Planning 1st Universal vacation...have some newbie questions

I should have gone with my gut and booked a few weeks ago. I just looked tonight and the price for the same days I was originally looking at has gone up by like $500-600! :-(
That is really going to put a damper on my plans....may have to cut out a day from what we were originally planning. I can't believe the price jumped that much in a short amount of time.
 
The closer you get to hhn, hotel prices raise
especially for the premier hotels

Weekend rates run higher than weekdays

Check out the cost for the value hotels on site or maybe look offsite for a room
to get better rates
 
What is “hhn”?
If I go ahead and book now is there any chance Universal will offer additional deals? And if they do, can I get them to honor the new pricing?
 
If you book room only, you can cancel / modify up to 5 or 6 days beforehand with no penalty.

Packages usually have fees to change. Check the fine print.
 


For our August 2019 trip - I booked Cabana Bay EARLY (like 5 months) because we were staying there regardless of price. Luckily, about 75 days in advance, there was a deal and I could re-book for the lower price. That's not a guarantee - but it does happen.

If you are staying at one of the hotels that offers the express pass automatically - you can't price it separately. Express Pass varies in price based upon actual days of travel. March is usually higher, than say a random day in Sept, on the Express Pass due to spring break traffic. That said - it is possible to book a non-Express Pass hotel and ADD the express pass for less than staying at a hotel with it included - but that all depends on the size of your party and where you are staying. But - that strategy is more work in terms of planning - and probably works better for a solo trip than say someone putting 2-4 people in one room and all getting the express pass at one of the hotels that's included.

I think hhn is Halloween Horror Nights - but I think you said you are looking at March.

I'd be REALLY careful booking any package for a trip to US/IOA. Be sure you really know what is included! I've seen packages that have perks or more park days than I was going to use - and I've never found a package at US/IOA that works for me. I've always found booking the hotel and getting the tickets separate to be best for me. I've bought tickets through AAA and Costco.

I also am REALLY glad I didn't buy tickets too far in advance for our last trip. They had a special on tickets - buy 2 days - get 3 days free! We were going to originally buy 2 days tickets - and that special gave us more park days - which was great for us.

When you see that much of a jump in price quickly - probably one night of the stay is sold out or nearly sold out. Play with your arrival/departure day a bit if you can. Or switch among the hotels. Or keep trying for a few days. Folks are changing things up all the time. I recently had a panic attack that I was going to have to change by Dec plans at WDW due to room prices (no value resorts available!) - but later in the day on my second day of trying - something opened up.
I don't recommend any of Universal's dining packages - I just haven't seen how they save you money.
 
What is “hhn”?
If I go ahead and book now is there any chance Universal will offer additional deals? And if they do, can I get them to honor the new pricing?

HHN is Halloween Horror Nights (suggested for 13+ years old). The Studios park closes at 5:00 and transforms into a Halloween event. There are 10 haunted houses (this year is Ghostbusters, Stranger Things Seasons 2-3, House of 1000 Corpses, Killer Klowns from Outer Space, Universal Classic Monsters, Us, and 4 original concepts), 5 scare zones (Zombieland, Rob Zombie, and 3 original concepts), and 2 shows (a water fountain/movie projection show and a dance troop (Academy of Villains)). It is a separate ticket event. If you might be interested in HHN, check out the stickied thread at the top of this forum. This event is very popular, and that is why rooms experience higher occupancy and increased rates as fewer rooms are available.

If you book a room directly from the hotel or through USO, then you can call and get a new rate if it drops. If you have a package deal, then there might be fees associated with changing the itinerary.
 


ok, this might be a silly question but....
We are planning on going to the Magic Kingdom for one day during this trip. Does Universal force you to use your tickets consecutive days in a row, or can you take a day off in between, say for us to go to Magic Kingdom?
 

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