# Official 2022 HHN 31 - Horror is Universal



## keishashadow

HERE WE GO...psych, made you look!

Roll call, calling all fiends, you can post your HHN dates in the following thread:

https://www.disboards.com/threads/hhn-2022-never-go-alone-–-official-guest-list.3877976/

Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights 31  *HAS *announced this year’s dates!!!   _Note the pricing is as of the release date of 3/24)_




Once again, this thread is designed to be your go-to place for information as to this year's HHN.

This is a work in progress and will be updated as information rolls out

Please feel free to chat and post any non-commercial sites you feel will help others plan their trips & they will be linked here.  Make sure to adhere to the DISboards posting rules.

Above all else, be excellent to each other!

Admit it, you know who you are.

You look forward to getting scared silly at Universal Studio Orlando’s HHN every year, probably starting as you walk out of the park after your last house the year prior.

You are among like-minded fans here. Pull up a chair, take a deep breath and relax if only for a bit.

HNN’s scares are designed to make us feel good. The exact opposite of what we are globally currently tackling, that which is sorely sapping our collective energy and souls. This, too, will pass.

Planning for Orlando’s annual HHN can be therapeutic in the sense that it makes you feel good. It’s okay to continue having d̶a̶y̶d̶r̶e̶a̶m̶s̶nightmares about HHN. There are proven psychological benefits of experiencing safe and anticipated fears.

Margee Kerr, a sociologist at the University of Pittsburgh studies fear. Talk about a dream job! She has discovered that once you are out of a scary situation, especially one that was never really a threat to begin with; feel-good endorphins course through your body. She describes it as: “...a reprioritizing of energy, of focus into the body. You’re grounded, not caught up in thinking...”

So, whether you plan on enjoying HHN or just riding a rollercoaster this fall, strap yourself in and enjoy the ride here. Don’t think about anything else...not your job, bills, food or whatever you are binge watching. While you are here, escape


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## keishashadow

If you are asking yourself, “What is HHN”? Soldier on...

HHN bears NO resemblance as to theme or tone vs WDW’s MNSSHP, aside from: being held during the haunting season, located in Orlando, an after-hours-extra fee event & is a ton of fun.

Trick or Treat time at Universal = scare zones & haunted houses/mazes, not a candy grab. Although, if you are lucky…

Sam just might appear & offer to share his lollipop with you.

If you don’t know Jack…

he’s the clown on the right; pictured hanging out with the legendary Micheal Aiello.

If you are still asking yourself “what is HHN?”, then you just may want to keep it that way.  Otherwise, brace yourself, you are truly in for the fright of your life.



*HHN IS INTENDED FOR MATURE AUDIENCES, WITH A RECOMMENDED MINIMUM AGE OF 13*

Universal further warns that the event may be too intense for young children.  This is not hyperbole or self-promotion by any means, _seriously!_



Additionally, no costumes or mask are permitted in the event.


Halloween Horror Nights™ is held select nights each fall.  As the sun sets on days filled with thrills in all of Universal's theme parks, the night awakens with a frightening chill at Universal Studios Florida™.


It's the World’s Premier Halloween Event—bringing together the stories and visions of the most notorious creators of horror and taking them to the next level.   From cinematic greats and crazed current cult favorites to the park's original abominations—every year, the legend grows and the experience reaches beyond your wildest nightmares.


HAUNTED HOUSES

Enter terrifying haunted houses inspired by the biggest names in horror, plus Universal's own twisted creations. You're never quite sure if your spine is tingling with dread or sheer excitement.


SCARE ZONES

Surrounded in shadow by screams and mad laughter, face monstrous creatures on streets transformed into nightmarish scare zones.


ATTRACTIONS

Escape to some of Universal Studios' most exhilarating attractions where heart pounding takes on a different meaning—until the horror calls you back.


SHOWS

Lose yourself in outrageous live entertainment filled with diabolically entertaining surprises

SPECIAL FOOD & SHOPPING

31 years, phew, that’s a lot of scares! Not sure how the scareactors do it, night after night. They do feed off your fear, bring it to encourage them but, keep your hands to yourself, you fiends!

A hug group and shout-out to all who have given their hearts & souls as scareactors in past. Good luck to all who will be trying out this year. Welcome to the newcomers. You have very big shoes to fill, we are watching you, carefully. Hope to see the return of many of the old creepy faces from past years.  As always, a very special shout out to the GOATS, the chain saw wolf brigade members!


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## keishashadow

For reference, the official thread for HHN 2021:  Link

A big and shout-out to all who have given their hearts & souls as scareactors in past. Good luck to all who will be trying out this year. Welcome to the newcomers. You have very big shoes to fill, we are watching you, carefully. Hope to see the return of many of the old creepy faces from past years, to the original GOATs, the chainsaw wolf brigade members!

Something (very) wicked this way comes,  A brief history follows as to how the announcements rolled out in the past, experts, take it easy, admittedly the info may be a bit off.

*2021 Icon:  Jack the Clown*

7/8       The Haunting of Hill House

5/5       Beetlejuice

7/15     TX Chainsaw Massacre

7/15     U Monsters, Bride of Frankenstein Lives

8/5       HHN Icons-Captured

8/12     Welcome to SCary-Horror in the Heartland

8/12.    Casefiles Unearthed-Legendary Truth

8/12.    Wicked Growth-Realm of the Pumpkin

8/12.    Puppet Theater-Captive Audience

8/12.    Revenge of the Tooth Fairy


*2020:*
RIP

Halloween Festivities:

U Monsters, Bride of Frankenstein Lives

Revenge of the Tooth Fairy

Beetlejuice (last weekend surprise)


*2019:*

3/27    Stranger Things

4/12    Nightingales-Blood Pit

4/29    Universal’s Monsters

5/21    Depths of Fear

6/24    Yeti-Terror of the Yukon

7/17     Ghostbusters

7/25    Killer Klowns From Outer Space

8/7       US

8/8       Graveyard Games

8/12    AOV & scare zones

8/14    House of 1,000 Corpses

8/15    Trivia game & Lagoon show


*2018:*

4/3      Stranger Things

4/26    Dead Exposure

5/16    Trick r’ Treat

6/7      AOV show & partial scare zones

6/21    Slaughter Sinema

6/28    Scare zones

7/25    Carnival Graveyard

8/8       Seeds of Extinction

8/9      Poltergeist

8/14    Halloween IV

8/20     Blumhouse

8/21    Scary Tales


*2017 Icon-Bone:*

3/29    American Horror Story V2

5/19    Shining

7/27    Ash vs Evil Dead

8/14    Saw, Games of Jigsaw

8/15    Bill & Ted’s Excellent Halloween Adventure

8/17     Scarezones & AoV

8/29    Blumhouse

8/31    Dead Waters, The Fallen, Scarecrow, The Reaping


*2016 Icon-Chance:*

4/14      TX Chainsaw Massacre

   ?         The Exorcist

6/3        The Walking Dead

6/9        Icon-Chance

7/7        Halloween-Hell Comes to Haddonfield

8/4        Krampus

8/10    Tomb of the Ancients

            Ghost Town: Curse of Lightning Fulch

8/12     Lunatics Playground 3D You Won’t Stand  a Chance

8/16     American Horror Story


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## keishashadow

*Houses part 1

5/17 Universal Monsters:  Legends Collide
6/9 Halloween
6/23 The Horrors of Blumhouse*


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## keishashadow

Houses part 2

7/26


8/16

8/16


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## keishashadow

Mazes & Shows

8/16







Shows:


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## keishashadow

Tickets



EP Pricing


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## keishashadow

HHN Behind the Screams: Unmasking the Horror Tour
(Released 3/24)
Note:  prices are subject to change


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## keishashadow

Public & Private Tours
( released 3/24)


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## keishashadow

*Mapping it Out*

Already, lots of speculation maps on the horizon.  Thanks to those who put it all out there.  If you want to take a ‘stab’ at it, post & we’ll include it in this post.







3/16


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## keishashadow

Dining


Kiosk menu boards part 1


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## keishashadow

Kiosk menu boards part 2


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## keishashadow

stay & scream zone info


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## Cottoncandylove

I. Can't. Wait!!!!!! Did the RIP tour on Halloween last year and it was so, so worth it. Already got my TA working on the dates we are available this year, right now .  not a pro yet, but want to be lol


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## schumigirl

I`m in for this one!!!!

Janet, you do the BEST threads for HHN........and we cannot wait to get back this year, you`ve just tweaked the interest for this years event.....I think it`s going to be a phenomenal year this time!!! 

Thank you for creating this thread again.........


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## FoxC63

Thank you for creating the HHN thread...again!  Looking forward to getting the  scared out of me!


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## disneyjr77

Thank you for creating the thread  

Is it weird that I'm so excited, even though I won't make it there until HHN 35 lol I look forward to reading everything and living vicariously through everyone that goes.


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## pigletgirl

Oh yay! My husband and I will be doing a HHN evening in Sept!! We have never gone, and I'm a bit of a scaredy cat, but I am determined to do this!

Any good tips for a newbie?


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## Skywalker3

we did our first HHN last year, and it was so awesome!! I'm so glad the kids convinced me to try it! Hoping to add a night at HHN Columbus day weekend, before we start our fall break trip to WDW this year. Will be following this thread for updates!!!


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## keishashadow

pigletgirl said:


> Any good tips for a newbie?


Read thru this thread as it builds with the excitement as details are released.

Don’t hesitate to ask any questions.  Many here are happy to share their thots and then some 

Added a link to last year’s thread in post #3 that you might enjoy skimming thru to get a lay of the land.  Welcome


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## MinnieMSue

Booked our stay at SF for Oct 13-16 during my daughter’s fall college break to do HHN and Behind the Screams tour. Only our second year but we learned we need more than that tour and one HHN night. Sadly will only be two nights but still better than 1!  Eagerly waiting to hear any details and enjoying speculation. We both did a HHN survey a couple months ago about HHN too. Maybe will see some things in the survey


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## Robo56

Just what the Doctor ordered some HHN enthusiasm. 

Thank you Janet for getting all of us HHN fans psyched up for HHN 31.


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## Pooh's World

I wish they would just dismantle Fast and the Furious and put a maze back there.  The maze there before F&F was really nice.


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## keishashadow

Pooh's World said:


> I wish they would just dismantle Fast and the Furious and put a maze back there.  The maze there before F&F was really nice.


some idle rumors they might try to work that area in somehow this year, can’t quite wrap my head around how that would work unless it would entail just the holding areas.


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## shh

Life's too short to be wishing the days away...but gotta admit I'm anxiously awaiting every HHN update - I live for this event and am SO there this year. 

(Although still had a lot of fun last year at Sea World's inaugural event - it was very small, but a very worthy first-year effort. And so reasonably priced! )


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## FoxC63

pigletgirl said:


> Oh yay! My husband and I will be doing a HHN evening in Sept!! We have never gone, and I'm a bit of a scaredy cat, but I am determined to do this!
> 
> Any good tips for a newbie?



Do what I did, pushed my hubby to the front, grabbed him on his shoulders, shut my eyes as tightly as I could and forced him through everything!  

Nooo!  Just joking.  Though there were some pretty awesome jump scares that took me by surprise.  Mostly awestruck with the sets, makeup and costumes. You're going to have a blast. I agree, go back to last years thread and read.


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## FoxC63

Just out of curiosity, is there a Who's going & When thread for HHN 2022?
I know dates have not been released but I'm sure some of us have booked rooms.  
We'll be there Wed. Oct 26-Tues, Nov 1st.  
3 Adults looking to hook up with a Private Tour


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## keishashadow

shh said:


> it was very small, but a very worthy first-year effort. And so reasonably priced! )


Agree.  Will say the scare zone ghouls were very enthusiastic.  Had a raw, adult edge to it, definitely not for kiddos. Hope they keep that vibe going!


FoxC63 said:


> Just out of curiosity, is there a Who's going & When thread for HHN 2022?


Not yet, Mod Mac usually fires one up


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## wmoon

Ooh thanks for starting this.
Our first HHN should have been last year but it was cancelled. 
booked from the UK for 6 nights in October. Hoping to fit in 3 nights. Contemplating the tour but not sure if all the houses in one night might be to intense for our teen (who am i middling, he’ll be fine, it might be too intense for me)  Can’t wait!


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## macraven

keishashadow said:


> Agree.  Will say the scare zone ghouls were very enthusiastic.  Had a raw, adult edge to it, definitely not for kiddos. Hope they keep that vibe going!
> 
> Not yet, Mod Mac usually fires one up



The hhn date ….when are you going thread …..will be put up once HHN dates are released


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## Jangles

When the AP tickets and discounted RIP tours are released, please will someone post the link? I can never find it. Thank you.


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## DuskKodesh

So glad for the hype thread! Last year the spouse and I did our first ever universal trip and got APs. Since we have them anyways I've talked him into our first ever HHN this year. Probably going up early or mid September.


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## shh

keishashadow said:


> Agree.  Will say the scare zone ghouls were very enthusiastic.  Had a raw, adult edge to it, definitely not for kiddos. Hope they keep that vibe going!



They really were! I had to laugh as they chased us beyond the scare zone and down the path - now that's going above and beyond lol. I did like the decidedly adult vibe as well. Now that I'm thinking back, you have me considering that event this year too. My poor credit card.

Now if Universal would just bring back their BOGO tic offer, I'd be all set!


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## keishashadow

macraven said:


> The hhn date ….when are you going thread …..will be put up once HHN dates are released


Seems like the demand for it is early every year, enthusiastic lot we are


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## macraven

DuskKodesh said:


> So glad for the hype thread! Last year the spouse and I did our first ever universal trip and got APs. Since we have them anyways I've talked him into our first ever HHN this year. Probably going up early or mid September.


See you in the fog…


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## PrincessJasmine88

Does anyone know if AP gets a discount on Rush of Fear passes and express passes? Or is it only that free entrance ticket for certain levels of pass?


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## mamapenguin

No discount for express pass. I’m not sure about the multi day passes, I did a survey for them and there was no mention of AP discounts just different pricing models and options.


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## Skippyboo

I don’t remember a discount on my multiple day HHN Rush of Fear pass last year. You do get food and non alcoholic beverages discounts in the upper tiers and a free HHN ticket for premier good on select nights.


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## keishashadow

Dear official HHN twitter account…if this post gets 666 likes, you will announce the dates for this year’s event

JK…although they are seriously yanking the chain to point it’s going to break.  Come on, already!  Give us a bone.


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## keishashadow

PrincessJasmine88 said:


> Does anyone know if AP gets a discount on Rush of Fear passes and express passes? Or is it only that free entrance ticket for certain levels of pass?


Last year only non premier AP discount was on Single-Night Ticket

Sept. 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30
You have to go back to 2019 to see any AP discount on multi-night tix.  who else would just “die” to see these prices again?


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## ShyMiss

Yay! So excited to see this thread pop up. LOL (Loved reading it last year.) Bought our first APs in June. Attended our first HHN in October. Scaredy-Cat here so I was selective about houses & watched scare zones from the sidewalks first, but DH & I loved it. Already excited about staying longer next year & looking forward to house announcements!


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## mamapenguin

Why are they holding back?? They announced dates 3/5 last year, today is 3/9 and nothing. If anyone from Universal reads this, please throw us something. We all know it’s happening, let’s make it official 
Thanks,
Universal Fan <3


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## FoxC63

keishashadow said:


> Sorry, double post here…
> skip to #40
> 
> Last year only non premier AP discount was on Single-Night Ticket
> 
> Sept. 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30



 Delete it all and add your favorite HHH photo! We believe in second chances


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## keishashadow

How about we all post a deep cut from the past?  One of the vastly under-rather offerings IMO


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## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> How about we all post a deep cut from the past?  One of the vastly under-rather offerings IMO
> 
> View attachment 653514



Love that idea!!!

What year was that house janet???  I don`t think we caught that one.




2008. Reflections of Fear

Bloody Mary ad......most complained about advert/banners on the I-4 ever apparently......lol......folks were demanding they were taken down as it upset their kids.

We loved them!!!! 

Our second HHN and one of our most favourite events from when it was still really scary at times........


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## keishashadow

schumigirl said:


> What year was that house janet??? I don`t think we caught that one.


 will wait a day & see if somebody gets it.  Was a real darkhorse house


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## FoxC63

keishashadow said:


> How about we all post a deep cut from the past?  One of the vastly under-rather offerings IMO
> View attachment 653514





schumigirl said:


> Love that idea!!!
> 2008. Reflections of Fear
> Bloody Mary ad......most complained about advert/banners on the I-4 ever apparently......lol......folks were demanding they were taken down as it upset their kids.



I got nothing, last year was the first time attending the event but I must say, these pics are awesome!  At first I'd be taken aback too but enjoying the thrill of the vast spooky unknown.


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## schumigirl




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## SquashBanana

I haven't been to HHN in almost 30 years since I was kid so I'm basically a newbie. We are planning to attend on a Friday in early September. We want to do it all... haunted houses, scare zones, shows... EVERYTHING. Can it all be done in a single night or should I start saving for express passes? I see another option they've offered in the past is the rush of fear pass for about $50 more. That may be an option as we will be down for an entire weekend and could go the following night as well. Thanks for any advice!


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## Skippyboo

SquashBanana said:


> I haven't been to HHN in almost 30 years since I was kid so I'm basically a newbie. We are planning to attend on a Friday in early September. We want to do it all... haunted houses, scare zones, shows... EVERYTHING. Can it all be done in a single night or should I start saving for express passes? I see another option they've offered in the past is the rush of fear pass for about $50 more. That may be an option as we will be down for an entire weekend and could go the following night as well. Thanks for any advice!


All in a single night on a Friday would be difficult. Friday and Saturday are going to be most crowded nights. Express would cut down your wait times.


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## mamapenguin

SquashBanana said:


> I haven't been to HHN in almost 30 years since I was kid so I'm basically a newbie. We are planning to attend on a Friday in early September. We want to do it all... haunted houses, scare zones, shows... EVERYTHING. Can it all be done in a single night or should I start saving for express passes? I see another option they've offered in the past is the rush of fear pass for about $50 more. That may be an option as we will be down for an entire weekend and could go the following night as well. Thanks for any advice!


We did a Friday with express in early October and the answer was no. But we did three nights and saw everything with express on one night. I would consider a public VIP tour or several nights.


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## macraven

If you go that first week hhn begins, usually ok for decent line waits

Weekends brings in more people for hhn.


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## leiaorgana

We’re hoping to go either the 26th or 27th Oct depending on which night is an AP night this year.  We already have Hard Rock booked for that time frame so I’m very excited as we’ve never done HHN before and this will be our first time so I hope there’s some good houses this year as I was really looking forward to doing THOHH and Beetlejuice last year. 

We were supposed to go that time last year, bought HHN express passes and everything, but unfortunately we had to get them refunded as the borders still weren’t open at that point and we couldn’t actually get into the country.


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## wmoon

We are booked at Hard Rock from the 15th - 21st October. Coming from the UK, first hhn!
Looking for a bit of advice about tickets.
Thinking we can hopefully do the Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday nights.
so frequent fear tickets might be good? Either we add express or a rip tour one of the nights, can’t stretch the budget to both. What would you recommend? 2 adults and a fearless 15 year old.
thanks for any advice.


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## Jangles

wmoon said:


> We are booked at Hard Rock from the 15th - 21st October. Coming from the UK, first hhn!
> Looking for a bit of advice about tickets.
> Thinking we can hopefully do the Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday nights.
> so frequent fear tickets might be good? Either we add express or a rip tour one of the nights, can’t stretch the budget to both. What would you recommend? 2 adults and a fearless 15 year old.
> thanks for any advice.


If you purchase an RIP tour, at the end of the tour,  your guide will often offer the chance to redo favourite houses/zones or do some rides and take the group ‘front of line’. We love it, but it is a lot of walking and I am always exhausted by the end of the tour.


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## wmoon

Jangles said:


> If you purchase an RIP tour, at the end of the tour,  your guide will often offer the chance to redo favourite houses/zones or do some rides and take the group ‘front of line’. We love it, but it is a lot of walking and I am always exhausted by the end of the tour.



thank you, it does sound really good.


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## PrincessJasmine88

Still no word on dates? Do you think it will start early again this year, before Labor Day?


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## macraven

No official word yet


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## Raeven

Horror Night Nightmares posted their first spec map on Twitter:



(A couple things will probably change since it’s only the first version but they’re usually pretty good at getting them right).


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## macraven

I saw that map the other day
Some things leak out early


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## namelessoracle

SquashBanana said:


> I haven't been to HHN in almost 30 years since I was kid so I'm basically a newbie. We are planning to attend on a Friday in early September. We want to do it all... haunted houses, scare zones, shows... EVERYTHING. Can it all be done in a single night or should I start saving for express passes? I see another option they've offered in the past is the rush of fear pass for about $50 more. That may be an option as we will be down for an entire weekend and could go the following night as well. Thanks for any advice!



We went last week of September and the answer is a hard no. We walked in at 7 with express and hit every haunted house and didnt get out till 1am. We also skipped the shows. If you want to do everything in 1 night express is mandatory. Also you need to do rope drop to close. Another thing to keep in mind is that the event is open longer on weekends than if you hit it a weekday night, so you may paradoxically have better luck getting everything done in a single night on a weekend night with express if you are also trying to do the shows sense the shows will eat a good chunk of time sense you have to get their early to get a seat and they last a bit.

Also EVERYTHING, includes the special horror nights food offerings too so being there longer will let you have room to grab the snacks.


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## leiaorgana

The Weeknd as in...._The Weeknd_, The Weeknd?

I really hope Fear Street is true though because those movies were so good! Especially the second one.


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## Raeven

leiaorgana said:


> The Weeknd as in...._The Weeknd_, The Weeknd?
> 
> I really hope Fear Street is true though because those movies were so good! Especially the second one.



Yes! That’s been the speculation I’ve heard. I guess he uses a lot of horror imagery in his music videos. I’ve never seen any of the videos but I do like his music so I’ll have to check them out.

I really hope we get Fear St! That’s one of the ones I’m most excited for.


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## tiana1989

namelessoracle said:


> We went last week of September and the answer is a hard no. We walked in at 7 with express and hit every haunted house and didnt get out till 1am. We also skipped the shows. If you want to do everything in 1 night express is mandatory. Also you need to do rope drop to close. Another thing to keep in mind is that the event is open longer on weekends than if you hit it a weekday night, so you may paradoxically have better luck getting everything done in a single night on a weekend night with express if you are also trying to do the shows sense the shows will eat a good chunk of time sense you have to get their early to get a seat and they last a bit.
> 
> Also EVERYTHING, includes the special horror nights food offerings too so being there longer will let you have room to grab the snacks.



I don’t want to say any guarantees because maybe this was an anomaly, but we went on a Saturday night in early September last year and made it through every house at least once, most of them twice (the ones we didn’t do twice were by choice), and our favorite house three times, every scare zone several times, and both shows, all without Express Pass. It was our first time going and we had the AP that included the ticket, so we decided to check it out. The night before I saw all the advice about how you have to have an express pass, so we went to buy them and they were sold out already. I was kind of upset, but we decided that since our ticket was free, if we missed out we would think about returning some other weekend. By the end of the night when we accomplished more than we expected, we both agreed that we would have felt like we wasted money on express pass because it just wasn’t necessary that night. Our longest wait was about half an hour, and that only happened twice.

Here’s what I think helped us out:

1) We were there the second weekend it was open, so all of the bloggers and influencers from out of town had come down the weekend before, and a lot of locals weren’t in Halloween mode yet/it was still getting dark later so there were still several daylight hours which could ruin the vibe for some people. So there might be that small pocket when the event isn’t as crowded yet as it would be later in the season (but definitely not opening weekend).

2) It was a Saturday, so we had the max hours.

3) Since we’re APs, we were able to do Stay and Scream and I had looked up which houses get busy first so we could knock those out of the way right away. This worked great, and I think we got through Beetlejuice and Hill House before HHN even opened that night and 5 houses in our first 90 minutes. I do think you have to at least have stay and scream or express pass. There’s just no way to get it all in without one of those advantages.

4) We did the scare zones and shows in the middle of the event when the lines were peaking, and we followed the app so that we could jump in line as soon as one of the houses dropped under half an hour. We didn’t get into any lines if they said they were over 45 minutes, and there was definitely some inflation in the estimated wait times. I remember we made one exception to our short line rule for Icons, so we saved it for last so we knew we wouldn’t miss anything else if we got stuck in a long line. I want to say the wait was 45 or 55 minutes, and our actual wait was under 25. We were shocked (and ecstatic).

5) Following the advice of other blogs, we did a huge meal at Toothsome first so that we didn’t need to eat a full meal the rest of the night. It was pretty hot so we stopped for drinks a few times, but I think we only jumped into a line for snacks once, and we picked that booth because of how short the line was.

6) Covid. Unfortunately I think this was in the middle of another spike, so that might have depressed attendance. It also affected how much the scare actors in the scare zones could interact with guests, so I don’t know if we would have spent more time hanging out in them otherwise. Although we did spend quite a bit of time in our favorites.

7) Pure dumb luck. Like I said, I fully get that this could have been an anomaly, but we’re going to shoot for the same time to go down this year since it worked out so well for us last year. In following the updates around that time, I think the early September weeknights would have given us similar results (minus the extra hours of operation). But honestly we will probably get express passes anyway this time just because we absolutely fell in love with HHN last year and don’t want to risk our luck falling on the other side of the coin.


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## keishashadow

PrincessJasmine88 said:


> Still no word on dates? Do you think it will start early again this year, before Labor Day?


who knows 


Raeven said:


> Horror Night Nightmares posted their first spec map on Twitter:
> 
> View attachment 654899
> 
> (A couple things will probably change since it’s only the first version but they’re usually pretty good at getting them right).


There’s been a couple different ones floating about this season. 

if closer to April 1st would’ve chalked this one up to a joke

hesitated to share this here after seeing it on FB. Will add it to the others in the sticky.
File it under if you don’t have anything nice to say…I’m in, no matter what they eventually plate up.


----------



## keishashadow

Raeven said:


> Yes! That’s been the speculation I’ve heard. I guess he uses a lot of horror imagery in his music videos. I’ve never seen any of the videos but I do like his music so I’ll have to check them out.
> 
> I really hope we get Fear St! That’s one of the ones I’m most excited for.


----------



## Raya

I'm excited! We're going to be arriving Friday mid-morning (maybe early afternoon) and leaving late afternoon Monday.  Can't wait to hear all the details!


----------



## Julie Amber

When do they normally release the dates and info for HHN? This year will be our first year going.


----------



## macraven

Past years we do see it officially by June
Some main info released mid to late May


----------



## zillayen

We’re just back from our first Universal trip over Spring Break and loved it so much we turned our tickets into APs. We want to come back for the kids Fall Break (Oct 2-9) but they’re definitely not old enough for HHN … is the park scary during the day? We’ve done Six Flags in October before but just trying to judge if my daughter will be terrified by decorations or if it’s still pretty family friendly before the event officially starts at night. Thanks!!


----------



## Skippyboo

zillayen said:


> We’re just back from our first Universal trip over Spring Break and loved it so much we turned our tickets into APs. We want to come back for the kids Fall Break (Oct 2-9) but they’re definitely not old enough for HHN … is the park scary during the day? We’ve done Six Flags in October before but just trying to judge if my daughter will be terrified by decorations or if it’s still pretty family friendly before the event officially starts at night. Thanks!!


There will be HHN signage and the scary zone props will be out but no scare actors.


----------



## Magicbeans

Already have the Oct 27th to Nov 3rd booked at Portofino. It will be my first HHN, and am really looking forward to it. Probably will be doing 2 to 4 nights during that stay. Obviously I'll be waiting until multi night tickets are announced. Having the hotel, air flight and such already booked and paid for is great. The rest will be just fun at Universal. And still have the option of swapping things over to a HHN package when they are announced, just depends on what makes more sense when they are announced. Will have a party of 4 of this year, me the wife and 2 kids.


----------



## macraven

zillayen said:


> We’re just back from our first Universal trip over Spring Break and loved it so much we turned our tickets into APs. We want to come back for the kids Fall Break (Oct 2-9) but they’re definitely not old enough for HHN … is the park scary during the day? We’ve done Six Flags in October before but just trying to judge if my daughter will be terrified by decorations or if it’s still pretty family friendly before the event officially starts at night. Thanks!!


Large props are covered during the regular park day hhn

Nothing eerie or scary will be seen.

The park will be family friendly until park closes for hhn.


----------



## Jtinsc

SquashBanana said:


> I haven't been to HHN in almost 30 years since I was kid so I'm basically a newbie. We are planning to attend on a Friday in early September. We want to do it all... haunted houses, scare zones, shows... EVERYTHING. Can it all be done in a single night or should I start saving for express passes? I see another option they've offered in the past is the rush of fear pass for about $50 more. That may be an option as we will be down for an entire weekend and could go the following night as well. Thanks for any advice!


If you said October I would say impossible.  The event is less crowded in September.  Stay and Scream will be a huge advantage if you can do that.  You'll have 2 houses in before the gates even open.  After that I would typically head to the back of the park to the "tent houses" and knock those out quick.  By that time the park will be starting to fill up but you've already knocked out half the houses in the first hour or 2.  I would also hit the stadium show at either the first or last show of the evening.  It tends to get really busy in prime time and in between the wait to get in and the show itself you're looking at least 45 minutes and you're not guaranteed a seat unless you have express.  Also if you are willing to stay late the crowds die down considerably after midnight.  One of my friends is a night owl and this is his favorite time to go but I tend to bow out around midnight.


----------



## Jangles

Just received an e mail from OI offering tickets.


----------



## macraven

So did I


----------



## PrincessJasmine88

Does it say the dates?


----------



## Raeven




----------



## MTraub70

HHN dates are from September 2 - October 31. I’m so psyched, it’s starting right at the end of my trip, I get to go.  I can’t wait, not only will this be my first time to Universal but I’ll also get to experience HHN.


----------



## PrincessJasmine88

Thanks omg I’m so excited!


----------



## wmoon

As per last year I’m assuming multi night tickets will follow??


----------



## TravelYote

Anyone guess right now with multi day/frequent fear passes will be available. It's expected though... I'm trying to find past prices to figure out if I should buy my tickets now or wait.


----------



## MinnieMSue

We bought single night tickets for 10/13&15 and 6 house tour the 14th. Just waiting on express and stay and scream to go on sale next. I was not prepared for them to go on sale today lol


----------



## Raya

MinnieMSue said:


> We bought single night tickets for 10/13&15 and 6 house tour the 14th. Just waiting on express and stay and scream to go on sale next. I was not prepared for them to go on sale today lol


When you say the 6 house tour do you mean behind the screams?


----------



## MinnieMSue

Raya said:


> When you say the 6 house tour do you mean behind the screams?



yes Behind the screams. Sorry for not being clear


----------



## soniam

Argh! I didn't add a watch to this thread.


----------



## Skippyboo

I am booked at RPR Sept 17-24. Going to get Rush of Fear passes when they come out.


----------



## MinnieMSue

soniam said:


> Argh! I didn't add a watch to this thread.



you should still be good.I don’t think the majority of people are aware yet that individual tickets rip tours and behind the screams went on sale today. It is only in the app for the most part. Also I know of at least one other site selling the same but not sure if they are allowed to be named. It is the company that has special events after hours at universal a few times a year. (That someday I would love to attend lol)


----------



## soniam

MinnieMSue said:


> you should still be good.I don’t think the majority of people are aware yet that individual tickets rip tours and behind the screams went on sale today. It is only in the app for the most part. Also I know of at least one other site selling the same but not sure if they are allowed to be named. It is the company that has special events after hours at universal a few times a year. (That someday I would love to attend lol)


Just emailed my TA. Got my hotel a few back in February. Thanks!!!!


----------



## leiaorgana

When it says priority entrance at the houses with the RIP tour does that mean you skip the line completely with the tour guide and go straight in with no waiting? What are the tours like? They’ll be three of us so we’ll likely be grouped with other people if we do decide to do the tour on the night we go. How would that work out being with another family or couple?

Sorry for the excessive questions. All of this HHN stuff is new to me because we only ever normally go in summer haha


----------



## soniam

leiaorgana said:


> When it says priority entrance at the houses with the RIP tour does that mean you skip the line completely with the tour guide and go straight in with no waiting? What are the tours like? They’ll be three of us so we’ll likely be grouped with other people if we do decide to do the tour on the night we go. How would that work out being with another family or couple?
> 
> Sorry for the excessive questions. All of this HHN stuff is new to me because we only ever normally go in summer haha


Yes, public and private RIP tours are escorted to the entrance of the houses. Sometimes, they have you wait a few minutes to clear out the group ahead. If it's a public RIP tour, your group will be grouped with strangers. You can book the same tour for your group of 3. I think public RIP tours can have up to 12 people. The tour guide decides the itinerary. The tours go through each of the HHN houses and usually have priority access to the show. Private RIP tours are populated by the person that purchased the tour, and the itinerary is chosen by that person.


----------



## leiaorgana

Thank you for the clarification @soniam! I appreciate it!   I just want to make sure we get the most out of our first HHN and make sure we don’t miss out on anything


----------



## MTraub70

First time experiencing HHN, purchased tickets for opening night. What would be some recommendations to get the most out of the night, I know I won’t be able to get everything done but would like to know if there is anything that would be a must do. Thanks for any help.


----------



## wmoon

I still hadn’t made up my mind if I wanted express with the frequent fear for our 3 nights or the Frequent fear with one night on the RIP tour….


----------



## Skippyboo

MTraub70 said:


> First time experiencing HHN, purchased tickets for opening night. What would be some recommendations to get the most out of the night, I know I won’t be able to get everything done but would like to know if there is anything that would be a must do. Thanks for any help.


You will want to take advantage of the stay and scream holding areas. You want to be in the park before they close for HHN. Two main areas: NY section and then Springfield area. You can then hit the houses near what section you choose ahead of the people coming just for HHN that are being held at the gates.


----------



## Jangles

Can someone please post the link to the individual AP RIP tours. Thank you.


----------



## pigletgirl

Eeek, I am nervous to book tickets! We have never been. We will be going Sat 9/10.


----------



## swoosh4

Don't they release additional times for public RIP tour on nights when they sell out this early? I'm thinking I've seen that before. I'm wondering because 9/10 & 9/11 for this year are already sold out. Thanks.


----------



## TXAKDisneyFan

leiaorgana said:


> When it says priority entrance at the houses with the RIP tour does that mean you skip the line completely with the tour guide and go straight in with no waiting? What are the tours like? They’ll be three of us so we’ll likely be grouped with other people if we do decide to do the tour on the night we go. How would that work out being with another family or couple?
> 
> Sorry for the excessive questions. All of this HHN stuff is new to me because we only ever normally go in summer haha


Yes, your tour group skips the line. We did a RIP tour (not private) last year, and our guide would walk us around barriers. Like a previous poster said, we'd wait for groups ahead to clear and then enter.

"What are the tours like?": When we got to HHN, we checked in for our tour and were told to come back to a specific spot to meet our tour guide at our designated time. All of us on our tour said our hellos (nothing formal), and our tour guide introduced herself. She gave us a quick rundown of how things would work: She'd lead us to each house once, and to the main show, with intermittent breaks. She led us through the park holding a light up wand. As we walked she gave us generalized history of HHN, info about the icons, etc. Before we entered each house, she told us the house's story and a little about the design info (eg for Scarey she told us how they came up with the town name, who the main characters were, what previous houses it tied into,...). Breaks were at the main meeting area where there was a buffet and (pay) bar, and in a lounge in the upper level of the Jimmy Fallon ride building.

It was fun doing the tour with others since everyone was so excited. One couple on our tour was dressed up and very into the event, which got some attention from the scare actors. I tend to be more reserved but really liked everyone's energy and enthusiasm (I wish I was comfortable expressing myself more). It was especially funny after the first house or two and we got to know one another, seeing everyone scream and jump. I really think I personally would prefer the public RIP tour to the private.


----------



## TXAKDisneyFan

MTraub70 said:


> First time experiencing HHN, purchased tickets for opening night. What would be some recommendations to get the most out of the night, I know I won’t be able to get everything done but would like to know if there is anything that would be a must do. Thanks for any help.


I would definitely add express pass as soon as it's available. (I just bought our tickets and didn't see that yet.)
Also get there right at opening and get in line for what you'd think would be a more popular house that you might want to repeat (like last year the pre-opening lines for Beetlejuice or Hill House got long pretty quickly). That way you can repeat if you want.


----------



## got2sammies

Newbie to universal- do they offer special pricing for military for these hard ticket events like Disney? Do you have to purchase at gate to get the discount or can you purchase in advance (disney only lets you purchase day of for military prices for parties-in my experience)


----------



## keishashadow

And…we are officially off to the races

with more of a limp via a gallop (thanks to Universal’s IT dropping that online ball re apple product accessibility) 

In the spirit of HHN…

JK - guys, really. Now, it’s time to wow us!



Skippyboo said:


> I am booked at RPR Sept 17-24. Going to get Rush of Fear passes when they come out.





Jangles said:


> Can someone please post the link to the individual AP RIP tours. Thank you.


No AP discounts offered this far as I can tell. Difficult as iPhone/iPad today for me


got2sammies said:


> Newbie to universal- do they offer special pricing for military for these hard ticket events like Disney?


Not in the past as far as I know, doubtful ID guess.  U could ck with ur base where you purchase ur tix


----------



## DarthEsquire

I had a plan.  That plan has now failed me.  I had planned on HHN on Wednesday September 14th, yet for some reason that is the one regular day there is not going to be HHN.  Oh well.  I will be able to adjust but I hope it works out for my co-travelers as well.


----------



## Magicbeans

I grabbed tickets for two HHN nights. We wanted specific dates and and could have saved some money waiting for multi night tickets, not a ton of money, but some, however I just wanted everything to be set and paid for. Now I have 7 nights at Portofino and tickets for two nights of HHN31. Flight paid for also, at this point I'm happy and now just waiting until the fall to have a bit of fun.


----------



## mamapenguin

I bought an HHN 2022 shirt in the All Hallows’ Eve Boutique. It says Never Go Alone on the back in what looks like blood. I have a shirt from last year with the same message, but it’s on the front in serial killer letters. I had to buy it when I saw it though, they also had Christmas ornaments with the same message.


----------



## Matt Morales

Does anyone know when they'll reveal the nights that Premier AP holders can use their free tickets?  We're not local, so we try to schedule around when we'll be able to take advantage of the free ticket.


----------



## mamapenguin

Matt Morales said:


> Does anyone know when they'll reveal the nights that Premier AP holders can use their free tickets?  We're not local, so we try to schedule around when we'll be able to take advantage of the free ticket.


I don’t know when they release, but both times that I have used the free tickets were Wednesdays in October. The last one was 10/6/21. I think if you compare past few years colanders, there’s a pattern where you might make a good guess.


----------



## Neverbeast

This event looks so cool. We were already planning to be at universal on 2/3, husband is a HUGE horror movie fan. now I’m wondering what this might mean for our trip options…

first. should I just totally change my park days plan because opening weekend will be too crazy with bloggers anyway?

Option 2- tour parks during the day. But then can the rest of my family with little kids head over to IOA to finish their park day and my husband and I do HHN? Or would that be a terrible use of our one parks day there to miss all the IOA rides they’ll be doing?

another option would be all of us do the universal parks during the day with the whole fam and head to IOA when HHN starts, but bring my husband back for a behind the screams tour when everyone else has a pool rest day later that week…

thoughts? Help! I’ve never been to Universal at all, but we’ve done Halloweekends ar Cedar point and loved them.


----------



## Jangles

Just purchased RIP tour for 27 October. This is happening. Now to wait for the release of the multi day tickets.


----------



## Skywalker3

So,so excited, but also need to now make decisions for our October trip. We'll be at WDW week of Columbus day, but I definitely want to work in a night at HHN, at least for my son and me. Would be easier to go that weekend, but whew, prices are quite a bit more on Oct 8th and 9th, and I'm sure it'll be crazy busy. 
so we might consider mid week. But our Universal APs expire on the 10th, so we'd either have to go before then, to get in for Stay/Scream, or maybe add that if we go later in week, or might just save up for Express. Also would prefer to get a cheap room at Universal for the night, so not having to drive back to Boardwalk at 2AM! Decisions, decisions......


----------



## keishashadow

FYI, Twitter feed responses to tix option queries. Vague but keeping regular options open via a stock answer to multiple posts:

:


----------



## shh

kinda miss that extra Tues date they usually offer the last week of the event- was always nice to book 2 mid week dates - a tues and a thurs, with a break in between and they were packed both days, so I know it was profitable for them.

I guess they ditched the Tues, in order to offer the following monday night - Oct 31st. I'm not on twitter, so if a kind soul could please update the thread as soon as you have time when they release Express and/or other promos, that would be soooo appreciated.


----------



## SquashBanana

What is exactly is Stay & Scream? Is it included in daytime admission to the park or you do you have to purchase the option separately? Lots of additional questions forthcoming so I apologize in advance.


----------



## chiisai

And now I’m thinking about a trip for this.  Our passes expire in September, so we could do a long weekend and catch HHN, too.  We went once four years ago (I can’t believe it was that long ago), and it was excellent fun.


----------



## CAPSLOCK

SquashBanana said:


> What is exactly is Stay & Scream? Is it included in daytime admission to the park or you do you have to purchase the option separately?


Stay & Scream can mean 2 things.  

Traditionally it means that you stay in the park in one of the "holding areas" and wait while they clear the regular guests out.  This gives you a jump on the first few houses you do, and means you aren't in the mob of people amassing at the gates.

The last few years, Universal has sold a "Stay & Scream" ticket add on.  It allows you to enter the park in the afternoon before your HHN night, so that you can do a few rides & wait in one of the holding pens also.  

If you have regular admission to Universal, you DO NOT need to buy the extra Stay & Scream ticket.  That would include APs also.  The only time you would buy the Stay & Scream ticket is if you ONLY have HHN admission & want to enter the park before the official event start.


----------



## FoxC63

mamapenguin said:


> I bought an HHN 2022 shirt in the All Hallows’ Eve Boutique. It says *Never Go Alone *on the back in what looks like blood. I have a shirt from last year with the same message, but it’s on the front in serial killer letters. I had to buy it when I saw it though, they also had Christmas ornaments with the same message.



Just adding,  Direct Link
$35 Ringer T-Shirt (front & back)


$20 Ornament


----------



## SquashBanana

CAPSLOCK said:


> Stay & Scream can mean 2 things.
> 
> Traditionally it means that you stay in the park in one of the "holding areas" and wait while they clear the regular guests out.  This gives you a jump on the first few houses you do, and means you aren't in the mob of people amassing at the gates.
> 
> The last few years, Universal has sold a "Stay & Scream" ticket add on.  It allows you to enter the park in the afternoon before your HHN night, so that you can do a few rides & wait in one of the holding pens also.
> 
> If you have regular admission to Universal, you DO NOT need to buy the extra Stay & Scream ticket.  That would include APs also.  The only time you would buy the Stay & Scream ticket is if you ONLY have HHN admission & want to enter the park before the official event start.


 Super helpful, thanks!


----------



## mamapenguin

FoxC63 said:


> Just adding,  Direct Link
> $35 Ringer T-Shirt (front & back)
> View attachment 657426
> 
> $20 Ornament
> View attachment 657428


There are also in Universal at the horror makeup show store.


----------



## FoxC63

mamapenguin said:


> There are also in Universal at the horror makeup show store.



If I was only there now, it's so cold here in Michigan!


----------



## keishashadow

I’m guessing they are working that catch phrase to use up last year’s unsold merchandise with a tweak to the year? Lol. 

.would be nice to see them put their ghoulish heads together & re-institute an icon or general theme this year to tie it all together.


----------



## FoxC63

*The Park Prodigy*

Announces $5 Discount For Halloween Horror Nights Tickets
_Offer posted on 3/10/22.   _Link

They also have a $10 discount promo as seen below. I'm not sure if both offers can be combined.  Link


----------



## snoopboop

mamapenguin said:


> I bought an HHN 2022 shirt in the All Hallows’ Eve Boutique. It says Never Go Alone on the back in what looks like blood. I have a shirt from last year with the same message, but it’s on the front in serial killer letters. I had to buy it when I saw it though, they also had Christmas ornaments with the same message.





keishashadow said:


> I’m guessing they are working that catch phrase to use up last year’s unsold merchandise with a tweak to the year? Lol.
> 
> .would be nice to see them put their ghoulish heads together & re-institute an icon or general theme this year to tie it all together.



Last year's shirt says *Don't Go Alone* - similar, but definitely not exactly the same as on this year's merchandise. It is curious, regardless, that they'd choose something so similar to the phrase on last year's perch.


----------



## keishashadow

horsehoes  close enough to be the same in my book.  I’m sure they will have very interesting individual house shirts again.  I’m quite fond of my tall man one from last year’s hill house, they are high quality t’s, quite comfy.


snoopboop said:


> It is curious, regardless, that they'd choose something so similar to the phrase on last year's perch.


Perhaps it’s a grammatical correction 

Any English majors in the house?


----------



## snoopboop

keishashadow said:


> horsehoes  close enough to be the same in my book.  I’m sure they will have very interesting individual house shirts again.  I’m quite fond of my tall man one from last year’s hill house, they are high quality t’s, quite comfy.
> 
> Perhaps it’s a grammatical correction
> 
> Any English majors in the house?


Hahaha! Oof, merch/perch, never/don't.... Horseshoes indeed.


----------



## FoxC63

macraven said:


> The hhn date ….*when are you going thread *…..will be put up once HHN dates are released


 Dates have been released, time to cast your magic and make it official!  
Hopefully I can find a few peeps interested in a Private Tour for late October, book now before prices increase.


----------



## imprint

wmoon said:


> I still hadn’t made up my mind if I wanted express with the frequent fear for our 3 nights or the Frequent fear with one night on the RIP tour….



We get the Frequent Fear with Express when we're going three nights (Sunday, Wednesday, Thursday).  One year we only had a quick trip and could only go one night.  We got single night and public RIP tour, since we wanted to make sure we got to go through all houses.  That's our preference:  If multiple nights, FF w/ Express, if one night, Single Night w/ RIP.  Either way, though, you'll be able to experience it all (Scare Zones, shows, and rides will need to be prioritized and planned out probably, though) with your options.


----------



## imprint

MTraub70 said:


> First time experiencing HHN, purchased tickets for opening night. What would be some recommendations to get the most out of the night, I know I won’t be able to get everything done but would like to know if there is anything that would be a must do. Thanks for any help.



My preference is prioritizing the houses and make sure you go through your "must dos" first.  My kid likes the scare zones most, we we know we need to pad some time there as we're going house to house.  Decide which/all shows you want to see.  For one night, I would want to nail down a priority list and do those first.  If express is an option for you, then that will help.  Also, if you have daytime tickets or APs, then utilizing the stay and scream (be in the Studios park before it closes) and wait in the holding pen closest to your top priority.  Since it will still be daylight for a couple hours, I recommend wearing sunglasses until you are about to enter the houses so your eyes won't have to adjust as much (it's hard to see everything otherwise).  I hope this helps some.


----------



## wmoon

imprint said:


> We get the Frequent Fear with Express when we're going three nights (Sunday, Wednesday, Thursday).  One year we only had a quick trip and could only go one night.  We got single night and public RIP tour, since we wanted to make sure we got to go through all houses.  That's our preference:  If multiple nights, FF w/ Express, if one night, Single Night w/ RIP.  Either way, though, you'll be able to experience it all (Scare Zones, shows, and rides will need to be prioritized and planned out probably, though) with your options.


Thank you. I think the FF with express is what we will go for. Great to hear of how you’ve used both options in the past.


----------



## keishashadow

keishashadow said:


> How about we all post a deep cut from the past?  One of the vastly under-rather offerings IMO
> 
> View attachment 653514





keishashadow said:


> will wait a day & see if somebody gets it.  Was a real darkhorse house


2012 Alice Cooper, Welcome to My Nightmare in Sprung Tent 1 

anyone else care to share?


----------



## babesboo99

When will the FF passes go on sale? We will be arrive  on Oct 28th and I was thinking we can do 2 night of HHN before we do.


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> 2012 Alice Cooper, Welcome to My Nightmare in Sprung Tent 1
> 
> anyone else care to share?



As requested.........  

A plain looking house.......but a good one!!


----------



## macraven

FoxC63 said:


> Dates have been released, time to cast your magic and make it official!


Will get the thread started soon
Need to recruit a homie for it


----------



## disneyjr77

Looking ahead to our trip in a few years.  We want to stay at Cabana Bay, we'll need 3 rooms with at least one being the family suite.  How far in advance should we book the rooms?  Can we book a package with the rooms and regular tickets and then add the FF ticket later?  I want to make sure everyone is prepared to book something in advance and let them know it can't be a last minute or even a few month out thing.


----------



## Monykalyn

Can't wait-163 days countdown begins until we are there!! Husband already checked expiration of his annual pass to make sure he can fit in a weekend too-last year his first time and of course, now hooked. We met people on our cruise that love HHN too-going to be a good year!!


----------



## FoxC63

macraven said:


> Will get the thread started soon
> Need to recruit a homie for it



If no one has volunteered, I'll be happy to be your _homie.  _My clan isn't leaving until the end of October so that should give everyone time to post their plans.


----------



## Neverbeast

disneyjr77 said:


> Looking ahead to our trip in a few years.  We want to stay at Cabana Bay, we'll need 3 rooms with at least one being the family suite.  How far in advance should we book the rooms?  Can we book a package with the rooms and regular tickets and then add the FF ticket later?  I want to make sure everyone is prepared to book something in advance and let them know it can't be a last minute or even a few month out thing.


I don’t really know- I’ve never actually done this so take with a large chunk of salt-

but I was on the phone with someone Royal pacific  today talking about a family suite and two extra rooms (so similar to what you’re asking) and they have them available today for Labor Day weekend but the customer service rep on the phone urged me to commit in the next week as the suites in particular will fill quickly for busy dates. She said it was easy to add on the HHN passes when they come out but that those will sell out quickly as well and there wasn’t any discount for waiting and getting them together as far as she could see today.


----------



## imprint

disneyjr77 said:


> Looking ahead to our trip in a few years.  We want to stay at Cabana Bay, we'll need 3 rooms with at least one being the family suite.  How far in advance should we book the rooms?  Can we book a package with the rooms and regular tickets and then add the FF ticket later?  I want to make sure everyone is prepared to book something in advance and let them know it can't be a last minute or even a few month out thing.



I'll try to help, but I'll be a bit in the weeds for part of the answer.

I say book as soon as you know your dates.  You'll pay a one-night deposit, but the deposit is refundable, I think, up to one week prior to the first day of the reservation.  So, it would just cost you a refundable pre-payment of one night to book in advance.  Then I check the reservation page of the resort periodically to see if the rate lowers for the exact room on the exact dates (usually when Annual Pass rates come out).  Sometime it does, sometimes it doesn't.  During HHN, the resorts get booked up and rates tend to climb as they do.

Unless things have changed, and I have not gone this route, so hopefully someone will correct me if I'm wrong, if you book a package all at once, there would be a cancellation or change fee involved if you had to make a change.

Daytime tickets:  If you're going four days or more, then compare the price of an Annual Pass.  There are four tiers of APs with more discounts and benefits, and fewer or no blackout dates, as you move up in tiers.  Otherwise, I'd try to get tickets as soon as possible, since they do not expire.  NOTE: unless it has changed, some promotional deals (four days for the price of two) might have an expiration date.  Just check the fine print.

You can then add the HHN tickets later when they go on sale.  They only go up in price as the season continues, so go ahead and bite the bullet when your choice of ticket is available.

Since you say your trip is in a few years, it's great you are learning it all now.  I'd say just do a fake, trial run of checking resort rooms and prices, make notes of daytime ticket prices, and then when HHN tickets go on sale and for how much.  I know it can be a little daunting at first, but it's really not that bad with Universal.  Just a matter of becoming familiar with they way they do things.

Just to give you an example for our HHN trip this year...  I booked our Portofino room in February.  Glad I did, because the price has gone up quite a bit since then (and surprisingly the deluxe rooms at Portofino were cheaper than standard rooms at Royal Pacific and Hard Rock at that time).  We have APs, so I'll just need to renew them when able to do so, which will be this summer.  I bought our Unmasking the Horror tickets when they went on sale recently so we could get the date and time we wanted.  Price will not decrease, so get it while you can.  We opt for the Frequent Fear with Express, so as soon as those are available, I'll get those too.  Then it's just a matter of waiting for the HHN fog to roll in.


----------



## DisneyaholicRaquel

Hi guys...EXTREMELY new to Universal and have a question.  We have the preferred Annual Pass does that give you a discount on HHN tickets?  If so, how do you get the discount?

Thanks


----------



## FoxC63

@DisneyaholicRaquel

Once the AP discounts have been published, you should be able to do this online. 
There will be a place for you to enter your AP # 
I'm not sure if it can only be done on Universal's website?
Hopefully others will chime in and school me!


----------



## DisneyaholicRaquel

FoxC63 said:


> @DisneyaholicRaquel
> 
> Once the AP discounts have been published, you should be able to do this online.
> There will be a place for you to enter your AP #
> I'm not sure if it can only be done on Universal's website?
> Hopefully others will chime in and school me!


Thank you!  How far in advance are AP discounts normally released?  I can't even find where the hotel discounts are located.


----------



## FoxC63

DisneyaholicRaquel said:


> Thank you!  How far in advance are AP discounts normally released?  I can't even find where the hotel discounts are located.



Not everything has been released, many of us are still waiting. 
And I _think_, some have been delayed so I can't give you an exact date.  It seems to differ every year.


----------



## FoxC63

I'm just posting this bit of info, typically I overlook these banners.  

*The boards will be upgraded tonight 3/29 begining at 7PM Eastern Time. *The upgrade will take several hours. Thank you for your patience.

Did anyone catch the typo? *begining *  I don't know why it's so funny?!?!
I must have caught the silly bug!


----------



## DisneyaholicRaquel

FoxC63 said:


> Not everything has been released, many of us are still waiting.
> And I _think_, some have been delayed so I can't give you an exact date.  It seems to differ every year.


Thanks, for keeping me in line


----------



## Monykalyn

DisneyaholicRaquel said:


> Hi guys...EXTREMELY new to Universal and have a question.  We have the preferred Annual Pass does that give you a discount on HHN tickets?  If so, how do you get the discount?
> 
> Thanks


Last year there wasn't any discount for HHN tickets nor the daytime tour, think only discounts were for RIP tours and hotel (if you managed to snag it). Previous years there have been discounts on tickets including multi-night IIRC.

If you are interested in HHN it is fun and informative to read previous years threads. Last year was _nearly_ normal except the releasing of tickets (think the multi-night tickets were release later than usual and with no discounts.)

The next level AP (premiere) gives you one free HHN ticket (think there are some blockout dates for the HHN ticket though),

Keep an eye on this thread as when/if AP discounts available (for both hotel/tickets) I often find out from eagle eyed folks here way before I would have found out on my own LOL


----------



## DisneyaholicRaquel

Monykalyn said:


> Last year there wasn't any discount for HHN tickets nor the daytime tour, think only discounts were for RIP tours and hotel (if you managed to snag it). Previous years there have been discounts on tickets including multi-night IIRC.
> 
> If you are interested in HHN it is fun and informative to read previous years threads. Last year was _nearly_ normal except the releasing of tickets (think the multi-night tickets were release later than usual and with no discounts.)
> 
> The next level AP (premiere) gives you one free HHN ticket (think there are some blockout dates for the HHN ticket though),
> 
> Keep an eye on this thread as when/if AP discounts available (for both hotel/tickets) I often find out from eagle eyed folks here way before I would have found out on my own LOL


Great idea to read previous threads!  Thanks


----------



## disneyjr77

imprint said:


> I'll try to help, but I'll be a bit in the weeds for part of the answer.
> 
> I say book as soon as you know your dates.  You'll pay a one-night deposit, but the deposit is refundable, I think, up to one week prior to the first day of the reservation.  So, it would just cost you a refundable pre-payment of one night to book in advance.  Then I check the reservation page of the resort periodically to see if the rate lowers for the exact room on the exact dates (usually when Annual Pass rates come out).  Sometime it does, sometimes it doesn't.  During HHN, the resorts get booked up and rates tend to climb as they do.
> 
> Unless things have changed, and I have not gone this route, so hopefully someone will correct me if I'm wrong, if you book a package all at once, there would be a cancellation or change fee involved if you had to make a change.
> 
> Daytime tickets:  If you're going four days or more, then compare the price of an Annual Pass.  There are four tiers of APs with more discounts and benefits, and fewer or no blackout dates, as you move up in tiers.  Otherwise, I'd try to get tickets as soon as possible, since they do not expire.  NOTE: unless it has changed, some promotional deals (four days for the price of two) might have an expiration date.  Just check the fine print.
> 
> You can then add the HHN tickets later when they go on sale.  They only go up in price as the season continues, so go ahead and bite the bullet when your choice of ticket is available.
> 
> Since you say your trip is in a few years, it's great you are learning it all now.  I'd say just do a fake, trial run of checking resort rooms and prices, make notes of daytime ticket prices, and then when HHN tickets go on sale and for how much.  I know it can be a little daunting at first, but it's really not that bad with Universal.  Just a matter of becoming familiar with they way they do things.
> 
> Just to give you an example for our HHN trip this year...  I booked our Portofino room in February.  Glad I did, because the price has gone up quite a bit since then (and surprisingly the deluxe rooms at Portofino were cheaper than standard rooms at Royal Pacific and Hard Rock at that time).  We have APs, so I'll just need to renew them when able to do so, which will be this summer.  I bought our Unmasking the Horror tickets when they went on sale recently so we could get the date and time we wanted.  Price will not decrease, so get it while you can.  We opt for the Frequent Fear with Express, so as soon as those are available, I'll get those too.  Then it's just a matter of waiting for the HHN fog to roll in.



Great, thanks!  This is kind of how I had it played out in my head, I'm glad I wasn't to far off.  I already know the dates (sept 19-26), it probably seems silly to know the dates of a vacay that is happening in 4 yrs, but since it's going to be a big trip for me...my 50th and first time to HHN...and it's going to be my SiL, BiL, and best friend, i figured it 's better to get in on their calendars so they can start saving and know what's what.  

I looked at last year's prices and added 10% to get a general idea of what it will cost.  I added an AP for myself, and just regular tickets for them.  Do you know if we book room only reservations, can we switch that to a package later?  I've only ever booked packages for Universal.  We're also going to have a girl's day and do the Unmasking the Horror tour, while the guys go off and do whatever it is they do when their wives aren't around lol


----------



## BagOLaughs

Hi everyone, its literally been years since I posted on this forum, I've missed everyone here. 

So happy I have HHN holiday booked from 14th Sept - 28th Sept staying at CBBR, my 'usual'. 

Question for the group - do you think as travel is looking likely (I'm coming over from the UK) that this HHN is going to be busy? My gut is saying yes, I feel like there is a lot of pent up demand! 

Also can someone remind me, when does Rush of Fear usually get released?


----------



## Skippyboo

BagOLaughs said:


> Hi everyone, its literally been years since I posted on this forum, I've missed everyone here.
> 
> So happy I have HHN holiday booked from 14th Sept - 28th Sept staying at CBBR, my 'usual'.
> 
> Question for the group - do you think as travel is looking likely (I'm coming over from the UK) that this HHN is going to be busy? My gut is saying yes, I feel like there is a lot of pent up demand!
> 
> Also can someone remind me, when does Rush of Fear usually get released?


Last year I bought my Rush of Fear tickets on Aug 5 which was my birthday while I was at Disney World. Don’t know if a month before the event starts is the common release or the whole pandemic messed with the timing of everything. 2019 might be a better reference year than 2021


----------



## ctl

Can you buy the HHN express passes yet? I cannot find them on the Universal Studios website?


----------



## soniam

BagOLaughs said:


> Hi everyone, its literally been years since I posted on this forum, I've missed everyone here.
> 
> So happy I have HHN holiday booked from 14th Sept - 28th Sept staying at CBBR, my 'usual'.
> 
> Question for the group - do you think as travel is looking likely (I'm coming over from the UK) that this HHN is going to be busy? My gut is saying yes, I feel like there is a lot of pent up demand!
> 
> Also can someone remind me, when does Rush of Fear usually get released?





Skippyboo said:


> Last year I bought my Rush of Fear tickets on Aug 5 which was my birthday while I was at Disney World. Don’t know if a month before the event starts is the common release or the whole pandemic messed with the timing of everything. 2019 might be a better reference year than 2021



They were released really late last year. However, I think single day tickets are being released kind of early this year. Pre-covid, I thought the BOGO  tickets were usually released in April or May. They weren't release last year. I thought single day tickets were released just before the BOGO expired. Multi-day tickets were not usually released until at least June, after the BOGO expired. So, I would expect them to be released sometime this summer.



ctl said:


> Can you buy the HHN express passes yet? I cannot find them on the Universal Studios website?



Not yet.


----------



## BagOLaughs

I last went to HHN in 2018, and I can't even remember when I purchased my rush of fear, I've also been super surprised that the event starts on the 9th Sept! A whole extra week than what we had back 4 years ago 

I'm very excited!


----------



## disneyjr77

Do you need express passes if you're planning on going 3 or 4 nights?


----------



## schumigirl

BagOLaughs said:


> Hi everyone, its literally been years since I posted on this forum, I've missed everyone here.
> 
> So happy I have HHN holiday booked from 14th Sept - 28th Sept staying at CBBR, my 'usual'.
> 
> Question for the group - do you think as travel is looking likely (I'm coming over from the UK) that this HHN is going to be busy? My gut is saying yes, I feel like there is a lot of pent up demand!
> 
> Also can someone remind me, when does Rush of Fear usually get released?



Hey Rachel!!! 

You have been missed!!! 

Yes, this year will be a busy one for sure......we`ll be there too in September and if the line up for the houses impresses us, we`ll be buying the RoF as usual with EP included. If the line up disappoints, last years didn`t impress me at all, then we may just go one or two nights. 

Good to see you though.......


----------



## macraven

More hhn info will be released later
Hang tight and we will know more details later

I’m sure we will get more info after the first pre sales are done 

I don’t rush out the door when park prices for the HHN event is first released 

I wait until full info is released


----------



## schumigirl

disneyjr77 said:


> Do you need express passes if you're planning on going 3 or 4 nights?




We wouldn`t be without EP and we can usually manage 10 nights over our stay, we don`t always go in all of those nights though. 

It depends on your tolerances of course.....many are fine waiting in line and with four nights, you could do certainly do all the houses without having EP. 

These pictures were both very early in the event in 2018/19, I believe one was opening night when it`s supposed to be a quiet time, we find there might be some quieter nights, but it`s not so quiet anymore. 

There are always some houses with a shorter line than others so every house is not jammed like the main ones. It`s a personal choice for sure.


----------



## keishashadow

Multi day tix release date will be in last year’s thread.  i just checked my notes, purchased our stuff 9/2. I did wait to get it all once, was waiting for something, just can‘t remember which component.


----------



## disneyjr77

schumigirl said:


> We wouldn`t be without EP and we can usually manage 10 nights over our stay, we don`t always go in all of those nights though.
> 
> It depends on your tolerances of course.....many are fine waiting in line and with four nights, you could do certainly do all the houses without having EP.
> 
> These pictures were both very early in the event in 2018/19, I believe one was opening night when it`s supposed to be a quiet time, we find there might be some quieter nights, but it`s not so quiet anymore.
> 
> There are always some houses with a shorter line than others so every house is not jammed like the main ones. It`s a personal choice for sure.



Wow!  I knew it was crowded but not on that level lol We will def get EP, I'll let the crew we're going with know and show them these pics...that way they can see why spending the extra $$ is justified.  I want to be able to fully enjoy everything and waiting in line kills the mood.  I definitely want to be able to hang out in the scare zones and people watch and eat all the food, if we're waiting in line we wouldn't have much time to do that.


----------



## ctl

FoxC63 said:


> *The Park Prodigy*
> 
> Announces $5 Discount For Halloween Horror Nights Tickets
> _Offer posted on 3/10/22.   _Link
> 
> They also have a $10 discount promo as seen below. I'm not sure if both offers can be combined.  Link
> View attachment 657471


Thanks! great tip


----------



## Duck143

Newbie to this event. Can anyone tell me how quickly a single night (mid October/mid-week) tix will sell out?  Should we be buying these right now or can we wait a bit?


----------



## FoxC63

That's what it looked like inside the park, here's a photo I took last year 2021 on the balcony of the gate entrance.  It's not a complete picture, there were more guests on the left and right and an impressive amount behind them. 
These are guests without regular park tickets and I'm sure those who had them didn't arrive early enough to get into a Scream Zone. 


They were waiting for the arrival of Jack...


----------



## FoxC63

Duck143 said:


> Newbie to this event. Can anyone tell me how quickly a single night (mid October/mid-week) tix will sell out?  Should we be buying these right now or can we wait a bit?



I'm not so sure I'd be concerned about it selling out but rather the prices increasing and increasing which happened last year.  If you can afford to buy them now, don't hesitate.  Even if you need 4 or 5, buy what you can to lock in the low price.


----------



## Duck143

FoxC63 said:


> I'm not so sure I'd be concerned about it selling out but rather the prices increasing and increasing which happened last year.  If you can afford to buy them now, don't hesitate.  Even if you need 4 or 5, buy what you can to lock in the low price.


Thanks!  I didn't know they changed the prices once they released them!


----------



## FoxC63

Yes unfortunately they do and it caught us off guard.


----------



## angelia

EEK, I am so excited!! Just booked Sapphire Falls for my son and I. This will be our 3rd trip for HHN, started going for my sons 16th birthday. You guys said we would be hooked after the 1st time and you were so right. Also first time at Sapphire Falls. Usually stay at RP but couldn't make it work for our dates. Can't wait for announcements to start rolling out. I appreciate everyone so much for the time you all take to answer questions and keep the excitement going!! 
We have only gone during the first few weeks,  will be going later this year. Will have to study how the tickets work, have gotten rush of fear with express the other times. Will want express for sure. Should be able to make it for 9 nights of HHN...but still want express LOL.


----------



## ctl

soniam said:


> They were released really late last year. However, I think single day tickets are being released kind of early this year. Pre-covid, I thought the BOGO  tickets were usually released in April or May. They weren't release last year. I thought single day tickets were released just before the BOGO expired. Multi-day tickets were not usually released until at least June, after the BOGO expired. So, I would expect them to be released sometime this summer.
> 
> 
> 
> Not yet.


Thanks


----------



## keishashadow

FoxC63 said:


> They were waiting for the arrival of Jack..


Great pics!  It’s fun to watch the crowds from that 2nd floor veranda.  Have taken great pains to avoid being in that throng.

Last year, had to chuckle watching how fast Jack took off after the opening ceremonies one night.  

Fully escorted by security but, still surprised how fast he did move to not encounter rabid fans…yes, I couldn’t resist saying hello here.


----------



## emmabelle

considering doing this before our Disney cruise.  What would be a better night to go, Thursday 9/15 or Sunday 9/18?  Probably 6 of one, half dozen of another. lol


----------



## FoxC63

emmabelle said:


> considering doing this before our Disney cruise.  What would be a better night to go, Thursday 9/15 or Sunday 9/18?  Probably 6 of one, half dozen of another. lol



I'm still a newbie but I would say Thursday is your best bet.


----------



## keishashadow

https://www.disboards.com/threads/hhn-2022-never-go-alone-–-official-guest-list.3877976/

Make sure to check out this year’s roll call thread!  

Many thanks to mod Mac & FoxC63


----------



## imprint

emmabelle said:


> considering doing this before our Disney cruise.  What would be a better night to go, Thursday 9/15 or Sunday 9/18?  Probably 6 of one, half dozen of another. lol



Big grain of salt this early, which I know it is frustrating when some of us are also giving suggestions to book as early as possible.  As of today, the single-day ticket price is the same for both of those days (it's a push).  Then I checked the RIP prices, and the 9/18 prices are currently $20 less than 9/15 (advantage to 9/18).  When Express Passes are released that's an even better indicator of which nights are expected to be busier (of course the more people they expect, the more the passes will cost).  Based solely on that info, I would lean toward 9/18.  That could completely change by the time September gets here though.  If you only have the one night (which I'll always say is much better than no nights), then the regular strategies are recommended for either night:  Stay and Scream if you have day tickets, Express Pass or RIP tour if you want to make sure you see all houses (and have the room in your budget for the event), have a priority list, be ready to put a lot of steps on your feet, and of course, have fun!


----------



## BagOLaughs

schumigirl said:


> Hey Rachel!!!
> 
> You have been missed!!!
> 
> Yes, this year will be a busy one for sure......we`ll be there too in September and if the line up for the houses impresses us, we`ll be buying the RoF as usual with EP included. If the line up disappoints, last years didn`t impress me at all, then we may just go one or two nights.
> 
> Good to see you though.......



Sorry for the slow reply, seems I locked myself out of my account, I couldn't figure out why I couldn't like or reply, this year I'm going with a complete newbie my best friend. She's never been to Orlando, never been to Disney, never been to USO and never been to HHN! So she's going to have a shock coming! I hope she loves it.


----------



## schumigirl

BagOLaughs said:


> Sorry for the slow reply, seems I locked myself out of my account, I couldn't figure out why I couldn't like or reply, this year I'm going with a complete newbie my best friend. She's never been to Orlando, never been to Disney, never been to USO and never been to HHN! So she's going to have a shock coming! I hope she loves it.



Wow....that is a lot of new experiences for her on a first visit!!! She`ll love it......

Happy planning for both of you!!


----------



## emmabelle

@FoxC63 and @imprint - thank you for your input!  I will probably go with the Sunday night option only because we fly in on the Thursday.


----------



## FoxC63

emmabelle said:


> @FoxC63 and @imprint - thank you for your input!  I will probably go with the Sunday night option only because *we fly in on the Thursday*.


That's an important detail.  I agree, we don't like all that rushing around not to mention the possibility of flights being delayed or cancelled or having your luggage lost.  You made a wise decision.


----------



## FoxC63

Yesterday when booking the RIP Private tour I asked the team member _Kirk, _three times about BOGO, like when will it be released, is it going to be released and so on. Well, he never budged, simply wouldn't spill the beans.  

So I asked him again today.... NOTHING!  So tight lipped! 
 I'm trying!


----------



## FoxC63

Oh, almost forgot to mention!  
Universal had an unadvertised promotion this morning, the first 31 callers wanting to buy HHN tickets, received them at 31% off!  Any dated ticket too.  It was crazy!  I was in panic, hoarding mode but you could only buy one ticket.  What a great start to a new month, you know April 1st....as in April Fools! 

Did I get ya?!


----------



## MinnieMSue

Idk if it is just my phone but I was looking at rip and unmasking the horror and could not select any days for tickets. The whole HHN time period is unavailable today. In the app they aren’t listed as an option at all. Might just be my phone but I thought it was odd. I already have event tickets and a 6 house tour booked but was just looking at the site. (And for the record I’m not an April fools person and this would not be a good joke anyway lol).


----------



## soniam

MinnieMSue said:


> Idk if it is just my phone but I was looking at rip and unmasking the horror and could not select any days for tickets. The whole HHN time period is unavailable today. In the app they aren’t listed as an option at all. Might just be my phone but I thought it was odd. I already have event tickets and a 6 house tour booked but was just looking at the site. (And for the record I’m not an April fools person and this would not be a good joke anyway lol).


@keishashadow was having problems too on her iPhone. Are you using an iPhone? I think the website on a computer and Android are fine. Try a computer. I didn't see any issues with it.


----------



## FoxC63

MinnieMSue said:


> (And for the record I’m not an April fools person and this would not be a good joke anyway lol).



For the record, I didn't post it for you.


----------



## scottishgirl1

We are hoping to attend our first ever HHN and are at Portofino Bay over opening weekend. I booked the public RIP tour for Saturday 3rd September but I see it is now being offered on the Sunday as well at a  cheaper price than the Saturday. I have no experience of HHN at all but would assume the Saturday would be busier than the Sunday and therefore if we were to end up getting tickets that allowed us to go Saturday and Sunday we would probably have a better time doing our second visit on the Sunday

I see we have no idea about BOGOF tickets yet, do frequent fear tickets allow access over one weekend and are they much more expensive than one night tickets? Just trying to work out how likely it is that we would be able to go twice that weekend or whether just to go for the Sunday night tour and save some money


----------



## MinnieMSue

soniam said:


> @keishashadow was having problems too on her iPhone. Are you using an iPhone? I think the website on a computer and Android are fine. Try a computer. I didn't see any issues with it.



Yep it is an iPhone. 


FoxC63 said:


> For the record, I didn't post it for you.



Yep it’s good.


----------



## soniam

scottishgirl1 said:


> We are hoping to attend our first ever HHN and are at Portofino Bay over opening weekend. I booked the public RIP tour for Saturday 3rd September but I see it is now being offered on the Sunday as well at a  cheaper price than the Saturday. I have no experience of HHN at all but would assume the Saturday would be busier than the Sunday and therefore if we were to end up getting tickets that allowed us to go Saturday and Sunday we would probably have a better time doing our second visit on the Sunday
> 
> I see we have no idea about BOGOF tickets yet, do frequent fear tickets allow access over one weekend and are they much more expensive than one night tickets? Just trying to work out how likely it is that we would be able to go twice that weekend or whether just to go for the Sunday night tour and save some money


Sunday will probably be less busy. I would do the RIP on the busier night, Saturday.

BOGO might block out Saturdays, but I don't quite remember. They may be good for any 2 days. The base Frequent Fear blocks Friday and Saturday. There is an upgrade to include Fridays, and the ultimate pass, at a much more expensive price, that includes all days. This post shows the multi-night pass info from last year.

https://www.disboards.com/threads/3...xt=Add bookmark-,#9,-ADVANCE & SPECIAL TICKET


----------



## FoxC63

soniam said:


> BOGO might block out Saturdays, but I don't quite remember. They may be good for any 2 days.


You really know your stuff!

*2020* BOGO offer can only be purchased online.
Blockout dates include 10/11/2020, 10/17/2020, 10/24/2020, and 10/30/2020.  Link


They were released on May 10, 2020.


----------



## mamapenguin

FoxC63 said:


> You really know your stuff!
> 
> *2020* BOGO offer can only be purchased online.
> Blockout dates include 10/11/2020, 10/17/2020, 10/24/2020, and 10/30/2020.  Link
> View attachment 659338
> 
> They were released on May 10, 2020.


There was no BOGO last year unless I missed something. Why do we think there will be this year? I’ve completed two surveys for them on HHN tickets for this year and the only thing they ask about is multi night tickets at different price points with or without parking. They gave options and asked me to pick between them.


----------



## FoxC63

mamapenguin said:


> There was no BOGO last year unless I missed something. Why do we think there will be this year? I’ve completed two surveys for them on HHN tickets for this year and the only thing they ask about is multi night tickets at different price points with or without parking. They gave options and asked me to pick between them.


You are correct, no BOGO in 2021.
I'm not expecting anything, more like hoping.  This will be our 2nd year attending HHN so I really consider myself a newbie.  For me, I just like having as much information as possible especially when playing the gift card game as well as virtual visa's.
And I've not been sent a single survey. Not an AP holder either.


----------



## imprint

scottishgirl1 said:


> We are hoping to attend our first ever HHN and are at Portofino Bay over opening weekend. I booked the public RIP tour for Saturday 3rd September but I see it is now being offered on the Sunday as well at a  cheaper price than the Saturday. I have no experience of HHN at all but would assume the Saturday would be busier than the Sunday and therefore if we were to end up getting tickets that allowed us to go Saturday and Sunday we would probably have a better time doing our second visit on the Sunday
> 
> I see we have no idea about BOGOF tickets yet, do frequent fear tickets allow access over one weekend and are they much more expensive than one night tickets? Just trying to work out how likely it is that we would be able to go twice that weekend or whether just to go for the Sunday night tour and save some money



If you're goin opening weekend, then you'll want to check out the Rush of Fear pass.  The RoF pass is valid the first two (three?) weeks of the event.  They are cheaper than Frequent Fear, and I believe they include Fridays and Saturdays.


----------



## soniam

imprint said:


> If you're goin opening weekend, then you'll want to check out the Rush of Fear pass.  The RoF pass is valid the first two (three?) weeks of the event.  They are cheaper than Frequent Fear, and I believe they include Fridays and Saturdays.


It covered the first 16 nights last year, so it did include some Fridays and Saturdays.


----------



## scottishgirl1

Thanks for the replies, think I will leave things as they are and keep my eyes open for Rush of Fear option then. Booked the tour to try and get as much out of our one opportunity as possible but if we can get additional nights there for not much extra cost then that may change things. Dont see us being there at that time of year again for a long time, we used to go in October a while back but the kids were at primary school so way too young!


----------



## leiaorgana

Just out of curiosity - What food do they normally serve at Cafe La Bamba during the RIP tours please?


----------



## Jangles

scottishgirl1 said:


> Thanks for the replies, think I will leave things as they are and keep my eyes open for Rush of Fear option then. Booked the tour to try and get as much out of our one opportunity as possible but if we can get additional nights there for not much extra cost then that may change things. Dont see us being there at that time of year again for a long time, we used to go in October a while back but the kids were at primary school so way too young!


This is what I am doing. I found the RIP tour exhausting, not the walking, although you cover a lot of ground, but a sort of senses overload. I kept going until the end and thoroughly enjoyed it, but I only managed about an hour the next night .


----------



## Jangles

leiaorgana said:


> Just out of curiosity - What food do they normally serve at Cafe La Bamba during the RIP tours please?


I remember there being nachos, spring rolls, some chicken dishes and lots of little puddings.


----------



## CAPSLOCK

leiaorgana said:


> What food do they normally serve at Cafe La Bamba during the RIP tours please?


Last year it was flatbreads, chicken sliders, burger sliders, "southwestern" mac & cheese (with corn & pulled pork on top), veggies/dip, rich fudgy mini cakes, macaroons, pie tarts, sodas/water, and a cash bar.


----------



## leiaorgana

@Jangles and @CAPSLOCK Thank you both for the help! Just what I was looking for and helped me finalise our decision to book a non private tour for 26/10!


----------



## Jangles

leiaorgana said:


> @Jangles and @CAPSLOCK Thank you both for the help! Just what I was looking for and helped me finalise our decision to book a non private tour for 26/10!


The first ‘tour’ is a bit rushed for food, I found. Also, I don’t think the refillable drink  deal is particularly good. The drinks all seemed to be premixed and you can’t take liquids into the houses, so you either glug it or try to find somewhere to empty your cup,


----------



## leiaorgana

Jangles said:


> The first ‘tour’ is a bit rushed for food, I found. Also, I don’t think the refillable drink  deal is particularly good. The drinks all seemed to be premixed and you can’t take liquids into the houses, so you either glug it or try to find somewhere to empty your cup,


Ohhh okay! Thank you for the advice. I booked 7:30pm to give us chance to go back to Hard Rock for a bit and have a rest and not have to deal with as big a crowd trying to get in when we come back. We’ve never been this time of year before so we’re very excited for it and hope the rumoured houses are true!


----------



## swoosh4

leiaorgana said:


> Just out of curiosity - What food do they normally serve at Cafe La Bamba during the RIP tours please?


Make sure to eat something before.  What food they do have is just ok and finger food but definitely not a meal especially considering all the walking and no time for food during.


----------



## macraven

leiaorgana said:


> Ohhh okay! Thank you for the advice. I booked 7:30pm to give us chance to go back to Hard Rock for a bit and have a rest and not have to deal with as big a crowd trying to get in when we come back. We’ve never been this time of year before so we’re very excited for it and hope the rumoured houses are true!


Not sure if your tour is a weekday or weekend 
You check in for your tour maybe 30 minutes before your group heads out to start your evening.

If your tour is on a Saturday, you will still have long lines  to get inside the park and then sign in for your tour


----------



## MinnieMSue

mamapenguin said:


> There was no BOGO last year unless I missed something. Why do we think there will be this year? I’ve completed two surveys for them on HHN tickets for this year and the only thing they ask about is multi night tickets at different price points with or without parking. They gave options and asked me to pick between them.


I did that survey too. Also a content survey


----------



## keishashadow

emmabelle said:


> considering doing this before our Disney cruise.  What would be a better night to go, Thursday 9/15 or Sunday 9/18?  Probably 6 of one, half dozen of another. lol


it takes the scareactors some time to settle into their rolls.  I’d go with the 18th in your case.  

last year they had a lot of new people wash out & had to bring in new hires.  Toward the end of our first trip down for the season the overall quality improved greatly (first week of October).  GS rep I spoke to said most who bailed indicated they use couldn’t handle the uncomfortable masking situation.  


leiaorgana said:


> I booked 7:30pm to give us chance to go back to Hard Rock for a bit and have a rest and not have to deal with as big a crowd trying to get in when we come back. We’ve never been this time of year before so we’re very excited for it and hope the rumoured houses are true!


There is a separate line dedicated for resort Guests during HHN

if a tour, believe you will enter thru the door in the front near outside GS that goes into VIP service area, not the standard ‘gate line’.


----------



## leiaorgana

keishashadow said:


> There is a separate line dedicated for resort Guests during HHN
> 
> if a tour, believe you will enter thru the door in the front near outside GS that goes into VIP service area, not the standard ‘gate line’.


Thank you for the information. That’s good to know!


----------



## mamapenguin

keishashadow said:


> it takes the scareactors some time to settle into their rolls.  I’d go with the 18th in your case.
> 
> last year they had a lot of new people wash out & had to bring in new hires.  Toward the end of our first trip down for the season the overall quality improved greatly (first week of October).  GS rep I spoke to said most who bailed indicated they use couldn’t handle the uncomfortable masking situation.
> 
> There is a separate line dedicated for resort Guests during HHN
> 
> if a tour, believe you will enter thru the door in the front near outside GS that goes into VIP service area, not the standard ‘gate line’.


Yes the resort lane was on the far left, it was nice. We didn’t get there after checking in at the hotel until after they quit letting in day guests ( which I felt like they cut off more than 30 minutes before park close.. not sure what is normal). Stay and scream is still way better if you can swing it.


----------



## keishashadow

mamapenguin said:


> Stay and scream is still way better if you can swing it.


I’m sure it is lol. Have seen HHN guests lined up at gate when entered park before 3 pm
More than a few times.


----------



## shh

Since I always did BOGO and didn't go last year, just checking. If I just wanted to go for 2 nights in October only, it's still likely to be cheaper to buy 2 separate single night tics vs any multi day offering, correct? (assuming there's no BOGO.)


----------



## FoxC63

Jangles said:


> *The first ‘tour’ is a bit rushed for food, *I found. Also, I don’t think the refillable drink  deal is particularly good. The drinks all seemed to be premixed and you can’t take liquids into the houses, so you either glug it or try to find somewhere to empty your cup,


Hmm, is this true?  Others feel the same? 
@CAPSLOCK I cannot remember our start time last year. I booked 5:30pm for 10/30/22 but can change it to 6pm.  I wouldn't want anyone to feel rushed.


----------



## CAPSLOCK

Ours was 6pm. But I suspect it doesn't matter for private tours - the guide is on your timeframe, unlike the public tours where the guide sets the pace.


----------



## Jangles

CAPSLOCK said:


> Ours was 6pm. But I suspect it doesn't matter for private tours - the guide is on your timeframe, unlike the public tours where the guide sets the pace.


Yes, mine was a public tour so different. The guide was fantastic but I think they are set off at a fixed time.


----------



## PixieT78

So many things to think about!  

I will be an HHN newbie.  I did buy a ticket for Sept 21 and may also book a tour for that date as I am feeling like it may be a bit more fun in a group (I’m on a solo trip).  Thoughts?

Also considering rush of fear if they come out since I could also do the prior week when I’m stay at WDW.  But again, maybe one night with a tour is more worth it?


----------



## disneyjr77

Is the opening show worth it?  Do they do it every night before they open the gates or is it just the first night?


----------



## schumigirl

disneyjr77 said:


> Is the opening show worth it?  Do they do it every night before they open the gates or is it just the first night?



They only do it for the opening night.

Not something you really need to see....it`s just ok.


----------



## CAPSLOCK

disneyjr77 said:


> Is the opening show worth it?


IMO no. You have to be strategically located to see much.
It is nightly.

Edit: maybe the opening show is something different then? We saw Jack the clown come out before the gates opened - this was a Sat in Oct. Him walking out with a megaphone & a few other scare actors & amping up the crowd for a minute was the entire extent of it.


----------



## disneyjr77

schumigirl said:


> They only do it for the opening night.
> 
> Not something you really need to see....it`s just ok.





CAPSLOCK said:


> IMO no. You have to be strategically located to see much.
> It is nightly.
> 
> Edit: maybe the opening show is something different then? We saw Jack the clown come out before the gates opened - this was a Sat in Oct. Him walking out with a megaphone & a few other scare actors & amping up the crowd for a minute was the entire extent of it.



Ok, thanks  I'm thinking about when they come out before the gates opened.  If it's not worth it, then we won't worry about it, we'll just do stay and scream each night we go.


----------



## schumigirl

CAPSLOCK said:


> IMO no. You have to be strategically located to see much.
> It is nightly.
> 
> Edit: maybe the opening show is something different then? We saw Jack the clown come out before the gates opened - this was a Sat in Oct. Him walking out with a megaphone & a few other scare actors & amping up the crowd for a minute was the entire extent of it.



Yes, on opening nights they let off a few small fireworks, announce the event open kind of thing and it was just as simple as that.


----------



## Dano the Pirate

Booked, now if WDW would get their act together..


----------



## pigletgirl

Dano the Pirate said:


> Booked, now if WDW would get their act together..


For MNSSHP? Or "Boo Bash"??


----------



## Dano the Pirate

pigletgirl said:


> For MNSSHP? Or "Boo Bash"??


Prefer MNSSHP, the boo-bash was not what I was expecting..


----------



## mamapenguin

Dano the Pirate said:


> Prefer MNSSHP, the boo-bash was not what I was expecting..


Agree, I would only consider MNSSHP- the after hours events aren’t great. I need the extras, especially the Hocus Pocus show. Until then, my Halloween events are 100% HHN.


----------



## tiana1989

I just so happened to be in LA Halloween weekend for my college reunion, so we jumped down to Anaheim our last night for Oogie Boogie Bash. That event was FANTASTIC. I wish WDW would do something similar with the characters at their Halloween event. We also did Boo Bash, and thank goodness that was our first event of the Spooky Season because we had fun, but it did not hold up to Oogie Boogie or HHN.


----------



## pigletgirl

tiana1989 said:


> I just so happened to be in LA Halloween weekend for my college reunion, so we jumped down to Anaheim our last night for Oogie Boogie Bash. That event was FANTASTIC. I wish WDW would do something similar with the characters at their Halloween event. We also did Boo Bash, and thank goodness that was our first event of the Spooky Season because we had fun, but it did not hold up to Oogie Boogie or HHN.


Boo Bash looked so anti-climatic. I'm hoping MNSSHP returns this fall.


----------



## imprint

PixieT78 said:


> So many things to think about!
> 
> I will be an HHN newbie.  I did buy a ticket for Sept 21 and may also book a tour for that date as I am feeling like it may be a bit more fun in a group (I’m on a solo trip).  Thoughts?
> 
> Also considering rush of fear if they come out since I could also do the prior week when I’m stay at WDW.  But again, maybe one night with a tour is more worth it?



If I was on a solo trip and it fit the budget, I think I'd enjoy being with a RIP group tour.  I'm very shy and quiet, and probably wouldn't talk too much, but I think being in a tour group would be a little more comfortable.  Having said that, I'd still go solo without a tour rather than not go.

