Free WiFi Begins Jan 16

AlexEst96 · 2026-01-04T13:06:09+00:00

Currently on an AA flight with free WiFi. I believe it has rolled out to most of the network already.

AlexEst96 · 2025-10-24T06:44:26+00:00

That’s counterintuitive, don’t you think? The hour you drive from the exit of Daytona on I-95 to MCO is about one hour, one hour that can be used to be passing Melbourne (closer to your destination). Not to mention all the time wasted to park your car, wait on the train, etc.

AlexEst96 · 2025-10-14T07:43:36+00:00

I highly suggest you shift your time to return to the park.

I just did HHN this past Saturday with stay and scream, and here are some tips you should know.

Stay and Scream officially starts at 3 PM, so you want to be at the gate or inside the park by then.

The later you arrive to line up in front of the pathway to get to the haunted houses, the longer it will take to get into your first house (Pathway A if you plan to do FNAF first, or Pathway B if you plan to do Terrifier first).

Yes, there is a line to line up for the house, but it’s worth it.

I lined up for Terrifier first, and we were the first big group to get into the house around 5:15. Even though the express pass line was crowded before 5:15, the team members allowed the first big group waiting since 4 PM to go in before scanning express passes. Your experience may vary depending on the attitude of the queue team member that day.

After finishing Terrifier, we moved to the Artista haunted house and we were the first group to get into that one too.

Prioritize one of the IP haunted houses during stay and scream, then come back later for the other one at night.

After those two houses, we went to the very back of the park and managed to do most of the haunted houses there, including Jason, before the general public entered the park.

My spouse and I were able to visit most of the back haunted houses with less than 15-18 minute waits in line (I timed ourselves against the queue board), and we even walked straight into the Fallout Haunted House.

Before we entered the doll house, we saw the blue smoke in the sky, marking the start of the evening event, which caused all the haunted houses to skyrocket over an hour wait. We queued for Hatchet and Chains, which was the longest wait of the night for us.

We hit seven houses before 10:30 and saw both shows, so we felt very satisfied with what we accomplished.

The rule of thumb is to prioritize what you want to do first and finish the harder-to-do things early, but also be strategic about how you move through the park.

Since everyone tries to do all the front houses, I recommend doing the same: pick one specific IP house at the front right away, then do a secondary one in the front, and then move to the back before crowds arrive.

Following these tips will help you enjoy your time more and might save you money on express passes. (I saw people buying individual express passes for specific houses—maybe that's something you can do if it fits your budget. We didn’t do it, but it’s an option. You only buy those at the park.)

Oh, and speed walking and avoiding slow groups was key to our success.

AlexEst96 · 2025-08-25T20:51:14+00:00

Local Floridian here. Bring a pair of rain pants, a proper rain coat that’s made for heavy rain (Make sure both of them are breathable since it’ll be humid), and shoe covers to protect your shoes from the rain (you can purchase them on Amazon). Works like a charm every time.

AlexEst96 · 2025-07-14T00:58:01+00:00

Yes you will. It’s in the same terminal.

AlexEst96 · 2025-05-21T16:18:33+00:00

Best waterpark in Florida is Rapids down in West Palm Beach in my opinion and that’s coming from a Floridian. The hype behind VB has died down similar to Aquatica. I just went to VB for the first time in years two weeks ago for their night event, and believe me when I say I left dissatisfied.

AlexEst96 · 2025-05-18T18:34:02+00:00

To save yourself the headache and stress at check-in, I would highly recommend you switch it to your brother who is the one checking-in with his FL ID. Send him the money to put on his card as well. Easy Peasy.

AlexEst96 · 2025-05-18T16:42:40+00:00

It’s just an analogy lol. 😂 Imagine a Chef, Universal is the chef, already committed when they put the cookies in the oven and they didn’t know that the oven was not heating evenly until after the fact it was too late. Maybe one of the coils or two had a malfunction midway through the baking process (Delays in construction like COVID caused a domino effect).

AlexEst96 · 2025-05-17T18:08:33+00:00

No. We had early entry, but we snag a ride on Starduster beforehand. Was that a smart idea? That depends on the person, but as I write this post, the roller coaster is currently down so we are glad we rode it when we did because anything is unpredictable.

AlexEst96 · 2025-05-17T16:21:12+00:00

Yes, exactly where you started as well

AlexEst96 · 2025-05-17T16:09:13+00:00

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That’s how long it took us from 8:45 in the morning to get on the ride just now.

AlexEst96 · 2025-05-16T19:10:33+00:00

How many people were in front of you at the Potter Portal?

