While it might not sound super exciting, exchanging my Halloween Horror Nights ticket saved my entire night. And a lot of people don’t know it is possible.
One evening last week, I arrived at CityWalk at Universal Studios Orlando Resort in what I could only describe as a downpour. With water dripping through the cracks in the parking garage ceiling, I trudged on, guided only by the thump of water hitting my raincoat’s hood. I was lucky to have grabbed it when I left the house, but truthfully it didn’t help much.
I exited the security checkpoint around 7:00 pm, 30 minutes after Halloween Horror Nights opened. This is usually a good time to show up, as you miss the opening crowd, but tonight there was seldom a person in sight waiting by the turnstiles. Instead, small pockets and groups were hiding under awnings that were doing very little to keep them dry. Ponchos were being brought out of the bottom of bags and getting the dust blown off of them.
My raincoat (more of a windbreaker if I’m being honest) had completely soaked through during the walk. My bag was drenched, and I prayed the phones and wallets inside would make it through the night. My legs were wet, making my outfit less than comfortable. And, saving the worst for last, my pleather boots had stomped through enough puddles that I began to worry about the lasting side effects of wet socks. This was just from the walk to get to the beloved gates of Universal Studios.
Now I stood under them, with a handful of other people, letting the wet construction tarp that hung over it drop a slow but steady stream of water onto my head. It was at this point that I figured- I would just have to make the most of it. I had already pre-paid for my ticket. Weeks ago. And for this specific day. I was very close to accepting defeat. That I would just have to suffer through the night, wet and cold, on a sad scare-actor-less night.
When there is hazardous weather afoot, the scare actors won’t be seen out and about in the scare zones. It makes sense, as it is for their safety. I, for one, am grateful that they are not put to work in possibly dangerous conditions. That being said, it does make for an underwhelming Halloween Horror Nights experience. I figured the trade-off was sad but still worth it, maybe with the rain there would be shorter wait times for the houses. I took another step forward, and the water in my boots sloshed with me.
Nope. Not worth it.
I started reading the fine print of my HHN ticket. Finding the dreaded words “Rain or Shine” on the back was like a punch in the gut. Still, the guest services desk was only a few feet ahead- and covered! I figured the worst they could say was no. I wasn’t looking for a refund- I just wanted to come on another day!
After speaking with some of the nicest people in the world, I found that exchanging my ticket for one on a later date was, in fact, possible! It is also pretty easy if you already have a date in mind. If you have a date in mind, you can exchange your ticket at any of the ticket counters at the front of the park. If not, you have to go to the guest services desk just to the right before the turnstiles, where they have a few other options. There you can credit it or save it for another day.
After a very short wait, courtesy of the rain, I paid a small sum for the difference in price and walked away with my new ticket in hand. I did have to pay a small fee, as the day I rescheduled for was selling for slightly more, but to me that was a very worthwhile upgrade if it meant I would be dry. It also meant I would get to see the scare actors! (I was sure to check the weather forecast for that day- 20% chance of rain!)
Now the only worry I had was keeping my new ticket dry!