Rush of Fear historically is a very cheap ticket (to incentivize locals to go a bunch in September).  Check the price (and see if 9/21 is covered) for base RoF and Rof with Express when they come out.  If you like that option, I believe they will upgrade your single-night ticket to whichever pass.  I would call to do this rather than wait until on-site.

This is just my opinion of what I would do with this scenario...  If I could go 3 nights, I'd get the Rof with Express.  If the choice is between I could go 2 nights without Express or 1 night with RIP tour, it would depend on if I could Stay and Scream and stay late both nights.  If not, I'd go one night ticket with RIP.  Understand that my personal priority is the houses, so I want to make sure I see them all.

A public RIP tour will get you through all houses in a very quick manner.  You'll pass through all scare zone, but won't spend much time in any of them.  The guide will probably take you to the front of a ride or two too.  Also the stage show (if there is one this year) is usually included in the tour too.  It is definitely rushed, but you get it done and will have time after the tour to ride rides (your RIP ticket gets you a single express for each ride, and you can then spend more time in the scare zones, and/or line up in the regular lines for houses.  Also, there are lots of food options across the park.  Depending on your stamina, you can still get a lot more done after the tour.

I hope this helps some, but feel free to ask any followup questions.


----------



## Neverbeast

What are crowd levels in the parks like during the day on a Saturday before they herd everyone to the stay and scream areas? It’s hard to tell from crowd calendars if the high numbers are for the whole day, regular park hours, or the HHN crowd.


----------



## macraven

Saturdays always have high crowds in the parks
It will fill up more during Hhn dates


----------



## macraven

*Disboards Thread of the day
April 6, 2022*


----------



## PixieT78

imprint said:


> If I was on a solo trip and it fit the budget, I think I'd enjoy being with a RIP group tour.  I'm very shy and quiet, and probably wouldn't talk too much, but I think being in a tour group would be a little more comfortable.  Having said that, I'd still go solo without a tour rather than not go.
> 
> Rush of Fear historically is a very cheap ticket (to incentivize locals to go a bunch in September).  Check the price (and see if 9/21 is covered) for base RoF and Rof with Express when they come out.  If you like that option, I believe they will upgrade your single-night ticket to whichever pass.  I would call to do this rather than wait until on-site.
> 
> This is just my opinion of what I would do with this scenario...  If I could go 3 nights, I'd get the Rof with Express.  If the choice is between I could go 2 nights without Express or 1 night with RIP tour, it would depend on if I could Stay and Scream and stay late both nights.  If not, I'd go one night ticket with RIP.  Understand that my personal priority is the houses, so I want to make sure I see them all.
> 
> A public RIP tour will get you through all houses in a very quick manner.  You'll pass through all scare zone, but won't spend much time in any of them.  The guide will probably take you to the front of a ride or two too.  Also the stage show (if there is one this year) is usually included in the tour too.  It is definitely rushed, but you get it done and will have time after the tour to ride rides (your RIP ticket gets you a single express for each ride, and you can then spend more time in the scare zones, and/or line up in the regular lines for houses.  Also, there are lots of food options across the park.  Depending on your stamina, you can still get a lot more done after the tour.
> 
> I hope this helps some, but feel free to ask any followup questions.



This is amazing advice! Thank you for putting that time in   I'm definitely thinking about ROF, as I'm at Disney for 10 days so I have lots of time to head over to USO if I want to.  I'll have to really think what I want my trip to be like as my stamina does have limitations hahaha.  Lots to consider 

ETA: Though that being said, I'm also on the quieter side but I also do like to talk about things I've just experienced so I can see a tour maybe being a good fit too!  Decisions, decisions, decisions...


----------



## zordude

How do express passes work with HHN? I wanted to buy one to go along with my ticket purchase, but there don't seem to be "HHN Specific" express passes available.

Is this something they release later as an add-on?


----------



## soniam

zordude said:


> How do express passes work with HHN? I wanted to buy one to go along with my ticket purchase, but there don't seem to be "HHN Specific" express passes available.
> 
> Is this something they release later as an add-on?


They haven't been released yet. You will need a separate HHN Express Pass. It's not the same as the ones provided with the deluxe hotels. It will give you entry in a shorter line to each house once and access to open attractions via a shorter line once.


----------



## zordude

soniam said:


> They haven't been released yet. You will need a separate HHN Express Pass. It's not the same as the ones provided with the deluxe hotels. It will give you entry in a shorter line to each house once and access to open attractions via a shorter line once.


Thanks, I will keep an eye out for their eventual release.

Last year I did an RIP Tour, and that was just too much rushing and not enough chill.  Looking forward to getting the express pass to do the houses i'm most interested in while leaving time to relax and enjoy the atmosphere and food, etc.


----------



## soniam

zordude said:


> Thanks, I will keep an eye out for their eventual release.
> 
> Last year I did an RIP Tour, and that was just too much rushing and not enough chill.  Looking forward to getting the express pass to do the houses i'm most interested in while leaving time to relax and enjoy the atmosphere and food, etc.


Was it a public or private RIP tour? Depending upon the host of a private RIP tour, it can be more chill. People will absolutely post on here when they are released.


----------



## zordude

soniam said:


> Was it a public or private RIP tour? Depending upon the host of a private RIP tour, it can be more chill. People will absolutely post on here when they are released.



It was a Public RIP Tour.  The guide was good, if all you care about is getting all the houses done, it's a great way to accomplish that.


----------



## scottishgirl1

Just wondered if anyone had thoughts on whether it is worth doing RIP tour and Unmasking the Horror and which one would you do first


----------



## Lynne G

Scottish,  I’ve only done the unmasking before I toured HHN, as knew what to look out for when I HHN toured in the houses they had open for the unmasking.  I guess can do it after you go, to see when lights on, what you missed.  Either way, I’ve had fantastic tour guides for both the unmasking and HHN tours, so no matter when you go, should be great.


----------



## keishashadow

scottishgirl1 said:


> Just wondered if anyone had thoughts on whether it is worth doing RIP tour and Unmasking the Horror and which one would you do first


I prefer to be surprised with a run thru the houses prior to day time tour


----------



## Dano the Pirate

5 years ago you could do all houses with the express pass, I did but since then the express lines have been almost as long as the regular lines.
the VIP is the only option to get through all of the attractions in one visit.


----------



## macraven

scottishgirl1 said:


> Just wondered if anyone had thoughts on whether it is worth doing RIP tour and Unmasking the Horror and which one would you do first


I always do the day tour first

I enjoy knowing ahead of time, what to zero in for when I do the houses.

(Most of the time it’s too dark to appreciate the details inside the houses in the evenings if you don’t know where to look)


----------



## scottishgirl1

Thanks for the replies, I have decided to go for 3 house tour on the 3rd at 10am with the RIP in the evening, will be a long day but we will make sure and go back to the hotel in the afternoon. I think Saturday will be a busy day in the parks  and as a group we would not be able to resist being in the parks running around rides all day anyway if we were not on the tour so still lots of walking. Also means we have all day Sunday to fit in rides and adapt schedule to how tired we are from RIP tour without having to plan around another tour that day


----------



## imprint

Neverbeast said:


> What are crowd levels in the parks like during the day on a Saturday before they herd everyone to the stay and scream areas? It’s hard to tell from crowd calendars if the high numbers are for the whole day, regular park hours, or the HHN crowd.



Columbus Day weekend and local Fall Break ("Hell Week") will see an increase in daytime attendance.


----------



## imprint

PixieT78 said:


> This is amazing advice! Thank you for putting that time in   I'm definitely thinking about ROF, as I'm at Disney for 10 days so I have lots of time to head over to USO if I want to.  I'll have to really think what I want my trip to be like as my stamina does have limitations hahaha.  Lots to consider
> 
> ETA: Though that being said, I'm also on the quieter side but I also do like to talk about things I've just experienced so I can see a tour maybe being a good fit too!  Decisions, decisions, decisions...



I'm not sure why now is the first time it dawned on me to actually share how many steps we took previous HHN trip.  Just for more context, we were on-site and used the water taxis.  This was mid-October 2021:

Sunday (HHN w/ Express):  18,669 (probably was all houses and no shows)
Monday (regular day):  13,016
Tuesday (regular day):  14,391
Wednesday (6-house UtH tour and HHN w/ Express):  25,046 (probably was most houses, one show, and more Scare Zone time)
Thursday (HHN w/ Express):  22,029 (probably was most houses, the other show, and more Scare Zone time)
Friday (short HHN w/ Express):  17,131 (a few favorite houses and Scare Zone time)
Saturday (return home):  3,743 lol

As you can see, we go much harder on HHN days and rest some on the non-HHN days.  Just the way we do it, and I hope this gives some idea about steps involved.  We went to the parks every day for some time, but Wednesday, due to the daytime UtH tour and HHN night, we didn't do much else in the parks that day.


----------



## imprint

scottishgirl1 said:


> Just wondered if anyone had thoughts on whether it is worth doing RIP tour and Unmasking the Horror and which one would you do first



We started doing the Unmasking the Horror tour three years ago.  Since we usually go three nights, we like to go first night fresh, then the UtH tour, then the final two HHN nights.  We like to be "surprised" then know more about what to look for the rest of the time.  If I only had one HHN night and either have UtH tour before or after?  I'd probably opt to have the tour first.  When the lights are off at night, it is still surprising, because it looks so different and I can't remember everything from the tour.  Either way it will be fun!


----------



## zillayen

imprint said:


> Columbus Day weekend and local Fall Break ("Hell Week") will see an increase in daytime attendance.


Wait, when is Hell week?


----------



## Neverbeast

zillayen said:


> Wait, when is Hell week?


WHAT is hell week too while we’re at it?


----------



## macraven

I have been going to hhn and have done the day house tour since the third year it began

It has always been a highlight for me!

I’m already booked for the 6 house tour…


----------



## macraven

Neverbeast said:


> WHAT is hell week too while we’re at it?


School fall break time and many hit the parks
Yes, it does bring in the crowds


----------



## Neverbeast

Oh lol! It sounded like it could be a cool special part of HHN that would bring more crowds for a theme


----------



## schumigirl

Neverbeast said:


> Oh lol! It sounded like it could be a cool special part of HHN that would bring more crowds for a theme



No such luck!!

We did Hell week once......and once only. Never again.


----------



## tony67

scottishgirl1 said:


> Just wondered if anyone had thoughts on whether it is worth doing RIP tour and Unmasking the Horror and which one would you do first


I like to do at least one night before doing the unmasking tours just so you can experience the unexpected - although last year I felt the unmasking tours added lot to the experience.   
Also, If you can find a private RIP tour to join that is much better.


----------



## imprint

macraven said:


> I have been going to hhn and have done the day house tour since the third year it began
> 
> It has always been a highlight for me!
> 
> I’m already booked for the 6 house tour…



We've already booked too!  We first did the 3-house tour, and since then we upped to the 6-house tour since we liked it so much.  Not quite ready to step up to do both the 3-house and 6-house...  yet!


----------



## MinnieMSue

So I booked the 10am 6 house tour and today got my email and it said to check in at 8:30 for it. I think they may have changed my tour time because why would we have to check in at 8:30 for a 10 am tour?  I looked at my email confirmation that shows my order number for the tour and the 2 HHN we purchased and there is no tour time listed. Just the date. I was not planning to get up that early after going to HHN. I think we will have food in our room to eat on the walk from the hotel to the tour because it is gonna be a roll out of bed and straight to the tour situation. Ugh. I wonder what time the tour is with checkin at 8:30


----------



## soniam

MinnieMSue said:


> So I booked the 10am 6 house tour and today got my email and it said to check in at 8:30 for it. I think they may have changed my tour time because why would we have to check in at 8:30 for a 10 am tour?  I looked at my email confirmation that shows my order number for the tour and the 2 HHN we purchased and there is no tour time listed. Just the date. I was not planning to get up that early after going to HHN. I think we will have food in our room to eat on the walk from the hotel to the tour because it is gonna be a roll out of bed and straight to the tour situation. Ugh. I wonder what time the tour is with checkin at 8:30


I think that tour checkin times for the 3 house were 15-30 minutes before start time. 8:30 sounds wrong for a 10am tour. I did a 10am 3 house tour, and I didn't need to get there that early.


----------



## imprint

MinnieMSue said:


> So I booked the 10am 6 house tour and today got my email and it said to check in at 8:30 for it. I think they may have changed my tour time because why would we have to check in at 8:30 for a 10 am tour?  I looked at my email confirmation that shows my order number for the tour and the 2 HHN we purchased and there is no tour time listed. Just the date. I was not planning to get up that early after going to HHN. I think we will have food in our room to eat on the walk from the hotel to the tour because it is gonna be a roll out of bed and straight to the tour situation. Ugh. I wonder what time the tour is with checkin at 8:30



When I booked our UtH tour, I only received one email (I booked 10:00 too), and it only has the date, not the time.  Did you happen to book any other tours?  I checked my USO app wallet for last year's UtH tickets (this year's tickets are not on it yet), and the fine print says to check in 15 minutes prior to tour time (it also does not show the time).  You might want to call and ask about it.  The emails and such really should show the time in addition to the date, no doubt.


----------



## macraven

MinnieMSue said:


> So I booked the 10am 6 house tour and today got my email and it said to check in at 8:30 for it. I think they may have changed my tour time because why would we have to check in at 8:30 for a 10 am tour?  I looked at my email confirmation that shows my order number for the tour and the 2 HHN we purchased and there is no tour time listed. Just the date. I was not planning to get up that early after going to HHN. I think we will have food in our room to eat on the walk from the hotel to the tour because it is gonna be a roll out of bed and straight to the tour situation. Ugh. I wonder what time the tour is with checkin at 8:30


I just looked at my confirmation for the 6 house day tour


imprint said:


> When I booked our UtH tour, I only received one email (I booked 10:00 too), and it only has the date, not the time.  Did you happen to book any other tours?  I checked my USO app wallet for last year's UtH tickets (this year's tickets are not on it yet), and the fine print says to check in 15 minutes prior to tour time (it also does not show the time).  You might want to call and ask about it.  The emails and such really should show the time in addition to the date, no doubt.


Same for me as imprint just posted 
I just looked at my confirmation email for my 6 house tour


----------



## scottishgirl1

I called Universal yesterday as I received two emails for the RIP tour but just one for the Unmasking the Horror 3 house tour and like others it shows date only and no time.  i was advised that i wouldnt get another email until nearer the time and I asked her to double check I had selected the correct time of 10am, she also mentioned that check in would be just before 10.


----------



## MinnieMSue

So I called universal and for some reason they changed us to 8:30 am tour. He changed it to the 10am tour as there was still availability. Doing HHN night before the tour. Tour only next day then HHN the next night. We also fly in early the day of the first HHN and plan to snooze by the pool that morning since we prob will not get a room early. Was thinking we would be true zombies during the tour lol. We prob will  be anyway lol.


----------



## Skywalker3

Still figuring out our possible HHN plans this year,  and we'll be there during fall break/columbus day/hell week, so planning accordingly for crowds. Our first HHN was last year at the same time, so baptism by fire I guess. It was BUSY! but fun. We only did Stay/scream, which helped us get through like 4 houses in about 1- 1.5 hours, but then it was packed! next house was over 1 hr wait, (posted 90) and we never got to Beetlejuice. I really think we might consider express this go round. We did manage 8 houses, and really could've done the last 2 if we'd stayed until 2AM.  (we left around 1 AM, son had already gone back to room, and my daughter was the one who was too tired!!! what!) 
Hubby is not at all interested in HHN at night,so may just be my son and me, but he did say he might be interested in a one of the daytime house tours, so will start looking into that , see what we can manage.


----------



## macraven

Skywalker3
I feel the day house tours are worth it
The guide gives details about the houses with the lights on, and gives background history and how it relates to the theme

Much of what you do see during the night tour, is not recognizable when you go thru the houses at night


----------



## imprint

MinnieMSue said:


> So I called universal and for some reason they changed us to 8:30 am tour. He changed it to the 10am tour as there was still availability. Doing HHN night before the tour. Tour only next day then HHN the next night. We also fly in early the day of the first HHN and plan to snooze by the pool that morning since we prob will not get a room early. Was thinking we would be true zombies during the tour lol. We prob will  be anyway lol.



Really weird...Last night I said I only got the confirmation email with no time at all.  This afternoon I got another email.  There's a sentence in the email that says,"Your Unmasking the Horror™ check-in time is *at and* will last up to 5 hours, with a short break mid-way through."  I bolded the intersting part. There is a time missing between "at" and "and".  Then further down in the email, it says "Tour Check-in Time: *8:30 am" *and I definitely chose the 10:00 tour like you did.  There's contact information at the bottom of the email, and I'll call tomorrow.  I'm glad you brought this up and already called so the rest of us know to look out for the same.


----------



## imprint

Skywalker3 said:


> Still figuring out our possible HHN plans this year,  and we'll be there during fall break/columbus day/hell week, so planning accordingly for crowds. Our first HHN was last year at the same time, so baptism by fire I guess. It was BUSY! but fun. We only did Stay/scream, which helped us get through like 4 houses in about 1- 1.5 hours, but then it was packed! next house was over 1 hr wait, (posted 90) and we never got to Beetlejuice. I really think we might consider express this go round. We did manage 8 houses, and really could've done the last 2 if we'd stayed until 2AM.  (we left around 1 AM, son had already gone back to room, and my daughter was the one who was too tired!!! what!)
> Hubby is not at all interested in HHN at night,so may just be my son and me, but he did say he might be interested in a one of the daytime house tours, so will start looking into that , see what we can manage.





macraven said:


> Skywalker3
> I feel the day house tours are worth it
> The guide gives details about the houses with the lights on, and gives background history and how it relates to the theme
> 
> Much of what you do see during the night tour, is not recognizable when you go thru the houses at night



Skywalker3, I agree with macraven.  I don't want you to think I'm trying to up-sell you or anything, because the costs really do add up.  We really enjoy the lights-on daytime tour too.  We've always had great tour guides and as macraven said they give you lots of details about theme, cast, crew, construction, easter eggs, and they'll tell you which rooms you can take pics in which we obviously can't do at night.  Express Pass is a life saver if you are like us and want to go through all (or most) houses each night.  Yet again, expensive, but for us is worth its weight in gold (we are spoiled and can't handle long waits and fewer steps is a great thing too).  We like to go three nights with express and do a daytime tour in the middle of three days.  If I had to cut either express or the daytime tour, I'd sadly cut the tour and make sure we hit all the houses as much as we could stand on our three nights (we use the phrase "until we have bloody stumps for legs" lol).  If you have any questions to help make your decisions, please ask and there's also great info in the previous years' threads (you might not want to rely on the years that had less than 10 houses though).


----------



## macraven

Please share with us, imprint after you get current info from UO about the day tour start time


----------



## mamamelody2

We were all set to go to our first HHN last October and my daughter got sick. We had to cancel.
Looking at perhaps doing UOR Labor Day week. It's the last week on our AP. Would love to do HHN!
I really hope it works out for us this year!

Also, does anyone remember when the multi-day tickets became available for purchase last year?


----------



## imprint

mamamelody2 said:


> We were all set to go to our first HHN last October and my daughter got sick. We had to cancel.
> Looking at perhaps doing UOR Labor Day week. It's the last week on our AP. Would love to do HHN!
> I really hope it works out for us this year!
> 
> Also, does anyone remember when the multi-day tickets became available for purchase last year?



I searched my emails from last year.  I didn't have an email that said when they were released, but I purchased ours on August 5, 2021.  Unfortunately, I don't remember if that was an immediate purchase or if I waited some time.  Hopefully, someone else knows for sure.


----------



## wmoon

We have just booked the 3 house unmasking the horror tour for the Wednesday morning in the middle of our trip. 

We are doing Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday nights at HHN for our very first trip. 

Such great info and suggestions on this thread. So excited.


----------



## macraven

In recent past years, early June is when I booked my tours
No idea how it will be for this year

Bookings have started based on peeps sharing their info

All I plan on this year is to do the day tours for the houses

Was surprised that the house tours came out this early for the day house tours
I just assumed I would be booking the day tour


----------



## FoxC63

mamamelody2 said:


> We were all set to go to our first HHN last October and my daughter got sick. We had to cancel.
> Looking at perhaps doing UOR Labor Day week. It's the last week on our AP. Would love to do HHN!
> I really hope it works out for us this year!
> 
> Also, does anyone remember when the multi-day tickets became available for purchase last year?





imprint said:


> I searched my emails from last year.  I didn't have an email that said when they were released, but I purchased ours on August 5, 2021.  Unfortunately, I don't remember if that was an immediate purchase or if I waited some time.  Hopefully, someone else knows for sure.



You are correct:
2021 Multi Tickets Released: *8/05/21  *link


----------



## FoxC63

zillayen said:


> Wait, when is Hell week?





Neverbeast said:


> WHAT is hell week too while we’re at it?



Hell Week, I've never heard of it either.  I get it now mac.  Maybe I'm remembering wrong but I thought it was called something else and it was about foreigners hitting Orlando hard. I wanna say Venezuela * Brazil* or something like that?


----------



## macraven

FoxC63 said:


> Hell Week, I've never heard of it either.  I get it now mac.  Maybe I'm remembering wrong but I thought it was called something else and it was about foreigners hitting Orlando hard. I wanna say Venezuela or something like that?


Hell week is when local schools have a school break and many head to the parks

It’s call hell  week due to large crowds, loads of school age and high school- college students that fill the parks in Orlando.

Yes, pure hell trying to deal with long lines in all the parks and be lucky if you can do everything you planned on

Besides park rides and shows having long waits, restrooms also have waits

South American students have various months when they have school breaks and head to Orlando for park fun


----------



## FoxC63

I get it @macraven , I just thought it was called something else.
I've been on the boards since 2016 and lived in Daytona Beach for 5 years and have never heard of Hell Week until now.  I feel like I've been missing a whole new world 

Oh, look at that!!!  I got my emoji's back!!!


----------



## macraven




----------



## FoxC63

AND, I've been getting notifications from the DIS!
I've not had any for over a year so this is BIG!


----------



## FoxC63

Just a reminder, the *HHN 2022 Never Go Alone - Official Guest List* thread is up and running!  There are peeps looking to join Private RIP Tours as well as looking for you to join them!  Be sure to check it out and post your info!


----------



## zillayen

macraven said:


> Hell week is when local schools have a school break and many head to the parks


I figured as much, but was wondering if anyone knew which specific week it is this coming Fall.


----------



## macraven

I’m not sure which weeks until I read the school calendars for their break time 

You could read last years threads of when the various schools have their breaks and that would give you an idea of normal time period 


Hopefully some one will give you an idea that lives local on school break periods.


----------



## mamapenguin

I would just consider it the week before and after Columbus Day to cover your bases. We were there 10/6-10/12 last year and it was busy.


----------



## zillayen

mamapenguin said:


> I would just consider it the week before and after Columbus Day to cover your bases. We were there 10/6-10/12 last year and it was busy.


That makes sense, thanks! We will be there during our school’s fall break which is the week before Columbus Day. We were there last month during Orange County Spring Break so we’ll manage


----------



## Skywalker3

zillayen said:


> That makes sense, thanks! We will be there during our school’s fall break which is the week before Columbus Day. We were there last month during Orange County Spring Break so we’ll manage


Our fall break is the week after Columbus day, Oct 10-14. technically it's just the last 3 days, and the first 2 are teacher conferences/staff days, but kids are off all week. We'll be in WDW, and hopefully Universal for at least a day. Our Aps expire that weekend, I think the 9th. Last  year's  Columbus day week/weekend was BUSY!


----------



## mamamelody2

FoxC63 said:


> You are correct:
> 2021 Multi Tickets Released: *8/05/21  *link



Thanks so much for the info!
That is later than I was expecting.


----------



## KarenW

We have never been to HHN and I am thinking of bringing my girls (14, 14, & 13) this year. Our season passes end on Sept. 7, so I would need to go either opening weekend or the 7th which is a Wednesday. I am not planning on getting express so which day would be less crowded? I am thinking the 7th but I have no experience with this. Maybe Sunday would be just as good, although the next day is Labor Day, so maybe not? I realize that we won’t get everything done but, since they’ve never been, anything we do will be great. Thank you for any advice!


----------



## tiana1989

I would definitely go on the Wednesday. Opening weekend can be bonkers because every blogger/vlogger/whatever they wanna go by shows up, including the out of town ones. The hype will calm down a little by the following Wednesday.


----------



## KarenW

tiana1989 said:


> I would definitely go on the Wednesday. Opening weekend can be bonkers because every blogger/vlogger/whatever they wanna go by shows up, including the out of town ones. The hype will calm down a little by the following Wednesday.


That’s what I was thinking but wanted to make sure. Thank you!


----------



## keishashadow

Another spec map


----------



## ShyMiss

keishashadow said:


> Another spec map


Ooo! I'd LOVE to see a Wicked Growth 2. Was our favorite house last year.

Did this site end up predicting pretty accurately last year by this time? 
So interested in the house themes.


----------



## mamapenguin

keishashadow said:


> Another spec map


I vote that map. I would really like Stranger Things to come back especially with the new season starting next month.


----------



## macraven

I am not wowed over that many of repeat houses


----------



## leiaorgana

I’m not really feeling Dead Man’s Wharf and Bug House tbh I was really hoping Fear Street was true so I hope it still makes the cut. I’m intrigued by the Blumhouse Freaky and The Black Phone mashup though because Freaky was such a good film.


----------



## Bird003

Would y’all recommend rip tour or express pass for Sunday sep 11? First time for both me and my husband


----------



## keishashadow

ShyMiss said:


> Did this site end up predicting pretty accurately last year by this time?


Can’t remember, if u care to dig in last year’s thread could likely determine.  Of course, last year everything was so late coming out.  Hope they up their game this year & decide to commit early

_Yoo-hoo board readers…multi-day tix info please _


mamapenguin said:


> I vote that map. I would really like Stranger Things to come back especially with the new season starting next month.


While I love the actual franchise, the houses weren’t exactly ‘scary’. 

Did appreciate the nice homage

Didn’t appreciate all the unsupervised tweens & what has been a real dumbing down of the event’s vibe to cater to a PG crowd

So sad, too bad, as I’m sure the gate is their bottom line there


macraven said:


> I am not wowed over that many of repeat houses


I enjoyed the past blumehouse offerings far more than I expected.  Not sure how those two movies would translate

Sign me up for wicked growth II  

Any attention given to the classic monsters needs to be executed faithfully, while upping the content to current audience taste level.  It’s a shame U hasn’t done well with their recent monster movie outings


----------



## Jangles

Bird003 said:


> Would y’all recommend rip tour or express pass for Sunday sep 11? First time for both me and my husband


Rip tours are brilliant and make the evening easy and stress free.


----------



## macraven

Doing a public or private hhn tour, makes it possible to see all the hhn houses and scare actor zones

And you will time have left over in the parks doing the private  tours


----------



## Bird003

Are you able to skip the stage shows during the public tour and go do something else? We have zero interest in them


----------



## macraven

This is a question better answered by VIp Tours 

Public tour guides…. I don’t know how much leeway they have for setting up their tour if someone in the group leave to do something outside of the group tour.


----------



## leiaorgana

Bird003 said:


> Are you able to skip the stage shows during the public tour and go do something else? We have zero interest in them


When I was watching vlogs on YouTube the other week from last year’s tours to see if the public tour was worth it or not, I saw one where the person who was making the video said that on his tour there was a couple that wanted to go and get pizza fries instead of watching the stage show because that was a must for them and the tour guide let them go but then it messed up the rest of the tour for a bit and caused a 20 minute delay for everybody else having another unscheduled break whilst they all had to wait for them to come back and meet them at the private lounge in Lombard’s so that they could carry on the tour together.

Seems kinda rude to me to make the rest of the people in your tour wait and eat into their time where they might have wanted to do stuff after but I guess if the tour guide approves it and you’re back where you need to be at the right time it’s a possibility depending on your guide.


----------



## keishashadow

leiaorgana said:


> I saw one where the person who was making the video said that on his tour there was a couple that wanted to go and get pizza fries instead of watching the stage show because that was a must for them and the tour guide let them go but then it messed up the rest of the tour for a bit


Do think the above is rare as U does give great credence to feedback on their tours.

however, we had similar issue on public tour a few years ago.  Supposedly ‘a group’ cannot book more than X number of spots together.  The rationale is that it then tends to morph into a private tour of sorts.

DS and I were in a group of 10 that had 6 friends.  the tour guide divulged he had just been promoted from a float driver.  He wasn’t exactly on point overall.  

Ran the tour on a majority rules basis, asking the group what they wanted to do next.   That was a real first I’ve encountered.  Only thing I can think of is being so green, he may have confused the procedures for a private vs a group tour.  

The majority wanted to stop at (the then) private bars and grab a drink after nearly every house.  It made for a very rushed last third of the tour to get it all done.

would like to think this was a fluke as so many here have had lovely experiences.  However, it was enough of an irritant to keep us from booking another.

my suggestion is if you do decide to book a tour and find yourself quite unsatisfied with the experience, make sure to visit guest services before you leave the park that night and share your concerns.


----------



## Jangles

keishashadow said:


> Do think the above is rare as U does give great credence to feedback on their tours.
> 
> however, we had similar issue on public tour a few years ago.  Supposedly ‘a group’ cannot book more than X number of spots together.  The rationale is that it then tends to morph into a private tour of sorts.
> 
> DS and I were in a group of 10 that had 6 friends.  the tour guide divulged he had just been promoted from a float driver.  He wasn’t exactly on point overall.
> 
> Ran the tour on a majority rules basis, asking the group what they wanted to do next.   That was a real first I’ve encountered.  Only thing I can think of is being so green, he may have confused the procedures for a private vs a group tour.
> 
> The majority wanted to stop at (the then) private bars and grab a drink after nearly every house.  It made for a very rushed last third of the tour to get it all done.
> 
> would like to think this was a fluke as so many here have had lovely experiences.  However, it was enough of an irritant to keep us from booking another.
> 
> my suggestion is if you do decide to book a tour and find yourself quite unsatisfied with the experience, make sure to visit guest services before you leave the park that night and share your concerns.


That would be very frustrating. We were asked, fairly regularly about loo breaks, but the tour itself and refreshment stops seemed to run to a schedule set/followed by the guide.


----------



## imprint

Bird003 said:


> Would y’all recommend rip tour or express pass for Sunday sep 11? First time for both me and my husband





Jangles said:


> Rip tours are brilliant and make the evening easy and stress free.





Bird003 said:


> Are you able to skip the stage shows during the public tour and go do something else? We have zero interest in them



If you're not interested in the shows (I don't think the RIP tour includes the water show), then I'd say Express might be the better option for you.  Since it is only one night of HHN, you'll want to get there early (preferably in the park before it closes so you get an early start ahead of the people outside the gate).  There's some people that use Express from the get-go and some people wait to use Express until the lines get longer (so they can revisit the first house(s) with Express later in the night).  If you want to see all houses, scare zones, and possibly ride a few rides (your HHN Express Pass allows EP for each ride one time per night), but you don't want to be there late, I'd recommend the first option of using EPs straight-away.  If you don't mind staying late and want to do a few houses twice, then the second option would probably be best.

Having said that, we don't know what the other show will be, so you might be interested when it is announced.  But, you can still see it without a tour.  I think the first show of the night can use EP, but I've never gone to the show that early in the night.  With the RIP tour, you'll visit all 10 houses quicker than you can with EPs, then you can spend time in scare zones, rides, eat/drink, revisit houses in the standby line or call it an early night.

Both options have their pros and cons, and either option is much better than having neither.  I see some people can Stay and Scream and only use standby lines and keep an eye on the wait times via the app and criss cross over the park and can do all 10 in one night, but that is very much not for me.  My feet are worn out each HHN night and we just make a circle or two around the park hitting houses and zones as we go.

Hope this helps you some.  I know it's a bit intimidating and confusing having not been before, but you'll have a great time.  The scare actors, set designers, and make-up artists are all great at what they do.


----------



## Bird003

imprint said:


> If you're not interested in the shows (I don't think the RIP tour includes the water show), then I'd say Express might be the better option for you.  Since it is only one night of HHN, you'll want to get there early (preferably in the park before it closes so you get an early start ahead of the people outside the gate).  There's some people that use Express from the get-go and some people wait to use Express until the lines get longer (so they can revisit the first house(s) with Express later in the night).  If you want to see all houses, scare zones, and possibly ride a few rides (your HHN Express Pass allows EP for each ride one time per night), but you don't want to be there late, I'd recommend the first option of using EPs straight-away.  If you don't mind staying late and want to do a few houses twice, then the second option would probably be best.
> 
> Having said that, we don't know what the other show will be, so you might be interested when it is announced.  But, you can still see it without a tour.  I think the first show of the night can use EP, but I've never gone to the show that early in the night.  With the RIP tour, you'll visit all 10 houses quicker than you can with EPs, then you can spend time in scare zones, rides, eat/drink, revisit houses in the standby line or call it an early night.
> 
> Both options have their pros and cons, and either option is much better than having neither.  I see some people can Stay and Scream and only use standby lines and keep an eye on the wait times via the app and criss cross over the park and can do all 10 in one night, but that is very much not for me.  My feet are worn out each HHN night and we just make a circle or two around the park hitting houses and zones as we go.
> 
> Hope this helps you some.  I know it's a bit intimidating and confusing having not been before, but you'll have a great time.  The scare actors, set designers, and make-up artists are all great at what they do.


This was a very detailed explanation and helps tremendously. We are leaning towards express pass just for some flexibility


----------



## imprint

Bird003 said:


> This was a very detailed explanation and helps tremendously. We are leaning towards express pass just for some flexibility



You're welcome, and if you have any follow-up questions, feel free to ask away.  Also, there's tons of info from past years HHN in the yearly threads here.  As you can see, we are all HHN freaks and love the event (even though we might love or not be excited about certain houses) and are definitely willing to help new folks.


----------



## SnowWitch

Super simple question, what are the hours normally for this event?


----------



## TikiRob

Last year was our first time (after a planned 2020 trip). We screwed up in buying our tickets and probably paid too much. We will be there this year for 3-4 nights in September. Rush of Fear pass would be great. Any idea when something like that may be announced? Do I run the risk of a date at the end of September selling out before a pass announcement? Individually for 3 nights would be $300/per person.


----------



## Bird003

We got our tickets and splurged for public rip tour!


----------



## soniam

SnowWitch said:


> Super simple question, what are the hours normally for this event?


6:30pm-1 or 2 am. It really starts closer to 6pm, usually. Closing times vary. There may be nights where it actually closes at midnight, but I am not sure.


----------



## Stitch813

macraven said:


> I am not wowed over that many of repeat houses


I hope these are not real....the Weeknd?!?  c'mon.


----------



## Rudyroo7

This is my first time going to HHN. I'm looking at Oct 7th - 10th,  although a weekend in September is a possibility. I want to book a public Rip tour but I'm waiting to see when the AP dates are released for the the included free night. Any guesses on how soon Universal might release the AP dates? Should I just go ahead and book the Rip tour instead of waiting since I'll be going on a weekend? I'm not sure how quickly the tours sell out.


----------



## FoxC63

TikiRob said:


> Last year was our first time (after a planned 2020 trip). We screwed up in buying our tickets and probably paid too much. We will be there this year for 3-4 nights in September. *Rush of Fear pass would be great. Any idea when something like that may be announced?* Do I run the risk of a date at the end of September selling out before a pass announcement? Individually for 3 nights would be $300/per person.






Rudyroo7 said:


> This is my first time going to HHN. I'm looking at Oct 7th - 10th,  although a weekend in September is a possibility. I want to book a public Rip tour but I'm waiting to see when the AP dates are released for the the included free night. *Any guesses on how soon Universal might release the AP dates?* Should I just go ahead and book the Rip tour instead of waiting since I'll be going on a weekend? I'm not sure how quickly the tours sell out.



2021 *All Tickets Released: 8/05/21* Post #686

Some RIP Tours have already sold out, you might want to call and verify if your date & time is still available.

*EDIT to add: * 2021 there were price increases *before* the AP discount was announced.

6/24/21 Express Pass Increase. Post #435

7/18/21 Public RIP Increase.  Post #593

7/29/21 Express Pass 2nd Increase.  Post #629

Edit:  And there was another price increase *after* AP discounts were released. 
10/09/21 Express Pass 3rd Increase?. Post #1259


----------



## heidijanesmith

We go on the Public RIP tour every year. We always enjoyed the Bill and Ted show, but when that stopped, we have no interest in the new shows that have come out.  We always ask our RIP tour guide if it's ok if we skip the show and take a break. 

We never, ever have had people wait for us. We make sure that we are responsible to be back where and when we are told to be. It has never been a problem.

I am not excited about Stranger Things coming back. While I love the show, the Haunted House Headliner brought so many tweens/children to the park. I have never seen so many kids during an HHN event before. We were very happy that last year was more "adultish" and was hoping that trend would continue.

Some of our favorite HHN years were the most adultish, bring back the blood bag nurses!


----------



## keishashadow

imprint said:


> some people wait to use Express until the lines get longer (so they can revisit the first house(s) with Express later in the night).


This 


imprint said:


> we are all HHN freaks and love the event





heidijanesmith said:


> While I love the show, the Haunted House Headliner brought so many tweens/children to the park. I have never seen so many kids during an HHN event before


Or skittish adults…why they would bother doing the obviously more adult-themed houses & risk have their delicate sensibilities offended (naturally posting out the inhumanity of it all) is truly beyond me 


heidijanesmith said:


> bring back the blood bag nurses!


Male & female this go-round please.  Even tho they did struggle their first year as to house quality, I did appreciate how SW’s howl-o-scream was much more adult themed & inclusive (male & female dancers & their version of drink servers) as to the bars & scarezones


----------



## FoxC63

While we're waiting for UO to update...

Honestly, what's your favorite Horror movie?  Does not have to be blood & gore, I LOVE the oldies, hands down Abbott & Costello collection!  


Scariest Movie:  Haven't found one yet. 
Totally Avoid:  Everything satanic & poltergeist.  I don't find them scary but rather unsettling.


----------



## CAPSLOCK

FoxC63 said:


> While we're waiting for UO to update...
> 
> Honestly, what's your favorite Horror movie?


Does Lake Placid count as horror?


----------



## FoxC63

CAPSLOCK said:


> Does Lake Placid count as horror?


If it scares the  out of you or freaks you out, then yes, yes it does!




Link


----------



## TXAKDisneyFan

FoxC63 said:


> While we're waiting for UO to update...
> 
> Honestly, what's your favorite Horror movie?  Does not have to be blood & gore, I LOVE the oldies, hands down Abbott & Costello collection!
> View attachment 663638
> 
> Scariest Movie:  Haven't found one yet.
> Totally Avoid:  Everything satanic & poltergeist.  I don't find them scary but rather unsettling.


Favorite: Silence of the Lambs (doesn't outright scare me but does unsettle me especially considering my mom was neighbors with one of the real people Buffalo Bill was based on. I guess it's horror?)

Scariest: ???
Avoid: Torture porn


----------



## CAPSLOCK

TXAKDisneyFan said:


> Favorite: Silence of the Lambs


Oooh, forgot about that one...


----------



## FoxC63

C'mon @soniam We see you lurking!  Spill the beans already!


----------



## imprint

FoxC63 said:


> While we're waiting for UO to update...
> 
> Honestly, what's your favorite Horror movie?  Does not have to be blood & gore, I LOVE the oldies, hands down Abbott & Costello collection!
> View attachment 663638
> 
> Scariest Movie:  Haven't found one yet.
> Totally Avoid:  Everything satanic & poltergeist.  I don't find them scary but rather unsettling.


Whew, where to start?  Universal Classic Monsters, Hammer chamber horrors, Hitchcock and British thrillers/chillers, Rise of the 70s and 80s slashers, 70s and 80s Italian giallo, 90s and 2000s Japanese supernatural horrors...  I tend to somewhat slow down after 2010.  All-time favs?  Evil Dead (I was 7 and the cabin scenes [most of the movie] was filmed near my house), Texas Chainsaw, Friday 1-4, Elm St. 1-3, Suspiria, Zombi, Evil Dead 2...  Blerg, there's so many, but those probably cover my most rewatched horrors.  I know I'll hit "submit" in a second and instantly think of 10 more I wanted to include here, lol.  EDIT:  Already forgot Halloween...  ugh...  If pressed to pick one, I'd probably have to say Evil Dead 2.  The perfect blend of horror/comedy/cool.  Most I've been scared:  The Exorcist when I saw it way too young.

Another Edit:  My username, Imprint, was chosen because I was watching Takashi Miike's Master of Horror episode, "Imprint" when I created my account.  If you are not familiar with Miike, and are not of the faint of heart, then you might want to check out some of his films.  Audition is a great place to start, but I'll warn people that he's got a pretty warped mind.  Very talented, but disturbing stuff.


----------



## FoxC63

@macraven & @keishashadow you gotta share!  Bring it home friends!



FoxC63 said:


> While we're waiting for UO to update...
> 
> Honestly, what's your favorite Horror movie?  Does not have to be blood & gore, I LOVE the oldies, hands down Abbott & Costello collection!
> 
> Scariest Movie:  Haven't found one yet.
> Totally Avoid:  Everything satanic & poltergeist.  I don't find them scary but rather unsettling.


----------



## shh

heidijanesmith said:


> We were very happy that last year was more "adultish" and was hoping that trend would continue.


If you like "adultish" horror themed events, perhaps consider giving the Sea World event a shot 1 year. Maybe on a day you decide to skip HHN.

As keishashadow mentioned above, it's more adult oriented and smaller in size. Costs about half the ticket price of HHN. 5 houses last time and a few scare zones (can't remember how many), def not the same level of special effects/studio wizardry as UO (not many anywhere can match UO for that.) 

But still lots of fun old school scares, especially actors in the scare zones! They were so into their roles....literally followed us waaaay past the end of every scare zone. lol.

As long as you don't go in expecting HHN level, you may just have a great time.


----------



## schumigirl

shh said:


> If you like "adultish" horror themed events, perhaps consider giving the Sea World event a shot 1 year. Maybe on a day you decide to skip HHN.
> 
> As keishashadow mentioned above, it's more adult oriented and smaller in size. Costs about half the ticket price of HHN. 5 houses last time and a few scare zones (can't remember how many), def not the same level of special effects/studio wizardry as UO (not many anywhere can match UO for that.)
> 
> But still lots of fun old school scares, especially actors in the scare zones! They were so into their roles....literally followed us waaaay past the end of every scare zone. lol.
> 
> As long as you don't go in expecting HHN level, you may just have a great time.



I`m liking the sound of the SW event more than HHN at this point I have to say.....with the exception of Halloween and Universal Monsters I have to say.

Too many kiddies and watered down scares over the last few years aren`t what HHN is supposed to be. I want the bejeesus scared out of me and no little kids around.......so might give SW a try this year.


----------



## keishashadow

Problem with many great horror films is that they just do not translate well to a haunted house theme.  I’m still over the moon how well Hill House landed.

Lots of goodies listed above, I’ll go back, way back…

Hands’ down:  1968‘s Night of the Living Dead   It was ‘groundbreaking’ when released.  Pretty sure I didn’t sleep for a few days afterwards. 

Thrilled there was an Evil Dead House @ HHN.  most tend to either love the franchise or hate it.

For lack of a better term, will toss out a few psychological terror sorts:  Last Man on Earth (Vincent Price, not Will Smith), Carnival of Souls, Don’t Look Now, 28 Days Later

can’t go wrong with:  Psycho, Nightmare on Elm Street or The Shining

Seems to be up & coming:  Korean sub-titled horror films, really enjoyed:  Train to Busan



schumigirl said:


> so might give SW a try this year.


the price was surely right last year.  I’m guessing with the first year under their belt, it will be more of a well-oiled machine this year.


----------



## Monykalyn

Bird003 said:


> This was a very detailed explanation and helps tremendously. We are leaning towards express pass just for some flexibility





Bird003 said:


> We got our tickets and splurged for public rip tour!


Can't go wrong either way. For past couple years have done ROF with express, last year was first time on RiP as well-Not sure another RIP is in budget as I want more nights this year (and have expensive hawaii trip over summer) but I really really enjoyed the tour last year.


TXAKDisneyFan said:


> Favorite: Silence of the Lambs (doesn't outright scare me but does unsettle me especially considering my mom was neighbors with one of the real people Buffalo Bill was based on. I guess it's horror?)


OMG! That is horror for sure-that movie unsettles me too-made mistake of reading books-even more disturbing. 

The first Halloween is still the creepiest movie to me...


----------



## shh

schumigirl said:


> I`m liking the sound of the SW event more than HHN at this point I have to say.....with the exception of Halloween and Universal Monsters I have to say.
> 
> Too many kiddies and watered down scares over the last few years aren`t what HHN is supposed to be. I want the bejeesus scared out of me and no little kids around.......so might give SW a try this year.


If there's a clip of last year's event on Youtube, that might be helpful, just to give you some idea of what's on offer.


----------



## FoxC63

keishashadow said:


> Problem with many great horror films is that they just do not translate well to a haunted house theme.  I’m still over the moon how well Hill House landed.
> 
> can’t go wrong with:  Psycho, Nightmare on Elm Street or *The Shining*


The Shining at WDW Wilderness Lodge....


----------



## keishashadow

FoxC63 said:


> The Shining at WDW Wilderness Lodge....
> View attachment 664000


Haha yes!   We tend to get one of the lake view units all the way down on the left…always expect to see Danny zoom at us on his hot wheel trike


----------



## macraven

The houses are fun to go thru but it does not get a rise out of me

Raising 4 sons scared me but not hhn


----------



## imprint

A few years ago, I told a co-worker about HHN and how we love going to the event (from a few states away).  After I told him about what it was like, he said, "But that's not scary.  I want to be scared.  There's a place here that will put a bag on your head and pull you to a location and chain you up and threaten your and your group's life.  They can contact you and everything.  You have to sign a waiver before the event."  I was dumbfounded at how anyone would want that experience.  I would never do something like that, much less put my family in the that "event."  Just seems like a way for sadists and masochists to fulfill their fantasies under the guise of a Halloween event.  No thank you.  Until HHN tames down to the level of Mickey's Not So Scary, I'm plenty happy with the jump scares and greats actors, sets, sounds, and make-up of HHN.  I want to leave with a smile on my face, not a ride to hospital in an ambulance. lol


----------



## SnowWitch

I have looked around universal website and cannot find anything about an express pass for HHN. Can someone explain what exactly this is? Where can I find it? Ballpark cost per person? Thank you in advance!!!


----------



## Robo56

That is a pass that allows you to bypass the regular line and go to the Express line to the haunted houses. The Express lines are shorter. They can usually be bought in advance or at the parks on the night of the the HHN events. The weekends are pretty busy and the sometimes the Express passes sell out.

The prices can fluctuate. In past I have seen them from $ 99.00 to 159.00. 

I’am sure there are some folks on here who can share the price they paid for one nights Express last year.


----------



## Robo56

SnowWitch said:


> I have looked around universal website and cannot find anything about an express pass for HHN. Can someone explain what exactly this is? Where can I find it? Ballpark cost per person? Thank you in advance!!!



A little more back story on the passes.

HHN is a separate ticketed event so you need a ticket for the night or  nights you are going to attend.

Your Unlimited Express pass for the parks which is included in your stay at PBH, RPR and HRH is different then HHN Express and does not work at HHN.

In addition to your HHN event ticket they have Express pass tickets for HHN. This is at an extra cost and when purchased will allow you to use the Express lanes for the houses which are shorter.

The Express pass can and will sell out at times on the weekends. The regular lines are very long on busy nights and the Express Pass is worth it’s weight in gold.

You might have read in some posts that people are waiting to see if the combined ticket and Express pass passes will be available this year. There were different levels of those passes they covered either a select number of days during the event or the entire event.

You can purchase these special passes with or without Express included also.

Rush of Fear Pass for example $ 139.99 or Rush of a Fear with Express 329.00. These are not exact numbers just trying to give you a ballpark idea.

For example the Rush of Fear Pass with Express covers your ticket and Express pass for the first couple of weeks of HHN. Universal lists the dates covered for each of these special passes.  So for one cost your admission ticket was covered and Express for the nights listed under the dates for the Rush of Fear Pass.

There were 2 other passes Frequent Fear and I think the other was Ultimate Fear. Those passes went up in price as they covered more days.

The Ultimate Fear Pass with Express was the most expensive and included admission to HHN plus Express during the entire event and did not have blackout days.

These passes are very cost effective for folks who live local and are going to attend the event numerous times and those who are on longer vacations to Universal and want to attend HHN multiple days while there.

We will see what Universal has for passes this year.

Hope this helps.


----------



## macraven

Robo explained the set up better than I could 
Perfect reply to your question!


----------



## SnowWitch

Robo56 said:


> A little more back story on the passes.
> 
> HHN is a separate ticketed event so you need a ticket for the night or  nights you are going to attend.
> 
> Your Unlimited Express pass for the parks which is included in your stay at PBH, RPR and HRH is different then HHN Express and does not work at HHN.
> 
> In addition to your HHN event ticket they have Express pass tickets for HHN. This is at an extra cost and when purchased will allow you to use the Express lanes for the houses which are shorter.
> 
> The Express pass can and will sell out at times on the weekends. The regular lines are very long on busy nights and the Express Pass is worth it’s weight in gold.
> 
> You might have read in some posts that people are waiting to see if the combined ticket and Express pass passes will be available this year. There were different levels of those passes they covered either a select number of days during the event or the entire event.
> 
> You can purchase these special passes with or without Express included also.
> 
> Rush of Fear Pass for example $ 139.99 or Rush of a Fear with Express 329.00. These are not exact numbers just trying to give you a ballpark idea.
> 
> For example the Rush of Fear Pass with Express covers your ticket and Express pass for the first couple of weeks of HHN. Universal lists the dates covered for each of these special passes.  So for one cost your admission ticket was covered and Express for the nights listed under the dates for the Rush of Fear Pass.
> 
> There were 2 other passes Frequent Fear and I think the other was Ultimate Fear. Those passes went up in price as they covered more days.
> 
> The Ultimate Fear Pass with Express was the most expensive and included admission to HHN plus Express during the entire event and did not have blackout days.
> 
> These passes are very cost effective for folks who live local and are going to attend the event numerous times and those who are on longer vacations to Universal and want to attend HHN multiple days while there.
> 
> We will see what Universal has for passes this year.
> 
> Hope this helps.


We will be staying at the BWV at Disney and grabbing an Uber over for a Friday night HHN the week of Columbus Day. We will only be attending this one night. It sounds like an express pad would be very useful. When have they historically went on sale?


----------



## macraven

Express will be essential

For years I went to hhn for that Friday and Columbus Day weekend and it was packed with peeps

Avoid that weekend now as crowded and line waits were higher than I wanted. If your plans are for that time period, buy the express pass

UO has not released info yet for quite a few hhn events
Only event I am aware of are day tours for hhn

We are 5 months out from the opening of hhn


----------



## Robo56

SnowWitch said:


> We will be staying at the BWV at Disney and grabbing an Uber over for a Friday night HHN the week of Columbus Day. We will only be attending this one night. It sounds like an express pad would be very useful. When have they historically went on sale?



Keep watching the Universal site for updated information on tickets and HHN Express passes.

The only thing showing on the website now is single day HHN tickets, RIP Tour tickets and Unmasking the Horror tickets.

I did notice when looking at the Universal HHN website that once you chose to purchase a single day HHN ticket you had a choice of an add on Express Pass. That is not an HHN Express Pass that is a Express Pass for regular park visits not HHN Express. That is confusing to someone who has not attended HHN before.

Like Mac said the HHN Express Pass information and additional ticket and pass information is forthcoming. Event is 5 months away.

Once the information is released Keishashadow will update the information here on the sticky. 

We are all awaiting house information and additional ticket and pass information.


----------



## Robo56

Some past pics of HHN to keep the HHN fires burning.


HHN 28 in 2018

Twisted Tradition Scare Zone








Stranger Things House 2018


----------



## FoxC63

Robo56 said:


> I did notice when looking at the Universal HHN website that once you chose to purchase a single day HHN ticket you had a choice of an add on Express Pass. That is not an HHN Express Pass that is a Express Pass for regular park visits not HHN Express. *That is confusing to someone who has not attended HHN before.*


This!


----------



## shh

Robo56 said:


> I did notice when looking at the Universal HHN website that *once you chose to purchase a single day HHN ticket you had a choice of an add on Express Pass. That is not an HHN Express Pass *that is a Express Pass for regular park visits not HHN Express. That is confusing to someone who has not attended HHN before.


Uh oh. Anyone else envisioning angry, disappointed guests and longer guest services lines come event time? Yikes.


----------



## macraven

That option has been listed for years past but most catch the info it’s for the regular park day not hhn


----------



## Raya

Does anyone remember the time of regular park close in October? We're scheduled to be in the park for regular hours (not attending HHN that evening) and I'm curious to know if we could make a 7pm event off property. The official hours haven't been posted, but I remember a 6pm close... maybe?


----------



## macraven

5:00 is when no guest are let into the park 

For those with the hhn ticket, they are allowed in an hour later


----------



## imprint

Raya said:


> Does anyone remember the time of regular park close in October? We're scheduled to be in the park for regular hours (not attending HHN that evening) and I'm curious to know if we could make a 7pm event off property. The official hours haven't been posted, but I remember a 6pm close... maybe?


From my memory (so I hope this is right) ...  Studios closed at 5:00 on Sunday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (for HHN - and this is absolutely correct).  Studios closed at 6:00 or 7:00 on Monday and Tuesday (I think).  Islands of Adventure was open until 7:00 every night (again, I think).  Grain of salt, though, because I might be misremembering, but that should be close.  I don't think there were any October dates with a closing after 7:00 in either park.  I didn't include Volcano Bay, since we've never been there (though I hear it's a great water park).


----------



## macraven

Imprint has a great memory!


----------



## Stitch813

Quick question....first time doing HHN and was wondering when do they usually start selling the Express Pass?


----------



## shh

Stitch813 said:


> Quick question....first time doing HHN and was wondering when do they usually start selling the Express Pass?


June "ish" seems to be the consensus.


----------



## Stitch813

shh said:


> June "ish" seems to be the consensus.


thanks!


----------



## keishashadow

many Q here as to when multinight tix will be releaseD, etc.

perhaps now that the MNSSHP tix will be on sale 5/12 for onsite guests U will follow suit the same way they tend to jump on the other parks tix increases.    Interesting U has not offered onsite guests that advantage since they’ve challenged the market with their hotel rates this year.  


In U’s best interest to get fans to buy multiple single night tix Vs a discounted multi one.  Dust should’ve settled on those takers by now.  I’m guessing U may now be dragging feet due to some unresolved licensing issue.

Please Note!!! the past‘s actual dates for info & tix releases have varied widely, even pre pandemic.  _however, here’s _some random past info to pass the time:

*2021 express passes were on sale by 3/9

*various 2019 tix Prices
FF:   (Non discounted) $105+, 
plus which included Fridays $140 
BOGO$83+

*scream early went on sale 8/5/21 $30 pp/night

*FF, RoF on sale 8/5/21

*last year’s premier free tix choices listed below


----------



## macraven

Thanks for that post !


----------



## mamapenguin

keishashadow said:


> many Q here as to when multinight tix will be releaseD, etc.
> 
> perhaps now that the MNSSHP tix will be on sale 5/12 for onsite guests U will follow suit the same way they tend to jump on the other parks tix increases.    Interesting U has not offered onsite guests that advantage since they’ve challenged the market with their hotel rates this year.
> 
> 
> In U’s best interest to get fans to buy multiple single night tix Vs a discounted multi one.  Dust should’ve settled on those takers by now.  I’m guessing U may now be dragging feet due to some unresolved licensing issue.
> 
> Please Note!!! the past‘s actual dates for info & tix releases have varied widely, even pre pandemic.  _however, here’s _some random past info to pass the time:
> 
> *2021 express passes were on sale by 3/9
> 
> *various 2019 tix Prices
> FF:   (Non discounted) $105+,
> plus which included Fridays $140
> BOGO$83+
> 
> *scream early went on sale 8/5/21 $30 pp/night
> 
> *FF, RoF on sale 8/5/21
> 
> *last year’s premier free tix choices listed below
> 
> View attachment 666098


So it’s actually MNSSHP not that after hours thing? Still doing HHN, but might consider the mouse if the actual party is back and with the Sanderson sisters…


----------



## leiaorgana

A quick question I never thought to ask before - With the public rip tour, I’m guessing you’re supposed to tip your tour guide at the end of it like you would on a regular park day tour? 

Never done one of these tours before so just want to double check and not accidentally make a faux pas of any kind.


----------



## macraven

Yes most, if not all, tip their tour guide at the end of the tour.


----------



## Raya

mamapenguin said:


> So it’s actually MNSSHP not that after hours thing? Still doing HHN, but might consider the mouse if the actual party is back and with the Sanderson sisters…


Yes, it's the actual regular party, and yes, the Disney blog has said the Sanderson sisters will be everywhere - stage show, merchandise, food. However, be warned that the price has jumped to roughly the same cost as a full day ticket $109 for weekdays in Sept, to $159 to $199 for almost all October dates (there's one $139 October party).


----------



## mamapenguin

Raya said:


> Yes, it's the actual regular party, and yes, the Disney blog has said the Sanderson sisters will be everywhere - stage show, merchandise, food. However, be warned that the price has jumped to roughly the same cost as a full day ticket $109 for weekdays in Sept, to $159 to $199 for almost all October dates (there's one $139 October party).


When the parks give me what I want, I’m okay with paying more.


----------



## keishashadow

mamapenguin said:


> So it’s actually MNSSHP not that after hours thing?


Yes, with what appears to be some modifications.  character M&G info seemed vague in original details


mamapenguin said:


> When the parks give me what I want, I’m okay with paying more.


i had honestly expected prices to be higher.  At least they dont use demand pricing, slowly increasing the some pricing for these events (As in EP re HHN)


----------



## keishashadow

*since it’s come up a few times here, below are 2021’s multi-night tix prices released 8/5/21.  Posting for planning purposes/reference for those who are holding out for them & for others wondering exactly what was offered in the near-past.

Note: I Have no idea if/what products will be offered this year as to multi-night tix Nor the cost(s).  

that said, I‘m guessing at least an average 20% price increase.  Thinking the wild card will be EP costs this year, both single & multi-night add on options.

Just for giggles, any other thoughts here as to whether multi-night HHN tix will again be offered & your anticipated pricing points?


Rush of Fear Pass*: 1st 4 weeks 
$129.99+
with Express Pass $399.99+

*Frequent Fear Pass*: Sunday thru Thursday & the first weekend $159.99+ 
with Express Pass $459.99+

*Frequent Fear Plus Pass*: Sunday thru Friday & 1st weekend
$189.99+
with Express Pass $509.99+

*Ultimate Frequent Fear Pass*: every night
$284.99+
with Express Pass  $729.99+


----------



## New Mouse

mamapenguin said:


> When the parks give me what I want, I’m okay with paying more.



Universals HHN is a steal for the price they charge, it's amazing Disney gets people to buy in at this price for really not much of an extra experience.


----------



## keishashadow

New Mouse said:


> Universals HHN is a steal for the price they charge, it's amazing Disney gets people to buy in at this price for really not much of an extra experience.


Horror is in the eye of the beholder 

it’s the add-ons (EP, tours, character dining of the past) that can rack up the tab at HHN.  Many non locals do feel they are a need not a want with the larger crowds

I love both events for different reasons and expectations.  however,  HHN absolutely needs to continue to focus on mature theming, while WDW stays in their lane.

we skipped wdw’s Halloween substitute offering in 2021.  It sold out most nights. With so many of their die hards jumping ship to U due to lack of AP sales, park reservations & genie+ this year; do have concerns the HHN product will become even more diluted to appeal to that PG audience

SW had a strong first offering last year.  price was surely right & the vibe was directed to adults Vs their daytime offerings.


----------



## macraven

When the day comes  that hhn is watered down, I won’t be back


----------



## New Mouse

macraven said:


> When the day comes  that hhn is watered down, I won’t be back



You might want to hop in your DeLorean then.  HHN has gone through several watering.  

I'd argue it started with The Walking Dead and then doubled down with Stranger things.

Some probably have a better memory than me, but I think that year they censored? one of the shows was probably the true downfall.


----------



## Ngiza Buyabo

New Mouse said:


> You might want to hop in your DeLorean then.  HHN has gone through several watering.
> 
> I'd argue it started with The Walking Dead and then doubled down with Stranger things.
> 
> Some probably have a better memory than me, but I think that year they censored? one of the shows was probably the true downfall.


To be fair, it’s probably hard to keep it at the more intense level when more and more children come every year. I know that’s the parents’ choice of course but it can cause some issues if your kid isn’t ready and you’re holding up everyone behind you while you drag them through a house 
That being said HNF was definitely not watered down. It wasnt scary, but definitely mature


----------



## lcc2

Are there alot of little kids that attend? Just curious because this will be our first HHN. It will be me and my teenager, leaving the younger sibling at home. I assumed there is an age recommendation for good reason lol.


----------



## tony67

New Mouse said:


> You might want to hop in your DeLorean then.  HHN has gone through several watering.
> 
> I'd argue it started with The Walking Dead and then doubled down with Stranger things.
> 
> Some probably have a better memory than me, but I think that year they censored? one of the shows was probably the true downfall.


Yeah - I have to agree - when I look at the history of HHN on you tube it really reminded me of what it once was  (Expedition Theme Park Channel I think) - they break it down into several small videos covering a few years at a time and its a shell of what it once was IMO

Still ill be going - but last year really did not click for me at all and I skipped several nights


----------



## soniam

I guess I don't really think of it being watered down. I have only been going since 2018 though. I don't get scared at any of the haunted house events. They would have to come at me with real needles or live large spiders or snakes to get me. I guess that's an advantage of not getting scared; I don't think of the event as watered down, because it always was for me.


----------



## Nickionpoe

shh said:


> June "ish" seems to be the consensus.


Should I wait to purchase tix until EP is available? We went last year and felt like we didn’t get to do as much as we would have liked due to long lines. Definitely will buy the EP.


----------



## soniam

Nickionpoe said:


> Should I wait to purchase tix until EP is available? We went last year and felt like we didn’t get to do as much as we would have liked due to long lines. Definitely will buy the EP.


If you are definitely going on specific dates and don't think you need multi-day tickets, then there's really no reason to not buy. I can't see any reason why they would not sell EP.


----------



## keishashadow

New Mouse said:


> You might want to hop in your DeLorean then.  HHN has gone through several watering.
> 
> I'd argue it started with The Walking Dead and then doubled down with Stranger things.
> 
> Some probably have a better memory than me, but I think that year they censored? one of the shows was probably the true downfall.


They have a tradition of having at least “a” house that’s tongue in cheek, more of a set piece sort

just that many think they’ve diluted the more visceral elements that were shocking in the past


Ngiza Buyabo said:


> To be fair, it’s probably hard to keep it at the more intense level when more and more children come every year. I know that’s the parents’ choice of course but it can cause some issues if your kid isn’t ready and you’re holding up everyone behind you while you drag them through a house
> That being said HNF was definitely not watered down. It wasnt scary, but definitely mature


They generally do have a loosely recommended age posted.  one of the most asked questions re the event is “should I take my ’mature’ child”.    My thots, if your parental senses are tingling to the point you need to ask, then you already have your answer.

It’s just not the minors that melt down in the houses


soniam said:


> I guess I don't really think of it being watered down. I have only been going since 2018 though. I don't get scared at any of the haunted house events. They would have to come at me with real needles or live large spiders or snakes to get me. I guess that's an advantage of not getting scared; I don't think of the event as watered down, because it always was for me.


You’ve missed some doozies lol


soniam said:


> I can't see any reason why they would not sell EP.


If presales are strong enough they might either not offer, raise the prices substantially to thin the herd or sell a more limited type of product that may not appeal to most.  personally, hoping for none of the above To roll out.

Do believe being able to more easily control crowd levels & still working thru staffing issues could be a factor in whatever they do decide.


----------



## shh

lcc2 said:


> I assumed there is an age recommendation for good reason lol.


You're a sensible, responsible person. Sadly (for those of us who love adult themed HHNs of the past), you will see many parents that aren't - and thus,  of said event after all these complaining parents ignore the posted warnings, take their tots, then scream at the poor TMs at Guest Services because the "ages 13 & over strongly recommended" event scared their 2 or 3-year old little snowflake.


----------



## shh

I'm holding off on buying HHN tics until I see those EP prices. Last year my dates were about $89-99 at first publishing (before they jacked them up a week later). Fingers crossed they're close to that. If not and they've jacked them up a lot more for those midweek dates, I'm out. I'll just do Howl O Scream again- and maybe add BG's horror event. 

We got our horror fix - albeit not as grand as HHN - but also without the insane crowds, waits and prices either. Didn't need the Quick Queue pass either - lines moved fairly well. 

We combined Howl O Scream with an all-inclusive Discovery Cove resort day visit + Sea World by day. All for about the same cost as HHN tics + express for a single weeknight.

I was a bit sad to miss HHN, but not devastated by any means.


----------



## keishashadow

shh said:


> Fingers crossed they're close to that. If not and they've jacked them up a lot more for those midweek dates, I'm out. I'll just do Howl O Scream again- and maybe add BG's horror event.


Don’t think you are alone in your sentiments here.  

Do think the parks tend to follow the others’ leads as to many things, especially tix pricing.  We shall see where the chips do fall.


----------



## ShyMiss

Hi. Does anyone know if the premier pass HHN free ticket dates are ever offered in October or only September? I searched last year's thread but couldn't find it.


----------



## macraven

Nothing released yet on that detail


----------



## Julia Ann

We are staying at Disney and will be getting the mears coach over to universal, so an early start and will be staying for HHN....so a long day and evening. Any tips on where we can rest up for  couple of hours late afternoon? If not maybe  we should have a nice meal at city walk?


----------



## theFoof

ShyMiss said:


> Hi. Does anyone know if the premier pass HHN free ticket dates are ever offered in October or only September? I searched last year's thread but couldn't find it.



I pulled the dates from last year using the Wayback machine and it did have some October nights.



> Halloween Horror Nights 2021 Benefits
> 
> Passholders get these special perks:
> 
> 
> One free select event night admission. Choose from one of the following dates: Sept. 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 22, 23, 29, 30; Oct. 6, 13, 20, 26, 27


----------



## theFoof

Julia Ann said:


> We are staying at Disney and will be getting the mears coach over to universal, so an early start and will be staying for HHN....so a long day and evening. Any tips on where we can rest up for  couple of hours late afternoon? If not maybe  we should have a nice meal at city walk?


Maybe explore a hotel if you're going to be in the Universal area anyway. Cabana Bay is my favorite but there's not a ton of food options. Hard Rock is a fairly close walk to UO.

Otherwise you could look into Stay-And-Scream (some people like to hit Finnegans or the Simpsons area dining/drinks for stay and scream) or chill out somewhere in City Walk as you said.


----------



## ShyMiss

theFoof said:


> I pulled the dates from last year using the Wayback machine and it did have some October nights.


Thank you so much for finding & sharing that past info.


----------



## Julia Ann

theFoof said:


> Maybe explore a hotel if you're going to be in the Universal area anyway. Cabana Bay is my favorite but there's not a ton of food options. Hard Rock is a fairly close walk to UO.
> 
> Otherwise you could look into Stay-And-Scream (some people like to hit Finnegans or the Simpsons area dining/drinks for stay and scream) or chill out somewhere in City Walk as you said.


Thanks, we have day ticket too..is that what stay and scream is?


----------



## macraven

Stay and screen is a ticket that covers your day park admission and also includes the hhn ticket

We used to refer this ticket as an add on

So do the park during the day and be allowed to stay in the park to await hhn opening

Park closes at 5:00 on hhn events.
Those that are inside the park at 5:00 and have a hhn ticket, are allowed to wait inside the park for when the houses are opened
Select areas will be announced where you are allowed to wait for the hour inside the park.
(It is a good hour wait for starting the hhn event)

I have seen the wait line outside the park begin even before 5:00 …

Those with hhn tickets wait it out inside the park for house openings.
You get a head start on the event if you stayed in the park…


----------



## theFoof

Julia Ann said:


> Thanks, we have day ticket too..is that what stay and scream is?



Yeah so pretty much what macraven said above, if you have daytime admission (or an AP) and you're inside the park before closing they will have a couple areas you can scan your HHN ticket and wait for HHN to begin. Typically some houses and rides open before the official event open time and you can do those before the crowds roll in.

They also have had special tickets in the past for around $30-35 that would let you into UO around 3pm for the same purpose without needing daytime admission.


----------



## Monykalyn

Julia Ann said:


> We are staying at Disney and will be getting the mears coach over to universal, so an early start and will be staying for HHN....so a long day and evening. Any tips on where we can rest up for  couple of hours late afternoon? If not maybe  we should have a nice meal at city walk?


FYI/buyer beware that doing full park days then HHN is more than just “X” amount of hours; I’ve done a Disney day from rope drop 7am to 2 am (back when they actually had EMH). HHN alone can take me down for the count. It may seem like from maps that houses are “close” but they don’t show the amount of walking back to tents, then through the line, then through the house and then BACK to front of next house (where you rinse and repeat). Easily add miles to your day-and at end of a park day may mean you might not enjoy HHN as much. 
And that walk out to catch a ride at end of night, through city walk…well did it one year and stayed onsite ever since (and at resort that has the boat ride back lol)

HHN is so fun I want to make sure you get all the logistics upfront! 
Tips to help-shows with easy rides toward end of day-but try to get your shows in then so you are off your feet (horror make up, Bourne). Then schedule dinner inside the park (finnegans or lombards) where again are sitting down. Head out to the corral and hopefully get to a couple houses before crowd gets in (feet saver not having to wait inline). 

Hope you have a good time!


----------



## Bird003

We have a public rip tour September 10 at 630. What time do we check in at the lounge?


----------



## macraven

Not sure as have not done a public tour in a few years 
But when I did, I would get an email days in advance  to let me know when my check in time would be
Since you have a 6:30 tour, I assume you can meet up t at 6:00
But check with tours in case their set up has changed 
They staggered the start times for public tours so a group is assigned in advance, when you check in and meet up with your group 
You will have will have enough time to snack, get drinks, etc before your guide explains your evening schedule 

You can contact hhn tours and know in advance the meet up time for your hhn tour group if you do not receive the  basic email of facts and time schedule 

It’s probably too early now to get the info on the public tours but no issue to contact them to ask 

Public tours usually have staggered times to start
Contact them to get full info if you needed more detail info

It will be a very fun night for you !


----------



## snoopboop

Monykalyn said:


> FYI/buyer beware that doing full park days then HHN is more than just “X” amount of hours; I’ve done a Disney day from rope drop 7am to 2 am (back when they actually had EMH). HHN alone can take me down for the count. It may seem like from maps that houses are “close” but they don’t show the amount of walking back to tents, then through the line, then through the house and then BACK to front of next house (where you rinse and repeat). Easily add miles to your day-and at end of a park day may mean you might not enjoy HHN as much.
> And that walk out to catch a ride at end of night, through city walk…well did it one year and stayed onsite ever since (and at resort that has the boat ride back lol)



YES! I put on more than 29,000 steps last year the day I did the six-house Behind the Screams tour and then a full night of HHN. It’s so, so much walking!


----------



## Julia Ann

Monykalyn said:


> FYI/buyer beware that doing full park days then HHN is more than just “X” amount of hours; I’ve done a Disney day from rope drop 7am to 2 am (back when they actually had EMH). HHN alone can take me down for the count. It may seem like from maps that houses are “close” but they don’t show the amount of walking back to tents, then through the line, then through the house and then BACK to front of next house (where you rinse and repeat). Easily add miles to your day-and at end of a park day may mean you might not enjoy HHN as much.
> And that walk out to catch a ride at end of night, through city walk…well did it one year and stayed onsite ever since (and at resort that has the boat ride back lol)
> 
> HHN is so fun I want to make sure you get all the logistics upfront!
> Tips to help-shows with easy rides toward end of day-but try to get your shows in then so you are off your feet (horror make up, Bourne). Then schedule dinner inside the park (finnegans or lombards) where again are sitting down. Head out to the corral and hopefully get to a couple houses before crowd gets in (feet saver not having to wait inline).
> 
> Hope you have a good time!


Thanks for the tips all! So looking forward to it! we've done a few HHN in the past but not for a long time. Could get the 9am mears out from Disney so not too early, have a late lunch over in 3 broo m sticks then do all the sit down shows.


----------



## keishashadow

ShyMiss said:


> Hi. Does anyone know if the premier pass HHN free ticket dates are ever offered in October or only September? I searched last year's thread but couldn't find it.


go back to post #338 here


Julia Ann said:


> If not maybe we should have a nice meal at city walk?


a great idea.  Be aware you are in for a very long day, hope for no rain.  

If you do have stay & scream line up early at whatever pen, then hope to grab one of the few comfy spots in some shade to sit and rest.  

Food options:  

in the one area, finnegans is sit down, very popular & crowded.  They stop taking res very early afternoon.  

Option for somebody in your party to hold down the turf in a holding area while another goes to grab food from booth or CS food.


Monykalyn said:


> HHN alone can take me down for the count. It may seem like from maps that houses are “close” but they don’t show the amount of walking back to tents, then through the line, then through the house and then BACK to front of next house (where you rinse and repeat). Easily add miles to your day-and at end of a park day may mean you might not enjoy HHN as much.


So true & I know you are in tip top shape!   For the rest of us Lol, it can be a real slog.  checked my Fitbit last year after just lazing poolside all day, then hitting parks around 3 pm & into a pen.  No EP or tour that night, was pushing 7 miles.   Slightly less than most disney days for us that range 8 - 12 (if we really push the death march).


----------



## keishashadow

Twitter HHN is in a snit, has gone dark on us yet again

You can run but, you cannot hide from us, we’re waiting, always waiting. Until then


----------



## SquashBanana

This may have been asked in an earlier post, but if you purchase a single night ticket to HHN, are you allowed to redeem the cost of that purchase to a multi-night ticket assuming they are released? Thanks!


----------



## macraven

I never had any luck doing that so I wait to buy my hhn tickets when all ticket info has been released.


----------



## SquashBanana

macraven said:


> I never had any luck doing that so I wait to buy my hhn tickets when all ticket info has been released.


Thanks!


----------



## keishashadow

SquashBanana said:


> This may have been asked in an earlier post, but if you purchase a single night ticket to HHN, are you allowed to redeem the cost of that purchase to a multi-night ticket assuming they are released? Thanks!


I upgraded once from single night…a good decade ago.

suggest calling U & asking if it’s a concern.  if you hear the answer you want, take names, then come back & report on your success.


----------



## keishashadow

IMO…it would be a perfect day for HHN to announce something…anything.

Sea world threw down the gauntlet on twitter 


__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1524740138127040512


----------



## Monykalyn

keishashadow said:


> IMO…it would be a perfect day for HHN to announce something…anything.
> 
> Sea world threw down the gauntlet on twitter


The social media teams are fantastic-like when Wendy roasts people.

Meanwhile-on another site said no announcement until 17th. 
Just waiting and waiting and waiting for ticket info...as SW runs a special on their Howl o Scream tickets...


----------



## keishashadow

Monykalyn said:


> as SW runs a special on their Howl o Scream tickets...


$66 for two any night probably great deal for those planing on weekend visit

for those doing the daytime behind the scenes tours, Monsters Cafe is now permanently closed.  replacement TBD.  Wonder where they will recommend the all day tour dine now?


----------



## MinnieMSue

keishashadow said:


> for those doing the daytime behind the scenes tours, Monsters Cafe is now permanently closed.  replacement TBD.  Wonder where they will recommend the all day tour dine now?



I was actually wondering this when I saw they closed the cafe.


----------



## ShyMiss

I'm sad they closed the cafe before our October visit. Loved the theming in there. Didn't really eat there though lol. Hopefully they will recreate it with better food in the new epic park.


----------



## keishashadow

ShyMiss said:


> Loved the theming in there. Didn't really eat there though lol. Hopefully they will recreate it with better food in the new epic park.


This!  If only the food had been tweaked just a bit, it’d have been a hit as so charming.  Mismanagement IMO


----------



## Robo56

Monykalyn said:


> FYI/buyer beware that doing full park days then HHN is more than just “X” amount of hours; I’ve done a Disney day from rope drop 7am to 2 am (back when they actually had EMH). HHN alone can take me down for the count. It may seem like from maps that houses are “close” but they don’t show the amount of walking back to tents, then through the line, then through the house and then BACK to front of next house (where you rinse and repeat). Easily add miles to your day-and at end of a park day may mean you might not enjoy HHN as much.
> And that walk out to catch a ride at end of night, through city walk…well did it one year and stayed onsite ever since (and at resort that has the boat ride back lol)



Great advice.  Woe to those that commando the parks during the day and then attend HHN on the same day. It is a lot of walking to reach the haunted houses on the back lots. 

I have seen what appeared to be very fit Folks sitting on the docks waiting for the water taxis to the Resorts crying the blues after a night of HHN. 

Save your legs the day you attend HHN for the walking in the evening. Then go get the crap scared out of you. You need your muscle strength to jump....LOL





macraven said:


> Since you have a 6:30 tour, I assume you can meet up t at 6:00
> But check with tours in case their set up has changed
> They staggered the start times for public tours so a group is assigned in advance, when you check in and meet up with your group
> You will have will have enough time to snack, get drinks, etc before your guide explains your evening schedule



Your right on the time Mac. Last year Public RIP Tour was check in half hour before scheduled Tour start time. 

There is food and beverage to enjoy before the tour starts.


----------



## kps7795

Robo56 said:


> Great advice.  Woe to those that commando the parks during the day and then attend HHN on the same day. It is a lot of walking to reach the haunted houses on the back lots.
> 
> I have seen what appeared to be very fit Folks sitting on the docks waiting for the water taxis to the Resorts crying the blues after a night of HHN.
> 
> Save your legs the day you attend HHN for the walking in the evening. Then go get the crap scared out of you. You need your muscle strength to jump....LOL
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Your right on the time Mac. Last year Public RIP Tour was check in half hour before scheduled Tour start time.
> 
> There is food and beverage to enjoy before the tour starts.


That was me sitting on the dock with my 13 y/o son waiting for the water taxi to bring my tired butt back to Royal Pacific.  Mind you, this was halfway through my training for a marathon and my feet were dead tired (pun slightly intended) by midnight.  We spent the day at the parks, but we did go back to the hotel midday to take naps in preparation for HHN.  Even with the rest, my feet were HURTING by the end of the evening.


----------



## tinkerbell1991

Robo56 said:


> Great advice.  Woe to those that commando the parks during the day and then attend HHN on the same day. It is a lot of walking to reach the haunted houses on the back lots.
> 
> I have seen what appeared to be very fit Folks sitting on the docks waiting for the water taxis to the Resorts crying the blues after a night of HHN.
> 
> Save your legs the day you attend HHN for the walking in the evening. Then go get the crap scared out of you. You need your muscle strength to jump....LOL


This is definitely me. When I went for the first (and only - curse you Covid! ) time in 2017, me and my partner went on the third day of our trip. I thought, great- we've only been in Florida for 3 days it'll be a breeze as we've not done a lot of walking...yet. We even got cocky and went to IoA around 12pm to "pass time"  before the event begun. WRONGO! I made it to whatever house was near Woody Woodpecker and literally cried outside the toilets that my feet were killing me for a side 10 minutes. In all fairness, I think jetlag had finally kicked in but it was only the second house we were about to go in  I troopered on though and did all houses but was so tired and run down so never ever will I do any sort of park or shopping before HHN - just relaxing only. I'm so ready for this year!


----------



## lcc2

I just purchased HHN express pass for 9/17. Yay!


----------



## MinnieMSue

lcc2 said:


> I just purchased HHN express pass for 9/17. Yay!



Thank you I had not gotten on yet today to see if they were on sale. We got ours for 10/13 and 15.


----------



## keishashadow

MinnieMSue said:


> Thank you I had not gotten on yet today to see if they were on sale. We got ours for 10/13 and 15.


The prices

Can’t wait to see where multi-night tix will fall.


----------



## keishashadow




----------



## MinnieMSue

keishashadow said:


> View attachment 669738View attachment 669740View attachment 669740



Yep they are so expensive this year. We paid significantly more. Although last year we went in September and this year October but it was more painful to buy than I had thought it would be. Rip wasn’t all that much more.


----------



## keishashadow

MinnieMSue said:


> it was more painful to buy than I had thought it would be. Rip wasn’t all that much more.


Yep, it’s going to be a very big bite for many people. 

will likely cause many locals/those who do multiple nights during longer stays to pick & choose a bit more judiciously.

I expect the tours & tix etc to increase every year, just as other tix media does.  at first glance tho, the EPs seem to have taken a big bounce.

 Perhaps they are challenging the market this way to see the demand/how many bite before settling upon whatever price point for multi-night tix?


----------



## Skywalker3

keishashadow said:


> The prices
> View attachment 669737
> Can’t wait to see where multi-night tix will fall.


yikes!!
those are crazy! I don't think we'll opt for express this year, if we go. We'll be there week of Columbus day ....busy, and pricy. Will likely shift our plans back to the Sunday night, our APs should still be active, and can at least do Stay and scream, if that's happening. Thanks for posting. Will help us plan a little better, although way too early for us to make definite plans.....


----------



## keishashadow

Skywalker3 said:


> yikes!!
> those are crazy! I don't think we'll opt for express this year, if we go. We'll be there week of Columbus day ....busy, and pricy. Will likely shift our plans back to the Sunday night, our APs should still be active, and can at least do Stay and scream, if that's happening. Thanks for posting. Will help us plan a little better, although way too early for us to make definite plans.....


At the risk of being the bearer of bad tidings…

we quit doing the week prior into Columbus Day weekend there years ago as it was just too crowded for comfort…even Wednesday & Thursday.

oddly, did find the last full weekend of HHN last year was doablewithout EP.

it seemed less crowded than last year’s trip during the last week of september into October (Pre Columbus Day weekend)

stay & scream will be a very big help for you, especially in the tent house area!   Along with strategic planning as to the popular houses, should do fine if you stay the full night!


----------



## FoxC63

lcc2 said:


> I just purchased HHN express pass for 9/17. Yay!



Thanks for posting!  Just adding   Link


----------



## FoxC63

Skywalker3 said:


> yikes!!
> those are crazy! I don't think we'll opt for express this year, if we go. We'll be there week of Columbus day ....busy, and pricy. Will likely shift our plans back to the Sunday night, our APs should still be active, and can at least do Stay and scream, if that's happening. Thanks for posting. *Will help us plan a little better, although way too early for us to make definite plans*.....


I wouldn't wait too long making decisions.  Last year *2021* all ticket sales were released on* 6/17/21 *and on *6/24/21* exactly ONE week later, prices for Express Passes increased. And they didn't stop there. 

I agree with the sentiments here, this is a hard hit!  UO just made an easy decision for us, we'll be passing this year on buying Express Passes.  We have a Private RIP Tour on Oct 30th and we'll be putting that to better use.


----------



## Stitch813

Hi Everyone,

First time going to HHN..so excited!  Going on Sat Sept 17th.  In your opinion can you get everything done with just the express pass?  or is the RIP tour better and worth the cost?  Thanks!.....Update...Nevermind..just saw the prices for Express...what's another 200? LOL...going with the tour.


----------



## FoxC63

Stitch813 said:


> Hi Everyone,
> 
> First time going to HHN..so excited!  Going on Sat Sept 17th.  In your opinion can you get everything done with just the express pass?  or is the RIP tour better and worth the cost?  Thanks!


Most first timers do not know how to navigate HHN despite doing their due diligence to research thoroughly. Often times they go into the event with a plan but often loose their focus.  It happens, even to the most experienced.

Saturday is going to be busy.  Ticket and Express will cost around $240 and a Public RIP $349/*$447 with HHN ticket*, for slightly over $204 more and being a 1st timer, I'd go with a tour. I think there's more value in a tour compared with just tickets and a _maybe_ plan.

*Edit to add*:  HHN Event Ticket $98 with RIP Tour $447+ per @lcc2


----------



## shh

Triple yikes. Was really looking fwd to a HHN return. Was going to be the 1st year I treated myself to Express, but really UO - a _45% increase_ over last year? 10-20% more fine...but I just can't justify 45%. I don't like to feel ripped off - it would lessen my enjoyment of the event.

Howl O'Scream, here I come again. 

I am curious though: if the markets continue to decline this summer/fall and we near or enter a recession, wonder if UO will still try to jack up EP rates even further like last year.


----------



## lcc2

If I was going solo, I would totally do RIP instead of Express! Too many things in the way of me doing a RIP tour for a few years. But it's definitely on my wishlist!


----------



## lcc2

FoxC63 said:


> Saturday is going to be busy.  Ticket and Express will cost around $240 and a Public RIP $349, for slightly over $120 more and being a 1st timer, I'd go with a tour. I think there's more value in a tour compared with just tickets and a _maybe_ plan.


Would need the separate event admission ticket on top of RIP tour


----------



## FoxC63

lcc2 said:


> Would need the separate event admission ticket on top of RIP tour


Post corrected, thanks!


----------



## keishashadow




----------



## FoxC63

shh said:


> I am curious though: if the markets continue to decline this summer/fall and we near or enter a recession, wonder if UO will still try to jack up EP rates even further like last year.


I can see this happening and not just at UO. They'll need to cushion themselves for the slow times ahead.


----------



## tinkerbell1991

First House reveal


----------



## keishashadow

…and we are off to the races


----------



## FoxC63

Want to play?


----------



## snoopboop

shh said:


> Triple yikes. Was really looking fwd to a HHN return. Was going to be the 1st year I treated myself to Express, but really UO - a _45% increase_ over last year? 10-20% more fine...but I just can't justify 45%. I don't like to feel ripped off - it would lessen my enjoyment of the event.
> 
> Howl O'Scream, here I come again.
> 
> I am curious though: if the markets continue to decline this summer/fall and we near or enter a recession, wonder if UO will still try to jack up EP rates even further like last year.


I’m not sure I’m following the math of a 45% increase over last year. I had HHN EP two weeknights last year in the first week of October and paid $129.99 each night - and that’s exactly the same price for the corresponding nights this year. I _did_ buy my tickets and EP _after_ last year’s price increase, but still, the prices listed now seem to be roughly, if not exactly, the same as they were when I purchased last year.


----------



## shh

snoopboop said:


> I’m not sure I’m following the math of a 45% increase over last year. I had HHN EP two weeknights last year in the first week of October and paid $129.99 each night - and that’s exactly the same price for the corresponding nights this year. I _did_ buy my tickets and EP _after_ last year’s price increase, but still, the prices listed now seem to be roughly, if not exactly, the same as they were when I purchased last year.


1st 2 weeks of Oct bumps up against Columbus Day and school holidays- may have been a higher priced time to begin with? 

Last year my late Oct midweek date was $89: that same day now costs $129. I do see some higher priced dates didn't change much from last year. Seems like busier times/wknds may actually be a better value this year? Crowded, but at least later event hours. 

Attending midweek, they close 1 hour earlier, but I'd now be paying 45% more vs before.


----------



## FoxC63

Don't have time to do the math but I certainly see some price increases that really hurt, especially the last Wednesday in October,  $79.99 now $129.99 - yeah, no thanks!  

