunday September 25th, 2023. New York area.
@@danielb9387 that’s great! Hoping to do the same!
@@Dillon.Thomas thank you! I look forward to that video!
Are the Express Pass line entrances marked to easily follow? Just want to be in the correct spot. And do you have to go to the Universal app to enter the house or ride time or can you just go to the area?
@tracyroberson72 they're very easy to identify, at the start of each line you have to go in express or standby. They will be checking express passes before you can go in. You do not have to use the app unless maybe your express is on there. You will scan your express every time you go in an express line, but it works like their regular express system where you can just go up to whatever house you want to use it on.
Awesome video, was this on a Wednesday or Thursday night since the times didnt seem to be overly crazy?
Thank you! And no, overall the lines weren't HORRIBLE on Wednesday. Some very long lines, but considering we still saved over 7 hours of posted wait time is CRAZY. But you can imagine the event will only get busier and busier week to week at this point!
@@Dillon.Thomas yea that is a crazy amount of time saved. Yea it will, I'm hoping it's not horrible when we are down there near the end of the month. But if it is well express is gonna save us for sure. Maybe we will see u in the fog
@@artemiswild7448 Express will be a game changer FOR SURE. It's honestly worth every penny. Hopefully we see you in the fog! I'm sure we'll be around haha
Express in October on weekend $350 for us ballers only cause exspensive!
It's definitely got a hefty price tag on it! But if it's in the budget, DEFINITELY feels worth it!
Great Video! Going in 33 days!
btw.... Jerk at 13:23 mark..
Appreciate it! And ya, I just don't give people the time of day if they're being immature like that. Most people are really cool and super friendly. Others like to be quite... interesting... is what it is haha.
What time did you complete all 10 houses? I have the express pass and scream early and I want to see all the houses in the show and eat do you think I can do that in one day?
With scream early and express I definitely think you'll be good for sure! We finished our 10th house at like 12:10 or so. We got in line at 11:58, so between the walk, the few minute wait and the house we were out a little after 12. Keep in mind the show can fill up quickly, do give yourself probably at least 30 minutes beforehand to get a spot. If it hits capacity they won't let anymore people in!
Express is Worth it to not wait in line but the houses felt like it was all the same (weak)
You thought so?? I was actually really impressed this year! I was hoping the scare zones had more punch to them, but I was pleasantly surprised with the houses overall. But I can understand not everyone loving the houses either way. At least Express was worth it for you!! 🙏
What was the date you went? deciding between sept and Oct.
This was September. October feels even busier, but early September is busy because it's new and a lot of locals come!
Did everyone get into the house separate/ by group OR it’s everyone get in line all enter together without any wait for separation?
They have one giant conga line, no separation. They will make sure to hurry you along if you are going to slow, haha.
What day of the week was this? We are going in a couple of weeks and want to buy express, but don't know what day would be best.
This was Wednesday. I would say if you're doing Saturday, that would be the best option. I would say it might be something like Sat>Fri>Sun>Thurs>Wed That would be my importance. It will ALWAYS save you an insane amount of time. But Saturdays have been DRASTICALLY longer waits, then probably Fri/Sun depending.
Does the express pass limit you to one entry per house per night or can you go thru again the same night with the same express pass ?
One house visit per pass. They might offer an option that would be pricier that would allow multiple in the same house. But as of now, they do not.
I'm buying express since we are only going for one night, let's hope I get to all of them in one night
I definitely think you will be able to do it! If you do stay and scream on top of that, there's definitely no way you wouldn't. Be even still, I think you'll be good to go for sure! Have fun! ☺
I was trying to get it for 10/13 but is sold out , can I buy it on the gate?
You can try, but they're selling out quick. September being sold out means October is soon to follow. You can try contacting support or buying night of, but a lot of times they'll only sell the 11pm express. Which is another option. You get express after 11pm for less money!
can you still get express by staying at a premium hotel for hhn
The Express is only good for daytime tickets, unfortunately. Express for HHN is a separate purchase, similarly if you have the Premiere Pass, you also don't get express after 4pm for HHN. It's a bummer, but you can still use express for the rides till the park closes down for Stay & Scream. Hope that helps! ☺
I would be super interested in the half price express after 11 PM...but given that express is sold out online for the rest of September, I'm not sure it'll be offered?? Will be curious to see.
