Both parks + Halloween Horror Nights on the same day?

LittleMerman

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Has anyone gotten the 2-park 1-day ticket and a Halloween Horror Nights ticket for the same day? I know it sounds exhausting and we wouldn't be able to do everything in the parks in just one day, especially if the Halloween offerings kick in around 7p but I've been considering doing this on a future trip. There's just way too much to do in Orlando! Just wondering if anyone has done it and what your thoughts are. Thanks!
 

JT3000

Well-Known Member
I would advise against it, but if you think you're up to it, who am I to stop you? Just know that -- normally -- you need to be in the Studios by 5:00 pm if you wish to take advantage of Stay & Scream, which will allow you to get through at least one house before everyone else shows up and avoid the long lines at the park entrance. It will also kill some of your time in the parks, but you will likely need a rest by then. Or if you either have Express for the event or simply don't prioritize HHN, you can stay in IOA until it closes and then walk over. It's up to you.
 

jeanericuser001

Well-Known Member
Done that dozens of times. It actually works perfectly though there are a few tricks. Eat well. Your body will have more energy if you are not hungry. If you feel sore take a couple naproxen to keep pain at bay until sleep time. A meal deal style ticket may pay off nicely if you intend to eat on property the whole time. Now what day it is can be very important. Non peak days like Wednesday can be fantastic for hhn and days like saturday can be a nightmare. Early in september can be light while close to halloween can be insane. Choose the day you go carefully.
 

LittleMerman

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Done that dozens of times. It actually works perfectly though there are a few tricks. Eat well. Your body will have more energy if you are not hungry. If you feel sore take a couple naproxen to keep pain at bay until sleep time. A meal deal style ticket may pay off nicely if you intend to eat on property the whole time. Now what day it is can be very important. Non peak days like Wednesday can be fantastic for hhn and days like saturday can be a nightmare. Early in september can be light while close to halloween can be insane. Choose the day you go carefully.
I would advise against it, but if you think you're up to it, who am I to stop you? Just know that -- normally -- you need to be in the Studios by 5:00 pm if you wish to take advantage of Stay & Scream, which will allow you to get through at least one house before everyone else shows up and avoid the long lines at the park entrance. It will also kill some of your time in the parks, but you will likely need a rest by then. Or if you either have Express for the event or simply don't prioritize HHN, you can stay in IOA until it closes and then walk over. It's up to you.
Thank you for input!! I'm not too worried about my stamina - I'm the type that can go from rope drop to close pretty easily. I did it one year with Magic Kingdom all day and then MNSSHP at night. I am more curious to see how much we can actually get done if we did it all in one day. It will be my friend's first time at Universal and I want him to be able to experience most of the rides but I also want to take full advantage of the HHN (I've never done the event). I didn't really want to have to spend two days at Universal (HHN on a separate day) because he's never been to any of the Orlando parks so we're doing a lot that week.

On my last trip to Universal I did the 2-park/1-day ticket and we got a lot done but we went from the early entry hour to close around 9p. That also included a long sit-down lunch at Mythos. So if HHN starts at 5p we could forego the long meal and possibly get a lot of rides in. Thanks for the advice!
 

DavidNoble

Well-Known Member
Done that dozens of times. It actually works perfectly though there are a few tricks. Eat well. Your body will have more energy if you are not hungry. If you feel sore take a couple naproxen to keep pain at bay until sleep time. A meal deal style ticket may pay off nicely if you intend to eat on property the whole time. Now what day it is can be very important. Non peak days like Wednesday can be fantastic for hhn and days like saturday can be a nightmare. Early in september can be light while close to halloween can be insane. Choose the day you go carefully.

This is great advice!

Though, if you can avoid it, don't do it. Last time I went to HHN, we went to Volcano Bay and then relaxed. We were still exhausted and sore by the end of the night. You almost need the entire day of rest and sleep so you can go hard for HHN because your muscles are so tense throughout the night.
 

jeanericuser001

Well-Known Member
This is great advice!