HHN Express Pass 2021


HHN Express 2022


----------



## tinkerbell1991

FoxC63 said:


> Don't have time to do the math but I certainly see some price increases that really hurt, especially the last Wednesday in October,  $79.99 now $129.99 - yeah, no thanks!
> 
> HHN Express Pass 2021
> View attachment 669835
> 
> HHN Express 2022
> View attachment 669837


I agree. Me and my partner could go twice with a regular ticket and it's still cheaper than 1 express pass


----------



## FoxC63

I just got back from grocery shopping.  It must be my lucky day, I was stuck in two isles with the same woman toting her 4/5 yr old son and gorgeous arm candy.  Anyway, shocked at her language every time she picked up an item off the shelf and tossed it into her cart, I couldn't get away quick enough!  Some may think the F bomb means fart but in the real world....  that poor kid!  
The lessons our parents teach us, huh?  What a nut!


----------



## Eeyore1220

Stitch813 said:


> Hi Everyone,
> 
> First time going to HHN..so excited!  Going on Sat Sept 17th.  In your opinion can you get everything done with just the express pass?  or is the RIP tour better and worth the cost?  Thanks!.....Update...Nevermind..just saw the prices for Express...what's another 200? LOL...going with the tour.


We’ll be on a tour on the 17th too! First time so excited.


----------



## FoxC63

@Stitch813 ,
Let me know if you want to be added to the HHN 2022 Never Go Alone - Guest List 

@keishashadow & @macraven we need some Universal emojis added to the DIS!


----------



## shh

Did anyone buy the half off after 10 (or after 11 on wknds) express pass last year? Just wondering if they're still offering that deal on the nights it doesn't sell out.


----------



## snoopboop

FoxC63 said:


> Don't have time to do the math but I certainly see some price increases that really hurt, especially the last Wednesday in October,  $79.99 now $129.99 - yeah, no thanks!
> 
> HHN Express Pass 2021
> View attachment 669835
> 
> HHN Express 2022
> View attachment 669837


I think it’s worth noting that the 2021 screen shot is from BEFORE the all-around price increase last year on HHN EPs…. so while I get it that it’s _technically_ comparing the ”original” prices last year to this year, it’s also relevant, I think, that very shortly after those original prices were released, everything was hiked to prices that were very similar indeed to this year’s prices.


----------



## Ta.Ham1989

I can't wait to go! I wish I lived closer so I could go as much as I wanted!


----------



## MinnieMSue

snoopboop said:


> I think it’s worth noting that the 2021 screen shot is from BEFORE the all-around price increase last year on HHN EPs…. so while I get it that it’s _technically_ comparing the ”original” prices last year to this year, it’s also relevant, I think, that very shortly after those original prices were released, everything was hiked to prices that were very similar indeed to this year’s prices.



true but it is also possible (likely?) that they will increase prices this year too


----------



## macraven

FoxC63 said:


> @Stitch813 ,
> Let me know if you want to be added to the HHN 2022 Never Go Alone - Guest List
> 
> @keishashadow & @macraven we need some Universal emojis added to the DIS!


I pass that request off to Keisha 

She has the magic touch ….Emolis is her strong point….


----------



## Stitch813

FoxC63 said:


> @Stitch813 ,
> Let me know if you want to be added to the HHN 2022 Never Go Alone - Guest List
> 
> @keishashadow & @macraven we need some Universal emojis added to the DIS!


Sure thanks!  Will be there Sat Sep 17


----------



## Stitch813

Eeyore1220 said:


> We’ll be on a tour on the 17th too! First time so excited.


Cool!  what time is your tour?


----------



## FoxC63

macraven said:


> I pass that request off to Keisha
> 
> She has the magic touch ….Emolis is her strong point….


Yes please.  You and @keishashadow laughed at me and I was being serious.  It made me cry, like really hard.  All night long too. If you feel badly there is a way to make it up to me, there's this car I want, Aston Martin DBS Superleggera in Red!  Yeah, that would make me feel so much better.  Thanks so much, you my friends ROCK!


----------



## Lyricallie

I'm so excited going for the first time early September! As we are coming from the UK we will have a week at universal and I think it covers about 3/4 nights of Halloween Horror Nights. Planning on getting a rush of fear ticket if they do them again this year! Fingers crossed! My husband has told me I'm going through the houses in front of him so he can laugh at me


----------



## FoxC63

snoopboop said:


> I think it’s worth noting that the 2021 screen shot is from BEFORE the all-around price increase last year on HHN EPs…. so while I get it that it’s _technically_ comparing the ”original” prices last year to this year, it’s also relevant, I think, that very shortly after those original prices were released, everything was hiked to prices that were very similar indeed to this year’s prices.


Okay, we can go there too.  Not everyone waits to buy tickets so when comparing apples to apples, the original price is the starting point. Period. However you choose to look at it, you need to realize the price hikes for 2022 haven't even occurred, once they do it's another comparison from 2021 hikes to 2022 hikes.


----------



## Eeyore1220

Stitch813 said:


> Cool!  what time is your tour?


7pm check-in time - you?


----------



## Robo56

kps7795 said:


> That was me sitting on the dock with my 13 y/o son waiting for the water taxi to bring my tired butt back to Royal Pacific. Mind you, this was halfway through my training for a marathon and my feet were dead tired (pun slightly intended) by midnight. We spent the day at the parks, but we did go back to the hotel midday to take naps in preparation for HHN. Even with the rest, my feet were HURTING by the end of the evening.



LOL......I would have probably sat on the dock to, but I would not have been able to get back up by then and the thought of sitting were all those shoes had been made me suffer through.....

I have gradually learned my lesson about doing to much during the day before a HHN night tour. 

I troopered on though and did all houses but was so tired and run down so never ever will I do any sort of park or shopping before HHN - just relaxing only. I'm so ready for this year! 

Yes, I’am so looking forward to this year too. I will rest up the day of my RIP Tour.


----------



## Robo56

Keeping the HHN fires burning. Reminiscing on HHN years past.

HHN 27

Trick or Treat Scare Zone

Little Sam





Sinister


The Hive


American Horror Stories House   Asylum, Coven and Roanoke


----------



## keishashadow

FoxC63 said:


> there's this car I want, Aston Martin DBS Superleggera in Red!


Well, I have a cherry red mustang under a tarp in driveway that is waiting to be restored by one of my spawn.  Would gladly see it go! Lol


Robo56 said:


> Little Sam


My boy


----------



## Stitch813

Eeyore1220 said:


> 7pm check-in time - you?


darn...picked 6:30 lol


----------



## nurseberta

thinking of booking a quick weekend and have never done HHN, can you get a good taste of it on one night? I have horror loving kids age 19,20,23.  thinking of Sept 21/22 dates hoping crowds are manageable? am I delusional? was going to stay at a premier for express passes but maybe i should do cabana bay get some volcano bay in and rest/HHN night, then switch for a few days of express pass. any thoughts


----------



## macraven

Wednesday and Thursday for your hhn nights would work fine for those dates 
Friday the 23 would have more crowds


----------



## keishashadow

nurseberta said:


> was going to stay at a premier for express passes but maybe i should do cabana bay get some volcano bay in and rest/HHN night, then switch for a few days of express pass. any thoughts


Do u have park Tix or APs?

If AP I’d come in on weds or Thursday & just enter parks around 2 pm & stay/scream after dropping bags at hotel. Better chance of room ready early then on a weekday IMO

We r always tired vs rested after a WP day YMMV

Could then switch over to premier thurs/fri or Fri/sat easily


----------



## shb5007

nurseberta said:


> thinking of booking a quick weekend and have never done HHN, can you get a good taste of it on one night? I have horror loving kids age 19,20,23.  thinking of Sept 21/22 dates hoping crowds are manageable? am I delusional? was going to stay at a premier for express passes but maybe i should do cabana bay get some volcano bay in and rest/HHN night, then switch for a few days of express pass. any thoughts



The one thing I learned last year (first time going) is that the Express Pass is expensive, but worth it if you can afford it.  I just throw it right in with the trip budget.  One of the plusses is that if lines are shorter earlier in the night... you can come back later and use the express pass... thus getting through a few houses twice.  Really lets you appreciate the work done (knowing you can come back through later).


----------



## tinkerbell1991

So I caved and bought a ticket and express pass for the 6th Oct - we'll have got married the day before on Disneys Boardwalk so wanted to splurge and celebrate a little.

Can I ask if we have a 14 day regular park ticket, can we enter around 3pm and linger then go to a holding area or do you need a specific ticket to go to these areas?
I'm sure I've asked this previously but my mind has gone blank


----------



## FoxC63

tinkerbell1991 said:


> So I caved and bought a ticket and express pass for the 6th Oct - we'll have got married the day before on Disneys Boardwalk so wanted to splurge and celebrate a little.
> 
> Can I ask if we have a 14 day regular park ticket, can we enter around 3pm and linger then go to a holding area or do you need a specific ticket to go to these areas?
> I'm sure I've asked this previously but my mind has gone blank


The regular park tickets will get you in.  Then go to the holding area. 
You are good to go!


----------



## macraven

Everyone needs the hhn park ticket once the park closes at 5:00 on dates for hhn

As long as you have it, you are allowed to wait inside the park until hhn opens 

Your day ticket is fine until the park is officially closed for hhn

Your hhn ticket will be scanned and that allows you to stay in one of the holding areas until houses are opened.


----------



## kps7795

shb5007 said:


> The one thing I learned last year (first time going) is that the Express Pass is expensive, but worth it if you can afford it.  I just throw it right in with the trip budget.  One of the plusses is that if lines are shorter earlier in the night... you can come back later and use the express pass... thus getting through a few houses twice.  Really lets you appreciate the work done (knowing you can come back through later).


I had the same plan last year.  My son and I were there for Stay and Scream and did the first three houses without even using the Express Pass in 15-20 minutes.  My plan was to come back to Puppet Theater and Wicked Growth for a second time at the end of the evening, but our feet were so tired by midnight that we never got back to those houses.


----------



## tinkerbell1991

FoxC63 said:


> The regular park tickets will get you in.  Then go to the holding area.
> You are good to go!





macraven said:


> Everyone needs the hhn park ticket once the park closes at 5:00 on dates for hhn
> 
> As long as you have it, you are allowed to wait inside the park until hhn opens
> 
> Your day ticket is fine until the park is officially closed for hhn
> 
> Your hhn ticket will be scanned and that allows you to stay in one of the holding areas until houses are opened.


Perfect, thanks both


----------



## nurseberta

macraven said:


> Wednesday and Thursday for your hhn nights would work fine for those dates
> Friday the 23 would have more crowds


would they have multiday passes? express is a bit out of budget based on the amount of us going. 5x the amount. would I be able to get everything done in 2 nights? are there some houses that have shorter lines? hard to figure out what I need as its a short trip and of course want to do a bit of everything, both parks, hhn, quick VB. wondering if I need to delay so we can do more?


----------



## MinnieMSue

The universal Monsters HHN 2022  tshirt is online at universal store now. Supposedly limited edition if anyone wants. $28


----------



## Robo56

nurseberta said:


> would they have multiday passes? express is a bit out of budget based on the amount of us going. 5x the amount. would I be able to get everything done in 2 nights? are there some houses that have shorter lines? hard to figure out what I need as its a short trip and of course want to do a bit of everything, both parks, hhn, quick VB. wondering if I need to delay so we can do more?



They have not released any information on the multiday passes yet. Hopefully they will release those soon. In the the past you could purchase the multiday Pass with or without Express included.

If you are planning on going into HHN when the gates open there will be a mob of people usually waiting to get in especially on the weekends.

If HHN Express is out of the budget then maybe you should just plan to stay inside Universal Studios the days you plan to do HHN in the Stay and Scream areas. You can stay in the park when it closes to the other guests. Make sure you have your HHN event ticket with you. Those in the stay n scream areas will be released to the houses before those that are waiting to get in the park outside the gate.

Another option is just purchase a Private RIP Tour for your group or join a Public RIP Tour. This will get you to the front of all the houses without waiting. You would complete all the houses in one night as well as have refreshments before the tour starts and stop at air conditioned lounges to purschase cocktails.

The lines for the houses can be long. There is a lot of walking to the houses on the back lot and back again.

Spending full days in the park and then trying to do HHN in the evening is going be a lot. It is doable, but will be exhausting.

No matter what you decide have a wonderful time. You will love HHN.


----------



## Robo56

keishashadow said:


> My boy



LOL....Yep, I remembered you liked little Sam.


----------



## shh

Robo56 said:


> LOL....Yep, I remembered you liked little Sam.
> 
> View attachment 670435


love love love sam. best scare zone ever.


----------



## mekay1012

We are going to Universal for the first time in September and my 16 year old really wants to go. I'm assuming a Sunday night would be less crowded than a Saturday?  Any other tips for us?  We probably won't be able to stay until close because of a long drive back home the next day so what would be the top haunted houses to check out?


----------



## Skippyboo

mekay1012 said:


> We are going to Universal for the first time in September and my 16 year old really wants to go. I'm assuming a Sunday night would be less crowded than a Saturday?  Any other tips for us?  We probably won't be able to stay until close because of a long drive back home the next day so what would be the top haunted houses to check out?


They only have released one house so far so can’t really say what the top houses are. Definitely would recommend to being inside the park before HHN starts you can go into the holding areas in NY section or in Springfield section while they switch over to HHN. You can get ahead of the people coming in from the gate for HHN and do the nearby house with a short wait.


----------



## keishashadow

mekay1012 said:


> We are going to Universal for the first time in September and my 16 year old really wants to go. I'm assuming a Sunday night would be less crowded than a Saturday?  Any other tips for us?  We probably won't be able to stay until close because of a long drive back home the next day so what would be the top haunted houses to check out?


Sunday (exception of Columbus Day weekend) is usually a gold bet for lower crowds.  

Sept is  less crowded than October. 

You can look at the tix prices and get a feel for popularity of the dates.  

If you stay & scream, could likely get the houses done if you don’t do the shows or spend a lot of time in the scare zones.


----------



## kps7795

Skippyboo said:


> They only have released one house so far so can’t really say what the top houses are. Definitely would recommend to being inside the park before HHN starts you can go into the holding areas in NY section or in Springfield section while they switch over to HHN. You can get ahead of the people coming in from the gate for HHN and do the nearby house with a short wait.


Based upon my limited experience, I would recommend the Springfield waiting area myself.  My son and I were able to knock out the first three houses in 15-20 minutes without even needing to use our Express Passes.


----------



## Robo56

Keeping the HHN fires burning.


Mel’s on HHN nights





HHN 28

Entrance to Twisted Tradition Scare Zone





Trick or Treat House


Unmasking the Horror Tour






ScaryTales House. UMH Tour


Poltergeist House UMH Tour


----------



## keishashadow

robbie - great shots, especially like the pics of scary tales & poltergeist facades


----------



## imprint

Poltergeist:  I was at first disappointed to not enter the maze via a facade of the house (since the house is a "character" too); however, how many opportunities are we going to have to enter the maze via an in-construction swimming pool in a thunderstorm.  Wound up being one of my favorite facades.


----------



## FoxC63

kps7795 said:


> Based upon my limited experience, I would recommend the *Springfield waiting area *myself.  My son and I were able to knock out the first three houses in 15-20 minutes without even needing to use our Express Passes.


Thank you, this is a great tip!


----------



## imprint

I'm hearing Stranger Things is less likely this year.  When I first heard about that a few weeks ago, I wasn't too disappointed; however, having watched half of this season, there's tons of great material that could make the best ST house by far.  Assuming the rest of Season 4 holds up, then maybe a house next year, or a multi-season house after the Season 5 finale.  Anyway, long way to make a point of, if you haven't started Stranger Things Season 4, then you owe it to yourself.  It's pretty great (as far as I have watched).


----------



## ThistleMae

Planning a Disney trip in Sept. so def. will be doing one HHN!  So excited.  It's been a few years since I've been.  The last time I went I was a bit disappointed in them moving you along so quickly.  I could see most of the jump scares which is what I look forward to the most.  I also did one of the day time tours after going through at night for 3 of the houses and that was really cool!  I am very excited to go with my daughter this year, since we've never been together.  We always do our local corn maze horror night here in Vermont, which is the most awesome for a little rinky dink town in the middle of nowhere.  We will pick a Wed. or Thurs. to go.  Can't wait!


----------



## angelia

Hello!! Planning our trip and was hoping to get RPR for September with fingers crossed for ROF w/express.  Wasn't able to get RPR (at all) or SFR (for under $418 night) in September. We are going for 11 nights. I did book SFR for 9/28-10/9 but I am concerned about the cost of multi night tix with the conversations about the possible price increase. We have only done ROF w/express so not sure how much more the multi night tickets will be. We do go to HHN each night it is happening while we are there (we are hooked). All of that to ask how much more difficult it is to get back and forth from HHN if staying at CBR? CBR does have availability in Sept.  We have only stayed at the resorts with boat access and are completely exhausted by nights end. lol This would be our first time a SFR as well.  Thank you for any input, I really appreciate it! We are so excited!


----------



## leiaorgana

imprint said:


> I'm hearing Stranger Things is less likely this year.  When I first heard about that a few weeks ago, I wasn't too disappointed; however, having watched half of this season, there's tons of great material that could make the best ST house by far.  Assuming the rest of Season 4 holds up, then maybe a house next year, or a multi-season house after the Season 5 finale.  Anyway, long way to make a point of, if you haven't started Stranger Things Season 4, then you owe it to yourself.  It's pretty great (as far as I have watched).


I’ve been seeing things in other places too that are now pointing to no Netflix house at all this year so that likely means no Fear Street either. 

Without giving any spoilers in case people haven’t watched it all yet  - this season is the one year a horror based house could have really worked for Stranger Things and actually been scary


----------



## FoxC63

leiaorgana said:


> this season is the one year a horror based house could have really worked for *Stranger Things *and actually been scary


Totally agree!


----------



## PatriciaH

leiaorgana said:


> I’ve been seeing things in other places too that are now pointing to no Netflix house at all this year so that likely means no Fear Street either.
> 
> Without giving any spoilers in case people haven’t watched it all yet  - this season is the one year a horror based house could have really worked for Stranger Things and actually been scary


Really enjoying Stranger Things this year. Already can imagine the house facade! Would actually like  to see what they could do with that house this year. We will probably book our RIP tour soon. Any guess  when prices will go up? Nothing has yet-right? I better decide today-


----------



## schumigirl

I think I must be one of the few who are glad there are no Netflix based houses like Stranger Things........should hopefully keep the tweens away and back to more adult based.

Glad to hear strong rumours that`s going to happen this year.


----------



## FoxC63

I'm sure I won't win any popularity votes with my comment but since we're all sharing..
Having attended only two HHNs last year, I consider myself a newbie.  I keep reading the comments posted here about the younger crowds, tweens. To be honest I never noticed them. Maybe I was too focused on myself, my family or the group we were with or why we were there in the first place.  I have noticed the younger crowds during the day but even then they don't bother me. I guess after spending years at WDW hearing children scream & cry at the top of their lungs day and night and during special events, I find HHN a different kind of haven.​


----------



## schumigirl

FoxC63 said:


> I'm sure I won't win any popularity votes with my comment but since we're all sharing..
> Having attended only two HHNs last year, I consider myself a newbie.  I keep reading the comments posted here about the younger crowds, tweens. To be honest I never noticed them. Maybe I was too focused on myself, my family or the group we were with or why we were there in the first place.  I have noticed the younger crowds during the day but even then they don't bother me. I guess after spending years at WDW hearing children scream & cry at the top of their lungs day and night and during special events, I find HHN a different kind of haven.​



We all have our own experiences and that`s ok 

It has changed for sure over the last few years, in 2007 I don`t remember seeing a single stroller....there may well have been and we never noticed, and there were some kids around the age of 10 there, but not many. 

We missed the last 2 years due to not being able to fly, but long term visitors to the event all said the same thing.......too many tweens/kids/toddlers and I include SA friends too saying the same thing. You`re indeed very lucky if you never came across them, it can be quite traumatic to see a toddler crying their eyes out because they`re terrified. We all enjoy the event and don`t want to see these things, but they are certainly unavoidable for the most part. When a SA feels they can`t give a scare because of a toddler, something is wrong. Some SA of course won`t give a rats patootie......that`s my kind of SA........

It`s simply not an event that should be aimed at tweens/kids....that`s what Disney down the road is for. And maybe this year they may just be going back to old school........


----------



## FoxC63

schumigirl said:


> We all have our own experiences and that`s ok
> 
> When a SA feels they can`t give a scare because of a toddler, something is wrong. *Some SA of course won`t give a rats patootie......that`s my kind of SA........*
> 
> It`s simply not an event that should be aimed at tweens/kids....that`s what Disney down the road is for. And maybe this year they may just be going back to old school........


 I agree, SA's should do what they were hired to do, Universal even posts warnings...

Parents are always going to assume they know what's best for their kids however a warning from a company who specializes in fear should not be dismissed, as they have been doing this longer than most adults have had kids. 

Well, now that MNSSHP is in full gear perhaps there will be less tweens/kids/toddlers. I'm all in for old school sheer horror, bring it home Universal!  Bring it home!!! **


----------



## macraven

Hopefully with hhn admission tickets the same price for all, parents will not be bringing young children to HHN

All that go to HHN, has to have the admission ticket to enter the park


----------



## imprint

angelia said:


> Hello!! Planning our trip and was hoping to get RPR for September with fingers crossed for ROF w/express.  Wasn't able to get RPR (at all) or SFR (for under $418 night) in September. We are going for 11 nights. I did book SFR for 9/28-10/9 but I am concerned about the cost of multi night tix with the conversations about the possible price increase. We have only done ROF w/express so not sure how much more the multi night tickets will be. We do go to HHN each night it is happening while we are there (we are hooked). All of that to ask how much more difficult it is to get back and forth from HHN if staying at CBR? CBR does have availability in Sept.  We have only stayed at the resorts with boat access and are completely exhausted by nights end. lol This would be our first time a SFR as well.  Thank you for any input, I really appreciate it! We are so excited!


I recommend going ahead and booking what you can get now (you'll only pay a refundable deposit of one night at the time of reservation), but keep checking the availability of the other resorts.  People change their plans all the time and make days pop-up and then pop-out when booked by someone else.  Get your "bird in the hand" but keep an eye out for something you like better.  Good luck!

EDIT:  I re-read your message and now see that you have indeed already booked.  I still recommend keeping an eye (daily) on the other resorts in case an opportunity to rebook arises.  As for Sapphire Falls, we really enjoyed the resort.  Nice place and still get the water taxis.  Of course no daytime express, but you still get early entry.  We stayed there once for an HHN trip, and as far as HHN goes, it was fantastic.  During the day, it was a bit crowded (mid-October) and we really missed the express.  Late September-Early October might be better though.

EDIT 2:  Reading is Fundamental!  Good grief, I see now that you were wanting a comparison for Cabana Bay.  Unfortunately, we have not stayed there.  I'll leave my inapplicable reply though, just in case it might help someone else.


----------



## macraven

Angelia
You can use the water taxi to SF or RP
(SF would be best)

And from there, walk to CB 
My guess would be it’s about a 12 minute walk to reach your hotel

I pulled up quite a few opinions from Utube on time it takes to reach that CB and think it depends on your walking pace

Not sure if it is less time to use the bus from the park to CB


----------



## ThistleMae

What's the best way to get from WDW to HHN when you need transportation?


----------



## macraven

I would use car service 
Many relay on Uber/etc, as it is cheaper


----------



## angelia

imprint said:


> I recommend going ahead and booking what you can get now (you'll only pay a refundable deposit of one night at the time of reservation), but keep checking the availability of the other resorts.  People change their plans all the time and make days pop-up and then pop-out when booked by someone else.  Get your "bird in the hand" but keep an eye out for something you like better.  Good luck!
> 
> EDIT:  I re-read your message and now see that you have indeed already booked.  I still recommend keeping an eye (daily) on the other resorts in case an opportunity to rebook arises.  As for Sapphire Falls, we really enjoyed the resort.  Nice place and still get the water taxis.  Of course no daytime express, but you still get early entry.  We stayed there once for an HHN trip, and as far as HHN goes, it was fantastic.  During the day, it was a bit crowded (mid-October) and we really missed the express.  Late September-Early October might be better though.
> 
> EDIT 2:  Reading is Fundamental!  Good grief, I see now that you were wanting a comparison for Cabana Bay.  Unfortunately, we have not stayed there.  I'll leave my inapplicable reply though, just in case it might help someone else.


Thanks so much imprint! I still find your answers very helpful and very much appreciate you taking the time to respond! Can't wait to go!


----------



## angelia

macraven said:


> Angelia
> You can use the water taxi to SF or RP
> (SF would be best)
> 
> And from there, walk to CB
> My guess would be it’s about a 12 minute walk to reach your hotel
> 
> I pulled up quite a few opinions from Utube on time it takes to reach that CB and think it depends on your walking pace
> 
> Not sure if it is less time to use the bus from the park to CB


Thanks so much, that is very helpful! I didn't think to check Utube for a comparison in terms of walking distance. Good idea about taking the water taxi and walking over. I love is forum!


----------



## tony67

schumigirl said:


> We all have our own experiences and that`s ok
> 
> It has changed for sure over the last few years, in 2007 I don`t remember seeing a single stroller....there may well have been and we never noticed, and there were some kids around the age of 10 there, but not many.
> 
> We missed the last 2 years due to not being able to fly, but long term visitors to the event all said the same thing.......too many tweens/kids/toddlers and I include SA friends too saying the same thing. You`re indeed very lucky if you never came across them, it can be quite traumatic to see a toddler crying their eyes out because they`re terrified. We all enjoy the event and don`t want to see these things, but they are certainly unavoidable for the most part. When a SA feels they can`t give a scare because of a toddler, something is wrong. Some SA of course won`t give a rats patootie......that`s my kind of SA........
> 
> It`s simply not an event that should be aimed at tweens/kids....that`s what Disney down the road is for. And maybe this year they may just be going back to old school........


Id like to think they will be going back to old school - maybe the interest in the sea world event made them think a bit about their direction - they may not be a threat now but maybe down the road. 
Who would have ever thought that Universal would rival Disney - but it sure seems like it. 

As for the tweens and younger - If someone wants to bring a tween fine - just don't expect things to be appropriate to them - you are warned what to expect on the tickets - not that they read it.
No doubt there are 10 year old's that can handle the event better then some of the 20-somthings I've seen over the years.

What still bothers me in the guy with a 6 month old 2 years ago - who bring a kid that young and expects it to go well?   Just watching that kid crying - what the heck were they thinking?


----------



## PixieT78

I've decided I definitely want to do a tour on the 21st.  Is there any reason I shouldn't just book now?  There is a 6:30 and 7pm available - I'm thinking earlier is better as if I want to I can then do rides or scare zones or whatever after the tour is done?  Is that the right way to think about it?


----------



## CAPSLOCK

Book ASAP, prices will go up without warning (and they do not go back down).

I am a fan of the earlier tour time but to be fair I've only done it once.


----------



## PixieT78

CAPSLOCK said:


> Book ASAP, prices will go up without warning (and they do not go back down).
> 
> I am a fan of the earlier tour time but to be fair I've only done it once.


Thanks.  I went ahead and booked it - it is my birthday and I really don't want to lose out and $300 seems like enough to spend to me lol.  Really looking forward to this!!


----------



## Jennasis

Didn't Universal just tweet something indicating Stranger things is happening?


----------



## Monykalyn

schumigirl said:


> t`s simply not an event that should be aimed at tweens/kids....that`s what Disney down the road is for. And maybe this year they may just be going back to old school....





FoxC63 said:


> Well, now that MNSSHP is in full gear perhaps there will be less tweens/kids/toddlers. I'm all in for old school sheer horror, bring it home Universal! Bring it home!!! **


!00% agree with Schumi! and also hoping Fox is correct that with MNSSHP back in full there will be less parents deciding HHN is "worth a shot" for their young kids!!


angelia said:


> Hello!! Planning our trip and was hoping to get RPR for September with fingers crossed for ROF w/express.  Wasn't able to get RPR (at all) or SFR (for under $418 night) in September. We are going for 11 nights. I did book SFR for 9/28-10/9 but I am concerned about the cost of multi night tix with the conversations about the possible price increase. We have only done ROF w/express so not sure how much more the multi night tickets will be. We do go to HHN each night it is happening while we are there (we are hooked). All of that to ask how much more difficult it is to get back and forth from HHN if staying at CBR? CBR does have availability in Sept.  We have only stayed at the resorts with boat access and are completely exhausted by nights end. lol This would be our first time a SFR as well.  Thank you for any input, I really appreciate it! We are so excited!





macraven said:


> Angelia
> You can use the water taxi to SF or RP
> (SF would be best)
> 
> And from there, walk to CB
> My guess would be it’s about a 12 minute walk to reach your hotel
> 
> I pulled up quite a few opinions from Utube on time it takes to reach that CB and think it depends on your walking pace
> 
> Not sure if it is less time to use the bus from the park to CB





angelia said:


> Thanks so much, that is very helpful! I didn't think to check Utube for a comparison in terms of walking distance. Good idea about taking the water taxi and walking over. I love is forum!


Also check out Aventura as it is literally across street from Sapphire Falls and is a quick walk as well - If you haven't stayed at SF the water taxi drops off on lower level and you need to get to lobby level, then out to front of hotel before heading off on pathway to CBR (or Aventura) and THEN will need to walk to your hotel to your room. Not sure a ton of steps saved doing water taxi to SF vs the (long omg LONG) trek to busses but at least busses drop off in front of your resort.  This is when it's worthwhile to request "close to lobby" lol


----------



## mamapenguin

Jennasis said:


> Didn't Universal just tweet something indicating Stranger things is happening?


Can anyone confirm?


----------



## leiaorgana

mamapenguin said:


> Can anyone confirm?


Yesterday they posted a picture of the Island’s tower next to the clock from season 4 (if you seen S4 then you know the one I mean) on Twitter so it looks like the rumours about Netflix wanting too much for a licensing deal this year might not be true after all. Either that or it was just a meme but it seemed to be hinting at something related to Stranger Things anyway.


----------



## FoxC63

Has anyone noticed Universal increased AP, Seasonal Passes and Prime parking?  Again, I default to newbism and have not tracked historical price increases leading to HHN.  Does this mean we're about to see price increases for HHN anytime soon?


----------



## macraven

I have had the UO AP since they began
Cost increases usually yearly since maybe 2006


----------



## FoxC63

macraven said:


> I have had the UO AP since they began
> Cost increases usually yearly since maybe 2006



Yes, we've all seen price increases but that's not what I'm asking. Must read the entire post. 


FoxC63 said:


> Has anyone noticed Universal increased AP, Seasonal Passes and Prime parking?  Again, I default to newbism and* have not tracked historical price increases leading to HHN.  Does this mean we're about to see price increases for HHN anytime soon?*


----------



## macraven

Prices increase almost yearly


----------



## soniam

FoxC63 said:


> Has anyone noticed Universal increased AP, Seasonal Passes and Prime parking?  Again, I default to newbism and have not tracked historical price increases leading to HHN.  Does this mean we're about to see price increases for HHN anytime soon?



I don't know if ticket prices for HHN go up over time, but it's never been tied to AP increases. This is the 2nd AP increase this year. I know that HHN Express Passes have gone up in price as we get closer to the event.


----------



## nurseberta

HHN September nights

help me decide between a Thursday Sept 15 arrival day and Sunday Sept 19 last night before departure the next day

my plan was 

9/15 Thursday  arrival rest at hotel, then parks at 3pm, HHN
9/16  Fri VB w cabana rental
9/17 Sat switch to HRH express passes
9/17-18 Sat/Sun dry parks
9/19 Mon depart

now I am thinking HHN on arrival day is a bit much

how does this sound instead

9/15 Thursday arrival day,  HRH express passes dry parks
9/16 Fri/ dry parks
9/17 Sat VB w cabana rental/  dry park/citiwalk
9/18 Sun no express parks/HHN
9/19 depart

which night would make the most out of my express pass during the day. 
we wont be diong express for HHN


----------



## RocketChk

My family hates me because we don't rest when we're on vacation. I'll sleep when I'm dead, but ET is not going to marathon itself.


----------



## keishashadow




----------



## leiaorgana

That’s another one from the spec maps, right? HHN Twitter is saying it’s the original 1978 version though not Halloween 4. I’m excited either way though!

Announcement video for anyone that wants to watch it:


----------



## babesboo99

With the announcement of the new Halloween house that has just been announced ed I have been informed we have to HHN this year so here goes the planning. I am wondering when do FF passes go in sale for multiple nights?


----------



## keishashadow

leiaorgana said:


> That’s another one from the spec maps, right? HHN Twitter is saying it’s the original 1978 version though not Halloween 4. I’m excited either way though!


I’d prefer the original also. Idk which one tbh have seen both referenced

Seeing this on Twitter now


Regardless, my Myers will be in the house 




babesboo99 said:


> I am wondering when do FF passes go in sale for multiple nights?


Question is ‘if’ not when. 

(Insert evil cackling here)

Many of us will not be amused if RoF & FF aren’t again offered

I posted somewhere here when they went on Sale in past. You would need to look back in thread. Off the Top of my head…may have been end of July last year?


----------



## schumigirl

lol....keisha, that`s funny

Halloween house is based on the original and the best 1978 version according to Mike Aiello.


----------



## imprint

nurseberta said:


> HHN September nights
> 
> help me decide between a Thursday Sept 15 arrival day and Sunday Sept 19 last night before departure the next day
> 
> my plan was
> 
> 9/15 Thursday  arrival rest at hotel, then parks at 3pm, HHN
> 9/16  Fri VB w cabana rental
> 9/17 Sat switch to HRH express passes
> 9/17-18 Sat/Sun dry parks
> 9/19 Mon depart
> 
> now I am thinking HHN on arrival day is a bit much
> 
> how does this sound instead
> 
> 9/15 Thursday arrival day,  HRH express passes dry parks
> 9/16 Fri/ dry parks
> 9/17 Sat VB w cabana rental/  dry park/citiwalk
> 9/18 Sun no express parks/HHN
> 9/19 depart
> 
> which night would make the most out of my express pass during the day.
> we wont be diong express for HHN



Do you have an early or late departure time?  If you won't have HHN express and plan to do all the houses, you'll probably be pretty tired the next day (we're tired the next day _with_ HHN express).  That might be a consideration on whether next day at VB with cabana or travel day is better.


----------



## keishashadow

schumigirl said:


> lol....keisha, that`s funny
> 
> Halloween house is based on the original and the best 1978 version according to Mike Aiello.


That is a relief lol


----------



## Eeyore1220

This will be our first visit, and we're so excited about the Halloween house! Question: I ended up getting an annual pass with the idea that we would go next year as well. Is a labor day weekend opening pretty standard/reliable for HHN? I was looking at booking a hotel - it's refundable, but I wanted to get in before the prices go crazy. We will have to go one of the first two weekends of September 2023 to get in before the annual pass expires, so I'm nervous about being so limited in time. Thoughts? Is opening weekend an insane time to go? Are RIP tours way more expensive then?


----------



## Skywalker3

Sorry it’s sideways, saw this yesterday. Great shirt!


----------



## babesboo99

Is there early admission? If I don't buy a regular ticket is there gonna be a way I can get in early


----------



## theFoof

babesboo99 said:


> Is there early admission? If I don't buy a regular ticket is there gonna be a way I can get in early



There is typically a "Scream Early" ticket upgrade that gets you in the park at 3PM to wait for Stay-And-Scream/ride a couple rides for people that do not already have a day ticket or AP. It hasn't been announced yet this year but has been around $30 in the past, keep checking back.


----------



## imprint

Eeyore1220 said:


> This will be our first visit, and we're so excited about the Halloween house! Question: I ended up getting an annual pass with the idea that we would go next year as well. Is a labor day weekend opening pretty standard/reliable for HHN? I was looking at booking a hotel - it's refundable, but I wanted to get in before the prices go crazy. We will have to go one of the first two weekends of September 2023 to get in before the annual pass expires, so I'm nervous about being so limited in time. Thoughts? Is opening weekend an insane time to go? Are RIP tours way more expensive then?


I won't be a whole lot of help, but I'll take a stab (waka, waka, waka) at it.  I believe opening night has sold out one or both of the last two years of HHN.  I don't remember if the Saturday or Sunday nights sold out though.  Lots of media/social media there the first night.

I checked the tickets for public RIP for the first two weekends (and Wednesday in between), and this is what I'm seeing:  9/2 = none, 9/3 = $370, 9/4 $280, 9/7 = $300, 9/9 = $320, 9/10 = $330, 9/11 = $280.  I recommend verifying, but that's what I'm seeing. The Sundays in early September (9/4, 9/11, 9/18 are the cheapest RIP days now in September and I don't think it gets any cheaper in October).

Also, just to make sure you know, an RIP pass is an add-on, so you still need a regular HHN ticket as well.  If you have any more questions, please ask!


----------



## CAPSLOCK

imprint said:


> I won't be a whole lot of help, but I'll take a stab (waka, waka, waka) at it.


----------



## babesboo99

theFoof said:


> There is typically a "Scream Early" ticket upgrade that gets you in the park at 3PM to wait for Stay-And-Scream/ride a couple rides for people that do not already have a day ticket or AP. It hasn't been announced yet this year but has been around $30 in the past, keep checking back.


Thank you so much. I just don't see the sense in spending all day in the parks if I will be there all night..lol


----------



## keishashadow

Eeyore1220 said:


> Thoughts? Is opening weekend an insane time to go? Are RIP tours way more expensive then?


I’d pick the 2nd weekend.  No first hand experience going that early.  However, many have shared that it’s prudent to skip the opening weekend to give the scareactors time to settle in a bit.

can say that last year (via a longer trip than normal for us that started the last week of September) was initially rather disappointed with the acting.  

discussed it with GS when there for another matter.  They revealed a large number of scareactors had quit.  Apparently, not being able to deal with the required masks.  know we did see both the A & B teams over a week or so & things did pick up quickly once all settled into their roles


----------



## lisam70

Historically does anyone know if any of the free AP dates are in September? My AP expires 9/26 and I’m thinking of trying to go one more time.


----------



## keishashadow

lisam70 said:


> Historically does anyone know if any of the free AP dates are in September? My AP expires 9/26 and I’m thinking of trying to go one more time.


Believe that info was posted here in response to same Q earlier, scroll back or use search engine.


----------



## keishashadow

Winnie the Pooh rights lapsed into public domain a few months ago.  Already a horror movie in production, Winnie the Pooh, Blood & Honey (described as Pooh & Piglet going feral.  

would be quite ‘the jab’ at the competition if U used the characters in some format This year, even if in a scare zone.


----------



## keishashadow

Newest spec maps.  also included Hollywood, as often, houses are duplicated in both parks.


----------



## nurseberta

If I buy tickets online, 5 people, what is the best option for ticket delivery? print at home, online/email  or will call? Can I pick these tickets up at Cabana Bay the day we arrive? will have to get my park tickets there anyway


----------



## keishashadow

nurseberta said:


> Can I pick these tickets up at Cabana Bay the day we arrive? will have to get my park tickets there anyway


Picking up at the resorts is much quicker than main gate transactions


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> Winnie the Pooh rights lapsed into public domain a few months ago.  Already a horror movie in production, Winnie the Pooh, Blood & Honey (described as Pooh & Piglet going feral.
> 
> would be quite ‘the jab’ at the competition if U used the characters in some format This year, even if in a scare zone.



That would be hilarious!!!!


----------



## Robo56

keishashadow said:


> Newest spec maps. also included Hollywood, as often, houses are duplicated in both parks.



Thank you Keisha for the updated newest spec maps.

If the map turns out accurate for HHN at Universal Orlando It will be interesting to see how they transition Dead Mans Wharf to a House. It was a scare zone in 2016.

In 2017 there was a Horrors of Blumhouse and Ash vs Evil Dead.

Also had a Horrors of Blumhouse and Seeds of Extinction in 2018.
There was a Halloween House 2016, 2018 and I’am sure some before that. Micheal Myers has endless potential if the house is good.

 Seeds of Extinction was one of my least favorite houses in 2018. So it will be interesting to see what they do with the second installment of this house if the maps correct.

I hope they put the Pumkins back up in the trees in the Scare Zone that Trick or Treat was in located in 2017. It was beautiful to see all the Pumpkins lit up at night.

A little musing.


----------



## macraven

I’m not excited over the houses for this year 

But I’ll still be attending hhn…


----------



## Robo56

macraven said:


> I’m not excited over the houses for this year
> 
> But I’ll still be attending hhn…






Some of the Orginal Houses in past few years have been winning over the IP’s.
I‘am optimistic that Universal HHN creators will find a way to make it a awesome HHN 31.

Who doesn’t love a WEREWOLF


----------



## keishashadow

Robo56 said:


> Dead Mans Wharf to a House. It was a scare zone in 2016.


Ok knew the name was familiar, couldn’t place it. 

You mention some great houses

I think it’s time for another military type house, along lines of nightengales blood prey or Havoc. 

Had never heard legend of la Llrona, they did it very well. Found it curious to be listed spec for Hollywood along with killer Klowns.  Probably cost efficient if they still
Have the props & plans from USO lol


Robo56 said:


> I hope they put the Pumkins back up in the trees in the Scare Zone that Trick or Treat was in located in 2017. It was beautiful to see all the Pumpkins lit up at night.


Beautiful. Could swear they were up there for a few years.  


Robo56 said:


> Who doesn’t love a WEREWOLF


A


----------



## Robo56

keishashadow said:


> Beautiful. Could swear they were up there for a few years.


Your right the Pumpkins were back up in the trees for Twisted Tradition Scare Zone in the same place the following year HHN 28.


keishashadow said:


> A


LOL

I would really like to see another House along the lines of ”THE FALLEN” That was one of my favorite houses of all time. The technical aspects of that house have not been topped yet for me. It was awesome.


----------



## macraven

Totally agree with you on that house!

Wasn’t it the Fallen house I did with you Robbie?

By far it was a highlight for me


----------



## scottishgirl1

We had a slight hiccup in our opening weekend plans but are still doing RIP tour on Saturday 3rd September and are now booked in for 3 house Unmasking the Horror tour at 12.15 on Sunday 4th, the tour will probably finish at about 2.45

If a frequent night pass is released for that weekend we would like to do HHN on Sunday 4th as well so if this happens just wondered what the advice is for getting a break/food and drink between the tour ending and the queuing up for stay and scream areas. Have never been to event before so have no clue what to do, currently we could move the 3 house tour earlier or later if it was better plan


----------



## Robo56

macraven said:


> Totally agree with you on that house!
> 
> Wasn’t it the Fallen house I did with you Robbie?
> 
> By far it was a highlight for me



Yes, it was the Fallen House Mac. That was HHN 27. That house was like literally walking into Hell with all the fire and brimstone. I remember that house had the 3 technical aspects I had never seen used before. There were Fallen Angels that flew at you in one area. Then there was a Fallen Angel flying over in one of the areas. Then at the end of the house it looked like a Fallen Angel was going to fall on you.

Those Scare Actors that were connected to the bungee cords and the overhead flight apparatus were brave and awesome.

I remember we did that house a number of times.

HHN 27 was a good year for Houses. The Shinning, Scare Crow The Reaping, Dead Waters, American Horror Stories (Asylum, Coven and Roanoke).

That also was the first year they had the Pumpkin’s in the trees in the Trick or Treat Scare Zone. It was beautiful.

My sister, Lynne from the Sans and I were all in your Private RIP Tour that year.

It was a really good HHN that year.





scottishgirl1 said:


> We had a slight hiccup in our opening weekend plans but are still doing RIP tour on Saturday 3rd September and are now booked in for 3 house Unmasking the Horror tour at 12.15 on Sunday 4th, the tour will probably finish at about 2.45
> 
> If a frequent night pass is released for that weekend we would like to do HHN on Sunday 4th as well so if this happens just wondered what the advice is for getting a break/food and drink between the tour ending and the queuing up for stay and scream areas. Have never been to event before so have no clue what to do, currently we could move the 3 house tour earlier or later if it was better plan



I will try to be the voice of reason here a bit.

You are going to be doing a lot of walking on the RIP Tour The night before. You have probably read that the Haunted Houses are located in the back area lots. Depending on what time you booked your RIP Tour you might not be getting in till well after midnight if you booked one of the later tours.

That being said here goes.

If you have the time I would book your two tours with a break day in between. Your legs will be spent from the RIP Tour the night before. I have seen what appear to be very fit folks crying the blues saying their legs and feet hurt after a night of HHN is over.


If not then you have two option:

First option: Keep your afternoon 3 House UMH Tour. This will give you time to rest up a little in the morning and recover from the night before. You can get a late lunch after the Tour is over at any of the restaurants in the Studios. Find a place to sit and rest your legs. As long as you have your HHN ticket or Pass if its offered with you can stay in the park once it closes to everyone else not attending the event and head to the Stay & Scream area of your choice located near the houses you want to see the most.

There will be food booths, beer and specialty cocktails created for the event on offer during HHN.


Second option: Change your Unmasking the Horror Tour to a morning time. After the tour go out to Citywalk for lunch. Then back to your Resort for a little rest or pool time. Be back in the park before it closes and head to Stay & Scream areas.

Those in the Stay & Scream Areas will be released to the houses before those who are at the gates trying to get scanned in when the event starts in the evening.

Warning……you will be addicted after your first HHN and will have to return every year after.

No matter what you choose have a wonderful time at HHN.


----------



## 386chad

Hey guys! Sorry for my newbness, but are these spec maps usually pretty accurate, it seems like everyone is acting like that is pretty much what it's going to be, like it's leaked from universal internally.  ??


----------



## scottishgirl1

Thanks so much for such a detailed reply! We will be there for HHN on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th September, checking into our hotel on 2nd so didnt book for that night in case that is the only one we can attend so our only options at the moment for our party size are do 1.00 Unmasking the horror on the 3rd which I think is too much or go for 10am on the 4th which I think is too early after the previous night. I feel we are best sticking wiht the RIP tour on the Saturday night so that if we go by ourselves on the Sunday night we will have some idea what we want to do and it may also be quieter

our airline keep messing with their Orlando flights so hoping that doesnt end up changing our travel dates at this late stage...


----------



## keishashadow

scottishgirl1 said:


> now booked in for 3 house Unmasking the Horror tour at 12.15 on Sunday 4th, the tour will probably finish at about 2.45


I’m thinking one we took was closer to 3 hours YMMV


Robo56 said:


> Those Scare Actors that were connected to the bungee cords and the overhead flight apparatus were brave and awesome.


Look forward to seeing how they work those in every year along with the ‘funny’ house.  The one that is a beautiful Set piece homage (Beetlejuice & ghostbusters) 

Seems as tho there’s been some interesting foliage sorts last few years too that have been interesting 


Robo56 said:


> you have the time I would book your two tours with a break day in between. Your legs will be spent from the RIP Tour the night before. I have seen what appear to be very fit folks crying the blues saying their legs and feet hurt after a night of HHN is over.


Excellent advice


scottishgirl1 said:


> our airline keep messing with their Orlando flights


I feel you there, had 2changes for fall trip
This week.  

RIP Tour on Saturday night a good idea as so crowded, even tho pricier.  Will give u a good idea which houses will be a priority on Sunday.


----------



## macraven

i like to do UMH  day tour before i do the hhn
with the lights off in the houses 

that way i will know what and where to look when i’m the house in the evening

the tour guide explains background of the house


----------



## zillayen

We already have a trip planned for 10/1-10/6. My husband just dropped that he wants to go to HHN if they have one of the AP nights while we're there. Now I have to psych myself up for it -- I am NOT a horror buff so is there like a "wimp" area of the event? I doubt we will do any of the houses, just hang out if it's free.


----------



## Skippyboo

zillayen said:


> We already have a trip planned for 10/1-10/6. My husband just dropped that he wants to go to HHN if they have one of the AP nights while we're there. Now I have to psych myself up for it -- I am NOT a horror buff so is there like a "wimp" area of the event? I doubt we will do any of the houses, just hang out if it's free.


There are scare zones around the park but they are not normally super scary. Plus there will be food and drinks booths. A tribute store to look around.

Diagon Alley is HHN free so you can always go there. Plus the some of the rides will be running too


----------



## CAPSLOCK

zillayen said:


> We already have a trip planned for 10/1-10/6. My husband just dropped that he wants to go to HHN if they have one of the AP nights while we're there. Now I have to psych myself up for it -- I am NOT a horror buff so is there like a "wimp" area of the event? I doubt we will do any of the houses, just hang out if it's free.


As @Skippyboo said, there are rides + Diagon Alley, and the scare zones aren't too bad. You can also do the shows, they aren't scary at all. If they bring back the pyro show, add it to your night; it was really good!

And you might consider a not-so-scary house, a la Beetlegeuse last year.


----------



## macraven

HHN is not free
It’s a ticketed event for the houses


----------



## zillayen

macraven said:


> HHN is not free
> It’s a ticketed event for the houses


I thought there are nights for Premier passholders where admission is free with your pass?


----------



## macraven

last year and assume this year that tradition will continue 

many that are new to hhn may think hhn is free for all which is why i posted above hhn is a ticketed event


----------



## zillayen

macraven said:


> last year and assume this year that tradition will continue
> 
> many that are new to hhn may think hhn is free for all which is why i posted above hhn is a ticketed event


Got it, thank you for clarifying!


----------



## keishashadow

macraven said:


> i like to do UMH  day tour before i do the hhn
> with the lights off in the houses
> 
> that way i will know what and where to look when i’m the house in the evening
> 
> the tour guide explains background of the house


many agree with you.  I avoid spoilers like the plague.  doing multiple nights, I prefer a run-through prior.  

There’s the beauty of it, no right or wrong way to get the tar scared out of you


zillayen said:


> I thought there are nights for Premier passholders where admission is free with your pass?


go back in the thread to see the ‘historical’ dates you could get the free pass.


----------



## shh

tony67 said:


> No doubt there are 10 year old's that can handle the event better then some of the 20-somthings I've seen over the years.


I'm the first to say keep the littles home, but at that age, it does vary tremendously. We met the coolest 10 year old a couple of years ago - he was so into it - was confidently rating all the houses by the quality of "jump scares" to let us know which to hit first. lol. He sounded like a pro.


----------



## keishashadow

shh said:


> I'm the first to say keep the littles home, but at that age, it does vary tremendously. We met the coolest 10 year old a couple of years ago - he was so into it - was confidently rating all the houses by the quality of "jump scares" to let us know which to hit first. lol. He sounded like a pro.


Some kids do seem to do just fine, at least initially…then the nightmares kick in nwahahaha.  JK however…

Agree, it’s never a good idea to generalize, especially when it comes to kids.  All are different mini-me’s

even though it’s been tamed down in recent years, HHN can still be quite intense. It’s a decidedly mature crowd, having adult fun that can be ‘salty’.

YMMV, my experience:  

My Kids all embraced the horror genre early.  Had eagerly experienced the local haunts and seemed to be good candidates.  However, I’ve always been of the mind there is some entertainment that should be specifically for adults, if not older tweens/teens.

I insisted a no-go to HHN until youngest had hit 11.  I said the same thing to my GD, still haven’t taken her along despite her pleading…soon m pretty lol

also, made it very clear ahead of time that, if anyone freaked, out of the park they would go with the parent that lost the rock-paper-scissors on that one.

at times, it’s a bit cringey to read the posts from those who ask if their kids ‘can do HHN‘.  My thot, if you have to ask, you already have the answer In hand.  Good intentions do often pave the way to an unfortunate experience.


----------



## shh

keishashadow said:


> I insisted a no-go to HHN until youngest had hit 11. I said the same thing to my GD, still haven’t taken her along despite her pleading…soon m pretty lol


You've actually created a neat rite of passage - like getting your DL license at 16. A milestone! I totally agree about the adult humor/atmosphere in general though. 

It's so frustrating when parents bring kids into bars or nightclubs that are clearly designed for adults, then get offended when adults inevitably talk or act like....adults.


----------



## macraven

It has been a long time ago since  i had a minor (age 18 ) to join a hhn group private tour I booked.

It worked out fine but since then, I only include ages 21 and over.

It worked better for me.


----------



## Robo56

zillayen said:


> I thought there are nights for Premier passholders where admission is free with your pass?



There is one free night to HHN for Premier Passholders. In the past those nights have been noted when they release the rest of the information on multi-night tickets etc...


----------



## babesboo99

Waiting on FF passes to come out  to decide if i should buy them or single day tix we are going 2 nights and we want the passes for the houses.I can't remember when they came out does anyone have an idea maybe?


----------



## mamapenguin

babesboo99 said:


> Waiting on FF passes to come out  to decide if i should buy them or single day tix we are going 2 nights and we want the passes for the houses.I can't remember when they came out does anyone have an idea maybe?


According to google, it looks like August 5th, 2021….


----------



## babesboo99

mamapenguin said:


> According to google, it looks like August 5th, 2021….


Thank you


----------



## imprint

Robo56 said:


> Thank you Keisha for the updated newest spec maps.
> 
> If the map turns out accurate for HHN at Universal Orlando It will be interesting to see how they transition Dead Mans Wharf to a House. It was a scare zone in 2016.
> 
> In 2017 there was a Horrors of Blumhouse and Ash vs Evil Dead.
> 
> Also had a Horrors of Blumhouse and Seeds of Extinction in 2018.
> There was a Halloween House 2016, 2018 and I’am sure some before that. Micheal Myers has endless potential if the house is good.
> 
> Seeds of Extinction was one of my least favorite houses in 2018. So it will be interesting to see what they do with the second installment of this house if the maps correct.
> 
> I hope they put the Pumkins back up in the trees in the Scare Zone that Trick or Treat was in located in 2017. It was beautiful to see all the Pumpkins lit up at night.
> 
> A little musing.



Seeds of Extinction:  Our first two runs were not good at all and we placed it in the bottom of the rankings.  But...  Our last two runs were perfect and it rocketed to the top spot for our rankings.  Crazy how timing (and possibly cast changes) can totally change the perception of a house.  I totally get where you're coming from, but I also know how extremely dramatic the difference was for us in our runs.  I'm so glad we didn't cut it too soon and went again.  This was the biggest swing in perception for us in the 10 years we've been going.


----------



## imprint

386chad said:


> Hey guys! Sorry for my newbness, but are these spec maps usually pretty accurate, it seems like everyone is acting like that is pretty much what it's going to be, like it's leaked from universal internally.  ??


Oh, it's a mixed bag, to be honest.  Some will wind up on the list, some will be changed, and some will be sorta-like what was listed.  It's just something for us HHN-freaks to talk about in the meantime, but the speculation is based on semi-good information being leaked from those in the know.  Don't take anything to be gospel until Universal announces it.  There have been strong speculation houses replaced at the very last minute (Scream anyone?).  Don't base any decisions on speculation maps.  It's just something to keep the freaks entertained in the meantime.


----------



## imprint

macraven said:


> i like to do UMH  day tour before i do the hhn
> with the lights off in the houses
> 
> that way i will know what and where to look when i’m the house in the evening
> 
> the tour guide explains background of the house


Totally respect macraven's preference, but we like to go one night to HHN before the Unmasking Tour just to be unaware the first time.  Then we like to have the Unmasking tour before the rest of our nights, so we know what to look for and know the secrets from the tour.  Either method is fine and you'll enjoy the event either way.  Trust me, it's a totally different experience going through with the lights on and a tour guide versus at night with the lights off and no guide.  I forget so many things, just because it feels so different.  The Unmasking tour is so great though, and I don't want to discredit it.  We're hooked on it all.  We book Frequent Fear w/ Express (for 3-4 nights) and the 6-house Unmasking the Horror Tour every year now.  I can't wait for October...


----------



## scottishgirl1

Yeah we were booked on 10am  3 house tour on the day of our RIP tour but there are only 4 places available now and we need 5 so have had to move it as they only time for 5 that day is 1pm and that is too late for a proper break before RIP tour, unless we made RIP  later or move day.We might go in on the 2nd but that is opening night and also we are checking in to our hotel that day so if we dont get a room its not great to be returning to hotel very late...


----------



## leiaorgana

Just a heads up - The Michael Myers t shirts are already sold out at Universal atm    Tried to buy one last night after picking up our APs and apparently they sold the last one earlier that day.


----------



## dismoose23

Here is a question to all of you HHN pros. DW and I are looking to go to HHN on October 15th (this will be our first HHN ever). We will be staying at Wilderness Lodge (we are also doing MNSSP on the same trip). What are the best strategies with getting to Universal for HHN? I assume either Uber or Lyft. We will definitely look into the stay and scream option since this will be on Saturday.


----------



## keishashadow

imprint said:


> It's just something for us HHN-freaks to talk about in the meantime, but the speculation is based on semi-good information being leaked from those in the know. Don't take anything to be gospel until Universal announces it.


we do tend to grasp at any straw lol


leiaorgana said:


> Just a heads up - The Michael Myers t shirts are already sold out at Universal atm    Tried to buy one last night after picking up our APs and apparently they sold the last one earlier that day.


if not a reprint, then would assume another version will be issued.  U has never been shy on tshirts.  I had to wait several days for the first shirt I bought in years to be back in stock last year during the event (tall man).  Worth the wait 



dismoose23 said:


> We will be staying at Wilderness Lodge


 10/15, you picked a busy day/time.  

S&S would certainly be a big help.  

Being an onsite guest normally offers a separate line for quicker access.


as for ride shares, one is the same as the other in my book.  have you considered booking private transport?  this site has a preferred company they feature, many others in the area.  

You may be hit with surge pricing on the return trip, same as you would at a large WDW event.


----------



## keishashadow

HHN corporate Sponsor leak via published advertising/ contest promo


----------



## zillayen

I just saw on Twitter they announced a Blumhouse House. Not sure if this was already posted.


----------



## keishashadow

zillayen said:


> I just saw on Twitter they announced a Blumhouse House. Not sure if this was already posted.


Nice catch, thanks for posting to confirm the earlier slip up.  Figure there were forced into releasing this earlier than anticipated lol


----------



## keishashadow

6/23:

The Horrors of Blumhouse:  The Black Phone & Freaky (in the F&F area)


----------



## nurseberta

what is the best plan for eating if you have HHN tickets? Never been but we are doing one night on a 4 night Sept stay. plan is early flight arrive by 9am and have a pool day, likely do early entry using one of our park days and head to US around 3, that is stay and scream right? i know they hold you in areas but do these areas typically have food? are people milling about eating and drinking or are they standing in a line to dart to houses? 
for HHN in general? do they have enough spots to handle the crowds at quick service? are all the restaurants open? ideally won’t be sitting down because it’s our only night so not sure how to go about planning such a thing as food! no express passes so i’m fine with just getting a taste of it.


----------



## schumigirl

nurseberta said:


> what is the best plan for eating if you have HHN tickets? Never been but we are doing one night on a 4 night Sept stay. plan is early flight arrive by 9am and have a pool day, likely do early entry using one of our park days and head to US around 3, that is stay and scream right? i know they hold you in areas but do these areas typically have food? are people milling about eating and drinking or are they standing in a line to dart to houses?
> for HHN in general? do they have enough spots to handle the crowds at quick service? are all the restaurants open? ideally won’t be sitting down because it’s our only night so not sure how to go about planning such a thing as food! no express passes so i’m fine with just getting a taste of it.



They do have loads of grab and go options around the parks for food, don`t waste time worrying about sitting down somewhere. 

Louie`s has very good pizza if you wanted to eat there too. Finnegans is open but it is usually heaving!


----------



## keishashadow

nurseberta said:


> what is the best plan for eating if you have HHN tickets? Never been but we are doing one night on a 4 night Sept stay. plan is early flight arrive by 9am and have a pool day, likely do early entry using one of our park days and head to US around 3, that is stay and scream right? i


Technically. Not sure I’d burn a park
Day on a few hours jump start if they again sell stay & scream tix


nurseberta said:


> know they hold you in areas but do these areas typically have food?


Yes


nurseberta said:


> are people milling about eating and drinking or are they standing in a line to dart to houses?


Both


nurseberta said:


> for HHN in general? do they have enough spots to handle the crowds at quick service?


No, generally not efficiently IMO. Be prepared to wait


nurseberta said:


> are all the restaurants open?


No


nurseberta said:


> ideally won’t be sitting down because it’s our only night so not sure how to go about planning such a thing as food! no express passes so i’m fine with just getting a taste of it.


Get in line for holding pen, then grab ur food

PS
HHN Hollywood has ALL their tix out.  

Again, this not Orlando.  

Taking it as a good sign for USO I’m seeing multi night tix

https://www.universalstudioshollywood.com/hhn/en/us/tickets

Can’t say I’m up to speed on what their past multi night pricing has been as we’ve only done single nights there.  However, prices seem high


----------



## FoxC63

zillayen said:


> I just saw on Twitter they announced a Blumhouse House. Not sure if this was already posted.



I just received a email from Universal about this!  Looks like you all knew long before me, crazy with the delay.


----------



## imprint

nurseberta said:


> what is the best plan for eating if you have HHN tickets? Never been but we are doing one night on a 4 night Sept stay. plan is early flight arrive by 9am and have a pool day, likely do early entry using one of our park days and head to US around 3, that is stay and scream right? i know they hold you in areas but do these areas typically have food? are people milling about eating and drinking or are they standing in a line to dart to houses?
> for HHN in general? do they have enough spots to handle the crowds at quick service? are all the restaurants open? ideally won’t be sitting down because it’s our only night so not sure how to go about planning such a thing as food! no express passes so i’m fine with just getting a taste of i



For a one-night HHN without Express, I would suggest considering eating a full meal at City Walk (or wherever) before entering the park.  Then if you get there early for stay and scream, start with your most anticipated houses, while you get the head start. Then a little later, you can get quick service snacks or meals (the "food truck" stands have had pretty good foodie-type food and drinks the last few years) before finishing up the night.

I highly suggest having a house, scare zone, and show priority list (for the group), so you can see the most important stuff and work in the rest.  If you aren't there opening weekend, you should be able to get a good idea of early reports about houses, zones, shows, and food.  It will require a bit of research and planning, but it should pay off in getting the most done while still being able to relax and eat and take in the event.

With 10 houses, 5 zones, 2 shows, and a lot of food options, it's very difficult to do it all in one night without having the experience of doing it previously.  Just have realistic expectations, and be sure to do your top-list stuff first.

Bonus tip:  The houses are dark, and with stay and scream, it will still be daylight.  Strongly consider wearing sunglasses until the moment before entering the house, so your eyes will not take as long to adjust to the dark.  The event is incredibly fun, so just try to stay in the fun mode.  Enjoy!


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## nurseberta

imprint said:


> For a one-night HHN without Express, I would suggest considering eating a full meal at City Walk (or wherever) before entering the park.  Then if you get there early for stay and scream, start with your most anticipated houses, while you get the head start. Then a little later, you can get quick service snacks or meals (the "food truck" stands have had pretty good foodie-type food and drinks the last few years) before finishing up the night.
> 
> I highly suggest having a house, scare zone, and show priority list (for the group), so you can see the most important stuff and work in the rest.  If you aren't there opening weekend, you should be able to get a good idea of early reports about houses, zones, shows, and food.  It will require a bit of research and planning, but it should pay off in getting the most done while still being able to relax and eat and take in the event.
> 
> With 10 houses, 5 zones, 2 shows, and a lot of food options, it's very difficult to do it all in one night without having the experience of doing it previously.  Just have realistic expectations, and be sure to do your top-list stuff first.


Thanks so much! I am def going to have to plan it just right, a nice sit down dinner sounds like a great advice to start the night! wondering how much the lower tier of HHN freq fear pass is, and if its worth it $$$$ to cut down a day of the reg park tix and do that instead. Also, If the multi day tickets are similar cost difference than stay and scream which one should I opt for (as in the difference between a 3day vs 4 day pass). 4 nights and so many decisions, decisions, decisions!!


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## nurseberta

tiana1989 said:


> 5) Following the advice of other blogs, we did a huge meal at Toothsome first so that we didn’t need to eat a full meal the rest of the night. It was pretty hot so we stopped for drinks a few times, but I think we only jumped into a line for snacks once, and we picked that booth because of how short the line was.


Can you tell me what time you planned lunch/dinner to get into the stay and scream at a decent time without rushing?


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## nurseberta

I have heard that HHN tickets sell out. what happens if I wait for rush of fear pass?  3rd weekend in September. If I buy a single night ticket now can I upgrade to rush of fear if/when they offer it?


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## macraven

on a holiday weekend, saturday can be sold out

I think you will be fine for 3rd weekend in September.
That is one of the days i will be in the park

We should meet and say “hi”


----------



## imprint

nurseberta said:


> Thanks so much! I am def going to have to plan it just right, a nice sit down dinner sounds like a great advice to start the night! wondering how much the lower tier of HHN freq fear pass is, and if its worth it $$$$ to cut down a day of the reg park tix and do that instead. Also, If the multi day tickets are similar cost difference than stay and scream which one should I opt for (as in the difference between a 3day vs 4 day pass). 4 nights and so many decisions, decisions, decisions!!


I want to make sure I'm giving you proper advice here, but I'm a bit confused about the question.  I just want to make sure I understand, since as we all know this is a very expensive event.  I'm not trying to be obtuse, I just want to make sure I am giving the best advise here, so please bear with me.

Are you planning on visiting USO multiple days?  Are you planning on visiting multiple nights of HHN?  Since I think you said you will be there in September, definitely check the price of Rush of Fear pass, if you will be going more than one night.  The Rush of Fear pass with or without express is the best deal if you are going multiple mights in September (be absolutely sure they cover your nights if so).  If you are for sure only going one night, then check the price of express pass and/or RIP tour if you want to be sure to see most or all during that one night.

I would recommend deciding how many daytime days you want and separately deciding how many HHN nights you are going first.  Since they are separate tickets, that will help us give you better advice.

Sorry to be elusive, I just don't want to say something that might cost you money and time if I'm not understanding your plans properly.  Please just continue to ask, and I and others will continue to give advice.  I'm glad you are asking this far in advance, so we can best help you to have the best experience.


----------



## nurseberta

imprint said:


> I want to make sure I'm giving you proper advice here, but I'm a bit confused about the question.  I just want to make sure I understand, since as we all know this is a very expensive event.  I'm not trying to be obtuse, I just want to make sure I am giving the best advise here, so please bear with me.
> 
> Are you planning on visiting USO multiple days?  Are you planning on visiting multiple nights of HHN?  Since I think you said you will be there in September, definitely check the price of Rush of Fear pass, if you will be going more than one night.



Thanks so much for helping me!
plan is cabana bay/hard rock split stay
Sept 15-19 thursday-monday
early arrival plane lands at 9am
ideally we were thinking 4 day park to park with one HHN night

initial plan
Thursday
pool day on arrival relax/ HHN $76x5 using one of the 4 day park passes as stay and scream

Friday
Volcano Bay rented a cabana/ maybe IOA evening or citiwalk

Saturday
early to HRH express pass parks/ midday pool.
repeat plan on Sunday. fly out midday monday

we have hotel and airfare paid for but have to buy tickets next

4 day park to park tickets are 388 +tax
3 day park to park tickets are 367+tax
HHN one night $76 pp sept 15

so if I get the frequent fear or rush of fear whatever the name is for $150-$199
that gives us ideally options to go each night of our stay Thursday-Sunday then I could drop the extra day pass
we could feasibly do HHN Thursday and Friday and even part of sat and sunday. just wish they would put all the tickets out!! it would be so much easier to plan if I knew how much stay and scream was. and if i needed it instead of a 4 day pass 

plan is to do all of it though we have been to the dry parks, have not done HHN ever, and kids haven’t done VB, for clarity kids are 19,20,23 so they will likely not get enough of HHN on one night


also, I can’t swing HHN express passes because it’s too much $$ for 5 people.


----------



## macraven

friday and saturday hhn tickets have a higher price than the Wednesday and Thursday


----------



## Skywalker3

nurseberta said:


> Can you tell me what time you planned lunch/dinner to get into the stay and scream at a decent time without rushing?


Hey, we were total HHN newbies last year. First time going. Definitely made a few mistakes.
We ate at toothsome's , done around 3PM, but didn't eat super filling meals. We were all hungry by later in the night. Also took more time than expected to get back to Portofino, rest a bit, get ready, charge phones etc. Made it to stay/scream about 30 mins before park close, and got in the line.
Later, Ended up wasting too much time ordering inside/sitting down to eat at Louie's. Pizza was surprisingly good, but I went for the pizza fries., which were delicious! If we do get to HHN this year, will try mobile order instead, and eat more quickly.
Prepare for more walking that you can imagine! I expected tons of walking around the parks, but didn't really comprehend that several houses are backstage, in the production areas, well off the beaten path.
we did stay/scream, and it worked out really well. got 4 houses done very,very quickly, but wasn't able to do 2 of the biggies in a row, like we'd hoped. we chose the S/S holding area for Hill House. Never got to Beetlejuice. (but quickly did others.)  DId a couple scare zones. Then we lost some momentum.. Also turned out to be a very busy night. Our 5th house, Texas Chainsaw, had a posted 90 min wait, we waited 60. We skipped the shows, none of us were interested. Ended up doing 8 houses, left at 1AM (kids were tired! I could've stayed longer.) I think we could've gotten the last 2 in, if we'd stayed until 2. Also wasted some time because kids wanted to ride Rip Ride Rocket. line was long, but I enjoyed a few adult beverages, so all good.
If we do this year, will just be 1 night again, likely beginning of Disney  trip, Columbus day weekend. blah. Super busy time for sure. . If there's any chance we could manage 2 nights, and/or express, I totally would. I wanted to repeat a couple houses, and no time .
Had an awesome first HHN though. So much great advice on these Universal threads. Happy planning!!!


----------



## imprint

Ok, I think I see what you're saying.  With the option of 4 daytime tickets, but using one on Thursday just to get in early, then I think I would opt to not get 4 daytime (3 day instead) and use the savings to go towards upgrading from a single night of HHN to the Rush of Fear (historically it would cover your Thur, Fri, Sat, and Sun nights).

The first night you could wait until the initial crowds get in (unless you don't mind waiting at the gate for opening) and see a few houses and/or shows and go through the scare zones.  Could even ride some rides.  Then on the Fri, Sat, Sun nights, you could use the daytime Park-to-Park tickets to be in Studios before closing for stay and scream (or again just come in after the initial rush of opening crowd).  You'll be able to get more done those nights, and should be able to cover everything spreading the 10 houses and 2 shows across all nights.  It would be a little more expensive (hopefully not too much), but would definitely give you more time at HHN (and remember you can ride the open rides too).

I do have a question, and you might already know the answer.  We've never been to Volcano Bay.  Is it included in the park-to-park tickets?  I know the Annual Passes are more expensive if it includes VB.  Might want to consider single park daytime tickets to save some money.  Of course, if Hogwarts Express (or you generally park hop) is a high priority, then the park to park is more important.  Just a possible consideration.

I agree, I wish they would hurry up and release the Frequent Fear and Rush of Fear tickets, so we could figure this all out.  As for pricing, I expect RoF and FF to be $20-ish more dollars than last year.  I think RoF was about $130 (without express) last year, so (my total guess) would be about $150 this year.

Anyway, I hope I have helped some and not made it more confusing.  It'll definitely be easier to figure out when the rest of the HHN tickets are released.

One last thing, when you are about to buy tickets, check to see if they have a bonus buy on daytime tickets (e.g. Buy 2 days get a 3rd free or Buy 3 days get a 4th free - and be absolutely sure to read the fine print to make sure they are valid on your dates).  One more additional last thing, if you think you might want to revisit USO within 12 months, the Seasonal Pass might be worth it.  Just another consideration when everything is available to lay out and see what's best.


----------



## imprint

Skywalker3 said:


> Hey, we were total HHN newbies last year. First time going. Definitely made a few mistakes.
> We ate at toothsome's , done around 3PM, but didn't eat super filling meals. We were all hungry by later in the night. Also took more time than expected to get back to Portofino, rest a bit, get ready, charge phones etc. Made it to stay/scream about 30 mins before park close, and got in the line.
> Later, Ended up wasting too much time ordering inside/sitting down to eat at Louie's. Pizza was surprisingly good, but I went for the pizza fries., which were delicious! If we do get to HHN this year, will try mobile order instead, and eat more quickly.
> Prepare for more walking that you can imagine! I expected tons of walking around the parks, but didn't really comprehend that several houses are backstage, in the production areas, well off the beaten path.
> we did stay/scream, and it worked out really well. got 3-4 houses done very quickly, although wasn't able to do 2 of the biggies in a row, like we'd hoped. Never got to Beetlejuice. Then we lost momentum.. Also turned out to be a very busy night. Our 5th house, Texas Chainsaw, had a posted 90 min wait, we waited 60. We skipped the shows, none of us were interested. Ended up doing 8 houses, left at 1AM (kids were tired! I couldn't stayed longer.) I think we could've gotten the last 2 in, if we'd stayed until 2. Also wasted some time because kids wanted to ride Rip Ride Rocket. line was long, but I enjoyed a few adult beverages, so all good.
> If we do this year, will just be 1 night again, likely beginning of Disney  trip, Columbus day weekend. blah. Super busy time for sure. . If there's any chance we could manage 2 nights, and/or express, I totally would. I wanted to repeat a couple houses, and no time .
> Had an awesome first HHN though. So much great advice on these Universal threads. Happy planning!!!



Thanks for the feedback on your experience, it definitely helps new HHN folks.  You are absolutely right about the steps involved.  Those backstage loops really add up.  That is a hidden advantage of the RIP tours, since they can go straight from exit to entrance without looping around.  So many steps saved, but at a cost.


----------



## macraven

great advice and suggestions!


----------



## BuckeyeBama

My family - 7 of us - will likely be trying HHN for the first time this year. We only have one day for Universal and HHN - the rest of our trip is already booked doing other things. We plan on getting one day two park tickets for the day, then HHN tickets for that night. So I have a few questions.

If we stay in a Universal Resort for one night, will we get express passes for both our two-park passes and our HHN tickets because we are staying in the resort, or would we have to pay for the express passes for one or both?

Is it possible/reasonable to squeeze in all of this in a single day/night? We don't expect to do everything, but I have not been to Universal in 25+ years and have no idea what to expect.

Thoughts?


----------



## Lynne G

Buckeye, if you stay in the 3, RPR, HR and PBH, yes, free unlimited express for all from time you check in, until park close the next day, including parking, while also an additional charge, you would only be billed for one night parking, as long as car out by midnight.  Do know they also charge for adults over 2 in a standard room, and may be limit on how many are in a room.  If you are in any of the other hotels, no included express.  Also, your room express is not good at HHN nor VB. Both are an additional charge for all.  And like all expenses for sale, prices do change, and are not refundable.  hth


----------



## BuckeyeBama

Lynne G said:


> Buckeye, if you stay in the 3, RPR, HR and PBH, yes, free unlimited express for all from time you check in, until park close the next day, including parking, while also an additional charge, you would only be billed for one night parking, as long as car out by midnight.  Do know they also charge for adults over 2 in a standard room, and may be limit on how many are in a room.  If you are in any of the other hotels, no included express.  Also, your room express is not good at HHN nor VB. Both are an additional charge for all.  And like all expenses for sale, prices do change, and are not refundable.  hth


Thank you - this is exactly what I wanted to know.


----------



## macraven

You would need to book one of the high end suites for a group of 7 

exception might be if a child up to age 2 or 3 might not be counted as in the room and suites for a party of 6 is cheaper than the high end suites 

check out the hotel you are interested in and see what listing they have for a large family 

there are suites in some of the other hotels categories that allows more bed space


----------



## BuckeyeBama

macraven said:


> You would need to book one of the high end suites for a group of 7
> 
> exception might be if a child up to age 2 or 3 might not be counted as in the room and suites for a party of 6 is cheaper than the high end suites
> 
> check out the hotel you are interested in and see what listing they have for a large family
> 
> there are suites in some of the other hotels categories that allows more bed space


Thanks - we plan to book 2 separate rooms. Need 2 bathrooms.


----------



## BuckeyeBama

Another first timer question - We will buy the Express Pass for HHN. In mid-September, are we going to be able to hit everything in one night with the Express Pass? Also, which Houses should we hit first because they are the most popular? I have no idea what to prioritize because I have never done this before and am hoping you guys can help. This is an all adult group ranging from 22-57 in age. We are all adventurous.


----------



## macraven

there are rumors out but little official info on the house lists 

mid september should be a fine time to go without huge crowds 

Having the express pass can be to your advantage 
It is a one time use with the hhn ticket 

use the ep when lines are long and when lines become lighter, use the regular lines for repeating the same house


----------



## macraven

most likely in mid september house lines will have line waits on Friday and Saturday (and possibly Sunday )

It really is a bit early to predict if Sunday will have high crowds 

You can get an idea by how crowded the park will be based on if the onsite hotels are sold out for your dates .


----------



## Jimmy Mouse

We will be there October 8-15. I plan on at least 3 HHN's. Can't wait!


----------



## CAPSLOCK

BuckeyeBama said:


> My family - 7 of us - will likely be trying HHN for the first time this year. We only have one day for Universal and HHN - the rest of our trip is already booked doing other things. We plan on getting one day two park tickets for the day, then HHN tickets for that night.
> 
> Is it possible/reasonable to squeeze in all of this in a single day/night? We don't expect to do everything, but I have not been to Universal in 25+ years and have no idea what to expect.


IMO, no. Not going to be a good plan to try to hit both parks in one day when they are essentially new to you, then expect to have any energy left to get anything meaningful done at HHN that night. Unless your finances are such that HHN tickets for 7 are worth it for maybe a few hours / a few houses. I usually am a rope drop to close person w/ a solid lunch break, and no way I could make open til HHN close enjoyably.


----------



## CAPSLOCK

imprint said:


> We've never been to Volcano Bay. Is it included in the park-to-park tickets? I know the Annual Passes are more expensive if it includes VB.


You'll need 3 park tickets to include VB. The 2 park tickets exclude it. If you are doing APs, and only plan to visit VB once, it can be cheaper to buy an individual day ticket to VB than to add VB onto the AP.


----------



## MinnieMSue

CAPSLOCK said:


> You'll need 3 park tickets to include VB. The 2 park tickets exclude it. If you are doing APs, and only plan to visit VB once, it can be cheaper to buy an individual day ticket to VB than to add VB onto the AP.



We did one day at VB and just purchased one day tickets. We did not add to our seasonal passes and it was definitely cheaper for us. We enjoyed it a ton but weren’t planning on going again that year and didn’t. 
To people wanting to tour park day of HHN - you simply cannot imagine the amount of fatigue you will have. Our one HHN we got a lot done but bailed at 11:30 and were more exhausted than we have ever been. We did the 6 house tour that day. We still saw the shows and most of the houses as it was not a busy night but seriously my legs and feet were just dying. We are normally open to close go go go people at amusement parks but I cannot emphasize enough the amount of walking that happens. Also. Wear your absolute best shoes. For me it is my Hokas all the way. Not sandals I normally wear in parks.


----------



## zillayen

BuckeyeBama said:


> Thanks - we plan to book 2 separate rooms. Need 2 bathrooms.


RPR has a "hospitality suite" that may be cheaper than 2 rooms - accommodates 8 with rollaway. It's a regular 2Q room attached to a large living/dining area with a sofa bed and kitchen and a full bathroom (shower) in the living room.


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## MikeNamez

I skimmed through and didn’t see anything, do we have any info on multi-night tickets or AP rates yet for Orlando. I know Hollywood’s is out. 

Thanks!


----------



## Brandilla

Can anyone give any insight on what crowds are like beginning Nov 1st? Do hhn crowds tend to stick around through the week? Or is it busy for any other reason?


----------



## nurseberta

imprint said:


> Ok, I think I see what you're saying.  With the option of 4 daytime tickets, but using one on Thursday just to get in early, then I think I would opt to not get 4 daytime (3 day instead) and use the savings to go towards upgrading from a single night of HHN to the Rush of Fear (historically it would cover your Thur, Fri, Sat, and Sun nights).
> 
> The first night you could wait until the initial crowds get in (unless you don't mind waiting at the gate for opening) and see a few houses and/or shows and go through the scare zones.  Could even ride some rides.  Then on the Fri, Sat, Sun nights, you could use the daytime Park-to-Park tickets to be in Studios before closing for stay and scream (or again just come in after the initial rush of opening crowd).  You'll be able to get more done those nights, and should be able to cover everything spreading the 10 houses and 2 shows across all nights.  It would be a little more expensive (hopefully not too much), but would definitely give you more time at HHN (and remember you can ride the open rides too).
> 
> I do have a question, and you might already know the answer.  We've never been to Volcano Bay.  Is it included in the park-to-park tickets?  I know the Annual Passes are more expensive if it includes VB.  Might want to consider single park daytime tickets to save some money.  Of course, if Hogwarts Express (or you generally park hop) is a high priority, then the park to park is more important.  Just a possible consideration.
> 
> I agree, I wish they would hurry up and release the Frequent Fear and Rush of Fear tickets, so we could figure this all out.  As for pricing, I expect RoF and FF to be $20-ish more dollars than last year.  I think RoF was about $130 (without express) last year, so (my total guess) would be about $150 this year.
> 
> Anyway, I hope I have helped some and not made it more confusing.  It'll definitely be easier to figure out when the rest of the HHN tickets are released.
> 
> One last thing, when you are about to buy tickets, check to see if they have a bonus buy on daytime tickets (e.g. Buy 2 days get a 3rd free or Buy 3 days get a 4th free - and be absolutely sure to read the fine print to make sure they are valid on your dates).  One more additional last thing, if you think you might want to revisit USO within 12 months, the Seasonal Pass might be worth it.  Just another consideration when everything is available to lay out and see what's best.


Omg, yes thanks so much for taking the time to understand my plans! I like your take on it and will def go for the freq fear for sept, considering the VB day ticket over a 3 day  3 park/ park-park is not something I considered but can price it out as well so thanks for that thought.  you have to chose 2 park/park-park or 3 park/park-park and looking at prices looks like one VB day plus tax is $85.20 + 2 day 2 park/park-park plus tax is $319.49 for a total of $405.  3 day, 3 park park-park is $375 so it seems the multi day pass is still the better bet.  Thanks again!!! actually 4 day park-park is only $388 so likely ill do that with the freq fear


----------



## tinkerbell1991

Come on Universal you little temptress, just announce a Stranger Things house already now the final of Season 4 has come out


----------



## mamapenguin

tinkerbell1991 said:


> Come on Universal you little temptress, just announce a Stranger Things house already now the final of Season 4 has come out


Yes please.


----------



## CAPSLOCK

Brandilla said:


> Can anyone give any insight on what crowds are like beginning Nov 1st? Do hhn crowds tend to stick around through the week? Or is it busy for any other reason?


In 2021 the crowds were low that week, and actually _very_ low the last week of Oct Mon-Thurs (minus during HHN itself). IE nearly walk-on almost everything in the afternoons, 30min-ish for Hagrids... 2022 may be different, but I would go either of those weeks again in a heartbeat. You'll start to see holiday decorations up, too.


----------



## imprint

nurseberta said:


> Omg, yes thanks so much for taking the time to understand my plans! I like your take on it and will def go for the freq fear for sept, considering the VB day ticket over a 3 day  3 park/ park-park is not something I considered but can price it out as well so thanks for that thought.  you have to chose 2 park/park-park or 3 park/park-park and looking at prices looks like one VB day plus tax is $85.20 + 2 day 2 park/park-park plus tax is $319.49 for a total of $405.  3 day, 3 park park-park is $375 so it seems the multi day pass is still the better bet.  Thanks again!!! actually 4 day park-park is only $388 so likely ill do that with the freq fear


Glad I was able to help!  Just one clarification, and you might already understand I just want to make sure.  The Frequent Fear pass is valid on HHNs on Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday (there is a Frequent Fear+ that adds Fridays).  Then there is the Rush of Fear pass, which is a subset of the Frequent Fear pass.  Rush of Fear is valid for the first 20-ish days of HHN in September, and the price is usually just slighly more than a single night ticket.  I just want to make sure you understand, since I think you'll be able to take advantage of the Rush of Fear pass and save a bunch of money and be able to go Friday and Saturday.  If you're not sure when tickets come out, just ask here (or with USO) for confirmation.  You got this!


----------



## JeanfromBNA

Hello, Everyone! We will be newbies at HHN this year, and plan to go the last week of October. We are considering the RIP Tour because it was recommended earlier in this thread to novices, and because we think it would be fun to hang out with other people. However, I can't walk fast, and sometimes need to take a break. I don't want to hold anyone in the group back. Does the tour go super fast, and would I be able to skip a haunted house during a RIP tour if I wanted to sit down for a moment?


----------



## keishashadow

imprint said:


> Just one clarification, and you might already understand I just want to make sure. The Frequent Fear pass is valid on HHNs on Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday (there is a Frequent Fear+ that adds Fridays). Then there is the Rush of Fear pass, which is a subset of the Frequent Fear pass


Historically, correct. However, since not officially announced as being offered  


JeanfromBNA said:


> Does the tour go super fast, and would I be able to skip a haunted house during a RIP tour if I wanted to sit down for a moment?


Private tours -the owner sets the pace

Public - Some I’ve observed have gone at faster pace than I prefer, others at a snails pace with multiple bar/rest stops.  Depends on the guide.  Had one who deferred to majority in the public tour.  

When you call to book, ask your specific questions. They may refer you to guest services for specific answers.  

Good luck


----------



## nurseberta

imprint said:


> Glad I was able to help!  Just one clarification, and you might already understand I just want to make sure.  The Frequent Fear pass is valid on HHNs on Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday (there is a Frequent Fear+ that adds Fridays).  Then there is the Rush of Fear pass, which is a subset of the Frequent Fear pass.  Rush of Fear is valid for the first 20-ish days of HHN in September, and the price is usually just slighly more than a single night ticket.  I just want to make sure you understand, since I think you'll be able to take advantage of the Rush of Fear pass and save a bunch of money and be able to go Friday and Saturday.


Thanks for the clarification!! We are there for 5 days/4 nights only so I will need the pass that has the dates (all) in September likely. Will make sure I read carefully. I did some googling and found a post on a website dates August 5th 2021 that the frequent/multi day passes had been posted. At this point I do feel ok waiting as I’ve decided the one night pass isn’t going to be enough, but it is nerve wracking.
Can I purchase from 3rd party seller like undercover tourist and upgrade through them? or is waiting until beginning of August doable?


----------



## imprint

nurseberta said:


> Thanks for the clarification!! We are there for 5 days/4 nights only so I will need the pass that has the dates (all) in September likely. Will make sure I read carefully. I did some googling and found a post on a website dates August 5th 2021 that the frequent/multi day passes had been posted. At this point I do feel ok waiting as I’ve decided the one night pass isn’t going to be enough, but it is nerve wracking.
> Can I purchase from 3rd party seller like undercover tourist and upgrade through them? or is waiting until beginning of August doable?



When we've been able to go when Rush of Fear is valid, we were able to save so much money.  It's a fantastic ticket.  Otherwise, it's Frequent Fear for us (if going 3+ nights).  You're absolutely right that it is nerve wracking waiting to find out if those tickets will be available this year.  I haven't bought any HHN tickets yet this year.  Hollywood recently released their Frequent Fear passes, so I'm hoping Orlando will do the same soon.

Sorry, I don't know the answer about buying/upgrading through Undercover Tourist.  I used to buy regular park tickets from them before we started buying/renewing Annual Passes, but I have not bought HHN tickets from them.


----------



## contemporarymom

If it's already public knowledge, I apologize for asking this question but I just can't find the answer anywhere.  Has Universal released the nights that the Premiere pass free HHN are good for yet? My husband and I are doing a RIP Tour on 9/11 and I'd like to know if we'll need tickets.  Thanks in advance.