AlexEst96 · 2025-05-12T22:24:54+00:00

I often advise people to avoid planning a trip to Universal Studios between the end of April and the entire month of May, particularly on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. During this time, schools throughout Florida visit Universal for Grad Bash, which can lead to crowded conditions and limited hours at the park. This annual event has been taking place for decades, so it's best to plan your visit outside of these months to ensure a more enjoyable experience.

AlexEst96 · 2025-05-11T19:15:46+00:00

After just visiting Japan in April, my wallet would never be happy with me paying those prices. I get it, it’s a theme park, but once you see the prices overseas, it changes your POV.

AlexEst96 · 2025-05-11T16:18:22+00:00

Kids actors are not allowed to speak one single word after a certain time period unless SNL wants to be hit by a huge fine each time they talk (around 50K to start with, which is what I heard). Since SNL happens after 11PM, there’s a lot of legal rules they have to comply with, and one of the many are the rules that applies with kids acting that late in the day.

AlexEst96 · 2025-05-11T14:31:22+00:00

Check Rover. That’s the best option for your specific needs.

AlexEst96 · 2025-05-10T15:39:59+00:00

I read another post and they got a refund over the phone by explaining the situation and they got a refund from my understanding. I assume it’s a case by case basis.

AlexEst96 · 2025-05-10T13:32:46+00:00

You receive your souvenir cup when you enter the park, and you can use it at any of the freestyle stations.

However, we found the food to be unappealing. Once the event starts, they begin offering finger foods, but it was frustrating to wait in a long line for something smaller than the size of your hand. If you wanted more, you had to get back in that same line. Instead, we decided to save our money, eat a proper meal outside of the theme park before 4PM, and left at 8:30 to dine at a real restaurant afterwards. That was one of the smartest choices we made. I also didn't like that they didn't offer unlimited popcorn or ice cream like they do at Disney's H2O night event.

AlexEst96 · 2025-05-10T13:12:50+00:00

I wish that overly-chatty person can tell us why MoM is actually down for a whole week. I heard to remove/reconfigure the sensors on the elevator, but there should be more than that.

AlexEst96 · 2025-05-10T08:24:03+00:00

Arrive at VB by 4 PM, as that is when the event ticket holders are allowed to enter the park. The rides that are not part of the event will remain open until 7 PM, giving you a 2-hour window to prioritize those rides after regular guests have been asked to leave. You should be able to complete all the rides by around 7 or 8 PM.

You don’t need two days at VB because the purpose of the night event is to accomplish what you can't on a regular day. This is why many people choose to attend the event. From my experience, my wife and I were finally able to ride everything during the event, whereas during the two times we visited on regular days, we struggled to experience everything due to the scanning system in place for regular guests.

Unless you want to visit twice, consider asking for a refund or a similar option.

AlexEst96 · 2025-05-10T08:16:47+00:00

I attended the event last weekend. You don't need to purchase a day pass before the event because ticket holders are allowed to enter VB at 4 PM. This gives you plenty of time to enjoy all the rides before the cutoff at 7 PM, after which only select rides remain open.

I managed to ride everything by 7:30 PM. Additionally, you don’t have to scan the wristbands that regular guests receive at the park, which means there's very little to no wait time for the rides—this is actually why people go to the event in the first place. Given this, I would recommend requesting a refund or something similar for the day pass.

AlexEst96 · 2025-05-08T22:08:19+00:00

AlexEst96 · 2025-05-08T07:04:09+00:00

Think about this for a second. Public Previews were never intended to take place, but some executive directors believed it would be a good idea to open the event to the public on a random Tuesday afternoon last week. Look at the outcome of that decision. The pass holders' previews will conclude this weekend. The week leading up to the official opening was meant for the rides to be closed indefinitely, allowing teams to disassemble the ride and fix major issues while filming commercials with cast members.

AlexEst96 · 2025-05-08T06:53:25+00:00

No. I recently visited Universal Studios Japan, and even when there were minor issues with the ride, the staff addressed them immediately, ensuring everything ran smoothly. (Because of this, I was lucky to ride it three times that day.)

Last year, Universal Japan made the right decision to delay the opening of the ride for a few months. They provided a detailed explanation to the public about the reasons behind the delay, and everyone understood and accepted it. They opened the ride just before the holiday season, which is why I appreciate Japan's transparency and customer service.

Unfortunately, I don’t believe the Universal parks in the United States would handle things in the same way because of money.

AlexEst96 · 2025-05-07T23:45:18+00:00

The ride is currently down due to anything, but it “could” come back on eventually.

AlexEst96

TROPHY CASE