Though, if you can avoid it, don't do it. Last time I went to HHN, we went to Volcano Bay and then relaxed. We were still exhausted and sore by the end of the night. You almost need the entire day of rest and sleep so you can go hard for HHN because your muscles are so tense throughout the ni
If you intend to do a water park then hhn you want to avoid the stairs as much as possible as extensive trips up the stairs will exhaust your legs a lot more than walking especially as people often try to hurry up stairs as they're excited to go on a ride. As a result you overstress your leg muscles with all the walking up. The best option is to do a soak walk in the lazy river after the stairs. Just slowly walk with the flow while keeping your muscles as loose as possible. After the water park you can also before you put your clothes on use some bengay on various aching spots to slowly relax the muscles. Give the bengay a minute or two to soak on your skin before putting on your clothes.
 

LittleMerman

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
This is great advice!

Though, if you can avoid it, don't do it. Last time I went to HHN, we went to Volcano Bay and then relaxed. We were still exhausted and sore by the end of the night. You almost need the entire day of rest and sleep so you can go hard for HHN because your muscles are so tense throughout the night.
If you intend to do a water park then hhn you want to avoid the stairs as much as possible as extensive trips up the stairs will exhaust your legs a lot more than walking especially as people often try to hurry up stairs as they're excited to go on a ride. As a result you overstress your leg muscles with all the walking up. The best option is to do a soak walk in the lazy river after the stairs. Just slowly walk with the flow while keeping your muscles as loose as possible. After the water park you can also before you put your clothes on use some bengay on various aching spots to slowly relax the muscles. Give the bengay a minute or two to soak on your skin before putting on your clothes.
I've never done HHN - is it very physical or something? Is it anymore rigorous than normal park time waiting in line for rides, etc?
 

jeanericuser001

Well-Known Member
The waits for houses for starters are typically longer than you wait for most rides. You are pretty much constantly standing around waiting to inch along little by little by little until you get into the house. Even inside the house the pace is often controlled by those in front of you unless you go really slow but then you are making the wait longer for those behind you. Once you get near the end the pace will quicken and many rush to flee out of fear which thus tires some people out. It also tends to get really hot while you are waiting and being in such close density kind of makes things feel even warmer. Doing this for 4 hours with no rest stops can get pretty taxing hence the need for conserving energy and not overstressing your body too much.
 

LittleMerman

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
The waits for houses for starters are typically longer than you wait for most rides. You are pretty much constantly standing around waiting to inch along little by little by little until you get into the house. Even inside the house the pace is often controlled by those in front of you unless you go really slow but then you are making the wait longer for those behind you. Once you get near the end the pace will quicken and many rush to flee out of fear which thus tires some people out. It also tends to get really hot while you are waiting and being in such close density kind of makes things feel even warmer. Doing this for 4 hours with no rest stops can get pretty taxing hence the need for conserving energy and not overstressing your body too much.
Interesting, this makes sense though. Honestly, is HHN that fun?? It doesn't sound it based on your description haha. Or don't they sell quick queues for it? Maybe that would be worth it. Thanks for the info!
 

jeanericuser001

Well-Known Member
HHN is definitely worth it but how worth it depends on the day you go, how much you get to see, and how good a year the event is. Some years can be legendary with incredible effects and amazing houses that blow your mind with their design. Some years on the other hand can be quite poor with maybe a house or two that actually truly lives up to its promise. That is why I often hit not just universal's halloween horror nights but also howloscream at busch gardens. They both have different philosphies when it comes to scare tactics and presentation but they both can be quite fun. The only catches though are when you go. Its nice to hit an event where you can see it all but it sucks waiting up to 3 hours to hit one house only to discover the house itself sucks. At universal you can use express passes but those unto themselves can be shockingly expensive depending on the day you choose to go. Early in september its an incredible deal to get one for under 100 while late in october the prices can be almost as much as a regular day ticket to universal. Busch Garden's howloscream on the other hand offers similar tickets or a buffet deal combined with a fast pass that lasts just under 2 hours plus gives you early access to some of the houses. My advice is go with the buffet deal aka Fright Feast. For me its been one of the best deals for the money and no matter what day you go it pays off big as you can see it all as long as you are willing take on the ultimate challenge of doing all the houses at howloscream in under 2 hours which in truth is actually doable if you got the stamina for it.
 

PostScott

Well-Known Member
It sounds pretty tiring but definitely doable and enjoyable.

If you really want to do everything, you may want to consider getting a universal express, esp if you're gonna go on a Saturday in October. Even though it'll be tiring, it'll be super fun and you won't run out of stuff to do the entire day. Hope it all works out!
 