----------



## macraven

That info has not been released yet


----------



## lisam70

Do premier AP holders get discounts on single night tickets?


----------



## Eno

Was first at HHN in 2019 and found long lines and didn't plan properly.  Going back this year in Sept, just bought tickets for Wednesday Sept 21 - HHN pass and also express pass.
Will be in the parks that day (have an annual pass) and trying to figure out eating lunch/dinner prior to the event.  Want to be in a stay and scream holding area this
time.  I see that I can book reservations at Finnegan's.  Reservation times seem to be open for that day, if I eat there will I already be in the holding pen when I leave the restaurant or
should I eat early enough to be done by say 4:00 to then enter the pen?  Other option looking at is eating a lunch (the great feast) at the three broomsticks at IOA and then making my way
to into Universal Studios park by 3:00 ish.  Don't seem to be able to make reservations there though.


----------



## Mrs.AMC

BuckeyeBama said:


> My family - 7 of us - will likely be trying HHN for the first time this year. We only have one day for Universal and HHN - the rest of our trip is already booked doing other things. We plan on getting one day two park tickets for the day, then HHN tickets for that night. So I have a few questions.
> 
> If we stay in a Universal Resort for one night, will we get express passes for both our two-park passes and our HHN tickets because we are staying in the resort, or would we have to pay for the express passes for one or both?
> 
> Is it possible/reasonable to squeeze in all of this in a single day/night? We don't expect to do everything, but I have not been to Universal in 25+ years and have no idea what to expect.
> 
> Thoughts?


No, it is not possible/reasonable to do both Universal, Islands and HHN in a single day
HHN alone is exhausting in a single night.
We once made the mistake of doing the Behind the Screams tour followed by HHN on the same day and it was just miserable.
Behind the Screams was not nearly as much as both parks would be.
Pick one or the other.
If you do try for both, just plan to do half of each.
I mean, individually you can do each with EP in one day
We have no problems doing all of HHN in a single night with EP. Now, we don't get time to really linger through the scare zones like I'd like to and we don't really get to stop to enjoy a lot of the food booths but we can complete all the houses and the show.
We also are able to do all the rides with EP. You'd have to include early entry to do both Velicocoaster and Hagrids and hope that both are running early.
Anyway, just my thoughts. If you try this I think your family will revolt, want to strangle your neck by the end of the night. If they can lift their arms.


----------



## Mrs.AMC

contemporarymom said:


> If it's already public knowledge, I apologize for asking this question but I just can't find the answer anywhere.  Has Universal released the nights that the Premiere pass free HHN are good for yet? My husband and I are doing a RIP Tour on 9/11 and I'd like to know if we'll need tickets.  Thanks in advance.


We are anxiously waiting too. I've got 2 weeks blocked out on the calendar to work out a trip as soon as the dates are announced.


----------



## lisam70

Mrs.AMC said:


> We are anxiously waiting too. I've got 2 weeks blocked out on the calendar to work out a trip as soon as the dates are announced.


Me too! Last year it was all Sept dates except the first and last weekend, and Wednesdays in October. 
Tentatively panning for 9/15


----------



## Mrs.AMC

lisam70 said:


> Me too! Last year it was all Sept dates except the first and last weekend, and Wednesdays in October.
> Tentatively panning for 9/15


Our best dates are the last week of Sept/first week of Oct. We can do mid week and avoid the weekend so I'm hoping we are in the clear. 
I'd love to get in 2 days this year, 1 free and 1 we purchase. Really take our time this year. 
It's taken me several years to build up the courage to even go in the houses. I still don't love to be scared but I do appreciate the details they put in to them and all the work put in to them. I've learned to focus more on that, less on the scare part. Gets me through them. But what I love the most are the scare zones. I hope the bring them up this year. Last year was a let down


----------



## Eno

Was surprised that Finnegan's is taking reservations on Wed Sept 21 until 6:45, all other HHN nights stops at 2:00.  Went ahead and booked for 3:30 figured would be good timing to eat and get into the holding area.  Hopefully won't be cancelled.


----------



## mamapenguin

Eno said:


> Was surprised that Finnegan's is taking reservations on Wed Sept 21 until 6:45, all other HHN nights stops at 2:00.  Went ahead and booked for 3:30 figured would be good timing to eat and get into the holding area.  Hopefully won't be cancelled.


Maybe they are full the other dates past 2? I have Friday 9/9 at 3:30 booked last month.


----------



## lisam70

Mrs.AMC said:


> Our best dates are the last week of Sept/first week of Oct. We can do mid week and avoid the weekend so I'm hoping we are in the clear.
> I'd love to get in 2 days this year, 1 free and 1 we purchase. Really take our time this year.
> It's taken me several years to build up the courage to even go in the houses. I still don't love to be scared but I do appreciate the details they put in to them and all the work put in to them. I've learned to focus more on that, less on the scare part. Gets me through them. But what I love the most are the scare zones. I hope the bring them up this year. Last year was a let down


This will be my first time. I don't really like haunted houses either but I love halloween so I'm gonna try and suck it up lol. I'll try some of your suggestions-focus on little details instead of who's gonna jump out and scare the crap out of me


----------



## Mrs.AMC

lisam70 said:


> This will be my first time. I don't really like haunted houses either but I love halloween so I'm gonna try and suck it up lol. I'll try some of your suggestions-focus on little details instead of who's gonna jump out and scare the crap out of me


The only way I was ever able to step foot in my first haunted house was to take the unmasked tour. Doing that taught me all the efforts put in to the designs. After that I was able to go in the houses


----------



## shb5007

Is there any benefit of staying on property at Universal the night of Halloween Horror Nights?  Just for a single night stay?  I have Sunday tickets / Express Pass (for October 16th).  I was looking at staying on property, but the benefit (for the day, early entry in the morning) doesn't help me at all without a day ticket.  I would like to walk to our hotel after the night (which I know will be long), but can save a decent about of $$$ and stay at the Hyatt House right across the street.


----------



## Mrs.AMC

shb5007 said:


> Is there any benefit of staying on property at Universal the night of Halloween Horror Nights?  Just for a single night stay?  I have Sunday tickets / Express Pass (for October 16th).  I was looking at staying on property, but the benefit (for the day, early entry in the morning) doesn't help me at all without a day ticket.  I would like to walk to our hotel after the night (which I know will be long), but can save a decent about of $$$ and stay at the Hyatt House right across the street.


For us yes, it's over very late and we want the fastest travel to a bed we can have.
Other than that, you have no HHN benefit with an on site stay that I know of. MAYBE (emphasis on purpose) a separate entry point?


----------



## Skywalker3

shb5007 said:


> Is there any benefit of staying on property at Universal the night of Halloween Horror Nights?  Just for a single night stay?  I have Sunday tickets / Express Pass (for October 16th).  I was looking at staying on property, but the benefit (for the day, early entry in the morning) doesn't help me at all without a day ticket.  I would like to walk to our hotel after the night (which I know will be long), but can save a decent about of $$$ and stay at the Hyatt House right across the street.


I just want to have a way to get back to a close room, no driving.  If we do HHN in Oct, we already have our stay booked at Boardwalk, but I don't want to be driving back there at 2AM, so looking for a cheap place to crash at Universal, likely will do Endless summer, one or two nights.


----------



## djmeredith

lisam70 said:


> This will be my first time. I don't really like haunted houses either but I love halloween so I'm gonna try and suck it up lol. I'll try some of your suggestions-focus on little details instead of who's gonna jump out and scare the crap out of me


Same for this first timer! I am taking 14 and 16 yo boys who really want to go, so I am sucking it up. I'll do one or two and if it is too much, I will just let them do it alone! lol

First timer question about the holding areas. We are going the Sunday of the first weekend (Labor Day weekend) and I bought EPs. We will be in the park that day so I figured we might as well do a holding area, but I know we will need to eat before starting the houses. If I understand correctly, we could wait in the Simpsons holding area, grab dinner at that food court, and then be ready to go. Correct?


----------



## Monykalyn

CAPSLOCK said:


> IMO, no. Not going to be a good plan to try to hit both parks in one day when they are essentially new to you, then expect to have any energy left to get anything meaningful done at HHN that night. Unless your finances are such that HHN tickets for 7 are worth it for maybe a few hours / a few houses. I usually am a rope drop to close person w/ a solid lunch break, and no way I could make open til HHN close enjoyably.


agree that both parks + HHN is a recipe for  family revolt-if they can muster the energy. Otherwise be prepared for meltdowns, temper tantrums, bad moods-and the kids will be worse.


shb5007 said:


> Is there any benefit of staying on property at Universal the night of Halloween Horror Nights?  Just for a single night stay?  I have Sunday tickets / Express Pass (for October 16th).  I was looking at staying on property, but the benefit (for the day, early entry in the morning) doesn't help me at all without a day ticket.  I would like to walk to our hotel after the night (which I know will be long), but can save a decent about of $$$ and stay at the Hyatt House right across the street.


Depends on where you stay, if you plan to drive, when you plan to leave.  If possible stay in resort with boat service or Aventura or CB where you can boat to SF then walk across street to resort. Although I do love the space of Hyatt House! Just know a long walk at that time of night will hurt, or longer wait for Uber, or will have to pay for parking at HHN


Skywalker3 said:


> I just want to have a way to get back to a close room, no driving.  If we do HHN in Oct, we already have our stay booked at Boardwalk, but I don't want to be driving back there at 2AM, so looking for a cheap place to crash at Universal, likely will do Endless summer, one or two nights.


Know that Endless summer is bus only-bus stop is a longer walk than the boat adjacent resorts (but not as long as parking garage or Uber spot). It hurts walking up that incline at night lol! Endless summer resorts look so cute!


----------



## Mrs.AMC

Monykalyn said:


> agree that both parks + HHN is a recipe for  family revolt-if they can muster the energy. Otherwise be prepared for meltdowns, temper tantrums, bad moods-and the kids will be worse.
> 
> Depends on where you stay, if you plan to drive, when you plan to leave.  If possible stay in resort with boat service or Aventura or CB where you can boat to SF then walk across street to resort. Although I do love the space of Hyatt House! Just know a long walk at that time of night will hurt, or longer wait for Uber, or will have to pay for parking at HHN
> 
> Know that Endless summer is bus only-bus stop is a longer walk than the boat adjacent resorts (but not as long as parking garage or Uber spot). It hurts walking up that incline at night lol! Endless summer resorts look so cute!


The walking can't be emphasized enough. There is so much walking at HHN. Those houses, the treks to the houses. Then back out to another house. It's more than most park days. Even getting back to Hard Rock is a struggle.


----------



## mamapenguin

Mrs.AMC said:


> For us yes, it's over very late and we want the fastest travel to a bed we can have.
> Other than that, you have no HHN benefit with an on site stay that I know of. MAYBE (emphasis on purpose) a separate entry point?


If you don’t have stay and scream or a day ticket the day of HHN there is a special entry line for resort guests that has a much better holding area than the rest of the folks in front of the main entrance. We found it because we got to the parks after they had closed for day entry. Resort line was over to the left and a little hard to find, so ask if you don’t see it. It’s there & the team members will help you find it.


----------



## agavegirl1

Well, I finally booked our HHN single night ticket with public RIP tour at 8PM 10/26/22 for the same price as my 2 night tickets, one with RIP tour and one with Express 4 years ago.   Holy Christmas!


----------



## Mrs.AMC

mamapenguin said:


> If you don’t have stay and scream or a day ticket the day of HHN there is a special entry line for resort guests that has a much better holding area than the rest of the folks in front of the main entrance. We found it because we got to the parks after they had closed for day entry. Resort line was over to the left and a little hard to find, so ask if you don’t see it. It’s there & the team members will help you find it.


Thanks. I had an inkling somewhere in the back of my memory that this existed. We've always been in the park already and never used it so I wasn't 100% certain about it. And heaven knows I don't rely on my memory for anything these days


----------



## shh

shb5007 said:


> Is there any benefit of staying on property at Universal the night of Halloween Horror Nights?  Just for a single night stay?  I have Sunday tickets / Express Pass (for October 16th).  I was looking at staying on property, but the benefit (for the day, early entry in the morning) doesn't help me at all without a day ticket.  I would like to walk to our hotel after the night (which I know will be long), but can save a decent about of $$$ and stay at the Hyatt House right across the street.


I always stay offsite across the street and use the savings on food, drink, express pass, etc. It's nice to stay onsite, but imo, really not that big a deal if you're just doing HHN and are staying so close, you can just walk back to your room. They have a great pedestrian overpass now that makes it super safe. 

*BUT it's a personal decision:* most do get too tired to walk at the end of the night and then you're stuck paying premium Uber rates. And of course, as others mentioned, the resort-only entrance may make it worth the extra money. 

My legs were never all that tired after HHN that it bothered me to walk back offsite. And I'm usally doing Stay & Scream beforehand so the dedicated entrance wasn't a benefit.


----------



## babesboo99

I might have asked this before but I can't seem to find it. We stayed at surfside inn and suites in June and liked it and decided to stay there for HHN . Now my question is since we are going 2 maybe 3 nights will they have FF passes, AND/OR can I get in the park just a little earlier to stay in the holding area? Don't want to spend more money on day tickets if I don't have to.


----------



## Mrs.AMC

babesboo99 said:


> I might have asked this before but I can't seem to find it. We stayed at surfside inn and suites in June and liked it and decided to stay there for HHN . Now my question is since we are going 2 maybe 3 nights will they have FF passes, AND/OR can I get in the park just a little earlier to stay in the holding area? Don't want to spend more money on day tickets if I don't have to.


Does FF come with the Stay and Scream? I hadn't recalled seeing that it did but I haven't used it myself. If so, then you can. If no, then no you can't.
It does take either AP, Day tickets or Stay and Scream to access the park prior to HHN as far as I understand


----------



## agavegirl1

Okay, we have seasonal passes, HHN tickets and an RIP tour booked.  Is this the equivalent of a “stay and scream” ticket because we plan to stay in the park that day.


----------



## CAPSLOCK

If you have Seasonal APs, you don't need Stay & Scream tickets - those are solely to gain access to the park a few hours before HHN starts & you already have access.


----------



## shb5007

A few quick questions.

1.) When should we plan to arrive at HHN for the event?  It opens at 6:30pm?  We are NOT staying on property and are NOT planning on paying for early entry.  When should we line up?  We are going on a Sunday (October 16th).  We DO have express passes.

2.) We want to eat dinner at CityWalk.  I know this gets busy (or it was last year when we attended HHN on a Saturday in early October).  Any recommendations for a dinner spot at CityWalk where we can make reservations?  We were thinking around 4pm... and then walk over to the HHN gate?  We want a meal... but we also plan to eat some bites (at the stands) at HHN.

3.) We want to eat lunch (around 11am) the next "morning" at CityWalk.  Any recommendations for a spot for lunch before heading out to catch a flight?  We will have 1-1.5 hours for lunch.

4.) I know HHN will be a late night.  Any idea when the "official" hours will be announced?


----------



## keishashadow

shh said:


> really not that big a deal if you're just doing HHN and are staying so close, you can just walk back to your room. They have a great pedestrian overpass now that makes it super safe.


i’ve seen so many doing this when coming back from dinner offsite at millers.  If I had enough life left in me at end of night would give it a whirl.


shb5007 said:


> When should we plan to arrive at HHN for the event? It opens at 6:30pm? We are NOT staying on property and are NOT planning on paying for early entry. When should we line up? We are going on a Sunday (October 16th). We DO have express passes.


Ive seen people sitting at the gate as early as 3 pm.

you cannot underestimate the sea of humanity, even on the weekends.


----------



## keishashadow




----------



## tony67

I really wish Universal would release this info sooner - I'm on the fence about going this year, and for how long and when.   
Knowing the ticket options would really help and knowing the houses would also help.
I know its the same every year - but its really frustrating  - trying to book flight and hotels - its not that far away now.
For the most part - you don't need to plan at Universal and that is why I like it - but HHN is different and expensive


----------



## mamapenguin

tony67 said:


> I really wish Universal would release this info sooner - I'm on the fence about going this year, and for how long and when.
> Knowing the ticket options would really help and knowing the houses would also help.
> I know its the same every year - but its really frustrating  - trying to book flight and hotels - its not that far away now.
> For the most part - you don't need to plan at Universal and that is why I like it - but HHN is different and expensive


I completely agree. We know we are going, but not how many HHN nights because of the lack of information. We don’t want to purchase single nights unless the multi night options don’t make sense based on price. I have a back up Toothsome reservation for our first night because we arrive too late for regular park stuff to be an option, but HHN would work. I wouldn’t do a single night ticket for that night because we couldn’t be there when it starts…. I don’t know why Universal waits so long, they know what their plans are. If I knew what their plans were they would get my money faster.


----------



## Mrs.AMC

Not only do they know the houses they've been working on them for months! 
They aren't even in doubt at this point. They are set in stone and half way, if not all the way, constructed. 
So yeah, release the houses already. Enough is enough.
And we allllllll know there is going to be a Stranger Things house. I mean, what better year is there than a year when they actually have a real live haunted house in the show? If there isn't, then they are missing the best opportunity of all the seasons yet.


----------



## keishashadow

Will be there regardless of whatever houses, its all about the FF pass or potential lack Thereof that has me with concerns 

Already bought single day tix for family.  If no FF offered, DH & I will just have to suck it up at this point as we are committed (maybe we should be jumping thru these hoops)

Just don’t think HHN Orlando is running effective social media accounts. 

I realize U owes fans nothing but a stellar event. However, my very personal take is there’s a dismissive attitude in play that is somewhat disrespectful this go-round. Especially, to their out of town fan base’s need for basic information to get travel plans in place.  This well is beyond any of the reasonable Covid considerations as in the past two years

There’s strategically building anticipation, then there’s stringing people along. They are missing the engaging vibe they’ve had going for years.  Not cool HHN. You may be doing irreversible harm to Your brand. Get it together, please


----------



## ThistleMae

We are going no matter what.  One night only.  Picking a Thursday, thinking the weekend crowds are worse.  We will buy the early entry ticket and wait in the holding areas.  Can't wait!


----------



## Mrs.AMC

Oh, yeah, we are going too. I mean, we got a free night. Only question we have is what night. Well, 2 questions I suppose because if we can, we'll buy a night in addition to our free night. If the nights line up right.


----------



## Skippyboo

Last year we got multi night tickets announcement on Aug 5. So we should know in next 2 weeks.


----------



## FoxC63

shb5007 said:


> A few quick questions.
> 
> 1.) When should we plan to arrive at HHN for the event?  It opens at 6:30pm?  We are NOT staying on property and are NOT planning on paying for early entry.  When should we line up?  We are going on a Sunday (October 16th).  We DO have express passes.
> 
> 2.) We want to eat dinner at CityWalk.  I know this gets busy (or it was last year when we attended HHN on a Saturday in early October).  Any recommendations for a dinner spot at CityWalk where we can make reservations?  We were thinking around 4pm... and then walk over to the HHN gate?  We want a meal... but we also plan to eat some bites (at the stands) at HHN.
> 
> 3.) We want to eat lunch (around 11am) the next "morning" at CityWalk.  Any recommendations for a spot for lunch before heading out to catch a flight?  We will have 1-1.5 hours for lunch.
> 
> 4.) I know HHN will be a late night.  Any idea when the "official" hours will be announced?



1.)  Depends
*Staying Onsite: *Use the Universal Studios hotel entry.

Guests who are staying at any of the Universal Studios hotels will also have access to a VIP entrance gate. This gate is open to hotel guests until 8:00 p.m. 
Arrive around 4ish*?* 
*Offsite:  *Arrive between *3:30*-4pm.  No kidding, see why here

Note, Front Gate often opens 20-30 minutes early. We'll see what happens this year. 
2.)  CityWalk dining on the night of your HHN event should be made between 2:15-2:30pm.  This will allow your group to use the restrooms before heading to the gate and any mishaps.   
3.)  
4.)   HHN typically ends at 1:00 AM on select weekdays and 2:00 AM on weekends.  

To anyone who wants to make corrections, please include the poster's name - @shb5007 so they are alerted.


----------



## agavegirl1

Okay experts, I have had issues before with a seasonal pass with single night HHN ticket and RIP reservation getting US to let me stay in the park unless I found someone to re-admit us.  Is this still the case?


----------



## mamapenguin

It wasn’t an issue last year. We have Premiere APs (yellow) and had single night tickets and had no issues staying in Park. One time we were at Finnegan’s and they scanned the tickets and issued bracelets and the other time we just picked a holding area and they scanned the HHN tickets there.


----------



## Mrs.AMC

mamapenguin said:


> It wasn’t an issue last year. We have Premiere APs (yellow) and had single night tickets and had no issues staying in Park. One time we were at Finnegan’s and they scanned the tickets and issued bracelets and the other time we just picked a holding area and they scanned the HHN tickets there.


Yeah, but Premiere have no block out dates so that wouldn't be the same


----------



## Mrs.AMC

agavegirl1 said:


> Okay experts, I have had issues before with a seasonal pass with single night HHN ticket and RIP reservation getting US to let me stay in the park unless I found someone to re-admit us.  Is this still the case?


Where you there on a block out date somehow?


----------



## FoxC63

Mrs.AMC said:


> Yeah, but Premiere have no block out dates so that wouldn't be the same





Mrs.AMC said:


> Where you there on a block out date somehow?



No matter what AP the original poster had @agavegirl1 
also had single night HHN ticket and a RIP reservation.  
If they were allowed into the park earlier with seasonal pass, OP only needed to have had their HHN ticket scanned in the holding area or should have gone directly to the RIP check-in area depending on what time their event started. 

Who ever told OP they had to be re-admitted was incorrect and we all know some newbie TM's don't know what they're talking about.  I would have found someone else.


----------



## mamapenguin

When do you think September park hours will show up online?


----------



## MIChessGuy

I will be attending HHN for one night, October 19.  Even with decades of trips to FL and CA theme parks, have never been there when HHN is running and know virtually nothing about it.  I'll have a seasonal annual pass for this trip so, as I understand it, that will ease the access to HHN.  Need to educate myself on all the 'tours' and other add-on stuff, I guess.


----------



## patster734

FoxC63 said:


> No matter what AP the original poster had @agavegirl1
> also had single night HHN ticket and a RIP reservation.
> If they were allowed into the park earlier with seasonal pass, OP only needed to have had their HHN ticket scanned in the holding area or should have gone directly to the RIP check-in area depending on what time their event started.
> 
> Who ever told OP they had to be re-admitted was incorrect and we all know some newbie TM's don't know what they're talking about.  I would have found someone else.


I believe the confusion is with the RIP process.  The lineup for RIP is outside of the entrance, to the right of the ticket booths, at the VIP door, which is next to Guest Services.  If you are in the park, supposedly you can meet for the RIP Tour at Cafe LaBamba prior to your departure time. 

However, my private RIP Tour was advised to wait outside the gate, at the VIP door.  Before the main gates opened, we were let into the VIP office where we met our tour guide, and we were led upstairs to a waiting area.  From here, we had access to a balcony overlooking the gate entrance where we could see the gate crowd and watch the HHN introduction show.  After the main gates were opened, our tour guide led us to Cafe LaBamba, where we had free snacks and drinks before heading out to the houses.


----------



## Lyricallie

Probably a stupid question but we are planning on staying in a holding area to be first for some houses. However I believe you need to be in the park for 4:30/5pmish for that. Have people left the park to go for dinner after doing a couple of houses then going back in? We are hoping to have three nights at HHN so can afford to spend a bit of time at citywalk. I just wasn't sure if you would be allowed back in.


----------



## purple hippo

mamapenguin said:


> If you don’t have stay and scream or a day ticket the day of HHN there is a special entry line for resort guests that has a much better holding area than the rest of the folks in front of the main entrance. We found it because we got to the parks after they had closed for day entry. Resort line was over to the left and a little hard to find, so ask if you don’t see it. It’s there & the team members will help you find it.


Would it matter which resort you are staying at to use the resort entrance?  Can we stay at Dockside vs HRH and still use the same entrance?  We stayed at RPH last time we went to HHN but did Stay and Scream or arrived after the entrance rush as we went multiple nights.  We are debating staying on/off site and will only be going to HHN, no day passes this time.


----------



## mamapenguin

purple hippo said:


> Would it matter which resort you are staying at to use the resort entrance?  Can we stay at Dockside vs HRH and still use the same entrance?  We stayed at RPH last time we went to HHN but did Stay and Scream or arrived after the entrance rush as we went multiple nights.  We are debating staying on/off site and will only be going to HHN, no day passes this time.


Doesn’t matter, they are all Universal Orlando resorts. We were at Sapphire the time that we used the resort entrance. Have fun!


----------



## MIChessGuy

I have been doing my homework on this event, which will be my first time attending, and am still uncertain about a couple of things:

(1) I will be in USF most of the daytime using my seasonal AP.  Is there some kind of discounted HHN ticket I should buy at the park itself?  It looks like I should just buy online ahead of time, as I do with every other theme park ticket.  But I saw some confusing verbiage on another website about getting a deal right there in person.

(2) What is the best way to transition from a 'regular' day at USF to the HHN stuff?  Is there a good place to go to wait around and possibly get ahead of the HHN-only guests?


----------



## shaqfor3

I am going on October 30 which I can tell is going to suck a lot lol.

I read that last year there was a ticket for like $25 that let you get in at 3PM into USO.   Do they announce those tickets closest to HHN dates or is not coming back this year?  And do those tickets are available every HHN nights or just the one that they expected to be less crowded.


----------



## Lynne G

Fox, at SF for our stay.


----------



## keishashadow

Lyricallie said:


> Probably a stupid question


No stupid questions.  If it’s a repetitive one, poster may be referred to sticky for basic info.  No offense, just try to keep the thread relatively clean


Lyricallie said:


> we are planning on staying in a holding area to be first for some houses. However I believe you need to be in the park for 4:30/5pmish for that.


The tent house line near Central Park last year let guests line up starting around 4 pm For the tent houses.  yep, i was there several nights Trying to find scraps of shade In which to lounge


Lyricallie said:


> Have people left the park to go for dinner after doing a couple of houses then going back in?


That is a very good question indeed.  

No idea, hopefully somebody can share

did notice when poking around SW’s howlo scream website, they have instituted a new rule where you cannot return to the event the same night if you leave.

they also put in place a no/small clear bag rule (as with sporting & concert security protocols).   

Those who are day guests can bring in standard park sort of bags

will be interesting to see if U follows suit.  Didn’t have time to do A deep dig on their HHN website to see if it’s buried in there somewhere.


MIChessGuy said:


> It looks like I should just buy online ahead of time, as I do with every other theme park ticket.


If only a single night, believe this convenience factor wins.  You might be able to save a few bucks with a discounter.  Just don’t wait to buy at the gate

if staying onsite probably could buy at your resort again this year


MIChessGuy said:


> What is the best way to transition from a 'regular' day at USF to the HHN stuff? Is there a good place to go to wait around and possibly get ahead of the HHN-only guests?


staying in park all day, then HHN makes for a grueling experience.  Been there and done it for the last time years ago.  It’s just too much   We’ve managed to put on 6 or 7 miles on our pedometers just doing HHN.   Those tent houses are indeed killers

suggest sleeping in, yes, I said it  or pool time; then head on over to the parks In Late am or early afternoon

try to book a late ADR at finnegans & wait it out in comfort.  Not the easy grab it once was.  Otherwise, station yourself in one of the holding pens and grab some CS.

your feet will thank you And you will have a better chance of closing out the park and getting in a few later runs thru the houses once the crowds start to disperse after midnight.


----------



## Mrs.AMC

keishashadow said:


> No stupid questions.  If it’s a repetitive one, poster may be referred to sticky for basic info.  No offense, just try to keep the thread relatively clean
> 
> The tent house line near Central Park last year let guests line up starting around 4 pm For the tent houses.  yep, i was there several nights Trying to find scraps of shade In which to lounge
> 
> That is a very good question indeed.
> 
> No idea, hopefully somebody can share
> 
> did notice when poking around SW’s howlo scream website, they have instituted a new rule where you cannot return to the event the same night if you leave.
> 
> they also put in place a no/small clear bag rule (as with sporting & concert security protocols).
> 
> Those who are day guests can bring in standard park sort of bags
> 
> will be interesting to see if U follows suit.  Didn’t have time to do A deep dig on their HHN website to see if it’s buried in there somewhere.
> 
> If only a single night, believe this convenience factor wins.  You might be able to save a few bucks with a discounter.  Just don’t wait to buy at the gate
> 
> if staying onsite probably could buy at your resort again this year
> 
> staying in park all day, then HHN makes for a grueling experience.  Been there and done it for the last time years ago.  It’s just too much   We’ve managed to put on 6 or 7 miles on our pedometers just doing HHN.   Those tent houses are indeed killers
> 
> suggest sleeping in, yes, I said it  or pool time; then head on over to the parks In Late am or early afternoon
> 
> try to book a late ADR at finnegans & wait it out in comfort.  Not the easy grab it once was.  Otherwise, station yourself in one of the holding pens and grab some CS.
> 
> your feet will thank you And you will have a better chance of closing out the park and getting in a few later runs thru the houses once the crowds start to disperse after midnight.


By SW are you talking about Sea World? As in at Sea World you are saying they are only allowing a clear bag for their halloween event and you aren't sure if Universal is going that way too?

With day guests doing stay and scream I can't see how they would. Besides, not sure how SW would compare to Universal anyway. No more than Disney compares (which is they don't)


----------



## Lyricallie

keishashadow said:


> No stupid questions.  If it’s a repetitive one, poster may be referred to sticky for basic info.  No offense, just try to keep the thread relatively clean
> 
> The tent house line near Central Park last year let guests line up starting around 4 pm For the tent houses.  yep, i was there several nights Trying to find scraps of shade In which to lounge
> 
> That is a very good question indeed.
> 
> No idea, hopefully somebody can share
> 
> did notice when poking around SW’s howlo scream website, they have instituted a new rule where you cannot return to the event the same night if you leave.
> 
> they also put in place a no/small clear bag rule (as with sporting & concert security protocols).
> 
> Those who are day guests can bring in standard park sort of bags
> 
> will be interesting to see if U follows suit.  Didn’t have time to do A deep dig on their HHN website to see if it’s buried in there somewhere.
> 
> If only a single night, believe this convenience factor wins.  You might be able to save a few bucks with a discounter.  Just don’t wait to buy at the gate
> 
> if staying onsite probably could buy at your resort again this year
> 
> staying in park all day, then HHN makes for a grueling experience.  Been there and done it for the last time years ago.  It’s just too much   We’ve managed to put on 6 or 7 miles on our pedometers just doing HHN.   Those tent houses are indeed killers
> 
> suggest sleeping in, yes, I said it  or pool time; then head on over to the parks In Late am or early afternoon
> 
> try to book a late ADR at finnegans & wait it out in comfort.  Not the easy grab it once was.  Otherwise, station yourself in one of the holding pens and grab some CS.
> 
> your feet will thank you And you will have a better chance of closing out the park and getting in a few later runs thru the houses once the crowds start to disperse after midnight.


Thank you very much for your reply. Good to know 4pm! I will adjust my spreadsheet lol. But that is useful to know! It's going to be weird shifting our day into the evening but I bet my husband will be happy with a bit of a lie in!


----------



## Skippyboo

keishashadow said:


> No stupid questions.  If it’s a repetitive one, poster may be referred to sticky for basic info.  No offense, just try to keep the thread relatively clean
> 
> The tent house line near Central Park last year let guests line up starting around 4 pm For the tent houses.  yep, i was there several nights Trying to find scraps of shade In which to lounge
> 
> That is a very good question indeed.
> 
> No idea, hopefully somebody can share
> 
> did notice when poking around SW’s howlo scream website, they have instituted a new rule where you cannot return to the event the same night if you leave.
> 
> they also put in place a no/small clear bag rule (as with sporting & concert security protocols).
> 
> Those who are day guests can bring in standard park sort of bags
> 
> will be interesting to see if U follows suit.  Didn’t have time to do A deep dig on their HHN website to see if it’s buried in there somewhere.
> 
> If only a single night, believe this convenience factor wins.  You might be able to save a few bucks with a discounter.  Just don’t wait to buy at the gate
> 
> if staying onsite probably could buy at your resort again this year
> 
> staying in park all day, then HHN makes for a grueling experience.  Been there and done it for the last time years ago.  It’s just too much   We’ve managed to put on 6 or 7 miles on our pedometers just doing HHN.   Those tent houses are indeed killers
> 
> suggest sleeping in, yes, I said it  or pool time; then head on over to the parks In Late am or early afternoon
> 
> try to book a late ADR at finnegans & wait it out in comfort.  Not the easy grab it once was.  Otherwise, station yourself in one of the holding pens and grab some CS.
> 
> your feet will thank you And you will have a better chance of closing out the park and getting in a few later runs thru the houses once the crowds start to disperse after midnight.


Don’t know about Seaworld, but Universal does all their security screening at Citywalk, onsite hotel boat docks plus those 2 by exit of walking paths from onsite hotels, doubt they are going to go to clear bag path. Plus concerts and sporting events with the clear bags also want you to buy their overpriced concessions for food and drinks so clear bags serve 2 purposes.


----------



## tony67

Just a heads up - looks like the 6 house behind the screams tour is mostly sold out except one or two days in late October.


----------



## Bird003

We have rip tour starting at 630, I know check in is 6 for the lounge. What time do we need to arrive? Will we be in the same holding area as everyone else?


----------



## MIChessGuy

I hadn't thought about any potential bag issues.  Generally I carry around a zippered tote-type bag containing a portable charger, some facial tissue, etc., along with any small-ish souvenirs I might purchase.  Since I'd go through regular security in the a.m., I guess they would need an additional security check later in order to throw me out for having an unacceptable bag.  Seems unlikely.


----------



## keishashadow

Mrs.AMC said:


> By SW are you talking about Sea World? As in at Sea World you are saying they are only allowing a clear bag for their halloween event and you aren't sure if Universal is going that way too?
> 
> With day guests doing stay and scream I can't see how they would. Besides, not sure how SW would compare to Universal anyway. No more than Disney compares (which is they don't)


Yes, sea world.

To reiterate:

i haven’t looked for this on the official HHN site Nor have I seen an announcement implementing it.

The clear bag policy i referenced was only for howl o scream At SW.  even guests enter thru a different gate closer to where you enter the park Near the stadium.  Reasoning is that it’s easier for security to process the throng.

(see below)

As day guests (staying & screaming) last year, we were herded into a pen at the far end of event area, down by sharks To wait out the official start.  

I didn’t use a clear bag that day as it wasn’t required.

all theme parks, concerts, etc. are comparable as to using proven/standard security methods; tweaked to their preferences.

The theme parks in Orlando surely do tend to follow each other closely, including ticket price increases.

I have no idea if HHN will follow suit.  It’s standard in my neck of the woods for events.  However, have no problem with it if they elect to do it, especially in this day & age either. YMMV.


----------



## Mrs.AMC

keishashadow said:


> Yes, sea world.
> 
> To reiterate:
> 
> i haven’t looked for this on the official HHN site Nor have I seen an announcement implementing it.
> 
> The clear bag policy i referenced was only for howl o scream At SW.  even guests enter thru a different gate closer to where you enter the park Near the stadium.  Reasoning is that it’s easier for security to process the throng.
> 
> (see below)
> 
> As day guests (staying & screaming) last year, we were herded into a pen at the far end of event area, down by sharks To wait out the official start.
> 
> I didn’t use a clear bag that day as it wasn’t required.
> 
> all theme parks, concerts, etc. are comparable as to using proven/standard security methods; tweaked to their preferences.
> 
> The theme parks in Orlando surely do tend to follow each other closely, including ticket price increases.
> 
> I have no idea if HHN will follow suit.  It’s standard in my neck of the woods for events.  However, have no problem with it if they elect to do it, especially in this day & age either. YMMV.
> 
> View attachment 686631


That's just a bonkers policy that seems easy to fix by using the same gate for all. Which is what Universal does. I can't fathom why they'd build a new way in just for HHN when their current security entrance works fine. So until they change the day guest bag policy I'd say there's nothing to worry about. 
I'm well versed to sporting events. 20 year Season ticket holder here, baseball, basketball and football. So yeah, attend lots of those events. LOL
 They have not only a clear bag but a size of bag policy.


----------



## keishashadow

Mrs.AMC said:


> That's just a bonkers policy that seems easy to fix by using the same gate for all. Which is what Universal does. I can't fathom why they'd build a new way in just for HHN when their current security entrance works fine. So until they change the day guest bag policy I'd say there's nothing to worry about.


At SW using the alternative gate made perfect sense as the area between the main gates & sharks was closed after regular park hours.  

They only utilized the area from the alternate entrance to the sharks area.  They did a fine job for their first year!  Definitely adult oriented 

FYI, There are multiple entrances into all the parks, just not being used for guests.  even if U would eventually decide to implement a new bag policy for the HHN event, no special entrance would be required.  it’s simple, U have the wrong bag, you step out of line & conform…next!

Unless something extraordinarily awful would occur, don’t see U switching up basic security protocols this year; as tix have already been sold


----------



## CAPSLOCK

Bird003 said:


> We have rip tour starting at 630, I know check in is 6 for the lounge. What time do we need to arrive? Will we be in the same holding area as everyone else?


You can arrive right around 6pm. You will get a totally separate entrance off to the right, no waiting in line except for other RIP guests. You then have a separated area from which you can watch the opening ceremony (which was practically nothing on the night I saw it, wouldn't bother to wait for it again) and then head over to Cafe La Jamba for hors d'oeuvres / dinner / snacks / beverages. You never have to wait amongst the masses or in any holding area. Being able to casually saunter up at 5:58pm past the throng of humanity is a major RIP benefit.


----------



## namelessoracle

Mrs.AMC said:


> Not only do they know the houses they've been working on them for months!
> They aren't even in doubt at this point. They are set in stone and half way, if not all the way, constructed.
> So yeah, release the houses already. Enough is enough.
> And we allllllll know there is going to be a Stranger Things house. I mean, what better year is there than a year when they actually have a real live haunted house in the show? If there isn't, then they are missing the best opportunity of all the seasons yet.



Stranger Things might not happen. Netflix helped pay for Haunting of Hill House, and likely helped pay for Stranger Things in the past, with their current monetary woes they probably dont want to pay for it this year.


----------



## leiaorgana

Based on what “people in the know” have said in other places, there’s only one more IP house left to be announced for Orlando this year and allegedly it’s The Weeknd’s house. The rest will be original houses so no Netflix house this year. 

Supposedly, Evil Dead Rises was cut last month last minute due to licensing issues or something like that and they’ve been scrambling for a replacement, which will likely be an original house now but take all of that with a grain of salt.


----------



## JeanfromBNA

If the RIP tour doesn't start until later, do you go in early? How does it work?


----------



## Robo56

JeanfromBNA said:


> If the RIP tour doesn't start until later, do you go in early? How does it work?



You can if you want to. You have to have a HHN ticket for the night in addition to your RIP Tour ticket. So if you want to hang out in the park and do some other things until your tour starts you can.

My niece and I spent some time in Diagon Alley then went over to Cafe La Bama about a half hour before our tour time. When we checked in the tour guides were by the door. Our tour guide gave us our tour lanyard and we went in and enjoyed some food and beverage (which is included is included in your RIP Tour). There is a additional cost if you want alcoholic beverages.

We were in a Public RIP Tour. Private Rip Tours usually meet up at guest services first, but that should be made clear to you before hand.


----------



## tinkerbell1991

How far in advance *before* the first event date do all houses get announced?


----------



## keishashadow

tinkerbell1991 said:


> How far in advance *before* the first event date do all houses get announced?


Varies. If interested, you can go back to page 1 here in the stickies…links to previous releases, going back years.


----------



## ShadeDK

Multinight passes (Rush of Fear, Frequent Fear, Frequent Fear+ and Ultimate Fear), Stay & Scream tickets and Scareactor Dining are now available through the UO app. 

Edit: Now added to the main HHN webpage as well and available there.


----------



## tony67

ShadeDK said:


> Multinight passes (Rush of Fear, Frequent Fear, Frequent Fear+ and Ultimate Fear), Stay & Scream tickets and Scareactor Dining are now available through the UO app.
> 
> Edit: Now added to the main HHN webpage as well and available there.


Thanks 

Now just hoping for AP pricing - was there AP pricing last year? I cant recall


----------



## Skippyboo

I got my Rush of Fear tickets and a Express Pass for Sunday September 18. I am ready for blinky cups and twisted taters


----------



## Monykalyn

Skippyboo said:


> I got my Rush of Fear tickets and a Express Pass for Sunday September 18. I am ready for blinky cups and twisted taters


See ya in the fog!


----------



## mamapenguin

Does anyone know if I can pick up Rush of Fear will call at my hotels ticket desk? Still try to decide between RPR and Aventura ( I have more of my party staying at Aventura). TIA


----------



## keishashadow

mamapenguin said:


> Does anyone know if I can pick up Rush of Fear will call at my hotels ticket desk? Still try to decide between RPR and Aventura ( I have more of my party staying at Aventura). TIA


Have in the past. At the tix counter, separate from checkin at resorts.  You need the confirmation # & ID.


----------



## keishashadow

release the ghouls…


----------



## keishashadow

Also, offered today


----------



## shh

Man I miss that BOGO ticket - 2 days was perfect for us. But congrats to everyone else...prices on the multi days don't look too horrible


----------



## keishashadow

Re scareactor Buffet…

details are a bit sketchy on website (See below)

if anyone does call, please inquire as to the menu items on the buffet.    

Curious, since it’s at Louie’s, if it will be mostly their normal menu (pizza, pasta).  

At monster’s the food was surprising elevated over their then norm, varied offerings.


----------



## babesboo99

Unless I'm completely stupid I'm getting different prices . We want to attend Oct 26th and 27th  with express pass for the houses AND stay and scream to get in early what should I buy for the best deal?


----------



## schumigirl

mamapenguin said:


> Does anyone know if I can pick up Rush of Fear will call at my hotels ticket desk? Still try to decide between RPR and Aventura ( I have more of my party staying at Aventura). TIA





keishashadow said:


> Have in the past. At the tix counter, separate from checkin at resorts.  You need the confirmation # & ID.




Yep, we picked up our HHN tickets from the hotel in 2019.

Just showed the email and ID and we got our tickets.




And a big wooohooo.

Bought our Rush of Fear with Express Pass tickets today.......


----------



## tinkerbell1991

Aaaand The Weeknd house has just been announced


----------



## tinkerbell1991

Plus this is making the rounds on twitter although not all confirmed, it's just rumoured.
The 2 missing are The Weeknd and apparently another original house


----------



## shaqfor3

First time going this year and the lineup is so weak.  I really dont care for any of them.   The monsters  and Halloween would be the priorities I guess.  The other 2 houses for me may as well be originals.  The only thing I know about the Weekend was that he play on the Super Bowl.    Lets see if the blumhouse movies made it to streaming before my trip.


----------



## tinkerbell1991

shaqfor3 said:


> First time going this year and the lineup is so weak.  I really dont care for any of them.   The monsters  and Halloween would be the priorities I guess.  The other 2 houses for me may as well be originals.  The only thing I know about the Weekend was that he play on the Super Bowl.    Lets see if the blumhouse movies made it to streaming before my trip.


One of the movies, Freaky came out either 2020 or 2021 so could be available on certain platforms already.
I don't know The Weeknds music but the comments on Universals social media posts relatively seem optimistic that it'll be a good house so ill give it benefit of the doubt. I've paid for my ticket so I'll definitely go through the house as long as the queue isn't crazy but it'll certainly be the last one I do of the evening


----------



## keishashadow




----------



## keishashadow

tinkerbell1991 said:


> I don't know The Weeknds music


Hard to escape, he’s been pretty prolific.  One of his more popular tunes, blinding lights (would be nice to hear that synth in the house lol), earned several honors as billboard top 100 of all time, hitting 90 weeks & also at least a month as top song.


----------



## tinkerbell1991

keishashadow said:


> Hard to escape, he’s been pretty prolific.  One of his more popular tunes, blinding lights (would be nice to hear that synth in the house lol), earned several honors as billboard top 100 of all time, hitting 90 weeks & also at least a month as top song.


It is for me unfortunately (or fortunately, I'm not too sure lol). I don't listen to the radio or watch regular TV, just Netflix or disney plus so genuinely don't know the music  either way, it'll be something new plus I've been CRAVING HHN since I last went in 2017 so I'm just happy to be going after everything rubbish that's happened the past couple of years


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> Hard to escape, he’s been pretty prolific.  One of his more popular tunes, blinding lights (would be nice to hear that synth in the house lol), earned several honors as billboard top 100 of all time, hitting 90 weeks & also at least a month as top song.



Have to admit, I`ve never heard of him either before HHN was getting talked about.....Raeven told me who he was. 

Maybe he`s not so big over here......or I`m just old!!!


----------



## keishashadow

schumigirl said:


> Maybe he`s not so big over here......or I`m just old!!!


you, such an 80’s chick?  take a listen to the above video, have heard many on their visit listen compare it to a song vibe off Miami vice


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> you, such an 80’s chick?  take a listen to the above video, have heard many on their visit listen compare it to a song vibe off Miami vice



OMG!!!! I`m such an idiot!!!! (don`t need to agree.....lol)

About 40 seconds in I realised I knew the darn song after all........lol.......heck, that`s who sings that song!! 

Well, now I know.......


----------



## patster734

As a Premier Pass Holder, I’m very disappointed that the only Included free night in October is Sunday, October 2nd.  We had planned on doing HHN on Wednesday, October 5th, with RIP.  We do arrive on October 1st, so we can go on the 2nd, but we had planned on watching the Chiefs/Bucs game that night.  Why, oh why, Universal did you only do one Premier Pass night in October?


----------



## tony67

shaqfor3 said:


> First time going this year and the lineup is so weak.  I really dont care for any of them.   The monsters  and Halloween would be the priorities I guess.  The other 2 houses for me may as well be originals.  The only thing I know about the Weekend was that he play on the Super Bowl.    Lets see if the blumhouse movies made it to streaming before my trip.


Yeah I've got to agree  - I've had mixed feelings about going after last years lackluster HHN - TBH the last few years have really not impressed.
Ill be waiting to purchase tickets until after the first week or two of HHN


----------



## namelessoracle

tinkerbell1991 said:


> One of the movies, Freaky came out either 2020 or 2021 so could be available on certain platforms already.
> I don't know The Weeknds music but the comments on Universals social media posts relatively seem optimistic that it'll be a good house so ill give it benefit of the doubt. I've paid for my ticket so I'll definitely go through the house as long as the queue isn't crazy but it'll certainly be the last one I do of the evening


Freaky is on HBOMax, and was worth a watch if you like Horror Comedies. Black Phone will probably be out on a service before October.



shaqfor3 said:


> First time going this year and the lineup is so weak.  I really dont care for any of them.   The monsters  and Halloween would be the priorities I guess.  The other 2 houses for me may as well be originals.  The only thing I know about the Weekend was that he play on the Super Bowl.    Lets see if the blumhouse movies made it to streaming before my trip.


Line up is real bad yeah. Makes me wonder what is going on that they cant get anybody to sign on, or if maybe they were just willing to put more effort into the 30th. Last year might have just been because they had basically the best of what they had last year that got cancelled due to covid and the year before. Makes me wonder if the relationship with Sony got soured. Ghostbusters Afterlife would have been a well liked IP for them to do a house for.

That said, the original houses were the best ones last year. Haunting of Hill House and Texas Chainsaw had good looking sets but that was about it for me. Beetlejuice's best part was the first few minutes with the Beetlejuice actor interacting with the crowd and making comments.

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING. Have they talked if the Plexiglass screens will be up this year? That kinda ruined a lot of the houses sense they were giant "expect something right now!" signs..


----------



## ishbit92

Last night I finally bought  our HHN tickets + express passes for early October. This will be my first time, going with a group of friends. I have been desperate to go to HHN since I was 11 years old and my family was there. I begged and begged for them to let me go to HHN, I remember seeing spooky dudes on stilts walking around in the mist behind the gates and there was nothing I wanted more as a horror loving little 11 year old than getting past those gates and experiencing the terror. My dream is finally coming true lol. I'm hoping since this is my first time, I won't notice some of the lessened quality that some regulars are referring to.


----------



## leiaorgana

So annoyed with Universal right now. The only reason we bought the Premiere Pass was because it included a HHN ticket and now we can’t even use it because they’re only primarily September dates.

Last year, it was every Wednesday and Thursday in October as well and so that’s why we booked our RIP tour for the 26th Oct because last year that corresponding Wednesday was the last date you could use it (we were supposed to go then but had to cancel again because we still couldn’t get into the US due to their border restrictions) so now we’ve had to panic buy 3 single night tickets for that night on top of the money we’ve already spent on APs, the tour and Hard Rock because we’re locked into that date. I’ll be sending an email to Universal later because I’m not happy at all.


----------



## wmoon

Can the experts please help me with ticket choices? 

Very first HHN. 6 night trip from the UK. We are annual pass holders. We can fit in 3 nights, Sunday 16th, Wednesday 19th ( we also have the unmasking the horror tour booked that morning) and Thursday the 20th. 

So the frequent fear pass. I had planned to buy with express but $510 fir each of us is a bit more than I’d like to spend. For 3 nights do we need express if we do stay and scream or do we split the difference and buy one night express for the middle night which would save $190 for each of the 3 of us. 

Just worried about picking the wrong thing. Thanks for any help.


----------



## Ghostface

This is probably a dumb question, but is it possible to upgrade a single night ticket to a rush of fear pass? First timer here and I got nervous about nights selling out and purchased a single night ticket for our visit. Now I'm realizing that we could potentially go two other nights with the Rush of Fear and the price difference is not as significant as I expected.


----------



## namelessoracle

Ghostface said:


> This is probably a dumb question, but is it possible to upgrade a single night ticket to a rush of fear pass? First timer here and I got nervous about nights selling out and purchased a single night ticket for our visit. Now I'm realizing that we could potentially go two other nights with the Rush of Fear and the price difference is not as significant as I expected.


Yes they will let you do the difference for a Rush of Fear if you havent redeemed your ticket yet. (or at least they did last year)


----------



## LK81

leiaorgana said:


> So annoyed with Universal right now. The only reason we bought the Premiere Pass was because it included a HHN ticket and now we can’t even use it because they’re only primarily September dates.
> 
> Last year, it was every Wednesday and Thursday in October as well and so that’s why we booked our RIP tour for the 26th Oct because last year that corresponding Wednesday was the last date you could use it (we were supposed to go then but had to cancel again because we still couldn’t get into the US due to their border restrictions) so now we’ve had to panic buy 3 single night tickets for that night on top of the money we’ve already spent on APs, the tour and Hard Rock because we’re locked into that date. I’ll be sending an email to Universal later because I’m not happy at all.


We're in exactly the same position. They announced the dates really late, we've already booked flights and hotels so now have the choice of paying more to add some single night tickets or forget HHN and just do the parks.


----------



## namelessoracle

wmoon said:


> Can the experts please help me with ticket choices?
> 
> Very first HHN. 6 night trip from the UK. We are annual pass holders. We can fit in 3 nights, Sunday 16th, Wednesday 19th ( we also have the unmasking the horror tour booked that morning) and Thursday the 20th.
> 
> So the frequent fear pass. I had planned to buy with express but $510 fir each of us is a bit more than I’d like to spend. For 3 nights do we need express if we do stay and scream or do we split the difference and buy one night express for the middle night which would save $190 for each of the 3 of us.
> 
> Just worried about picking the wrong thing. Thanks for any help.


Yes. Think of it this way. Stay and scream gets you 1 house, (usually more like 2) and you will get one easier house towards the end of the event if you are willing to stay till close. So thats 6 accounted for in your 3 days. Pretty sure you can get 4 more houses, 2 shows and some food stands done in the remaining time.

The value of express is when you want to get everything done in one night. (All 10 houses, both shows, and food stands) Or want time to do Universal attractions other than the houses.


----------



## keishashadow

ishbit92 said:


> I won't notice some of the lessened quality that some regulars are referring to.


Familiarity often does breed contempt  

have things changed?  

100% IMO, a lot of it having to do with covid fallout.

has the adult vibe morphed to a more PG13 one? 

Again, IMO, yes.  Bigger audience equates to a bigger ‘gate’.  Smaller factor being the more PC times in which we live.  Would like to think they will never abandon their quality control of the event and honor Universal’s history of translating horror into entertainment.

nearly every single year, there is a dark horse candidate of a house that unexpectedly just blows me away...whether it’s the enthusiastic scareactors, set design or even a campy concept.

I’ve been to haunts all over the country, for me; HHN (even in it’s recent offerings); literally blows them all away on most levels.  The only way to decide if it’s really for you is to experience it first hand…see you in the fog.



wmoon said:


> For 3 nights do we need express if we do stay and scream or do we split the difference and buy one night express for the middle night which would save $190 for each of the 3 of us.


depending on if early in the season, on weeknights and if you effectively position yourself in holding pens to stay & scream probably could avoid buying EP entirely if budget is tight


wmoon said:


> We can fit in 3 nights, Sunday 16th, Wednesday 19th ( we also have the unmasking the horror tour booked that morning) and Thursday the 20th.


Is this October?  

Wednesday is going to be a very long day for you with the day tour.  

Sunday typically has shorter hours, smaller crowds (except for Columbus Day & closer to Halloween, proper).  Not sure I’d go with EP that day.

if anything, you will have the lay of the land by the 20th.  If you are going to buy an EP, I’d pick that day.

have fun!


----------



## Skippyboo

shaqfor3 said:


> First time going this year and the lineup is so weak.  I really dont care for any of them.   The monsters  and Halloween would be the priorities I guess.  The other 2 houses for me may as well be originals.  The only thing I know about the Weekend was that he play on the Super Bowl.    Lets see if the blumhouse movies made it to streaming before my trip.


Freaky is on HBO max. That’s where I watched it. It has the Happy Deathday horror comedy vibe.


----------



## Monykalyn

shaqfor3 said:


> First time going this year and the lineup is so weak.  I really dont care for any of them.   The monsters  and Halloween would be the priorities I guess.  The other 2 houses for me may as well be originals.  The only thing I know about the Weekend was that he play on the Super Bowl.    Lets see if the blumhouse movies made it to streaming before my trip.


Please don't judge until you've been. Can not AT ALL get what the house is about from bad titles. Often the originals far far outshine the IP's anyway. I know some were expecting Stranger things when that has not even been in the rumor mill for months (just a lot of casual fan's wish list) Frankly I am excited this year-time to get back to big scares, no plexiglass and people not being upset at being scared. While I enjoyed beetlejuice, ghostbusters, ST -they just weren't scary houses.  The bug house in particular has the potential to really be scary especially if SIF is back!


keishashadow said:


> heard many on their visit listen compare it to a song vibe off Miami vice


YES-kinda MV vibe with Thriller lite visuals is what I was getting from Dawn FM
For those wanting to get a glimpse of The Weeknd Prime video has DawnFM on it.


Skippyboo said:


> Freaky is on HBO max. That’s where I watched it. It has the Happy Deathday horror comedy vibe.


OOOH thanks for this! will definitely be watching this weekend. Broke down and bought Black Phone this weekend -got the 'rona last week and am quarantining!!  I Loved Happy DeathDay-surprised myself by how much (the movie-that mish mash house was just ok)


----------



## Monykalyn

keishashadow said:


> has the adult vibe morphed to a more PG13 one?
> 
> Again, IMO, yes. Bigger audience equates to a bigger ‘gate’. Smaller factor being the more PC times in which we live. Would like to think they will never abandon their quality control of the event and honor Universal’s history of translating horror into entertainment.
> 
> nearly every single year, there is a dark horse candidate of a house that unexpectedly just blows me away...whether it’s the enthusiastic scareactors, set design or even a campy concept.


I wonder if this year the adult vibe goes back up-no comic draw like Ghostbusters, no ST to draw in more casual fans...BJ was fine but it really really depended on SC and with the plexiglass and obvious shortage of SC even that house was just ok at best. 
So far haven't seen any concerns of plexiglass (@keishashadow I know you visit other boards too) or at least not yet -think SC rehearsals start in a couple weeks so guess will know more then.  Hope SIF is back as I think a few of the houses can really take the fear/ick factor up with it ....I am "dreading" the bug house as I have a feeling that one may be my "nightmare" house lol!


----------



## keishashadow

Monykalyn said:


> So far haven't seen any concerns of plexiglass (@keishashadow I know you visit other boards too


Busted    Unless monkeypox decides to make like King Kong, would like to think we will escape plexiglass this year 


Monykalyn said:


> I am "dreading" the bug house as I have a feeling that one may be my "nightmare" house lol!


 going to make us “Squirm”


----------



## Matt Morales

Ghostface said:


> This is probably a dumb question, but is it possible to upgrade a single night ticket to a rush of fear pass? First timer here and I got nervous about nights selling out and purchased a single night ticket for our visit. Now I'm realizing that we could potentially go two other nights with the Rush of Fear and the price difference is not as significant as I expected.


I have a similar question.  We're going on September 4 and haven't bought the tickets yet.  If we buy the tickets for 9/4 and later also decide to go on September 3, would we be able to upgrade the 9/4 ticket to Rush of Fear or would we have to make a whole new purchase.


----------



## schumigirl

Monykalyn said:


> Please don't judge until you've been. Can not AT ALL get what the house is about from bad titles. Often the originals far far outshine the IP's anyway. I know some were expecting Stranger things when that has not even been in the rumor mill for months (just a lot of casual fan's wish list) Frankly I am excited this year-time to get back to big scares, no plexiglass and people not being upset at being scared. While I enjoyed beetlejuice, ghostbusters, ST -they just weren't scary houses.  The bug house in particular has the potential to really be scary especially if SIF is back!
> 
> 
> 
> OOOH thanks for this! will definitely be watching this weekend. Broke down and bought Black Phone this weekend -got the 'rona last week and am quarantining!!  I Loved Happy DeathDay-surprised myself by how much (the movie-that mish mash house was just ok)



Completely agree with not judging.

Some of the stars houses of previous years have been unknown and turned out to be amazing.

Stranger Things has not been on the cards for a long time, I for one am glad it`s not there.....time for a change.

Hope you enjoy Black Phone. We went to the cinema to see it, decent movie and while it wasn`t terrifying, you could see where it`ll make a good house!


----------



## shb5007

Is anyone considering the Dining Experience?

For my date, I can get 5pm (2 people) for $117.14 right now.  We are going on a Sunday in October.

I do have Express Passes for our HHN night.

Our other option is the Scream Early tickets which would be $74.56 right now.

We were going to eat at CW and then enter right around 4:45pm.... now thinking about the Dining Experience for the extra $42?

Just don't want to worry about waiting in a long time to even ENTER the park.

I am guessing...

1.) They will let us into the park around 4:45 for a dining reservation?  

2.) They will place us into a Stay & Scream area after eating?


----------



## keishashadow

shb5007 said:


> Is anyone considering the Dining Experience?
> 
> For my date, I can get 5pm (2 people) for $117.14 right now.  We are going on a Sunday in October.
> 
> I do have Express Passes for our HHN night.
> 
> Our other option is the Scream Early tickets which would be $74.56 right now.
> 
> We were going to eat at CW and then enter right around 4:45pm.... now thinking about the Dining Experience for the extra $42?
> 
> Just don't want to worry about waiting in a long time to even ENTER the park.
> 
> I am guessing...
> 
> 1.) They will let us into the park around 4:45 for a dining reservation?
> 
> 2.) They will place us into a Stay & Scream area after eating?


good questions. Strongly suggest calling them and inquiring

If you can get details on menu offerings that would be swell lol

I’m guessing they “might” have guests with a stay & scream enter at the gate, where the blue man group used to be…then escort over to Louies???

certainly something you need to know before you purchase the tix.

Only fine print out there on website:

Halloween Horror Nights is a separately ticketed event. Event occurs rain or shine. No rain checks, returns or refunds. Prices, dates, times, attractions, entertainment, and/or experience details are subject to availability, changes and/or cancellation without notice. Park, attractions, entertainment or access to event may be restricted or unavailable due to capacity/closures/other factors and benefits are subject to change without notice. Parking not provided. Additional restrictions may apply. 

The Halloween Horror Nights Scareactor Dining Experience (“Dining Experience”) Ticket entitles one (1) guest to one (1) meal consisting of a dinner buffet at Louie’s Italian Restaurant including one (1) non-alcoholic beverage, photo opportunity with scareactors from the Halloween Horror Nights event, and digital download* of one (1) photo taken during the Dining Experience. Guest must Restaurant 15 minutes prior to scheduled seating time printed on the back of the ticket. Ticket is date and time specific. Reservations required and must be made up to 24 hours before arriving. Reservations can be made by calling 407-224-3663. Tickets are not refundable and not exchangeable. Halloween Horror Nights event admission ticket required AND must be valid for the same calendar day as your Dining Experience ticket.Characters, dates, times and benefits are subject to availability and to change without notice. *The digital photo ticket must be exchanged for a My Universal Photos card at the Scareactor Dining Experience. Access to digital viewing is provided by Colorvision International, Inc. and is subject to additional terms and conditions. Data rates and other charges may apply. Please check with your carrier. Guest must go online to www.myuniversalphotos.com to view and gain digital access to photo. Association of photos with My Universal Photos account is required. See My Universal Photos Team Members at participating locations for assistance. Additional restrictions may apply and benefits are to change without notice. 

The above product is non-refundable, non-transferable, and must be used by the same person on all days. Standard entry includes biometric scan. Valid only during normal operating hours. Parks, attractions, or entertainment may: close due to refurbishing, capacity, weather or special events; change operating hours; and otherwise change or be discontinued without notice and without liability to the owners of Universal Orlando Resort (‘Universal’). Unless otherwise stated, does not include admission to any of the Universal theme parks or separately ticketed events at any of the Universal theme parks or within any of the CityWalk venues, Universal Cinemark, or Hollywood Drive-In Golf™, and parking or discounts on food or merchandise. Some CityWalk venues require ages 21 or older for admission. Valid Photo ID required. Additional restrictions may apply and benefits are subject to change without notice.


----------



## keishashadow

FYI for those considering the scareactor meal, looks like they did amp up the number in 2019.

Would be nice to see one featured from every house/scare zone


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> FYI for those considering the scareactor meal, looks like they did amp up the number in 2019.
> 
> Would be nice to see one featured from every house/scare zone
> View attachment 688499



Yep, we went in 2018 for that.....there was also some random vampire guy wandering around.....I do have pics of that too. That was a poor offering from them.

We were also confused as to who the Wicked Witch/Lady Liberty were as we hadn`t visited those houses yet.....so there were many of us around the place didn`t have a clue why they were there......lol......

Yes, I`d expect one from every house.....if MM is going to be there.....I`ll be there with bells on!!!


----------



## BroadwayHermione5

Shame my one aunt isnt into theme parks or haunts-she LOVES the Weeknd and would go through that house a bagillion times!


----------



## keishashadow

I did call the dining res #.  The rep had no information on the offerings other than what we are able to see on the website as to menu items.

did put me on hold for a bit to inquire with supervisor.  

was told that all they know 100% is that it will be a buffet.  

They assume it may feature the day offerings, including pizza, pasta, meatball sandwiches, soup & salad & one soft drink of choice.

Offered that more information ‘should’ be available as the date approaches, to check back.  

Did caution there would be no refunds if the fare wasn’t acceptable.  

Guess I’ll put it on back burner For now.


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> I did call the dining res #.  The rep had no information on the offerings other than what we are able to see on the website as to menu items.
> 
> did put me on hold for a bit to inquire with supervisor.
> 
> was told that all they know 100% is that it will be a buffet.
> 
> They assume it may feature the day offerings, including pizza, pasta, meatball sandwiches, soup & salad & one soft drink of choice.
> 
> Offered that more information ‘should’ be available as the date approaches, to check back.
> 
> Did caution there would be no refunds if the fare wasn’t acceptable.
> 
> Guess I’ll put it on back burner For now.



Hmmm. Doesn`t sound so good.


----------



## keishashadow

schumigirl said:


> Hmmm. Doesn`t sound so good.


Puzzling , as the devil is in the details for many of us.


----------



## emmabelle

my husband and I are passholders, can I buy my daughter and her bf their tickets?  They're going on a different night than we are.


----------



## Robo56

Never heard of the weekend. Went to YouTube and had a look. Has some good music.

In the little short video from Universal The Weekend House looks like a Scary Plastic Surgery gone wrong kind of house. There was a Scare Zone about that in 2019 called Vanity Ball.

Looking forward to seeing this house and others.

I thought about Scareactor dining experience. Louie’s has good pizza, but would be disappointed if the event was over crowded, food subpar and Scareactor interaction was poor. So many variables for sure hanging out there.  Will sit on the fence on that one for awhile.

I did buy my ROF ticket with Express. Was the best option for my time there.

Not sure if I was reading it wrong, but there does not appear to be multi-night Passes  in between ROF and Ultimate Fear that includes all Fridays and Saturdays during the event.


----------



## shh

emmabelle said:


> my husband and I are passholders, can I buy my daughter and her bf their tickets?  They're going on a different night than we are.


I'm not sure about universal, but I had that question myself, as a family member is a Sea World passholder, but I'm not and we couldn't synch up our days. When I checked with SW (and WDW as well), both parks required passholders to physically accompany any guests who were using discounted tickets. (Same went for military tic discounts.) Otherwise I guess a PH could game the system and buy tics for a ton of people at discounted prices. Maybe UO is different?


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

It's almost the most wonderful time of the year!

Well looks like it's time to mosey on over to join this thread.

Anyone hear any rumors about an AP discount for any of the frequent fears?

As locals, we had the Ultimate Frequent Fear pass last year. We wanted to join a friend who was coming on a Saturday so that seemed like the best choice. We actually did only end up going one Saturday out of the 9 times we did go, so pretty sure we're safe downgrading to the Frequent Fear Plus this year. 

Still deciding if we should do any behind the screams. 

For those of you judging the event by IPs and you've never been...don't do that. Usually the originals are what hook me the most. Sometimes I really enjoy the IP houses even if it's an IP I don't really care for. Give it a chance before judging.

Part of the fun for the event for us it that we always have a watch list of all the IPs for the houses. Sometimes it lets us re-watch stuff we haven't seen in a while and other times we get to watch new things.

On the homework watch list this year:

1. Music videos for the Weeknd
2. Original Halloween
3. Universal Monsters original The Mummy
4. Universal Monsters original Dracula
5. Universal Monsters original The Wolf Man
6. Freaky
7. Black Phone

I really hope the rumored Wicked Growth sequel house is a reality. I am fairly obsessed with Lil Boo.


----------



## nurseberta

I've been on the site/ap all day since I just logged in and realized the rush of fear went on sale. Any idea why its so bad? I've tried from different browsers/computers/phones!!!!


----------



## shb5007

Our original plan was to eat "dinner" at CityWalk about 3:30 and use a Stay & Scream entry (around 4:50) to beat the lines getting into HHN.  This would have cost us like $75.  We are now switching to the Dining Experience for a total of around $120 at 5:30 in hopes to basically use this as dinner / Stay & Scream.  The website says a ticket for HHN is needed... so I guess they will let people with reservations in earlier (with a ticket, but not Stay & Scream).  They only offer 5pm-6pm for reservations.  Fingers crossed now for some decent food, and a few "fun" surprises.


----------



## keishashadow

shh said:


> Maybe UO is different?


Don’t think so.  In the past AP holders were also limited as to how many discounted tix they could purchase for others 


OhioStateBuckeye said:


> Anyone hear any rumors about an AP discount for any of the frequent fears?


Nope TBH hard for me to get worked up over a $5 discount on an event ticket
(I’m talking to you WDW too lol)


nurseberta said:


> Any idea why its so bad? I've tried from different browsers/computers/phones!!!!


Had no issue at all yesterday am on iPad. 

Clearing your browser history usually works when a particular site is hinkey


----------



## keishashadow

shb5007 said:


> so I guess they will let people with reservations in earlier (with a ticket, but not Stay & Scream). They only offer 5pm-6pm for reservations. Fingers crossed now for some decent food, and a few "fun" surprises.


If me, I’d call & specifically ask if you will be permitted to enter early without a day tix or stay & scream

Then come back and sharewhat they tell you.   Good luck


----------



## namelessoracle

Original IP houses were the best ones last year. The big disappointment for lack of IP is that they typically have cool unique merch for Horror Nights around the IP if you care about that.


----------



## wmoon

Thank you everyone for the advice about express. I’m going to book frequent fear and possibly 1 night express. 

Can I ask what is the best way to select for delivery of your tickets? Print at home or will call? We will be staying at Hard Rock I assume we could collect tickets there rather than the parks?


----------



## namelessoracle

wmoon said:


> Thank you everyone for the advice about express. I’m going to book frequent fear and possibly 1 night express.
> 
> Can I ask what is the best way to select for delivery of your tickets? Print at home or will call? We will be staying at Hard Rock I assume we could collect tickets there rather than the parks?


Will call. (at least for your express pass). They will be getting constantly scanned throughout the night, (they scan the express pass before every ride) and i saw people who printed ones out of paper have trouble due the barcode fading due to constant folding and being put away. You want the thicker ticket paper they put on the will call ones, especially if it rains.

On my lanyard i had one side with the express, and the other side for the annual pass for the food discounts.

On that note, when do we normally find out the food offerings unique to the event? I thought they were spoiled by this point last year?


----------



## babesboo99

Dis they announce all the houses and scare zones?


----------



## MinnieMSue

Going during my daughter’s freshman year of college fall break in October-  2 nights with express pass and behind the screams tour on the day in between. We wanted to do just a day at islands of adventure on the Sunday before leaving Sunday night. Our seasonal passes expire in September and after doing the math and knowing we won’t make it back again before they expire next year I decided to just buy stay and scream for the two days before we do horror nights. I was surprised they are not date specific. I had assumed they were. I just ended up putting 4 of them in my cart and assigning us each to two of them. I hope I didn’t mess that up but there was no place that said they were dated. I also purchased one park one day tickets so we can do IOA on our last day and express passes for that day since there are no top tier hotels available for our stay and even for 1 night it would have cost more than just staying at SF where we are booked and paying for day express passes. We are going to be so tired lol


----------



## Monykalyn

wmoon said:


> Thank you everyone for the advice about express. I’m going to book frequent fear and possibly 1 night express.
> 
> Can I ask what is the best way to select for delivery of your tickets? Print at home or will call? We will be staying at Hard Rock I assume we could collect tickets there rather than the parks?


The hotels have a desk to print your tickets for you during business hours, or a self serve kiosk after hours. Just don’t be a dummy like me and try to print previous years tickets that are still on account . Once I scanned the correct bar code like magic the ticket printed lol


----------



## scottishgirl1

Just a heads up that extra 6 houre Unmasking the Horror tours have appeared on the website today, I managed to get one eventually!


----------



## dmbgotfan41

namelessoracle said:


> Will call. (at least for your express pass). They will be getting constantly scanned throughout the night, (they scan the express pass before every ride) and i saw people who printed ones out of paper have trouble due the barcode fading due to constant folding and being put away. You want the thicker ticket paper they put on the will call ones, especially if it rains.
> 
> On my lanyard i had one side with the express, and the other side for the annual pass for the food discounts.
> 
> On that note, when do we normally find out the food offerings unique to the event? I thought they were spoiled by this point last year?



I did the Express pass mobile ticket and was concerned after reading your message. Thankfully, both of the HHN Express passes are in the wallet of my Universal app.


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

Wait. I'm probably confusing myself but is parking only included with the highest tier frequent fear, or do you get it with Frequent Fear Plus?


----------



## JeanfromBNA

Robo56 said:


> You can if you want to. You have to have a HHN ticket for the night in addition to your RIP Tour ticket. So if you want to hang out in the park and do some other things until your tour starts you can.
> 
> My niece and I spent some time in Diagon Alley then went over to Cafe La Bama about a half hour before our tour time. When we checked in the tour guides were by the door. Our tour guide gave us our tour lanyard and we went in and enjoyed some food and beverage (which is included is included in your RIP Tour). There is a additional cost if you want alcoholic beverages.
> 
> We were in a Public RIP Tour. Private Rip Tours usually meet up at guest services first, but that should be made clear to you before hand.


Do you still use the VIP entrance to get in the park, or use the main gate?


----------



## DVC_HK

Hi everyone! I used to use disboards a lot but haven't had much time due to new jobs and what not but I am back. I have also been in multiple HHN Spec groups this season and have so good info! Are rumors and leaks okay in these boards?


----------



## tinkerbell1991

DVC_HK said:


> Hi everyone! I used to use disboards a lot but haven't had much time due to new jobs and what not but I am back. I have also been in multiple HHN Spec groups this season and have so good info! Are rumors and leaks okay in these boards?


Absolutely, lots of people share speculation on here so share away


----------



## DVC_HK

Thank you!

So based off past history of HHN original releases we should get our final 6 houses this year on Tuesday. If you follow the Horror Night Nightmares spec map the prison house is the only one that is going to surprise everyone when it's official name is released


----------



## tinkerbell1991

DVC_HK said:


> Thank you!
> 
> So based off past history of HHN original releases we should get our final 6 houses this year on Tuesday. If you follow the Horror Night Nightmares spec map the prison house is the only one that is going to surprise everyone when it's official name is released


Oooh I've heard about the prison rumoured one - could certainly be a good original house.
Also liking the rumoured bugs house as that'll really hit a fear spot within a lot of people


----------



## DVC_HK

tinkerbell1991 said:


> Oooh I've heard about the prison rumoured one - could certainly be a good original house.
> Also liking the rumoured bugs house as that'll really hit a fear spot within a lot of people


So what I am hearing about the bug house is it's going to be the most intense house there. Body horror like The Thing and The Fly meets like 10 phobias


----------



## DVC_HK

DVC_HK said:


> Thank you!
> 
> So based off past history of HHN original releases we should get our final 6 houses this year on Tuesday. If you follow the Horror Night Nightmares spec map the prison house is the only one that is going to surprise everyone when it's official name is released


Well. The theory of 31 days till HHN31 announcement fell through. Two accurate sources are saying two different things right now. One is saying we should get our 6 originals this week while another says it's not this week or next but like the week of the 22nd. Food and drinks should be the next announcement the week after then TM preview right before the opening day


----------



## nurseberta

has anyone ever done the scare actor meal? it’s pre HHN at 5pm wondering when we would be able to get in the park,  stay and scream is 35, the scare actor meal is $45, seems like an obvious choice except how early can we get in


----------



## tinkerbell1991

nurseberta said:


> has anyone ever done the scare actor meal? it’s pre HHN at 5pm wondering when we would be able to get in the park,  stay and scream is 35, the scare actor meal is $45, seems like an obvious choice except how early can we get in


I thought the meal started at $55 but obviously with the stay and scream, you can go on rides/shop from 3pm-5pm when they then put you in a holding area whereas with the dining, you just go straight to the restaurant. S&S gives people a couple of hours to do some other things but it's whether you're bothered about not having 2 hours to do things in the studios park and paying $55 pp for a meal and some character meets


----------



## namelessoracle

My only issue with actor meal is that a bunch of heavy greasy italian doesnt sound great before running around trying to hit 10 houses in one night. We want to see what the buffet looks like first. Also we wanted to hit the unique food offerings for the event and filling up on a buffet doesnt sound great for that.


----------



## lisam70

How likely is it to get into Finnegans before HHN around 3 or so? Looking to go Sun 9/11


----------



## macraven

make a reservation in advance is what i do
mine was set up well over a month ago due to hhn


----------



## lisam70

macraven said:


> make a reservation in advance is what i do
> mine was set up well over a month ago due to hhn


No reservations available after 2pm, I was checking weeks ago


----------



## tinkerbell1991

lisam70 said:


> No reservations available after 2pm, I was checking weeks ago


I could only get 2pm also. Only a small handful were available for around 3pm but 2pm is now the latest


----------



## mamapenguin

I have a 3:30 that weekend, it was booked in June.
(Finnegan’s)


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

Just to give an update on parking in case anyone is in a similar situation to me. 

I posted my question on the US AP facebook group and was answered by the official account. If we do not buy the highest tier HHN pass (Ultimate Frequent Fear Pass), but we have the highest tier AP (Premiere) then we still get to park for free on HHN in the garage.


----------



## soniam

lisam70 said:


> No reservations available after 2pm, I was checking weeks ago





tinkerbell1991 said:


> I could only get 2pm also. Only a small handful were available for around 3pm but 2pm is now the latest



Last year, I booked my Finnegan's reservation for 4pm, I think. I booked it like 6 months out. Closer to the event, they got rid of the afternoon reservations completely. There were some there one day, and then they were all gone the next. Next year, you might try booking as early as possible to see if they do this again. There is not penalty to book and then cancel if needed. Just cancel it as soon as you know you can't make it.


----------



## lisam70

soniam said:


> Last year, I booked my Finnegan's reservation for 4pm, I think. I booked it like 6 months out. Closer to the event, they got rid of the afternoon reservations completely. There were some there one day, and then they were all gone the next. Next year, you might try booking as early as possible to see if they do this again. There is not penalty to book and then cancel if needed. Just cancel it as soon as you know you can't make it.


If it’s just two of us is it possible to be seated with no reservation or is it crazy crowded? It’s our first time going. I have a ressie for cowfish at 3 but we like Finnegans better. Guess we could try and if we can’t get in we’d be ok with just going to the crepe stand or taco truck and then getting hhn snacks.


----------



## soniam

lisam70 said:


> If it’s just two of us is it possible to be seated with no reservation or is it crazy crowded? It’s our first time going. I have a ressie for cowfish at 3 but we like Finnegans better. Guess we could try and if we can’t get in we’d be ok with just going to the crepe stand or taco truck and then getting hhn snacks.


I'm not really sure. I haven't tried to walk-up. I think I remember that people were getting on the walk-up list. In fact, they were surprised that I had a reservation but did find it. I don't know how long the wait was though. We aren't doing Stay n Scream this year, so we just decided to do a 4pm dinner at Big Fire.


----------



## babesboo99

Not sure how many houses or scare zones we are getting.  will there be anymore house or scare zones to announce?


----------



## DVC_HK

babesboo99 said:


> Not sure how many houses or scare zones we are getting.  will there be anymore house or scare zones to announce?


Yes, 6 more houses which will be our originals this year. They also have all 5 scarezones to announce but they will drop this all at one time. Hopefully Tuesday but could be the 16th as well when they drop


----------



## babesboo99

DVC_HK said:


> Yes, 6 more houses which will be our originals this year. They also have all 5 scarezones to announce but they will drop this all at one time. Hopefully Tuesday but could be the 16th as well when they drop


Thank you


----------



## FoxC63

If anyone is interested in posting their party night info on the:
*2022 HHN Guest List thread* please feel free!
I cannot nor will I randomly take your info here and post it there. Nope, no can do!  Besides, my fingers are too sticky from my lollipop!


----------



## ClapYourHands

Anyone know what Uber/Lyft pricing looks like late on HHN nights? We are staying offsite at a local hotel. Ride guru estimates $8-something right now, but I’ve no idea what that looks like late on HHN. 

We went to HHN last year, but never closed the park, so I don’t know how many people are still hanging on at 1 or 2am. Is the end a mass exodus of people like the close of parks on regular days? Is it better to Uber from the rideshare spot at city walk garage or go to Hard Rock and request from there?

Our APs expired so I don’t have free parking this year, and trying to decide which route (driving vs rideshare) is easier/cheaper.


----------



## ThistleMae

I watched Black Phone but never saw Freaky.  It will be interesting to see how they combine elements from both.  I intend to watch Freaky this weekend.  I do enjoy seeing familiar elements from movies.


----------



## keishashadow

ClapYourHands said:


> Anyone know what Uber/Lyft pricing looks like late on HHN nights? We are staying offsite at a local hotel. Ride guru estimates $8-something right now, but I’ve no idea what that looks like late on HHN.


Surge pricing in MCO for special events, even after FW at WDW is very common.  I wouldn’t count on that price.  YMMV


----------



## ClapYourHands

keishashadow said:


> Surge pricing in MCO for special events, even after FW at WDW is very common.  I wouldn’t count on that price.  YMMV


I’m not counting on the price, but have no idea what surge pricing looks like for such short distances. Does $8 become $15, $20, or $50? 

I’ve heard the crowd starts to thin out around 10 or 11, but I’ve never seen the end of HHN because we always left earlier in the evening. How much surge is there at 1am or 2am?


----------



## tinkerbell1991

ClapYourHands said:


> I’m not counting on the price, but have no idea what surge pricing looks like for such short distances. Does $8 become $15, $20, or $50?
> 
> I’ve heard the crowd starts to thin out around 10 or 11, but I’ve never seen the end of HHN because we always left earlier in the evening. How much surge is there at 1am or 2am?


I realise this is a Universal thread but for example when I used an uber in the past for Disney's Halloween party, a regular uber back to my villa was around $12. On the party night, it was $54


----------



## keishashadow

ClapYourHands said:


> I’ve heard the crowd starts to thin out around 10 or 11, but I’ve never seen the end of HHN because we always left earlier in the evening. How much surge is there at 1am or 2am?


It’s Of the what the market will bear.  

guesstimate:  lower pre 1 am in this instance or closer to 3 am, if u can find a taker

one thing with uber, you can always just decline the quote & try again in 5 - 10 minutes…then rinse and repeat.  It eventually will drop back to the norm


----------



## mamapenguin

Does anyone have a guess as to when the rest of the the houses and the scare zones will be revealed? We are less than a month away….


----------



## tinkerbell1991

mamapenguin said:


> Does anyone have a guess as to when the rest of the the houses and the scare zones will be revealed? We are less than a month away….


The guess at the moment is possibly tomorrow or the following Tuesday (16th Aug)


----------



## SquashBanana

I'm trying to get caught up on reading all the posts, so this is already been asked I apologize. Now that the rush of fear pass is on sale, does it have a history of selling out or jumping in price? Thanks!


----------



## tony67

So I don't really follow many of the other sites as I just don't have the time.

Was watching Rix Flix last night and he mentioned a rumor that the budgets had been cut for scare zones - seems odd to me since the event has gotten so popular.

What have folks heard - I guess its possible they cut the budget to cover higher costs for SAs I guess


----------



## keishashadow

It’s back

Expect official house drops sooner vs later as we are only a few weeks away.  In the meantime…

A repost of The infamous supposedly accidentally released tshirt   Anyone’s guess if this is us


----------



## Robo56

keishashadow said:


> Expect official house drops sooner vs later as we are only a few weeks away. In the meantime…
> 
> A repost of The infamous supposedly accidentally released tshirt Anyone’s guess if this is



Unless my old eyes are failing me there are only 8 Houses listed on the T-shirt and we are supposed to have 10.



We are only 3 weeks from start of HHN and there are 6 houses to be announced,  5 Scare Zones and 2 shows.


----------



## ishbit92

I can't wait for the food & drinks to be announced! Is that usually announced shortly after the houses are?


----------



## tinkerbell1991

Robo56 said:


> Unless my old eyes are failing me there are only 8 Houses listed on the T-shirt and we are supposed to have 10.


There might be some above "Halloween" as the Weeknd house is missing from that list/tshirt. The other rumoured one is a prison themed house


----------



## leiaorgana

The rumour in other places is that The Weeknd is getting his own merch and doesn’t want his brand featured on the other HHN shirts supposedly and that’s why his house isn’t on that one.


----------



## tony67

leiaorgana said:


> The rumour in other places is that The Weeknd is getting his own merch and doesn’t want his brand featured on the other HHN shirts supposedly and that’s why his house isn’t on that one.


Yeah that makes sense.

My guess is the other missing one (prison themed house) was a late change they are scrambling to get going - but just a guess


----------



## keishashadow

tony67 said:


> Yeah that makes sense.
> 
> My guess is the other missing one (prison themed house) was a late change they are scrambling to get going - but just a guess


Yep, supposedly the name is the issue?


----------



## tony67

SquashBanana said:


> I'm trying to get caught up on reading all the posts, so this is already been asked I apologize. Now that the rush of fear pass is on sale, does it have a history of selling out or jumping in price? Thanks!


I don't recall that happening.

I do recall the other multi night tickets pausing sales when a weekend was sold out  - am I recalling that correctly - does anyone else recall that?

Something else I have heard recently is that they are having a very though time getting SAs - tougher than usual - thoughts?

I've not seen any discussion on the curfew in place on weekends for citywalk - under 18s must have a parent or gradian or be staying at a universal hotel.   The local news has been discussing it and asking will it apply to HHN - personally I doubt that - I cant see them sacrificing all those ticket sales - and they allow people seeing a movie to stay - so all you need is a movie ticket to stay in citywalk.


On a more positive note watching one of the bloggers and they showed what seemed to be a bar area in the San Francisco docs by that scare zone that was themed to that zone.   Also near Cafe La Bamba they showed what seemed to be a Day of the Dead themed bar - I am hoping tequila bar.   Any rumors on these?


----------



## tinkerbell1991

tony67 said:


> On a more positive note watching one of the bloggers and they showed what seemed to be a bar area in the San Francisco docs by that scare zone that was themed to that zone.   Also near Cafe La Bamba they showed what seemed to be a Day of the Dead themed bar - I am hoping tequila bar.   Any rumors on these?


I saw this too and did wonder which houses they could possibly relate to. As you've said, one look to be day of the dead but the other had ruins all around it.
The day of the dead one made me think if the rumoured "fiesta de chupacabras" house is revealed, it could be for this one.
The ruins one made me think of rumoured "spirit of the coven" house. It kind of also looks like viking ruins so wondering if the dead man's wharf could link it with it if so.

I'm getting really excited now, can't wait for everything to officially come out and the event to begin


----------



## mamapenguin

tony67 said:


> I don't recall that happening.
> 
> I do recall the other multi night tickets pausing sales when a weekend was sold out  - am I recalling that correctly - does anyone else recall that?
> 
> Something else I have heard recently is that they are having a very though time getting SAs - tougher than usual - thoughts?
> 
> I've not seen any discussion on the curfew in place on weekends for citywalk - under 18s must have a parent or gradian or be staying at a universal hotel.   The local news has been discussing it and asking will it apply to HHN - personally I doubt that - I cant see them sacrificing all those ticket sales - and they allow people seeing a movie to stay - so all you need is a movie ticket to stay in citywalk.
> 
> 
> On a more positive note watching one of the bloggers and they showed what seemed to be a bar area in the San Francisco docs by that scare zone that was themed to that zone.   Also near Cafe La Bamba they showed what seemed to be a Day of the Dead themed bar - I am hoping tequila bar.   Any rumors on these?


Yes, last year there was a pause in the multi night ticket sales because of a sold out night or two early in September last year. That’s why I bought ROF as soon as it came out.


----------



## ThistleMae

Do the tickets ever sell out if you buy closer to your dates?  We want to go Sept. 22nd.


----------



## soniam

ThistleMae said:


> Do the tickets ever sell out if you buy closer to your dates?  We want to go Sept. 22nd.


Sometimes


----------



## Lyricallie

We are based in Scotland so we are holding off on buying rush of fear tickets as we want to get them through floridatix (where we get all our tickets usually) but they still only have the one day tickets. Debating how long to hold off as we go to Orlando in like 3 weeks!


----------



## Monykalyn

tony67 said:


> So I don't really follow many of the other sites as I just don't have the time.
> 
> Was watching Rix Flix last night and he mentioned a rumor that the budgets had been cut for scare zones - seems odd to me since the event has gotten so popular.
> 
> What have folks heard - I guess its possible they cut the budget to cover higher costs for SAs I guess


Yeah not sure he is really "in the know" as other sites think scare zones will be ramped up this year


tony67 said:


> On a more positive note watching one of the bloggers and they showed what seemed to be a bar area in the San Francisco docs by that scare zone that was themed to that zone. Also near Cafe La Bamba they showed what seemed to be a Day of the Dead themed bar - I am hoping tequila bar. Any rumors on these?


