HHN 2024: Tips, Tricks & Planning Thread

[Wesker69]

Just like any other ticket, express can be scanned via your phone. Screenshot the QR code they scan. I also recommend adding your ticket to the USH app since you'll check waittimes on it anyway

 

[Jerroddragon]

Heads on on scanning your ticket to the App at least for me the tickets work like from the App I was able to check in with my FFP but my early entry passes do not have a QR code. It does have a code but the TM cant just scan them for some reason...just an FYI

 

[Jake S]

Heads on on scanning your ticket to the App at least for me the tickets work like from the App I was able to check in with my FFP but my early entry passes do not have a QR code. It does have a code but the TM cant just scan them for some reason...just an FYI

Yeah, I remember this being a thing last year, too. So weird.

 

[Max]

Decided to try wait for the sun to go down and didn’t get to the park until about 930-10. Originally went to insidious first but once we got in line and saw it wasn’t moving at all we Went down to LL instead and waited 10 min for bloodlines. Then went over to TCM which was posted at a 50 min wait but actually was only 20. Then went to weekend and waited 10 min. After went to DE which was a walk on. Finished the ll mazes by 1145 and decided to call it a night because of the heat. We have a FFP though so will definitely be back when the temp goes down

 

[Snoops]

Question: I'm leaning towards getting the FFP but what's kinda holding me back is the parking situation. I have a gold pass so on the weekends I can get there before 6pm for the free parking, but I would also want to go during the week after work. The problem is I won't make it before 6pm and don't want to pay the 35 or however much the parking costs. For those that go later in the night, is there someone else to park or are you paying each time?

 

[Lurker]

Question: I'm leaning towards getting the FFP but what's kinda holding me back is the parking situation. I have a gold pass so on the weekends I can get there before 6pm for the free parking, but I would also want to go during the week after work. The problem is I won't make it before 6pm and don't want to pay the 35 or however much the parking costs. For those that go later in the night, is there someone else to park or are you paying each time?

Get yourself an AMC ticket on their app, get $30 cash back from validating at the theater, exit and refund the ticket on your phone. Boom, $5 parking. Let me know if I should delete this lol

 

[Max]

Get yourself an AMC ticket on their app, get $30 cash back from validating at the theater, exit and refund the ticket on your phone. Boom, $5 parking. Let me know if I should delete this lol

Do you no longer have to go the box office to get the $30 back? I didn’t know you can do this at the parking booth

 

[Lurker]

Do you no longer have to go the box office to get the $30 back? I didn’t know you can do this at the parking booth

You do have to go to the box office. But you just need to show your ticket on your phone, you don't have to scan it in. Think of it as taking $30 out of an ATM with a $5 service charge. And you'll get credit card points on that original $35 payment at the parking booth.

 

[Freak]

Looking at the wait times, it’s looking very likely this weekend will have pretty light crowds.

Interesting. I guess the heat is really having this bad of an effect on people?

 

[Rideguy70]

Question: I'm leaning towards getting the FFP but what's kinda holding me back is the parking situation. I have a gold pass so on the weekends I can get there before 6pm for the free parking, but I would also want to go during the week after work. The problem is I won't make it before 6pm and don't want to pay the 35 or however much the parking costs. For those that go later in the night, is there someone else to park or are you paying each time?

This won't work unless you're nearby, but we often go earlier in the day just to pick up parking, and then use it to reenter later in the evening. They're really good about letting you reenter with the parking receipt, as long as it's for the same day.

And while we haven't done it, I believe we asked that if we, say, got parking on a day but then came in for HHN after midnight, the parking booth said they'd still honor it. I'd be curious if anyone else here can confirm that.

 

[Jake S]

Interesting. I guess the heat is really having this bad of an effect on people?

I'm surprised by that, too. I mean, I've hardly left my house this week, but I assumed crowds would remain heavy for opening weekend.

 

[Wesker69]

Looking at the wait times, it’s looking very likely this weekend will have pretty light crowds.

Interesting. I guess the heat is really having this bad of an effect on people?

you must be joking right? It's significantly busier tonight than last night. Insidious & AQP had an hour wait by 645pm. The waittimes make it difficult with deciding where to go since USH isn't flat

 

[Rideguy70]

If the app is to be believed, no maze has a wait time of more than 45 minutes as of 8pm on a Friday night.

That said, the last night app also told me a maze had a 5 minute wait that turned out to be 35, and a 25 minute wait that turned out to be 70

 

[Max]

I'm surprised by that, too. I mean, I've hardly left my house this week, but I assumed crowds would remain heavy for opening weekend.

The heat is a huge factor within the 2 hours I was there last night I saw paramedics with at least 4 different groups. All because of dehydration.

 

[Wesker69]

Dead Exposure update: 25min
Well THIS is a complete crapfest execution. You reach what you think is the front, BUT the GA has the switchbacks down the side & behind mummy where the house exit wall is (basically the queue we're familiar with). I'm in the last switchback before entering & it's already been 20min. They keep prioritizing express.

 

[Rideguy70]

Dead Exposure update: 25min
Well THIS is a complete crapfest execution. You reach what you think is the front, BUT the GA has the switchbacks down the side & behind mummy where the house exit wall is (basically the queue we're familiar with). I'm in the last switchback before entering & it's already been 20min. They keep prioritizing express.

That's exactly what happened to me last night for TCM. When we got in, the line wasn't even really that long, maybe 4 switchbacks (out of the maybe 15+ that are available). Wait time was posted as 25, which seemed about right. But between Express, VIP, and media which kept coming non-stop, it turned out be a 70 minute wait. Not great ops.

 

[Wesker69]

I made a comment to the ops person as I walked past. Letting them know that "express means shorter wait, NOT instant access". They had just sent a big wave through & were about to send another.

This 25min wait is closer to 35-40min. STILL not in yet

 

[Freak]

That's exactly what happened to me last night for TCM. When we got in, the line wasn't even really that long, maybe 4 switchbacks (out of the maybe 15+ that are available). Wait time was posted as 25, which seemed about right. But between Express, VIP, and media which kept coming non-stop, it turned out be a 70 minute wait. Not great ops.

I made a comment to the ops person as I walked past. Letting them know that "express means shorter wait, NOT instant access". They had just sent a big wave through & were about to send another.

This 25min wait is closer to 35-40min. STILL not in yet

Why do they keep pulling this crap every single year? Have t they figured out after three years post-pandemic by now that Express isn’t instant access? Come on now.

 

[Wesker69]

8:45pm waittimes:
Insidious - 70
TCM - 55
WEEKND - 50
AQP - 45
DE - 35
Monstrous - 30
Ghostbusters - 25
UM - 15
Terror Tram - 15

 

[DTH]

I really don't think heat would keep people away. Even Disneyland is crowded in the 100s. The tickets are usually already bought by now and opening weekend would often sell out at least a week before. I genuinely think GP is just not that interested in the IPs this year. Also, I think crowds are better distributed with everything being open during Early Entry. Just my guesses though.