Rob562

Well-Known Member
I'd say that both parks *plus* HHN all in one day is going to be a tall task. Even ignoring the HHN part I'd suggest two days at the parks anyway. That way you get to enjoy the parks fully and not just rush to see the highlights.

At IOA you'll have both the incredibly-popular Hagrid's Motorbikes, plus the incredibly-brand-new VelociCoaster. Both will likely eat up a chunk of your day.

And if you expand your universal visit to two days, then you can also do two nights at HHN. They often offer a "buy 1 night get a 2nd night free" HHN tickets. You could get a non-hopper 2-day ticket (as long as you're ok skipping Hogwarts Express). First day stick to Studios. Make sure you hit all the attractions that aren't open during HHN hours. Enter the Stay n Scream corrals as early as you can. Have a regimented plan to power through the houses. (Orlando Informer usually has very good step-by-step plans)

Then on your second day focus on IOA. Since you should hopefully have done all the houses on night #1 you can sacrifice a couple hours of HHN (especially if it's the "second night free") to do as much as you can at IOA, including riding the new coasters after sunset. Then when you're done with IOA, stroll over to Studios and enjoy more HHN by hitting up your favorites and hanging out in the scare zones. Grab a couple rides on things that are open via Single Rider lines.

Oh, and avoid HHN Saturdays at all costs. Too crowded.

-Rob
 

jeanericuser001

Well-Known Member
I'd say that both parks *plus* HHN all in one day is going to be a tall task. Even ignoring the HHN part I'd suggest two days at the parks anyway. That way you get to enjoy the parks fully and not just rush to see the highlights.

At IOA you'll have both the incredibly-popular Hagrid's Motorbikes, plus the incredibly-brand-new VelociCoaster. Both will likely eat up a chunk of your day.

And if you expand your universal visit to two days, then you can also do two nights at HHN. They often offer a "buy 1 night get a 2nd night free" HHN tickets. You could get a non-hopper 2-day ticket (as long as you're ok skipping Hogwarts Express). First day stick to Studios. Make sure you hit all the attractions that aren't open during HHN hours. Enter the Stay n Scream corrals as early as you can. Have a regimented plan to power through the houses. (Orlando Informer usually has very good step-by-step plans)

Then on your second day focus on IOA. Since you should hopefully have done all the houses on night #1 you can sacrifice a couple hours of HHN (especially if it's the "second night free") to do as much as you can at IOA, including riding the new coasters after sunset. Then when you're done with IOA, stroll over to Studios and enjoy more HHN by hitting up your favorites and hanging out in the scare zones. Grab a couple rides on things that are open via Single Rider lines.

Oh, and avoid HHN Saturdays at all costs. Too crowded.

-Rob
Second night free hhn? That may be greatest wishful thinking ever. Universal has not done stuff like that in a long while and even then its for the theme parks NOT HHN. Besides the second day free is mostly so people feel the urge to extend out their vacation a little extra by hitting the parks to hit that last ride as well as get any food or merchandise they want. HHN on the other hand is an event where they basically count every ticket closely. On some nights they will charge you extra for going and if its around october on the weekend then they will definitely be jacking up the price big time. Second day free ticket? Yeah that is about as likely as universal buying sea world.
 

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Patcheslee

Well-Known Member
Interesting, this makes sense though. Honestly, is HHN that fun?? It doesn't sound it based on your description haha. Or don't they sell quick queues for it? Maybe that would be worth it. Thanks for the info!
If you enjoy haunted houses then yes it can be fun. Make sure to have access to sugary items for after the adrenaline wears off, it helps with the shaky/weak feeling afterwards.
 

Rob562

Well-Known Member
Second night free hhn? That may be greatest wishful thinking ever. Universal has not done stuff like that in a long while and even then its for the theme parks NOT HHN. Besides the second day free is mostly so people feel the urge to extend out their vacation a little extra by hitting the parks to hit that last ride as well as get any food or merchandise they want. HHN on the other hand is an event where they basically count every ticket closely. On some nights they will charge you extra for going and if its around october on the weekend then they will definitely be jacking up the price big time. Second day free ticket? Yeah that is about as likely as universal buying sea world.

If by "not done stuff like that in a long while" you mean "not done it since 2019", then yes, I think you're right.