This is also running rampant on spec threads-really hoping there are some "hang out" themed bar areas -possibly with roving scare actors??


----------



## ClapYourHands

tony67 said:


> I've not seen any discussion on the curfew in place on weekends for citywalk - under 18s must have a parent or gradian or be staying at a universal hotel.   The local news has been discussing it and asking will it apply to HHN - personally I doubt that - I cant see them sacrificing all those ticket sales - and they allow people seeing a movie to stay - so all you need is a movie ticket to stay in citywalk.




I don’t think we’re going to see a lot of issues with the rule. It only applies to City Walk itself, not the parks.  If teens have a ticket to HHN, they are probably going to be at HHN before 9, so no worries with them getting into City Walk. When they are done with HHN, they just proceed to the exit rather than hanging out in City Walk. 

My personal take on it is that this rule just gives security permission to boot groups of teens who are hanging around and look like they might cause trouble. Security isn’t going to bother with two or three teens minding their own business walking through City Walk.


----------



## wmoon

Lyricallie said:


> We are based in Scotland so we are holding off on buying rush of fear tickets as we want to get them through floridatix (where we get all our tickets usually) but they still only have the one day tickets. Debating how long to hold off as we go to Orlando in like 3 weeks!


We are Scotland as well. I read on another forum that UK ticket sellers are not getting access to sell the multi night tickets this year. A few people had emailed the companies and they’d confirmed this was the case.  I bought my frequent fear direct from Universal.


----------



## DVC_HK

Coming in here later to say the rumored prison house should be Hellgate from a couple of years ago with looking like Eddie being inside it. It was what replaced Evil Dead Rises, the new movie that was pushed back a year so they had to make an original on the fly. The full line up should be coming this coming week with a good possibility for Tuesday. It is only 19 days left until TM preview so things are in motion


----------



## tony67

ClapYourHands said:


> I don’t think we’re going to see a lot of issues with the rule. It only applies to City Walk itself, not the parks.  If teens have a ticket to HHN, they are probably going to be at HHN before 9, so no worries with them getting into City Walk. When they are done with HHN, they just proceed to the exit rather than hanging out in City Walk.
> 
> My personal take on it is that this rule just gives security permission to boot groups of teens who are hanging around and look like they might cause trouble. Security isn’t going to bother with two or three teens minding their own business walking through City Walk.


Agreed - but it would sure be nice if they made HHN 18+ unless accompanied by an adult - I cant see them doing it though

As for the second point - will be interesting to see how they enforce it or if security is willing too - seems quite risky if not done correctly


----------



## Lyricallie

wmoon said:


> We are Scotland as well. I read on another forum that UK ticket sellers are not getting access to sell the multi night tickets this year. A few people had emailed the companies and they’d confirmed this was the case.  I bought my frequent fear direct from Universal.


Ah good to know! I had messaged Floridatix and they were just like watch this space so guessing they've all been arguing behind the scenes. I'm just going to buy it through universal then. I just want to be able to tick it off the purchasing list. Last thing to get! Time is flying by. Thank you


----------



## keishashadow

tony67 said:


> The local news has been discussing it and asking will it apply to HHN - personally I doubt that - I cant see them sacrificing all those ticket sales - and they allow people seeing a movie to stay - so all you need is a movie ticket to stay in citywalk.


based upon the many sold out dates in mid to end of September I’m seeing at the onsite hotels, going with ticket sales have been brisk and the parks are going to be very busy this haunt season.

after the publicity over the parking garage ruckus, with obvious younger teens involved; they likely want to put a show of force (enforcement) forward to both deter future shenanigans and assure their older guests that the outer areas of the park are safely patrolled 

in the park during the event, you can’t sneeze wrong     Lots of non uniformed security


ThistleMae said:


> Do the tickets ever sell out if you buy closer to your dates?  We want to go Sept. 22nd.


Not sure we can make accurate predictions this year as still in rebound travel mode.   weekends (including Friday nights) always seems much busier


Monykalyn said:


> Yeah not sure he is really "in the know" as other sites think scare zones will be ramped up this year


agree, not my cuppa, although he does appear to have his fanbase of sorts that swear by him. 

Did see this on twitter.  was surprised to see the pumpkins that seemed so at home in Central Park, morph over to the ‘main’ scare zone.   Curious as to what they are going for here



ClapYourHands said:


> When they are done with HHN, they just proceed to the exit rather than hanging out in City Walk.


anything to de-clog catwalk after & in the waning hours of the evening would be very welcome IMO


tony67 said:


> Agreed - but it would sure be nice if they made HHN 18+ unless accompanied by an adult - I cant see them doing it though


That would cause such a gridlock at the gates checking IDs.   

had thought if they would designate an all ages night once a week (perhaps on weekday), it would be more easily monitored. 


tony67 said:


> As for the second point - will be interesting to see how they enforce it or if security is willing too - seems quite risky if not done correctly


They have to be very careful to not appear to profile any specific demographic.  The optics could go south on them, very quickly.


----------



## SquashBanana

I went ahead and ordered my RoF passes to avoid possible pauses in sales or price increases. I ordered through a third party so I must redeem a voucher at a ticket booth. I'm thinking the CW ticket booth by Red Oven Pizza will be less busy than the one at US. Any thoughts on that?


----------



## macraven

I pick my passes up at the onsite hotel

I assume you will do fine using City Walk for your pick up


----------



## Monykalyn

keishashadow said:


> Did see this on twitter. was surprised to see the pumpkins that seemed so at home in Central Park, morph over to the ‘main’ scare zone. Curious as to what they are going for here


All Hail the Pumpkin Lord?! Maybe there’ll  be stiltwalker pumpkin lord??  Now we just need a Lil Boo popcorn bucket (suggested on different board) and I’ll officially declare bankruptcy after HHN merchandise spending spree


----------



## Apeters430

Me and my husband are thinking about try HHN on 9/25 a Sunday but we have never been to universal. We are simply going to enjoy the halloween festivities. I know lines are usually long but we really don't want to buy Express passes. We want to go but not that bad lol so its just something to do on our getaway weekend. How realistic is it without the EP?


----------



## Monykalyn

Apeters430 said:


> Me and my husband are thinking about try HHN on 9/25 a Sunday but we have never been to universal. We are simply going to enjoy the halloween festivities. I know lines are usually long but we really don't want to buy Express passes. We want to go but not that bad lol so its just something to do on our getaway weekend. How realistic is it without the EP?


I’d recommend the “scream early” add on to get you in park before event starts. You can easily knock out a couple of the more popular houses, then head to very back of park to houses that have low waits. When lines start building take the time to enjoy the shows, treats/food, scare zones and just generally soak it all in. After 10ish lines will start dying down so you can redo your favorites/hit the rest of the houses.

TL: DR- easily doable with a loose plan on what you want to do, go early&stay late. And have a fun! This is easily the thing I look forward to all year!


----------



## Wembleygal

keishashadow said:


> based upon the many sold out dates in mid to end of September I’m seeing at the onsite hotels, going with ticket sales have been brisk and the parks are going to be very busy this haunt season.
> 
> after the publicity over the parking garage ruckus, with obvious younger teens involved; they likely want to put a show of force (enforcement) forward to both deter future shenanigans and assure their older guests that the outer areas of the park are safely patrolled
> 
> in the park during the event, you can’t sneeze wrong     Lots of non uniformed security
> 
> Not sure we can make accurate predictions this year as still in rebound travel mode.   weekends (including Friday nights) always seems much busier
> 
> agree, not my cuppa, although he does appear to have his fanbase of sorts that swear by him.
> 
> Did see this on twitter.  was surprised to see the pumpkins that seemed so at home in Central Park, morph over to the ‘main’ scare zone.   Curious as to what they are going for here
> View attachment 693101
> 
> anything to de-clog catwalk after & in the waning hours of the evening would be very welcome IMO
> 
> That would cause such a gridlock at the gates checking IDs.
> 
> had thought if they would designate an all ages night once a week (perhaps on weekday), it would be more easily monitored.
> 
> They have to be very careful to not appear to profile any specific demographic.  The optics could go south on them, very quickly.


IMO, you can never have enough pumpkins!


----------



## Skywalker3

Hey, reading through thread, looking at our Oct trip, and considering a Frequent Fear pass instead of just getting our 1 night, Oct 9, pass. If we do just get the regular , 1 night pass for Oct 9, can we still upgrade if we've entered HHN for that night? upgrade before we leave the park that same night? or does it have to be upgraded before we use the night/enter the park on Oct 9? 
Also, and I reading this right, that if we did a daytime/unmasking tour, we dont' need park admission? Our APs expire Oct 10, and likely not renewing, but considering an unmasking tour later in the week. 
Thanks in advance


----------



## soniam

All houses revealed.

https://www.universalorlando.com/hhn/en/us/haunted-houses

And scarezones and shows

https://www.universalorlando.com/hhn/en/us/things-to-do


----------



## shaqfor3

This is my first time going.  This is my way too early ranking based only on how excited I am from the description:

1. Legends Collide - I love Universal Monster.  Remind me of the movie Monsters Squad.  

2. Dead Man's Pier - I imagine a lot of fog and cold on this one.

3. Hellblock Horror - Although rumors say this was made up at the end after Evil Dead was a no go but It sounds very interesting.

4. Bugs Eaten Alive - this sounds like it going to make a lot of people cry haha.

5. Halloween - Maybe should be higher as it is based on the original movie.

6. Weeknd - I out it around the middle for now but I can see this one being #1 or #10 when all set and done.

7. Fiesta del Chupacabra - Interesting to me because I am from the place that claim the first "sightings" of the Chupacabra

8.  Descendants of Destructions -  This is where I would cut the line between the houses I most do and the houses Ill do if time permits.  

9. Spirit of the Coven 

10.  Blumhouse


The scare zones:

1. Scarecrow
2. Horrors of Halloween (Would Lil' Boo be there?)
3. Sweet Revenge
4. Graveyard
5. Conjure the Dark


----------



## AlostPrincess

I'm Excited to try all the new houses, and scare zones. This will be our 3rd HHN

I suspect there are going to be a lot of upset people re: Stranger things.


----------



## keishashadow

On the road again, see the posts in place. Woot


----------



## Robo56

10 Houses











5 Scare Zones





2 shows


Cabana Bay offering




Nothing I can see so far on total food offerings for the event. Pizza fries are a given.


----------



## tinkerbell1991

I am SO excited! I think the descendants of destruction also sounds really interesting.


----------



## Robo56

Let the fun begin


----------



## emmabelle

I'm excited for the deadman's pier, especially being from New England.    

and the subway one!


----------



## Skippyboo

Scare zones seems better than last year. I really didn’t like the NY and SF zones last year. The bug house seems like a prime opportunity to drop stuff from the ceiling. Ick.


----------



## Monykalyn

Skippyboo said:


> Scare zones seems better than last year. I really didn’t like the NY and SF zones last year. The bug house seems like a prime opportunity to drop stuff from the ceiling. Ick.


yes SIF is back per the "Discover Universal" pod cast!!! OMG this house is gonna give me for real nightmares LOL.


soniam said:


> All houses revealed.
> 
> https://www.universalorlando.com/hhn/en/us/haunted-houses
> 
> And scarezones and shows
> 
> https://www.universalorlando.com/hhn/en/us/things-to-do


SO EXCITED-3 weeks from tomorrow til I walk in the fog!!!!


----------



## mamapenguin

Monykalyn said:


> yes SIF is back per the "Discover Universal" pod cast!!! OMG this house is gonna give me for real nightmares LOL.
> 
> SO EXCITED-3 weeks from tomorrow til I walk in the fog!!!!


We must get there right after you. My countdown says 22 days 18 hours…( not soon enough)


----------



## Mrs.AMC

AlostPrincess said:


> I'm Excited to try all the new houses, and scare zones. This will be our 3rd HHN
> 
> I suspect there are going to be a lot of upset people re: Stranger things.


Some may be
 Many got spoiled after having one so many years in a row
 Add on top of that how perfect this year would have been of all the years what with there having been an actual haunted  house in the show and all. 
Maybe they’ll be able to work out something for the final season


----------



## PixieT78

Sooooo a bug house...as long as running away screaming is allowed, I should be fine (but so help me and anyone around me if a spider lands on me).


----------



## keishashadow

AlostPrincess said:


> I suspect there are going to be a lot of upset people re: Stranger things.


Willing to venture there are many ‘regulars’ who just may be glad not having that house in play might equal an overall more ‘mature audience’.  So many more young, seemingly unsupervised kids thronged to ST years. 


Mrs.AMC said:


> Many got spoiled after having one so many years in a row


For a fan of the franchise, it was enjoyable for me; just not scary.  More of a set piece.  Nothing wrong with that IMO, loved beetle juice & ghostbusters (in the same vein).

IMO too many years of the same subject can just get played out (i.e. the walking dead).  Perhaps a break will do us all good lol

sticky updated


----------



## keishashadow

Need a map


----------



## DuskKodesh

Just got my hotel! Was hoping to go September but ended up going late October 24-28th. Strongly thinking about the lights on tour as I doubt I'll get the spouse through any houses after dark. Does anyone know how they choose the houses for the tours? I'd only get 6/10 and I'm very excited about seeing that bug house!


----------



## keishashadow

DuskKodesh - that is an excellent question!  Have wondered the same thing, have asked several RIP guides, never got a straight answer lol

PS have heard of folks who did the lights-on tour with hesitant travel companions who wound up enjoying it so much, they then agreed to do the actual event.  Worth a shot!

I skipped day tour last year.  As i recall, Robbie & Mac did them, maybe they can chime in Here?

believe the follow was line up for 6 & 3 hours unmasking tours:

*Welcome to Scary: Horror in the Heartland
Puppet Theater: Captive Audience
Wicked Growth: Realm of the Pumpkin
The Haunting of Hill House
Texas Chainsaw Massacre
HHN Icons: Captured

&

Universal Monsters: The Bride of Frankenstein Lives
Revenge of the Tooth Fairy
Case Files Unearth: Legendary Truth*


----------



## Monykalyn

PixieT78 said:


> Sooooo a bug house...as long as running away screaming is allowed, I should be fine (but so help me and anyone around me if a spider lands on me).


This is the house that Universal Creative said they will be watching back door to see people fleeing screaming, that their goal is to see if people can finish the house, that when they were doing some walk throughs they jumped when a live moth got in. THIS is gonna be a house to try to forget or else have nightmares lol.


----------



## Monykalyn

keishashadow said:


> Willing to venture there are many ‘regulars’ who just may be glad not having that house in play might equal an overall more ‘mature audience’. So many more young, seemingly unsupervised kids thronged to ST years.


100% agree. Also with the final season it also gives the a chance to do a great house that also delivers some scares maybe.
I loved Ghostbusters but it wasn't scary at all, Loved Beetlejuice but not scary, Hill House was beautiful in design but really only Tall Man got me each time. Missed the window scare on almost all runs.
Cruise in March was so much fun, Hawaii was dream come true yet I am more excited about HHN?? What is wrong with me LOL?


----------



## soniam

DuskKodesh said:


> Just got my hotel! Was hoping to go September but ended up going late October 24-28th. Strongly thinking about the lights on tour as I doubt I'll get the spouse through any houses after dark. Does anyone know how they choose the houses for the tours? I'd only get 6/10 and I'm very excited about seeing that bug house!



It seems that some IP houses are not included. Maybe they are ones that the rights holder won't allow on the tour. The Universal Monsters are usually included though, since Universal owns those rights.


----------



## Robo56

keishashadow said:


> I skipped day tour last year. As i recall, Robbie & Mac did them, maybe they can chime in Here?



If they keep things as they have in the past they do not release information on which houses are being showed for the UMH Tour ahead of time.

I will have to say the ones they have selected in the past have been good choices.

Last years 6 house Tour


You are allowed to take photos in selected areas. Your guide will let you know what areas you can take photos in. The guides are wonderful. Tipping the guide is allowed and is a nice way of letting your guide know how awesome they were.

Get your cameras ready.

Wicked Growth House last year. Little Boo is a star now.


----------



## DuskKodesh

soniam said:


> It seems that some IP houses are not included. Maybe they are ones that the rights holder won't allow on the tour. The Universal Monsters are usually included though, since Universal owns those rights.


Honestly that's the best case scenario for me. I have no interest in the Blumhouse or the Weeknd's house, but really want to see the descendants one, bugs, the 20's speakeasy witch house sounds SO COOL, also excited for chupacabras! Give me all the cryptids.


----------



## ClapYourHands

Apeters430 said:


> Me and my husband are thinking about try HHN on 9/25 a Sunday but we have never been to universal. We are simply going to enjoy the halloween festivities. I know lines are usually long but we really don't want to buy Express passes. We want to go but not that bad lol so its just something to do on our getaway weekend. How realistic is it without the EP?


It’s very doable. The question is what do you want to do there? If you must hit all the houses, read a blog or two and formulate a plan. If you just want to experience the parks and some Halloween stuff, you can be looser in your approach. Since you’ve never been to UO before, you might want to try some of the rides, poke around in some of the shops, explore Diagon Alley (the Harry Potter area is not themed for HHN, but is very well executed and usually much less crowded during HHN than during regular park hours). You can also see the shows, walk around, and enjoy the scare zones and food. Some folks like to get a drink or snack and then people-watch as the scare actors do their thing. Basically, you can have a great time without express, whether you are a haunted house commando or a more casual observer.


Skywalker3 said:


> Hey, reading through thread, looking at our Oct trip, and considering a Frequent Fear pass instead of just getting our 1 night, Oct 9, pass. If we do just get the regular , 1 night pass for Oct 9, can we still upgrade if we've entered HHN for that night? upgrade before we leave the park that same night? or does it have to be upgraded before we use the night/enter the park on Oct 9?
> Also, and I reading this right, that if we did a daytime/unmasking tour, we dont' need park admission? Our APs expire Oct 10, and likely not renewing, but considering an unmasking tour later in the week.
> Thanks in advance


You do not need separate admission for Unmasking tour. You can upgrade your pass after you’ve been in the park, but before you leave (I.e.pass must be active when you upgrade).


----------



## Wembleygal

Skywalker3 said:


> Hey, reading through thread, looking at our Oct trip, and considering a Frequent Fear pass instead of just getting our 1 night, Oct 9, pass. If we do just get the regular , 1 night pass for Oct 9, can we still upgrade if we've entered HHN for that night? upgrade before we leave the park that same night? or does it have to be upgraded before we use the night/enter the park on Oct 9?
> Also, and I reading this right, that if we did a daytime/unmasking tour, we dont' need park admission? Our APs expire Oct 10, and likely not renewing, but considering an unmasking tour later in the week.
> Thanks in advance



The last time I did the unmasking, they kicked everyone out of the park, who didn't have a day admission after the tour.


----------



## lisam70

Monykalyn said:


> This is the house that Universal Creative said they will be watching back door to see people fleeing screaming, that their goal is to see if people can finish the house, that when they were doing some walk throughs they jumped when a live moth got in. THIS is gonna be a house to try to forget or else have nightmares lol.


And that's exactly why I will be skipping this one !!


----------



## namelessoracle

DuskKodesh said:


> Honestly that's the best case scenario for me. I have no interest in the Blumhouse or the Weeknd's house, but really want to see the descendants one, bugs, the 20's speakeasy witch house sounds SO COOL, also excited for chupacabras! Give me all the cryptids.


The Tooth Fairy one was surprisingly good last year, so i have high hopes for Chupacabra.

The Descendants one less so. Sounds like a house themed around the Subway Tunnels in Fallout 3.


----------



## PixieT78

Monykalyn said:


> This is the house that Universal Creative said they will be watching back door to see people fleeing screaming, that their goal is to see if people can finish the house, that when they were doing some walk throughs they jumped when a live moth got in. THIS is gonna be a house to try to forget or else have nightmares lol.


----------



## mamapenguin

When do we think we will see some more of the merchandise? Especially the shirts. Also what about the food? I do appreciate the house and scare zone information.


----------



## emmabelle

Can I pay for my daughter’s rush of free passes and not have them link to me? Maybe checkout as a guest?

edited - got it to work and not assign myself as one of the tickets.


----------



## keishashadow

Robo56 said:


> Little Boo is a star now


Lol place of honor



namelessoracle said:


> Sounds like a house themed around the Subway Tunnels in Fallout 3.


always secretly hoped that the old earthquake section under F&F survived


----------



## keishashadow

Monykalyn said:


> but really only Tall Man got me each time.


Rightfully so, was my fav ‘scary’ house in years

Do wonder which will be the glamour/set piece house this year. Thinking bugs just
might be able to check off a few boxes


----------



## Monykalyn

soniam said:


> It seems that some IP houses are not included. Maybe they are ones that the rights holder won't allow on the tour. The Universal Monsters are usually included though, since Universal owns those rights.


I’m that’s not always true. Depends on the IP? Ghostbusters was on the day tour that year-we were only allowed pics in select few areas. But that’s when our guide told us you were allowed to hold up your hand for a high five from Venkman in last scene. And what the snot was made of in library


----------



## Mrs.AMC

keishashadow said:


> Rightfully so, was my fav ‘scary’ house in years
> 
> Do wonder which will be the glamour/set piece house this year. Thinking bugs just
> might be able to check off a few boxes


You don't think that will the The Weekend? For some reason that's what I'm picturing


----------



## ClapYourHands

Any speculation on which will be the popular houses? Last year, the (non-Universal) IP houses were the ones with consistently long lines and people lining up from Stay and Scream. This year, Halloween seems like the only major IP. Does Blumhouse have a big following? I’d not really heard of it before. And it seems like a stretch to call a song an IP.

We’ll be there the second weekend, and want to formulate our game plan. I feel like that will be too early for an original house to be a breakout hit. What are the chances the houses will be more or less equal in terms of lines/popularity?


----------



## ClapYourHands

mamapenguin said:


> When do we think we will see some more of the merchandise? Especially the shirts. Also what about the food? I do appreciate the house and scare zone information.


And if there’s a Freestyle cup for HHN this year. Kicking myself for not buying the Jack cup last year.


----------



## Skippyboo

ClapYourHands said:


> Any speculation on which will be the popular houses? Last year, the (non-Universal) IP houses were the ones with consistently long lines and people lining up from Stay and Scream. This year, Halloween seems like the only major IP. Does Blumhouse have a big following? I’d not really heard of it before. And it seems like a stretch to call a song an IP.
> 
> We’ll be there the second weekend, and want to formulate our game plan. I feel like that will be too early for an original house to be a breakout hit. What are the chances the houses will be more or less equal in terms of lines/popularity?


I would think the Weekend house with be popular. With stay and scream, you can line up for 2 houses in NY area, the 2 kid zones houses in Central Park and 2 houses in between Springfield and MiB.


----------



## Mrs.AMC

ClapYourHands said:


> Any speculation on which will be the popular houses? Last year, the (non-Universal) IP houses were the ones with consistently long lines and people lining up from Stay and Scream. This year, Halloween seems like the only major IP. Does Blumhouse have a big following? I’d not really heard of it before. And it seems like a stretch to call a song an IP.
> 
> We’ll be there the second weekend, and want to formulate our game plan. I feel like that will be too early for an original house to be a breakout hit. What are the chances the houses will be more or less equal in terms of lines/popularity?


I'm not a horror movie fan but I thought Blumhouse was big among them. Black Phone is the latest Blumhouse movie, right? Seems like the Blumhouse houses are usually popular because they are current movies but again, not knowing the horror movie genre I don't really keep up so I could be wrong.

With The Weekend being such a popular artist if the house is good I'm sure it will be a hit. Folks will sure flock to it at first to find out, I'm guessing.


----------



## soniam

Mrs.AMC said:


> I'm not a horror movie fan but I thought Blumhouse was big among them. Black Phone is the latest Blumhouse movie, right? Seems like the Blumhouse houses are usually popular because they are current movies but again, not knowing the horror movie genre I don't really keep up so I could be wrong.
> 
> With The Weekend being such a popular artist if the house is good I'm sure it will be a hit. Folks will sure flock to it at first to find out, I'm guessing.


However, the Blumhouse houses have left a lot to be desired. They are generally not very good, so I don't know if that will be hugely popular. It will probably be Halloween and one of the original IPs.


----------



## lisam70

ClapYourHands said:


> Any speculation on which will be the popular houses? Last year, the (non-Universal) IP houses were the ones with consistently long lines and people lining up from Stay and Scream. This year, Halloween seems like the only major IP. Does Blumhouse have a big following? I’d not really heard of it before. And it seems like a stretch to call a song an IP.
> 
> We’ll be there the second weekend, and want to formulate our game plan. I feel like that will be too early for an original house to be a breakout hit. What are the chances the houses will be more or less equal in terms of lines/popularity?


We'll be there second weekend also and its our first HHN. 
Do we have to wait until after opening to get a map and showtimes?
I'm thinking halloween will be one of the most popular and am hoping that most of the others will just be personal preference and so hopefully lines will be more consistent for them all.


----------



## namelessoracle

soniam said:


> However, the Blumhouse houses have left a lot to be desired. They are generally not very good, so I don't know if that will be hugely popular. It will probably be Halloween and one of the original IPs.


I dont know how Blumhouses houses have been prior. But my concern is that Freaky and Black Phone in the same house is weird. The two movies are very different. A comedy with slasher horror elements, and a thriller with horror elements. I enjoyed both, but doing both in the same house doesnt feel me with confidence the house is gonna have a strong tone and consistency.

Freaky in particular doesnt really have much that seems like it would play off well, none of the visual design was super memorable (on purpose, the slasher was supposed to be generic Jason/Myers/slasher stand in) and the slasher scenes were more comedic and played off for laughs. You could make a pretty solid house from Black Phone by itself I think


----------



## Mrs.AMC

namelessoracle said:


> I dont know how Blumhouses houses have been prior. But my concern is that Freaky and Black Phone in the same house is weird. The two movies are very different. A comedy with slasher horror elements, and a thriller with horror elements. I enjoyed both, but doing both in the same house doesnt feel me with confidence the house is gonna have a strong tone and consistency.
> 
> Freaky in particular doesnt really have much that seems like it would play off well, none of the visual design was super memorable (on purpose, the slasher was supposed to be generic Jason/Myers/slasher stand in) and the slasher scenes were more comedic and played off for laughs. You could make a pretty solid house from Black Phone by itself I think


I don't know about every year but they have done 2 Blumhouse movies in one house several times. And unrelated movies at that


----------



## Mrs.AMC

Apeters430 said:


> Me and my husband are thinking about try HHN on 9/25 a Sunday but we have never been to universal. We are simply going to enjoy the halloween festivities. I know lines are usually long but we really don't want to buy Express passes. We want to go but not that bad lol so its just something to do on our getaway weekend. How realistic is it without the EP?


Honestly, it's exhausting. With an EP
I know folks have said they have done it without one but personally I don't know how. And this was on a week night. That's all we've ever done, one of the free nights with our AP. We tried last year starting with stay and scream and even using an EP we finished the last house shortly before closing. We did the show too though, so maybe that took too much time? I wouldn't want to miss that. Those folks are super talented, it's just amazing to watch. But the entire night is sooooooo much walking with the way they wind out in and out to reach the house entrances and then the way you exit the houses and have to walk back out. We feel like we walk more during HHN than we do in a full open to close day at a theme park. We don't do any rides, there is zero time. We grab a snack here or there just to slow for a moment. And we like to stop to enjoy the scare zones, they are often better than houses to me. Just depends on the year. 
After trying for the past 3 years with just a single night + EP this year we are doing our free single night + EP but we've also bought an additional night. I am wanting to be able to slow down and enjoy things a bit more. I just felt like we did nothing to rush from place to place. 
Anyway, I really would reconsider EP if it's at all within the budget. I think you will enjoy the night more. If you can't, you can't. Go and do what you can. It's really an awesome event. My first time I was too big a chicken to even go in a house but I still loved it. The scare zones alone were enough for me that first year. Now I can do the houses (I did a lights on tour one year)


----------



## soniam

Mrs.AMC said:


> I don't know about every year but they have done 2 Blumhouse movies in one house several times. And unrelated movies at that


They were rather disjointed too. I specifically remember Happy Death Day and the Purge. Didn't mesh well at all. I think most of the Blumhouse related houses have been mashups. 2015 had Purge and Insidious as separate houses, but I think that's the only time they weren't mashups in Orlando.


----------



## ClapYourHands

Mrs.AMC said:


> Honestly, it's exhausting. With an EP
> I know folks have said they have done it without one but personally I don't know how. And this was on a week night. That's all we've ever done, one of the free nights with our AP. We tried last year starting with stay and scream and even using an EP we finished the last house shortly before closing. We did the show too though, so maybe that took too much time? I wouldn't want to miss that. Those folks are super talented, it's just amazing to watch. But the entire night is sooooooo much walking with the way they wind out in and out to reach the house entrances and then the way you exit the houses and have to walk back out. We feel like we walk more during HHN than we do in a full open to close day at a theme park. We don't do any rides, there is zero time. We grab a snack here or there just to slow for a moment. And we like to stop to enjoy the scare zones, they are often better than houses to me. Just depends on the year.
> After trying for the past 3 years with just a single night + EP this year we are doing our free single night + EP but we've also bought an additional night. I am wanting to be able to slow down and enjoy things a bit more. I just felt like we did nothing to rush from place to place.
> Anyway, I really would reconsider EP if it's at all within the budget. I think you will enjoy the night more. If you can't, you can't. Go and do what you can. It's really an awesome event. My first time I was too big a chicken to even go in a house but I still loved it. The scare zones alone were enough for me that first year. Now I can do the houses (I did a lights on tour one year)


I agree that getting through absolutely everything without EP could be a challenge. It could be a challenge even with EP. But I also think that it’s totally possible to have fun without doing everything. For someone who is just looking to pass an evening, my advice is go and do a few houses with low wait times, watch a show or two, enjoy the scare zones, jump on a ride, and sample the food/drinks. Since EP is often more expensive than the cost of a ticket, I’d only recommend buying it if a) money is no object or b) you’re really committed to getting through all the houses. For a casual guest, it’s probably better to just set a few priority houses and/or experiences, and then just go and enjoy the atmosphere.


----------



## Mrs.AMC

ClapYourHands said:


> I agree that getting through absolutely everything without EP could be a challenge. It could be a challenge even with EP. But I also think that it’s totally possible to have fun without doing everything. For someone who is just looking to pass an evening, my advice is go and do a few houses with low wait times, watch a show or two, enjoy the scare zones, jump on a ride, and sample the food/drinks. Since EP is often more expensive than the cost of a ticket, I’d only recommend buying it if a) money is no object or b) you’re really committed to getting through all the houses. For a casual guest, it’s probably better to just set a few priority houses and/or experiences, and then just go and enjoy the atmosphere.


You know, good point. For some reason, I was reading PP and thinking "we want to go and do everything"
But that's not at all what PP said. That's what I read in to it and that was wrong on my part
It 100% depends on what you want to get out of the night.
If it's to just test the waters and absorb the vibes of HHN, go without EP. I do highly, HIGHLY suggest trying to fit in the Nightmare Fuel show if you like Cirque d' Solei with an edge, type stuff.
If one wants to get it all in, go with EP and go well rested and have no plans the next day, LOL


----------



## keishashadow

Mrs.AMC said:


> You don't think that will the The Weekend? For some reason that's what I'm picturing


i think it will have it’s share of scares, focusing on plastic surgery perhaps


ClapYourHands said:


> Any speculation on which will be the popular houses?


Halloween is always popular as even the most casual horror fan recognizes it.  Same with the monsters’ house

I think the weekend will be a big draw, huge if the house is actually ’good’

bug house, FOMO

chupacabra could be the dark horse

thinking dead man’s pier might be visually interesting as they’ve done great things in the past with a water oriented house


ClapYourHands said:


> Does Blumhouse have a big following?


It does


namelessoracle said:


> But my concern is that Freaky and Black Phone in the same house is weird. The two movies are very different.


Never stopped them before.  if it’s mostly jump scares, doesn’t really bother me if disjointed


Mrs.AMC said:


> After trying for the past 3 years with just a single night + EP this year we are doing our free single night + EP but we've also bought an additional night. I am wanting to be able to slow down and enjoy things a bit more. I just felt like we did nothing to rush from place to place.


Predict you will enjoy the opportunity to revisit your favs


ClapYourHands said:


> But I also think that it’s totally possible to have fun without doing everything. For someone who is just looking to pass an evening, my advice is go and do a few houses with low wait times, watch a show or two, enjoy the scare zones, jump on a ride, and sample the food/drinks.


Absolutely.  Strikes me it’s the way most who have opportunity to work a multi-night tix work it, especially the locals.


----------



## Skippyboo

lisam70 said:


> We'll be there second weekend also and its our first HHN.
> Do we have to wait until after opening to get a map and showtimes?
> I'm thinking halloween will be one of the most popular and am hoping that most of the others will just be personal preference and so hopefully lines will be more consistent for them all.


Map and times should be out opening weekend on Labor Day weekend. The HHN information and wait times are in the Universal app during HHN nights. After opening weekend, it will be clear what are the hot houses are. I don’t think people thought Wicked Growth was going to be as popular as it was last year before it started


----------



## namelessoracle

One callout is that just because its not "popular" doesnt mean YOU wont like it.

I loved Bride of Frankenstien for the story it told through the house using all the Universal monsters, and i loved Legendary Truth due to the Lovecraft inspirations (my favorite horror stories), both were considered "lesser" houses. 
If you are a fan of the particular sub genre the house is aimed at it may resonant more for you. If you love post apoc stuff for instance Descendants may hit different for you.


----------



## kbelle8995

Universal podcast (Official) has released a story to go with one of their Haunted Houses/zones.  This is interesting way to approach the event if they continue to do this.


----------



## Monykalyn

namelessoracle said:


> One callout is that just because its not "popular" doesnt mean YOU wont like it.
> 
> I loved Bride of Frankenstien for the story it told through the house using all the Universal monsters, and i loved Legendary Truth due to the Lovecraft inspirations (my favorite horror stories), both were considered "lesser" houses.
> If you are a fan of the particular sub genre the house is aimed at it may resonant more for you. If you love post apoc stuff for instance Descendants may hit different for you.


I LOVED Bride as well!!! and came to appreciate LT-both were on my daytime UtH tour and the detail to story is just incredible!


----------



## Ghostface

This will be our first visit ever to UO and we have already purchased HHN tickets and express passes for the Sunday we are there. I apologize if this is a dumb question, but I don't want to get down there and think it is one way and it be another. We are planning on possibly upgrading to annual passes and we saw that one of the tiers came with a select free night for HHN. We are driving down from TN on a Saturday that happens to be one of those select nights. If we get there in time and upgrade our tickets, would we be able to go that night? Or do those sell out or only if the event is sold out? I hope this makes sense what I'm trying to ask lol.


----------



## Mrs.AMC

Ghostface said:


> This will be our first visit ever to UO and we have already purchased HHN tickets and express passes for the Sunday we are there. I apologize if this is a dumb question, but I don't want to get down there and think it is one way and it be another. We are planning on possibly upgrading to annual passes and we saw that one of the tiers came with a select free night for HHN. We are driving down from TN on a Saturday that happens to be one of those select nights. If we get there in time and upgrade our tickets, would we be able to go that night? Or do those sell out or only if the event is sold out? I hope this makes sense what I'm trying to ask lol.


The nights they offer for the free Premier pass holder nights are expected lower attendance nights. That's why they select those nights and why there are none the closer you get to Halloween. You'll be fine

Question though, are you upgrading your HHN ticket or a park ticket? I've never tried to upgrade a HHN ticket. I know they can be upgraded to Frequent Fear passes so probably can be to AP too but curious which route you are looking at going


----------



## Ghostface

Mrs.AMC said:


> The nights they offer for the free Premier pass holder nights are expected lower attendance nights. That's why they select those nights and why there are none the closer you get to Halloween. You'll be fine
> 
> Question though, are you upgrading your HHN ticket or a park ticket? I've never tried to upgrade a HHN ticket. I know they can be upgraded to Frequent Fear passes so probably can be to AP too but curious which route you are looking at going


Sorry, I should've been more clear. We are upgrading our park tickets. We had considered upgrading to the Frequent Fear passes, but the Saturday night would be the only other night we would probably be able to go and we had already talked about upgrading the park passes, so this seemed like a win/win.


----------



## namelessoracle

Ghostface said:


> This will be our first visit ever to UO and we have already purchased HHN tickets and express passes for the Sunday we are there. I apologize if this is a dumb question, but I don't want to get down there and think it is one way and it be another. We are planning on possibly upgrading to annual passes and we saw that one of the tiers came with a select free night for HHN. We are driving down from TN on a Saturday that happens to be one of those select nights. If we get there in time and upgrade our tickets, would we be able to go that night? Or do those sell out or only if the event is sold out? I hope this makes sense what I'm trying to ask lol.


You can get HHN tickets pretty much always for less than the cost to upgrade from Preferred to Premier. You are not saving any money even if you did the upgrade to get the free ticket. The difference looks to be about 200 bucks, and you can usually find HHN tickets below 100, for sure below 100 on the nights they let the Premier Pass ticket work.


----------



## Monykalyn

namelessoracle said:


> You can get HHN tickets pretty much always for less than the cost to upgrade from Preferred to Premier. You are not saving any money even if you did the upgrade to get the free ticket. The difference looks to be about 200 bucks, and you can usually find HHN tickets below 100, for sure below 100 on the nights they let the Premier Pass ticket work.


Agree but if making multiple trips premiere gives more flexibility on where to stay-don't have to stay onsite or premier hotels as will have EP after 4, EE, better discounts, better included parking etc.


----------



## Ghostface

namelessoracle said:


> You can get HHN tickets pretty much always for less than the cost to upgrade from Preferred to Premier. You are not saving any money even if you did the upgrade to get the free ticket. The difference looks to be about 200 bucks, and you can usually find HHN tickets below 100, for sure below 100 on the nights they let the Premier Pass ticket work.


Thank you! I was actually about to go compare the pricing differences and see what made more sense for us, so you saved me some time. So if I'm understanding correctly, the only perk that I would be getting for the upgrade from Preferred to Premier would be the free HHN ticket, which would actually cost more than just buying the ticket outright when we get there?


----------



## Monykalyn

Ghostface said:


> Thank you! I was actually about to go compare the pricing differences and see what made more sense for us, so you saved me some time. So if I'm understanding correctly, the only perk that I would be getting for the upgrade from Preferred to Premier would be the free HHN ticket, which would actually cost more than just buying the ticket outright when we get there?


Yes unless planning on more trips-plus you do get passholder perks if wanting an AP (different tiers have different perks)


----------



## Ghostface

Monykalyn said:


> Yes unless planning on more trips-plus you do get passholder perks if wanting an AP (different tiers have different perks)


Thank you! Sorry to derail the topic at hand, but I do appreciate the help! Trying to get the most bang for our buck on our very first trip has been fun, but a little challenging lol.


----------



## Mrs.AMC

Ghostface said:


> Thank you! Sorry to derail the topic at hand, but I do appreciate the help! Trying to get the most bang for our buck on our very first trip has been fun, but a little challenging lol.


We went from Preferred to Premiere for the HHN and the after 4 EP. We made trips down for Disney and would skip going to Universal since we didn't have EP on trips when we didn't stay there. We figured with the after 4 EP we would be more inclined to head over in the afternoons, use our EP. Plus better merch discounts and the free HHN, which we would be buying anyway. It just made sense to bump up our AP.


----------



## mamapenguin

Ghostface said:


> Thank you! I was actually about to go compare the pricing differences and see what made more sense for us, so you saved me some time. So if I'm understanding correctly, the only perk that I would be getting for the upgrade from Preferred to Premier would be the free HHN ticket, which would actually cost more than just buying the ticket outright when we get there?


Don’t forget the after 4 express, better food and merchandise discount as well as much better parking.


----------



## ClapYourHands

Skippyboo said:


> Map and times should be out opening weekend on Labor Day weekend. The HHN information and wait times are in the Universal app during HHN nights. After opening weekend, it will be clear what are the hot houses are. I don’t think people thought Wicked Growth was going to be as popular as it was last year before it started


Do you really think it will be apparent? We were there mid September, and I feel like WG wasn’t a big deal yet. We actually waited in the stay and scream line with a WG scareactor (who was on her first night off and excited to see the houses as an attendee). The early buzz was all about the IP houses, and WG was a short line back with the other tent houses.


namelessoracle said:


> One callout is that just because its not "popular" doesnt mean YOU wont like it.
> 
> I loved Bride of Frankenstien for the story it told through the house using all the Universal monsters, and i loved Legendary Truth due to the Lovecraft inspirations (my favorite horror stories), both were considered "lesser" houses.
> If you are a fan of the particular sub genre the house is aimed at it may resonant more for you. If you love post apoc stuff for instance Descendants may hit different for you.


Speaking only for myself, my interest in the “popular” houses is for strategic purposes only. I’m planning to see them all, but not getting express or stay-and-scream, so I’m hoping to formulate a touring plan to get us through.

I thought Bride was a great house last year because of the storytelling. I went on the second weekend, and Wicked Growth was not yet the breakout house. Some bloggers reviewed it very favorably on opening weekend, but it was also still kind of mid-list on a bunch of other rankings. We decided for ourselves we loved it (and went through it at least 4 times), but there weren’t lines for it like for Beetlejuice and Hill House.


----------



## Mrs.AMC

I was excited for Bride because my very favorite house probably of all the ones I've done was the classic Monsters house from 2019. That house was my hands down favorite. I never expected that to be my favorite, I was expecting House of 1000 Corpses because I'm a big Rob Zombie fan. Loved his Scare Zone but not the house all that much. So I was really expecting huge things from Bride. And I did love it.


----------



## Skippyboo

ClapYourHands said:


> Do you really think it will be apparent? We were there mid September, and I feel like WG wasn’t a big deal yet. We actually waited in the stay and scream line with a WG scareactor (who was on her first night off and excited to see the houses as an attendee). The early buzz was all about the IP houses, and WG was a short line back with the other tent houses.
> 
> Speaking only for myself, my interest in the “popular” houses is for strategic purposes only. I’m planning to see them all, but not getting express or stay-and-scream, so I’m hoping to formulate a touring plan to get us through.
> 
> I thought Bride was a great house last year because of the storytelling. I went on the second weekend, and Wicked Growth was not yet the breakout house. Some bloggers reviewed it very favorably on opening weekend, but it was also still kind of mid-list on a bunch of other rankings. We decided for ourselves we loved it (and went through it at least 4 times), but there weren’t lines for it like for Beetlejuice and Hill House.


You can look at the wait times in app for first weekend. What becomes the hot house definitely can change as the event goes on. But I would think opening weekend waits would give an ideal for second weekend.


----------



## keishashadow

Ghostface said:


> So if I'm understanding correctly, the only perk that I would be getting for the upgrade from Preferred to Premier would be the free HHN ticket, which would actually cost more than just buying the ticket outright when we get there?


fyi - The free tix day for Premier was quite limited this year


Mrs.AMC said:


> I was expecting House of 1000 Corpses because I'm a big Rob Zombie fan. Loved his Scare Zone but not the house all that much


Scarezone was one of my favorite in recent events   Did enjoy the house well enough.  Of course, I loved the killer klowns one too.  fact that they have such varied ones Every year, sure to find one to catch your interest.


----------



## Robo56

keishashadow said:


> Scarezone was one of my favorite in recent events Did enjoy the house well enough.


----------



## ThistleMae

Monykalyn said:


> This is the house that Universal Creative said they will be watching back door to see people fleeing screaming, that their goal is to see if people can finish the house, that when they were doing some walk throughs they jumped when a live moth got in. THIS is gonna be a house to try to forget or else have nightmares lol.


Yes!  This is the one I'm most looking forward too...just so creepy!


----------



## keishashadow

Robbie those are grrreat Pics! Thanks for posting


----------



## Robo56

keishashadow said:


> Robbie those are grrreat Pics! Thanks for posting


Your welcome. I remembered I had those pictures from that Scare Zone. It was a good one for sure.


----------



## ClapYourHands

Ghostface said:


> Sorry, I should've been more clear. We are upgrading our park tickets. We had considered upgrading to the Frequent Fear passes, but the Saturday night would be the only other night we would probably be able to go and we had already talked about upgrading the park passes, so this seemed like a win/win.


As others have mentioned, if the reason for the upgrade is the HHN ticket, then it doesn’t make financial sense. But I think I saw you mention that this is your first trip down, so upgrading makes a lot of sense.

1) You get a free HHN ticket every year. So if you go toward the end of September this year, your pass will still be active next September, and you can go for free in early September before it expires.

2) After 4 express passes and early park admission are game changers. You can come anytime, stay anywhere you like, and still haveEPA and EP. Premier hotels are getting more expensive and are often selling out, making it expensive or impossible to get EPs on some visits. Some holiday and HHN weekends are selling out in all hotel levels, making it impossible to stay onsite anywhere. With Premier, you can drive down on a whim, stay at a cheap offsite hotel, and still have Early Park Admission everyday as well as after 4 Express Pass.

3) There are some other miscellaneous perks like free valet parking (not on nights of special events like HHN) and additional food/merch discounts that sweeten the pot, but aren’t really game changers.

Basically, I think you are in the sweet spot where Premier is an extra expense upfront that will save you money over the course of a year. You live close enough to drive (and thus have a car - so no rental fees), which makes staying offsite particularly attractive because you can save money on the hotel cost, avoid onsite hotel parking fees (no matter your level you always pay to park at UO hotels), and can choose less expensive offsite food options.


----------



## nurseberta

If I am attending the parks/ HHN with rush of fear for four nights in September, how early should I arrive at the onsite guest entrance on that first night (without stay and scream)?
we will not be using a park day/or scream early but will be onsite so my understanding is that there is a separate entrance for onsite guests.
This 1st night of arrival day (Thursday) we plan to skip stay and scream as we will have it Friday Sat and Sunday with our day tickets.


----------



## Magicbeans

I haven't seen this question asked I don't believe. As the final days of HHN come to a close, let's say the final week including day before and actual Halloween night, do the houses become tired looking, or the scare actors become jaded and kind of lose interest in what they are doing? Or does everything stay ramped up right up to and through the final night? I will be going the night before and the night of Halloween, I was curious about this.


----------



## macraven

My experience has been scare actors are pumped up each night from opening day and thru the last hhn date of the event of the season


----------



## Mrs.AMC

macraven said:


> My experience has been scare actors are pumped up each night from opening day and thru the last hhn date of the event of the season


Plus with numerous scare actors playing in each house they rotate enough to be fresh through out the season. I think these folks do this because they enjoy it, not because it's a chore/job they dislike. It's one of those fun jobs that's highly sought after, right?


----------



## SquashBanana

Is the entrance where people with HHN-only tickets waiting to get in separate from the entrance where day tickets/AP can enter the park? I have a 2 pm Confisco's reservation and if the Hogwarts Express wait is too long, we were just going to walk to Universal, enter the park, and enter the Stay and Scream area hopefully by 3:30-4:00ish. Would I run into any issues entering Universal Studios?


----------



## FoxC63

Hi ya @0FF TO NEVERLAND 

Thought I'd add your question in the right thread. 
If you plan on attending HHN, please post your information on the Guest List thread and I'd be happy to add you!  


0FF TO NEVERLAND said:


> I never been to HHN and have the chance.. Someone I would go with is scared of jumps. Is this like a legit party around the park, with the houses being more " fun " than actually scaring people ( besides jump scares obv )





macraven said:


> scares are done inside the houses and it’s area outside the houses and the scare zones


----------



## vtran004

I am going to HHN on Thursday, September 29th. Is it worth getting the express pass? I don’t need to get to all the houses, but I’d like to get to at least half of them.  This is my first time going.  Any feedback is greatly appreciated.


----------



## soniam

SquashBanana said:


> Is the entrance where people with HHN-only tickets waiting to get in separate from the entrance where day tickets/AP can enter the park? I have a 2 pm Confisco's reservation and if the Hogwarts Express wait is too long, we were just going to walk to Universal, enter the park, and enter the Stay and Scream area hopefully by 3:30-4:00ish. Would I run into any issues entering Universal Studios?


You shouldn't have issues getting into Studios that early, unless you are going opening night. I think Hogwart's Express only gets busy going from Studios->Islands on HHN nights, but I could be wrong. I think it's people trying to leave Studios, since it closes early. I can't remember if the Stay n Scream areas open as early as 3:30, but I know they are open by 4pm.


----------



## tony67

Has anyone heard anything useful on the Dead Coconut Club?  I've seen rumblings of it but nothing solid - would be much more convenient than trying to get over to CB for their HHN bar.


----------



## schumigirl

tony67 said:


> Has anyone heard anything useful on the Dead Coconut Club?  I've seen rumblings of it but nothing solid - would be much more convenient than trying to get over to CB for their HHN bar.



Nothing more than wishful thinking really from folks. 

It`s cutting it a little close, but I`m surprised there have been no strong hints about it out there.


----------



## dmbgotfan41

HHN first-timer here; can anyone please tell me if the Coke Freestyle machines were available to get free water in the past. The price of bottled water ($5.50!) for the party is outrageous and would rather save my money for snacks and adult beverages.  Thanks in advance!


----------



## namelessoracle

dmbgotfan41 said:


> HHN first-timer here; can anyone please tell me if the Coke Freestyle machines were available to get free water in the past. The price of bottled water ($5.50!) for the party is outrageous and would rather save my money for snacks and adult beverages.  Thanks in advance!


You can get water from them always. Ice might be a challenge and runs out pretty quick. (but is still free)


----------



## namelessoracle

Im surprised no reveal of food options yet. They had dropped what the food offerings would be by now last year Im pretty sure.


----------



## ClapYourHands

namelessoracle said:


> Im surprised no reveal of food options yet. They had dropped what the food offerings would be by now last year Im pretty sure.


I’m seeing posts on Facebook groups within the last hour or two. They look like photos people have taken of menu boards in the park. Official menus can’t be far behind


----------



## keishashadow

soniam said:


> can't remember if the Stay n Scream areas open as early as 3:30, but I know they are open by 4pm.


Tent house area near Central Park u can enter at least by 4 pm

However, they direct u to One of two lines, depending on which house 

They also hold you in that area where u watch the water show…cement, no trees & hot

Until they decide to let u move onto main wait area

The other one near finnegans does have shade, little to no seating


----------



## tinkerbell1991

These aren't my photos but have been shared online. Also to add, nothing official from Universal has been released yet.


----------



## tinkerbell1991

Again, not my photos - just those that are online but not officially released by Universal yet


----------



## namelessoracle

The menu looks legit interesting. I love that they do more experimental offerings each year outside of the "here's your themed hotdog/cake/ice cream".


----------



## mamamelody2

We've never done HHN before.
We bought the rush of fear tickets. We will be at Aventure 8/2-9/10.

Not planning to do opening night as I hear it's usually crazy but thought maybe we'd get on Hagrid's at park close, then head over maybe 10 PM just to wander a little and see what it's like. Is that okay? They'd let us in right?

Also you need to be in a stay and scream holding area by 5 or they kick you out right? Just hoping to understand. We really aren't planning on doing much beside the parties. We will sleep in and get some pool time then head over for HHN. So can we get there at say 4 and be let in then make our way to a holding area by 5?


----------



## Lynne G

Yes, by 5 pm. you are gently, then more forcefully herded out, or you get into a holding area.  They set up the holding areas at least by around 4pm or so, and people enter them that early.  I’ve only done the Simpsons area holding pens, I entered around 5, to meet up with a friend that was already in there.  I like having a seat in the shade to wait.  

I’ve also done the walk out, as I find it much easier to walk over to IOA then risk the huge train line, I see by 3:45 or so, as there are many having to leave the park just before the 5 pm close.  CityWalk gets jammed near the Studios by around 3:30 pm, as masses of crowds come from the parking garages and boats to either get into the park to stay early, or wait outside the gates.  

After watching the crowds gather outside the gates waiting until 6 pm when they open, I would certainly take advantage of a holding area, if you can, even if you just want to wander around HHN.  Either that, or wait until the initial crowds enter, before entering the park. 


Friday through Sunday are the most crowded, usually. You can tell how many they expect based on the dollar value of the ticket.  The higher the price, the busier they think it will be.


----------



## keishashadow

tinkerbell1991 said:


> Again, not my photos - just those that are online but not officially released by Universal yet


I’ve posted kiosk menu boards that are confirmed as up in the park (as of today) in sticky, posts #11& 12


----------



## Skippyboo

mamamelody2 said:


> We've never done HHN before.
> We bought the rush of fear tickets. We will be at Aventure 8/2-9/10.
> 
> Not planning to do opening night as I hear it's usually crazy but thought maybe we'd get on Hagrid's at park close, then head over maybe 10 PM just to wander a little and see what it's like. Is that okay? They'd let us in right?
> 
> Also you need to be in a stay and scream holding area by 5 or they kick you out right? Just hoping to understand. We really aren't planning on doing much beside the parties. We will sleep in and get some pool time then head over for HHN. So can we get there at say 4 and be let in then make our way to a holding area by 5?


Yes you can pop over after leaving IoA. There’s 10 houses spread around the park plus 5 scare zones. There’s a stage show in the fear factor stadium plus a lagoon show. There are food booths and bars around the park too. Some of the rides are open. The Diagon Alley area is open but not themed for HHN. The Tribute store by the Mummy ride is always super cool to look around and buy some HHN merch.


The universal app will have a map and wait times for houses and shows.


----------



## Skippyboo

HHN hours 630 to 2 AM for all nights.  Even more fog time


----------



## Mrs.AMC

That Voodoo brewing beverage has an interesting name
Lacto Cooler?
sounds milk based


----------



## Skippyboo

Mrs.AMC said:


> That Voodoo brewing beverage has an interesting name
> Lacto Cooler?
> sounds milk based


Website for brewery says it’s Sour Style Berliner Weisse


----------



## PixieT78

Skippyboo said:


> HHN hours 630 to 2 AM for all nights.  Even more fog time



Will be interesting to see what time I make it to the parks the day after my only HHN night lol.


----------



## ThistleMae

I was looking for park closing time everywhere.  All I found was usually closes at  1 p.m. in Sept. and 2 p.m. in October.  Can anyone confirm?


----------



## lcc2

ThistleMae said:


> I was looking for park closing time everywhere.  All I found was usually closes at  1 p.m. in Sept. and 2 p.m. in October.  Can anyone confirm?


Looks like all dates are 2am

If you go to website: 
https://www.universalorlando.com/hhn/en/us

Click on "Select Nights Sept. 2 – Oct. 31, 2022"


----------



## tony67

lcc2 said:


> Looks like all dates are 2am
> 
> If you go to website:
> https://www.universalorlando.com/hhn/en/us
> 
> Click on "Select Nights Sept. 2 – Oct. 31, 2022"


"Gates open at 6:30pm on select nights. Dates and times subject to change."

I wonder if its a mistake - I'd be surprised they stayed open till 2AM on a Wednesday night - but its great if they do


----------



## emmabelle

So if we have annual passes and we're staying at Royal Pacific, how early should we get to the studios to avoid lines to get in? I'm confused?


----------



## ThistleMae

tony67 said:


> "Gates open at 6:30pm on select nights. Dates and times subject to change."
> 
> I wonder if its a mistake - I'd be surprised they stayed open till 2AM on a Wednesday night - but its great if they do


Okay, thanks to you all.   I thought I clicked everywhere to find the times but didn't go far enough.  It looks like it will be 2 a.m.  I hope so, will need all the time to get every house and show done. We did get early admission.  So I know we get corralled at 5 p.m. but when do they let us go to the houses?


----------



## namelessoracle

emmabelle said:


> So if we have annual passes and we're staying at Royal Pacific, how early should we get to the studios to avoid lines to get in? I'm confused?


3pm is when stay and scream tickets are valid. 4pm is probably when you want to enter if you dont care about anything else in the park and are there for HHN.


----------



## namelessoracle

ThistleMae said:


> Okay, thanks to you all.   I thought I clicked everywhere to find the times but didn't go far enough.  It looks like it will be 2 a.m.  I hope so, will need all the time to get every house and show done. We did get early admission.  So I know we get corralled at 5 p.m. but when do they let us go to the houses?


It varies, i've heard stories of people being let go as early as 530. Expect 6 at the absolute latest. Its based on how fast they get the houses set up. (they have to assign the scare actors to the house, have them get stationed, et cetra)

You will run into situations where not all houses are active and running yet (sometimes even till 7pm) when they let you go though, so dont assume you will get a particular house done by doing Stay and Scream.


----------



## emmabelle

namelessoracle said:


> 3pm is when stay and scream tickets are valid. 4pm is probably when you want to enter if you dont care about anything else in the park and are there for HHN.



so at 4pm do I have to go straight to a corralled zone?  I did buy express passes for that night too.  I wasn't sure if people line up within the zone?  I'm trying to avoid having my husband stand in one place too long.  He gets antsy.


----------



## soniam

emmabelle said:


> so at 4pm do I have to go straight to a corralled zone?  I did buy express passes for that night too.  I wasn't sure if people line up within the zone?  I'm trying to avoid having my husband stand in one place too long.  He gets antsy.


Technically, you can roam the park until 5pm. However, sometimes people do line up in the area. It depends upon the year and the Stay n Scream area. I would say people line more often than not.


----------



## Ta.Ham1989

PixieT78 said:


> Sooooo a bug house...as long as running away screaming is allowed, I should be fine (but so help me and anyone around me if a spider lands on me).


I have a roach phobia so if any of those creepy critters crawl anywhere near me, I'm going to freak...


----------



## Ta.Ham1989

I wonder if there will be any live bugs in the Bug house? Can they have live creatures other than people?


----------



## dmbgotfan41

namelessoracle said:


> You can get water from them always. Ice might be a challenge and runs out pretty quick. (but is still free)


Thanks for the answer, Oracle!


----------



## maverik85

I would imagine that they could but they likely would not be used in a way that they could actually touch you as they would likely all get squished quickly or could cause someone with a phobia to utterly panic if one got on them and cause a hazardous situation. So they would probably be behind some sort of plexiglass panel in a tank or something. 
I remember going through a house a few years back at Kings Island that had live snakes but they were either in tanks or a couple large ones draped on scare actors, but not loose to be able to touch you.


----------



## Mrs.AMC

Ta.Ham1989 said:


> I wonder if there will be any live bugs in the Bug house? Can they have live creatures other than people?


Well, it is Florida so......


----------



## Skywalker3

Ta.Ham1989 said:


> I have a roach phobia so if any of those creepy critters crawl anywhere near me, I'm going to freak...


I do too!! Most other bugs don't bother me, but roaches are a true phobia for me. I'm still looking forward to getting terrified by this house! but i'll probably freak out.


----------



## Monykalyn

Ta.Ham1989 said:


> I wonder if there will be any live bugs in the Bug house? Can they have live creatures other than people?


No sanctioned live bugs in the house - now as other poster said this is Florida...but no live bugs in design of house.


----------



## IslandAdventure4

Just saw the tweets a few minutes ago....


----------



## Ta.Ham1989

Skywalker3 said:


> I do too!! Most other bugs don't bother me, but roaches are a true phobia for me. I'm still looking forward to getting terrified by this house! but i'll probably freak out.


Those antenna's and those furry little legs.


----------



## keishashadow

PixieT78 said:


> Will be interesting to see what time I make it to the parks the day after my only HHN night lol.


We should start a pool lol


tony67 said:


> "Gates open at 6:30pm on select nights. Dates and times subject to change."
> 
> I wonder if its a mistake - I'd be surprised they stayed open till 2AM on a Wednesday night - but its great if they do


Me too, unless they a) expect huge crowds and b) want to push that cheaper late EP


namelessoracle said:


> Its based on how fast they get the houses set up.


That part is a well-oiled machine, it’s clearing the park of the day guests that can really mess things up.  I’ve heard tales of people trying to hide etc. 


Ta.Ham1989 said:


> I wonder if there will be any live bugs in the Bug house? Can they have live creatures other than people?


Many of fondly remember rat girl   


Skywalker3 said:


> Most other bugs don't bother me, but roaches are a true phobia for me.


There are no roaches in the great state of floRida…

only palmetto bugs


Monykalyn said:


> but no live bugs in design of house.


Or so they say…dum, dum, duuuuuuum.  I’m guessing none, however, they are so good with animatronics.  I say. Brrrring it on, please.  

Less people going thru the house = more laps for those of us looking forward to it


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> We should start a pool lol
> 
> Me too, unless they a) expect huge crowds and b) want to push that cheaper late EP
> 
> That part is a well-oiled machine, it’s clearing the park of the day guests that can really mess things up.  I’ve heard tales of people trying to hide etc.
> 
> Many of fondly remember rat girl
> 
> There are no roaches in the great state of floRida…
> 
> only palmetto bugs
> 
> Or so they say…dum, dum, duuuuuuum.  I’m guessing none, however, they are so good with animatronics.  I say. Brrrring it on, please.
> 
> Less people going thru the house = more laps for those of us looking forward to it



I do remember rat woman!!! Hideous display......thought it was a fake woman the first year......jeepers!!!!


----------



## leiaorgana

tony67 said:


> Has anyone heard anything useful on the Dead Coconut Club?  I've seen rumblings of it but nothing solid - would be much more convenient than trying to get over to CB for their HHN bar.


The banners for it have gone up today according to OI and from the look of them, it seems Classic Universal Monsters themed based on The Bride of Frankenstein, Creature From The Black Lagoon etc being on them.


----------



## Lynne G

Just bought rush of fear ticket.  That way, can wander in a few nights when others want to meet up.  And covers my one night with private tour.  Yay for me.


----------



## mamapenguin

Where is this Dead Coconut Club??


----------



## leiaorgana

mamapenguin said:


> Where is this Dead Coconut Club??


It’s the Red Coconut Club on the second level of Citywalk next to the Bob Marley restaurant.


----------



## tony67

Lynne G said:


> Just bought rush of fear ticket.  That way, can wander in a few nights when others want to meet up.  And covers my one night with private tour.  Yay for me.


If you have the time its the best way to do it - takes off all the pressure.

I usually go between 7 to 10 nights and there is no rush to get in and do stay and scream etc...    can sit and have a drink in citywalk or back at the hotel and go over after the initial rush

I am trying to decide between  Frequent Fear plus and Frequent Fear plus with express - the express is quite a bit more  (219 vs 599) - about $50 more per night for the 7 nights I might use it.

Unfortunately I cant go in September this year so Ill miss out on ROF


----------



## ClapYourHands

tony67 said:


> If you have the time its the best way to do it - takes off all the pressure.
> 
> I usually go between 7 to 10 nights and there is no rush to get in and do stay and scream etc...    can sit and have a drink in citywalk or back at the hotel and go over after the initial rush
> 
> I am trying to decide between  Frequent Fear plus and Frequent Fear plus with express - the express is quite a bit more  (219 vs 599) - about $50 more per night for the 7 nights I might use it.
> 
> Unfortunately I cant go in September this year so Ill miss out on ROF


My (unsolicited) opinion is that if you’re trying to decide between two levels, start with the cheaper option because you can always upgrade but you can’t get refunded. When I try to decide between two things, I ask myself what I would rather have - this or that. 

If I were going for 7 nights (and I really wish I could go for 7 nights!), I’d rather have almost $400 to spend on extras than shorter lines. That could pay for a night of RIP or an unmasking tour. It could pay for scare actor dining. It could pay for a lot of food and drinks to enjoy while people watching. Or it could pay for some combination of the above. If I only had to get through one or two houses a night to see them all, shorter lines would enhance the experience far less than blinky drinks every night.


----------



## tony67

ClapYourHands said:


> My (unsolicited) opinion is that if you’re trying to decide between two levels, start with the cheaper option because you can always upgrade but you can’t get refunded. When I try to decide between two things, I ask myself what I would rather have - this or that.


Was considering that as well - probably the best choice - just upgrade later and be sure to at least have a ticket since since they do stop and start multi night tickets at various times.


ClapYourHands said:


> If I were going for 7 nights (and I really wish I could go for 7 nights!), I’d rather have almost $400 to spend on extras than shorter lines. That could pay for a night of RIP or an unmasking tour. It could pay for scare actor dining. It could pay for a lot of food and drinks to enjoy while people watching. Or it could pay for some combination of the above. If I only had to get through one or two houses a night to see them all, shorter lines would enhance the experience far less than blinky drinks every night.


Agreed -that is my thinking exactly  - but boy those lines are a killer on a Friday\Saturday  - of course with two Sundays and a Wednesday Ill probably see all the houses at least once - could always do the stay and scream on the busy nights.
I've gotten express and the past and I will miss it - but it seems like its really jumped quite a bit this year - and to be honest didn't get the value from it last year as HHN was a bit disappointing IMO.


----------



## keishashadow

Looks like the weekend & legends in the death March area🫣.   might cull the crowd for repeat walk thrus lol


----------



## keishashadow

Not a podcast fan, have enjoyed this hhn series


----------



## wdwrule

Photo Creds: UPNT


----------



## lisam70

keishashadow said:


> View attachment 697548
> 
> Looks like the weekend & legends in the death March area🫣.   might cull the crowd for repeat walk thrus lol


What does it mean death match area ??
First time for us


----------



## Skippyboo

lisam70 said:


> What does it mean death match area ??
> First time for us


The houses are pretty far away from wear you get in line. It’s a lot of walking to the house and then you have to hike it back to park area. The one line will snake through the kids zone area. I believe Weeknd is where Hill House was last year.


----------



## Monykalyn

lisam70 said:


> What does it mean death match area ??
> First time for us


Loooooong loooong walks to tent then loooong looong walks back out to start of next tent line. And IIRC that area has mini oceans to cross when it rains. So soaked feet and loooong looong walks


----------



## Skippyboo

Was Beetlejuice the ET house last year that house had a lake in front of the entrance on my night last year because of the rain.


----------



## Monykalyn

For first timers- the areas marked on the map for the houses are where line entrance is-not where you enter the actual house itself. The house is usually anloooong walk -often through rivers after it rains- back to house entrance. Then you hike back out to get into park areas again to get into the next line entrance.  I think this might be why some are confused when we say “SAVE THE FEET” lol for not doing heavy park days if going to HHN hat night.  

Maybe we need a sticky of first timer tips/tricks? So questions don’t get lost?


----------



## Skippyboo

They don’t have houses at former Shrek and left of MIB. Those 2 were normally the closest to entrance houses since they could use shrek queue.


----------



## Monykalyn

Skippyboo said:


> They don’t have houses at former Shrek and left of MIB. Those 2 were normally the closest to entrance houses since they could use shrek queue.


Yeah-why more walking I think this year. Even the soundstages have quite a walk normally with exception of one or two. And if close entrance still need to wind through queue switchbacks.


----------



## lisam70

Monykalyn said:


> For first timers- the areas marked on the map for the houses are where line entrance is-not where you enter the actual house itself. The house is usually anloooong walk -often through rivers after it rains- back to house entrance. Then you hike back out to get into park areas again to get into the next line entrance.  I think this might be why some are confused when we say “SAVE THE FEET” lol for not doing heavy park days if going to HHN hat night.
> 
> Maybe we need a sticky of first timer tips/tricks? So questions don’t get lost?


Thank you for this. I figured this was the case but was a little confused after looking at maps like why is everyone saying the walking is so bad !??! 
We plan to sleep in ( if I can I am an early riser by nature) and not get to the park til close to 4.


----------



## lisam70

Another newbie question- what time do the lines start to get unbearably long like more than hour plus? Or is it immediate ?
Going on Sunday 9/11


----------



## Lynne G

And those lines to a house, can be really long, with switch backs and long runs.  Miles can be walked on any given night.  

Lisa, I’m almost always an early riser.  I go back to room after lunch, and relax, even if I don’t sleep, to save my walking for the evening.  I also tend to take my shoes off, and shower then too.  I do get into a stay area, to shorten the lines for one or two houses, by  entering the park again, by close to around 4:30pm.  They set up the stay areas by around 4 pm.  

I’d say lines build at the start, then later in the night, they may be less busy.  But on a Friday through Sunday, I’d say, the lines don’t lessen that much, until maybe the last hour or two.


----------



## macraven

depends on the house

Some are worth an hour wait and some do not

(in reference to lisam70)


----------



## Monykalyn

To see the amount of walking -this is one house. Marked ‘D’ on maps outlined in blue.  You walk all along side of building they swithcbacks then back out.  Now do almost exact same thing for house entrance right by it house on map. Same soundstage but you have to walk all the way back out then get in line for the other house in same soundstage.
See soundstage building to immediate right? 23. Two houses in it. One with entrance through Jimmy Fallon, one over by the music plaza. And nope-cant Jump  across but walk through line to building and out for each house.

And that’s just 4 houses with locations literally next to each other but a gazillion steps  

The sprung tents can have even longer walks back and out.  F&F is being used so maybe a shorter walk? Looks like tent is immediately behind queue area? I’ve not been when A  closer to minions (American horror story) but judging by HHN 27 map the exit was by side of Fallon.
ETA-credit for the picture. Blue line is mine lol. But has history here of where houses were/are. Pretty cool
https://www.hhnlegacy.com/house-locations.html


----------



## lisam70

Thanks everyone we will definitely be having a lazy pool day until it’s time to go. We arrive on Saturday so that’s good too my feet won’t be completely ruined yet. And probably a lazy morning after too lol.


----------



## tony67

Lynne G said:


> And those lines to a house, can be really long, with switch backs and long runs. Miles can be walked on any given night.



This is probably the best reason to do a RIP tour if you can swing it and only have one night - they have all sorts of shortcuts and can go from house to house without going all the way back


----------



## keishashadow

lisam70 said:


> What does it mean death match area ??
> First time for us




Not to trivialize the concept but, March as in death March


Monykalyn said:


> To see the amount of walking -this is one house


So many Are shocked by the amount of walking as they are used to the direct routes during the day in the easily walkable U parks

First timers find it difficult to believe it’s very easy to rack up 7-8 miles at bare minimum during a night at the event


tony67 said:


> This is probably the best reason to do a RIP tour if you can swing it and only have one night - they have all sorts of shortcuts and can go from house to house without going all the way back


In the tent houses you still have quite the haul, however, they do trim it. More importantly, after whatever walk, the wait is much shorter once the entrance is reached vs those in the EP line

That particular puddle referenced earlier is perennial issue when it rains. Assume a long-standing drainage issue there when it rains


----------



## keishashadow

Monykalyn said:


> Maybe we need a sticky of first timer tips/tricks? So questions don’t get lost?


That suggestion has arisen in the past.  BTW a big thank you is extended to you & so many others for actively contributing to this thread!Its all
About the community input to keep it humming along nicely

The management has been kind enough to support this sticky for years, thank ‘dem very much!  

One of the founding thots was to corral all things HHN into one thread in order to help keep the U boards concise.  both specific questions and general discussion is actively encouraged 

Many queries that pop up repeatedly have either been answered here in some fashion (this year or past) or are quickly responded to by the community on this board.  

General suggestions to newcomers trying to develop a plan of attack is:

1.  take a bit of time to read thru the first page of the sticky

2. read a trip report or two from prior years. 

3. then, formulate a list of specific questions. 

4. Next step is to utilize the search engine here to whittle said list down

5.  Finally, engage here.  thankfully, the community is so very helpful

Most regulars have indeed developed a specific plan of attack, however, it can vary. 

Posters are certainly more than welcome to share their specific suggestions and hints here to help others.  HHN goers are often a passionate sort and can be fixed in their habits. One size doesn’t necessarily fit all.

In that regard, for those who might want to compile a list, I suggest l using a header on their posts here

*MY HHN HINTS*

Would help it pop up in an easy search here


----------



## ClapYourHands

How accurate are the wait times that are listed on the app and at the house entrances? I’m asking in general, at opening, and for the last hour or two. In deciding where to go first, I am wondering if the app will give a semi-accurate estimate for the houses the stay-and-scream guests are already in. Are the end of night house wait times inflated the way ride wait times are at regular park closing?


----------



## Monykalyn

keishashadow said:


> So many Are shocked by the amount of walking as they are used to the direct routes during the day in the easily walkable U parks


Rumor is Bug house entrance queue is wrapped around and behind the MiB show building as they are using space we where this tents queue usually is for extended queue for Weeknd.  Estimates quarter mile walk to entrance of bug house      May result in quicker walk back to park with redesign.


----------



## keishashadow

Monykalyn said:


> Estimates quarter mile walk to entrance of bug house  May result in quicker walk back to park with redesign.


So a reverse giveth and take it away lol. Would help temper a long queue.  

Had wondered if they might need or even have capability for virtual sort to even enter the line.  Im sure they have fire codes to Adhere to re keeping area clear 

Re the questions of plexiglass returning this year..,


----------



## Robo56

I had noted before that in years past the release of information on the Unmasking The Horror Tour 3 house and 6 House Tours were not released ahead of time. 

I saw some information on social media that Universal has released information on the Tours.

3 House Tour
Halloween
Fiesta de Chupacabras
Spirits of the Coven


6 House Tour 
Universal Monsters: Legends Collide
The Horrors of Blumhouse 
Bugs: Eaten Alive
Descendants of Destruction 
Dead Man’s Pier “Winter’s Wake
Hell Block Horror


----------



## keishashadow

Thanks robbie!


----------



## macraven

Super info Robbie !
Glad you shared that info in the thread


----------



## Skywalker3

Ticket question. Anyone ever use AAA for HHN tickets? Any issues using them? only option is email, so could print before. Would they need to be exchanged at GS for anything? Thanks in advance. 
Will be buying tickets from somewhere, AAA, UT, or Universal directly tonight, for our Oct 9 night


----------



## keishashadow

Several months ago I priced out hhn single night tix for October. Online AAA (eastern) was approx the same price as U & UT 

U’s print at home/mobile device option works well for us. 

Personal preference, I do stop at whatever on-site resort’s GS desk & have them print out a hard ticket whenever I do buy any tix


----------



## hayesdvc

Wife and I (age 60) would like to go to Halloween Horror Nights and know nothing about it.  We have never been to Universal period always in the Disney bubble as DVC Members.  We are not paying the $$$ again for the MNSSHP.  We would not go in ANY of the houses.  Are the house all that makes up HHN?  Would it be worth us going?


----------



## soniam

hayesdvc said:


> Wife and I (age 60) would like to go to Halloween Horror Nights and know nothing about it.  We have never been to Universal period always in the Disney bubble as DVC Members.  We are not paying the $$$ again for the MNSSHP.  We would not go in ANY of the houses.  Are the house all that makes up HHN?  Would it be worth us going?



There are houses, outdoor scarezones, and two shows: one in the lagoon and one in the covered outdoor amphitheater. Do you like horror movies? If not, it's probably not for you. It's a completely totally different vibe than MNSSHP. There are food booths too, with pretty good food.


----------



## Julia Ann

What time does HHN finish?


----------



## Skippyboo

Julia Ann said:


> What time does HHN finish?


2am


----------



## tinkerbell1991

Can anyone help, I'll already be in Studios before HHN and have a reservation at Lombards at 3:45pm. If let's just say I'm there for 1.5 hours, can I still get into one of the holding areas or do I need to be in one by a certain time?
I've got 5pm in my head for some reason but wondering if this is more just an average time when people begin to go into them, even some at 4pm.


----------



## ThistleMae

hayesdvc said:


> Wife and I (age 60) would like to go to Halloween Horror Nights and know nothing about it.  We have never been to Universal period always in the Disney bubble as DVC Members.  We are not paying the $$$ again for the MNSSHP.  We would not go in ANY of the houses.  Are the house all that makes up HHN?  Would it be worth us going?


HHN is awesome!  The shows are cool.    But it's very realistic horror....movie set quality.  Very different from MNSSHP.  If you buy the scream early ticket and a one night ticket ($ 116 total) you can get into the park at 3 p.m. and go on rides before the event.  We love it!


----------



## keishashadow

tinkerbell1991 said:


> Can anyone help, I'll already be in Studios before HHN and have a reservation at Lombards at 3:45pm. If let's just say I'm there for 1.5 hours, can I still get into one of the holding areas or do I need to be in one by a certain time?
> I've got 5pm in my head for some reason but wondering if this is more just an average time when people begin to go into them, even some at 4pm.


Often CM will come into the restaurants checking for HHN tix & will band you there.  Once you exit the restaurant, you will be directed to a scare zone.  I assume, the one near Finnegans.


----------



## tinkerbell1991

keishashadow said:


> Often CM will come into the restaurants checking for HHN tix & will band you there.  Once you exit the restaurant, you will be directed to a scare zone.  I assume, the one near Finnegans.


Perfect, thank you. When I was telling my partner about it this morning, he got it in my head we'd have to leave the park as we HAD to be in a holding area for 5pm and queue outside the gates with other ticket holders


----------



## tony67

So was looking through the various menus etc....
If it just me or are we not seeing the typical blinky cups - seems like there are glasses (plastic I assume) for each drink that are pretty basic for the most part - except the skull  one - maybe those are just for the photos 

Does seem a bit pricey for some things - 12.25 for lacto cooler canned beer?   14.99 for the fried crustable pbj that was 7.99 last year - wow
I get a big part of this is the labor etc...  but still  - did hear a rumor the PBJ would be reduced to 9.99 but who knows

Did see some initial exterior views of Dead Coconut Club  -  classic monsters - maybe a Tiki bar which would be great - they are selling tiki mugs for the classic monsters (BTW - these are 20-30 on line so don't pay the 60+ at universal - Anything that is not park exclusive can usually be found on line for less - and you can have it shipped to arrive just after you get home ) and one of the shots I saw had the typical tiki mugs - would love to see some park exclusive ones


----------



## keishashadow

tony67 said:


> 14.99 for the fried crustable pbj that was 7.99 last year - wow
> I get a big part of this is the labor etc... but still - did hear a rumor the PBJ would be reduced to 9.99 but who knows


if somebody is willing to spend $15 for a PBJ sandwich, gouge away lol

quite the uproar re the above, including that is for 2 of them.  

I’m just fine with having concessions subsidize a lower price of admission.  Especially with the booze, might help avoid amateur night binging/sloppy drunks.


----------



## tony67

keishashadow said:


> f somebody is willing to spend $15 for a PBJ sandwich, gouge away lol
> 
> quite the uproar re the above, including that is for 2 of them.


Oh well that's a bargain then 


keishashadow said:


> I’m just fine with having concessions subsidize a lower price of admission. Especially with the booze, might help avoid amateur night binging/sloppy drunks.


hmm - was that directed at me - have we met?  

I do think that's a small part of it - but the problem I see is then people pre-game - and that can be worse


----------



## keishashadow

tony67 said:


> hmm - was that directed at me - have we met?


Nwahahaha…having moonlighted in the service industry in my misbegotten youth, I soon tired of those trying to hang with the big dogs.   

Biggest problem I’ve observed seems to be underage issue, hard to miss when they keel over in line & their friends disappear like cockroaches before security arrives.  

the real experts know to come in tuned low and maintain…but, i digress.


----------



## Duck143

I'm sending my brother and his gf over for HHN for the night during our extended family trip to DW.  I bought the tickets for them, but as a HHN newbie, I am wondering if there is an add on to skip the lines?  This may be something they're interested in since they only have that one night.


----------



## Skippyboo

Duck143 said:


> I'm sending my brother and his gf over for HHN for the night during our extended family trip to DW.  I bought the tickets for them, but as a HHN newbie, I am wondering if there is an add on to skip the lines?  This may be something they're interested in since they only have that one night.


The only thing that skips the line is Rip tour. Express pass cuts your wait time down but still have to wait. Prices for public RIP tour starts at $299 per person


----------



## macraven

private tours will get you ahead of lines or with little waits


----------



## ClapYourHands

Duck143 said:


> I'm sending my brother and his gf over for HHN for the night during our extended family trip to DW.  I bought the tickets for them, but as a HHN newbie, I am wondering if there is an add on to skip the lines?  This may be something they're interested in since they only have that one night.


There is express pass, which allows you to stand in a shorter line once per house. It’s not really a full on skip, but it usually shortens the waits enough to get through all the houses in one night and still have time to enjoy the shows and scare zones.

There is the public RIP tour, which allows you to join a small group and skip the lines, and also includes dinner before (alcoholic drinks are extra).

There are private RIP tours, which are like the public tours but you put the groups together yourself and have more control over the itinerary. There is another HHN thread on here that lists Disboard members who are going to HHN and sometimes includes people looking for people to join their private RIP. So if there’s interest, you might look for your dates and see if there are openings.

All of the above options are more expensive than the HHN tickets themselves. 

A more budget friendly alternative is to buy scream early tickets (also referred to as stay and scream) which allows for entrance at 3pm. Between 3 and park close (5pm), they are free to do the normal daytime attractions, until they go to a holding area where they wait while the TMs clear the park of daytime guests, and the houses get set up. Then these guests get a chance to start going through houses before the gates officially open. Usually this gives people a 1-2 house head start over people doing HHN only.


----------



## namelessoracle

Skippyboo said:


> The only thing that skips the line is Rip tour. Express pass cuts your wait time down but still have to wait. Prices for public RIP tour starts at $299 per person


It's really House dependent unfortunately.

Express has its own line and merges with the standby line. But the merge isnt consistent. There are some houses where you merged straight into the entrance, and others where you merged half way (or more!) of the regular line. Scarey last year went straight to the entrance (so did Icons), but wicked growth merged like a third of the way in. Beetlejuice merged at about the half way point.


----------



## Mrs.AMC

Duck143 said:


> I'm sending my brother and his gf over for HHN for the night during our extended family trip to DW.  I bought the tickets for them, but as a HHN newbie, I am wondering if there is an add on to skip the lines?  This may be something they're interested in since they only have that one night.


As other said, you can't skip the line totally but with EP you can do everything in 1 night. It's a long and hard night without much rest but it is doable.


----------



## Mrs.AMC

hayesdvc said:


> Wife and I (age 60) would like to go to Halloween Horror Nights and know nothing about it.  We have never been to Universal period always in the Disney bubble as DVC Members.  We are not paying the $$$ again for the MNSSHP.  We would not go in ANY of the houses.  Are the house all that makes up HHN?  Would it be worth us going?


How are you at scary period? My first year I did not do houses but I loved the scare zones. They are very well done and very entertaining. Universal puts a lot of detail and effort in to their event. They are the prime movie studio of horror for a reason. They put as much, or nearly as much, detail in to HHN as they do their movies. The actors are really in to their roles and make up effects. I enjoyed experiencing this in the scare zones. They are not like the houses because you are in control of the scares, if that makes sense. You can very easily escape if it's too much and even avoid them. The environment is very festive but not at all like Mickey. 

The show is rather adult oriented too. It's sort of like cirque de soile with an edge. Loud music normally. Probably can find old videos if you look up past HHN


----------



## tony67

namelessoracle said:


> Beetlejuice merged at about the half way point.


Whichever house is in this location is always the worst as far as express pass - the rest are pretty close to the entrance IMO

Overall Id say EP saves a ton of time - and gives you the flexibility to enjoy the scare zones or enter after the initial rush.

Stay and scream is just too crazy now as well IMO - just packed and since they changed the setup at Finnegan's the stay and scream just isn't as much fun.   I used to be able to get a seat at the bar around 3:30 - now the bar is really just take away - in and out as quick as possible - no way am I paying that much for a pint of Guinness in a plastic cup that I have to take outside.

As I have said before I really like EP because I can sit and have a relaxing drink at String Water (which opens at 5 last time I was there) or one of the city walk bars before the overpriced drinks at HHN.   Margaritas and free chips and salsa at AntoJito's are a favorite before HHN.   Also the giant pretzel and a great beer selection at  NBC - and I can get a draft Chimay Tripel for the same price as a Lacto Cooler.


----------



## Duck143

Thank you all for the advice!  These tips are amazing and will definitely help him plan his night.


----------



## schumigirl

tony67 said:


> Overall Id say EP saves a ton of time - and gives you the flexibility to enjoy the scare zones or enter after the initial rush.
> 
> Stay and scream is just too crazy now as well IMO - just packed and since they changed the setup at Finnegan's the stay and scream just isn't as much fun.   I used to be able to get a seat at the bar around 3:30 - now the bar is really just take away - in and out as quick as possible - no way am I paying that much for a pint of Guinness in a plastic cup that I have to take outside.
> 
> As I have said before I really like EP because I can sit and have a relaxing drink at String Water (which opens at 5 last time I was there) or one of the city walk bars before the overpriced drinks at HHN.   Margaritas and free chips and salsa at AntoJito's are a favorite before HHN.   Also the giant pretzel and a great beer selection at  NBC - and I can get a draft Chimay Tripel for the same price as a Lacto Cooler.



That`s exactly what we plan to do. 

We haven`t been in the Stay and Scream holding areas for several years (even before covid) it`s too long a night hanging around for us now. We prefer to either have a drink somewhere and then go in after the mass opening crowds, go through the hotel guest entrance and then enjoy the EP, wouldn`t do the event without EP. 

Last time we were at HHN we never once managed to get a drink in Finnegans during a HHN as it was completely mobbed with the line out of the door to get a drink....we didn`t bother.

I don`t like Mexican food but liking the sound of Margaritas in there......


----------



## Mrs.AMC

Curious on how you'd go if it were you
2 nights of EP vs 1 night with RIP?
We'll be going 2 weeknights, back to back most likely. It's really the only way we can due to the window of dates we have available to travel. At most we'll have 1 day between our nights.
DH said 2 nights of EP. I'm undecided on which way to go. Thoughts? Any pros/cons I may not be thinking of
The #1 pro to RIP that I'm thinking about is reserved seating at the shows. I'm drawing a blank, any EP entrance/access for shows? 
I've done EP, so I'm familiar with how they work in regards to lines vs how RIP works for lines. I'm ok with the EP version here. 
Not sure what else RIP gives you. Some lounge? Did I read that right? Or was that part of something else?


----------



## Monykalyn

Mrs.AMC said:


> Curious on how you'd go if it were you
> 2 nights of EP vs 1 night with RIP?
> We'll be going 2 weeknights, back to back most likely. It's really the only way we can due to the window of dates we have available to travel. At most we'll have 1 day between our nights.
> DH said 2 nights of EP. I'm undecided on which way to go. Thoughts? Any pros/cons I may not be thinking of
> The #1 pro to RIP that I'm thinking about is reserved seating at the shows. I'm drawing a blank, any EP entrance/access for shows?
> I've done EP, so I'm familiar with how they work in regards to lines vs how RIP works for lines. I'm ok with the EP version here.
> Not sure what else RIP gives you. Some lounge? Did I read that right? Or was that part of something else?


RiP gives you the food at the beginning, much quicker access points (you bypass all the lines to front of houses, don't have to go out to front of queue again-last year we did Hill house twice in a row with private RiP)  The tour does save quite a bit of walking overall (we cut backstage in some areas to get directly to front of house). 
It'd be a tough choice for me-but last year did RiP and had ROF with EP for 6 or 7 nights. This year going for 9 HHN nights with RoF with EP-because of longer stay not doing an RiP tour. As you can see I prefer more nights over direct front of line.


----------



## Monykalyn

HHN accounts on Twitter are posting about more details on food booths, merch, and the entrance portals to houses are up!


----------



## Monykalyn

And Mummy is in "technical rehearsals" so fingers crossed it opens in next day or so!!


----------



## Mrs.AMC

Monykalyn said:


> And Mummy is in "technical rehearsals" so fingers crossed it opens in next day or so!!


I sure hope so. I really missed it on our last couple of trips


----------



## macraven

read it is open now


----------



## Magicbeans

I think Mummy will open the same day as HHN starts.


