HHN 26: Ticket, RIP Tours, and Pass Information

[Freddyglove]

I've never had Express when going to HHN. I did nothing extra for 21 and went on two nights, and in total, saw all houses but one. During 24, we did an RIP tour one night and then winged it for another two nights after that, and got a fair amount of repeats in.

Last year, we did an RIP tour, then more strategic touring using S&S and really had great luck. Saw most houses multiple times over the course of 3 or 4 visits. The thought process was that seeing everything during the RIP tour would relax you on subsequent nights to just try and do what you can fit in, rather than panicking to see it all.

This year, we decided to spring for Express for the first time, in lieu of the RIP tour just to do something differently. It's exorbitantly expensive, but we travel from Canada just for this event and like to treat ourselves. I can't wait.

 

[RevFreako]

We're doing three night, but only one with Express. We'll count on stay and scream for the favorites and stick to mostly scarezones and shows the other two.

 

[snayberry]

My small group went with the ROF with Express.

I honestly don't understand how so many people go to the event without express. It hurts my back just walking by the people waiting in those long lines while using express.

My wife loves the event, but she has straight up told me that she won't go if we don't get express.

Even with the price increase (which hopefully will help shorten the express lines), it is still worth avoiding the torture of having to wait around all night long. I don't want to rush around and I'd prefer not to have to wait, so express it is.

This year's lines are probably going to be the worst we've ever seen. Just keep that in mind when deciding to opt out.

I definitely agree, it cost a bit more but it's worth it to me. I like to have a momentum when doing the houses, so I can keep the excitement levels up. Not do one house and then go wait in line for the next house, my excitement will die out. Plus I like to go in at leisure, not have to wait in S&S. I have much more freedom with express and can go with the flow. I don't have to be all strategic to hit all the houses.

 

[amityboattours]

Some really solid and interesting points made in all of your reasonings, thanks for everyone's responses on the Express topic.
After staying strong for so long, I actually do think I'm gonna spring for the Express upgrade to my FFP+ now... It is an outrageous amount of extra $$$, but I've been too spoilt by it in the past and I think that it will actually make me a bit too envious now if I'm stood looking on from the standby lines.

 

[ThNdIzNiR]

The thing is, even the Express lines can often be a real drag. I think it's better just being strategic about when you do houses, like hit up 2-4 during Stay and Scream and then maybe one or two at the end of the night, and enjoy the scarezones and stuff in between.

I've been going since 2010, usually 3 or 4 days of HHN each year. During that stretch, I think there has only been 1 (maybe 2) times I've waited a significant amount of time in line using express. I think the 1 time may have been the 1st time they used TWD and believe me, you wouldn't have wanted to wait in the other line. Unless you're talking about the busiest weekend of the event (which I've avoided) I'm not sure where the "Express lines can often be a real drag" comes from.

Also... The strategic point about doing Stay and Scream assumes that you're at the park earlier in the day. It would cost us at least several hundred dollars to visit the park all 4 days (just to get in). Not to mention the fact that it is pretty draining to visit a theme park all day and then do HHN all night. If you live in Florida and have an annual pass, sure Stay and Scream must be great. However that 2-4 house early advantage can't be applied to everyone.

 

[STL]

We're doing three night, but only one with Express. We'll count on stay and scream for the favorites and stick to mostly scarezones and shows the other two.

This is exactly what we are doing. We got the FFP and Express for one, and our last night of HHN (10/13). We will do S & S on the 9th and 12th. Our plan is to figure out which houses are our favorites the first two nights and then use Express to revisit them on our last night.

 

[Lucky Planet]

i looked at all the prices for all the tickets and i noticed all of them say advanced (with a crossed price that is 20 dollars more expensive)

until when are the advanced prices available? when do they change?

 

[snayberry]

I want to get my ROF express passes soon, will they jack them up above $299.99?

 

[Frank Drackman]

Last year was the 1st year where we did Express. I had a feeling they were going to jack the prices up for the Express add ons this year.

My wife and daughter are now spoiled after last year and they really turned on the sad eyes when I suggested we forego Express this year. I had really wanted to do the Unmasking tour(s) this year (something we have not done), also, we tend to try and go to UNI before school starts back up or maybe for Labor Day weekend.

So, when they seemed crushed at the idea of no Express this year, I adjusted on my own to just not even mentioning my desire to do the tour. I figured if I where to buy the RoF+, I want to make it worth my while, so we will try to attend more nights. So we did not go up before school started back up and will not go Labor Day weekend...so I guess I am attempting to adjust to the price increase by cutting back elsewhere.

Luckily, SF and CBBR make it more affordable to stay on-site, but if those options start to get too expensive, I would adjust by staying off site...so, for now, I am adjusting to make it work.

We tend to go the four nights of week 2. School is off down here the Monday after week 3, so we should be able to go Fri, Sat, Sun at the end of RoF...last year, we drove up and back home for the 1st SAT, so that is an option as well, but I think I will try to stay FRI and SAT...so there is a good chance we will get a lot of use out of the RoF+ this year to at least feel I brought the price down by attending the event more.

 

[Mr. EPCOT]

I've been going since 2010, usually 3 or 4 days of HHN each year. During that stretch, I think there has only been 1 (maybe 2) times I've waited a significant amount of time in line using express. I think the 1 time may have been the 1st time they used TWD and believe me, you wouldn't have wanted to wait in the other line. Unless you're talking about the busiest weekend of the event (which I've avoided) I'm not sure where the "Express lines can often be a real drag" comes from.

Also... The strategic point about doing Stay and Scream assumes that you're at the park earlier in the day. It would cost us at least several hundred dollars to visit the park all 4 days (just to get in). Not to mention the fact that it is pretty draining to visit a theme park all day and then do HHN all night. If you live in Florida and have an annual pass, sure Stay and Scream must be great. However that 2-4 house early advantage can't be applied to everyone.