From what I've seen in the parks, the after 11pm is still being offered! I would think you'd be able to really get a lot of houses done with that as well. We've talked about making a video on it, and we may attempt it here soon to see how it works and how much we can get done in those 3 hours with express. The walks to and from the houses and queues is what really eats up a lot of time, too, though.
@@Dillon.Thomas I can’t wait to see that video! I’d love to see your strategy and learn more. Subscribing now. We go on the 30th and we are hoping to see everything on our list.
@carsonleatherwood nice! That'll be here quite quick! Hope y'all have fun!
I always get the express pass. This year’s was really expensive compared to 2018 (last year I went), $180 for Thursday 10/5.
Do you think the Scream Early $40 add on is worth it? Considering it since I’m going only one night.
If you're only doing one night, I DEFINITELY recommend doing Scream Early. It'll let you get a few extra houses in before the event really starts. But especially for one night to make sure you get everything done, you'll want to do that if you can fit it in the budget!
@@Dillon.Thomas Thanks! Back in 2018 I remember I was able to do all houses and all scare zones only taking a break to eat something and it felt kind of rushed.
@moncho33 I think if you have scream early and express I think you'll be able to do everything for sure. But it definitely is the busiest year, I think, ever!
Can you buy the express pass after entering ? And how much do they cost ?
You can, and it varies depending on the day. However, if it's sold out, then it's sold out. They will still offer Express after 11pm for a discount, also depends on pricing there based on day. If you're debating it, I'd buy it ahead of time to be safe. Many days are getting sold out of Express and a few days are selling out of daytime tickets.
My wife and I are going to HHN this coming Friday the 27th and it's our first time. We couldn't afford getting express for HHN, but we did get the early access so we can get in at 5:30 instead of 7. What do you recommend we do to get the best experience we can without express but with early access?
Great question! A lot of people don't want to spend the money on express (rightfully so!) and we went ahead and did a video on our stay & scream experience. You mention getting in at 5:30, if you're talking about Stay & Scream or "Scream Early" you can actually get in much earlier than that!
I would check out my video here: czcams.com/video/8g6Sd_lQD6c/video.htmlsi=728H0Ex-aqITTnsy
We cover everything we did with NO Express for our early entry option. I'd recommend getting in line nice and early for Stranger Things (that house will be long all night), and then doing most of those houses right next to it (Dueling Dragons and Yeti), then most likely doing Chucky, as it's a short line at that point, and it'll get long throughout the night. Then, if it were me, I'd head back to Dr Oddfellow and Darkest Deal, as those should still have a relatively short line if you got into ST4 early. If you wait too late to get into ST4 during Stay & Scream, there's a chance you are going to be slightly behind, but could still hit those first few houses. If you get to the back of the park, you can knock out Darkest Deal and Oddfellow nice and quick, and then your wait times will start to increase. Then it's up to you if you want to chase the low wait times, or hit The Last of Us and Monsters while you're over there.
Without Express, you will unfortunately be waiting in some of the longer lines, but with your early entry ticket, you can actually get a LOT of houses done early if you plan accordingly and wait early. We got in line at 4pm for ST4 in the holding area of Stay & Scream, so we waited over an hour (technically) but they start doing the house at like 5:15. So you're just waiting in an earlier line if that makes sense? Haha. But that's MY suggestion, and many other people will have their own thoughts. But we did a lot of houses in the first hour before normal guests could enter the park by doing that. Like I said, check the video out, and that should hopefully be a good idea of how I would approach my early entry!
Have fun and thanks for watching!
@@Dillon.Thomas Thank you for your reply! I probably should've mentioned that we are going to HHN for the first time ever but we are going to HHN in Universal Studios Hollywood. I wonder if they are doing Stay and Scream areas in Hollywood too, or is that just an Orlando thing? Any other helpful hints since it's gonna be in Hollywood? Again thank you so much for your reply!!!
@TheDHCreator oh dang, ya orlando and Hollywood are definitely different. So I'm not sure how their process works completely, sorry! I know @zombiechris has done some stuff out there this year, you may be able to check his stuff out. I'm sorry I didn't cover that this year, I definitely want to plan a trip out there next year. But I'm sure there might be some other creators that covered some of these more specific topics out in Hollywood! Either way, I'd say the process is probably similar overall. The earlier you can get in line for popular houses, the better. Wear sunglasses to help adjust your eyes to the houses, too. It was sooooo dark in the houses when we went through the houses around 530-630 haha.