----------



## keishashadow

Mrs.AMC said:


> Curious on how you'd go if it were you
> 2 nights of EP vs 1 night with RIP?
> We'll be going 2 weeknights, back to back most likely. It's really the only way we can due to the window of dates we have available to travel. At most we'll have 1 day between our nights.


Wednesday & Thursday have lower crowds. 

Sunday can be quite busy, could be a rush of hospitality workers, who often have mondays off work 

I’d do Wednesday, preferably staying & screaming in a holding zone.  Then, do the public RIP on Thursday  (earlier the better, to allow play time afterwards on your own)   

RIP more expensive on Fridays.


RIP


----------



## keishashadow

Love the pic of the chefs

https://blog.discoveruniversal.com/...top-foods-to-try-at-universal-orlando-resort/


----------



## namelessoracle

tony67 said:


> Whichever house is in this location is always the worst as far as express pass - the rest are pretty close to the entrance IMO
> 
> Overall Id say EP saves a ton of time - and gives you the flexibility to enjoy the scare zones or enter after the initial rush.
> 
> Stay and scream is just too crazy now as well IMO - just packed and since they changed the setup at Finnegan's the stay and scream just isn't as much fun.   I used to be able to get a seat at the bar around 3:30 - now the bar is really just take away - in and out as quick as possible - no way am I paying that much for a pint of Guinness in a plastic cup that I have to take outside.
> 
> As I have said before I really like EP because I can sit and have a relaxing drink at String Water (which opens at 5 last time I was there) or one of the city walk bars before the overpriced drinks at HHN.   Margaritas and free chips and salsa at AntoJito's are a favorite before HHN.   Also the giant pretzel and a great beer selection at  NBC - and I can get a draft Chimay Tripel for the same price as a Lacto Cooler.


Good to keep in mind!

My partner was pretty salty when we down the express line for Beetlejuice, the person running the line stopped the express, and the group who entered standby at the same time we got into express was right behind us because of how far back the merge was. For that house if the line is less than 40 minutes, I am pretty sure express gives you virtually no benefit.


----------



## Monykalyn

Spoilers for TM preview tonite all over Twitter and other SM accounts.  Sounds like a great year and WOW the scarezones look amazing.
Also seems at least some of the tent houses have elevated walkways (up a few inches) so maybe the feets might not get soaked during the rains!

Beware there are cameras inside the houses this year watching you. This is for TM safety as some people shouldn’t be allowed out to play as they can’t be nice-now security will be kicking them out if issues!


----------



## SquashBanana

My wife and I are going next Thursday - Saturday, 9/8 - 9/10. We are going with ROF and S&S but no other add-ons.

1. We are arriving late Thursday night and was planning to redeem our passes and get a head start on the weekend. Is parking still $27 regardless of when you arrive on HHN nights?

2. Unfortunately a few days ago, my wife broke her toe. We already bought the tickets so she has decided we are going to tough it out the best we can. I've already heard about the insane amount of walking required. Are there any accommodations available for those who may not be able to stand in line? Are all the houses wheelchair accessible?

Thanks!


----------



## macraven

SquashBanana said:


> My wife and I are going next Thursday - Saturday, 9/8 - 9/10. We are going with ROF and S&S but no other add-ons.
> 
> 1. We are arriving late Thursday night and was planning to redeem our passes and get a head start on the weekend. Is parking still $27 regardless of when you arrive on HHN nights?
> 
> 2. Unfortunately a few days ago, my wife broke her toe. We already bought the tickets so she has decided we are going to tough it out the best we can. I've already heard about the insane amount of walking required. Are there any accommodations available for those who may not be able to stand in line? Are all the houses wheelchair accessible?
> 
> Thanks!


I have done  the houses in a wc before.
It’s doable for the most part

I have done hhn with a broken toe before and it can be difficult to tough it out

Consider renting a wc for her


----------



## keishashadow

Not sure if confirmed

4 possible holding zones


----------



## Skippyboo

No Central Park and then move you to area by Animals theater?  I did that one last year for Hill House.


----------



## keishashadow

SquashBanana said:


> Unfortunately a few days ago, my wife broke her toe. We already bought the tickets so she has decided we are going to tough it out the best we can. I've already heard about the insane amount of walking required. Are there any accommodations available for those who may not be able to stand in line? Are all the houses wheelchair accessible?


Not a medical professional, yet a klutz & pro at breaking toes & a foot.

It all depends IMO

Has she cleared doing the event with her Medical providers?

Big toe seems to be bigger problem for most

Is it a clean break/fracture?

If so, guessing she has it padded between sister toes and wrapped in medical tape to stabilize

Suggest she find a supportive pair of comfy shoes

Even those who rent an ecv transfer appear to manual WC in houses.  Walkway can be very tight & at times not be level


macraven said:


> I have done the houses in a wc before.
> It’s doable for the most part


It’s easier for the pushee than pusher lol. They have slanted triangular covers over wire bundles that can be difficult to maneuver, especially when it’s so distracting & if a newcomer to WC


----------



## FoxC63

I agree with @keishashadow , supportive shoes are 100% necessary @SquashBanana  with or without a broken toe as there is a lot of walking!  A lot!

My favorite shoes are (and I know they're ghastly expensive) 
hoka bondi 7 one one , just google & read reviews.  It's like walking on clouds, no kidding.  Nice sales going on now. 

For me, right of of the box I think they're perfect for those with flat feet as there is no arch support.  Zero. However, insoles are easily removable so you can use your own orthotics.  I just buy Dr. Scholl's athletic inserts as they have the perfect arch support for me and I have high arches. 

Sorry to hear about your wife & I hope you and yours have a wonderful trip!


----------



## keishashadow

FoxC63 said:


> My favorite shoes are (and I know they're ghastly expensive)
> hoka bondi 7


Small world lol Mine make the trip too, with custom orthotics.  Do find the (even uglier) keen h2Os comfier


----------



## keishashadow

I hope this is someone’s idea of a joke pertaining to 

*Daytime, *_*unmasking the horror tours ONLY!*_

It appears there *may *be a change in how it’s conducted this year…

This based upon FB posters stating emails being received a week or so prior to tour dates that reference:

Flashlights & Headphones 

Note that the official website does still reference only 10 -12 people per tour


----------



## lisam70

keishashadow said:


> Small world lol Mine make the trip too, with custom orthotics.  Do find the (even uglier) keen h2Os comfier


I have a pair of Keene too. I refer to them as my “ugly sandals” but they are my go to for the parks. My feet don’t like sneakers when it’s hot out !


----------



## Lynne G

So I can take a small flashlight going through the houses, as my eyes are not very good in the pitch black?  At least to see where my feet go?  Odd.  Never knew could do that before.


----------



## soniam

Lynne G said:


> So I can take a small flashlight going through the houses, as my eyes are not very good in the pitch black?  At least to see where my feet go?  Odd.  Never knew could do that before.



Only for the Unmasking daytime house tour. Not at night during the actual event.


----------



## SquashBanana

macraven said:


> I have done  the houses in a wc before.
> It’s doable for the most part
> 
> I have done hhn with a broken toe before and it can be difficult to tough it out
> 
> Consider renting a wc for her





keishashadow said:


> Not a medical professional, yet a klutz & pro at breaking toes & a foot.
> 
> It all depends IMO
> 
> Has she cleared doing the event with her Medical providers?
> 
> Big toe seems to be bigger problem for most
> 
> Is it a clean break/fracture?
> 
> If so, guessing she has it padded between sister toes and wrapped in medical tape to stabilize
> 
> Suggest she find a supportive pair of comfy shoes
> 
> Even those who rent an ecv transfer appear to manual WC in houses.  Walkway can be very tight & at times not be level
> 
> It’s easier for the pushee than pusher lol. They have slanted triangular covers over wire bundles that can be difficult to maneuver, especially when it’s so distracting & if a newcomer to WC





FoxC63 said:


> I agree with @keishashadow , supportive shoes are 100% necessary @SquashBanana  with or without a broken toe as there is a lot of walking!  A lot!
> 
> My favorite shoes are (and I know they're ghastly expensive)
> hoka bondi 7 one one , just google & read reviews.  It's like walking on clouds, no kidding.  Nice sales going on now.
> 
> For me, right of of the box I think they're perfect for those with flat feet as there is no arch support.  Zero. However, insoles are easily removable so you can use your own orthotics.  I just buy Dr. Scholl's athletic inserts as they have the perfect arch support for me and I have high arches.
> 
> Sorry to hear about your wife & I hope you and yours have a wonderful trip!



Thanks for the advice and good wishes. We both just bought a pair of Saucony's on clearance and they are super comfortable. I'm not sure what type of footwear she will use because we're a week away and it will probably be a "when we pack" decision based on how she feels at the time. Nor are we sure how we will move her around yet. Her walking isn't an option. We are leaning towards a knee-scooter type setup but we shall see.


----------



## tony67

keishashadow said:


> I hope this is someone’s idea of a joke pertaining to
> 
> *Daytime, *_*unmasking the horror tours ONLY!*_
> 
> It appears there *may *be a change in how it’s conducted this year…
> 
> This based upon FB posters stating emails being received a week or so prior to tour dates that reference:
> 
> Flashlights & Headphones
> 
> Note that the official website does still reference only 10 -12 people per tour
> 
> View attachment 698951


Not sure I like the sounds of this - looking forwards to  feedback from those that have tours in the next week or two


----------



## keishashadow

tony67 said:


> Not sure I like the sounds of this - looking forwards to  feedback from those that have tours in the next week or two


I can’t be the only person who is scrambling to find a pair of old school, wired headphones.

wondering if the last generation wired ones that came with iphone would work with whatever technology they will use.

never had an issue hearing the guide’s live commentary in the past.  If it’s an accessibility thing, then all for itas an enhancement.  

However, if they are possibly switching over to a pre-recorded spiel, without the guide being able to answer questions or provide any personalized input, not going to be a happy haunter.


----------



## soniam

keishashadow said:


> I can’t be the only person who is scrambling to find a pair of old school, wired headphones.
> 
> wondering if the last generation wired ones that came with iphone would work with whatever technology they will use.
> 
> never had an issue hearing the guide’s live commentary in the past.  If it’s an accessibility thing, then all for itas an enhancement.
> 
> However, if they are possibly switching over to a pre-recorded spiel, without the guide being able to answer questions or provide any personalized input, not going to be a happy haunter.


It should work. Just needs to physically fit in a normal headphone jack


----------



## macraven

wired headphones?

no idea as what i will do

Not a clue

In past tours, the tour guide talked and all listened


----------



## keishashadow

macraven said:


> wired headphones?
> 
> no idea as what i will do
> 
> Not a clue
> 
> In past tours, the tour guide talked and all listened


DH just caught me muttering to myself

reminded me that the iPod ones won’t exactly be comfortable wearing for 5 - 6 hours on the tour.  

May go with a one eared open type (that just sits inside the ear vs in) & hangs around ear.

if u want will grab u one too from amazon.


----------



## macraven

sweet!
add one for me if this is the only way we can hear the spiel


----------



## keishashadow

Other than fact there is absolutely no tolerance for touching the scareactors at HHN LOL


----------



## mamapenguin

keishashadow said:


> Other than fact there is absolutely no tolerance for touching the scareactors at HHN LOL
> 
> View attachment 699261


Where can I get a bring back Bill and Ted shirt? We leave Thursday. TIA


----------



## Mrs.AMC

keishashadow said:


> I can’t be the only person who is scrambling to find a pair of old school, wired headphones.
> 
> wondering if the last generation wired ones that came with iphone would work with whatever technology they will use.
> 
> never had an issue hearing the guide’s live commentary in the past.  If it’s an accessibility thing, then all for itas an enhancement.
> 
> However, if they are possibly switching over to a pre-recorded spiel, without the guide being able to answer questions or provide any personalized input, not going to be a happy haunter.


No idea what they are doing of course but we have done a tour where we wore headphones and the only purpose was to hear the guide. I am pretty sure it was the Backstage Magic tour, but it’s been few years and I may not remember correctly. It didn’t impact us asking questions, it was only so we could hear the guide well since there is often a lot of background noise 

It‘s entirely possible they’ve had complaints that people couldn’t hear the guide well on the tour and this is in response to that.


----------



## mekay1012

We will be going in a few weeks. This is our first time to Universal. It will either be me or my husband and our 16 year old (someone has to stay with the 8 year old at the hotel). Any tips/tricks for newbies?  We will have day tickets as well so will be in the park when it opens. I know nothing about horror nights and want to make the most of our time. We will not have express passes and won't be able to stay until 2:00 am because we have a long drive back the next day.


----------



## SquashBanana

Around what time do wait times typically peak? I've got no basis for comparison, but it seems like the waits for the houses are not all that bad for opening night??


----------



## Mrs.AMC

mekay1012 said:


> We will be going in a few weeks. This is our first time to Universal. It will either be me or my husband and our 16 year old (someone has to stay with the 8 year old at the hotel). Any tips/tricks for newbies?  We will have day tickets as well so will be in the park when it opens. I know nothing about horror nights and want to make the most of our time. We will not have express passes and won't be able to stay until 2:00 am because we have a long drive back the next day.


You’ll be doing all day in the park plus HHN that night?
That the only choice you have?
One thing to know about HHN is you walk twice as much during HHN as you do doing an entire day of rides at the theme parks. Getting in and out of the houses is a lot of walking. Plus getting to each of the houses. 
I’m afraid you’ll be too worn out to get any enjoyment out of HHN. 
You almost definitely want Express pass if you want to get in most of the houses. If you know you’ll be leaving early there’s about no way you’ll get in all the houses but you can do several with EP. 
Try to get in the show so you can relax and sit for a bit if nothing else.


----------



## mekay1012

Mrs.AMC said:


> You’ll be doing all day in the park plus HHN that night?
> That the only choice you have?
> One thing to know about HHN is you walk twice as much during HHN as you do doing an entire day of rides at the theme parks. Getting in and out of the houses is a lot of walking. Plus getting to each of the houses.
> I’m afraid you’ll be too worn out to get any enjoyment out of HHN.
> You almost definitely want Express pass if you want to get in most of the houses. If you know you’ll be leaving early there’s about no way you’ll get in all the houses but you can do several with EP.
> Try to get in the show so you can relax and sit for a bit if nothing else.


Yes, that's the only choice. We only have 2 days and are driving from NC. Trying to make the most of a long weekend.


----------



## CAPSLOCK

mekay1012 said:


> Yes, that's the only choice. We only have 2 days and are driving from NC. Trying to make the most of a long weekend.


Make sure the 2 HHNers take a solid 2hr+ afternoon break. Preferably at the hotel, or at least linger at a late lunch off their feet, a movie, etc. As much of an actual rest as they can manage. Going into HHN tired is not ideal, but better than missing out entirely. Like @Mrs.AMC said, also hit up the shows for a mid-HHN rest.


----------



## ClapYourHands

mekay1012 said:


> Yes, that's the only choice. We only have 2 days and are driving from NC. Trying to make the most of a long weekend.



Express passes, as mentioned by @Mrs.AMC will help, but they’re pricey. Alternately, the RIP tour is even pricier, but it’s a guarantee of doing all the houses because there is no waiting at all. It’s less walking because they take you right to the front, and you don’t have to do the whole queue and back/exit queue. It also includes dinner. No idea about your budget, but if you have the funds, it’s the prime experience.

If your budget only allows for the ticket itself, be in the park early for stay and scream, which will give you a 1-2 house advantage over the entering crowd. Since you have day tickets, that shouldn’t be a problem. You’re there on a weekend, so expect large crowds, and go in with your priority experiences, and the mindset that you’re there to enjoy the night, not do everything. If you go in with realistic expectations, you’ll be able to slow down and enjoy the scare zones or maybe watch a show or hop on a ride. My kids have each identified 2-3 things as their “must-dos” for the trip, and while we will try for as much as we can, my goal is “don’t be miserable,” because I’ve found that if we push too hard people get tired and cranky and it stops being fun.

One thing you may want to consider is a midday rest. Rope drop and do a bunch of stuff early, then go back to the hotel around lunch time and just chill for a bit. Take a nap if you can or otherwise just rest on and play on your phone. On a short trip, it can feel like time “wasted,” but it will pay off at night. If you really don’t want to leave the park, plan to be in Studios on your HHN day, and spend the afternoon watching the shows. You’ll be in air conditioning for Bourne and Horror Makeup show, and, most importantly, off your feet. HHN is way more walking than you think, so save your tootsies.
Edit: looks like @CAPSLOCK was advising the same thing while I was typing my novel. I know we’re just internet strangers, but when everyone says the same thing, it’s probably solid advice.


----------



## Mrs.AMC

mekay1012 said:


> Yes, that's the only choice. We only have 2 days and are driving from NC. Trying to make the most of a long weekend.


Understood. 
@ClapYourHands  suggested the RIP tour. If there is any way you can do that’s the way to go when it’s tacked in to a park day  and you don’t have the full night.
Other than that and the additional info above I suggest whoever goes to HHN is not the driver going home. They’ll be worn out. Lol 

But the number one choice is a break about lunch that day. Will you have EP during the day?


----------



## Skywalker3

mekay1012 said:


> Yes, that's the only choice. We only have 2 days and are driving from NC. Trying to make the most of a long weekend.


We're kinda doing something similar, and do not currently plan on express or RIP. we'll have 1, maybe 2 park days. But we've also been to Universal a few times this year, so we know what all we want to ride/skip, etc. We plan to arrive at Sapphire falls early Sunday AM, between 7AM-8AM, checkin, doubtful room is ready, go to IoA to hit up Velocicoaster and whatever else. Prioritize the rides/attractions, etc you want to do in the parks.
Hoping room ready by mid afternoon, because after lunch, we will for sure need a place to sit, cool off, rest,charge phones, etc. before going back around 4-4:30 for Scream early.
HHN is double to triple the walking one does in the regular parks, plus the standing in line. Some houses are way off the beaten path. I plan to stay out as late as possible, so maybe 2AM. Prioritize! We know we'll be skipping the shows, and will be making a list of the must do houses/food, so likely won't get to all 10 houses, but hopeful. It's do-able in 1 day, but it will be a very long and exhausting day. we plan to sleep as late as possible the next day. If you're just getting a feel for the event,  scare zones, and only want a few houses, that should be do-able.


----------



## shh

Mrs.AMC said:


> No idea what they are doing of course but we have done a tour where we wore headphones and the only purpose was to hear the guide. I am pretty sure it was the Backstage Magic tour, but it’s been few years and I may not remember correctly. It didn’t impact us asking questions, it was only so we could hear the guide well since there is often a lot of background noise
> 
> It‘s entirely possible they’ve had complaints that people couldn’t hear the guide well on the tour and this is in response to that.


Never been on this particular tour, but can definitely say I've been on quite a few group walking tours and I've been very frustrated to miss too much of the interesting commentary because I couldn't always stick literally right next to the guide - others would be there or I'd be a few people back and couldn't hear. Lots of times the guide would say something to the folks near them, but not repeat for the benefit of others. So earphones are a pain for a long tour, but I can also see real benefits.


----------



## ShadeDK

Reporting in from opening night - another great event this year and glad to see it back to form (even if busy as ever).  A few hiccups in how things were running, but it’s opening weekend and they’ll work through those.  Overall though a solid show for HHN 31.  A few general observations (no spoilers):

-Typical year where there are a few strong houses, a few weaker ones and most in the middle.  No duds - but a couple that didn’t live up to their potential.  Two others that “overachieved” after some low expectations.  There’s one house though that I expect to make the “all time” list of great houses.  
-Very glad for the return of SIF!!  It was put to good use in most of the houses - and a few that really use it to amp up the tension and scares.  
-Scarezones are solid - one of the better collections in awhile.  Three of them are very strong and they were all well staffed with SAs whenever we walked through.  As always, much better to wander the SZs after dark and the fog is thick.  
-Booth lines are as long as ever, but lots of interesting options
-Choke points are as crowded as ever.  Some traffic jams in exit queues where they used narrow barrier paths.  Bonus points though for that ramp outside the back of park sprung tents - no rain last night but it’ll be nice not stepping in puddles. 
-Some longer walks this year where they redid some of the entrance queues.  Harder to asses lines where they continue to put (even more) switchbacks backstage and you can’t see them.  They’re still figuring out how to post times based on the queues.  Some might be shorter - or a lot longer - than what’s posted. 
-Express waits were on the longer side - I’ll chalk it up to opening weekend, but a few were a solid 20-30 minute wait.  Still - much better than the standby lines which were running around 60 minutes or so most of the evening.  Seemed that the pulsing for express was keeping to the “half the standby time” rule of thumb - but also overheard some TMs trying to clear Express when it was getting backed up.  
-Great use of Fast & Furious this year and worked well for the event.  More space than the sprung tents - and each of the movies featured was close to a full length house in their own right.  You could argue there’s 11 houses this year - with Blumhouse being a “double feature”.  If you’ve done Blumhouse houses in the past (and aware of the awkward mash-up feel), you may be surprised with how this one is so well handled.  You think you’re almost done - and then realize you’re only halfway there.  
-Chainsaw gangs wandering everywhere it seemed.  
-Going to very hard to do everything in one night this year - there’s just a lot more to see and experience beyond the houses.   We did all ten houses (with Express), wandered the SZs and had a couple of short breaks - no rides or shows - and that took a solid 5 hours.  

Looking forward to some second walkthroughs and going back the next couple of nights!


----------



## mekay1012

Mrs.AMC said:


> Understood.
> @ClapYourHands  suggested the RIP tour. If there is any way you can do that’s the way to go when it’s tacked in to a park day  and you don’t have the full night.
> Other than that and the additional info above I suggest whoever goes to HHN is not the driver going home. They’ll be worn out. Lol
> 
> But the number one choice is a break about lunch that day. Will you have EP during the day?


Yes, we do have express pass during the day.


----------



## Robo56

Thank you for sharing information on opening night ShadeDK.


----------



## Robo56

If headphones are required for UMH Tour those with smaller earphones or headphones you can buy larger Universal plug adapters to use your smaller devices.


----------



## Mrs.AMC

mekay1012 said:


> Yes, we do have express pass during the day.


That should help a lot then
You can skip rides during HHN and should have time to get a rest in on your HHN day


----------



## keishashadow

Around what time do wait times typically peak? I've got no basis for comparison, but it seems like the waits for the houses are not all that bad for opening night??
It was a sell out

Thrill data website list wait times for WDW & U including hhn (still Last year’s data)

My take, if it’s really busy before 8 pm, it’s going to make for a very long night

Heavy rain does seem to lessen crowds, locals I’m guessing take a pass


shh said:


> can definitely say I've been on quite a few group walking tours and I've been very frustrated to miss too much of the interesting commentary because I couldn't always stick literally right next to the guide


Thankfully, I’ve not experienced that issue on outdoor or indoor tours. the guides have always stopped, turned around and made sure all could hear their comments 

Any _optional _enhancement as to their live commentary is a good idea IMO.  Just not accepting of any ‘pretaped spiel’ vs the live touch tho. If it is a mandated thing, should’ve been clearly stated & put in place before ticket sales commenced 

Hoping to hear positive reviews next week that is is something about nothing 


ShadeDK said:


> Chainsaw gangs wandering everywhere it seemed.


Chainsaw wolves!


ShadeDK said:


> Typical year where there are a few strong houses, a few weaker ones and most in the middle. No duds - but a couple that didn’t live up to their potential. Two others that “overachieved” after some low expectations. There’s one house though that I expect to make the “all time” list of great houses.


And…

Lol

We 110% welcome opinions of the houses here.  

If anyone is going to delve into deep specifics, please post a *“SPOILER ALERT” *before diving in the deep end


----------



## djmeredith

Here now and doing HHN for the first time tomorrow. I know we only have 1 night’s data, but any suggested strategies on where to start this year for stay and scream (and with EP) would be greatly appreciated. I’ve been following and know that some areas are better than others to maximize time. I’m also considering the strategy of not using the EP on the first house or two so we can maybe do them twice. Thanks!


----------



## Mrs.AMC

keishashadow said:


> Around what time do wait times typically peak? I've got no basis for comparison, but it seems like the waits for the houses are not all that bad for opening night??
> It was a sell out
> 
> Thrill data website list wait times for WDW & U including hhn (still Last year’s data)
> 
> My take, if it’s really busy before 8 pm, it’s going to make for a very long night
> 
> Heavy rain does seem to lessen crowds, locals I’m guessing take a pass
> 
> Thankfully, I’ve not experienced that issue on outdoor or indoor tours. the guides have always stopped, turned around and made sure all could hear their comments
> 
> Any _optional _enhancement as to their live commentary is a good idea IMO.  Just not accepting of any ‘pretaped spiel’ vs the live touch tho. If it is a mandated thing, should’ve been clearly stated & put in place before ticket sales commenced
> 
> Hoping to hear positive reviews next week that is is something about nothing
> 
> Chainsaw wolves!
> 
> And…
> 
> Lol
> 
> We 110% welcome opinions of the houses here.
> 
> If anyone is going to delve into deep specifics, please post a *“SPOILER ALERT” *before diving in the deep end


Or use the spoiler tag if you can. Pretty please, with sugar on top  
 like this is posted here


----------



## keishashadow

djmeredith said:


> but any suggested strategies on where to start this year for stay and scream (and with EP) would be greatly appreciated. I’ve been following and know that some areas are better than others to maximize time.


Unconfirmed, did read holding pen near BMG is for resort guests only 

All depends on which houses are open earliest & where they rank on ur to-do list

Yes, holding those EP entitlements is often wise if u r doing a whole night.  My personal threshold would be doing stand by of 30 min or less 

Please come back and share your experience!


----------



## mamamelody2

We are at Aventura 9/2-10.
This is our first ever HHN and we have the Rush of Fear pass with no express.
Yesterday the plan was to go to IOA and get in Velocicoaster, then Hagrid's at closing, then walk over for HHN.
Because of threatening rain and the fact that the outdoor rides weren't open, we waited around to see what would happen. Then my 16 year old son said he wasn't up for both parks as we had been up since 4 AM.

SO, we just went to UOR for HHN at 7. We didn't do a lot because we were looking to get the lay of the land and my son was very tired. First thing we rode Transformers which was a straight walk-on. We rode Mummy (son had never ridden it). Posted 35, off the ride in 20. Rode Gringott's. Posted 20 which was accurate. I was surprised how many regular park food places were open what with all the extra HHN food. We will be getting ice cream at Florean Fortescue's one of these nights.

We enjoyed the scare zones. I didn't expect one woman scareactor to come up to me and scream full in my face. I may have peed a little. They are watching and if you're not paying attention, they'll get ya!  LOL.

We only did one house, the chupacabra one. It seemed pretty good to me, but what do I know it was my first haunted house ever and I am 50. I screamed and said some words I shouldn't say around my son.  Haha! After a while I was basically just staring at my husband's back trying to make it through. Hopefully I'll get braver!! Wait was posted 35, after we had been waiting a few minutes I checked and it had gone up to 75. Only waited 25 though.

At this point it was after 10 and my son was toast. We went back to the hotel.

We are going back tonight. Planning to get in by 5, then get a ton of stuff done. I'll try to report back!


----------



## ClapYourHands

ShadeDK said:


> Reporting in from opening night - another great event this year and glad to see it back to form (even if busy as ever).  A few hiccups in how things were running, but it’s opening weekend and they’ll work through those.  Overall though a solid show for HHN 31.  A few general observations (no spoilers):
> 
> -Typical year where there are a few strong houses, a few weaker ones and most in the middle.  No duds - but a couple that didn’t live up to their potential.  Two others that “overachieved” after some low expectations.  There’s one house though that I expect to make the “all time” list of great houses.
> -Very glad for the return of SIF!!  It was put to good use in most of the houses - and a few that really use it to amp up the tension and scares.
> -Scarezones are solid - one of the better collections in awhile.  Three of them are very strong and they were all well staffed with SAs whenever we walked through.  As always, much better to wander the SZs after dark and the fog is thick.
> -Booth lines are as long as ever, but lots of interesting options
> -Choke points are as crowded as ever.  Some traffic jams in exit queues where they used narrow barrier paths.  Bonus points though for that ramp outside the back of park sprung tents - no rain last night but it’ll be nice not stepping in puddles.
> -Some longer walks this year where they redid some of the entrance queues.  Harder to asses lines where they continue to put (even more) switchbacks backstage and you can’t see them.  They’re still figuring out how to post times based on the queues.  Some might be shorter - or a lot longer - than what’s posted.
> -Express waits were on the longer side - I’ll chalk it up to opening weekend, but a few were a solid 20-30 minute wait.  Still - much better than the standby lines which were running around 60 minutes or so most of the evening.  Seemed that the pulsing for express was keeping to the “half the standby time” rule of thumb - but also overheard some TMs trying to clear Express when it was getting backed up.
> -Great use of Fast & Furious this year and worked well for the event.  More space than the sprung tents - and each of the movies featured was close to a full length house in their own right.  You could argue there’s 11 houses this year - with Blumhouse being a “double feature”.  If you’ve done Blumhouse houses in the past (and aware of the awkward mash-up feel), you may be surprised with how this one is so well handled.  You think you’re almost done - and then realize you’re only halfway there.
> -Chainsaw gangs wandering everywhere it seemed.
> -Going to very hard to do everything in one night this year - there’s just a lot more to see and experience beyond the houses.   We did all ten houses (with Express), wandered the SZs and had a couple of short breaks - no rides or shows - and that took a solid 5 hours.
> 
> Looking forward to some second walkthroughs and going back the next couple of nights!


Okay this is amazing, but it’s definitely not a spoiler to dish on where you rank the houses. Maybe you could do a spoiler warning or send it in message form to interested people, but I really really want guidance on prioritizing houses. I will not have EP, so if something isn’t worth the hype, that is super valuable info.


----------



## djmeredith

We made a last minute change of plans and upgraded to ROF so we can go tonight. It’s 5:00 now and we are eating dinner. Can we enter any time with our APs or are we stuck outside until they let resort guests in?


----------



## keishashadow

mamamelody2 said:


> face. I may have peed a little. They are watching and if you're not paying attention, they'll get ya! LOL.





mamamelody2 said:


> We only did one house, the chupacabra one. It seemed pretty good to me, but what do I know it was my first haunted house ever and I am 50.


You know as much as anyone else what you like!  Thanks for sharing. I have high hopes for that one


----------



## ShadeDK

For those interested, here’s my ranking of the houses so far: 



Spoiler: Spoiler: House Ranking and comments



1. Dead Man’s Pier - incredible sets, story, scares, and a completely immersive experience. “Haunting” in the best way.  This one is quintessential HHN. 
2.  The Weeknd - I was skeptical of this house, but it won me over.  Scary and fun at the same time.  A “trippy” house in the best way.  Makes a lot more sense though if you watch the videos first for the featured songs.  Also surreal watching a thousand or more people dancing and singing along in an HHN queue. 
3. Bugs - Eaten Alive - another fun house and more dark comedy/gross factors than scares.  
4. Halloween - very good house and great scares. You’re gonna see Michael - a lot.  Interesting use of a “prologue” at the start of the house and later on putting you in the “middle” of the action 
5. Universal Monsters - great sets and interesting story, but feels a little familiar.  On par with Bride of Frankenstein but not as good as the first Monsters house.  Very Mummy heavy if that makes a difference 
6.  Blumhouse - I’d have put this at the bottom based on expectations, but this was really good.  Separate sections for each movie and we’ll paced.  Great section of curtains/SIF where you’re just waiting for something to happen. I preferred Black Phone to Freaky
7. Descendants of Destruction - good house and good scares, with great luminescent visuals at the end, but leaned a little heavy on the post apocalyptic Mad Max style survivor element than scares.  
8. Hell Block - if you know the history of how this house came about, you’ll appreciate that they did as much as they did in a short time.  But it still feels thrown together and incomplete.  You’ll see some old favorites from past HHNs - including a few from Legendary Truth and past scare zones. 
9.  Fiesta de Chupacabra- this has potential to be amazing but falls kind of flat.  Drab where it could have been colorful. Many more villagers coming after you than creatures.  And the creatures - well, I’ve never seen Chupacabra that mostly look like werewolves.  Great puppet work but not as many as would make it great.  
10. Spirits of the Coven - another house with potential but doesn’t go anywhere.  The witches aren’t particularly scary and the story isn’t terribly interesting.  Decent sets but the house felt dead in places.  Maybe a bad walkthrough but it felt like it was trying too hard.


----------



## mamapenguin

djmeredith said:


> We made a last minute change of plans and upgraded to ROF so we can go tonight. It’s 5:00 now and we are eating dinner. Can we enter any time with our APs or are we stuck outside until they let resort guests in?


Once they close for day entry you are stuck with the resort entry, but that’s way better than main entry. It happened to us first night we did HHN last year. I thought we had until 5:00 and we were turned away at the main gate ( we have Premiere APs) Resort line wasn’t bad.
How was entry at 7:00?


----------



## tinkerbell1991

I'm not too sure if there's actually something out there like this already but is there any sort of list that names the food item and where abouts in the park to get it as I'm not all that familiar with the Studios map/layout (HHN specific).


----------



## SquashBanana

ShadeDK said:


> For those interested, here’s my ranking of the houses so far:
> 
> 
> 
> Spoiler: Spoiler: House Ranking and comments
> 
> 
> 
> 1. Dead Man’s Pier - incredible sets, story, scares, and a completely immersive experience. “Haunting” in the best way.  This one is quintessential HHN.
> 2.  The Weeknd - I was skeptical of this house, but it won me over.  Scary and fun at the same time.  A “trippy” house in the best way.  Makes a lot more sense though if you watch the videos first for the featured songs.  Also surreal watching a thousand or more people dancing and singing along in an HHN queue.
> 3. Bugs - Eaten Alive - another fun house and more dark comedy/gross factors than scares.
> 4. Halloween - very good house and great scares. You’re gonna see Michael - a lot.  Interesting use of a “prologue” at the start of the house and later on putting you in the “middle” of the action
> 5. Universal Monsters - great sets and interesting story, but feels a little familiar.  On par with Bride of Frankenstein but not as good as the first Monsters house.  Very Mummy heavy if that makes a difference
> 6.  Blumhouse - I’d have put this at the bottom based on expectations, but this was really good.  Separate sections for each movie and we’ll paced.  Great section of curtains/SIF where you’re just waiting for something to happen. I preferred Black Phone to Freaky
> 7. Descendants of Destruction - good house and good scares, with great luminescent visuals at the end, but leaned a little heavy on the post apocalyptic Mad Max style survivor element than scares.
> 8. Hell Block - if you know the history of how this house came about, you’ll appreciate that they did as much as they did in a short time.  But it still feels thrown together and incomplete.  You’ll see some old favorites from past HHNs - including a few from Legendary Truth and past scare zones.
> 9.  Fiesta de Chupacabra- this has potential to be amazing but falls kind of flat.  Drab where it could have been colorful. Many more villagers coming after you than creatures.  And the creatures - well, I’ve never seen Chupacabra that mostly look like werewolves.  Great puppet work but not as many as would make it great.
> 10. Spirits of the Coven - another house with potential but doesn’t go anywhere.  The witches aren’t particularly scary and the story isn’t terribly interesting.  Decent sets but the house felt dead in places.  Maybe a bad walkthrough but it felt like it was trying too hard.


Thanks for this. I'll admit I just read the list of house names and ignored the commentary. I'm going next weekend so it'll be interesting to read everything afterwards and see how our perspectives line up.


----------



## djmeredith

mamapenguin said:


> Once they close for day entry you are stuck with the resort entry, but that’s way better than main entry. It happened to us first night we did HHN last year. I thought we had until 5:00 and we were turned away at the main gate ( we have Premiere APs) Resort line wasn’t bad.
> How was entry at 7:00?


Thank you. This is exactly what happened to us. Resort entry over by BMG entrance was great at 5:45ish for us. Scanned in with no wait (except for the rude person who held up the line while she searched her ENTIRE backpack and wallet for her picture ID. Move aside lady! (Be sure you have an id if your over 18.)

We walked in and there were a few workers and guests just kinda milling about.  Then a worker could tell we were all confused and  asked us if we wanted to go ahead and do the Hellblock Horror house or wait. I had no idea what we would’ve waited for but I think it was the direct entry to the main park area. We decided to go into the house and there was no wait.

In 2 hrs without EP we did Hellblock Horror (walk on), Spirits of the Coven (15ish mins), Diagon Alley (wands and Gringotts), Blumhouse (walk on) and went through 2 or 3 scare zones. We will do a holding area tomorrow using our APs, so I’ll report back with a comparison of the two early entry experiences.

*NO SPOILERS* but I will give my opinions of how scary I thought things were in general. I know we have several other people on here who mentioned being scaredy cats like me. Hope this is helpful; feel free to ask questions.

I am a scaredy cat middle aged woman and it’s my first HHN experience. Haven’t done a haunted house in 20+ years. I only spent 2 hrs at HHN tonight because my day started at 3:00 am. are still there. I am here with my 14 and almost 17 yo nephews. They are still at the parks (oh to be young again).

By 7:40, we had done all of the things I listed above. The Fury show was seating people for the 8:00 show at this time. They didn’t appear to be turning anyone away, so probably plenty of seats left. Halloween (and maybe every other) remained at 50 mins or less until this point. Then there was a big jump right around this time for a few of them. But even as I write this at 9:35, Monsters and Deadman’s Pier are at 70 Bugs is 65, but several are still only 45-50 mins. The overall crowd level was still very manageable when I left at 8:00. I think the longest wait at that time was 60/65.

I was so nervous to do the houses! I HATE to be startled (so of course my nephews torture me at home). My oldest nephew went through them in front, then the 14 yo, then me. My parental instincts went out the window! In HH, I pushed those kids TOWARD the scary people to put more distance between me and the scary stuff! All while having a death grip on the 14
yo’s arm. He literally had red marks after HH. BUT it was fun scary not overwhelming or terrifying. Coven also wasn’t too scary. After the first house, I started putting my hands on my nephew’s soldiers. That seemed to work well for me. I think I closed my eyes once or twice in Blumhouse but overall the 3 we did tonight weren’t too bad.

It was just getting dark as I walked out. So I experienced the scare zones in broad daylight and they weren’t scary to me at all. In fact, I laughed a few times. It was definitely a lot creepier at dusk as I walked all the way from MIB to the front by myself. I shamelessly tried to hide behind a strager through one area. And then in Hollywood, I skipped the entire thing by walking on the sidewalk behind it.

I was shocked at how low the crowds still were on the streets at 8:00 based on what I had read about opening wknd being packed. However, I am VERY glad I upgraded to the ROF ticket on a whim. It was nice not rushing or waiting in any long lines since I knew I’d be back with EP tomorrow.


----------



## djmeredith

tinkerbell1991 said:


> I'm not too sure if there's actually something out there like this already but is there any sort of list that names the food item and where abouts in the park to get it as I'm not all that familiar with the Studios map/layout (HHN specific).


This would be so helpful! All I really care about though is where can I find the pizza fries!? We really want to try those.


----------



## djmeredith

One other tip I have is to be sure you make a dinner reservation if you want to eat a sit down meal before regular HHN entry. I made a res at NBC at 4:15 for a 4:45 seating. It actually showed plenty of availability but they were turning walk ups away when we got there. There was also a bunch of people sitting by Margaritaville waiting to get in.


----------



## ShadeDK

HHN Night 2 recap: another busy evening, but a little more normal without the opening night craziness.  We didn’t have Express tonight, so didn’t push as hard since we got through all the houses yesterday.  

Tried to hit Mummy before going to the holding pens, but they closed the line at 4:30.  Picked the New York Stay & Scream and got some snacks at Meetz Meats set up in the alley (which was open and had no line).  This area officially releases to Halloween and Spirits of the Coven.  Halloween had a line that snaked through the entire holding pen area and opened with a 40 minute wait.  They released both lines to start filling the queues around 5:45 and were running by about 5:50.  

They let us start an “unofficial” line at the corner of the pen across from the tribute store and let us through about 5:50 to start filling the queues for Chupacabra and Dead Mans Pier - those houses don’t appear to have a S&S area and open at 6pm. We opted for that and had about a 5 minute wait for Dead Mans Pier when it opened a little after 6pm.  

Headed towards the back of park after that and hit Bugs.  Posted at 10 minutes but was closer to 20.  The exit spits out by Descendants of Destruction, but that was posted at 35 around 6:45.  Blumhouse was listed at 10 minutes, so we headed over there.  Real wait was again about 20 minutes - but posted wait hit 50 min while we were in line so we lucked out (ended up going through right behind Rick and Nikki from Rix Flix).  

Got in the waiting area for Nightmare Fuel around 7:30 for the 8pm show.  They sent us in about 7:45 and it was a full house by the start.  Seems very similar to the last one.  A few families with younger kids got up and left midway through - must’ve thought they weren’t serious about that “adult nature” warning at the start. 

Wandered the scarezones and hit some booths after the show.  I have noticed more of the scare actors in the zones constantly moving/pacing - far less stopping and posing for “photo ops” while in character.  Most houses posted at 50-60 minutes (and Mummy at 35) around 10pm - so called it a night after a late one yesterday.


----------



## ClapYourHands

ShadeDK said:


> HHN Night 2 recap: another busy evening, but a little more normal without the opening night craziness.  We didn’t have Express tonight, so didn’t push as hard since we got through all the houses yesterday.
> 
> Tried to hit Mummy before going to the holding pens, but they closed the line at 4:30.  Picked the New York Stay & Scream and got some snacks at Meetz Meats set up in the alley (which was open and had no line).  This area officially releases to Halloween and Spirits of the Coven.  Halloween had a line that snaked through the entire holding pen area and opened with a 40 minute wait.  They released both lines to start filling the queues around 5:45 and were running by about 5:50.
> 
> They let us start an “unofficial” line at the corner of the pen across from the tribute store and let us through about 5:50 to start filling the queues for Chupacabra and Dead Mans Pier - those houses don’t appear to have a S&S area and open at 6pm. We opted for that and had about a 5 minute wait for Dead Mans Pier when it opened a little after 6pm.
> 
> Headed towards the back of park after that and hit Bugs.  Posted at 10 minutes but was closer to 20.  The exit spits out by Descendants of Destruction, but that was posted at 35 around 6:45.  Blumhouse was listed at 10 minutes, so we headed over there.  Real wait was again about 20 minutes - but posted wait hit 50 min while we were in line so we lucked out (ended up going through right behind Rick and Nikki from Rix Flix).
> 
> Got in the waiting area for Nightmare Fuel around 7:30 for the 8pm show…  A few families with younger kids got up and left midway through - must’ve thought they weren’t serious about that “adult nature” warning


First, thank you for the rankings in your other post. I had my kids choose their priority houses based on descriptions, and my first-timer has been really looking forward to your #1 ranked house, so this reinforces that.

I also appreciate knowing how the S&S lines are working. I won’t have that advantage, but it does help me plan around them for a main entrance attack. The inaccurate wait times are a bummer for someone like myself without EP, but as it’s the first weekend, I imagine they’re still figuring out how to estimate the line length to wait time ratio.

As for families leaving during Nightmare Fuel, maybe it wasn’t ignoring the warnings so much as mismatched expectations. So many people post about their kids liking horror movies, asking if HHN would be appropriate, and others confirming their little Brayden has been going since he was 8 and loving it. And so people think HHN is all about the horror - the blood and guts and chainsaws and jump scares. Then there’s NF, which completely changes gears from scary gorey to raunchy sexy. While the acrobatics and pyrotechnics of the show are stunning, it feels really incongruous with the rest of the event, so it’s not what people expect. I also think there’s a little bit of cry-wolf syndrome at play here with UO putting a blanket age-warning on the event, but then having scare zones PG, houses that are PG/PG-13, and a show that’s closer to R (and for different reasons). 

As for content, does this year’s show have more of a plot than last year’s did? I thought my teen would have loved last year’s show (precisely because of the adult nature), but he found it repetitive. His assessment is that it was cool in the beginning, but never developed past hula hoops and fire over and over again. We are hoping for more storytelling this year.


----------



## ShadeDK

ClapYourHands said:


> As for content, does this year’s show have more of a plot than last year’s did?


This seems to be the same story, themes and overall effects as the previous Nightmare Fuel.  Some of the choreography and songs appear to have changed.  

A little more info (so I don’t spoil anything for those who haven’t seen it):



Spoiler: Additional info on Nightmare Fuel



I actually thought this was the exact same when it started.  The set is mostly the same.  It starts with the protagonist getting into bed and setting his alarm clock before the nightmares arrive. Similar aerial performances and the hoop is back.  Lots of fire.  Similar magic trick elements.  The story ends with the protagonist finding and wielding a machete to join his nightmares.


----------



## tinkerbell1991

djmeredith said:


> This would be so helpful! All I really care about though is where can I find the pizza fries!? We really want to try those.


Mine's the cheese dog and pizza fries (I always hear about thee so feel I'm missing out ). I just know once I'm caught up in the HHN atmosphere, I'll forget where everything is


----------



## keishashadow

Lot of great mini TRs here, thanks!  Keep them coming

It’s been confirmed that:

the after 11 pm EPs were sold last night

& 

The sweet revenge parade floats were left out in the street during the day.


----------



## jessicag13

tinkerbell1991 said:


> I'm not too sure if there's actually something out there like this already but is there any sort of list that names the food item and where abouts in the park to get it as I'm not all that familiar with the Studios map/layout (HHN specific).


this person on twitter made an awesome google sheet that you can check off and total costs. or you can save the photo if you want a plain list to refer to

__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1565794602958917637


----------



## wdwrule

Does anyone know if you have to be 21+ to enter Dead Coconut Club?  I’d love to visit there with my 18 year old to check it out. I know she can’t sit at the bar there, but we’d love to at least enjoy all the aesthetics.


----------



## Giraffe Lounge

My completely subjective rankings:



Spoiler



EXCELLENT
1. Dead Man’s Pier
2. Chupacabra
3. Spirits of the Coven
4. Descendants of Destruction

SOLID
5. Universal Monsters Collide
6. Bugs Eaten Alive
7. Halloween
8. The Weeknd After Hours

MEH
9. Hellblock Horror
10. Horrible Blumhouse



I’m admittedly mostly a fan of theme and setting more than scares, so YMMV.


----------



## mamapenguin

keishashadow said:


> Lot of great mini TRs here, thanks!  Keep them coming
> 
> It’s been confirmed that:
> 
> the after 11 pm EPs were sold last night
> 
> &
> 
> The sweet revenge parade floats were left out in the street during the day.


What was the price?


----------



## tinkerbell1991

jessicag13 said:


> this person on twitter made an awesome google sheet that you can check off and total costs. or you can save the photo if you want a plain list to refer to
> 
> __ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1565794602958917637


This is amazing, thank you for sharing


----------



## keishashadow

mamapenguin said:


> What was the price?


No idea. Just saw pic of sign. U could probably Google it


----------



## djmeredith

My nephews ended up staying until around 10:00. They did Descendants of Destruction around 8:00 and said they said their wait was about 10 mins longer than posted. Then they did Halloween when it was posted at 70 but it only took 60.


----------



## ShadeDK

Doing an Unmasking the Horror tour now: nothing about flashlights or headphones - it’s the same way they’ve done tours in the past so don’t bring that extra stuff with you. They’re giving out UTH themed lanyards this year.

Update: our guide did say that tour guides have the option to use the listening assistance devices, but he chose not to.  So YMMV depending on the guide you get.  Maybe you need to pack the headphones after all.


----------



## Skywalker3

ShadeDK said:


> For those interested, here’s my ranking of the houses so far:
> 
> 
> 
> Spoiler: Spoiler: House Ranking and comments
> 
> 
> 
> 1. Dead Man’s Pier - incredible sets, story, scares, and a completely immersive experience. “Haunting” in the best way.  This one is quintessential HHN.
> 2.  The Weeknd - I was skeptical of this house, but it won me over.  Scary and fun at the same time.  A “trippy” house in the best way.  Makes a lot more sense though if you watch the videos first for the featured songs.  Also surreal watching a thousand or more people dancing and singing along in an HHN queue.
> 3. Bugs - Eaten Alive - another fun house and more dark comedy/gross factors than scares.
> 4. Halloween - very good house and great scares. You’re gonna see Michael - a lot.  Interesting use of a “prologue” at the start of the house and later on putting you in the “middle” of the action
> 5. Universal Monsters - great sets and interesting story, but feels a little familiar.  On par with Bride of Frankenstein but not as good as the first Monsters house.  Very Mummy heavy if that makes a difference
> 6.  Blumhouse - I’d have put this at the bottom based on expectations, but this was really good.  Separate sections for each movie and we’ll paced.  Great section of curtains/SIF where you’re just waiting for something to happen. I preferred Black Phone to Freaky
> 7. Descendants of Destruction - good house and good scares, with great luminescent visuals at the end, but leaned a little heavy on the post apocalyptic Mad Max style survivor element than scares.
> 8. Hell Block - if you know the history of how this house came about, you’ll appreciate that they did as much as they did in a short time.  But it still feels thrown together and incomplete.  You’ll see some old favorites from past HHNs - including a few from Legendary Truth and past scare zones.
> 9.  Fiesta de Chupacabra- this has potential to be amazing but falls kind of flat.  Drab where it could have been colorful. Many more villagers coming after you than creatures.  And the creatures - well, I’ve never seen Chupacabra that mostly look like werewolves.  Great puppet work but not as many as would make it great.
> 10. Spirits of the Coven - another house with potential but doesn’t go anywhere.  The witches aren’t particularly scary and the story isn’t terribly interesting.  Decent sets but the house felt dead in places.  Maybe a bad walkthrough but it felt like it was trying too hard.





ShadeDK said:


> HHN Night 2 recap: another busy evening, but a little more normal without the opening night craziness.  We didn’t have Express tonight, so didn’t push as hard since we got through all the houses yesterday.
> 
> Tried to hit Mummy before going to the holding pens, but they closed the line at 4:30.  Picked the New York Stay & Scream and got some snacks at Meetz Meats set up in the alley (which was open and had no line).  This area officially releases to Halloween and Spirits of the Coven.  Halloween had a line that snaked through the entire holding pen area and opened with a 40 minute wait.  They released both lines to start filling the queues around 5:45 and were running by about 5:50.
> 
> They let us start an “unofficial” line at the corner of the pen across from the tribute store and let us through about 5:50 to start filling the queues for Chupacabra and Dead Mans Pier - those houses don’t appear to have a S&S area and open at 6pm. We opted for that and had about a 5 minute wait for Dead Mans Pier when it opened a little after 6pm.
> 
> Headed towards the back of park after that and hit Bugs.  Posted at 10 minutes but was closer to 20.  The exit spits out by Descendants of Destruction, but that was posted at 35 around 6:45.  Blumhouse was listed at 10 minutes, so we headed over there.  Real wait was again about 20 minutes - but posted wait hit 50 min while we were in line so we lucked out (ended up going through right behind Rick and Nikki from Rix Flix).
> 
> Got in the waiting area for Nightmare Fuel around 7:30 for the 8pm show.  They sent us in about 7:45 and it was a full house by the start.  Seems very similar to the last one.  A few families with younger kids got up and left midway through - must’ve thought they weren’t serious about that “adult nature” warning at the start.
> 
> Wandered the scarezones and hit some booths after the show.  I have noticed more of the scare actors in the zones constantly moving/pacing - far less stopping and posing for “photo ops” while in character.  Most houses posted at 50-60 minutes (and Mummy at 35) around 10pm - so called it a night after a late one yesterday.


Thanks for sharing the rankings, and experiences. VERY appreciated! Trying to plan now where we will choose for Stay/Scream, leaning toward wherever you line up for Halloween. 
Enjoy the rest of HHN/Universal! thanks again!


----------



## nurseberta

djmeredith said:


> We walked in and there were a few workers and guests just kinda milling about.  Then a worker could tell we were all confused and  asked us if we wanted to go ahead and do the Hellblock Horror house or wait. I had no idea what we would’ve waited for but I think it was the direct entry to the main park area. We decided to go into the house and there was no wait.
> 
> In 2 hrs without EP we did Hellblock Horror (walk on), Spirits of the Coven (15ish mins), Diagon Alley (wands and Gringotts), Blumhouse (walk on) and went through 2 or 3 scare zones. We will do a holding area tomorrow using our APs, so I’ll report back with a comparison of the two early entry experiences.


 Ok wait so they let you into the resort entrance right at 5:45? I didn't realize this could happen. we have stay and scream for all but the 1st night of our tip so hoping for the same experience.


----------



## djmeredith

nurseberta said:


> Ok wait so they let you into the resort entrance right at 5:45? I didn't realize this could happen. we have stay and scream for all but the 1st night of our tip so hoping for the same experience.


Yes, they had already let a bunch of people in to do the prison house last night before 6:00. Because there was no line when we got in but the guy said there had been a line “earlier.”


----------



## djmeredith

If I want to do the Kid Zone houses first, I need to be in NY waiting area, right?

ETA:  yes. We just got into the holding area. Make sure you bring an umbrella for shade, it’s brutally hot. Also, it appears they are letting people in the waiting area after 5:00. I wish we had waited longer on Mel’s where it is air conditioned!


----------



## TXAKDisneyFan

keishashadow said:


> Around what time do wait times typically peak? I've got no basis for comparison, but it seems like the waits for the houses are not all that bad for opening night??
> It was a sell out
> 
> Thrill data website list wait times for WDW & U including hhn (still Last year’s data)
> 
> My take, if it’s really busy before 8 pm, it’s going to make for a very long night
> 
> Heavy rain does seem to lessen crowds, locals I’m guessing take a pass
> 
> Thankfully, I’ve not experienced that issue on outdoor or indoor tours. the guides have always stopped, turned around and made sure all could hear their comments
> 
> Any _optional _enhancement as to their live commentary is a good idea IMO.  Just not accepting of any ‘pretaped spiel’ vs the live touch tho. If it is a mandated thing, should’ve been clearly stated & put in place before ticket sales commenced
> 
> Hoping to hear positive reviews next week that is is something about nothing
> 
> Chainsaw wolves!
> 
> And…
> 
> Lol
> 
> We 110% welcome opinions of the houses here.
> 
> If anyone is going to delve into deep specifics, please post a *“SPOILER ALERT” *before diving in the deep end


Haven't looked at newer posts so idk if anyones mentioned:
We did the 6 house unmasking tour sat (yesterday) morning. They provided the earphones (the kind that loop around the ear). I didn't notice anyone using their own headphones. There was nothing pre-taped. It was strictly so everyone could hear the guide.


----------



## tinkerbell1991

Sorry, me again.
Do any of the hhn specific food booths open throughout the day for regular guests too or do they all open only during the event?


----------



## TXAKDisneyFan

For those interested, here’s my ranking of the houses so far:


ShadeDK said:


> Spoiler: Spoiler: House Ranking and comments
> 
> 
> 
> 1. Dead Man’s Pier - incredible sets, story, scares, and a completely immersive experience. “Haunting” in the best way.  This one is quintessential HHN.
> 2.  The Weeknd - I was skeptical of this house, but it won me over.  Scary and fun at the same time.  A “trippy” house in the best way.  Makes a lot more sense though if you watch the videos first for the featured songs.  Also surreal watching a thousand or more people dancing and singing along in an HHN queue.
> 3. Bugs - Eaten Alive - another fun house and more dark comedy/gross factors than scares.
> 4. Halloween - very good house and great scares. You’re gonna see Michael - a lot.  Interesting use of a “prologue” at the start of the house and later on putting you in the “middle” of the action
> 5. Universal Monsters - great sets and interesting story, but feels a little familiar.  On par with Bride of Frankenstein but not as good as the first Monsters house.  Very Mummy heavy if that makes a difference
> 6.  Blumhouse - I’d have put this at the bottom based on expectations, but this was really good.  Separate sections for each movie and we’ll paced.  Great section of curtains/SIF where you’re just waiting for something to happen. I preferred Black Phone to Freaky
> 7. Descendants of Destruction - good house and good scares, with great luminescent visuals at the end, but leaned a little heavy on the post apocalyptic Mad Max style survivor element than scares.
> 8. Hell Block - if you know the history of how this house came about, you’ll appreciate that they did as much as they did in a short time.  But it still feels thrown together and incomplete.  You’ll see some old favorites from past HHNs - including a few from Legendary Truth and past scare zones.
> 9.  Fiesta de Chupacabra- this has potential to be amazing but falls kind of flat.  Drab where it could have been colorful. Many more villagers coming after you than creatures.  And the creatures - well, I’ve never seen Chupacabra that mostly look like werewolves.  Great puppet work but not as many as would make it great.
> 10. Spirits of the Coven - another house with potential but doesn’t go anywhere.  The witches aren’t particularly scary and the story isn’t terribly interesting.  Decent sets but the house felt dead in places.  Maybe a bad walkthrough but it felt like it was trying too hard.





Spoiler: Spoiler



I'd mostly agree with ranking #1. I didn't necessarily find this house scary, more "haunting" and very well themed.

I was also pleasantly surprised by the Weekend house. It was like you said "trippy." I'm not familiar with any of his music videos but I can see how it would be cool for fans to be "in" one of his videos. I will say there was a LOT of strobe in it, more than I've noticed in other houses, and I did wear sunglasses to avoid a migraine.

I actually thought Bugs was a bit of a letdown. I appreciate the comedy but the story missed the mark for me. I didn't understand the emphasis on the ExterminAir "it heats, it cools, it kills bugs" (or whatever the exact language used is). I would rather they had gone a little different direction. I did laugh out loud when I saw the giant grub "dancing" in the corner. And I liked the effect of feeling the bugs are your feet/ankles.

I thought the Legends Collide sets were pretty, probably second prettiest after Dead Man's Pier. It did feel very mummy heavy. The story for Bride last year was easier to follow. And I thought the end "winner" scene was underwhelming (esp compared to Icons from last year). We saw Legends in the unmasking tour earlier in the day, but others on our RIP tour were confused about what was happening at the end of Legends.

Agree that Black Phone was superior to Freaky. I expected Freaky to be better since there's more to work with visually but Black Phone did a good job setting the atmosphere. I've seen both movies, but I think it would be much easier to follow the BF house storyline than Freaky for those who haven't seen the movies.


----------



## keishashadow

TXAKDisneyFan said:


> There was nothing pre-taped. It was strictly so everyone could hear the guide.


Thanks for posting.  So, would you venture one would need to use the headphones to hear?

Did you have to carry some sort of device to plug the headphones into for the tour?


----------



## MinnieMSue

TXAKDisneyFan said:


> Haven't looked at newer posts so idk if anyones mentioned:
> We did the 6 house unmasking tour sat (yesterday) morning. They provided the earphones (the kind that loop around the ear). I didn't notice anyone using their own headphones. There was nothing pre-taped. It was strictly so everyone could hear the guide.



Thanks for posting. What was the lunch stiop/menu. I was guessing same restaurant as the scareactor dinner but just curious. My daughter is a little picky and I want her to be prepared a little (we don’t go until mid October)


----------



## soniam

tinkerbell1991 said:


> Sorry, me again.
> Do any of the hhn specific food booths open throughout the day for regular guests too or do they all open only during the event?


Sometimes, like maybe the one near music plaza. The one that had arepas near Fast & Furious used to be open during the day too. Typically, no though.


----------



## shh

mamapenguin said:


> What was the price?


It's half off the regular price when you buy after 11pm but only IF express passes didn't sell out that night. If I go this year, I think that's what I'll try for....$150-170 is too rich for my blood. lol


----------



## mamapenguin

shh said:


> It's half off the regular price when you buy after 11pm but only IF express passes didn't sell out that night. If I go this year, I think that's what I'll try for....$150-170 is too rich for my blood. lol


I have 4 chances, so we’ll see.


----------



## TXAKDisneyFan

keishashadow said:


> Thanks for posting.  So, would you venture one would need to use the headphones to hear?
> 
> Did you have to carry some sort of device to plug the headphones into for the tour?


There's a receiver you carry (it has a clip, but I put it in my pocket).

The times the headset helped were when the guide was talking as we walked between houses, and when we were transitioning between rooms.


----------



## TXAKDisneyFan

MinnieMSue said:


> Thanks for posting. What was the lunch stiop/menu. I was guessing same restaurant as the scareactor dinner but just curious. My daughter is a little picky and I want her to be prepared a little (we don’t go until mid October)


They walked us back to the old Blue Man Group building and we exited into City Walk. There was no specific restaurant.


----------



## istillbelieve

wdwrule said:


> Does anyone know if you have to be 21+ to enter Dead Coconut Club?  I’d love to visit there with my 18 year old to check it out. I know she can’t sit at the bar there, but we’d love to at least enjoy all the aesthetics.


Also wanting to know!  Saw a video today and it looks cool!


----------



## leiaorgana

About Legends Collide:



Spoiler: Spoiler



I believe the reason why Orlando’s version is heavy on The Mummy is because it’s part of a 2 part story.

Orlando starts it off with the focus being more on The Mummy and Hollywood finishes the story off with the focus being on The Wolfman.


----------



## TXAKDisneyFan

leiaorgana said:


> About Legends Collide:
> 
> 
> 
> Spoiler: Spoiler
> 
> 
> 
> I believe the reason why Orlando’s version is heavy on The Mummy is because it’s part of a 2 part story.
> 
> Orlando starts it off with the focus being more on The Mummy and Hollywood finishes the story off with the focus being on The Wolfman.


I'm curious about the Hollywood version based on the following about Orlando:



Spoiler



Our Unmasking guide said Orlando is part one and Hollywood is part 2. I'm not entirely sure how that works though. Each night there's a different "winner" - On Saturday Dracula was holding wolfmans head at the end of the house (our RIP tour guide said Dracula won on Friday too).


----------



## csjordan

Just getting back in now to Dockside from the evening. Despite a couple of rain scares, we were able to do Stay and Scream near Mummy and ride Men in Black, in addition to a couple trips to Finnegans and one trip to Duff Brewery. We did 8 houses (we have an accessibility pass, one standby line - Hellblock), just missing The Weeknd (no interest) and Descendants of Destruction (we were wiped out lol). Our rankings:

1) Halloween: we have a soft spot for Michael Myers, but this was plain awesome. Scares dead on each time with scare actors plentiful in the house.

2) Universal Monsters: another classic here. Sets well designed, scares well placed, and loved the Mummy heavy feature. Fun and scary, this one worked very well and seemed a good spiritual successors to Icons last year. 

3) Blumhouse: This one wasn’t on our must-do list, but was a nice surprise. Both halves of the house were well done, and the Black phone may have been the scariest section of any house this evening. Mood and vibe were on point, loved the choice of location too!

4) Hellblock Horror: another good surprise for us! Not the longest house, but good scare actors and an intense ambience led to a successful house! Love original houses and Universal set a good time with this one.

5) Spirits of the Coven: This one was a beautiful house with great storytelling. It’s length worked to it’s benefit and was able to tell a beginning, middle, and end. Not the most scary throughout but very well done for a witch-based house.

6) Bugs: This one was low on scares, but high on fun. Loved the way the different bugs were displayed. The story was easy enough to follow, and the house looked good.

7) Fiesta De Chupacabras: Another well-designed house with a unique theme. Some good scares, but some of the creatures themselves fell a little flat. 

8) Dead Man’s Pier: We wanted to love this one, especially after all the hype. This was absolutely the most beautifully designed house of the event. It may have just been a bad walkthrough, but we didn’t get any scares. Everything was gorgeous, but as a house it definitely fell flat. Had we stuck around, it would’ve been top of the list for a second trip.

Overall - the event this year felt higher budget, more intense, and overall just more successful than last. Hugely detailed house design, good thematic choices and unique details led to a great night! We can’t wait for next year.


----------



## MinnieMSue

TXAKDisneyFan said:


> They walked us back to the old Blue Man Group building and we exited into City Walk. There was no specific restaurant.



oh that is different. Last year we stopped and could purchase lunch at monster's cafe. I guess we will have to bring snacks as 10-3ish is kind of long with no lunch break. Interesting. Thanks for letting me know


----------



## disneyfanlincoln

Ok stupid question, doing HHN this year for the first time.  I have day tickets and HHN ticket and express for one night.  Should I do stay and scream? How does it work? Also how does the express pass work? Are there two queues, what do you show to prove express pass etc. I know these are basic questions Help please


----------



## Mrs.AMC

disneyfanlincoln said:


> Ok stupid question, doing HHN this year for the first time.  I have day tickets and HHN ticket and express for one night.  Should I do stay and scream? How does it work? Also how does the express pass work? Are there two queues, what do you show to prove express pass etc. I know these are basic questions Help please


You should do stay and scream but have you read the other posts cautioning against trying to do a full park day and HHN in one day. You really don't want to do that. The amount of walking needed for HHN is incredible. It's double, at the minimum, an entire park day, all on it's own. Just to get in and out of the houses. 
So yes, you want to do Stay and Scream but you really need to take a break before that, like around lunch, for a few hours back at your hotel. 
Express pass for HHN works similar to Express pass for regular park tickets. There are two lines, entered side by side. You merge at some point nearer to the entrance to the house. You show the actual Express pass ticket, either electronic or physical, just like you would for the one with the day ticket.


----------



## TXAKDisneyFan

MinnieMSue said:


> oh that is different. Last year we stopped and could purchase lunch at monster's cafe. I guess we will have to bring snacks as 10-3ish is kind of long with no lunch break. Interesting. Thanks for letting me know


There is a lunch break, we just had to eat in City Walk. They gave us about an hour.


----------



## Mrs.AMC

TXAKDisneyFan said:


> Haven't looked at newer posts so idk if anyones mentioned:
> We did the 6 house unmasking tour sat (yesterday) morning. They provided the earphones (the kind that loop around the ear). I didn't notice anyone using their own headphones. There was nothing pre-taped. It was strictly so everyone could hear the guide.


Thanks for the info. I was fairly certain that was the only reason they were using headphones. Funny about that prerecorded rumor thing though and how it got started  in the first place.


----------



## ShadeDK

Quick recap of our third and final night: we did 9 houses and two repeats.  Started in the NY S&S again and released at 5:40 to queue up for Dead Man’s Pier.  Did that house when it opened at 6pm and Chupacabra right after (5 min wait posted).  We then headed to Bugs around 6:25 - which was posted in the app and on the sign at the entrance at 5 min.  It stayed 5 min even though standby line was well behind MiB.  Real wait was closer to 25 to 30.  Also started raining - so not the best start to the night.  After that, started using express to hit houses (repeating Dead Man’s Pier and Chupacabra).  Finished around 10:30.  We did have about a 30 minute wait for Blumhouse - that express line seemed to be having some fits this past weekend as they get the rhythm/merge right.  

Interesting to see everyone’s opinions and experiences.  Although I know it’s not always possible (especially in one night), but repeat walkthroughs can really show how different the experience can be depending on the scares and timing.  After last night, Monsters went way up for us as the scares didn’t stop after a lackluster first run.  Weeknd went down a bit for the opposite reason.  Chupacabra and Descendants were better as well.  We probably did Bugs and Dead Mans Pier the most, and they were consistent in their delivery overall (although one particular scene in Bugs was noticeably missing the actor on 2 of 3 walkthroughs). We’d heard Coven got extra scareactors after opening night and was better - but we saw no difference last night.  

A few house spoilers: 



Spoiler: WARNING - potential major spoilers 



Our Unmasking guide said that there is a different “winner” at the end of Monsters every set - not just every night.  The outcome is controlled by the guests playing on the app and which allegiance wins at certain times.  

Longest houses this year are Halloween, Monsters and Weeknd - a few extra scenes tacked on and the other houses all have the same number of scenes (IIRC - 8 for the standard houses and 11 for the ultra houses).  

Chupacabra features five Chupacabra - they’re intended to be from the same litter and their names (in the order you meet them and as given by staff) are: Princess Coco, Dusty Bottom, Dante, Rocco and Skittles.  The house also has a shill scare - there’s a TM dressed like a typical HHN guest who will quietly merge into the line and then the unsuspecting guests behind get to watch when they’re pulled into the house by a scareactor a scene later.

As always, the event number (31) is incorporated into houses wherever possible - so watch out for those references.  Additionally, this year’s item appearing in every house somewhere is a small plastic spider.


----------



## wdwrule

istillbelieve said:


> Also wanting to know!  Saw a video today and it looks cool!


FWIW, I just chatted with a TM in the Universal app asking this question. I kind of assumed my 18 year old could enter with me but wanted to make sure. In chat, they said that yes, so long as she’s accompanied by an adult she could enter and check out Dead Coconut Club. The TM also stated that there’s a yummy mocktail on the menu which I had read about. Looking forward to checking out this amazing place AND getting some mother and daughter beverages


----------



## Monykalyn

wdwrule said:


> FWIW, I just chatted with a TM in the Universal app asking this question. I kind of assumed my 18 year old could enter with me but wanted to make sure. In chat, they said that yes, so long as she’s accompanied by an adult she could enter and check out Dead Coconut Club. The TM also stated that there’s a yummy mocktail on the menu which I had read about. Looking forward to checking out this amazing place AND getting some mother and daughter beverages


Thank you for checking!-will have my 19 yo with me and would love to check it out with her.


----------



## tony67

Mrs.AMC said:


> Thanks for the info. I was fairly certain that was the only reason they were using headphones. Funny about that prerecorded rumor thing though and how it got started  in the first place.


Thanks for the update - I think it was just an assumption - glad to hear it was incorrect


----------



## tony67

For those that are interested TheViewFromTheCheapSeats posted a video on the scare actors dining - it was pretty underwhelming IMO

If you don't know his videos he is independent  so he can tell it how it is and not worry about loosing his status


----------



## Ghostface

Can anyone tell me if this sounds like a bad plan? We are first timers to HHN(and Universal for that matter, so I think that's another reason we want to make sure our plan sounds okay) and have tickets and express passes for this Sunday. We plan on having a pool/lazy day and then heading over for HHN, but we really don't have any interest in doing stay and scream. Since we have express should we be okay with not lining up early for the houses? We won't be upset if we don't get to all of them anyway. Our main goal is three houses we have at the top of our list and then all of the scare zones and shows. We are thinking with express passes this should be okay and we might even have time for a few more houses if we don't get too wiped out from everything before then. Basically, we are looking to get a good taste of the atmosphere and not trying to rush to get everything done in one night, but we are worried that maybe we are approaching this in the wrong way since we've never been before.


----------



## namelessoracle

tony67 said:


> For those that are interested TheViewFromTheCheapSeats posted a video on the scare actors dining - it was pretty underwhelming IMO
> 
> If you don't know his videos he is independent  so he can tell it how it is and not worry about loosing his status


The reason to do it seems more that you A) really want that picture with a scare actor in decent lightning and B) want to have a place you can sit comfortably during your stay and scream.

Considering how much food there is to try, the buffet doesnt sound too appealing. I wish they would have a sampling of the actual food stand items during it, then it would be very much worth doing.


----------



## tony67

namelessoracle said:


> The reason to do it seems more that you A) really want that picture with a scare actor in decent lightning and B) want to have a place you can sit comfortably during your stay and scream.
> 
> Considering how much food there is to try, the buffet doesnt sound too appealing. I wish they would have a sampling of the actual food stand items during it, then it would be very much worth doing.


Yeah that would make a lot more sense - of course they want you to buy that during the event.

It also did not look like they had photographers there - Maybe they just were not in the video - I though you got a downloadable 8x10 with the meal - Universal really does a poor job overall with the photo pass stuff 

Anyway Ill be skipping this


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

We have the Frequent Fear Pass this year and did our first HHN last night, Sunday 9/5.

We arrived for stay and scream and first stopped at the Tribute Store looking for the Lil Boo baseball hat. We were told they were sold out and most likely would be all around property, which I believe was correct. We looked all over and couldn't find any.

Did the NY Stay and Scream, lined up for Coven.

They released us a few minutes after 5:30 and I think we had roughly a 10 minute wait when we got into the actual queue.

This house looked pretty sweet but we were overall disappointed. It seemed like a very long house but we barely saw any scare actors. Maybe we just had a really bad run through or some were late but this house wasn't great for me. Will definitely do it again, though.

We immediately went to Dead Waters almost exactly at 6. This was a mistake. We ended up waiting 35 minutes, which I thought was crazy for stay and scream. Last year we could usually get about 4 houses before the lines started to get crazy.

This house was so beautiful, I loved it. We didn't get many scares but then again, I don't really get scared anyway so that was fine. I do think their audio was off, the scare actors would jump out but there was no loud sound, just them almost gently jumping out. Or is that how that house is meant to be? I still really loved the design, I can't wait to do it again.

When we were exiting this house it was pouring, so we sheltered at the Tribute Store for 10 minutes.

We got in line for a Lil Boo pumpkin bun but they were sold out so we shared an African lentil & potato coffin. It was surprisingly good and easy to eat with your hands. I would definitely recommend that and we'll be getting it again.



We moved on and checked out wait times and scare zones as we went.

I am beyond tired of the San Francisco scare zone, it just always creates a bottleneck and is terrible to walk through. I wish they would put it elsewhere.

We were still hungry and decided on a churro dog on a stick but that entire stand was out of food. Not sure how, but it was. We were pretty hungry at this point and disappointed that most houses were already listed at 30 minutes or higher. I had high hopes we could get 3-4 houses with stay and scream and not have high waits.

We tried to mobile order from Mel's but that had shut off at 5 pm and there was only one register open inside so we passed. It was threatening rain again at this point and we were frustrated and decided to head out.



We did peek into Dead Coconut Club on the way out which looked awesome. Can't wait to go back.





I am still excited to go throughout this season, but this was probably the worst experience we've had at HHN in years. The park seemed super crowded and hard to navigate. Maybe my wait time expectations shouldn't have been so high for a sold out night? But in the past we've never waited 35 minutes for our second stay and scream house. So I just don't know.


----------



## tony67

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> But in the past we've never waited 35 minutes for our second stay and scream house.


Yeah - I think it has just become too popular - I can remember times of doing 3 or 4 houses by 6:30 when I did stay and scream - now I buy the EP and go in late


----------



## Mrs.AMC

Ghostface said:


> Can anyone tell me if this sounds like a bad plan? We are first timers to HHN(and Universal for that matter, so I think that's another reason we want to make sure our plan sounds okay) and have tickets and express passes for this Sunday. We plan on having a pool/lazy day and then heading over for HHN, but we really don't have any interest in doing stay and scream. Since we have express should we be okay with not lining up early for the houses? We won't be upset if we don't get to all of them anyway. Our main goal is three houses we have at the top of our list and then all of the scare zones and shows. We are thinking with express passes this should be okay and we might even have time for a few more houses if we don't get too wiped out from everything before then. Basically, we are looking to get a good taste of the atmosphere and not trying to rush to get everything done in one night, but we are worried that maybe we are approaching this in the wrong way since we've never been before.


If you are not trying to get in all the houses your plan is fine.
Be aware that the lines to enter at the ticket gates are really long to start. Are you staying on site by chance? There is a Universal resort guest line that should be shorter. We are always already in so I've never tried it myself. 
I would personally do Stay and Scream just to avoid the long entry or wait to enter. I hate those long lines though. I once had to enter with a local guest and wow, it was a nightmare. Never again. We meet inside now.


----------



## Mrs.AMC

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> I am still excited to go throughout this season, but this was probably the worst experience we've had at HHN in years. The park seemed super crowded and hard to navigate. Maybe my wait time expectations shouldn't have been so high for a sold out night? But in the past we've never waited 35 minutes for our second stay and scream house. So I just don't know.


Have you done Holiday weekend before? A sold out Holiday weekend at that? I'm sure between Holiday weekend, sold out, and pent up demand from International guests, you hit a trifecta for a pretty heavy wait time. Probably too soon to tell if that's going to be typical waits or not, do you think?


----------



## tony67

csjordan said:


> The Weeknd (no interest)


I really have no interest in this one either - but everyone seems to be very positive on it  - but I guess you need to watch the videos for it all to make sense


----------



## Jangles

Mrs.AMC said:


> If you are not trying to get in all the houses your plan is fine.
> Be aware that the lines to enter at the ticket gates are really long to start. Are you staying on site by chance? There is a Universal resort guest line that should be shorter. We are always already in so I've never tried it myself.
> I would personally do Stay and Scream just to avoid the long entry or wait to enter. I hate those long lines though. I once had to enter with a local guest and wow, it was a nightmare. Never again. We meet inside now.


Can I enter with an AP before 5pm and then linger until an RIP tour at 6.30?


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

tony67 said:


> Yeah - I think it has just become too popular - I can remember times of doing 3 or 4 houses by 6:30 when I did stay and scream - now I buy the EP and go in late



I really hope this is not the norm. 



Mrs.AMC said:


> Have you done Holiday weekend before? A sold out Holiday weekend at that? I'm sure between Holiday weekend, sold out, and pent up demand from International guests, you hit a trifecta for a pretty heavy wait time. Probably too soon to tell if that's going to be typical waits or not, do you think?


Yep. I sincerely hope this won't be typical of the event but we'll see. 



Jangles said:


> Can I enter with an AP before 5pm and then linger until an RIP tour at 6.30?



Yes. You'll just need to hang out in a stay and scream area until they let you free around 5:30.


----------



## Ghostface

Mrs.AMC said:


> If you are not trying to get in all the houses your plan is fine.
> Be aware that the lines to enter at the ticket gates are really long to start. Are you staying on site by chance? There is a Universal resort guest line that should be shorter. We are always already in so I've never tried it myself.
> I would personally do Stay and Scream just to avoid the long entry or wait to enter. I hate those long lines though. I once had to enter with a local guest and wow, it was a nightmare. Never again. We meet inside now.


Yes, we are staying at RPR so we planned on using the resort guest line if it's not too hard to find. If not, we were planning on waiting until the initial rush went through at gate opening. Does that still sound okay? Having not been before, I'm not sure if what I'm planning is reasonable or not, so I appreciate all the help I can get!


----------



## schumigirl

Ghostface said:


> Yes, we are staying at RPR so we planned on using the resort guest line if it's not too hard to find. If not, we were planning on waiting until the initial rush went through at gate opening. Does that still sound okay? Having not been before, I'm not sure if what I'm planning is reasonable or not, so I appreciate all the help I can get!





Ghostface said:


> Can anyone tell me if this sounds like a bad plan? We are first timers to HHN(and Universal for that matter, so I think that's another reason we want to make sure our plan sounds okay) and have tickets and express passes for this Sunday. We plan on having a pool/lazy day and then heading over for HHN, but we really don't have any interest in doing stay and scream. Since we have express should we be okay with not lining up early for the houses? We won't be upset if we don't get to all of them anyway. Our main goal is three houses we have at the top of our list and then all of the scare zones and shows. We are thinking with express passes this should be okay and we might even have time for a few more houses if we don't get too wiped out from everything before then. Basically, we are looking to get a good taste of the atmosphere and not trying to rush to get everything done in one night, but we are worried that maybe we are approaching this in the wrong way since we've never been before.





Ghostface said:


> Yes, we are staying at RPR so we planned on using the resort guest line if it's not too hard to find. If not, we were planning on waiting until the initial rush went through at gate opening. Does that still sound okay? Having not been before, I'm not sure if what I'm planning is reasonable or not, so I appreciate all the help I can get!



Ghostface, both Friday and Saturday we went in after the main crowd, Friday we didn’t go in till around 8pm, Saturday at 7 and we have rush of fear with EP ticket. We never do the holding areas anymore, so similar to what you plan.

Friday we did 5 houses, 3 scare zones and had a snack all in 3 hours, taking our time. Jet lag was the reason we left.

Similar hours on Saturday, just left earlier due to jet lag still biting.

I think your plan with not going in with the initial rush is a good one, if you stayed longer you’d get most done with EP and be able to do the scare zones too, it’ll be a long night but it’s workable. Relaxing during the day sounds like a plan too. 

We haven’t managed the shows yet, but plan to do them this coming weekend.

Good luck, might see you in the crowds……..lol…….


----------



## Ghostface

schumigirl said:


> Ghostface, both Friday and Saturday we went in after the main crowd, Friday we didn’t go in till around 8pm, Saturday at 7 and we have rush of fear with EP ticket. We never do the holding areas anymore, so similar to what you plan.
> 
> Friday we did 5 houses, 3 scare zones and had a snack all in 3 hours, taking our time. Jet lag was the reason we left.
> 
> Similar hours on Saturday, just left earlier due to jet lag still biting.
> 
> I think your plan with not going in with the initial rush is a good one, if you stayed longer you’d get most done with EP and be able to do the scare zones too, it’ll be a long night but it’s workable. Relaxing during the day sounds like a plan too.
> 
> We haven’t managed the shows yet, but plan to do them this coming weekend.
> 
> Good luck, might see you in the crowds……..lol…….


Thank you so much! And while I'm here lol..thank you so much for all your wonderful trip reports. I've been browsing this board since the first of the year trying to prepare for this trip and your reports have been an integral part of my "research." Many thanks for all the work you put into them!


----------



## Monykalyn

Ghostface said:


> Yes, we are staying at RPR so we planned on using the resort guest line if it's not too hard to find. If not, we were planning on waiting until the initial rush went through at gate opening. Does that still sound okay? Having not been before, I'm not sure if what I'm planning is reasonable or not, so I appreciate all the help I can get!


Yep definitely save those feets! Plan to eat and hydrate before hand as well, even if you want to try snacks-lines can be very long so you may be waiting for longer than you thought to eat or not at all if line too long. Bring an empty water flask too so you can fill up inside the park (on HHN nights you can't bring in open bottles of any kind). 
See ya'll in the fog tomorrow!


----------



## TXAKDisneyFan

ShadeDK said:


> Interesting to see everyone’s opinions and experiences.  Although I know it’s not always possible (especially in one night), but repeat walkthroughs can really show how different the experience can be depending on the scares and timing.  After last night, Monsters went way up for us as the scares didn’t stop after a lackluster first run.  Weeknd went down a bit for the opposite reason.  Chupacabra and Descendants were better as well.  We probably did Bugs and Dead Mans Pier the most, and they were consistent in their delivery overall (although one particular scene in Bugs was noticeably missing the actor on 2 of 3 walkthroughs). We’d heard Coven got extra scareactors after opening night and was better - but we saw no difference last night.



This is how I felt about Hill House last year. The first time I went through I saw barely any scare actors. I think the third time, the tall man got me every single time and it was awesome.


----------



## Mrs.AMC

Monykalyn said:


> Yep definitely save those feets! Plan to eat and hydrate before hand as well, even if you want to try snacks-lines can be very long so you may be waiting for longer than you thought to eat or not at all if line too long. Bring an empty water flask too so you can fill up inside the park (on HHN nights you can't bring in open bottles of any kind).
> See ya'll in the fog tomorrow!


I thought they had their refillable cups you can bring back. No?


----------



## djmeredith

leiaorgana said:


> About Legends Collide:
> 
> 
> 
> Spoiler: Spoiler
> 
> 
> 
> I believe the reason why Orlando’s version is heavy on The Mummy is because it’s part of a 2 part story.


This explains some of my confusion.


tony67 said:


> I really have no interest in this one either - but everyone seems to be very positive on it  - but I guess you need to watch the videos for it all to make sense


I had not seen the videos and I thought it made sense if you know the general theme. 


Mrs.AMC said:


> I thought they had their refillable cups you can bring back. No?


Yes, you can use your refillable cups at HHN.


----------



## djmeredith

This is a mini trip report of our first full night report - no spoilers. This was our second night - 9/4 (Sunday of opening/Labor Day weekend). It was the first full night for us, and it did not start out like I had planned. I appreciated @OhioStateBuckeye giving a report as a veteran because our stay and scream experience was not at all what I was expecting because the times jumped so quickly. Our plan was to do Monsters and then Weeknd with low waits and then maybe even get in 1 or 2 more while times were short. That definitely did not happen because times jumped fast.

As i posted earlier, we chose to get in the Central Park SS area and chose the Monsters line instead of Weeknd because it was shorter. I am not positive, but I think there was a very large number of people in that line. They walked that line back to the switchback waiting area around 5:15 and then a new line formed in Central Park. I left my nephews in line and walked over to Springfield food court to get a refill. The food lines were short and there were very few people waiting in there. The drink/refill line had a little bit of a line, but not too bad.

Right around 5:45 they started walking us back. The reports about long walks to/from the houses still did not prepare me for how long some of them are. We did Monsters with about a 5 minute wait. Our plan was to do Monsters and then Weeknd with low wait times and then go back and do them again with our EPs. That didn't happen because Weeknd was already at 50 minutes when we got out of Monsters. It probably opened at 50 minutes based on what we saw of the line. Halloween was another one we hoped to do with a short wait, but it was also a long wait right away.

Bugs was only a 5 minute wait so we headed there. Standby was more like 15 minutes. We did MIB while it stormed. Then we did Descendants using our EP. It was basically a walk on. We all liked it, great theming. It was still early so we took a break that lasted about 45 minutes (well, my nephews rested while I stood in the ridiculously slow pizza fries line for 30 minutes). We did the Weeknd when it said Standby was 50 and EP took about 10 mins. We all liked it. We had dinner at Mel's, rode Transformers with no wait and then did Blumhouse for the second time. Standby said 50 mins and EP took 45-50 mins. As previously mentioned, they were clearly having problems getting the EP line through.

Mummy was 45 mins with no EP line available so we skipped it. We got in the EP line for Chupacabra. I think standby said 45 and EP took about 20. We came out and got in the Deadman's Pier standby line. It had dropped from 50 to 40 while we did Chupacabra. The EP took about 20. We got in the Halloween line when it said 50 and it took us about 15 in EP. We finished there at 1:00 and called it a night.

I was worried that I wouldn't enjoy the houses because I am a scaredy cat, but after the first house I enjoyed each one more and more. We are now big fans of HHN. As many of you have said, our first one will probably not be our last. We are already planning a return trip with the rest of our family next year.


----------



## schumigirl

Ghostface said:


> Thank you so much! And while I'm here lol..thank you so much for all your wonderful trip reports. I've been browsing this board since the first of the year trying to prepare for this trip and your reports have been an integral part of my "research." Many thanks for all the work you put into them!



Awwwww…..thank you so much!

I’m so glad to read you enjoyed them and glad to have helped in some way! Hope your trip is amazing!!


----------



## tony67

Mrs.AMC said:


> I thought they had their refillable cups you can bring back. No?


They do - but if you want water you don't need to purchase a refillable cup 

BTW - They also have an HHN Lanyard for holding the refillable cup that looked pretty cool


----------



## SquashBanana

Do the houses operate rain or shine? We are headed down for this coming weekend and the weather forecast is not looking too good. I know it's Florida so it could change in an instant, but prepping for the worst.


----------



## mamapenguin

SquashBanana said:


> Do the houses operate rain or shine? We are headed down for this coming weekend and the weather forecast is not looking too good. I know it's Florida so it could change in an instant, but prepping for the worst.


Yes rain or shine. It’s Florida, it should be fine. We will be there at the same time.


----------



## Mrs.AMC

SquashBanana said:


> Do the houses operate rain or shine? We are headed down for this coming weekend and the weather forecast is not looking too good. I know it's Florida so it could change in an instant, but prepping for the worst.


100% indoors so yep


----------



## DCLCruiseFan09

Hi All! 

Has anyone seen if they are offering an "After 10 PM Express pass" this year? We are only planning to go one night, would love to get all the houses done. 

TYIA!


----------



## emmabelle

My daughter is at HHN tonight and just did the Weekend house.  She said “you’re going to poop your pants.”  

Not sure why I wanted to do this?


----------



## Monykalyn

SquashBanana said:


> Do the houses operate rain or shine? We are headed down for this coming weekend and the weather forecast is not looking too good. I know it's Florida so it could change in an instant, but prepping for the worst.


