Halloween Horror Nights

Hi, I'm Cody Ferguson — founder of Beyond the Gates Travel, and I'll admit it upfront: I'm a little obsessed with Universal Orlando.That's not a sales pitch. It's the reason this business exists. I've walked Islands of Adventure enough times to draw the map from memory, I plan my year around Halloween Horror Nights, and I've watched Epic Universe grow from an announcement into an actual place you can stand in. This fall, I'm even eloping at Universal Orlando with my partner — which should tell you exactly how much this place means to me. When I say I know these parks, I mean I've lived in them, not just researched them.I turned that obsession into a job because I kept watching friends and family show up to Universal underprepared — missing the ride they'd flown across the country for, burning half a vacation day in the wrong line, or paying full price for something I knew how to get cheaper. Beyond the Gates exists so that doesn't happen to you.What I actually do for you:I build real, personalized itineraries — not a template with your name swapped in. Using detailed planning tools, I map out your park days around ride priorities, HHN house strategy, dining reservations, and crowd patterns, so you're not guessing when you land. I've put together trips ranging from a single Orlando long weekend to full multi-destination adventures across the U.S. and internationally — Thailand, Europe, you name it — so whatever "vacation" means to you, I can build it.I also created the HHN Survival Guide, a resource born out of years of personally testing every maze, scare zone, and shortcut so you don't have to learn the hard way. If Halloween Horror Nights is on your list, I can tell you exactly how to do it right.Why clients work with me:Before this, I spent my career in talent leadership — and before that, I served in the U.S. Army. Both taught me the same lesson: good outcomes come from planning that actually accounts for reality, not just a checklist. I bring that same discipline to your trip. I ask the questions that matter (Who's coming? What's the pace you actually want? What would ruin the trip if we got it wrong?) and then I build around your honest answers, not a one-size-fits-all package.I'm based just outside the Twin Cities, but this business runs wherever you are — I work with clients across the country, and most of our planning happens over a call or two and a shared itinerary you can access anytime.Let's build something great.Whether it's your first trip to Universal or your fifteenth, a quick weekend or a two-week international itinerary, I'd love to help you plan a trip that actually goes the way you pictured it. Reach out and let's talk about where you're headed.