Official 2018 HHN-28 Thread

[Linkura]

We will be there the same time - and planning on the RIP tour Halloween night Then I think we will go on Friday. We really wanted to go on Saturday too.

I'm doing Friday because I don't want to do 2 days in a row and Saturday isn't covered by the buy 1 get 2. Maybe we will be on the same tour!

 

[GoldmanTrust]

How much was the RIP tour last year? And do you have to buy a ticket aswell?

 

[Linkura]

How much was the RIP tour last year? And do you have to buy a ticket aswell?

Yes you have to buy a ticket. I think it was $191.xx plus tax for non-private.

 

[heidijanesmith]

Okay HHN experts. My kiddos are 28, 26, 13 and one month shy of 12. All are huge fans of Stranger Things!!! So everybody is super excited including the 11 yr old. The material on the website says not suggested for those under 13. Thoughts on the almost 12 yr old Stranger Things fan???? Be kind , looking for advice from those that have been. We have never been to one.

Agree with watching some videos of the past HHN's. My DD was young when we started, but she loves all things Halloween, scary movies and other haunted houses. She was not bothered by gore, scares, more adult themes.

I have seen younger children do great and some not so great. All up to your child and how these type of situations will affect.

 

[heidijanesmith]

Is there chance for any second visits to houses after the RIP tour? Or does it fill your whole evening?

The RIP tour took up the whole night for us, there might have been a little time at the end for a ride. The RIP credentials let you in the EP line for rides.

 

[macraven]

Rip HHN tours prices have different rates based on the day of the week

I believe my past public tours were under $200
I like to do a public tour on Sundays and a private tour on Friday of the Columbus Day weekend
Last year the private tour was in the ball park of $2660.
(Ap discount I included in the above number)

 

[keishashadow]

Attn - those looking for predictions of tix pricing this year...last year’s thread in early posts has all the various tix that were offered & discounts. The link is in the 1st post of this thread!

Of course, they seem to be shaking it up a bit this year lol, still a good starting point for noobs is to read thru the first few posts here.

 

[keishashadow]

Our tour took up the entire time, so we did not have time to do the houses again. Ours started at 7:30pm - and took us until around 1am I think.





We went last year with our son, who was 11, and our niece, who was 14. They both looooooved it!!! We did watch a ton of videos ahead of time. They were never terrified. We did the RIP tour - so they did all 9 houses with no problems. My son has autism, so we were super nervous about trying this. But he absolutely loves all things scary lol!!! The kids had a blast taking selfies with some of the scareactors too.

We have already booked a trip to go again this year. We are all massive Stranger Things fan!!! Here's a clip from our RIP tour from last HHN:

1st public tour last year, the Sunday prior before Columbus Day. Finished very early, had easily 1-1/2 hrs before park closed.

Rip HHN tours prices have different rates based on the day of the week

I believe my past public tours were under $200
I like to do a public tour on Sundays and a private tour on Friday of the Columbus Day weekend
Last year the private tour was in the ball park of $2660.
(Ap discount I included in the above number)

I am admittedly spoiled tagging along for years on a private tour

However, I was sorely disappointed with my first public one last year. The posted rules on Universal’s website state a person can only book 6 people on a public, otherwise they have to go Private. The rationale is that a large group tends to over-run the tour, makes sense.

My adult DS & I were placed with a group of 8 people. The guide followed their lead, lost count of the booze stops. They wound up being very sloppy drunks, ugg. Guide when questioned said they reserve the right to distribute guests at will & he was merely following the requests of the majority. Not sure i’d Book one again.

Had priced out the date initially, then did a another check a few weeks prior. It must’ve not been selling well as the APH rate had dropped. Without looking at notes, believe it was in area of under $375 all in for 2 pp.

 

[macraven]

I was checking my notes of prior public tours I have done and most were done in about 3.5 hours
Did have one that went 4 hours but it was a full group
We hit all houses and scare zones once

The private tours start at 6:30 and end when the park closes
Easy to do repeats of houses then.

A few we did 3 times

 

[Linkura]

1st public tour last year, the Sunday prior before Columbus Day. Finished very early, had easily 1-1/2 hrs before park closed.



I am admittedly spoiled tagging along for years on a private tour

However, I was sorely disappointed with my first public one last year. The posted rules on Universal’s website state a person can only book 6 people on a public, otherwise they have to go Private. The rationale is that a large group tends to over-run the tour, makes sense.

My adult DS & I were placed with a group of 8 people. The guide followed their lead, lost count of the booze stops. They wound up being very sloppy drunks, ugg. Guide when questioned said they reserve the right to distribute guests at will & he was merely following the requests of the majority. Not sure i’d Book one again.

Had priced out the date initially, then did a another check a few weeks prior. It must’ve not been selling well as the APH rate had dropped. Without looking at notes, believe it was in area of under $375 all in for 2 pp.

Uhhhhh... as someone who doesn't drink alcohol at all, and is going solo... maybe I shouldn't do a non-private RIP tour then and do EP instead? I'm going to bet the majority of people on such a tour would be drinkers and it would stink big-time to be stuck touring with drunks for several hours.

 

[macraven]

When I have done the public tours, it’s a hit or miss of the group you are in

You don’t know who is in the group until you all meet up

Hopefully your group will be happy to make the houses and zones the priority for the evening

Book your tour by phone
Maybe ask to have it noted you prefer not to be in a drinking group but a group that has teens in it

That might curtail running into any issue of being in a group that wants the bar stops?