Bonus this year are elevated walkways to sprung tents-where little lakes occurred with rain in past. No more soaking wet feet! Double bonus is these walkways are little softer on feet. Important when it’s a straight up 5 minute walk no stopping until you reach just the express checkpoint in a queue: for The Weeknd house (which is pretty awesome BtW- hard to not get caught up when entire queue is a dance and singalong party).


----------



## Monykalyn

DCLCruiseFan09 said:


> Hi All!
> 
> Has anyone seen if they are offering an "After 10 PM Express pass" this year? We are only planning to go one night, would love to get all the houses done.
> 
> TYIA!


Yes if EP not sold out for the day. Not sure if after 10 or after 11 though with every night open to 2 am


----------



## Monykalyn

emmabelle said:


> My daughter is at HHN tonight and just did the Weekend house.  She said “you’re going to poop your pants.”
> 
> Not sure why I wanted to do this?


It’s a fun house. Couple genuine scares. Sooooo much better than the plastic last year!
The scareactors can and do get literally right in your face-daughter go one who popped out at her on one side and she screamed so they got her on other side-like literally in her face—she had to stop walking or she’d have run into them-it was AWESOME (happened in Monsters house though)


----------



## Monykalyn

Quick update
Got into HHN after 8-rain had stopped-did 6 houses and walked thru all 5 scarezones. Left around 1130 (I’d been up since 4 am to get my flight)
Ranked order based on one walkthrough
6- Hellblock (also the first house we did-was ok, glad this was first house though or I think it’d really be a letdown)
5-Descendants of destruction. Cool set design and couple good scares
4-the Weeknd. Really cool vibe in line, house is freaky, great soundtrack. Really like the house!
3-Fiesta de Chupacabra-great set, some good scares, this one I noticed smells in one scene in particular!
2. deadman’s Pier . Deadman’s pier is just eerily gorgeous sets, temperature is perfect (you feel rain/snow a couple times). They went all out on this set.
1. Monsters-some of the best scares of the night. Yes it’s Mummy heavy-it’s designed that way as Hollywood has part 2. Last night Dracula was winner . The scareactors were going ALL out last night. I got a genuine jump scare as there was a great takeout. The people behind us kept apologizing cuz he kept running into us trying to get away from the scares, the group of girls in front of us were so jumpy that by end of house I was in tears from laughing (the guy behind us was hilarious too). Sometimes even if you aren’t the one getting all the good scares (I did get a great one) it’s the people around you that make it FUN. Yes capitals FUN lol!
The scarezones are just out of this word this year. So far Graveyard is my fave. So much fog it allows the scare actors to pop right out at you. We were stalked by grim reaper on stilts-didn’t realize he was right behind us halfway through zone-we looked back and he was right there-dtr and I both screamed a little. Then moved on-as we were coming out of zone I looked back again and he was STILL right behind us-we both ran a bit lol. It’s hard to describe how creepy that was! Loved it!!
Hopin to do a run thru of houses we missed last night tonight. Kiddo works to 11 pm so will see how she feels after-I’ll go alone (yes we are not supposed to Go Alone  ) for a bit.
Also other than Monsters EP line the rest of the EP lines were well below the 50% of regular line (example: standby 50 minutes usually EP was 15 or less. Monsters we waited 25 when Standby was 45-so still not bad)


----------



## SquashBanana

Based on the limited data so far, it seems like the NY S&S location is the optimal one? Are there any other suggestions?

Thanks.


----------



## neverenoughtime

Monykalyn said:


> Quick update
> Got into HHN after 8-rain had stopped-did 6 houses and walked thru all 5 scarezones. Left around 1130 (I’d been up since 4 am to get my flight)
> Ranked order based on one walkthrough
> 6- Hellblock (also the first house we did-was ok, glad this was first house though or I think it’d really be a letdown)
> 5-Descendants of destruction. Cool set design and couple good scares
> 4-the Weeknd. Really cool vibe in line, house is freaky, great soundtrack. Really like the house!
> 3-Fiesta de Chupacabra-great set, some good scares, this one I noticed smells in one scene in particular!
> 2. deadman’s Pier . Deadman’s pier is just eerily gorgeous sets, temperature is perfect (you feel rain/snow a couple times). They went all out on this set.
> 1. Monsters-some of the best scares of the night. Yes it’s Mummy heavy-it’s designed that way as Hollywood has part 2. Last night Dracula was winner . The scareactors were going ALL out last night. I got a genuine jump scare as there was a great takeout. The people behind us kept apologizing cuz he kept running into us trying to get away from the scares, the group of girls in front of us were so jumpy that by end of house I was in tears from laughing (the guy behind us was hilarious too). Sometimes even if you aren’t the one getting all the good scares (I did get a great one) it’s the people around you that make it FUN. Yes capitals FUN lol!
> The scarezones are just out of this word this year. So far Graveyard is my fave. So much fog it allows the scare actors to pop right out at you. We were stalked by grim reaper on stilts-didn’t realize he was right behind us halfway through zone-we looked back and he was right there-dtr and I both screamed a little. Then moved on-as we were coming out of zone I looked back again and he was STILL right behind us-we both ran a bit lol. It’s hard to describe how creepy that was! Loved it!!
> Hopin to do a run thru of houses we missed last night tonight. Kiddo works to 11 pm so will see how she feels after-I’ll go alone (yes we are not supposed to Go Alone  ) for a bit.
> Also other than Monsters EP line the rest of the EP lines were well below the 50% of regular line (example: standby 50 minutes usually EP was 15 or less. Monsters we waited 25 when Standby was 45-so still not bad)


We went last night also and I thought going in dead mans pier was going to be my favorite, but last night my universal monster walkthrough was fantastic.  The dracula scare actor was great.  Scarezones are amazing. Tried some of the food.  The tamale was great as was the fiery queso twisted tater. Food lines were not bad at all.


----------



## keishashadow

Monykalyn said:


> Yes if EP not sold out for the day. Not sure if after 10 or after 11 though with every night open to 2 am


PIc posted of first night’s sign said 11 pm


----------



## djmeredith

Interesting to hear the love for Monsters. All 3 of us rated it near the bottom of the list.


----------



## Mrs.AMC

djmeredith said:


> Interesting to hear the love for Monsters. All 3 of us rated it near the bottom of the list.


Did you go to any of the past 2 Classic Monster themed houses? Wonder where you rated those if you did


----------



## Robo56

Attended HHN this evening. Rain early in the evening then rain tapered off by about 8 pm and the evening was so pleasant with a gentle breeze. I will have to say it was one of the most pleasant evenings I can remember this time of year for HHN. Houses were pretty much walk on early in the evening when it was raining. After rain stopped became more busy.

If you didn’t have EP this would have been your night.

I would have to say I enjoyed Dead Man’s Pier: Winters Wake The best so far.


----------



## lisam70

Had anyone had any luck getting into Finnegans 3-330 without reservation? Just for two people. 
Also, which house have the longest/farthest ques? My plantar fasciitis has decided to act up so I’m looking for which ones I may need to skip if I’m struggling.


----------



## ShadeDK

lisam70 said:


> Also, which house have the longest/farthest ques?


A rough estimate of the queues (entrance and exit combined) from shortest to longest:
-Blumhouse (no exit queue - you’re right back in the park when you step out of the house)
-Hellblock Horror
-Spirits of the Coven
-Descendants of Destruction 
-Halloween 
-Chupacabra 
-Dead Mans Pier
-Bugs
-Universal Monsters 
-Weeknd

The houses that share an exit queue are: Hellblock/Halloween/Coven, Pier/Chupacabra, Descendants/Bugs and Weeknd/Monsters.  

Length of entrance queues can vary quite a bit depending on how they have the queues configured and how many switchbacks they have open. 

I think most would agree that Monsters and Weeknd are the worst - it’s a long walk out and a long walk back.


----------



## lisam70

ShadeDK said:


> A rough estimate of the queues (entrance and exit combined) from shortest to longest:
> -Blumhouse (no exit queue - you’re right back in the park when you step out of the house)
> -Hellblock Horror
> -Spirits of the Coven
> -Descendants of Destruction
> -Halloween
> -Chupacabra
> -Dead Mans Pier
> -Bugs
> -Universal Monsters
> -Weeknd
> 
> The houses that share an exit queue are: Hellblock/Halloween/Coven, Pier/Chupacabra, Descendants/Bugs and Weeknd/Monsters.
> 
> Length of entrance queues can vary quite a bit depending on how they have the queues configured and how many switchbacks they have open.
> 
> I think most would agree that Monsters and Weeknd are the worst - it’s a long walk out and a long walk back.


Thank you !!


----------



## djmeredith

Mrs.AMC said:


> Did you go to any of the past 2 Classic Monster themed houses? Wonder where you rated those if you did


No, this was our first HHN.


----------



## macraven

HHN virgins usually  the event and get hooked to return again…


----------



## keishashadow

lisam70 said:


> Had anyone had any luck getting into Finnegans 3-330 without reservation? Just for two people.
> Also, which house have the longest/farthest ques? My plantar fasciitis has decided to act up so I’m looking for which ones I may need to skip if I’m struggling.


If you show up a half hour earlire than you want to eat, should be fine.  Problem is many decide to eat around 3 or 4 pm & decide to hold down the tables until crowd is released.




macraven said:


> HHN virgins usually  the event and get hooked to return again…


To quote muppets’ 3-D…”they’re tourists, what do they know”   

In all seriousness, have yet to meet a haunt fan that who wasn’t wow’d by their first visit.  Then, we all morph into critics lol


----------



## Ta.Ham1989

SquashBanana said:


> Based on the limited data so far, it seems like the NY S&S location is the optimal one? Are there any other suggestions?
> 
> Thanks.


----------



## Ta.Ham1989

keishashadow said:


> If you show up a half hour earlire than you want to eat, should be fine.  Problem is many decide to eat around 3 or 4 pm & decide to hold down the tables until crowd is released.
> 
> 
> 
> To quote muppets’ 3-D…”they’re tourists, what do they know”
> 
> In all seriousness, have yet to meet a haunt fan that who wasn’t wow’d by their first visit.  Then, we all morph into critics lol


Depends on if you have Express. Bugs is long haul and Hellblock is as well.


----------



## Ta.Ham1989

I have commented on some others posts but thought I'd make a separate post. This was given to me by a team member. It shows times that houses open. Makes it easier to plan for S&S.


----------



## Mrs.AMC

djmeredith said:


> No, this was our first HHN.


Thanks. Curious where they rank compared to those

 I’m trying to avoid reading too many reviews till we go


----------



## Mrs.AMC

macraven said:


> HHN virgins usually  the event and get hooked to return again…


That’s for sure
 we even decided last night to book a one night trip just to go back down on Halloween night. it’s what we chose for our Southwest flight to earn the free companion ticket


----------



## paopiru

djmeredith said:


> This is a mini trip report of our first full night report - no spoilers. This was our second night - 9/4 (Sunday of opening/Labor Day weekend). It was the first full night for us, and it did not start out like I had planned. I appreciated @OhioStateBuckeye giving a report as a veteran because our stay and scream experience was not at all what I was expecting because the times jumped so quickly. Our plan was to do Monsters and then Weeknd with low waits and then maybe even get in 1 or 2 more while times were short. That definitely did not happen because times jumped fast.
> 
> As i posted earlier, we chose to get in the Central Park SS area and chose the Monsters line instead of Weeknd because it was shorter. I am not positive, but I think there was a very large number of people in that line. They walked that line back to the switchback waiting area around 5:15 and then a new line formed in Central Park. I left my nephews in line and walked over to Springfield food court to get a refill. The food lines were short and there were very few people waiting in there. The drink/refill line had a little bit of a line, but not too bad.
> 
> Right around 5:45 they started walking us back. The reports about long walks to/from the houses still did not prepare me for how long some of them are. We did Monsters with about a 5 minute wait. Our plan was to do Monsters and then Weeknd with low wait times and then go back and do them again with our EPs. That didn't happen because Weeknd was already at 50 minutes when we got out of Monsters. It probably opened at 50 minutes based on what we saw of the line. Halloween was another one we hoped to do with a short wait, but it was also a long wait right away.
> 
> Bugs was only a 5 minute wait so we headed there. Standby was more like 15 minutes. We did MIB while it stormed. Then we did Descendants using our EP. It was basically a walk on. We all liked it, great theming. It was still early so we took a break that lasted about 45 minutes (well, my nephews rested while I stood in the ridiculously slow pizza fries line for 30 minutes). We did the Weeknd when it said Standby was 50 and EP took about 10 mins. We all liked it. We had dinner at Mel's, rode Transformers with no wait and then did Blumhouse for the second time. Standby said 50 mins and EP took 45-50 mins. As previously mentioned, they were clearly having problems getting the EP line through.
> 
> Mummy was 45 mins with no EP line available so we skipped it. We got in the EP line for Chupacabra. I think standby said 45 and EP took about 20. We came out and got in the Deadman's Pier standby line. It had dropped from 50 to 40 while we did Chupacabra. The EP took about 20. We got in the Halloween line when it said 50 and it took us about 15 in EP. We finished there at 1:00 and called it a night.
> 
> I was worried that I wouldn't enjoy the houses because I am a scaredy cat, but after the first house I enjoyed each one more and more. We are now big fans of HHN. As many of you have said, our first one will probably not be our last. We are already planning a return trip with the rest of our family next year.


Do you know if Gringotts is opened until midnight¿


----------



## djmeredith

paopiru said:


> Do you know if Gringotts is opened until midnight¿


I am not sure. I know the other rides were open really late because we did Transformers pretty late, and the boys were going to ride RRR around 1:00 (but they had already used their Fast Pass and didn't want to wait).


----------



## SquashBanana

Have there been any sightings of the death eaters in diagon alley? We've been there the last two nights and have yet to see them. Do they only come out at certain times?


----------



## lisam70

paopiru said:


> Do you know if Gringotts is opened until midnight¿


Someone recently posted copy of a schedule TM gave them. It says gringotts open til 12:30


----------



## Jlane5000

Hi I was hoping for a bit of guidance with stay and scream. I’ve done it once before in 2019 in finnegans holding area and it sounds like it’s changed loads. From what I remember we were just kept in the pen, free to travel back and forth to the bar but not ‘roam’ around the New York area. When they released us it was a gentle walk (not a stampede) to the house and it was effectively a walk on, they didn’t line us up before the house was open. I think I’ve remembered it right but not 100%. 

So it sounds like now that people are getting into the the stay and scream area and joining a queue within the holding area for whichever house they are wanting to get on first. Is this correct? Is this now the best way to utilise stay and scream? If we chose to not join a queue and relax in the holding area until the houses open would we be at a massive disadvantage? 

I’m just hoping someone can explain their strategy for using stay and scream best whilst also not just standing in a long queue the entire time (we also have EP in case that changes someone’s advice). Sorry for the waffley post, this is only my 2nd time at HHN and it sounds quite different.


----------



## ThistleMae

Ta.Ham1989 said:


> I have commented on some others posts but thought I'd make a separate post. This was given to me by a team member. It shows times that houses open. Makes it easier to plan for S&S.
> View attachment 700956


So, the houses all open at different times?  I had no idea.  Do they do this to try and disperse the crowds?


----------



## shh

Jlane5000 said:


> Hi I was hoping for a bit of guidance with stay and scream. I’ve done it once before in 2019 in finnegans holding area and it sounds like it’s changed loads. From what I remember we were just kept in the pen, free to travel back and forth to the bar but not ‘roam’ around the New York area. When they released us it was a gentle walk (not a stampede) to the house and it was effectively a walk on, they didn’t line us up before the house was open. I think I’ve remembered it right but not 100%.
> 
> So it sounds like now that people are getting into the the stay and scream area and joining a queue within the holding area for whichever house they are wanting to get on first. Is this correct? Is this now the best way to utilise stay and scream? If we chose to not join a queue and relax in the holding area until the houses open would we be at a massive disadvantage?
> 
> I’m just hoping someone can explain their strategy for using stay and scream best whilst also not just standing in a long queue the entire time (we also have EP in case that changes someone’s advice). Sorry for the waffley post, this is only my 2nd time at HHN and it sounds quite different.


We also went in 2019 - late Oct. When we were in the New York area S&S, there were two roped lanes inside the S&S pen- people were lining up by 4:30 for each, depending upon which house they wanted to see. It was a long, hot wait and plenty of people just milled around and didn't get in those lines. 

But yes - to answer your question, I do think they were at a disadvantage, as they were at the tail end of S&S - so all those masses of people who DID line up were ahead of them. 

I guess it just depends how much that matters to you. You'll probably still get an edge over coming into the park at 6pm, but for me, if I'm going to bother doing S&S, I don't want to be at the very end of the line.


----------



## ClapYourHands

DCLCruiseFan09 said:


> Hi All!
> 
> Has anyone seen if they are offering an "After 10 PM Express pass" this year? We are only planning to go one night, would love to get all the houses done.
> 
> TYIA!


Last night, Saturday 9/10, there was a sign advertising after 11 express pass for sale. I did not stop to ask about pricing.


----------



## wdwrule

SquashBanana said:


> Have there been any sightings of the death eaters in diagon alley? We've been there the last two nights and have yet to see them. Do they only come out at certain times?


I know Death Eaters are at Hollywood’s HHN  but not yet, if at all, at Orlando’s HHN.


----------



## ClapYourHands

wdwrule said:


> I know Death Eaters are at Hollywood’s HHN  but not yet, if at all, at Orlando’s HHN.


Last year, they were wandering in Hogsmeade in IoA, but were not at HHN. I have not been over to IOA to check this year, but can confirm they are not in Diagon Alley.


----------



## lisam70

ClapYourHands said:


> Last year, they were wandering in Hogsmeade in IoA, but were not at HHN. I have not been over to IOA to check this year, but can confirm they are not in Diagon Alley.


Was in Hogsmeade last night no Death Eaters  saw them last year towards the end of September


----------



## ShadeDK

I can only speak for the New York S&S area.  It’s somewhat different than the 2019 set up (where they mostly herded everyone into one of two wide lanes next to the park and facing Mummy). This year there are official lines/queues in the S&S area for Halloween and Spirits of the Coven (and, IIRC, there actually are two lines for Halloween). The line for Halloween snakes through the S&S area - opening weekend the line was winding around all the way back to Louie’s.  There are some barricades up to try and keep things orderly - with the street in front of Mummy (where for the floats that go with Sweet Revenge are used) serving as a staging area.  When the lines release they walk them through this area.  

Lots of people still wandering around - hitting Finnegans, Meetz Meats and other booths.  Still arguably the best area to stretch out, find some shade and wait.  If you want to be first for either house, however, then you’ll be in line right as the S&S area opens. 

One suggested trick if you want to casually enjoy S&S and still have a great spot in line for a house: head to the corner of the S&S area close to the Tribute Store around 5:30-5:40.  As they finish releasing Halloween, they’ll strike the barricades and let everyone go.  You can then head right across the street to line up or enter the queues for Dead Mans Pier or Chupacabra.  Neither of those houses have official S&S queues, so no line to worry about until everyone is released.  Did that twice last weekend and both times was within the first group of 50 or so people for DMP.  Only potential drawbacks are if they’re late in taking down the barriers (and people finishing other houses get there first) or if they don’t open the houses on time.


----------



## wdwrule

ClapYourHands said:


> Last year, they were wandering in Hogsmeade in IoA, but were not at HHN. I have not been over to IOA to check this year, but can confirm they are not in Diagon Alley.


Oh that’s right!  We missed them somehow last year but heard of it.


----------



## AllyElly

I tried looking but couldn’t find it - does anyone have a list of which houses open for each of the stay and scream holding areas?


----------



## lisam70

To answer my own question-what is the wait time for Finnegans before hHN it’s 45-60 min.


----------



## SquashBanana

wdwrule said:


> I know Death Eaters are at Hollywood’s HHN  but not yet, if at all, at Orlando’s HHN.


That's it. I overlooked that it was at Hollywood not Orlando. I was so confused when the article said that forbidden journey and flight of the hippogriff remained open during HHN. Makes total sense now.


----------



## ShadeDK

ShadeDK said:


> One suggested trick if you want to casually enjoy S&S and still have a great spot in line for a house: head to the corner of the S&S area close to the Tribute Store around 5:30-5:40.  As they finish releasing Halloween, they’ll strike the barricades and let everyone go.  You can then head right across the street to line up or enter the queues for Dead Mans Pier or Chupacabra.  Neither of those houses have official S&S queues, so no line to worry about until everyone is released.  Did that twice last weekend and both times was within the first group of 50 or so people for DMP.  Only potential drawbacks are if they’re late in taking down the barriers (and people finishing other houses get there first) or if they don’t open the houses on time.


Apologies to anyone who followed my advice last night.  Apparently they generally released the NY S&S around 5:45 after the Halloween line cleared and people were able to queue up for Dead Mans Pier/Chupacabra.  The soundstage, however, was having problems and both houses had delayed opening (closed until around 7:30 per reports). Really messed those up trying to hit houses early.  As a bonus, however, they cleared the lines and gave everyone waiting a one-time express ticket to come back later when they opened.


----------



## lisam70

First HHN was awesome !! The amount of work, the attention to detail and the energy and enthusiasm of the scare actors is just incredible. I’m only sorry it took me so long to attend it will not be our last for sure. The only wrench in the plan was Dead Mans Pier and Chupacabra not opening til like 7:15. We lined up for Halloween around 4:30 I think if you want to be one of the first in maybe have to line up earlier but we still did Halloween, Coven, Legends, Bugs, Descendents and Dead Mans Pier by around 8:20 then rode RRR and the 9:30 Fuel show. Then had snacks and enjoyed Diagon Alley without the usual wall to wall crowds. Watched Ghoulish and walked thru the scare zones multiple times. Our favorites were  Conjure and Graveyard. My favorite house was Descendents man they got me good I was crawling over my husband to get out !! Could have done more houses but I was pooped and did everything I wanted left around 12:30.


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## Lyricallie

So we dipped our toe in, went in after 9pm after dinner(it was our change over from Disney day so we had been up early). Even then we still did most of the scare zones and legends collide and descendents of destruction. I'm an absolute wuss but powered through. The scarecrow zone was definitely the scariest for me as it was so narrow! I loved loved the light show the music was amazing! 

But jeez I see what some people were saying (on another site) about there being lots of drunk young people. And I'm only 29! I definitely was feeling old haha

Two more night of it before my holiday is over!


----------



## DuskKodesh

Had a wrench thrown in my plans but got my flight and tix. The wrench was the 6-house lights-on tour not having two slots for most of the days I'd planned. Actually only one day and one time was available so we pounced on it. 8:15 am Thurs Oct 27th... but then because of that being early and our other days being Mon-Tues we... had to schedule our single day HHN ticket for that same night.
The plan: Wake up, grab a pastry for breakfast, take the tour, head back after the tour to the hotel, nap, get up and go to HHN, then die I guess. XD I can recover Friday on the flight home.


----------



## SquashBanana

Just got back from a long weekend trip. We went 9/8 to 9/11 with a ROF pass with no add-ons. As a 99% HHN newbie, (went a couple of times in the 90s as a kid), I had an amazing time and would love to make this a yearly trip.

*Spoiler Free Thoughts*

Ho. Ly. Cow. The walking. All the “I told you so’s” don’t mean anything until you’ve experienced it yourself.

On Thursday night, posted wait times vs actual wait times were all over the place. Dead Man’s Pier was posted 35 min, actual was around 60. This was around 10 pm when waits hit a peak. After that, most houses were a walk-in(?) despite being posted at 20 minutes. After 1 am, nearly everything was a walk-in. Express pass after 10 pm on Thursday was completely unnecessary. On the other two nights wait times were pretty accurate during peak times and mostly overestimated during the last couple hours.

Despite my earlier posts, we opted not to do S&S because we did so much more than we anticipated on Thursday night. On Friday, we caught a movie at CityWalk, and on Saturday we spent some extra time in IoA before heading over after the initial rush let in.

We did every house twice except for Dead Man's Pier which we did 3 times. Here are my thoughts on a 1 to 5 rating:



Spoiler: Ratings of attractions visible with commentary blurred



*Houses*

Blumhouse - 3/5 - Enjoyed the 2 in 1 aspect and some good scares in the 2nd half. Not bad, but not my favorite either.

Bugs Eaten Alive - 3/5 - This was the one I was most excited about, but didn't live up to my expectations.  I was expecting more live bugs and walked away a little underwhelmed.

Chubacabra - 4/5 - One of the surprise hits for me. I loved the set design, especially the first room, and got some of the better scares out of this one.

Dead Man's Pier - 5/5 - Breathtaking, beautiful set design and immersion. The only house we did 3 times during our trip.

Descendants of Destruction - 3/5 - Decent, but not great house. Honorable mention goes to the SA standing at the grill. Maybe my favorite SA of all the houses.

Halloween - 5/5 - Best scares hands down, probably my favorite house of all. This house legit scared me to the point I wanted out of there.

Hellblock Horror - 2/5 - Not a huge fan, simple as that. Not terrible, but other houses were far superior. Probably my least favorite.

Spirits of the Coven - 2/5 - Not a great house. Not bad, just doesn't live up to the standards set by some of the other houses.

Universal Monsters Collide - 4/5 - Loved the set as soon as you walk in with the statue and full moon. Decent scares as well. Especially enjoyed the projection on the front of the building.

The Weekend - 4/5 - Not a fan of The Weekend but a fun house nonetheless. Loved the set design and scares were above average.

*Scare Zones (Too tired for commentary, some were better than others. The end. Haha)*

Conjure in the Dark - 3/5
Graveyard - 3/5
Horror of Halloween - 4/5
Scarecrow - 4/5
Sweet Revenge - 2/5

*Shows*

Halloween Nightmare Fuel Wildfire - ?/5 - This was not for me at all. If this is your cup of tea, then it's probably enjoyable, but this show was a bit raunchy for me.

Ghoulish! A Halloween Tale - 3/5 - Cute, but REALLY loud and hard to understand the narrator. I enjoy the regular nighttime show much more. Worth seeing once if you can sneak in a few minutes before showtime, but I wouldn't spend a whole lot of time trying to secure an optimal seat.


----------



## ClapYourHands

ShadeDK said:


> Apologies to anyone who followed my advice last night.  Apparently they generally released the NY S&S around 5:45 after the Halloween line cleared and people were able to queue up for Dead Mans Pier/Chupacabra.  The soundstage, however, was having problems and both houses had delayed opening (closed until around 7:30 per reports). Really messed those up trying to hit houses early.  As a bonus, however, they cleared the lines and gave everyone waiting a one-time express ticket to come back later when they opened.


It had a ripple effect with other houses, too. We rope dropped Bugs and Descendants, and went over to Blumhouse, which usually still has a low wait at that point (it was 15 or 20 minutes at that time on Saturday), but it was at 45 already, with all the other open studio houses having spiked waits, too. All the people usually eaten up by those two lines seemed to redistribute to the surrounding houses. But whatever, we waited our 40ish minutes at Blumhouse because at least that house is worth the wait, and we knew the line wouldn’t drop until super late.

Then we walked over to ask when Chupacabra might be opening. The TM said, no idea, and just then another TM let someone walk into the express line, and my TM said, “I guess now,” so we hightailed it through the queue, and arrived right behind another couple to be the first of the night. My sons got ahead of me, and there was no one behind me, so I had the unusual experience of being alone in some of the rooms. Then we hopped into the Dead Man’s Pier line while it still said 15, and it really was only 15. By the time we got out, both houses had waits posted around an hour. 

Then when we were exiting, we saw Mummy had opened with a posted 20 minute wait, which increased to 50 after we entered the queue. We waited a little more than 20, but the result was that by a bit past 8, we had done 5 houses and gone on Mummy without express pass or stay and scream.

So after a messed up start, we made up for it with serendipitous timing. The only thing was Dead Man’s Pier was missing several scare actors, including a key one in the last room. It was our 4th walk through of the weekend, so the omissions were really obvious to us. I feel kind of bad for the people who were using their one-time express or waiting 55 minutes, but not getting the full experience. It was still beautiful and haunting, but not at its top form.


----------



## Jangles

I have booked an RIP tour on 27 October  with a check in time of 7pm. I have an AP. What time would you enter the park?  And would you queue in the stay and scream area and do a house, maybe two before the RIP tour?


----------



## Mrs.AMC

Jangles said:


> I have booked an RIP tour on 27 October  with a check in time of 7pm. I have an AP. What time would you enter the park?  And would you queue in the stay and scream area and do a house, maybe two before the RIP tour?


I would not do a house
 I would get in the park and do the stay and scream to avoid the front gate lines
 I would just wander at my own pace for a bit. Check out scare zones. Have a snack or beverage. Sit down and people watch. Chill till check in time

ETA - I say yes to do a Stay and Scream because I assume you have to do one or the other, Stay and Scream or exit. For you folks that are well experienced, is that correct? You can't just stay and wander till it starts (even if eligible to remain in the park)? If I've got that wrong and you can then I would do that and wait it out. But I have it in my mind that you have to either be in a restaurant or in Stay in Scream or exit. But I'm far from an expert on that


----------



## mamapenguin

Mrs.AMC said:


> I would not do a house
> I would get in the park and do the stay and scream to avoid the front gate lines
> I would just wander at my own pace for a bit. Check out scare zones. Have a snack or beverage. Sit down and people watch. Chill till check in time
> 
> ETA - I say yes to do a Stay and Scream because I assume you have to do one or the other, Stay and Scream or exit. For you folks that are well experienced, is that correct? You can't just stay and wander till it starts (even if eligible to remain in the park)? If I've got that wrong and you can then I would do that and wait it out. But I have it in my mind that you have to either be in a restaurant or in Stay in Scream or exit. But I'm far from an expert on that


Correct. You cannot wander.


----------



## ClapYourHands

Jangles said:


> I have booked an RIP tour on 27 October  with a check in time of 7pm. I have an AP. What time would you enter the park?  And would you queue in the stay and scream area and do a house, maybe two before the RIP tour?


Why wouldn’t you go early to do a few houses? There are so many amazing details in those houses that I don’t think it’s possible to really take it all in during a single walk through. I also think that the experience can change from one walkthrough to the next depending on the scare actors and when the scares are triggered. 

My understanding is that RIP acts as unlimited express pass for the rest of the evening, and you can check in and get your RIP pass before you get into a holding area. Someone correct me if I’m wrong, but I think you can just get into the express line instead of waiting during stay and scream.

If I were you, I’d go through a few houses during stay and scream. There is literally nothing else going on. Rides don’t open until the park does. Scare zones don’t have actors until the main gates open. You could get something to eat/drink, but you’re going to get dinner included with your tour when you check in at 7, so it seems a bit of a waste.

If you don’t want to keep doing houses between gates opening and RIP check in, maybe do a ride or go to Diagon Alley when it’s practically deserted because everyone is running to the houses. You could check out the scare zones, but they’re much better in the dark. My budget does not extend to RIP levels, but if it did, you best believe that I’d be taking full advantage of it!


----------



## wdwrule

lisam70 said:


> Was in Hogsmeade last night no Death Eaters  saw them last year towards the end of September


Just saw on various sites today that roaming Death Eaters along with Dark Arts at Hogwarts Castle will return beginning this Friday through Halloween on ‘select nights’.


----------



## Jangles

ClapYourHands said:


> My understanding is that RIP acts as unlimited express pass for the rest of the evening, and you can check in and get your RIP pass before you get into a holding area. Someone correct me if I’m wrong, but I think you can just get into the express line instead of waiting during stay and scream.


Ohhh, that’s a good plan.


----------



## lisam70

ClapYourHands said:


> It had a ripple effect with other houses, too. We rope dropped Bugs and Descendants, and went over to Blumhouse, which usually still has a low wait at that point (it was 15 or 20 minutes at that time on Saturday), but it was at 45 already, with all the other open studio houses having spiked waits, too. All the people usually eaten up by those two lines seemed to redistribute to the surrounding houses. But whatever, we waited our 40ish minutes at Blumhouse because at least that house is worth the wait, and we knew the line wouldn’t drop until super late.
> 
> Then we walked over to ask when Chupacabra might be opening. The TM said, no idea, and just then another TM let someone walk into the express line, and my TM said, “I guess now,” so we hightailed it through the queue, and arrived right behind another couple to be the first of the night. My sons got ahead of me, and there was no one behind me, so I had the unusual experience of being alone in some of the rooms. Then we hopped into the Dead Man’s Pier line while it still said 15, and it really was only 15. By the time we got out, both houses had waits posted around an hour.
> 
> Then when we were exiting, we saw Mummy had opened with a posted 20 minute wait, which increased to 50 after we entered the queue. We waited a little more than 20, but the result was that by a bit past 8, we had done 5 houses and gone on Mummy without express pass or stay and scream.
> 
> So after a messed up start, we made up for it with serendipitous timing. The only thing was Dead Man’s Pier was missing several scare actors, including a key one in the last room. It was our 4th walk through of the weekend, so the omissions were really obvious to us. I feel kind of bad for the people who were using their one-time express or waiting 55 minutes, but not getting the full experience. It was still beautiful and haunting, but not at its top form.


Wow you really got lucky with your timing. I kept checking the app and around 715 they were finally open with 15 min wait by the time we got there from Bugs it was 45. We ended up not doing Chuoacabra. I did feel like Dead Man’s was not as jumpy as the others but it was beautiful. Good to know they were missing some actors. Next year we are going to try for at least two days.


wdwrule said:


> Just saw on various sites today that roaming Death Eaters along with Dark Arts at Hogwarts Castle will return beginning this Friday through Halloween on ‘select nights’.


yeah I saw that too unfortunately we are leaving today so we’ll miss them.


----------



## DuskKodesh

wdwrule said:


> Just saw on various sites today that roaming Death Eaters along with Dark Arts at Hogwarts Castle will return beginning this Friday through Halloween on ‘select nights’.


Previous years have they ever given a list of dates for this? I'd love to see them but if it's only weekends I know I'm out of luck.


----------



## wdwrule

DuskKodesh said:


> Previous years have they ever given a list of dates for this? I'd love to see them but if it's only weekends I know I'm out of luck.


I’m not sure of specific dates but others on here may have noted a pattern, if any, of last year’s dates… or if UO gave a specific schedule for this last year.


----------



## CAPSLOCK

DuskKodesh said:


> Previous years have they ever given a list of dates for this? I'd love to see them but if it's only weekends I know I'm out of luck.


Last year the Hogsmeade Deatheaters were out on weekdays also - we were there the week before Halloween & saw them on the Thurs.


----------



## aroundtheriverbend

Jangles said:


> I have booked an RIP tour on 27 October  with a check in time of 7pm. I have an AP. What time would you enter the park?  And would you queue in the stay and scream area and do a house, maybe two before the RIP tour?


Chiming in on this question, and sorry if I didn't read closely enough but there seem like there are a ton of nuances.  We also have an RIP tour:

1) What time would you suggest getting to the gate if you are a resort guest and you want to do a leisurely eat/drink at the HHN food booths before the RIP tour (which is at 8:00)?

2) Can you go to the VIP RIP entrance and check in for both HHN and RIP at the same window at the time answer from 1) even if your VIP isn't until 8:00?  

3) Will you be allowed to go to the food booths when you enter at time 1) or will you be required to go into a holding pen for awhile?

We do have daytime park tickets for more days than we'll be there due to the current special offer so could also Stay and Scream, I just don't know how my crowd will do with being in a holding pen for 45 minutes at 5pm (that's the deal, right)?

Thanks so much for your thoughts!!


----------



## macraven

aroundtheriverbend said:


> Chiming in on this question, and sorry if I didn't read closely enough but there seem like there are a ton of nuances.  We also have an RIP tour:
> 
> 1) What time would you suggest getting to the gate if you are a resort guest and you want to do a leisurely eat/drink at the HHN food booths before the RIP tour (which is at 8:00)?
> 
> 2) Can you go to the VIP RIP entrance and check in for both HHN and RIP at the same window at the time answer from 1) even if your VIP isn't until 8:00?
> 
> 3) Will you be allowed to go to the food booths when you enter at time 1) or will you be required to go into a holding pen for awhile?
> 
> We do have daytime park tickets for more days than we'll be there due to the current special offer so could also Stay and Scream, I just don't know how my crowd will do with being in a holding pen for 45 minutes at 5pm (that's the deal, right)?
> 
> Thanks so much for your thoughts!!


since the park closes at 5:00, staff has to clear out the  day park guests before hhn can begin

Those with hhn tickets are allowed to stay in the park and stay in one of the holding pens

Depending on how quickly the park can be cleared, will determine when hhn can begin

Sometimes the all clear can happen at 5:45, sometimes it can be at 6:00


Not all houses will be open that early but a few will

I don’t know what time food vendors are open as it varies by location.
My guess would be after 6:00

Since your tour is at 8:00, you should check in half hour prior.

I base that info on my past tours I have done.


----------



## wdwrule

I read this somewhere and couldn’t find it… googled and looked on first few posts. Where is the holding area for Dead Man’s Pier?


----------



## lisam70

wdwrule said:


> I read this somewhere and couldn’t find it… googled and looked on first few posts. Where is the holding area for Dead Man’s Pier?


New York. But it doesn’t open til 6 pm so if you wanted you would have time to do Halloween and/or Coven before that opens.


----------



## wdwrule

lisam70 said:


> New York. But it doesn’t open til 6 pm so if you wanted you would have time to do Halloween and/or Coven before that opens.


Thank you!


----------



## leiaorgana

Does anyone who’s done the public RIP tour this year have a list of food that they’re serving at La Bamba this year? I’ve watched a couple of vlogs on YouTube but it just seemed more like themed desserts than hot food this time.

Also, how long on average does the public tour last and how many people were in your group because one of the videos I saw the other day looked like it had about 20 people in and I thought it was only supposed to be 12 in a public tour?

Any reviews of the tour so far this year would be greatly appreciated!


----------



## soniam

leiaorgana said:


> Does anyone who’s done the public RIP tour this year have a list of food that they’re serving at La Bamba this year? I’ve watched a couple of vlogs on YouTube but it just seemed more like themed desserts than hot food this time.
> 
> Also, how long on average does the public tour last and how many people were in your group because one of the videos I saw the other day looked like it had about 20 people in and I thought it was only supposed to be 12 in a public tour?
> 
> Any reviews of the tour so far this year would be greatly appreciated!



Here's the list I got off the RIP Tour social media group. I am not as sure about the desserts. The desserts are all mini, except the cookies. If there is a question mark, then I am not absolutely sure it is there. It may be from a previous year.

Seasoned Spanish olives
Various mustards
Crudite (cooked & raw vegetables for dipping)
Cheese?
Hummus?
Salad?
Pita?
Fruit
Spicy fried zombie brains (cauliflower)
Roasted cauliflower
Beef sliders
Vegan quinoa & hominy chili
Mac n cheese
Nashville style chicken
Pizza fries
Cookies
Chocolate cupcake
Pumpkin spice square
Macaron?


----------



## spookymickey

I apologize if this has been asked, I have searched the forum and can't find anything. But have the all the Scream Early passes for the year been sold out? A group of 4 of us are going on 10/12 and thought I should ask around. Thanks


----------



## Eeyore1220

We’re here and excited for our public rip tour tomorrow - first timers at HHN! We really wanted to try and see some death eaters tonight but it’s pouring. Fingers crossed for better weather tomorrow night… do the scare zones still happen in the rain?


----------



## keishashadow

soniam said:


> Pizza fries


No way! The Nashville chicken and beef sliders sound like great additions.  

For those attending soon, we need a review with pics please


----------



## macraven

if the reviews are good, i’m bringing a plastic bag with me
just saying….


----------



## soniam

macraven said:


> if the reviews are good, i’m bringing a plastic bag with me
> just saying….


No Tupperware


----------



## keishashadow

soniam said:


> No Tupperware


Naw, too bulky in the Fanny pack


----------



## ClapYourHands

aroundtheriverbend said:


> Chiming in on this question, and sorry if I didn't read closely enough but there seem like there are a ton of nuances.  We also have an RIP tour:
> 
> 1) What time would you suggest getting to the gate if you are a resort guest and you want to do a leisurely eat/drink at the HHN food booths before the RIP tour (which is at 8:00)?
> 
> 2) Can you go to the VIP RIP entrance and check in for both HHN and RIP at the same window at the time answer from 1) even if your VIP isn't until 8:00?
> 
> 3) Will you be allowed to go to the food booths when you enter at time 1) or will you be required to go into a holding pen for awhile?
> 
> We do have daytime park tickets for more days than we'll be there due to the current special offer so could also Stay and Scream, I just don't know how my crowd will do with being in a holding pen for 45 minutes at 5pm (that's the deal, right)?
> 
> Thanks so much for your thoughts!!


The gates have been opening around 6, so getting there around 6:20 would give some time for the initial rush to clear (lines to get in at opening can stretch back to the bridge). So if you want to miss that come later or do stay and scream.

As for the holding pens, they aren’t bad. They limit you to an area, but you’re not crammed in like cattle.  In some, people start lining up right away to be the first into the houses, but others just find a bench or get a reservation in an open restaurant and chill. I do not believe the HHN food booths are open during S&S (someone correct me if I’m wrong), but some regular restaurants like Finnegan’s are.

I believe you can check into RIP early so you can use your express before the tour.






spookymickey said:


> I apologize if this has been asked, I have searched the forum and can't find anything. But have the all the Scream Early passes for the year been sold out? A group of 4 of us are going on 10/12 and thought I should ask around. Thanks


The scream early passes are not limited, so no worries they will sell out.


----------



## spookymickey

ClapYourHands said:


> The gates have been opening around 6, so getting there around 6:20 would give some time for the initial rush to clear (lines to get in at opening can stretch back to the bridge). So if you want to miss that come later or do stay and scream.
> 
> As for the holding pens, they aren’t bad. They limit you to an area, but you’re not crammed in like cattle.  In some, people start lining up right away to be the first into the houses, but others just find a bench or get a reservation in an open restaurant and chill. I do not believe the HHN food booths are open during S&S (someone correct me if I’m wrong), but some regular restaurants like Finnegan’s are.
> 
> I believe you can check into RIP early so you can use your express before the tour.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The scream early passes are not limited, so no worries they will sell out.


Great! Thanks for the help.


----------



## lisam70

ClapYourHands said:


> do not believe the HHN food booths are open during S&S (someone correct me if I’m wrong), but some regular restaurants like Finnegan’s are.


Meetz food booth in NY was open when we were there on Sunday. Not sure about others.


----------



## upbeatred

Mrs.AMC said:


> How are you at scary period? My first year I did not do houses but I loved the scare zones. They are very well done and very entertaining. Universal puts a lot of detail and effort in to their event. They are the prime movie studio of horror for a reason. They put as much, or nearly as much, detail in to HHN as they do their movies. The actors are really in to their roles and make up effects. I enjoyed experiencing this in the scare zones. They are not like the houses because you are in control of the scares, if that makes sense. You can very easily escape if it's too much and even avoid them. The environment is very festive but not at all like Mickey.
> 
> The show is rather adult oriented too. It's sort of like cirque de soile with an edge. Loud music normally. Probably can find old videos if you look up past HHN


If you do go you need to at least go into one haunted house.  They are fabulous and so themed, not like the ones in most cities where it is just dark and people jump out.  I would not attend the event if you are not even willing to give a haunted house a try.


----------



## djmeredith

ClapYourHands said:


> The gates have been opening around 6, so getting there around 6:20 would give some time for the initial rush to clear (lines to get in at opening can stretch back to the bridge). So if you want to miss that come later or do stay and scream.
> *
> As for the holding pens, they aren’t bad. They limit you to an area, but you’re not crammed in like cattle.  In some, people start lining up right away to be the first into the houses, but others just find a bench or get a reservation in an open restaurant and chill. I do not believe the HHN food booths are open during S&S (someone correct me if I’m wrong), but some regular restaurants like Finnegan’s are.*
> 
> I believe you can check into RIP early so you can use your express before the tour.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The scream early passes are not limited, so no worries they will sell out.


The Simpsons' Springfield food court is open during the holding period. And I remember seeing stands across the street from there open also, but I can't remember if they were HHN stands or regular park ones.


----------



## ShyMiss

Is the Leaky Cauldron open during the transition?


----------



## Eeyore1220

Ah! Help! Headed to our public rip tour soon and I read the check in email more carefully and saw the part about tips for the tour guide being appreciated. I know this can be a hot button topic, but can anyone offer any guidance on what might be an appropriate amount? Thanks so much.


----------



## macraven

Tour guides are a tipped position.
Assume low end would be 10% of what you paid for the tour 
People I have done the tour with usually do 20% with a tip but have increased it if they felt the guide was outstanding 

I always start with 25% for my tip


----------



## Lynne G

Eeyore, tipping is really a personal thing.  But I generally give at least  20 percent of the cost of what I paid for tour.  But up to you the value of what the tour guide means to you.  Have a fabulous time on the tour tonight.


----------



## Eeyore1220

Lynne G said:


> Eeyore, tipping is really a personal thing.  But I generally give at least  20 percent of the cost of what I paid for tour.  But up to you the value of what the tour guide means to you.  Have a fabulous time on the tour tonight.


Thanks so much! That makes sense. We’re so excited!


----------



## Eeyore1220

macraven said:


> Tour guides are a tipped position.
> Assume low end would be 10% of what you paid for the tour
> People I have done the tour with usually do 20% with a tip but have increased it if they felt the guide was outstanding
> 
> I always start with 25% for my tip


So helpful - thank you!


----------



## Monykalyn

Eeyore1220 said:


> We’re here and excited for our public rip tour tomorrow - first timers at HHN! We really wanted to try and see some death eaters tonight but it’s pouring. Fingers crossed for better weather tomorrow night… do the scare zones still happen in the rain?


Most of the scare actors won’t be out in the rain unless very light drizzle/mist and even then may be limited. As rain clears and puddles swept they’ll come back out. The zones really aren’t the same without the scareactors


----------



## Eeyore1220

We made it through with no rain! What an amazing night. We did ten houses, five scare zones, and the show in just under four hours with our group/guide, including two stops in lounges for drinks and a rest. The houses were terrific - I don’t have anything to compare them to as it was our first time, but the level of detail was so impressive and the scare actors were great. I took my almost-13-year-old horror buff and he was in heaven. The show is quite adult themed, so he was blushing from sitting next to his mom lol, but it was a really impressive show.  Thanks to all for answering my questions - we’ll definitely be back next year.


----------



## FoxC63

*Halloween Horror Nights Single-Night Ticket for October 30, 2022 have increased!*
All Ages $79.99 $85.99per ticket, plus tax at Universal Orlando

AND, my Private RIP Tour for Oct 30th has gone down!  If you booked a RIP Tour call to see if your tour has been lowered.


----------



## FoxC63

Omg, not sure when the first HHN admission ticket price increased, but they went up again!

*Ticket Price for October 30, 2022* - All Ages $79.99 $85.99 $90.99 per ticket, plus tax at Universal Orlando


----------



## Skywalker3

Yeah, Just checked our Oct 9 date, and price is now 11.00 more! 
Ok, so trying to plan our attack. No express, holiday weekend, expecting crazy crowds. 
tracked wait times this past weekend, and wow, they were insane! Weekend got up to 120 mins, Halloween 80 (and higher), Bugs 110 , etc. etc. 
so anyone who has been, where do you suggest waiting for S/S. I originally thought Halloween area to knock out it out (it's  is my no1 priority, I'll wait for it no matter how long), Chupacabra, Dead man's Pier, but now wondering if better to start in the back, w the Weekend, Bugs, ??? any tips appreciated! can't waiT!


----------



## Pooh's World

I was there Sunday night and it was ridiculously crowded compared to the previous two times this year that I went (a Friday and Thursday).  I thought there was supposed to be less people on Sunday, and it's only September but the lines were super long.  Halloween was already at 90 min at 6::00 pm and the Weekend at 60 min. Even the Mummy ride was 25 minutes at 7:00 pm.  By 10 pm every maze was 60 minutes or more.


----------



## ShadeDK

HHN continues to get busier - I’ve seen a few veterans posting that - for the first time in a long time - they were not able to get through all 10 houses during the event even with Stay & Scream.  A few grumbles that Uni may need to be more restrictive (or raise prices) on multinight passes next year.  One culprit is the Rush of Fear pass - which for a relatively low price has allowed a lot of people to attend every night so far.  It’ll be interesting to see if October improves, since lower level passes start blocking out some weekend nights (particularly Saturdays, which are only included in the highest level pass). 

Best strategy likely is to start in the NY S&S and line up for Halloween early.  That house releases at 5:15 and gives the earliest start.  It also gets a house with a consistently high wait out of the way.  From there, hit Coven or line up for Dead Mans Pier or Chupacabra. Then head towards Blumhouse/Bugs/Descendants.  As front of park houses, Hellblock and Coven tend to have higher waits early and later as people are entering and leaving the park.  Monsters seems to have a generally reasonable wait time in comparison with other houses.  The Weeknd seems to post high waits on opening and dips for a bit before building back up.  Watch the wait times but don’t chase a house unless you’re pretty close by - nothing worse than seeing a low wait, hauling it across the park, and it’s doubled by the time you get there.  Also - Bugs seems to have consistently low but misleading wait times early in the evening.  It often seems to say 15 to 25 min when the real wait is 50-60 min.  One option is to do Descendants first - you’ll be able to see the Bugs line that way.  If the Bugs standby line goes all the way back to the end of the MiB building, it’ll be at least 30+ minutes.  Although I’ve been a fan of starting back of park (and the Springfield S&S) in past years, the strategy is less effective this year with only 2 houses instead of 3 in that area.


----------



## Pooh's World

Skywalker3 said:


> Yeah, Just checked our Oct 9 date, and price is now 11.00 more!
> Ok, so trying to plan our attack. No express, holiday weekend, expecting crazy crowds.
> tracked wait times this past weekend, and wow, they were insane! Weekend got up to 120 mins, Halloween 80 (and higher), Bugs 110 , etc. etc.
> so anyone who has been, where do you suggest waiting for S/S. I originally thought Halloween area to knock out it out (it's  is my no1 priority, I'll wait for it no matter how long), Chupacabra, Dead man's Pier, but now wondering if better to start in the back, w the Weekend, Bugs, ??? any tips appreciated! can't waiT!


I have the all September pass ($175). That was nice because I could knock off 3-4 mazes at 6 pm each time I went with little to no wait and then leave the park. Takes alot of pressure and waiting in line off of a one night adventure.

I've noticed that Bugs, etc in the back initially have little wait time (10 min) but by around 8:30/9 pm they go up to 1 hour plus. Most of the crowd moves from New York then later on towards the back.

Coven and Chupacabra those lines are shorter in the first two hours (25 min) then the other ones in the same area n New York.

Monsters Legends people tend to not go here because it's old classic monsters but is a really good maze.

Hell Block Horror near Minions has really short lines but isn't a very good maze.

Do you have a park ticket so that you can queue up early inside the park?  That is an advantage.

My favorite Mazes in order:
Blumhouse (This is near fast and furious. I want to do it when it is dark because like in previous years theres a portion where you go outside inside the mazes)

Haloween

Monsters Legends: People were most scared with this maze for some reason.

Coven: Speak Easy maze

Chupacabra: Mayan jungle type maze

Wekend (good because there is music while waiting in line)

Indiferent:
Bugs (bugs are kind of gross, especially the roaches)
Dead Man's Pier 

Didn't like (waste of time)
Descendants of Destruction (too dark)
Hell Block Horror


----------



## Penguinempress

Went to HHN on Thursday Sept 15th….weather was horrendous. It started pouring right before 6:30 and didn’t seem to stop completely until almost 11 that night. Definitely disappointing, since I’d planned a trip to Orlando specifically for HHN (I’m from Canada). Still, with Express pass and plastic ponchos, my husband and I tried to make the most of it. Scare zones were all closed due to weather (though it seemed like they were opening up around 11pm, just as we were leaving). Made it through all 10 houses and saw the Nightmare Fuel show (very well done, we both enjoyed it a lot). Favorite houses were Dead Man’s Pier, Bugs Eaten Alive & the Universal Monsters house. Worst was probably chupacabras (not a lot of scares and unclear story) or Hellblock Horror (felt really generic to me). 

Bonus pic of my spooky outfit & pumpkin purse 5 minutes before the monsoon started and everything got soaked!


----------



## FoxC63

Penguinempress said:


> Went to HHN on Thursday Sept 15th….weather was horrendous. It started pouring right before 6:30 and didn’t seem to stop completely until almost 11 that night. Definitely disappointing, since I’d planned a trip to Orlando specifically for HHN (I’m from Canada). Still, with Express pass and plastic ponchos, my husband and I tried to make the most of it. Scare zones were all closed due to weather (though it seemed like they were opening up around 11pm, just as we were leaving). Made it through all 10 houses and saw the Nightmare Fuel show (very well done, we both enjoyed it a lot). Favorite houses were Dead Man’s Pier, Bugs Eaten Alive & the Universal Monsters house. Worst was probably chupacabras (not a lot of scares and unclear story) or Hellblock Horror (felt really generic to me).
> 
> Bonus pic of my spooky outfit & pumpkin purse 5 minutes before the monsoon started and everything got soaked!
> 
> View attachment 703744



I can't love this post enough!  You look so wonderful


----------



## Pooh's World

Penguinempress said:


> Went to HHN on Thursday Sept 15th….weather was horrendous. It started pouring right before 6:30 and didn’t seem to stop completely until almost 11 that night. Definitely disappointing, since I’d planned a trip to Orlando specifically for HHN (I’m from Canada). Still, with Express pass and plastic ponchos, my husband and I tried to make the most of it. Scare zones were all closed due to weather (though it seemed like they were opening up around 11pm, just as we were leaving). Made it through all 10 houses and saw the Nightmare Fuel show (very well done, we both enjoyed it a lot). Favorite houses were Dead Man’s Pier, Bugs Eaten Alive & the Universal Monsters house. Worst was probably chupacabras (not a lot of scares and unclear story) or Hellblock Horror (felt really generic to me).
> 
> Bonus pic of my spooky outfit & pumpkin purse 5 minutes before the monsoon started and everything got soaked!
> 
> View attachment 703744



The good thing when the weather is bad is that there are less people at the park and the lines are short unlike Sunday.


----------



## Mrs.AMC

Pooh's World said:


> I was there Sunday night and it was ridiculously crowded compared to the previous two times this year that I went (a Friday and Thursday).  I thought there was supposed to be less people on Sunday, and it's only September but the lines were super long.  Halloween was already at 90 min at 6::00 pm and the Weekend at 60 min. Even the Mummy ride was 25 minutes at 7:00 pm.  By 10 pm every maze was 60 minutes or more.


maybe because Fall breaks are starting? not sure how many but one of our private schools started is on theirs this week


----------



## Penguinempress

FoxC63 said:


> I can't love this post enough!  You look so wonderful


Awwww, thanks so much @FoxC63 !   Hope you get much better weather for your HHN night!


----------



## ishbit92

Penguinempress said:


> Went to HHN on Thursday Sept 15th….weather was horrendous. It started pouring right before 6:30 and didn’t seem to stop completely until almost 11 that night. Definitely disappointing, since I’d planned a trip to Orlando specifically for HHN (I’m from Canada). Still, with Express pass and plastic ponchos, my husband and I tried to make the most of it. Scare zones were all closed due to weather (though it seemed like they were opening up around 11pm, just as we were leaving). Made it through all 10 houses and saw the Nightmare Fuel show (very well done, we both enjoyed it a lot). Favorite houses were Dead Man’s Pier, Bugs Eaten Alive & the Universal Monsters house. Worst was probably chupacabras (not a lot of scares and unclear story) or Hellblock Horror (felt really generic to me).
> 
> Bonus pic of my spooky outfit & pumpkin purse 5 minutes before the monsoon started and everything got soaked!
> 
> View attachment 703744


Love your outfit and purse! I'll be wearing Vixen too when I go to HHN in a few weeks  I got the new Trick R' Treat harlequin skirt. Wish I would have sprung for one of the purses like your Sleepy Hollow pure or the Trick R' Treat purse--oh well! I'm sort of holding out hope that I'll find a Lil Boo purse in Universal, I'm not sure if those or sold out in the parks or not.


----------



## ishbit92

ShadeDK said:


> HHN continues to get busier - I’ve seen a few veterans posting that - for the first time in a long time - they were not able to get through all 10 houses during the event even with Stay & Scream.  A few grumbles that Uni may need to be more restrictive (or raise prices) on multinight passes next year.  One culprit is the Rush of Fear pass - which for a relatively low price has allowed a lot of people to attend every night so far.  It’ll be interesting to see if October improves, since lower level passes start blocking out some weekend nights (particularly Saturdays, which are only included in the highest level pass).
> 
> Best strategy likely is to start in the NY S&S and line up for Halloween early.  That house releases at 5:15 and gives the earliest start.  It also gets a house with a consistently high wait out of the way.  From there, hit Coven or line up for Dead Mans Pier or Chupacabra. Then head towards Blumhouse/Bugs/Descendants.  As front of park houses, Hellblock and Coven tend to have higher waits early and later as people are entering and leaving the park.  Monsters seems to have a generally reasonable wait time in comparison with other houses.  The Weeknd seems to post high waits on opening and dips for a bit before building back up.  Watch the wait times but don’t chase a house unless you’re pretty close by - nothing worse than seeing a low wait, hauling it across the park, and it’s doubled by the time you get there.  Also - Bugs seems to have consistently low but misleading wait times early in the evening.  It often seems to say 15 to 25 min when the real wait is 50-60 min.  One option is to do Descendants first - you’ll be able to see the Bugs line that way.  If the Bugs standby line goes all the way back to the end of the MiB building, it’ll be at least 30+ minutes.  Although I’ve been a fan of starting back of park (and the Springfield S&S) in past years, the strategy is less effective this year with only 2 houses instead of 3 in that area.


Thank you for posting this strategy! If I don't have Stay & Scream but do have an Express Pass, would you still recommend starting in the NY area to line up early? Or does S&S stand for something different? Sorry I am new to HHN this year will be my first time, and I'm pretty unfamiliar with the Universal park layout too but plan on studying a map prior.

I've also been seeing that this year is really busy in a HHN ******* server I'm in. Someone did say that they are curious if October will be less busy, because the locals Rush of Fear pass or AP deal only has like 1 October date in it so potentially a lot of this HHN busyness could have been because of that. I'm really hoping to get through most of the houses with an express pass and still have time to try multiple of the food offerings but we will see. I'm going early October so I'll post back here with how it went in terms of crowds and getting things done.


----------



## SteveW8002

Great information in this thread.  It will be my first time at HHN, and I will be doing RIP.  I bought a stay and scream to get a few rides in before the 8:00 pm RIP and have a question; how early can I get the RIP credential?  If I show up to the park at 3, can I use the express lanes as I am doing the RIP tour?  Thanks!


----------



## CAPSLOCK

SteveW8002 said:


> If I show up to the park at 3, can I use the express lanes as I am doing the RIP tour?


Definitely not that early, since HHN doesn't start til 6pm.  Any HHN EP credentials would mean nothing before the event starts.


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

We attended again Wednesday 9/21

I think the crowds were much better than our last time (Sun 9/4), but still way busier than a Wednesday in the middle of September used to be. I'm beginning to wonder if every night isn't going to be packed. It still wasn't empty.

Here is what we did:

Stay and scream for the Weeknd. In line at 5:10, line started to move at 5:25. House opened at 5:55 (ten minutes late). Through the house at 6:22.

I would highly recommend against doing stay and scream for the Weeknd. The house isn't even supposed to open until 5:45, so the New York stay and scream seems like a much better value.

I also hated how they did it, we were queued at first and then they had us do a smoosh near the Animal Actors and it was just a giant sea of people that then had to squish into a queue again. Also pretty sure people from the Monsters queue were jumping over into ours ahead of a lot of us as the mob squeezed into the queue.

In line for Destruction at 6:39, in at 7:06.

Monsters at 7:19, in at 7:44.

In line for Hellblock at 8:51, in at 9:22.

Chupacabra in line at 9:30, in at 10:04.

Most lines were 5-10 minutes quicker than advertised.

Thoughts: we had rain, if you have the option head for Hellblock if there is rain coming because that queue is inside.

Don't do stay and scream for the Weeknd. I think @ShadeDK has hit upon the best stay and scream strategy above. I'll be trying that out on Friday.

We had pizza fries which were good this time (I have had them when they're not so good), lil boo pumpkin bun was good, and the african lentil coffin is good and easy to eat while walking as well.

The Lil Boo hat still eludes me. I will have it.


----------



## lookingforsunshine

How long does it usually take to walk through a house? I saw a video walkthrough on YouTube and it was less than 4 minutes which surprised me but I’ve never done a haunted house before.


----------



## SquashBanana

lookingforsunshine said:


> How long does it usually take to walk through a house? I saw a video walkthrough on YouTube and it was less than 4 minutes which surprised me but I’ve never done a haunted house before.


3-4 minutes on average sounds about right.


----------



## tony67

Seems like there have been a lot less streams this year than in previous years - after that first media night I've not seen all that many - not sure if that just because of all the rain or if its lack of interest.   There are folks that stream almost every night of HHN in the past and I am not seeing that this year - again might just be all the rain.

Anyway PCDEV on youtube posted a Wednesday night (I assume the 21st) and it was crazy busy for stay and scream - especially for a Wednesday.
Not sure if a lot of this is because of ROF or it just really busy and this is just how it will be going forward.
Still if you want to get an idea of what is going on on the ground its well worth watching.
Some of the houses seemed t o be greatly improved since the first nights - which is pretty typical IMO - they seem to add stuff as the even goes on and of course SAs get more experience.  Personally I'd never go opening weekend again - things just are not ready at that point.

Watching the video did convince me to buy the FFP with express.


----------



## Penguinempress

ishbit92 said:


> Love your outfit and purse! I'll be wearing Vixen too when I go to HHN in a few weeks  I got the new Trick R' Treat harlequin skirt. Wish I would have sprung for one of the purses like your Sleepy Hollow pure or the Trick R' Treat purse--oh well! I'm sort of holding out hope that I'll find a Lil Boo purse in Universal, I'm not sure if those or sold out in the parks or not.


 Hello fellow Vixen!!!! Your Trick r' Treat skirt will look fabulous for HHN! If you'll be in Islands of Adventure at all, there's a store over there that would make for a perfect photo spot with your skirt - check out the doors! I didn't see any of the Lil Boo purses when I was in the parks but I also wasn't specifically looking - hope you're able to snag one while you're there!


----------



## Mrs.AMC

I think what you are seeing is 2 years of extremely pent up demand for activities combined with international travel returning. While yes, we had HHN the past couple years it was not even close to "normal" HHN. This is. Folks want it. Bad. So they are returning in higher numbers than before. I expect to see that continue as the norm this year, rather than the exception. Sure there will likely be a few nights that drop off but they'll be the exceptions.


----------



## Mrs.AMC

Got a question for you folks who have gone on, or around, Halloween night itself.
What are your thoughts? Is it any different going that night? A more fun/seasonal vibe? Or just another night?
We've been considering coming down, long story to set up the why's and where for's just suffice it to say, things are coming in to place for us to come down Sunday afternoon through Tuesday afternoon. So we could go on Halloween night (Monday)
I've got flights and AP rooms at Hard Rock 
I haven't bought the tickets yet but was planning to today. OI still has some discounted for 10/31. 

Oh, and speaking of AP rates, I've been finding them for the hotels more and more often lately. Never give up looking. Either they are releasing more or folks are cancelling rooms (hoarding multiple stays maybe?) and they are dumping back in to inventory. But I got rooms for our stay next week all lined up just last week. They weren't there for the longest then bam! several rooms at Royal came open.


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

Mrs.AMC said:


> Got a question for you folks who have gone on, or around, Halloween night itself.
> What are your thoughts? Is it any different going that night? A more fun/seasonal vibe? Or just another night?
> We've been considering coming down, long story to set up the why's and where for's just suffice it to say, things are coming in to place for us to come down Sunday afternoon through Tuesday afternoon. So we could go on Halloween night (Monday)
> I've got flights and AP rooms at Hard Rock
> I haven't bought the tickets yet but was planning to today. OI still has some discounted for 10/31.
> 
> Oh, and speaking of AP rates, I've been finding them for the hotels more and more often lately. Never give up looking. Either they are releasing more or folks are cancelling rooms (hoarding multiple stays maybe?) and they are dumping back in to inventory. But I got rooms for our stay next week all lined up just last week. They weren't there for the longest then bam! several rooms at Royal came open.



We went on Halloween itself last year after handing out candy in the neighborhood and loved it.

The crowds were high but not too bad, and as the end of the event neared everyone was very happy and celebratory. People would walk through the houses and clap and cheer for their favorites. We saw an employee take down Lil Boo (the famous pumpkin from Wicked Growth) and take him backstage (probably so no one got any ideas).

We were running between Puppet Theater and Wicked Growth (two of our favs) with almost no wait at the end of the night.

As we walked out the final cast from Case Files Unearthed came out and everyone stopped in their tracks and cheered for them.

That kind of atmosphere only came from the final couple hours of the event, though.

I would highly recommend it, it's our new favorite tradition now that we live here.


----------



## Mrs.AMC

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> We went on Halloween itself last night after handing out candy in the neighborhood and loved it.
> 
> The crowds were high but not too bad, and as the end of the event neared everyone was very happy and celebratory. People would walk through the houses and clap and cheer for their favorites. We saw an employee take down Lil Boo (the famous pumpkin from Wicked Growth) and take him backstage (probably so no one got any ideas).
> 
> We were running between Puppet Theater and Wicked Growth (two of our favs) with almost no wait at the end of the night.
> 
> As we walked out the final cast from Case Files Unearthed came out and everyone stopped in their tracks and cheered for them.
> 
> That kind of atmosphere only came from the final couple hours of the event, though.
> 
> I would highly recommend it, it's our new favorite tradition now that we live here.


Thanks. Sounds exactly like the kind of thing we were wanting to experience.
We'll have already done 3, 4 other nights so it will be a bonus night for sure. 
I think I'll make that final, no backing out commitment and buy the tickets today.
Right now the flights can be canceled for a credit and hotel refunded. 
Event tickets will make it a done deal


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

Mrs.AMC said:


> Thanks. Sounds exactly like the kind of thing we were wanting to experience.
> We'll have already done 3, 4 other nights so it will be a bonus night for sure.
> I think I'll make that final, no backing out commitment and buy the tickets today.
> Right now the flights can be canceled for a credit and hotel refunded.
> Event tickets will make it a done deal



I did forget to mention that at that point all the merchandise will be heavily discounted.

Which can be good and bad, might be able to grab some good stuff for cheap, but also sizes and certain items will be running out at that point.


----------



## ShadeDK

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> That kind of atmosphere only came from the final couple hours of the event, though.


Based on what I've learned over the years, the House of the Year is named prior to the start of the last night and receives the honor of being able to run both casts at the same time in the house.  Double the actors, plenty of scares.  Again, something you can only experience on the last night of HHN.  

I recall this coming up in 2019 with Nightingales: Blood Pit, when our Unmasking guide was talking about the possibility having 8 Nightingales descend on guests (instead of 4) as part of the convergence scare in the final room of that house.


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

ShadeDK said:


> Based on what I've learned over the years, the House of the Year is named prior to the start of the last night and receives the honor of being able to run both casts at the same time in the house.  Double the actors, plenty of scares.  Again, something you can only experience on the last night of HHN.
> 
> I recall this coming up in 2019 with Nightingales: Blood Pit, when our Unmasking guide was talking about the possibility having 8 Nightingales descend on guests (instead of 4) as part of the convergence scare in the final room of that house.



I actually hadn't heard that but that sounds very cool. Will have to be on the lookout this year.


----------



## keishashadow

Me,


(Pic from 6 house tour lol)

waiting for Halloween on weds night using stay & scream. Let’s just say, it didn’t go by the book

If you think u have a sure fire strategy for HHN this year, you don’t. Be proactive and choose wisely

Weds:

Finnegans had confirmed our res made 4 months ago via email reminder both tues @ that weds am.

Got this text a couple of hours later:


I voiced my displeasure as to the very late cancellation to GS.  So sad too bad to me

Referred to hotel concierge who squeezed us in elsewhere   Thank you to them.

received this text while dining from finnegans



Get it together finnegans   Of course they were open for walk ups lol

Was in my scare zone around 4:45 pm.  The line for Halloween was looped around the alley by Louie’s to the far reaches

No ropes, maybe 3 Tms for crowd control.

When the “unofficial” line started to move at 5:20 pm, so did the rest of the crowd off the street. Forget about the queue. Sigh. Our wait was posted 70 min.  It took over 100.

We did have EP.  Only got 10 houses done and we scrambled & used app.  Wait times vastly understated

Last night wait times other than Halloween were 15 min avg until close to 8 pm

Will be interesting to see which HHN we get tonight


ShadeDK said:


> Best strategy likely is to start in the NY S&S and line up for Halloween early. That house releases at 5:15 and gives the earliest start. It also gets a house with a consistently high wait out of the way.


See above this year a different animal


Pooh's World said:


> I've noticed that Bugs, etc in the back initially have little wait time (10 min) but by around 8:30/9 pm they go up to 1 hour plus. Most of the crowd moves from New York then later on towards the back.


I’m thinking most doing Halloween, then onto
The weekend


Penguinempress said:


> Bonus pic of my spooky outfit & pumpkin purse 5 minutes before the monsoon started and everything got soaked!


Lovely!  Appreciate the effort, adds to the event’s ambiance
For all IMO  For mnsshp I made a HM skirt and bookbag


Pooh's World said:


> The good thing when the weather is bad is that there are less people at the park and the lines are short unlike Sunday.


Tourists there for a few days are still going to show up, rain or not


ishbit92 said:


> Love your outfit and purse! I'll be wearing Vixen too when I go to HHN in a few weeks  I got the new Trick R' Treat harlequin skirt. Wish I would have sprung for one of the purses like your Sleepy Hollow pure or the Trick R' Treat purse--oh well! I'm sort of holding out hope that I'll find a Lil Boo purse in Universal, I'm not sure if those or sold out in the parks or not.


Still in park as of yesterday. Surprised to see the sippers


ishbit92 said:


> I'm really hoping to get through most of the houses with an express pass and still have time to try multiple of the food offerings but we will see. I'm going early October so I'll post back here with how it went in terms of crowds and getting things done


See above


tony67 said:


> There are folks that stream almost every night of HHN in the past and I am not seeing that this year - again might just be all the rai


Weds u couldn’t see the pavement lol


tony67 said:


> it was crazy busy for stay and scream - especially for a Wednesday.


110% and not the normal jovial crowd


Mrs.AMC said:


> think what you are seeing is 2 years of extremely pent up demand for activities combined with international travel returning.


That is general assumption but, not so sure

Do think the sept passes coming to an end & fact there were near washouts responsible for the bump in crowds


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

keishashadow said:


> Me,
> 
> View attachment 704495
> (Pic from 6 house tour lol)
> 
> waiting for Halloween on weds night using stay & scream. Let’s just say, it didn’t go by the book
> 
> If you think u have a sure fire strategy for HHN this year, you don’t. Be proactive and choose wisely
> 
> Weds:
> 
> Finnegans had confirmed our res made 4 months ago via email reminder both tues @ that weds am.
> 
> Got this text a couple of hours later:
> 
> View attachment 704501
> I voiced my displeasure as to the very late cancellation to GS.  So sad too bad to me
> 
> Referred to hotel concierge who squeezed us in elsewhere   Thank you to them.
> 
> received this text while dining from finnegans
> 
> View attachment 704502
> 
> Get it together finnegans   Of course they were open for walk ups lol
> 
> Was in my scare zone around 4:45 pm.  The line for Halloween was looped around the alley by Louie’s to the far reaches
> 
> No ropes, maybe 3 Tms for crowd control.
> 
> When the “unofficial” line started to move at 5:20 pm, so did the rest of the crowd off the street. Forget about the queue. Sigh. Our wait was posted.  It took over 100.



Geez. It sounds like there might be no great strategy at all for stay and scream. Might be rethinking tonight. Maybe we won't line up for Halloween.


----------



## ShadeDK

ishbit92 said:


> Thank you for posting this strategy! If I don't have Stay & Scream but do have an Express Pass, would you still recommend starting in the NY area to line up early? Or does S&S stand for something different? Sorry I am new to HHN this year will be my first time, and I'm pretty unfamiliar with the Universal park layout too but plan on studying a map prior.


S&S does mean Stay & Scream.  When the park closes at 5pm, all day guests either must exit the park or enter one of the designated S&S areas within the park to wait for the start of HHN.  You can't enter a S&S area unless you're already in the park before 5pm (which requires regular park tickets for that day, an annual pass or a Scream Early ticket).  Additionally, you have to scan your HHN ticket to enter a S&S area (which will have scanners at the controlled access points).  As Team Members and security sweep the park of remaining guests after 5pm, those in S&S areas will be released at designated times to specific houses assigned to those S&S areas (although guests in S&S areas may remain in S&S areas until HHN opens for the night without getting in line or going into a house).  The S&S areas are "holding pens" that are blocked off in certain sections - guests can roam around in the S&S areas, but can't leave, exit or wander elsewhere in the park until released to a house or the S&S area is broken down at the start of HHN.      

There are three S&S areas this year (although arguably five the way it's configured):
(1) New York (Halloween & Spirits of the Coven) - which extends from Louie's to Gramercy Park as well as back to the Transformers show building.  Access point is between Louie's and Starbucks.
(2) San Francisco (Horrors of Blumhouse) - covers the area around and behind Richters and across the street from the exit for Fast & Furious.  Access point is streetside on the Chez Alcatraz side.
(3) & (4) Central Park & Simpsons Area (The Weeknd / Descendants of Destruction) - covers the walkway area beside the lagoon (which then crosses the street to line up in front of Animal Actors and around the KidsZone areas), but guests also can go past this to access the Simpsons Area, including Duff Gardens as well Krusty Burger (the street is usually kept open for exiting guests, so going between these can be a pain).  Guests wanting to queue for The Weeknd (or Universal Monsters) will want to stay on the Central Park side, while those in Simpsons can queue up for Descendants (usually around the Kwik E Mart where the S&S area ends).  Access point is at the lagoon next to the crepe stand.  
(5) Blue Man Group Theater (Hellblock Horror): Although it's not actually a S&S area (since it's accessible from Citywalk and not in the park itself), this is a holding area for Universal hotel guests attending HHN.  Access is by the walkway in front of BMG theater (between Hard Rock Cafe and Universal Studio's main entrance, running parallel to the end of Rip Ride Rocket).  Access requires both an HHN ticket as well as proof of a hotel stay.  

If you have Express and can access S&S areas before park close, I still would recommend doing the NY area and following a similar strategy.  Many of those with Express still will try to go through a few houses at the start of HHN without using Express - which allows for second walkthroughs later in the evening using Express when lines are longer.  Additionally, if you do use Express, it'll allow you to get through houses faster (including several that have longer Express lines later in the evening) to free up time later for the Scarezones or shows.  Additionally, the New York S&S area is one of the larger ones, easiest to navigate and has better amenities than the others if you're just looking for a place to relax until HHN opens.  

If you can't access a S&S area inside the park, the next best option is the BMG area for hotel guests.  I've seen numerous reports that this entrance is very underrated (and underutilized) with its introduction this year.  It essentially functions as a S&S area - but outside the park, so it's ideal if you miss the 5pm entry to get inside the park or don't want to have to pay for a Scream Early ticket.  The area releases around 5:15, usually with minimal wait to get inside the house, and sends you into the park immediately to then get in line for Halloween, Spirits of the Coven or pre-queue for Dead Man's Pier or Chupacabra.  Although I didn't try this strategy, it appears to be a very good one.  

Finally, if you don't have any of those options and begin HHN with the general public when gates open, my recommendation would be to head towards the back of park houses first (Descendants of Destruction, Bugs, and Blumhouse), then hitting The Weeknd/Universal Monsters, and finally work your way towards the front of the park and the 5 houses all on the straight line between the park entrance and the New York Library.  Like any theme park, the attractions at the front of the park get swamped first and crowds gradually spill out into the rest of the park.  Going against the crowds instead of with them may save some time as the night goes.


----------



## ishbit92

Penguinempress said:


> Hello fellow Vixen!!!! Your Trick r' Treat skirt will look fabulous for HHN! If you'll be in Islands of Adventure at all, there's a store over there that would make for a perfect photo spot with your skirt - check out the doors! I didn't see any of the Lil Boo purses when I was in the parks but I also wasn't specifically looking - hope you're able to snag one while you're there!
> 
> View attachment 704447


Hello! 
Oh that's so cool about the door, thanks for the tip! I'm actually bringing my now too tight on me Ben Cooper version of the harlequin skirt too for one of the friends I'm going with if she wants to wear it. That would be fun for us to get a pic in front of the door.


----------



## ShadeDK

keishashadow said:


> Was in my scare zone around 4:45 pm.  The line for Halloween was looped around the alley by Louie’s to the far reaches
> 
> No ropes, maybe 3 Tms for crowd control.
> 
> When the “unofficial” line started to move at 5:20 pm, so did the rest of the crowd off the street. Forget about the queue. Sigh. Our wait was posted.  It took over 100.
> 
> See above this year a different animal


Operations and wait times have seemed all over the place this past week from the look of things - even the best strategy can fall apart when something unexpected happens (weather, delays, poor ops).  I had seen something on another board where there was a lot of confusion at Dead Man's Pier one night this week as they started running two different Express lines.  Also witnessed myself the line jumping during the S&S release for Halloween  - not the best crowd control and no TMs to be seen trying to keep things orderly and making sure people weren't just merging in without having waited.  Hope things improve and its the "better" HHN experience.


----------



## ishbit92

ShadeDK said:


> S&S does mean Stay & Scream.  When the park closes at 5pm, all day guests either must exit the park or enter one of the designated S&S areas within the park to wait for the start of HHN.  You can't enter a S&S area unless you're already in the park before 5pm (which requires regular park tickets for that day, an annual pass or a Scream Early ticket).  Additionally, you have to scan your HHN ticket to enter a S&S area (which will have scanners at the controlled access points).  As Team Members and security sweep the park of remaining guests after 5pm, those in S&S areas will be released at designated times to specific houses assigned to those S&S areas (although guests in S&S areas may remain in S&S areas until HHN opens for the night without getting in line or going into a house).  The S&S areas are "holding pens" that are blocked off in certain sections - guests can roam around in the S&S areas, but can't leave, exit or wander elsewhere in the park until released to a house or the S&S area is broken down at the start of HHN.
> 
> There are three S&S areas this year (although arguably five the way it's configured):
> (1) New York (Halloween & Spirits of the Coven) - which extends from Louie's to Gramercy Park as well as back to the Transformers show building.  Access point is between Louie's and Starbucks.
> (2) San Francisco (Horrors of Blumhouse) - covers the area around and behind Richters and across the street from the exit for Fast & Furious.  Access point is streetside on the Chez Alcatraz side.
> (3) & (4) Central Park & Simpsons Area (The Weeknd / Descendants of Destruction) - covers the walkway area beside the lagoon (which then crosses the street to line up in front of Animal Actors and around the KidsZone areas), but guests also can go past this to access the Simpsons Area, including Duff Gardens as well Krusty Burger (the street is usually kept open for exiting guests, so going between these can be a pain).  Guests wanting to queue for The Weeknd (or Universal Monsters) will want to stay on the Central Park side, while those in Simpsons can queue up for Descendants (usually around the Kwik E Mart where the S&S area ends).  Access point is at the lagoon next to the crepe stand.
> (5) Blue Man Group Theater (Hellblock Horror): Although it's not actually a S&S area (since it's accessible from Citywalk and not in the park itself), this is a holding area for Universal hotel guests attending HHN.  Access is by the walkway in front of BMG theater (between Hard Rock Cafe and Universal Studio's main entrance, running parallel to the end of Rip Ride Rocket).  Access requires both an HHN ticket as well as proof of a hotel stay.
> 
> If you have Express and can access S&S areas before park close, I still would recommend doing the NY area and following a similar strategy.  Many of those with Express still will try to go through a few houses at the start of HHN without using Express - which allows for second walkthroughs later in the evening using Express when lines are longer.  Additionally, if you do use Express, it'll allow you to get through houses faster (including several that have longer Express lines later in the evening) to free up time later for the Scarezones or shows.  Additionally, the New York S&S area is one of the larger ones, easiest to navigate and has better amenities than the others if you're just looking for a place to relax until HHN opens.
> 
> If you can't access a S&S area inside the park, the next best option is the BMG area for hotel guests.  I've seen numerous reports that this entrance is very underrated (and underutilized) with its introduction this year.  It essentially functions as a S&S area - but outside the park, so it's ideal if you miss the 5pm entry to get inside the park or don't want to have to pay for a Scream Early ticket.  The area releases around 5:15, usually with minimal wait to get inside the house, and sends you into the park immediately to then get in line for Halloween, Spirits of the Coven or pre-queue for Dead Man's Pier or Chupacabra.  Although I didn't try this strategy, it appears to be a very good one.
> 
> Finally, if you don't have any of those options and begin HHN with the general public when gates open, my recommendation would be to head towards the back of park houses first (Descendants of Destruction, Bugs, and Blumhouse), then hitting The Weeknd/Universal Monsters, and finally work your way towards the front of the park and the 5 houses all on the straight line between the park entrance and the New York Library.  Like any theme park, the attractions at the front of the park get swamped first and crowds gradually spill out into the rest of the park.  Going against the crowds instead of with them may save some time as the night goes.


Thank you so much for this detailed answer! Super helpful. We don't have regular park tickets for that day or Scream Early passes but we are hotel guests, so I'm thinking we'll do that BMG area for hotel guests entry.


----------



## keishashadow

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> Geez. It sounds like there might be no great strategy at all for stay and scream. Might be rethinking tonight. Maybe we won't line up for Halloween.


They generally listen to guest feedback.  Have seen things/policies change within a few days

If they get enough constructive criticism, hope they may either put up temporary ropes or station more Tms there. 

TBH U has, multiple times over the years,   struck me rather poorly as to crowd control for special events.  Guessing may be due to unseasoned and poorly trained TMs.  Always the hope they will do better!


----------



## keishashadow

What are the odds as to the name.  Batten down the hatches.  

Spaghetti models can change. Our last go-round RP did a great job keeping us fed & entertained.   

They also honored park tix on alternate evenings.  

We will be at WDW by then, they also
Are known for taking very good care of their guests in that sort of event. 

Stay safe & listen to any safety instructions

Most of all put on those positivity ponchos and enjoy the adventure!


----------



## Skywalker3

ShadeDK said:


> S&S does mean Stay & Scream.  When the park closes at 5pm, all day guests either must exit the park or enter one of the designated S&S areas within the park to wait for the start of HHN.  You can't enter a S&S area unless you're already in the park before 5pm (which requires regular park tickets for that day, an annual pass or a Scream Early ticket).  Additionally, you have to scan your HHN ticket to enter a S&S area (which will have scanners at the controlled access points).  As Team Members and security sweep the park of remaining guests after 5pm, those in S&S areas will be released at designated times to specific houses assigned to those S&S areas (although guests in S&S areas may remain in S&S areas until HHN opens for the night without getting in line or going into a house).  The S&S areas are "holding pens" that are blocked off in certain sections - guests can roam around in the S&S areas, but can't leave, exit or wander elsewhere in the park until released to a house or the S&S area is broken down at the start of HHN.
> 
> There are three S&S areas this year (although arguably five the way it's configured):
> (1) New York (Halloween & Spirits of the Coven) - which extends from Louie's to Gramercy Park as well as back to the Transformers show building.  Access point is between Louie's and Starbucks.
> (2) San Francisco (Horrors of Blumhouse) - covers the area around and behind Richters and across the street from the exit for Fast & Furious.  Access point is streetside on the Chez Alcatraz side.
> (3) & (4) Central Park & Simpsons Area (The Weeknd / Descendants of Destruction) - covers the walkway area beside the lagoon (which then crosses the street to line up in front of Animal Actors and around the KidsZone areas), but guests also can go past this to access the Simpsons Area, including Duff Gardens as well Krusty Burger (the street is usually kept open for exiting guests, so going between these can be a pain).  Guests wanting to queue for The Weeknd (or Universal Monsters) will want to stay on the Central Park side, while those in Simpsons can queue up for Descendants (usually around the Kwik E Mart where the S&S area ends).  Access point is at the lagoon next to the crepe stand.
> (5) Blue Man Group Theater (Hellblock Horror): Although it's not actually a S&S area (since it's accessible from Citywalk and not in the park itself), this is a holding area for Universal hotel guests attending HHN.  Access is by the walkway in front of BMG theater (between Hard Rock Cafe and Universal Studio's main entrance, running parallel to the end of Rip Ride Rocket).  Access requires both an HHN ticket as well as proof of a hotel stay.
> 
> If you have Express and can access S&S areas before park close, I still would recommend doing the NY area and following a similar strategy.  Many of those with Express still will try to go through a few houses at the start of HHN without using Express - which allows for second walkthroughs later in the evening using Express when lines are longer.  Additionally, if you do use Express, it'll allow you to get through houses faster (including several that have longer Express lines later in the evening) to free up time later for the Scarezones or shows.  Additionally, the New York S&S area is one of the larger ones, easiest to navigate and has better amenities than the others if you're just looking for a place to relax until HHN opens.
> 
> If you can't access a S&S area inside the park, the next best option is the BMG area for hotel guests.  I've seen numerous reports that this entrance is very underrated (and underutilized) with its introduction this year.  It essentially functions as a S&S area - but outside the park, so it's ideal if you miss the 5pm entry to get inside the park or don't want to have to pay for a Scream Early ticket.  The area releases around 5:15, usually with minimal wait to get inside the house, and sends you into the park immediately to then get in line for Halloween, Spirits of the Coven or pre-queue for Dead Man's Pier or Chupacabra.  Although I didn't try this strategy, it appears to be a very good one.
> 
> Finally, if you don't have any of those options and begin HHN with the general public when gates open, my recommendation would be to head towards the back of park houses first (Descendants of Destruction, Bugs, and Blumhouse), then hitting The Weeknd/Universal Monsters, and finally work your way towards the front of the park and the 5 houses all on the straight line between the park entrance and the New York Library.  Like any theme park, the attractions at the front of the park get swamped first and crowds gradually spill out into the rest of the park.  Going against the crowds instead of with them may save some time as the night goes.


THanks for the updates. Now I have NO idea what we're going to do. I had initially planned Halloween , then recently thought we'd change to Weekend, but this week, was back to original plan of Halloween. I cannot abide line chaos, cutting, people entering who haven't been waiting, being told to go to the wrong queue, so if that's happening there, I may take your advice and switch the plan> Do any S/S areas line up for Dead Man's Pier? 
or might head to Weekend, or Blumhouse,  I have no idea now....ugh. It's gonna be fun no matter what, and I know from years of ropedropping, that eventually all lines will be long, so I know I'll have waits at some of them> We just want to get a nice chunk done before that happens. Thanks again for the updates


----------



## Skywalker3

keishashadow said:


> They generally listen to guest feedback.  Have seen things/policies change within a few days
> 
> If they get enough constructive criticism, hope they may either put up temporary ropes or station more Tms there.
> 
> TBH U has, multiple times over the years,   struck me rather poorly as to crowd control for special events.  Guessing may be due to unseasoned and poorly trained TMs.  Always the hope they will do better!