For the last three years Universal did indeed run a special offer of two nights for the price of one, with a handful of Saturday dates that were excluded. They'd even started selling the ticket for 2020 before the event was cancelled. (It's often the first multi-night ticket that goes on sale before Rush and Frequent)

Here's Orlando Informer's ticket page.

While this year's ticket options are still unknown, a buy one get one HAS been offered the past few years. So you might want to dial back on the snark when spouting off on things you may not be entirely informed on.

-Rob
 

jeanericuser001

Well-Known Member
If by "not done stuff like that in a long while" you mean "not done it since 2019", then yes, I think you're right.

For the last three years Universal did indeed run a special offer of two nights for the price of one, with a handful of Saturday dates that were excluded. They'd even started selling the ticket for 2020 before the event was cancelled. (It's often the first multi-night ticket that goes on sale before Rush and Frequent)

Here's Orlando Informer's ticket page.

While this year's ticket options are still unknown, a buy one get one HAS been offered the past few years. So you might want to dial back on the snark when spouting off on things you may not be entirely informed on.

-Rob
Now that I look back on this after doing the initial post at 1am, I am remembering this scam well. It was a "free" ticket but in truth that was the cleverest bait and switch designed to catch early buyers. The price was just a little above the cheapest day ticket but what you didn't know is universal tacked on additional fees and taxes that put the pass right up there with the frequent fear pass and the rush of fear. Those who waited and used some of the optional discounts got prices at far cheaper rates while those who bought early got 2 nights for a price that was barely worth the money. BG at the same time did a similar deal at the same time but their offer was far more amazing. Passholders got a HOS tickets for $25 and regular guests only paid $35. My sister commented to me on getting that hhn deal in june and told me how it seemed like a great deal. Come august I got a frequent fear pass for almost the same money and while she only went twice, I got to go over a dozen times. When I initially thought of this I couldn't remember if they had done this or not but looking back on it I now remember this well. Honestly guys let this be a lesson. Always do a clear price comparison before you buy and beware the clever scams designed to draw people in with a cheap deal. In this case though the snark was warranted as so many of these places pull tricks like this all the time and its best to do your homework and avoid those spur of the moment deals that may not be as good as what they seem at first.
 

LittleMerman

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
HHN is definitely worth it but how worth it depends on the day you go, how much you get to see, and how good a year the event is. Some years can be legendary with incredible effects and amazing houses that blow your mind with their design. Some years on the other hand can be quite poor with maybe a house or two that actually truly lives up to its promise. That is why I often hit not just universal's halloween horror nights but also howloscream at busch gardens. They both have different philosphies when it comes to scare tactics and presentation but they both can be quite fun. The only catches though are when you go. Its nice to hit an event where you can see it all but it sucks waiting up to 3 hours to hit one house only to discover the house itself sucks. At universal you can use express passes but those unto themselves can be shockingly expensive depending on the day you choose to go. Early in september its an incredible deal to get one for under 100 while late in october the prices can be almost as much as a regular day ticket to universal. Busch Garden's howloscream on the other hand offers similar tickets or a buffet deal combined with a fast pass that lasts just under 2 hours plus gives you early access to some of the houses. My advice is go with the buffet deal aka Fright Feast. For me its been one of the best deals for the money and no matter what day you go it pays off big as you can see it all as long as you are willing take on the ultimate challenge of doing all the houses at howloscream in under 2 hours which in truth is actually doable if you got the stamina for it.
Lots of good info here, thank you for input!!
 

jeanericuser001

Well-Known Member
Lots of good info here, thank you for input!!
Here is another piece of advice though it might be a big spoiler. HHN and HOS this year will very likely be reusing assets from last year. If you want a chance at seeing what both of these places are like then try checking out the videos on youtube. HOS particularly has a tendency to reuse the same houses with a few modifications year to year while HHN last year built a good share of their houses before covid shut down. It could be a good way to get a sneak peak to see if its worth the interest. Just be sure you watch the videos in a dark setting otherwise you may not be able to see much.
 

disneygeek90

Well-Known Member
HHN is one of the most exhausting park events you can do, if not the most. Keep in mind HHN is typically open until 1 or 2am. I would advise against planning a full day ahead of it unless it's completely unavoidable. If you can't, you'll definitely want express.
 

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