In the pass, I bought the ROF with express
(Rush Of fear)

I will hit 7 nights of hhn
I plan on one private tour and a solo public tour for the Sunday

I hit the Columbus Day weekend and there will be crowds

I like to do the early start public tour and when it finishes, I use my ep for repeating specific houses until the park closes

This works for me

 

[Linkura]

When I have done the public tours, it’s a hit or miss of the group you are in

You don’t know who is in the group until you all meet up

Hopefully your group will be happy to make the houses and zones the priority for the evening

In the pass, I bought the ROF with express
(Rush Of fear)

I will hit 7 nights of hhn
I plan on one private tour and a solo public tour for the Sunday

I hit the Columbus Day weekend and there will be crowds

I like to do the early start public tour and when it finishes, I use my ep for repeating specific houses until the park closes

This works for me

Yeah, if I do the tour, I'm definitely doing the earliest time available. And I'm doing a second night so if the first one with the tour is a bummer, I'll still have night 2.

 

[keishashadow]

Uhhhhh... as someone who doesn't drink alcohol at all, and is going solo... maybe I shouldn't do a non-private RIP tour then and do EP instead? I'm going to bet the majority of people on such a tour would be drinkers and it would stink big-time to be stuck touring with drunks for several hours.

As Mac stated, many have loved their public tours. In concept, a great way to get it all done in a night.

I’m surely not a tee-totaler, expect that many of my fellow guests aren’t either. Nothing wrong with responsible especially if staying onsite. Security keeps a very close eye on everything and doesn’t hesitate to eject trouble BTW.

We ran into a large group of frat-house type amateurs . Any tour guide worth his salt would’ve reigned that foolishness in with aplomb. He was admittedly new doing tours, but a long-time universal employee. I privately expressed myself to him but probably should’ve complained to management. Just not the type to mess with somebody’s bread & butter. I’d like to think he settled into that job before another gave him a terrible review.

 

[cynditech]

Uhhhhh... as someone who doesn't drink alcohol at all, and is going solo... maybe I shouldn't do a non-private RIP tour then and do EP instead? I'm going to bet the majority of people on such a tour would be drinkers and it would stink big-time to be stuck touring with drunks for several hours.

We've only done the one tour, but our group was great. I'm sure it's luck of the draw. When the date gets closer, maybe we could get on the same tour? We don't drink, plus I'll have DS12 and possibly my niece (15) with me. Our group last year consisted of our group of four, and then a couple of really nice girls in their 20's and the rest of the people were probably in their 50's or so? We all got along great! We just all followed what the guide wanted to do - nobody pushed their own agenda. I'm hoping this year will go equally as good!

 

[Linkura]

We've only done the one tour, but our group was great. I'm sure it's luck of the draw. When the date gets closer, maybe we could get on the same tour? We don't drink, plus I'll have DS12 and possibly my niece (15) with me. Our group last year consisted of our group of four, and then a couple of really nice girls in their 20's and the rest of the people were probably in their 50's or so? We all got along great! We just all followed what the guide wanted to do - nobody pushed their own agenda. I'm hoping this year will go equally as good!

Unfortunately I don't think you can pick who you go on non-private tours with? Can anyone weigh in? What if we bought our tickets together? It would be pretty awesome to tour together, just not sure if we'd be able to guarantee that short of us and maybe some other people here buying in on private tour together.

 

[cynditech]

Unfortunately I don't think you can pick who you go on non-private tours with? Can anyone weigh in? What if we bought our tickets together? It would be pretty awesome to tour together, just not sure if we'd be able to guarantee that short of us and maybe some other people here buying in on private tour together.

I think we would have to buy our tour together - which we could do. I could always buy yours with mine when we place the order. I don't plan on booking it probably until June or so (waiting to see how many of us are going for sure).

 

[macraven]

I’ve not had but one experience with over zealous drinkers in a public tour and my complaint was, we were rushed to finish the houses

Keisha had a very bad mix of a group that year and it was pitiful for her and adult son

I’ve been doing the tours for hhn for a long time and Keisha takes the cake for worse tour to be in.
Ever...

It can happen but not as frequently to decide to forgo booking a public tour

You can request to be with certain peeps on a private tour but once there are more than 5?, you will be told you need to book a private tour.

Year before last, the hurricane closed the parks down the Friday of the Columbus Day weekend

I had a paid private tour that Friday and it was cancelled and refunded to me

Five of us out of that cancelled group, booked a Sunday public tour

At first our group was broken up into 3 and 2 for different tour guides

But they kindly switched peeps around when we meet the tour guide and our five were in the same tour group
(We made the request)
So maybe 5 is the magic number to request to be in the same group?

Policy changes and I’m not clear how many can request to be in the same tour group this year
My situation was in 2016

 

[macraven]

I think we would have to buy our tour together - which we could do. I could always buy yours with mine when we place the order. I don't plan on booking it probably until June or so (waiting to see how many of us are going for sure).

That should work

Exchange personal info by pm
or emails
One person books for all for the tour

 

[agame2323]

Rip HHN tours prices have different rates based on the day of the week

I believe my past public tours were under $200
I like to do a public tour on Sundays and a private tour on Friday of the Columbus Day weekend
Last year the private tour was in the ball park of $2660.
(Ap discount I included in the above number)

Okay wait... now I'm confused. Is the public tour the one where the guide takes a group of you (maybe 8-10 people) from house to house? You also start in that restaurant directly across from Academy of Villains? If so, this is the tour we did.

 

[heidijanesmith]

We have done the non-private tours for 5 years now.

We only had pre-specified bar stops, as the tour was very scheduled. We did not have any tour deviations.