First time to Universal

J

JustinZO6

New Member
Original Poster
I'm sure these questions have been asked before.

Wife is the biggest Harry Potter fan I know. So for our anniversary I'm planning to take her to Universal. The dates in which will have tickets for are October 16,17,18 and 19th. So we will have 4 full days at universal. We are going to stay at the Cabana Bay Resort.

My questions.

I know that HHN will be going during our time there. Wife is a little concerned because the Universal Studios side/Diagon Alley closes at 5 everyday. Will 4 days be plenty of time full experience both parks and ride the rides multiple times even with the park closing early?

Are the express passes worth it? I considered buying them on a busy day like a Saturday?

Is HHN worth attending during the busy weekend well be there?
 
Timekeeper

Timekeeper

Well-Known Member
I agree with StarBurst. It sounds like you'll have plenty of time. The trick is simply to do some planning, and arrive early/stay late. Arriving to a park a little early (before rope drop), whether it be for day admission or HHN, will pay dividends in how much time you'll end up saving. For example, anyone can stroll up to the gate for HHN at 6:30, but then you'll spend time waiting for security, in queues that already have a significant number of guests, etc. Why not just show up at 5:00, and be one of the first few through the gate? People generally don't like to wait for things, but the parks usually opens a little bit earlier than posted, and if you're one of the first through the turnstiles, then you can probably hit a few of the houses within the first hour. Then you can relax and enjoy some rides or street/show entertainment during the peak portion of the evening, then hit a few more houses after midnight when some of them are walk-ons. It looks like you'll have the benefit of 2 HHN nights that are work nights (work the next morning) for many people, and should be less crowded. When I go early and stay late, I have no problem seeing everything.
 
J

JustinZO6

New Member
Original Poster
That's good info on HHN, we may consider upgrading our tickets to the unlimited express passes for our days at the park. Considering we have to fly across country to even visit the place and want to make the most out of it.
 
DisneyDaver

DisneyDaver

Well-Known Member
Make sure you take advantage of early admission. When I was at Universal Orlando two years ago in October, I was able to enjoy all of Hogsmeade during that hour. Then, when the park "officially" opened, I headed over to the Marvel rides while all the people without early admission were headed to Hogsmeade. It worked out very well and we were able to see most of IOA by Noon.

I would highly recommend HHN ... it's a blast!
 
J

JustinZO6

New Member
Original Poster
We went ahead and splurged on the unlimited express passes for the week! Don't know how many times well get to fly to Orlando so might as well do it right first time.
 
Timekeeper

Timekeeper

Well-Known Member
JustinZO6 said:
We went ahead and splurged on the unlimited express passes for the week! Don't know how many times well get to fly to Orlando so might as well do it right first time.
Click to expand...

I completely agree with this logic. For example, I can usually do HHN with a Rush of Fear pass or something similar and have the benefit of going a few times, and I can usually see everything multiple times. But, there was one year when business only allowed me to visit HHN on one, peak, night. I knew it would have been impossible for me to see everything, so I purchased the express pass. Is it worth it? I suppose that's just a matter of perspective. But if I'm only going to have a limited opportunity to experience something, why not make the most of it?
 

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