Thanks for sharing the photos @bebe80
We’re also going for our first trip in the first week of July primarily for all things WWoHP, and I really hope it’ll either be done or a bit less wrapped up by then! Does anyone recall how long past refurbishments like this have taken?
Sorry for your kids @eightyeightkeys, hope they still have a great time.
I know, that IS sad…I want to give you a cry face instead of a heart.
Side note. I’m part of another group that uses the same Discourse Forum software, and they have other options besides hearts!
See:
I could ask @len to think about adding them, but that would upend everything as we know it here! Lol. Especially @Jeff_AZ and his heart chart, not sure what he would do then. 
This is the first refurb of Hogwarts Castle, so no one really knows.
All Universal has shared was it will be completed “later this year”
This would completely destroy the fabric of time and space.
That breaks my heart! I hope the do come back someday to see it repainted!
We will have 30 choir kids there. I know they will have so much fun regardless, but I know many wanted to see Hogwarts. 
I don’t know if this has been discussed since I’ve been gone for a bit…
I really want to visit UOR again.
However, the APs don’t have Epic and VB closes in Oct for a year. There is an AP sale for 3 bonus months until 4/17/26.
However, there are now park-to-park ticket packages that will allow unlimited visits to ALL 4 parks – until VB closes - for 5 or 7 days.
I could add a single visit to Epic onto an AP and that would make the cost of either option, basically, the same.
I’d like to have an AP again, but VB is always a big part of my trips. I miss HHN, Grinchmas and Mardi Gras. It is nice to have those weekend getaways planned. I can’t justify paying an extra $200 per trip to add Epic, but I know I’d find a way to justify it!!
Or I could plan a single big trip with a ticket package that allows unlimited visits to Epic. (This would save me money in the long term though with fewer flights / hotel stays)
How are y’all handling this?
I think I will pass on renewing my AP for as long as Epic is not included. I’ll just buy day tickets as needed.
I’m glad VB is getting some work done. It was scheduled for an expansion until 2020 hit.
However, it being closed truly is a BIG hurddle for me to get another passs without Epic. I’d seriously consider the 3 month bonus if VB was available.
I have been renewing my seasonal pass. It has been locked at the same renewal price for the last couple of years.
Although I am going to Epic in a couple of weeks, I think this may be a one-time only trip for me. I am at an age that soon I will not be able to go on most of the attractions. I am medically skipping Star Dust and I am concerned that so many attractions have basically the same warnings.
They definitely like to toss people around over at UOR!
It’s not a fun all-day park if you can’t ride much. I guess I could have ridden Yoshi and Fyre Drill, but i couldn’t even bring myself to go to Nintendo land, and I didn’t really want to get wet for the other ride.
Almost everything has heart/blood pressure and back warnings.Everything.
I would like to also add that I’ve manage to find $117/night at Aventura and $108/night at CBBR in September. The idea that I could do 7 day package with HHN that allows me to go to all four parks before VB closes is so tempting though!!
I have seen rates at $100/night at Endless Summer - I only stay there now when I’m trying to stretch my budget for multiple trips.
We enjoyed the heck out of the 4-park 14 day passes.
Doing all three parks most days on a many-day trip isn’t as tiring as you’d think. At least how we did it, there was no backtracking or bouncing around within each park. You do your circuit, and then move onto the next park. If it was a day with one-use EP’s, we’d do the EP rides as we went by. If it wasn’t, we meandered and did the other rides and admired.
Another thing with VB in the non-tapu version is that you can pop in mid-afternoon. When we went, it wasn’t busy because January. But, I’d guess on a busy summer day, people get tired and leave mid-afternoon. With the tapu-tapu we knew we had to arrive at open, because by lunch the water coaster wouldn’t be handing out any more reservations. But, now you can just get in line.
Although, I suspect you’ll get an AP. Because we’ve ‘met’ you.
One thing to remember, as soon as AP’s allow Epic, the locals will pack the place. It won’t calm down until they get bored and Epic is awesome so boredom won’t be anytime soon.
Thanks for posting this, I thought I had missed the 3 months free offer. However, the Universal site says the offer will end April 14th (rather than the 17th). Just don’t want anyone to miss it!
Now I have to decide as well the route to go. I am leaning toward the AP. I went to Epic one day last fall and glad I did but don’t feel that compelled to go back. Maybe any added fireworks would be tempting.
I got it for our April trip (and also TP). I bought “premium” for the $19 but then immediately cancelled my subscription so I only paid for the month. I’m a “once a year” user so it’s comparable to TP. That said, I’m pretty loyal to TP since I’ve used it for years!
I do like the user experience slightly more than TP. It shows wait times and whether that is more or less than usual (shown as a percentage).
I haven’t used the AI bot yet since I think you need to be in the park to use it.
The shows/attractions are listed in a separate tab from rides, which is better than having it mixed together in TP or having to filter it.
TP shows “expected” wait times, which I like, since we all know posted wait times can be wrong.
TP also let’s you sort by land. I hate inefficiently walking all over, so I like that.
What do you get for a month? Touring plans? Crowd calendar? What are quick picks and ride alerts? Why would you need them?
Opps! Typo!! 
As badly as I want to go back, I think I am now leaning towards going to USH twice this year. I’m going for FanFest next month. Then I want to go back for HHN there.
