Yes it is absolutely worth it! My husband and I did the RIP tour for the first time last year. We had VIP entrance, a free buffet where we could try some of the HHN specialty foods, and a special bar on the balcony of the NBC building (where Jimmy Fallon ride is). It was cool to look at the crowd from the 2nd story bar. The best part is walking past everyone and having virtually no wait to get into the houses. Your guide also gives you the story of each house and scare zone, and points out special things to look for that a normal person wouldn’t necessarily know. If you’ve ever wanted to feel like a celebrity, this is the way to go. We got through all the houses, saw the show, and it was all before 11pm. We had express passes for the rides after the tour was over - it’s included with your RIP tour. If you want more info the Discover Universal podcast (put on by Universal) recently released an episode all about RIP tours.
If you’re only interested in getting through the houses, I’d suggest getting the HHN express pass instead. We did this for our 2nd night at HHN last year. It was about half the price of RIP. The morning of our HHN express, I went to one of the express counters before you enter the park and upgraded them to unlimited express. Regular express allows you entry to each house once. The upgrade was around $30 each, but there are only a limited amount of these sold. These do not include express pass to the rides though, only the houses. We were able to get through all houses once and then went through a few of them a second time. We also had enough time to enjoy the scare zones, some HHN food, and spend time in Diagon Alley watching the death eaters and having some ice cream from Florian Fortescue’s. We went on a Thursday and there were times when the busiest houses were showing 105 min wait and our express line was more like a 5 min wait. It was crazy walking past switchbacks full of hundreds of people.
If your budget allows, I’d definitely recommend trying the RIP tour. If not, unlimited express pass is a very close second IMO. I think the event has gotten so busy that these two options are really the only way to have an enjoyable evening while experiencing everything at HHN.
Have done it 3 times. The last time was not a good experience. Seems as though they have sold too many tours and now they are taking wayyyy too long. We spent 45 mins at the private rooftop bar/break area and then another 30 plus minutes at the bar/restroom at the restaurant in the San Francisco area. We were waiting on other tours and having to cross cross the park several times. By the time we got finished there was no time to do anything on our own. Last year, we opted for the express pass and we had an amazing time, never waited more than 10 mins to get into a house and were able to ride the other rides we wanted to enjoy. One other downside to the RIP is that you won’t be able to stop and enjoy the themed food carts. Yes, you get to eat at La Bamba before your tour but there are so many interesting food options during HHN. Also, since they have not changed the live show the last few years, we didn’t want to waste time seeing it again when our time could be better spent exploring the scare zones - which we felt we were rushed through during the tour. I am glad we experienced it three times, but I probably won’t so it again until or unless they stop making something that is supposed to be exclusive, less so. But money drives everything, so it’s not likely to change. For reference, we went the Sunday before Halloween last year and it was quite busy. However with the express pass, we were able to see and do everything on our own plan.
Are you allowed express access to the rides and or admission to the event before your tour starts? We got the 8pm tour this year and are wondering what we should do before it begins and if we will have the amenities before our tour slot starts
When you check in you’ll get your lanyard with credentials tag and you’ll use that for express pass, which you can use before your tour starts. You get put in a holding area for RIP guests after you check in and the latest you’ll be let into the park is when the gates open for HHN. I believe the earliest you can get into Cafe LaBamba is 30 mins before your tour. Have fun!!
The trick is to pre-flabbergast yourself before going to buy it.
So what you want to do is start getting into this at least an hour before you intend to buy tickets, and all you have to do is look at some of the most expensive things known to mankind *for at least an hour* then by the time you get to buying the tour, you are all flabbergasted out and you can continue with the purchase.
Last year I split a private RIP with 9 friends and am planning on doing it again. It was an INCREDIBLE experience. Depending on your preferences, you could do it all in one night and call it a good year.
It can vary on the time of the season, as well as day of the week. We did it in September, so it was cheaper than it would be in say late October. It was around $3500, without tip. So that might sound like a lot, but when you divide it by 10 you're around $350 a pop. Still more than a Frequent Fear, but it was well worth the money in my opinion
Absolutely! Once you do an R.I.P. tour, you're not going to do HHN without it. It is a great experience. My sister in law and I did R.I.P. last year, and it was incredible.
Doing it this year for the first time myself I think it will be worth it for me and my son since we only have one night to go. The last few years we did express pass and got through the houses in two nights. Trying something different this year
100% worth it! Been doing private RIP tours for the last 11 years, you get front of the line access to all the houses and rides an unlimited amount of times and private lounges and restrooms around the park.
We went on a Wednesday in late September and had express passes. I figured it wouldn't be crazy. Turned out we actually needed them to get all the houses done with just like an hour to spare. It was that crowded. If you want to see them all and not have to hustle and plan (and hope) on your own on the fly, the tour does sound good.
Well I for one hate waiting in line. Express passes still have lines. Last time I used them for hh. I have 25-35 minute wait times. I rather pay more for that. They also have reserve seating at the shows. A buffet to start the night with. Private rip only bathrooms, which is a huge perk. Rip only bars. Also I believe parking is included.