@@Dillon.Thomas sweet! Thank you so much for all those tips! We are looking forward to everything!!!
@@TheDHCreator of course! Have fun!!
Is the express pass digitally scanned for each house on your phone? Or are you given a physical paper express pass for each house?
It's one pass to cover all houses. I believe you can do digital or physical, but only one code/pass.
The first sentence. It's scanned on my phone for each and every house. You can only use it once per house so they have to scan it to know you haven't used it on the house already.
Do you think an express will be required for a Wednesday early to mid October?
I dont think it's ever REQUIRED, per se, just depends on how you want to go about your night. This test was a Wednesday if it's worth noting. If you do stay and scream and know how to navigate, you can probably do all 10 houses. I've felt express is great for not feeling like we have to run house to house, and not feel nervous we won't get other things done.
Crowds get worse every week, but Wednesdays and Thursdays tend to be less busy than weekends for sure. Really depends on what you want to do, if houses is all you care about, you should be able to do everything especially if you have stay and scream.
What is a switchback? I’m unsure what that means and this is my first time ever getting express pass I wanna be prepared!
Switchbacks are basically the queue where the line "switches back and forth" so if you see that big snake like pattern where you walk next to the line as they go the other direction, that would be a switchback! Basically, if you see a lot of "switchbacks" it just means they've added a lot of extra line in a smaller amount of space, haha. Express tends to not have too many switchbacks, as the standby typically has a lot, depending on the house. But again, just a term used for the snaking or zig-zag up and down the queue line!
I bought express for HHN, but aside from that do you think its worth buying a gen admission for the day time? I will be going from Chicago and want to make it worth it.
Definitely depends on what you want to do. I find it exhausting to do the parks from 8/9am till 2am. HOWEVER! Many people do it. I would say, if it's in your budget, I would check out the scream early ticket. It's only $40 a person, and you can get in the park a few hours early, allowing you to do a few rides if you'd like, or go wait in the stay and scream areas early to knock out some houses early.
I would say you have one of 2 options for scream early:
1.) Ride rides, check out the tribute store, then get in line for stay and scream (the popular houses fill up, so need to be aware of that)
2.) Probably check out the tribute store early and get in line for something like Stranger Things early, and knock out 4 houses in the first 90 or so minutes.
If you want to hangout and do rides at Islands of Adventure, or do a lot of rides at Universal Studios side, I would buy a daytime ticket, which gives you the scream early for free (since you're already considered a daytime guest).
I guess I'd need a bit more information on what you'd be looking to do, and what you feel would make your trip "worth it". I'd also advise potentially talking to a travel agent, as they're free and don't charge you any extra money, and there are a few that subscribe to my channel and watch the videos 😊 I just don't want to steer you in the wrong direction!
Also, I grew up in Illinois/Chicago most my life, so hello from another Chicagoan!
@@Dillon.Thomashey chicagoan! Thanks for replying so quick, the reason I ask is because Im going by myself and I have no idea what I would do in the hotel for 5ish hours. I rather not uber around town, might be expensive.
@@jguelphoto Ah! Definitely hear that. Well it's something I think you may need to gauge on your energy level. Again, if you do a daytime ticket, you just don't want to use up all your energy before HHN haha. But if you're bored, maybe it might be worth it then?? You could also just not rope drop and wait a little bit, and you'd still probably be ok. I would say it's probably at least worth doing Scream Early to get in a few hours early to do a few rides, since you don't have anything else going on. And if you have express, you don't NECESSARILY need to try and knockout 3-4 houses in the first 90 minutes or so. You shouldn't have a problem doing all of the houses.
Thanks for your advice! Im going to think about it
Can you bring your own reusable water bottle to get water at the coke freestyle machines?
You can bring your own bottles, yes! They're very strict on bringing outside liquid in after 5pm, though. So if you want Gatorade's and such, you may need to bring packets to add to water. But we bring reusable water bottles with ice to fill at the stations!
At what time did you arrive?
