Is Express Pass needed in September? This is my first HHN and I'll be going from Sept 20-27th. Would EP be needed that early on?
Delayed response but my 2 cents...
You have to weigh the circumstances of your own trip. In September, you don't
need it... but it is nice to
have it... ultimately I think you have to determine if the costs outweigh the benefits for your own trip. How many nights are you going? How many people would you need to buy express passes for?
Here's my experience...
I went for 2 days total on the second weekend in 2016 (Believe it was Thur & Sun, Disney in-between).
I went for 5 days total spread across the first two weekends in 2017. (Fri/Sat the first weekend, skipped Sunday due to fatigue, Thur/Fri/Sat the second weekend, flew home Sunday)
I didn't have express for either trip.
In 2016 I was able to do every house once the first night + both shows. I was able to do 8 of 9 houses the second night + both shows, and that was with a lengthy dinner at toothsome in the middle. Had we not eaten at toothsome, I'd easily have had time to do the 9th house a second time. I did make an effort to cram, and I did have to work at it. It's not easy to fit everything in 1 night, but it is totally doable. But takes pretty much the entire night, open to close.
In 2017 I was able to do every house 3 times, spread across 5 nights. I was pacing myself way more in 2017 than I did in 2016. I did 8 of 9 houses, plus both shows the first night. I think it's worth mentioning - I was TRYING to do all 9 again that first night + both shows, just to see if I could, and I failed. The second night I did the 9th house I didn't hit the prior night, and repeats of whichever houses had decent lines. After that the other 3 nights the second weekend were much the same. Just caught houses and shows wherever the waits looked good. Casually.
Finally I returned for the final (
final final) night of the event in 2017, which was the first weekend of November. THAT crowd was 1000x worse than ANY of the nights in September. I did every house once, and caught both shows, but
ONLY because I sprang for the $50 "after 10pm" express pass. In September express lines were walk-in. That night express lines were 30+ minutes (Let me repeat that for emphasis:
Express lines were 30+ minutes!) I had express and still waited in several lines.
So yeah... you have to judge your circumstances...
For a single night, I think it's worthwhile. 1 night of express costs roughly $80. Based on the fact you're hard pressed to fit everything in a single night I think it pays off. It's possible to fit everything without, but it isn't easy (especially since this year there's a 10th house to fit in)
For a handful of nights, I don't think it's worthwhile, as your costs double or triple and you could potentially be paying a couple to several hundred dollars per person to add express... BUT... you have several nights to do and see everything once, if not a few times.
If you're going every weekend for the entire month, I think it becomes worthwhile again, even at a cost of several hundred dollars. This is why you frequently see regulars say, "I wouldn't be without it" ... because yeah, if you're local, it pays off quickly.
I'll say this, the lines are grueling. Because they're temporary makeshift lines, put up in backstage areas, there often aren't any walls or railings to lean on, so your legs tire out over time. And they're obviously outside and not air-conditioned. So as I started off saying you don't
need it... but it is
nice to
have it.