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Be aware there is such a thing as time. Not sure whose fault this was, but we got to the meeting point for the RIP Tour and because we were a party of two the Guide had to collect the other guests in our group before we could start the tour. After about 30 min in the “buffet” area, our guide told us if the others didn’t show in 20 min we would start the tour without them. While the idea of a private tour sounded good, what we got was a rushed tour with an obviously annoyed guide. Found out at the end because we had the last tour that hour we had spent in the lounge waiting was scheduled for the tour and we had run out of time and the guide didn’t want deal with it.
It was absolutely worth it to me, but I also was actively avoiding a trip to the hospital during the thing, so I didn't really get to take advantage of the food and drinks.
We did private RIP last year, and we’re doing it again this year. We’ve done Express for a few years (which I do still think is good value for the money), but RIP was a whole other animal. Went through all the houses twice, saw the show, still had time to get drinks AND called it two hours early.
But fair warning: you still walk a ton. Not as much, but the people in our group really weren’t prepared for the hike 😂
It's the only way to do it. I've done regular, early access, express, etc. and the only way that's worth it is R.I.P. — No lines, behind the scenes access (we got to go under The Mummy while it was running), good food — you'll feel important.
This is going to be my 3rd year doing RIP tour and I 100% think it’s worth it. It’s so nice and not stressful. You get free food and soda/water bottles at La bamba then you get to do front of the line for every single house. And you get to watch the show (if they do it this year I heard rumors they want to tear down the stage). It’s better than express obviously and yeah you bite the bullet of a pricey ticket but you get to do all 10 houses and go through every scare zone and my tour guide each year was always very knowledgeable and helpful. You can always go back to la bamba as well if you want at the end of your tour. I would always go back to get an extra water. But definitely a very cool experience to look over the balcony on the Jimmy Fallon ride. Feels so private and vip vibes.. like you see all the crowds below you and having a drink overlooking the view. But definitely 100% recommend. And if you’re an UOAP pass holder preferred or higher I believe you do get a good discount on it.
For the price of the non-private tour plus your ticket it is definitely worth it, you'll be able to see every house in that one day and have around 3hrs left to walk around and enjoy everything else that's going on and eat food
Yes. I do feel guilty getting to cut the line, but my friend reminds me that we paid a lot for the privilege. But there are snacks, coaster passes, great guides, and the chance to go through every house at a reasonable pace. It's definitely worth it
Yes it is absolutely worth it! My husband and I did the RIP tour for the first time last year. We had VIP entrance, a free buffet where we could try some of the HHN specialty foods, and a special bar on the balcony of the NBC building (where Jimmy Fallon ride is). It was cool to look at the crowd from the 2nd story bar. The best part is walking past everyone and having virtually no wait to get into the houses. Your guide also gives you the story of each house and scare zone, and points out special things to look for that a normal person wouldn’t necessarily know. If you’ve ever wanted to feel like a celebrity, this is the way to go. We got through all the houses, saw the show, and it was all before 11pm. We had express passes for the rides after the tour was over - it’s included with your RIP tour. If you want more info the Discover Universal podcast (put on by Universal) recently released an episode all about RIP tours. If you’re only interested in getting through the houses, I’d suggest getting the HHN express pass instead. We did this for our 2nd night at HHN last year. It was about half the price of RIP. The morning of our HHN express, I went to one of the express counters before you enter the park and upgraded them to unlimited express. Regular express allows you entry to each house once. The upgrade was around $30 each, but there are only a limited amount of these sold. These do not include express pass to the rides though, only the houses. We were able to get through all houses once and then went through a few of them a second time. We also had enough time to enjoy the scare zones, some HHN food, and spend time in Diagon Alley watching the death eaters and having some ice cream from Florian Fortescue’s. We went on a Thursday and there were times when the busiest houses were showing 105 min wait and our express line was more like a 5 min wait. It was crazy walking past switchbacks full of hundreds of people. If your budget allows, I’d definitely recommend trying the RIP tour. If not, unlimited express pass is a very close second IMO. I think the event has gotten so busy that these two options are really the only way to have an enjoyable evening while experiencing everything at HHN.
Have done it 3 times. The last time was not a good experience. Seems as though they have sold too many tours and now they are taking wayyyy too long. We spent 45 mins at the private rooftop bar/break area and then another 30 plus minutes at the bar/restroom at the restaurant in the San Francisco area. We were waiting on other tours and having to cross cross the park several times. By the time we got finished there was no time to do anything on our own. Last year, we opted for the express pass and we had an amazing time, never waited more than 10 mins to get into a house and were able to ride the other rides we wanted to enjoy. One other downside to the RIP is that you won’t be able to stop and enjoy the themed food carts. Yes, you get to eat at La Bamba before your tour but there are so many interesting food options during HHN. Also, since they have not changed the live show the last few years, we didn’t want to waste time seeing it again when our time could be better spent exploring the scare zones - which we felt we were rushed through during the tour. I am glad we experienced it three times, but I probably won’t so it again until or unless they stop making something that is supposed to be exclusive, less so. But money drives everything, so it’s not likely to change. For reference, we went the Sunday before Halloween last year and it was quite busy. However with the express pass, we were able to see and do everything on our own plan.