My post was made with Frequent Fear strategy in mind, as I believe most of the discussion at that point was referring to.

 

[bob albert]

I probably wouldn't even go to HHN again without the rush of fear pass option. I quite frankly hated it compared to other Halloween events running around for one night last year. With stay and scream and rush of fear I should be able to do everything at least twice over in 3 days. or do 3 or 4 houses at opening and peace out if I don't want to stay up late. Just enough that I didn't rent a car and do howl o scream instead.

And I can't on principle buy express because the man wants me to and I have to stick it to the man.

 

[Cameron]

If I do the UTH tour at 2 o'clock would I be able to stay inside the park after the tour for HHN? I don't have a pass or a park ticket for that day just FFP for HHN. Would they allow us to wait in the stay and scream area or would I have to exit the park? I figured I would ask the experts here rather than take my chances.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

I probably wouldn't even go to HHN again without the rush of fear pass option. I quite frankly hated it compared to other Halloween events running around for one night last year. With stay and scream and rush of fear I should be able to do everything at least twice over in 3 days. or do 3 or 4 houses at opening and peace out if I don't want to stay up late. Just enough that I didn't rent a car and do howl o scream instead.

And I can't on principle buy express because the man wants me to and I have to stick it to the man.

Maybe I'm misreading, are you not going because of no Rush of Fear? Because there still is Rush of Fear passes.

 

[DannyPowers]

If I do the UTH tour at 2 o'clock would I be able to stay inside the park after the tour for HHN? I don't have a pass or a park ticket for that day just FFP for HHN. Would they allow us to wait in the stay and scream area or would I have to exit the park? I figured I would ask the experts here rather than take my chances.

"Officially" you'll have to leave the park.

"Unofficially" they'll just let you loose after the tour ends (assuming that it's anywhere near 4:30ish).

They'll probably ask earlier who is staying for HHN that night, that way they'll know they can those people go once they're done.

Note: This is for the 2:00 or full-day tour, not the morning tour.

 

[Cameron]

"Officially" you'll have to leave the park.

"Unofficially" they'll just let you loose after the tour ends (assuming that it's anywhere near 4:30ish).

They'll probably ask earlier who is staying for HHN that night, that way they'll know they can those people go once they're done.

Note: This is for the 2:00 or full-day tour, not the morning tour.

Thanks. I did the early morning tour last year and when it was done I left the park. But this time I want to do the afternoon tour. I appreciate the feedback.

 

[Brownie54]

The thing is, even the . I think it's better just being strategic about when you do houses, like hit up 2-4 during Stay and Scream and then maybe one or two at the end of the night, and enjoy the scarezones and stuff in between.

We incorporate Express and strategy. We will use stay and scream one or two times of our three nights. Since we are doing the Scareactors Dinner that will be one of them. Those nights we will see all the houses and shows plus two or three houses we can hit up before using our Express passes. The best part is that we will probably be back in our beds at Portofino around midnight. We are on vacation and Express lets us do all this and take time to relax and enjoy the Scarezones too. We get to sleep-in the mornings and hang at the pools in the afternoon.

As far as your "Express lines can often be a real drag" is concerned, I'm not sure what you mean. Usually we are in Express lines for five to fifteen minutes, but have been in for about thirty one or two times. For those of you who have used Express, how long have your wait times been?

 

[Mr. EPCOT]

We incorporate Express and strategy. We will use stay and scream one or two times of our three nights. Since we are doing the Scareactors Dinner that will be one of them. Those nights we will see all the houses and shows plus two or three houses we can hit up before using our Express passes. The best part is that we will probably be back in our beds at Portofino around midnight. We are on vacation and Express lets us do all this and take time to relax and enjoy the Scarezones too. We get to sleep-in the mornings and hang at the pools in the afternoon.

As far as your "Express lines can often be a real drag" is concerned, I'm not sure what you mean. Usually we are in Express lines for five to fifteen minutes, but have been in for about thirty one or two times. For those of you who have used Express, how long have your wait times been?

I've often been in Express lines well over thirty minutes. There's been a at least a couple of times we could tell the Express wait was upwards of an hour and just bailed. Which is still better than two or more hours, but can still get tiresome a few nights into the event. So yeah, depending on your situation, it could be more relaxing to just do houses at the beginning and end of the night.

 

[Brownie54]

Wow. Upwards of an hour with Express. Perhaps this is why they had such a big price hike this year. I can only hope that this helps keep the wait times down this year. Thanks for your quick response.

I'd still like to hear from others who have used Express and tell us how long you have waited.

 

[s8film40]

Having used Express last year I still applied some form of strategy most of the time. Admittedly I am very fortunate to be able to go many nights being local, so in that way I'm a little spoiled and the thought of 30-45 minute waits really isn't something I want to do most of the time. I still used S&S whenever possible, if the wait was truly low I would go through without express and could keep open the possibility of a second run through later in the night. The vast majority of the time if a house was at 1 hour or more I skipped it completely standby or Express. If I were only going one or two nights and hitting everything was a must I would definitely do Express at least one night and probably be willing to wait in the longer Express lines. As a local I think there were only a couple of nights I did all nine houses in one night, when you have the opportunity to go multiple nights it's just more relaxing to not have to wait in lines even if they're shorter than the standby lines.

 

[Cameron]

I have purchased express for the last several years. It has always been a great option for me so I can do all of the houses as many times possible in every night that I attend. However some houses last year did not flow very well in the express line. I stood in a 40 minute express line for the 25 years house on opening weekend. Typical express wait times are usually about 15 minutes on other nights that I went. I think that way too many express passes were sold and that will possibly be an ongoing problem as the event gets larger.