We got to the park around 330 I believe, and we got into stay and scream right around 4pm!
Do you guys think if my friends and I squeezed in a couple rides and stopped for some food, we could do all the houses in 1 night? (We have express)
If you plan on doing Stay & Scream as well, for sure. If you're getting there later, you might be pushing it. I haven't seen the rides getting long queues at all this year, so I don't imagine it'll be an issue. I do see some of the food lines getting long lines, though. But especially if you're going open to close on the event, you'll be good! 🙏
@@Dillon.Thomas thank you so much!! And also thank you for the hhn info you’ve been the go to for videos to watch on my work break 😂
@za3h91 Thank you! I'm glad they've been a good resource for you! It's gotten a bit more confusing for sure and people are wanting to know "what's worth it" so hopefully I've been able to provide some of those answers haha. 🙏
Hi this is the $269 correct?
The m3gan portion 😂
LOL! It's my secret appreciation for those hanging around to the end of the video 🤣🤣
UOPH have to pay extra to stay and scream? On top of their HHN tickets?
Nope! No need to purchase Stay & Scream. If you're a passholder, you have access to the park and thus you have free Stay & Scream. However, you still need to make sure you're IN the park by 5pm, they're strict about timing.
@@Dillon.Thomas even if I have the power Pass? Don't have to pay the extra $40?
@josemorales748 as long as you aren't blocked out, which I don't believe there's any block out dates in September or October, so you would be considered a day time guest basically at that point. So definitely don't need to purchase! Just need an active HHN ticket and your annual pass!
@@Dillon.Thomas thank you!
@@josemorales748Of course! Have fun!
Its borderline mandatory this year
It definitely feels that way for some nights for sure!
What’s the difference between express pass and the unlimited express pass?
Normally, express let's you use the express entrance once per ride. So you can skip the line on every ride one time. Unlimited express allows you to skip the line as many times on all of the rides permitted. Currently hagrids is the only one that isn't offered on any express pass. So the rest of the rides count!
Express is always worth it, but what day of the week did you attend?
This was a Wednesday I believe, or maybe Thursday? We did a few houses in our most recent video on Saturday, and we still DRASTICALLY cut our wait time down.
Hi is this the 269? Right?
This is the main express, if that's what you're asking, not the after 11pm. If that's what you're asking? 😄
@@Dillon.Thomas idk lol i just went on the website but theres a 269 and theres a 300 something so im confused why the other one is more to purchase lol
@silvialopez5541 I know they sell express after 11pm. But most express is sold out till the 3rd week of October I think! But this would be the regular express, not the after 11, again haha.
Do you know how we might be able to sell the Express pass we purchased for the night of 10/20? @@Dillon.Thomas
Do you think express pass will be as impactful in October when the crowds start picking up even more? Specifically in the middle of the week (Wednesday, Thursday) cause that's when I'm going!
I think it'll only get better and better to use express as the season goes on. HHN notoriously gets busier in October and as the season goes on. So I'd say it's even more justified in October when you may start to see all houses getting above 60 minutes!
From the title of this video. The video can be 3 seconds long just saying "yes"
If I say yes, people want to know why 😁 so I showed a real case scenario with real information. Hopefully that helps.
It is not worth it in my opinion unless you are going for one night and even then you could still do everyone if you plan it out accordingly. I have been going every year since 99 and have never purchased an express pass and have been able to do every house and shows. I have already gone 4 times this year, Friday's and Saturday's and have done every house each night. I do the stay and scream since i am an annual pass member and get 4 - 5 houses done before 7.
100% agree if you do Stay & Scream, you could definitely knock out a few more houses early which sets you up to get everything done. I think it's more than just "getting the houses done" as well. I think not having to stand on your feet for 2+ hours is a big thing for people. Or just the anxiety of a line could be tough for some. More than anything, I think it's "worth it" in the sense you save a LOT of time, as demonstrated by this video. That's so many hours of my time at the park I could be doing anything else. HOWEVER! Not everyone feels that way, so that's why I basically just wanted to give the details and give my personal opinion. But many people seem to have gotten things done on Saturdays without Express, so I think a good route and a lot of strategizing might get you there. But I'd also hate for someone to get done with the night and feel like they missed out on doing certain things because they were in line for too long. It's all a little "give and take" at the end of the day.