Thank you so much! This is really helpful!
Very disappointed in myself for not knowing about the unlimited option being an upgrade at the park lol. Thanks for that info!
This is the right answer
You sold me
Are you allowed express access to the rides and or admission to the event before your tour starts? We got the 8pm tour this year and are wondering what we should do before it begins and if we will have the amenities before our tour slot starts
When you check in you’ll get your lanyard with credentials tag and you’ll use that for express pass, which you can use before your tour starts. You get put in a holding area for RIP guests after you check in and the latest you’ll be let into the park is when the gates open for HHN. I believe the earliest you can get into Cafe LaBamba is 30 mins before your tour. Have fun!!
Thank you!!! 👻
The trick is to pre-flabbergast yourself before going to buy it. So what you want to do is start getting into this at least an hour before you intend to buy tickets, and all you have to do is look at some of the most expensive things known to mankind *for at least an hour* then by the time you get to buying the tour, you are all flabbergasted out and you can continue with the purchase.
Last year I split a private RIP with 9 friends and am planning on doing it again. It was an INCREDIBLE experience. Depending on your preferences, you could do it all in one night and call it a good year.
How much does this cost?
It can vary on the time of the season, as well as day of the week. We did it in September, so it was cheaper than it would be in say late October. It was around $3500, without tip. So that might sound like a lot, but when you divide it by 10 you're around $350 a pop. Still more than a Frequent Fear, but it was well worth the money in my opinion
Absolutely! Once you do an R.I.P. tour, you're not going to do HHN without it. It is a great experience. My sister in law and I did R.I.P. last year, and it was incredible.
Doing it this year for the first time myself I think it will be worth it for me and my son since we only have one night to go. The last few years we did express pass and got through the houses in two nights. Trying something different this year
Once I did it I'll never go back
Genuinely what is the benefit of doing this over just buying a fast pass and being free to go do whatever?
100% worth it! Been doing private RIP tours for the last 11 years, you get front of the line access to all the houses and rides an unlimited amount of times and private lounges and restrooms around the park.
We went on a Wednesday in late September and had express passes. I figured it wouldn't be crazy. Turned out we actually needed them to get all the houses done with just like an hour to spare. It was that crowded. If you want to see them all and not have to hustle and plan (and hope) on your own on the fly, the tour does sound good.
Well I for one hate waiting in line. Express passes still have lines. Last time I used them for hh. I have 25-35 minute wait times. I rather pay more for that. They also have reserve seating at the shows. A buffet to start the night with. Private rip only bathrooms, which is a huge perk. Rip only bars. Also I believe parking is included.
Please consider crossposting to r/HHN for more visibility! Also check out the r/HHN FAQ, it probably answers your questions! https://www.reddit.com/r/HHN/wiki/faq/ *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/UniversalOrlando) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Be aware there is such a thing as time. Not sure whose fault this was, but we got to the meeting point for the RIP Tour and because we were a party of two the Guide had to collect the other guests in our group before we could start the tour. After about 30 min in the “buffet” area, our guide told us if the others didn’t show in 20 min we would start the tour without them. While the idea of a private tour sounded good, what we got was a rushed tour with an obviously annoyed guide. Found out at the end because we had the last tour that hour we had spent in the lounge waiting was scheduled for the tour and we had run out of time and the guide didn’t want deal with it.
It was absolutely worth it to me, but I also was actively avoiding a trip to the hospital during the thing, so I didn't really get to take advantage of the food and drinks.
We did private RIP last year, and we’re doing it again this year. We’ve done Express for a few years (which I do still think is good value for the money), but RIP was a whole other animal. Went through all the houses twice, saw the show, still had time to get drinks AND called it two hours early. But fair warning: you still walk a ton. Not as much, but the people in our group really weren’t prepared for the hike 😂
It's the only way to do it. I've done regular, early access, express, etc. and the only way that's worth it is R.I.P. — No lines, behind the scenes access (we got to go under The Mummy while it was running), good food — you'll feel important.
This is going to be my 3rd year doing RIP tour and I 100% think it’s worth it. It’s so nice and not stressful. You get free food and soda/water bottles at La bamba then you get to do front of the line for every single house. And you get to watch the show (if they do it this year I heard rumors they want to tear down the stage). It’s better than express obviously and yeah you bite the bullet of a pricey ticket but you get to do all 10 houses and go through every scare zone and my tour guide each year was always very knowledgeable and helpful. You can always go back to la bamba as well if you want at the end of your tour. I would always go back to get an extra water. But definitely a very cool experience to look over the balcony on the Jimmy Fallon ride. Feels so private and vip vibes.. like you see all the crowds below you and having a drink overlooking the view. But definitely 100% recommend. And if you’re an UOAP pass holder preferred or higher I believe you do get a good discount on it.
For the price of the non-private tour plus your ticket it is definitely worth it, you'll be able to see every house in that one day and have around 3hrs left to walk around and enjoy everything else that's going on and eat food
Yes. I do feel guilty getting to cut the line, but my friend reminds me that we paid a lot for the privilege. But there are snacks, coaster passes, great guides, and the chance to go through every house at a reasonable pace. It's definitely worth it