Thanks for all the updates/advice. Totally rethinking if we want to start w Halloween now....I can't stand when line rules aren't followed, and people just swarm in, or one is told by a CM/TM the wrong place to go, etc.....Halloween is the top house I want to do, but don't want to waste precious S/S time if the whole early access spend on one house. Would rather get several others done, then commit to a long Halloween line later I think....
Thanks again for all the info. Love the skeleton pic


----------



## ShadeDK

Skywalker3 said:


> Do any S/S areas line up for Dead Man's Pier?
> or might head to Weekend, or Blumhouse,  I have no idea now


There's no official S&S for Dead Man's Pier (or Chupacabra) since those houses open with the gates at 6pm.  The reality, however, is that an unofficial line opens in front of the entrance to those queues when the New York S&S releases around 5:45 or so.  You still can get an early start at DMP that way (assuming the house doesn't have a delayed opening - which happens)

I've heard that the San Francisco S&S for Blumhouse is laid back and doesn't seem to have the same issues as New York or Central Park - not as big a draw as Halloween/Weeknd, so a better crowd experience.  Rumor only though and no personal experience.


----------



## Mrs.AMC

keishashadow said:


> What are the odds as to the name.  Batten down the hatches.
> 
> Spaghetti models can change. Our last go-round RP did a great job keeping us fed & entertained.
> 
> They also honored park tix on alternate evenings.
> 
> We will be at WDW by then, they also
> Are known for taking very good care of their guests in that sort of event.
> 
> Stay safe & listen to any safety instructions
> 
> Most of all put on those positivity ponchos and enjoy the adventure!
> View attachment 704547View attachment 704548


We’ll  be at universal Wednesday night
 we’ve been at Disney for Matthew in the past
  things were handled well
 I have no worries going this week
 no plans to change plans


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

Just got back, we did stay and scream tonight, Friday Sept 23.

Traffic was bad so we got to the parks a bit later than we wanted. We were debating whether we should stay and scream Coven or Halloween. I didn't want to get into a giant mess with Halloween.

The crowds were actually looking somewhat low so we decided to roll the dice with Halloween. We were in the stay and scream line at 4:52. A few of us grabbed food from the booths and the line started moving within a few minutes. The line was very orderly and the team members did a good job of making sure we stayed in a line and that no one jumped in. We were loaded into the actual queue area and the house seemed to open a few minutes after 5:15.

We ended up walking into the house at 5:49, which I didn't really think was bad at all. Just short of an hour wait, but most of that wait came before most houses had even opened. I liked this house, I thought the music kind of layered up to the Halloween theme which I liked. Started out simple then built up into the theme. I did like the house and want to do it again.

After that we went immediately into line for Spirits of the Coven at 5:54. We could see the opening show going on at the main gates. It was a very short wait and we were walking into the house at 6:05. This was our second time for the house and I still don't really get it. The starting scenes are interesting but I either am missing the story or don't really like it.

We knew we were likely in for a bit of a wait but we really wanted to see Dead Man's Pier again and our friend hadn't been in there yet so we got in line at 6:15, ended up an almost exact half hour wait because we got in at 6:44. I still think this house is beautiful, it even smells nice.

So I do think the Halloween stay and scream first strategy worked on this day. It might not work on other days depending on any snags hit. But it worked today.

I think we were about 10-15 minutes later for Dead Man's Pier than was ideal. If we hadn't had our hearts set on it for that night we should have took off for the back of the park after Coven.

It might be best to move away from the front houses at around 6:05 or 6:10, anything after that and you might be setting yourself up for a longer wait at Chupacabra or Dead Man's.

We walked through some scare zones and got drinks, then decided to do Destruction. We were in line at 7:13 and in the house at 7:44. So another half hour wait. I think the house is ok, I do like the day glo type people at the end.

We were hungry and decided to take a break and do a sit down and were able to walk up to Finnegan's and get seated right away.

By the time we were done we wanted to try for Monsters but the line said 60 but it looked way longer. After we walked away it did jump up to 90. By this time the park was getting really crowded. We decided to head out. I think we might try to come again next Wednesday or Thursday depending on what the weather is doing.

It was a pretty successful night with the lowest crowds we've seen yet until around 8:30/9 when everyone started coming in.

We still have yet to do Blumhouse or Bug House, so hopefully we'll get those next time.


----------



## keishashadow

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> It was a pretty successful night with the lowest crowds we've seen yet until around 8:30/9 when everyone started coming in.


You did very well!  Excellent pics 

That is approximately when I noticed the stated line times jump.

Was surprised to see blumhouse with the longest stated standby of all the houses @ 140 minutes at 10 pm-ish.

Upon entering park around 4 pm had disappointed guest in front of me being told the night was a sellout as of mid day yesterday


----------



## lisam70

Skywalker3 said:


> Thanks for all the updates/advice. Totally rethinking if we want to start w Halloween now....I can't stand when line rules aren't followed, and people just swarm in, or one is told by a CM/TM the wrong place to go, etc.....Halloween is the top house I want to do, but don't want to waste precious S/S time if the whole early access spend on one house. Would rather get several others done, then commit to a long Halloween line later I think....
> Thanks again for all the info. Love the skeleton pic


We were there on Sunday 9/11 and did not see any issues with the lines for Halloween. We were at the beginning of the second line/holding area across from the tribute store-the first holding area is near Jimmy Fallon. Maybe the shenanigans happen later and further back in the line. We got in line just after 4:30 so I recommend if you want to be at the front of the line be there more like 4-4:15. We still had a good jump on the crowds and would have worked out perfectly except Dead Mans and Chupacabra didn't open til like 7:15.


----------



## Jlane5000

Hi everyone just wanting some words of advice. I’m currently here from the UK with my dad and despite finally making it to florida after the last few years (thanks covid) he has fallen really poorly. We have tickets for HHN this eve along with FP. I don’t see how he’s going to be able to make it, this along with the upcoming hurricane just makes me want to cry  I guess my question is if it’s worth trying to see if universal will allow a change of night to later this week? Or do I suck it up and go alone, has anyone any experience of this event going solo? So gutted


----------



## tony67

Jlane5000 said:


> Hi everyone just wanting some words of advice. I’m currently here from the UK with my dad and despite finally making it to florida after the last few years (thanks covid) he has fallen really poorly. We have tickets for HHN this eve along with FP. I don’t see how he’s going to be able to make it, this along with the upcoming hurricane just makes me want to cry  I guess my question is if it’s worth trying to see if universal will allow a change of night to later this week? Or do I suck it up and go alone, has anyone any experience of this event going solo? So gutted


I go solo every year and its NBD

You should reach out to universal they are pretty good about this type of thing - especially when COVID is involved


----------



## tony67

lisam70 said:


> We were there on Sunday 9/11 and did not see any issues with the lines for Halloween. We were at the beginning of the second line/holding area across from the tribute store-the first holding area is near Jimmy Fallon. Maybe the shenanigans happen later and further back in the line. We got in line just after 4:30 so I recommend if you want to be at the front of the line be there more like 4-4:15. We still had a good jump on the crowds and would have worked out perfectly except Dead Mans and Chupacabra didn't open til like 7:15.


Yeah - I'm sure they learned from the previous issues and adjusted


----------



## Lynne G

Jlane, I’ve gone solo for three times now.  Will be going solo tonight and probably Friday night too.  You will be fine.  

Yeah, last night was a sell out. Would think a Saturday night would be the one to see that happen.  Saw Halloween house listed at 110 minutes around 10pm. I like that house, maybe one of my favorite, but eek that time listed.  But not nearly as crowded as I experienced last Sunday night. 

Plus, nothing like a private tour. We walked right to the entrances, and had line stop to let us in, and had access to drinks and twice food, with more desserts and drinks until close to park close. Way to do it, if can do, particularly if you only have one night.


----------



## keishashadow

Jlane5000 hope ur dad is feeling a mite better and U was able to adjust your hhn dates!


----------



## Jlane5000

keishashadow said:


> Jlane5000 hope ur dad is feeling a mite better and U was able to adjust your hhn dates!


Thank you  They allowed me to swap the dates but the only one they had FP availability for is Wednesday which is a hurricane concern, but one hurdle at a time i guess


----------



## 2Rebecca

Hi all.  I've never been to Halloween Horror Nights, but we are thinking about going this year.  I see Universal recommends a minimum age of 13.  What do y'all recommend?  My kids are 12, 11 and 9.  They really want to go.  I think my 12-year-old is mature enough to enjoy the high of making it through the night even if he is scared and will love bragging to all his friends.  I'm hesitant about the other two kids because my husband and I have never been and don't know what to expect.  We aren't sticklers for ages on movies and I do let them watch PG-13 and probably some R-rated movies depending on the content and reasoning for rating.  How scary is this?  Is it just haunted houses and spooks on the streets?  

I'm sorry if this has been asked 1000 times!  I ran a search before posting and couldn't find an answer.


----------



## shh

2Rebecca said:


> Is it just haunted houses and spooks on the streets?


Fairly intense houses, but it's not just "horror". It's also the shows that have adult themed content you may not be comfortable with them seeing/hearing. 

Honestly, I've seen kids have a blast at HHN. I've seen equally as many miserable and crying to go home. It's so tough for anyone online to guide you because we don't know your kids' tolerance - nor yours for the adult themed stuff.

Can you google you tube videos and get a sense from past years?


----------



## Lynne G

Crowded but not bad.  But compared to last night, much more sticky hot feeling.


----------



## Mrs.AMC

2Rebecca said:


> Hi all.  I've never been to Halloween Horror Nights, but we are thinking about going this year.  I see Universal recommends a minimum age of 13.  What do y'all recommend?  My kids are 12, 11 and 9.  They really want to go.  I think my 12-year-old is mature enough to enjoy the high of making it through the night even if he is scared and will love bragging to all his friends.  I'm hesitant about the other two kids because my husband and I have never been and don't know what to expect.  We aren't sticklers for ages on movies and I do let them watch PG-13 and probably some R-rated movies depending on the content and reasoning for rating.  How scary is this?  Is it just haunted houses and spooks on the streets?
> 
> I'm sorry if this has been asked 1000 times!  I ran a search before posting and couldn't find an answer.


How do they do with scary?
That's the question only you know the answer to
We took DGD, and her Mom, to HHN at 11. She wanted to go. We knew it was a close call, based on how she did with scary stuff in general.
She hated it.
We didn't think we was going to go in the houses, even I wasn't doing the houses then. But even the scare zones were too much for her. One encounter with the scary clowns with chain saws and she was ready to go. We knew it was a risk going in. She and her mom headed back to the resort. 
We brought her back 2 years later and she loved it. Did all the houses.


----------



## SnowWitch

I need help from the HHN experts. This is our 1st go at this event. It will be myself and 4 older teen girls. We are not doing any extra add on pass so straight ticket. We have identified 4 houses we really want to do. We will stay until they run us out. Advice???? What time should we arrive at the park??? We plan to eat a meal
On citywalk before we enter. Is there any order we should go in??? So crowds decrease the later it gets??? We are going on a Thursday.

HELP!


----------



## 2Rebecca

shh said:


> Fairly intense houses, but it's not just "horror". It's also the shows that have adult themed content you may not be comfortable with them seeing/hearing.
> 
> Honestly, I've seen kids have a blast at HHN. I've seen equally as many miserable and crying to go home. It's so tough for anyone online to guide you because we don't know your kids' tolerance - nor yours for the adult themed stuff.
> 
> Can you google you tube videos and get a sense from past years?


Thanks for the reply.  I watched youtube videos last week.  Nothing looked scary to me, but I was afraid I was missing something.  I thought I'd ask here for others' perspectives before I took the kids.


----------



## 2Rebecca

Mrs.AMC said:


> How do they do with scary?
> That's the question only you know the answer to
> We took DGD, and her Mom, to HHN at 11. She wanted to go. We knew it was a close call, based on how she did with scary stuff in general.
> She hated it.
> We didn't think we was going to go in the houses, even I wasn't doing the houses then. But even the scare zones were too much for her. One encounter with the scary clowns with chain saws and she was ready to go. We knew it was a risk going in. She and her mom headed back to the resort.
> We brought her back 2 years later and she loved it. Did all the houses.


Thank you for the reply.  I think my kids do ok with scary when they know it is an act.  Now if we were camping and they hear something in the woods, it might be a different story.   When I watched the HHN youtube videos it doesn't look scary to me.  I suppose I'd jump if someone came up behind me and yelled "boo", but I wouldn't call that scary to the point my kids shouldn't visit.  I didn't know if I was missing something though, so I thought I'd ask for 2nd opinion.


----------



## Penguinempress

2Rebecca said:


> Thanks for the reply.  I watched youtube videos last week.  Nothing looked scary to me, but I was afraid I was missing something.  I thought I'd ask here for others' perspectives before I took the kids.


I agree with the previous poster that it's just not the horror, there is other adult themed content. I feel like the overall atmosphere is not kid friendly - lots of drinking (sometimes from people who don't handle it well), swearing etc. I've watched a few Youtube videos of house walkthroughs and to me, it doesn't capture what it's really like when you're there. The houses (and even some of the scare zones) are very dark (or foggy) with sudden LOUD sounds, people/things jumping out at you etc. Ultimately, you know your kids the best but I'd be tempted to wait a few years (or just take your oldest).


----------



## Julia Ann

Any tips for for getting uber back to Disney resort? Is it best to walk over to hard rock hotel to get uber from there?


----------



## 2Rebecca

Penguinempress said:


> I agree with the previous poster that it's just not the horror, there is other adult themed content. I feel like the overall atmosphere is not kid friendly - lots of drinking (sometimes from people who don't handle it well), swearing etc. I've watched a few Youtube videos of house walkthroughs and to me, it doesn't capture what it's really like when you're there. The houses (and even some of the scare zones) are very dark (or foggy) with sudden LOUD sounds, people/things jumping out at you etc. Ultimately, you know your kids the best but I'd be tempted to wait a few years (or just take your oldest).


Ok, that is what I needed to know.  Maybe I'll take my younger two kids to see Cirque Du Soleil while hubby takes my oldest to HHN.  Or, maybe I'll get lucky and can convenience them watching the new Hocus Pocus movie in the room is waaaaay better than either of those!


----------



## SquashBanana

Asking for a friend, but if, due to the incoming hurricane you rescheduled your ticket for a later night, would Universal require you to pay the difference if the night you were moving the ticket to cost more?


----------



## macraven

SquashBanana said:


> Asking for a friend, but if, due to the incoming hurricane you rescheduled your ticket for a later night, would Universal require you to pay the difference if the night you were moving the ticket to cost more?


This is a question you need to contact UO and get their answer

With the present weather situation, I am sure UO staff will work with each situation individually 

They will work with you and can make a bad situation a golden one

The company wins and you win.


----------



## gssmks

We are not going to HHN till 2023, but I'm following along here to learn what and when I need to book or purchase things. I am 99% sure that we will book the RIP. I just have a couple questions:
1) Will we miss anything significant by skipping the lines? Are they themed? Do you get information that will make your experience in the house better? I saw that the line for one of the houses is basically a dance party. Will there be anything else that we will miss doing the tour and skipping the lines?
2) Am I understanding correctly that the RIP includes an Express Pass so that once the tour is over we can then repeat a house or do the rides using Express Pass? Or, is that something that has to be paid for separately? I know that we have to buy the HHN ticket separately from RIP. Would I have to pay for Express Pass separately also, or is that included in the RIP?


----------



## Pooh's World

SnowWitch said:


> I need help from the HHN experts. This is our 1st go at this event. It will be myself and 4 older teen girls. We are not doing any extra add on pass so straight ticket. We have identified 4 houses we really want to do. We will stay until they run us out. Advice???? What time should we arrive at the park??? We plan to eat a meal
> On citywalk before we enter. Is there any order we should go in??? So crowds decrease the later it gets??? We are going on a Thursday.
> 
> HELP!


 What are the 4 must do houses?


----------



## Robo56

Pooh's World said:


> What are the 4 must do houses?



I think you will get different answers on that, but here is my pick.

1. Halloween 

2. Dead Man’s Pier: Winter’s Wake

3. Universal Monsters: Legends Collide

4. Hellblock Horror


----------



## lcc2

gssmks said:


> We are not going to HHN till 2023, but I'm following along here to learn what and when I need to book or purchase things. I am 99% sure that we will book the RIP. I just have a couple questions:
> 1) Will we miss anything significant by skipping the lines? Are they themed? Do you get information that will make your experience in the house better? I saw that the line for one of the houses is basically a dance party. Will there be anything else that we will miss doing the tour and skipping the lines?
> 2) Am I understanding correctly that the RIP includes an Express Pass so that once the tour is over we can then repeat a house or do the rides using Express Pass? Or, is that something that has to be paid for separately? I know that we have to buy the HHN ticket separately from RIP. Would I have to pay for Express Pass separately also, or is that included in the RIP?


I'm not sure what next year will be but for this year ...

After the tour is over you can't repeat a house with RIP credentials but can get in regular line. With RIP credentials you have express access for rides before and after the tour. 

Definitely check out the details of RIP tour on the Universal/Halloween Horror Night website as well.


----------



## SquashBanana

gssmks said:


> 1) Will we miss anything significant by skipping the lines? Are they themed? Do you get information that will make your experience in the house better? I saw that the line for one of the houses is basically a dance party. Will there be anything else that we will miss doing the tour and skipping the lines?


Think of the most boring event you've experienced in your lifetime. The HHN queues rank slightly below that. They are made up of sagging rope and metal barricades. There's absolutely nothing immersive about them.

The weekend house at least provided music and flashing lights while you waited, but certainly nothing worth waiting in line for.


----------



## SquashBanana

macraven said:


> This is a question you need to contact UO and get their answer
> 
> With the present weather situation, I am sure UO staff will work with each situation individually
> 
> They will work with you and can make a bad situation a golden one
> 
> The company wins and you win.


Thanks. After speaking to them, they opted for the refund and are going to look at available dates and repurchase if they can find a weekend that fits their schedule. I imagine that if they purchase later down the road, they will have to pay the current price.


----------



## gssmks

lcc2 said:


> I'm not sure what next year will be but for this year ...
> 
> After the tour is over you can't repeat a house with RIP credentials but can get in regular line. With RIP credentials you have express access for rides before and after the tour.
> 
> Definitely check out the details of RIP tour on the Universal/Halloween Horror Night website as well.


Thanks for the info.  The express access to the rides was what we were hoping for. Is there a list of the rides that are typically open during HHN?


----------



## keishashadow

A Message from Universal Orlando Resort​*Universal Orlando Resort has made the following operational decisions due to Hurricane Ian:*

Our theme parks, CityWalk and Halloween Horror Nights will be closed Wednesday, September 28 and Thursday, September 29. We anticipate normal operating hours on Friday, September 30, conditions permitting. We look forward to welcoming our Passholders again as soon as it is safe to do so.

If you were planning to experience Halloween Horror Nights or our theme parks Wednesday, Sept. 28 or Thursday, Sept. 29 and have purchased dated tickets, an Express pass or other premium products, we are happy to assist you in updating your plans. Please contact a member of our Guest Contact Center team by calling 800-711-0080 or emailing reservations@universalorlando.com. Our hours of operation are daily from 7:30 am – 10 pm EDT. We appreciate your patience as call volume may be higher than normal.

For our Premier Passholders, if you haven’t already used your one (1) free night benefit to experience HHN, we will be adding additional nights for you to choose from due to the impact of Hurricane Ian. We will keep you posted as those dates become available.


----------



## Pooh's World

keishashadow said:


> A Message from Universal Orlando Resort​*Universal Orlando Resort has made the following operational decisions due to Hurricane Ian:*
> 
> Our theme parks, CityWalk and Halloween Horror Nights will be closed Wednesday, September 28 and Thursday, September 29. We anticipate normal operating hours on Friday, September 30, conditions permitting. We look forward to welcoming our Passholders again as soon as it is safe to do so.
> 
> If you were planning to experience Halloween Horror Nights or our theme parks Wednesday, Sept. 28 or Thursday, Sept. 29 and have purchased dated tickets, an Express pass or other premium products, we are happy to assist you in updating your plans. Please contact a member of our Guest Contact Center team by calling 800-711-0080 or emailing reservations@universalorlando.com. Our hours of operation are daily from 7:30 am – 10 pm EDT. We appreciate your patience as call volume may be higher than normal.
> 
> For our Premier Passholders, if you haven’t already used your one (1) free night benefit to experience HHN, we will be adding additional nights for you to choose from due to the impact of Hurricane Ian. We will keep you posted as those dates become available.



What about if you have the all September Rush of Fear or whatever it is called pass?
Do we get those two dates in october?


----------



## Mrs.AMC

Julia Ann said:


> Any tips for for getting uber back to Disney resort? Is it best to walk over to hard rock hotel to get uber from there?


That’s what we’ve done when we aren’t staying at universal


----------



## keishashadow

Pooh's World said:


> What about if you have the all September Rush of Fear or whatever it is called pass?
> Do we get those two dates in october?


IDK if “whatever it is called pass” wound fall into _other premium products _(as stated above), you should be able to contact them for resolution 

Never hurts to ask, good luck


----------



## Mrs.AMC

2Rebecca said:


> Thank you for the reply.  I think my kids do ok with scary when they know it is an act.  Now if we were camping and they hear something in the woods, it might be a different story.   When I watched the HHN youtube videos it doesn't look scary to me.  I suppose I'd jump if someone came up behind me and yelled "boo", but I wouldn't call that scary to the point my kids shouldn't visit.  I didn't know if I was missing something though, so I thought I'd ask for 2nd opinion.


A youtube video simply doesn’t come close to capturing the feel of going through the houses. 

that’s not to say your kids won’t be scared in them if they aren’t scared by other scary things like movies. Just don’t look to videos to capture their essence


----------



## keishashadow

Mrs.AMC said:


> We’ll  be at universal Wednesday night
> we’ve been at Disney for Matthew in the past
> things were handled well
> I have no worries going this week
> no plans to change plans


Sometimes mutha nature (RIP Disaster!) changes our plans for us, no matter our best intentions.  

Appears all three major Orlando parks are putting forth efforts to try to accommodate those who have been impacted today to Friday.  

Main thing is for all in the area to stay safe.  

A big to the various staff members who are staying at the hotels, away from their own homes, to make sure their guests’ needs are covered.  Unsung heros IMO

Good luck to us all


----------



## Mrs.AMC

keishashadow said:


> Sometimes mutha nature (RIP Disaster!) changes our plans for us, no matter our best intentions.
> 
> Appears all three major Orlando parks are putting forth efforts to try to accommodate those who have been impacted today to Friday.
> 
> Main thing is for all in the area to stay safe.
> 
> A big to the various staff members who are staying at the hotels, away from their own homes, to make sure their guests’ needs are covered.  Unsung heros IMO
> 
> Good luck to us all


Eh. Trip is all worth it for me. got to see Postmodern Jukebox shows on Monday night. Two of them

as for hhn, we’ll see how that turns out. We’ll get the free ticket in on Friday or Saturday, or else not be able to use it. But express passes are sold out so can’t move that. Can only get  refund

 going to be interesting to see if it even ends up with much here. Keeps pushing south so no telling


----------



## tony67

Mrs.AMC said:


> We’ll get the free ticket in on Friday or Saturday, or else not be able to use it.


If you cant go - do check with them - they are really good may give you one for next year or a credit


----------



## tony67

Pooh's World said:


> What about if you have the all September Rush of Fear or whatever it is called pass?
> Do we get those two dates in october?


was wondering that as well - in theory I could say the same about any of the frequent fear tickets as well - if you have FF or FF+ will they add another Friday or Saturday - I doubt it
Universal is really good - but not sure what they can do - maybe the follow on Wednesday and Thursday


----------



## shh

tony67 said:


> was wondering that as well - in theory I could say the same about any of the frequent fear tickets as well - if you have FF or FF+ will they add another Friday or Saturday - I doubt it
> Universal is really good - but not sure what they can do - maybe the follow on Wednesday and Thursday


Didn't the sept rush of fear end sept 25th?


----------



## tony67

shh said:


> Didn't the sept rush of fear end sept 25th?


You are correct - I was thinking (and obviously others) that it was all September dates - was watching PCDEV's stream and he asked the same question about ROF


----------



## conniehar90

I'm sure the answer to my question is somewhere in these 62 pages.  What time do they let you in the front gates?  I know HHN starts at 6:30.  Trying to gauge what time to get there. Thanks!


----------



## keishashadow

conniehar90 said:


> What time do they let you in the front gates?


6 pm 

Unless you stay & scream/day tix/AP & enter scare(holding) zone

On-site Hotel guests have separate, speedier entrance


----------



## SnowWitch

Pooh's World said:


> What are the 4 must do houses?


Halloween
Dead Man’s Pier
Spirits of the Coven
Bugs Eaten Alive


----------



## Mrs.AMC

Is there a link somewhere with more detailed info on RIP? Where and when to check in in relation to your tour time, other info from those who have done one this year? I tried searching and read through a few posts on the tours but couldn’t tell a lot. Maybe there’s another site? I realized I got no info with our order confirmation. I’ve done other VIP tours, one checked in at La Bamba and the other at the GS office in the park. Where is check in for this tour?


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

We attended HHN last night. I was going to take notes to share my experience in case it helps anyone to plan, but I quickly knew it was going to be an unusual night.

We didn't have power for a lot of the day and felt like getting out of the house, so we arrived at HHN around 11:30. We got some food, then started hitting houses. Judging by the walkways, it looked like decent crowds, but we did not wait for one house. The only wait was the time it took us to walk the empty queue and enter the house.

We started with Chupacabra, then Hellblock. Met up with some friends, did Bug House, Destruction, Legends, Weeknd, Dead Man's Pier, Blumhouse, Halloween, Coven and then a repeat of Dead Man's as the clock struck 2.

I know for sure the lagoon show was not running, not sure about the dance show. The scare zones were pretty empty, heard that scare actors from there got pulled to go into houses, but all the scare zones still had a few scare actors. A couple food stands were closed, but honestly, I didn't notice that much not open.

I do think last night might have ruined me for the rest of the event. It was so great just walking up to houses, and going through some of them just with your group and not a conga line.

As last night was the first time we did Blumhouse and Bug, I can finally do a ranking.

Overall, I am somewhat disappointed with this year. I always love the event and have been going since 2015, but this is the first year I found myself missing houses from past years. Keep in mind with my rankings, I don't really get scared at HHN, so these are based more on story, set design and things like that.

Obviously there will be spoilers in my descriptions below so stop reading if you don't want to know.

*RANKING HOUSES

1. Monsters*
I've always enjoyed the Universal Monsters houses and this one does not disappoint. Wolfman is my fav monster, so points for him showing up. I am also fairly obsessed with ancient Egypt so being inside a pyramid is so much fun for me. I just smile during the entire house. I love the jackal guards as well. I definitely need to do this house many more times.

and very narrowly missing out on the number one spot:
*2. Dead Man's Pier*
Once again, Universal hits it out of the park with original houses. From the moment you enter into the chilly town center with the statue you're just fully immersed. I love the ship captain behind the bar who sets the scene at the start. This house even smells amazing! The banshee playing the violin on the giant ship set is just so amazing.

*3. Bugs*
This ranking might change because I've only done this house once, but I very much enjoyed the whole 50s housewife aesthetic. I actually expected it to be a lot worse with bugs, but beyond the puffs of air and hanging wire, seemed like most of the bugs were gross makeup or B movie type large bugs.

Next 3 are somewhat interchangeable and will most likely change order dependent on the most current run.
*4. The Weeknd*
My favorite is the corridor with all the lights like from the Super Bowl show. I like the room with the stage. Some of the only moments of the event so far when I even get startled have come twice now from the wallpaper guy. Which is even worse since I knew he was there the second time. It just gets me, so points for that.

*5. Chupacabra*
I enjoy this house, but also feel like it could have been so much better. I like the design of the sets, but am a bit confused by the actual Chupacabra. Isn't it usually depicted as a gross, hairless kind of thing? These look more like werewolves, I wouldn't mind one as a pet. I wonder if it was cheaper just to throw a fur rug over the creatures than to try to make them gross and hairless. For some reason I also wish there was music in the house? It would kind of make sense, seems like they were having a party when the chupacabras attacked.

*6. Halloween*
This is a very solid house. I think I would have ranked it higher if I hadn't already seen so many Halloween houses. At some point, you just kind of feel like you've seen it before, even if it was based on a different Halloween movie. Still very solid, and I can see that it might be a favorite of people who love the movies or never saw the other Halloween houses.


*7. Descendants of Destruction*
Just very meh with this house. I like the day glow people at the end. The subway portion wasn't bad, but Dead Exposure did a subway so much better I can't help but compare it to that. I also feel like HHN over uses the slaughter house scene at this point.

*8. Hellblock Horror*
I know this was the house that was put together at the last minute, and I think they did an ok job. I think there is a deeper storyline to this that I need to read, but I'm just not that impressed. Seems like they just tossed in random costumes of creatures they had from years past and the sets are pretty uninspired.

*9. Spirits of the Coven*
I feel like this house is just missing a piece and it could have been great. I like the NY prohibition start we get, though once again that just makes me think of Case Files from last year. Just seems like a weird storyline, we start out in alleys and nightclubs then go underground (yet another slaughter house scene) and then end up in some weird tunnels. I dunno, just doesn't do it for me.

*10. Blumhouse*
Admittedly, I have not seen either movie. But this house came across as very uninspired. Maybe my interpretation of what the movies are about might amuse some of you who have seen them, so Freaky seems to be your standard high school freaky masks/kill the boys at the dance type movie. Black Phone seems to be about a black phone that keeps showing up nailed to the walls. I think the phone strangles Ethan Hawke at the end?

*RANKINGS SCARE ZONES

1. Graveyard*
Love this scare zone so much. Has some very freaky and cool creatures. I also like the occasional flashing light.

*2. Scarecrow*
Reminds me of growing up back home in southwestern PA near WV. This seems to always be a good scare zone in this area and I actually really like the corn monsters, they are pretty cool looking.

*3. Sweet Revenge*
This scare zone would be ranked higher if it weren't always so crowded. I love David Tennant pumpkin guy, and the floats and the little Halloween festival set up are very photogenic. I know we've seen them before in other scare zones, but I like the kids in old fashioned costumes. The robot is a particular favorite.

*4. Horrors of Halloween*
Lil Boo is my fav, and the pumpkin archway is really pretty. The Pumpkin Lord is also very entertaining. This would probably be ranked higher but there isn't much to it besides the Pumpkin Lord (and of course my Lil Boo).

*5. Conjure the Dark*
Meh. I hate that they always put a scare zone in this area, it's always terrible to walk through. It immediately (and unfairly) is usually at the bottom of my list just because it's always so congested it's hard to enjoy.


----------



## vinotinto

Hello! Where is the entrance for those staying onsite? And if you don’t have stay and scream, do they start letting resorts guests in at 6pm? 

I’m trying to have a solid linner before we go, and need to figure out the timing. Cheers!


----------



## Mrs.AMC

vinotinto said:


> Hello! Where is the entrance for those staying onsite? And if you don’t have stay and scream, do they start letting resorts guests in at 6pm?
> 
> I’m trying to have a solid linner before we go, and need to figure out the timing. Cheers!


Last night it was the old secret entrance by blue man group. No idea if that’s the usual location or not


----------



## Mrs.AMC

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> We attended HHN last night. I was going to take notes to share my experience in case it helps anyone to plan, but I quickly knew it was going to be an unusual night.
> 
> We didn't have power for a lot of the day and felt like getting out of the house, so we arrived at HHN around 11:30. We got some food, then started hitting houses. Judging by the walkways, it looked like decent crowds, but we did not wait for one house. The only wait was the time it took us to walk the empty queue and enter the house.
> 
> We started with Chupacabra, then Hellblock. Met up with some friends, did Bug House, Destruction, Legends, Weeknd, Dead Man's Pier, Blumhouse, Halloween, Coven and then a repeat of Dead Man's as the clock struck 2.
> 
> I know for sure the lagoon show was not running, not sure about the dance show. The scare zones were pretty empty, heard that scare actors from there got pulled to go into houses, but all the scare zones still had a few scare actors. A couple food stands were closed, but honestly, I didn't notice that much not open.
> 
> I do think last night might have ruined me for the rest of the event. It was so great just walking up to houses, and going through some of them just with your group and not a conga line.
> 
> As last night was the first time we did Blumhouse and Bug, I can finally do a ranking.
> 
> Overall, I am somewhat disappointed with this year. I always love the event and have been going since 2015, but this is the first year I found myself missing houses from past years. Keep in mind with my rankings, I don't really get scared at HHN, so these are based more on story, set design and things like that.
> 
> Obviously there will be spoilers in my descriptions below so stop reading if you don't want to know.
> 
> *RANKING HOUSES
> 
> 1. Monsters*
> I've always enjoyed the Universal Monsters houses and this one does not disappoint. Wolfman is my fav monster, so points for him showing up. I am also fairly obsessed with ancient Egypt so being inside a pyramid is so much fun for me. I just smile during the entire house. I love the jackal guards as well. I definitely need to do this house many more times.
> 
> and very narrowly missing out on the number one spot:
> *2. Dead Man's Pier*
> Once again, Universal hits it out of the park with original houses. From the moment you enter into the chilly town center with the statue you're just fully immersed. I love the ship captain behind the bar who sets the scene at the start. This house even smells amazing! The banshee playing the violin on the giant ship set is just so amazing.
> 
> *3. Bugs*
> This ranking might change because I've only done this house once, but I very much enjoyed the whole 50s housewife aesthetic. I actually expected it to be a lot worse with bugs, but beyond the puffs of air and hanging wire, seemed like most of the bugs were gross makeup or B movie type large bugs.
> 
> Next 3 are somewhat interchangeable and will most likely change order dependent on the most current run.
> *4. The Weeknd*
> My favorite is the corridor with all the lights like from the Super Bowl show. I like the room with the stage. Some of the only moments of the event so far when I even get startled have come twice now from the wallpaper guy. Which is even worse since I knew he was there the second time. It just gets me, so points for that.
> 
> *5. Chupacabra*
> I enjoy this house, but also feel like it could have been so much better. I like the design of the sets, but am a bit confused by the actual Chupacabra. Isn't it usually depicted as a gross, hairless kind of thing? These look more like werewolves, I wouldn't mind one as a pet. I wonder if it was cheaper just to throw a fur rug over the creatures than to try to make them gross and hairless. For some reason I also wish there was music in the house? It would kind of make sense, seems like they were having a party when the chupacabras attacked.
> 
> *6. Halloween*
> This is a very solid house. I think I would have ranked it higher if I hadn't already seen so many Halloween houses. At some point, you just kind of feel like you've seen it before, even if it was based on a different Halloween movie. Still very solid, and I can see that it might be a favorite of people who love the movies or never saw the other Halloween houses.
> 
> 
> *7. Descendants of Destruction*
> Just very meh with this house. I like the day glow people at the end. The subway portion wasn't bad, but Dead Exposure did a subway so much better I can't help but compare it to that. I also feel like HHN over uses the slaughter house scene at this point.
> 
> *8. Hellblock Horror*
> I know this was the house that was put together at the last minute, and I think they did an ok job. I think there is a deeper storyline to this that I need to read, but I'm just not that impressed. Seems like they just tossed in random costumes of creatures they had from years past and the sets are pretty uninspired.
> 
> *9. Spirits of the Coven*
> I feel like this house is just missing a piece and it could have been great. I like the NY prohibition start we get, though once again that just makes me think of Case Files from last year. Just seems like a weird storyline, we start out in alleys and nightclubs then go underground (yet another slaughter house scene) and then end up in some weird tunnels. I dunno, just doesn't do it for me.
> 
> *10. Blumhouse*
> Admittedly, I have not seen either movie. But this house came across as very uninspired. Maybe my interpretation of what the movies are about might amuse some of you who have seen them, so Freaky seems to be your standard high school freaky masks/kill the boys at the dance type movie. Black Phone seems to be about a black phone that keeps showing up nailed to the walls. I think the phone strangles Ethan Hawke at the end?
> 
> *RANKINGS SCARE ZONES
> 
> 1. Graveyard*
> Love this scare zone so much. Has some very freaky and cool creatures. I also like the occasional flashing light.
> 
> *2. Scarecrow*
> Reminds me of growing up back home in southwestern PA near WV. This seems to always be a good scare zone in this area and I actually really like the corn monsters, they are pretty cool looking.
> 
> *3. Sweet Revenge*
> This scare zone would be ranked higher if it weren't always so crowded. I love David Tennant pumpkin guy, and the floats and the little Halloween festival set up are very photogenic. I know we've seen them before in other scare zones, but I like the kids in old fashioned costumes. The robot is a particular favorite.
> 
> *4. Horrors of Halloween*
> Lil Boo is my fav, and the pumpkin archway is really pretty. The Pumpkin Lord is also very entertaining. This would probably be ranked higher but there isn't much to it besides the Pumpkin Lord (and of course my Lil Boo).
> 
> *5. Conjure the Dark*
> Meh. I hate that they always put a scare zone in this area, it's always terrible to walk through. It immediately (and unfairly) is usually at the bottom of my list just because it's always so congested it's hard to enjoy.


I think the scare zone actors may have just been late? like only told to come after dark? there were lots in the zones when we went through at dark. They were empty up till that. We spent a long time in each just watching

 heading back tonight here in just a  few. Have an 8:30 RIP


----------



## keishashadow

Mrs.AMC said:


> there a link somewhere with more detailed info on RIP?


When u book private RIP u get a detailed email confirmation with all pertinent info you referenced

If not on public email, I’d give then a call on phone number indicated in it


----------



## keishashadow

I know what I’m putting on my HHN wish list to the pumpkin lordto consider for next year.

For those that disagree, no need to fret, file it under ‘fat chance’.


----------



## djmeredith

Mrs.AMC said:


> Last night it was the old secret entrance by blue man group. No idea if that’s the usual location or not


That is the regular hotel guest entrance.


----------



## soniam

djmeredith said:


> That is the regular hotel guest entrance.



Some years it has been at a different location.


----------



## Mrs.AMC

djmeredith said:


> That is the regular hotel guest entrance.


What’s the difference between the  regular hotel entrance and the entrance for those staying onsite? Is that not the same entrance?


----------



## Mrs.AMC

keishashadow said:


> When u book private RIP u get a detailed email confirmation with all pertinent info you referenced
> 
> If not on public email, I’d give then a call on phone number indicated in it
> 
> View attachment 707191


Never got any email about our tour period. Not one with any  phone number. Good thing I  knew to ask someone
 we asked when we picked up our comp  tickets for tonight and got the answers though
 no clue why we never got the email.


----------



## schumigirl

Mrs.AMC said:


> What’s the difference between the  regular hotel entrance and the entrance for those staying onsite? Is that not the same entrance?



For HHN those entering the Studios for the event go through the main gates where lines can be huge.

Onsite hotel guests have a separate entrance for HHN to the side of the main gates where there are usually no lines or much shorter lines if you go at gate opening. You get your ticket scanned there instead of the main gates. its usually open till around 8pm when lines are low generally and it’s not needed.


----------



## tony67

Mrs.AMC said:


> Last night it was the old secret entrance by blue man group. No idea if that’s the usual location or not


For the last several years that has been the early entrance for hotel guests .

So if you get there before opening they check your keycard and deal with your tickets and let you in at that side entrance and there is a holding area - that way you are already in when the park open and they just let you go.

The other benefit is the scare actors for what ever house was in Shrek came by - so for example all the killer clowns
Also the SAs for the main scare zone

If you arrive after 6 then there is usually a hotel guest line


----------



## Mrs.AMC

schumigirl said:


> For HHN those entering the Studios for the event go through the main gates where lines can be huge.
> 
> Onsite hotel guests have a separate entrance for HHN to the side of the main gates where there are usually no lines or much shorter lines if you go at gate opening. You get your ticket scanned there instead of the main gates. its usually open till around 8pm when lines are low generally and it’s not needed.


I am aware
But that wasn’t my question
Someone asked where the entrance was for those staying “onsite”
I said it was by blue man group
Someone came back and quoted my post and said that was for “regular hotel guests”. Which confused me as I thought they were the same thing
I didn’t understand the difference between someone staying “onsite” and “regular hotel guests”
I thought those were the different phrases for the same guests. Is that not correct?
Is there 3 different entrances?
onsite
regular hotel guests
all others
?


----------



## vinotinto

Mrs.AMC said:


> I am aware
> But that wasn’t my question
> Someone asked where the entrance was for those staying “onsite”
> I said it was by blue man group
> Someone came back and quoted my post and said that was for “regular hotel guests”. Which confused me as I thought they were the same thing
> I didn’t understand the difference between someone staying “onsite” and “regular hotel guests”
> I thought those were the different phrases for the same guests. Is that not correct?
> Is there 3 different entrances?
> onsite
> regular hotel guests
> all others
> ?


I asked the original question using the word onsite, and to me that is the same as “regular hotel guests.” What I am not clear is if the entrance for onsite/hotel guests at HHN is the same as the early morning entry. We don’t get up early on vacation, so I have not made it to early entry in years. Is this entrance exactly to the left of the regular entrance? Or further left towards the Hard Rock restaurant?


----------



## djmeredith

Mrs.AMC said:


> I am aware
> But that wasn’t my question
> Someone asked where the entrance was for those staying “onsite”
> I said it was by blue man group
> Someone came back and quoted my post and said that was for “regular hotel guests”. Which confused me as I thought they were the same thing
> I didn’t understand the difference between someone staying “onsite” and “regular hotel guests”
> I thought those were the different phrases for the same guests. Is that not correct?
> Is there 3 different entrances?
> onsite
> regular hotel guests
> all others
> ?


Sorry for any confusion. My use of "regular" was in reference to the entrance, not the "hotel guests." What I meant was, the entrance by the former Blue Man Group is the usual entrance for onsite guests. That is the only onsite hotel guest entrance people have reported this year. Someone above said it has been elsewhere in years past. I was only speaking about this year.


----------



## schumigirl

djmeredith said:


> Sorry for any confusion. My use of "regular" was in reference to the entrance, not the "hotel guests." What I meant was, the entrance by the former Blue Man Group is the usual entrance for onsite guests. That is the only onsite hotel guest entrance people have reported this year. Someone above said it has been elsewhere in years past. I was only speaking about this year.



Yes, it’s really not that difficult.

You explained it just fine.


----------



## Jimmy Mouse

Mrs.AMC said:


> What’s the difference between the  regular hotel entrance and the entrance for those staying onsite? Is that not the same entrance?


Yes. On site, hotel guest, same thing. Some people overly complicate things lol


----------



## DarthEsquire

Mrs.AMC said:


> Is there a link somewhere with more detailed info on RIP? Where and when to check in in relation to your tour time, other info from those who have done one this year? I tried searching and read through a few posts on the tours but couldn’t tell a lot. Maybe there’s another site? I realized I got no info with our order confirmation. I’ve done other VIP tours, one checked in at La Bamba and the other at the GS office in the park. Where is check in for this tour?


Hello,

I did a private RIP tour in mid-September (9/15).  The RIP tours enter to the right of the main park gates.  There will be a sign for RIP Tours and that is the line for the "public" RIP Tours.  Admittedly, that line seemed to move very slowly.  Unfortunately when my group arrived we asked an employee where to go for the private group RIP tours and they directed us that we also had to stand in the line.  After we were about halfway through another employee was coming through to give a check-in overview and ticket check and saw we were private RIP so he had us get out of the line and just walk right in (a group behind us had the same issue).  We were then told for the private RIP tours, you can just enter and do the check-in upstairs.

Once we got to the upstairs check-in we were supposed to be issued our credentials.  However, their upstairs printer was broken and at first we were not able to enter the seating/overlook area because they could not print the tickets (the RIP tour lanyards were all there).  That added about another 15-minute wait to us getting into the park to Cafe La Bamba for food.  We never ended up getting printed tickets (no great loss).  A rain storm also moved into the area about that time so the restaurant was packed (we eventually found seats).  I have done the public tours before and I admit I preferred the food offerings this year to previous years because it was much more basic.  Most years there have been fancy or elaborate fusion foods or lots of flavors but I am more a plain mac and cheese and basic snack person so I appreciated everything not having an additional flavor.  They did have pizza fries which I had heard of and am glad I tried, but am also glad I have never purchased separately.  A cash bar was also available.

Once my group was ready to go out into the rain we asked for ponchos since we saw many of the guides walking around with them and our guide then told us they ran out.  We asked where we could get some then and the guide volunteered to run to the front to get some.  Fortunately, I think someone radioed them to bring some more over instead so more got there about ten minutes later.  The guide asked if we wanted to do the show and it was still raining fairly hard, but that for private tours the show time was 8pm so that would be the one we would have to go to.  We finally left La Bamba just after 7pm and did Men in Black and then the show.  After that the rain was lighter and we continued on the tour.

I could write more about our specific tour, but I think most people reading this know the patterns.  We ended up doing all the available rides (except Mummy which while open for tech previews was not available for front of line with the tour).  We did a half hour break at Lombard's.  We did not hit the other lounges.  We were told La Bamba would be open till a certain time to get more desserts or water, but got there about 15 minutes before that time and it was closed.  We did Monsters, the Weekend, and Halloween twice and all other houses once.  Scare zones had limited operation and no lagoon show for weather.

I've done a bunch of public RIP tours before and other public tours and I would say this was by far the least organized experience I have had at Universal.  That in no way is an indictment of the tour guide as she was very good and knowledgeable and gave great info for all mazes.  However, as mentioned, my group was at the check-in at 5pm, sent to the wrong line, didn't have credentials ready, no seating and over-crowded La Bamba, lack of ponchos meant we didn't actually start until after 7pm and didn't get to a maze until after the 8pm show.  Then La Bamba closed early before we could re-visit.  

I organized this as a private for the first time as a selling point to the others in my group because I wanted them to get the same type of experience I had on prior public tours.  My group still enjoyed, but like I said, I think the service here was less than what I had experienced before (not bad by any means though).  I know the rain/weather is a stressor for employees and operations and not something there is any control over.  My other disappointment was the survey they sent me for the event was only valid for four days and I did not have computer access that week so I could not give feedback but all these are minor.

Biggest lesson (and answer to original post question):
1. Public Tour- get in line that says RIP Tour
2. Private Tour- Ignore line and walk up to doorway


----------



## FoxC63

Universal Adds Extra Dates to Halloween Horror Nights 2022​October 3, 2022 Craig Williams
Hurricane Ian caused the closure of Universal Orlando Resort for a couple of days including Halloween Horror Nights. However, Universal is making up for the closure by adding two new dates for Halloween Horror Nights that will go on sale tomorrow, October 4. The two new event dates will be Tuesday, October 11 and Monday, October 24. The new dates will also be valid for Frequent Fear, Frequent Fear Plus and Ultimate Frequent Fear Passholders. In addition, Premiere Passholders can use their free-admission benefits on those dates.


----------



## FoxC63

DarthEsquire said:


> Hello,
> 
> I did a private RIP tour in mid-September (9/15).  The RIP tours enter to the right of the main park gates.  There will be a sign for RIP Tours and that is the line for the "public" RIP Tours.
> 
> Biggest lesson (and answer to original post question):
> 1. Public Tour- get in line that says RIP Tour
> *2. Private Tour- Ignore line and walk up to doorway*


----------



## tony67

FoxC63 said:


> Universal Adds Extra Dates to Halloween Horror Nights 2022​October 3, 2022 Craig Williams
> Hurricane Ian caused the closure of Universal Orlando Resort for a couple of days including Halloween Horror Nights. However, Universal is making up for the closure by adding two new dates for Halloween Horror Nights that will go on sale tomorrow, October 4. The two new event dates will be Tuesday, October 11 and Monday, October 24. The new dates will also be valid for Frequent Fear, Frequent Fear Plus and Ultimate Frequent Fear Passholders. In addition, Premiere Passholders can use their free-admission benefits on those dates.


Was wondering how they would handle this.   Seems like a good plan on their part overall - adds two extra days to all the affected passes.

I would have understood if they did nothing at all - I am sure they have a clause for natural disasters etc... - so again I am impressed how they handled things - especially with the issues after the storm and poor communication.


----------



## Jessem1133

FoxC63 said:


> Universal Adds Extra Dates to Halloween Horror Nights 2022​October 3, 2022 Craig Williams
> Hurricane Ian caused the closure of Universal Orlando Resort for a couple of days including Halloween Horror Nights. However, Universal is making up for the closure by adding two new dates for Halloween Horror Nights that will go on sale tomorrow, October 4. The two new event dates will be Tuesday, October 11 and Monday, October 24. The new dates will also be valid for Frequent Fear, Frequent Fear Plus and Ultimate Frequent Fear Passholders. In addition, Premiere Passholders can use their free-admission benefits on those dates.


Well that's gonna work out just perfectly for me! I'll be down starting the 23rd, hopefully that extra HHn night on the 24th is slow!


----------



## namelessoracle

Not having a house for the Icon this year seemed odd to me.


----------



## soniam

namelessoracle said:


> Not having a house for the Icon this year seemed odd to me.


 Who are you considering to be the icon this year? Last year was the first time in a while that they have had any house related to the icons.


----------



## tony67

soniam said:


> Who are you considering to be the icon this year? Last year was the first time in a while that they have had any house related to the icons.


I assume they are referring to Pumpkin lord as the Icon - that is what I have seen anyway listed for this year anyway

previous to last year (I know you know this) they did not have an icon for a few years - I think the last one was Chase and there was a house if I recall correctly

Before that I cant fully recall if they always have a house - its all such a blur I'm not positive - but I think they usually did.


----------



## soniam

tony67 said:


> I assume they are referring to Pumpkin lord as the Icon - that is what I have seen anyway listed for this year anyway
> 
> previous to last year (I know you know this) they did not have an icon for a few years - I think the last one was Chase and there was a house if I recall correctly
> 
> Before that I cant fully recall if they always have a house - its all such a blur I'm not positive - but I think they usually did.


I don’t think he’s an “official” icon, but more of a sentimental favorite. He was in the Wicked Growth house last year, so I guess the didn’t want to be too repetitive. I wouldn’t mind. I like him a lot and would buy a t-shirt with him on it. I go for the pumpkin stuff though.

I haven’t been going that long; this will be my 4th year. However, I think from the HHN history podcasts that I listen to people were upset that Chase didn’t have her own house, just a small part in a show, or something like that.


----------



## namelessoracle

soniam said:


> I don’t think he’s an “official” icon, but more of a sentimental favorite. He was in the Wicked Growth house last year, so I guess the didn’t want to be too repetitive. I wouldn’t mind. I like him a lot and would buy a t-shirt with him on it. I go for the pumpkin stuff though.
> 
> I haven’t been going that long; this will be my 4th year. However, I think from the HHN history podcasts that I listen to people were upset that Chase didn’t have her own house, just a small part in a show, or something like that.


It was my understanding the Pumpkin Lord was the Icon for this year. Sense he is right at the entrance and engages with you when you come in. Also he's prominently featured on one shirt at least.

The rationale that Icons eventually show up in a House but maybe not the year they are featured makes sense I guess. I thought most Icons had a house at some point?

https://halloweenhorrornights.fandom.com/wiki/Event_Icon


----------



## namelessoracle

Looking into it, it looks like ear, and Bone are the only ones not to ever be in a House that are Icons. Lady Luck and Bone were in Scarezones. Lady Luck showed up last year in Icon Captured.

Pumpkin Lord does have a scarezone this year at least. He is the recognized Icon for this year. He was the star of the most popular house last year. I dont think anything this year has been popular enough to explode into a new Icon.


----------



## Mrs.AMC

namelessoracle said:


> Looking into it, it looks like ear, and Bone are the only ones not to ever be in a House that are Icons. Lady Luck and Bone were in Scarezones. Lady Luck showed up last year in Icon Captured.
> 
> Pumpkin Lord does have a scarezone this year at least. He is the recognized Icon for this year. He was the star of the most popular house last year. I dont think anything this year has been popular enough to explode into a new Icon.


It's not unheard of for an icon to be something that is brought back from a past year. 
One of the best things about HHN is that it's not repetitive so you can just assume and guess what they'll do next year


----------



## Jessem1133

I do not recognize Pumpkin Lord as the icon lol


----------



## Mrs.AMC

Jessem1133 said:


> I do not recognize Pumpkin Lord as the icon lol


I do suggest telling him that when you go. His reaction will be quite entertaining 
I'm just about positive he considers himself the icon


----------



## tony67

soniam said:


> I don’t think he’s an “official” icon, but more of a sentimental favorite. He was in the Wicked Growth house last year, so I guess the didn’t want to be too repetitive. I wouldn’t mind. I like him a lot and would buy a t-shirt with him on it. I go for the pumpkin stuff though.
> 
> I haven’t been going that long; this will be my 4th year. However, I think from the HHN history podcasts that I listen to people were upset that Chase didn’t have her own house, just a small part in a show, or something like that.


Yeah chase had a house it was an insane asylum of some sort

There was also an area up front where you could interact with her which was cool - until you say it several nights and it gets old and repetitive 



Jessem1133 said:


> I do not recognize Pumpkin Lord as the icon lol


I agree - I wonder if the house that got pulled was also going to be the Icon


----------



## imprint

I’m way out of the loop, but I saw some talk about the on-site guest entry. If this has already been discussed, I apologize, but I feel those that can take advantage should consider this. 

We used the on-site guest entry tonight for the first time ever. I don’t know if this is how it worked in the past.

We showed hotel key to get into the “Blue Man Group Area” from the walk from USO to IoA.  Then we showed our HHN tickets to get into the entry line. This was about 5:15. And this is the great part. There is a path they send you straight into Hellblock Horror. No express, just right in. Then we were out with the Stay and Screamers. We followed the path up to Halloween, and then went to eat some grub. Before 6:00. We could have gone commando and done a lot more before 6:30, but we were just doing a half night. We took our time, went to Warf and Chupacabra, visited the Tribute Store, explored all scare zones, Blumhouse, ate a couple more times, and shopped. Out by 10:00 taking it very, very leisurely.  Such a great change of pace from what we usually do. 

It’s a viable option for onsite guests that don’t want to deal with the stay and scream pens possibly in the sun (which we usually do use).  Now, if I only had 1-2 nights, I’d be much more commando to get everything done all at once.

Anyway, just a quick report from a veteran HHNer that tried hotel guest entry tonight for the first time.


----------



## iona

Following on from the above about the resort guest entrance - we took advantage of it three times (arriving between 5 and 5:10 each time) and found some options that worked and some that didn’t.

What worked for us after finishing Hellblock Horror:
- Joining the end of the Stay and Scream queue for Spirits of the Covern. We did that and Fiesta de Chupacabra by about 6:15/6:20.
- Grabbing a drink and then waiting for the Dead Man’s Pier Winter’s Wake queue to open. We did that and The Weekend by about 6:20.

What didn’t work for us after finishing Hellblock Horror:
- Joining the end of the Stay and Scream queue for Halloween. We were in the queue when we walked past a wait times board that said it would take us 45 minutes but it ended up taking 105 minutes.


----------



## Skywalker3

2 more days!! can't wait. Have changed my mind 10 times this week on where we plan to do stay/scream, start the night, Sunday night. I've been tracking wait times, and halloween jumps up so, so high right at opening, so I guess it's like rope dropping Hagrids/FoP, etc. Either be in the front, or you'll be waiting.  S/S. So currently leaning back to starting there, but will totally depend on how long line is when we arrive. If too bad, we'll start w Weekend.
but if we could knock out halloween, dead man's etc. at the get go, that would be better.
I STILL can't decide what all/where we'll eat. Any favorite foods? I know that's so subjective, but hoping to work in treats and drinks. 
So excited! and SO appreciate all the advice, tips, experiences on this thread/forum.


----------



## Mrs.AMC

Skywalker3 said:


> 2 more days!! can't wait. Have changed my mind 10 times this week on where we plan to do stay/scream, start the night, Sunday night. I've been tracking wait times, and halloween jumps up so, so high right at opening, so I guess it's like rope dropping Hagrids/FoP, etc. Either be in the front, or you'll be waiting.  S/S. So currently leaning back to starting there, but will totally depend on how long line is when we arrive. If too bad, we'll start w Weekend.
> but if we could knock out halloween, dead man's etc. at the get go, that would be better.
> I STILL can't decide what all/where we'll eat. Any favorite foods? I know that's so subjective, but hoping to work in treats and drinks.
> So excited! and SO appreciate all the advice, tips, experiences on this thread/forum.


I can tell you what we did NOT care for, what I wouldn't get again. Sorry but I'm awful at booth names, and food names (which I'm sure is of little help) but it's the booth that is right in front of Animal Actor's, has twisted tators and queso, and sprinkled with hot cheeto dust, and one with a hot dog and chili (has something about blood and guts in the name)
Anyway, both were pretty bland and cold, right from the booth. I would not eat either item ever again.

Over near the New York scare zone, the one near Jimmy Fallon, Tribute Store, etc we tried, an alcohol/adult beverage with matcha and some spice of some sort in it. It was horrible. We threw it out. The food we got there was good. A skull shaped pastry with pepperoni and served with marina dipping sauce underneath. Hard to eat having to hold it in your lap but I'd order another one. Just not with either beverage back there. 

Speaking of tribute store, we got the knife cheese cake thing, twice. And the eyeball pudding cake thing, twice. So loved those. Did not like the little boo layered chocolate/caramel thing. First, hard to eat and second, just not good. Neck too narrow to get a spoon out with each layer on it. Half the spoon full fell off trying to get it out through the opening. Maybe had we gotten a bite with all the flavors it would have been ok but as it was, not good. Ate a few bites, got frustrated, didn't like it, tossed the rest. 

Loved the beers at the Weekend After Hours bar. Had those, 3 times I think. 2 times at that bar and again during the break from our RIP tour stop.

While I didn't have them at the booth, we had them at the RIP reception, I did like the pizza fries and there was a sandwich with a meatball (or meatloaf) that was really good. I'm pretty sure both of those are from booths. I know pizza fries are. I would order and pay for both of those items.


----------



## wmoon

Skywalker3 said:


> 2 more days!! can't wait. Have changed my mind 10 times this week on where we plan to do stay/scream, start the night, Sunday night. I've been tracking wait times, and halloween jumps up so, so high right at opening, so I guess it's like rope dropping Hagrids/FoP, etc. Either be in the front, or you'll be waiting.  S/S. So currently leaning back to starting there, but will totally depend on how long line is when we arrive. If too bad, we'll start w Weekend.
> but if we could knock out halloween, dead man's etc. at the get go, that would be better.
> I STILL can't decide what all/where we'll eat. Any favorite foods? I know that's so subjective, but hoping to work in treats and drinks.
> So excited! and SO appreciate all the advice, tips, experiences on this thread/forum.


It’s our first ever night at HHN the following Sunday and I could have written your post word for word. We are eating at Lombards at 3.15pm so not sure we will be early enough to be at the front of the Halloween line so might start with Blumhouse and do the NYC one another of my nights. 
Would love to hear how you get on. Hope you have a great time.


----------



## soniam

iona said:


> Following on from the above about the resort guest entrance - we took advantage of it three times (arriving between 5 and 5:10 each time) and found some options that worked and some that didn’t.
> 
> What worked for us after finishing Hellblock Horror:
> - Joining the end of the Stay and Scream queue for Spirits of the Covern. We did that and Fiesta de Chupacabra by about 6:15/6:20.
> - Grabbing a drink and then waiting for the Dead Man’s Pier Winter’s Wake queue to open. We did that and The Weekend by about 6:20.
> 
> What didn’t work for us after finishing Hellblock Horror:
> - Joining the end of the Stay and Scream queue for Halloween. We were in the queue when we walked past a wait times board that said it would take us 45 minutes but it ended up taking 105 minutes.


The Halloween S&S queue was really long last night. I was sort of far back, even after getting in line about 4:15, They opened EP early, so I hopped into that line. After finishing the house, the queue was still really long. It did open early though, about 5:30.


----------



## iona

soniam said:


> The Halloween S&S queue was really long last night. I was sort of far back, even after getting in line about 4:15, They opened EP early, so I hopped into that line. After finishing the house, the queue was still really long. It did open early though, about 5:30.


Sounds like you made the right choice re the express line. It was open when we went through on Wednesday but we decided to stay in the regular line so we could use our express on it later in the evening.


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

I think Halloween just needs to be done later in the night. Unless you can be among the first people to queue for it in stay and scream, if you're going to have to wait an hour once the corrals are released I'd rather wait an hour later in the event. I'd spend the stay and scream time getting many other houses done.

We attended again last night, Thursday Oct 6 and got a lot done.

We did stay and scream for Hellblock. We were in line at 4:52, house opened immediately at 5:15 and we were in at 5:16. We were hanging out with @soniam and she used her express for Halloween. We had meant to go into line for Coven, but they hadn't loaded the stay and scream line yet. Which put us in a weird position. We had each done one house, but everything else was closed. We could have joined the end of the Halloween line but I felt like it would be an hour wait. We could have joined the end of the line for Coven, but I know that line clears quickly.

Instead we picked up some skull pizzas and lil boo pumpkin buns. Still think those two items are really good. After eating, the stay and scream line for Coven had been loaded and we went ahead and got in line at 5:40 and were inside at 5:50.

We did a quick bathroom stopped and just managed to beat the front gate crowd to the Weeknd at 6:07. We were shocked, but it ended up being a walk in. We were in at 6:14 and as we left the line was growing behind us.

Got into line at Monsters at 6:25 and we were in at 6:36. As we left we could see the line for the Weeknd was it's usual giant self.

Next up was Bug house. This was my second time through and I loved it even more than the first time. We were in line at 6:50 and done by 7:14. I think they did a cast change because we were standing still for a long time.

The good thing about some of the houses is you can see other house line's length as you leave. Bug house gives a good view of the line for Destruction, and we knew that it was longer than we wanted to wait.

We decided to head through a couple scare zones then had some drinks at Dead Coconut Club, which was amazing. Such a nice atmosphere. Two stilt walker vampires even came in to entertain everyone. There are 3 tiki drinks on the menu and I had two and tasted the other. I think my favorite was the Bleeding Eye, second fav was Haunted Isle and Java Monster brought up the rear. The only thing that could make this bar better was if they had Universal Monster tiki glasses.


----------



## tony67

So this is something I've been thinking about as HHN goes on - I've broached the subject as a side comment before.

It seems that in general many of the streamers are not all that enthralled with HHN like they have been in the past.
One of them who purchased the every night ticket (had the no Saturdays ticket last year so spent the money this year for Saturdays as well) and usually streams it - was going to skip a Saturday and seemed to be disinterested - they did end up streaming - probably because folks asked and that's how he makes money

I'm planning on going myself for about 8 nights of HHN, but due to reasons beyond my control I may have to cancel.   It's my choice - but I feel I may have too.

I got a message late yesterday from a friend (a local) who goes every with his daughter and they both said it was lame - they went on different nights and planned to go another night together which they will not be doing.

That is making my choice easier - but I know there are a lot of folks who are going or have gone that I see on here year after year discussing HHN - there are many hardcore HHN fans on here

Id appreciate some feedback on above - and not to bring it down - but its important to have a little context - would you go if you had a family member who may pass anytime in the next 3 months - maybe this week - but may not you can't know - and you have been dealing with this for several years and are basically in charge of things - and then adding on top of that events over the last several years in general. (this is just for context - it is what it is)

I've very much looking forward to HHN and more so Universal and the SeaWorld Halloween event.  Oh and the Dead coconut club

Id most like comments from people who have actually gone to HHN this year and in the past

And to add one more thing - Ill probably go at Christmas as well


----------



## schumigirl

tony67 said:


> So this is something I've been thinking about as HHN goes on - I've broached the subject as a side comment before.
> 
> It seems that in general many of the streamers are not all that enthralled with HHN like they have been in the past.
> One of them who purchased the every night ticket (had the no Saturdays ticket last year so spent the money this year for Saturdays as well) and usually streams it - was going to skip a Saturday and seemed to be disinterested and was going to skip it - they did end up streaming - probably because folks asked and that's how he makes money
> 
> I'm planning on going myself for about 8 nights of HHN, but due to reasons beyond my control I may have to cancel.   It's my choice - but I feel I may have too.
> 
> I got a message late yesterday from a friend (a local) who goes every with his daughter and they both said it was lame - they went on different nights and planned to go another night together which they will not be doing.
> 
> That is making my choice easier - but I know there are a lot of folks who are going or have gone that I see on here year after year discussing HHN
> 
> Id appreciate some feedback on above - and not to bring it down - but its important to have a little context - would you go if you had a family member who may pass anytime in the next 3 months - maybe this week - but may not you can't know - and you have been dealing with this for several years and are basically in charge of things - and then adding on top of that events over the last several years in general. (this is just for context - it is what it is)
> 
> I've very much looking forward to HHN and more so Universal and the SeaWorld Halloween event.  Oh and the Dead coconut club
> 
> Id most like comments from people who have actually gone to HHN this year and in the past



Tony, I`m sorry you`re going to lose someone in your family. Never an easy time for anyone. 

Being honest, this years HHN started out quite positive for us....houses sounded good, scare zones looked decent and food options looked decent too. First couple of nights were good. 

Food options we tried were not even remotely like the picture. Nothing stood out as worth waiting in those huge lines for.

After that, we kinda lost interest. It was too busy and that was one of our main complaints, but houses were lacklustre at times (not always) we noticed they were not stopping the lines while the change of SA teams took place which used to happen so you didn`t miss any scares or actors. This year we wandered through several houses on several occasions to missing SA. 

The scare zones were set up well and the Graveyard one was particularly good, we did enjoy that when it wasn`t mobbed, so I`m not knocking everything about the event, it just didn`t live up to the hype for us.

The crowds were so bad one night I couldn`t see a single SA in the first scare zone, lost Tom in the crowd twice and honestly, for the first time I just wanted to get out of there.

A couple of nights we were with another couple who hadn`t been for a long time, they were so disappointed. The rain early in the event did keep the crowds at bay, but once the crowds hit.....wow!

We started going to HHN in 2007 but we`ve decided that was our last year going to the event. 

We did Howl O Scream this year and LOVED it. Fewer houses, less polished, fewer scare zones and fewer SA....but they made up for it with enthusiasm and downright fun. There were no huge crowds like we saw at HHN this year, and we had a blast. 

There are some good things with HHN this year.....Dead Man`s Pier, Halloween and a couple of others. The Dead Coconut Club is a lot of fun, but that shouldn`t have been the highlight of the event and it was one of them for us. 

I don`t mean to be a downer, and I`m sure there will be a swathe of folks saying how wonderful it is, and that`s fine, we all see things differently, but for someone who has been a huge long time horror night fan, this year did not live up to the hype. We spoke to so many folks who all think they are selling too many tickets for the event and it needs to be honed in a little, but they won`t as it`s a huge moneymaker of course.

I`ve answered as honestly as I can as you asked a difficult question, and I hope you make the best decision for you.


----------



## tony67

schumigirl said:


> Tony, I`m sorry you`re going to lose someone in your family. Never an easy time for anyone.
> 
> Being honest, this years HHN started out quite positive for us....houses sounded good, scare zones looked decent and food options looked decent too. First couple of nights were good.
> 
> Food options we tried were not even remotely like the picture. Nothing stood out as worth waiting in those huge lines for.
> 
> After that, we kinda lost interest. It was too busy and that was one of our main complaints, but houses were lacklustre at times (not always) we noticed they were not stopping the lines while the change of SA teams took place which used to happen so you didn`t miss any scares or actors. This year we wandered through several houses on several occasions to missing SA.
> 
> The scare zones were set up well and the Graveyard one was particularly good, we did enjoy that when it wasn`t mobbed, so I`m not knocking everything about the event, it just didn`t live up to the hype for us.
> 
> The crowds were so bad one night I couldn`t see a single SA in the first scare zone, lost Tom in the crowd twice and honestly, for the first time I just wanted to get out of there.
> 
> A couple of nights we were with another couple who hadn`t been for a long time, they were so disappointed. The rain early in the event did keep the crowds at bay, but once the crowds hit.....wow!
> 
> We started going to HHN in 2007 but we`ve decided that was our last year going to the event.
> 
> We did Howl O Scream this year and LOVED it. Fewer houses, less polished, fewer scare zones and fewer SA....but they made up for it with enthusiasm and downright fun. There were no huge crowds like we saw at HHN this year, and we had a blast.
> 
> There are some good things with HHN this year.....Dead Man`s Pier, Halloween and a couple of others. The Dead Coconut Club is a lot of fun, but that shouldn`t have been the highlight of the event and it was one of them for us.
> 
> I don`t mean to be a downer, and I`m sure there will be a swathe of folks saying how wonderful it is, and that`s fine, we all see things differently, but for someone who has been a huge long time horror night fan, this year did not live up to the hype. We spoke to so many folks who all think they are selling too many tickets for the event and it needs to be honed in a little, but they won`t as it`s a huge moneymaker of course.
> 
> I`ve answered as honestly as I can as you asked a difficult question, and I hope you make the best decision for you.


Thank you.

I know you well - at least as well as you can someone from an online forum  - and your feedback is a big help and holds weight - hopefully we will meet  some time in Strongwater - I usually there in September same time as you - although I think I may have met Tom in one of my many nights there when he was ordering drinks at the bar - I engage folks at the bar far too often - if you sit next to me at the bar I'm probably going to speak to you or at least try to  - especially when there is an Irish or English accent. 

I also want to see Lenny again - I'm sure I talk his ear off - but he is a great bartender at Songwater - and the food there is amazing - best in the parks IMO - I am really looking forward to the curry goat and the octopus.  Songwater  is a big reason I go to Universal and is part of my hotel choices.  

I may just scale back to a long weekend - I really want to do SeaWorld - that is so much more fun and adultish like the old HHN.
Last year I did not really enjoy HHN overall - and skipped many nights I could have gone with ROF  - but I cut them a lot of slack for last year.


----------



## iona

We’re certainly not experts like Carole & Tom as this was only our third year of HHN (the previous two being 2016 and 2019). However, we’ve also been left with no desire to return, even if a future stay does coincide date wise.

We did enjoy some of the houses (Dead Man’s Pier was beautiful, The Weeknd was fun and had some good jump scares and we’re glad we did Halloween but Halloween II in 2016 was better) but there were far less that we wanted to repeat this year than previously and if I ever have to do Hellblock Horror again it’ll be too soon! 

The scare zones were definitely too crowded to be enjoyable and there were just too many kids and too many idiots (although the latter could be a sign of me getting old…).

We enjoyed some of the food and drinks but it probably says a lot that on the last of our three nights we ate at the Today Cafe rather than the booths and then went back to The Thirsty Fish for a drink.

That all sounds very negative - I certainly don’t regret going this year (because we had enjoyed 2016 & 2019 so much) but unlike on those previous occasions I’m not sitting here working out when we’re coming back for HHN and what we’ll do differently next time to make it even better.


----------



## shh

I think cutting down the length of your trip a bit is a wise possibility. Maybe a couple of HHN nights and 1 at Sea World's so you get fun tastes of both without burning out? We've been doing HHN off and on almost since the event began decades ago - I think the disappointment levels are due to a few different things:

It does get harder and harder to dazzle folks who have gone so many years and seen so much already vs first timers. It's natural that it's going to feel a little less "special" at some point.
UO needs to step the heck up and require adult supervision of anyone under 18 - _enough already_! So many complaints this year around hordes of rude, defiant, line cutting, even violent older kids harassing other guests. Most won't act the same way if a parent or guardian is in tow and forced to take responsibility for their actions.
Tic overselling is definitely eroding the experience. Most people here won't agree, but I'm not a fan of the much cheaper Sept "all you can visit" passes that encourage so many repeat visits. I think it's a bad strategy that is adding to crowd volume. I'd love to see them just sell individual night tics and maybe a limited 5 or 7 multi-night pass w/requirement to choose which nights. This would give UO teams a better sense of attendance on any given night.
Oct has always been far busier historically: it'll be interesting to see if this year, it's closer to Sept, given Sept's record-breaking volume. I don't think as many locals buy higher priced Oct passes. This year, there are also only 3 choices for premiere passholders to redeem their free nights. 
We're doing just one HHN night this year with express (a first time splurge - woo hoo!) vs multiple nights. I still want a "taste", as there's nothing in my area like it and I love halloween. For what it's worth, many people on facebook really enjoyed and continue to rave about their trips.

We'll go with lower expectations, knowing it'll be very crowded. No waiting in hot, crowded S&S corrals this year, no racing around to do houses multiple times. We'll enjoy what we can for the night and move on. I still think I'll have a wonderful evening.


----------



## Mrs.AMC

I guess I'll do the counter point
We loved HHN this year as much as we have any other. No, we are not long time attendees. I'm not the biggest fan of horror and it took me a long time to get the nerve up to go. As PP mentioned, maybe long time attendees are just getting hard to "scare" (which is not the word I want). Nor is impress or please. Dazzle and delight works as well as any I think. Dazzle particularly. Eventually you run out of things to do that are new. That may be where Universal is getting to. 
Anyway, there are always houses we love, and houses that are less favorite. 
Sometimes those are the houses we think they will be, sometimes they aren't.
There are no houses that I wouldn't do again
Scare zones are just about always my favorite thing. I can sit and watch or walk through them for hours. 
Food booths are last on our list of what we go for and if they went away I wouldn't care
This year is no different in any of the above.
I didn't notice crowds to be different. I'll not even count the night we went after reopening following Ian. It was too abnormal. I'm comparing the next night, which was a Saturday night. Yes, it looked very crowded. But it looked no different than any night we've ever gone. It's why we only go with an express pass. If we lived there maybe it would be different. I'd get one of the FF passes and go way more often, then EP wouldn't matter as much. Maybe if we went often we'd share the opinions of those that do go often. No idea. As it is, we only go a few nights and we really like the event this year.
In all the times we've done HHN we've only done S&S once. I just don't find waiting in a corral an improvement vs just entering later and getting in line. 
We have done all houses, scare zones and the show twice now. It's the first time we've ever repeated houses. Except the year they did daytime houses. I wasn't sure about how I'd like doing that since I'm so iffy on them period. Turned out I like it. I found I felt I was able to look around a bit more the 2nd time, less apprehensive I think. 
I haven't changed my mind about going back for Halloween night. We even bought EP to make sure we get in all the houses that night too. I'm seriously thinking I want to get a 4th night but I'm holding off for now. We'll be traveling down that day and may wait till that day and buy the ticket once we see how we feel.


----------



## schumigirl

tony67 said:


> Thank you.
> 
> I know you well - at least as well as you can someone from an online forum  - and your feedback is a big help and holds weight - hopefully we will meet  some time in Strongwater - I usually there in September same time as you - although I think I may have met Tom in one of my many nights there when he was ordering drinks at the bar - I engage folks at the bar far too often - if you sit next to me at the bar I'm probably going to speak to you or at least try to  - especially when there is an Irish or English accent.
> 
> I also want to see Lenny again - I'm sure I talk his ear off - but he is a great bartender at Songwater - and the food there is amazing - best in the parks IMO - I am really looking forward to the curry goat and the octopus.  Songwater  is a big reason I go to Universal and is part of my hotel choices.
> 
> I may just scale back to a long weekend - I really want to do SeaWorld - that is so much more fun and adultish like the old HHN.
> Last year I did not really enjoy HHN overall - and skipped many nights I could have gone with ROF  - but I cut them a lot of slack for last year.



Thank you, I appreciate that. 

Oh you should have said hi the night you saw Tom......and Lenny works Thursday and Friday`s in Strong Water. Yes, he is fabulous, Anthony is also a fabulous Rum Captain though, his knowledge has genuinely impressed us a lot. 

Hope you like the Scottish accent too....... 





iona said:


> We’re certainly not experts like Carole & Tom as this was only our third year of HHN (the previous two being 2016 and 2019). However, we’ve also been left with no desire to return, even if a future stay does coincide date wise.
> 
> We did enjoy some of the houses (Dead Man’s Pier was beautiful, The Weeknd was fun and had some good jump scares and we’re glad we did Halloween but Halloween II in 2016 was better) but there were far less that we wanted to repeat this year than previously and if I ever have to do Hellblock Horror again it’ll be too soon!
> 
> The scare zones were definitely too crowded to be enjoyable and there were just too many kids and too many idiots (although the latter could be a sign of me getting old…).
> 
> We enjoyed some of the food and drinks but it probably says a lot that on the last of our three nights we ate at the Today Cafe rather than the booths and then went back to The Thirsty Fish for a drink.
> 
> That all sounds very negative - I certainly don’t regret going this year (because we had enjoyed 2016 & 2019 so much) but unlike on those previous occasions I’m not sitting here working out when we’re coming back for HHN and what we’ll do differently next time to make it even better.




That`s a shame, I know what you mean though. We would be thinking of the next HHN before this years had even finished, but....not this year. 

Yes, it wasn`t always dreadful and I don`t think we`re too hard to please.......nor am I hard to scare as many who know me will agree with........but this was just a huge miss for us and many folks we know too...including TM and SA too. 





shh said:


> I think cutting down the length of your trip a bit is a wise possibility. Maybe a couple of HHN nights and 1 at Sea World's so you get fun tastes of both without burning out? We've been doing HHN off and on almost since the event began decades ago - I think the disappointment levels are due to a few different things:
> 
> It does get harder and harder to dazzle folks who have gone so many years and seen so much already vs first timers. It's natural that it's going to feel a little less "special" at some point.
> UO needs to step the heck up and require adult supervision of anyone under 18 - _enough already_! So many complaints this year around hordes of rude, defiant, line cutting, even violent older kids harassing other guests. Most won't act the same way if a parent or guardian is in tow and forced to take responsibility for their actions.
> Tic overselling is definitely eroding the experience. Most people here won't agree, but I'm not a fan of the much cheaper Sept "all you can visit" passes that encourage so many repeat visits. I think it's a bad strategy that is adding to crowd volume. I'd love to see them just sell individual night tics and maybe a limited 5 or 7 multi-night pass w/requirement to choose which nights. This would give UO teams a better sense of attendance on any given night.
> Oct has always been far busier historically: it'll be interesting to see if this year, it's closer to Sept, given Sept's record-breaking volume. I don't think as many locals buy higher priced Oct passes. This year, there are also only 3 choices for premiere passholders to redeem their free nights.
> We're doing just one HHN night this year with express (a first time splurge - woo hoo!) vs multiple nights. I still want a "taste", as there's nothing in my area like it and I love halloween. For what it's worth, many people on facebook really enjoyed and continue to rave about their trips.
> 
> We'll go with lower expectations, knowing it'll be very crowded. No waiting in hot, crowded S&S corrals this year, no racing around to do houses multiple times. We'll enjoy what we can for the night and move on. I still think I'll have a wonderful evening.



I do hope you enjoy your night with EP. Yes, many folks have mentioned the much larger crowds this year including SA we are friends with who have all spoke about busier than usual crowds.

I agree with the teen issue, they do need to control.....we didn`t see as much of that this year, I think we were lucky, but the strollers and toddler issue needs to be addressed.

I should add for clarity, we never do Stay and Scream and only ever have Rush of Fear with Express Pass.....would NEVER do the event without EP.

One night the Express line for Halloween was over 45 minutes.....thats not Express in any world.

Mike Aiello even said Howl O Scream was excellent and was what HHN used to be before it got so huge. 



But, this wasn`t meant to be a debate, a question was asked, I hope Tony67 makes the right decision for him.


----------



## shh

schumigirl said:


> Mike Aiello even said Howl O Scream was excellent and was what HHN used to be before it got so huge.


I definitely enjoyed HOS last year during its inaugural year. We're skipping this year, as this is a short trip, but planning on revisiting in 2023.


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

I do think this year is not as good as others, subjective opinion of course.

I've been going since 2015 and only missed one year. Never have a I had a year where I said....oh, I miss the previous year. Except that is the way I feel this time.

There are some really good houses, and I've had a lot of fun moments. However, this year just isn't doing it for me.

I also think crowds have actually been letting up, Sept was unbearable even in stay and scream. I've had much better experiences lately crowd wise.


----------



## tony67

schumigirl said:


> Howl O Scream was excellent and was what HHN used to be before it got so huge.


100% this - no questions - its what I do miss  - when you watch videos from 5 to 10 years ago and see what it was its night and day




Thanks all - I think I get the bigger picture here and it help a lot to make the choices - now I have to talk with UNI about my 3 house and 6 house tours and options to cancel.


----------



## schumigirl

tony67 said:


> 100% this - no questions - its what a do miss  - when you watch videos from 5 to 10 years ago and see what it was its night and day
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks all - I think I get the bigger picture here and it help a lot to make the choices - now I have to talk with UNI about my 3 house and 6 house tours and options to cancel.



I’m sure they’ll work with you with any changes you may have to make, you know how good they are with customer service.

Yes, it is like night and day from years ago.


----------



## Greg36

Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences on this thread. My daughter and I are attending this event on Thursday Oct 20th. We have never been to universal but both love scary movies. We are really excited about this event. Just for context, we have scream early tickets and express. We have been trying to decide which holding area to enter. We are between the simpsons area and NY. The houses we are most excited for are Halloween, Monsters, Dead man, and the Weekend. Our strategy was to try and do two houses first without express (either Halloween/Dead man or Weekend/Monsters). We have been leaning towards starting in NY but I have been reading that this is really busy and may have some really long waits early on. Does anyone have any advice on which of these locations might be a better starting place? Thanks again, Greg


----------



## MinnieMSue

Greg36 said:


> Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences on this thread. My daughter and I are attending this event on Thursday Oct 20th. We have never been to universal but both love scary movies. We are really excited about this event. Just for context, we have scream early tickets and express. We have been trying to decide which holding area to enter. We are between the simpsons area and NY. The houses we are most excited for are Halloween, Monsters, Dead man, and the Weekend. Our strategy was to try and do two houses first without express (either Halloween/Dead man or Weekend/Monsters). We have been leaning towards starting in NY but I have been reading that this is really busy and may have some really long waits early on. Does anyone have any advice on which of these locations might be a better starting place? Thanks again, Greg



this is literally what we are trying to decide ourselves.  I think we will do it one way one night and the other the next depending on how it works.  I am so undecided as to what I want to do.  I don't really want to be in any halloween chaos that I have read can happen. Last year we did simpsons area and hit the houses where the monsters and weekend are now pretty quickly.  But things are different this year so...idk


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

Greg36 said:


> Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences on this thread. My daughter and I are attending this event on Thursday Oct 20th. We have never been to universal but both love scary movies. We are really excited about this event. Just for context, we have scream early tickets and express. We have been trying to decide which holding area to enter. We are between the simpsons area and NY. The houses we are most excited for are Halloween, Monsters, Dead man, and the Weekend. Our strategy was to try and do two houses first without express (either Halloween/Dead man or Weekend/Monsters). We have been leaning towards starting in NY but I have been reading that this is really busy and may have some really long waits early on. Does anyone have any advice on which of these locations might be a better starting place? Thanks again, Greg



If you are in stay and scream line for Halloween super early you can do that one, and I am talking like 4 pm. If you don't want to line up that early, I would do stay and scream for Hellblock, then join the line for Coven, then get in line immediately for Dead Man's.

If you can get to the Monsters/Weeknd area right at 6 you can beat the crowds. If you do, I would do Weeknd first then Monsters. It all depends on how quickly you can get through Dead Man's.

You have to keep in mind what time the houses open (sometimes they can open late).

5:15
Hellblock
Halloween

5:30
Coven

5:45
Legends
Weeknd
Blumhouse

6
Chupacabra
Dead Man's Pier
Bugs
Destruction


----------



## Greg36

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> If you are in stay and scream line for Halloween super early you can do that one, and I am talking like 4 pm. If you don't want to line up that early, I would do stay and scream for Hellblock, then join the line for Coven, then get in line immediately for Dead Man's.
> 
> If you can get to the Monsters/Weeknd area right at 6 you can beat the crowds. If you do, I would do Weeknd first then Monsters. It all depends on how quickly you can get through Dead Man's.
> 
> You have to keep in mind what time the houses open (sometimes they can open late).
> 
> 5:15
> Hellblock
> Halloween
> 
> 5:30
> Coven
> 
> 5:45
> Legends
> Weeknd
> Blumhouse
> 
> 6
> Chupacabra
> Dead Man's Pier
> Bugs
> Destruction


This is great info. Thanks for posting it


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

Greg36 said:


> This is great info. Thanks for posting it



If you go back a few pages I have done a lot of stay and scream strategies in case you want to see what worked or didn't for me.


----------



## keishashadow

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> You have to keep in mind what time the houses open (sometimes they can open late).


Absolutely.  Great recap above btw!

I was shocked how long it could take if Halloween isn’t opened until after 5:30 pm.  

we also experienced one evening when the unofficial line @ S&S was cut by the crowd for Halloween.  haven’t seen any reports of that afterwards though…maybe they put more TMs into place??? Please

on one busy night we were able to do Coven (hellblock already had long line posted) then Dead Mans Pier, then walking over to bugs before starting to use EP.


----------



## Mrs.AMC

Is there a particular reason you wait to use the EP? Why not just use it from the get go?


----------



## imprint

Mrs.AMC said:


> Is there a particular reason you wait to use the EP? Why not just use it from the get go?


Some suggest that if you Stay and Scream, you can use standby first and return later with Express Pass. Good strategy if you plan to run those houses the same night. If you’re talking about Halloween house, unless you are set on going there twice in one night, I highly recommend using Exoress there right away. You’ll get it done and be on your way to see more houses (or at least queue up for another house) before the general tickets get in.  Halloween gets clogged up quick.

Edit:  it’s Sunday night at 1:00 am and Halloween is still the longest wait. I’d recommend getting it done early with Express if you have it.


----------



## Mrs.AMC

imprint said:


> Some suggest that if you Stay and Scream, you can use standby first and return later with Express Pass. Good strategy if you plan to run those houses the same night. If you’re talking about Halloween house, unless you are set on going there twice in one night, I highly recommend using Exoress there right away. You’ll get it done and be on your way to see more houses (or at least queue up for another house) before the general tickets get in.  Halloween gets clogged up quick.
> 
> Edit:  it’s Sunday night at 1:00 am and Halloween is still the longest wait. I’d recommend getting it done early with Express if you have it.


I never think about doing a house twice in a night. Makes sense to wait to use it in that case.


----------



## keishashadow

Mrs.AMC said:


> I never think about doing a house twice in a night. Makes sense to wait to use it in that case.


That’s what this thread is designed to do, share tips and be informative.

especially helpful for those who are new to the haunt


----------



## keishashadow

imprint said:


> If you’re talking about Halloween house, unless you are set on going there twice in one night, I highly recommend using Exoress there right away. You’ll get it done and be on your way to see more houses (or at least queue up for another house) before the general tickets get in


yes, you really don’t want to start out your S&S waiting 70 min in that line.  defeats the whole idea of coming in early

I’ll toss the Weekend into that category too, astounded how long that line was this year.  Can’t remember seeing them use the first part of this year’s queue in the past


----------



## Mrs.AMC

keishashadow said:


> yes, you really don’t want to start out your S&S waiting 70 min in that line.  defeats the whole idea of coming in early
> 
> *I’ll toss the Weekend into that category too, astounded how long that line was this year. * Can’t remember seeing them use the first part of this year’s queue in the past


I think it's a direct correlation to just how popular the artist is.


----------



## shb5007

We are attending this Sunday (10/16) and have Express Passes.  We have dinner reservations at CityWalk at 4:30 and then planned to walk over for HHN.  What can I expect to encounter if I arrive at 6? or 7?  Or am I better off just taking my time... and planning to enter at 7:30?  Do the lines to enter wind down at a given point?


----------



## soniam

shb5007 said:


> We are attending this Sunday (10/16) and have Express Passes.  We have dinner reservations at CityWalk at 4:30 and then planned to walk over for HHN.  What can I expect to encounter if I arrive at 6? or 7?  Or am I better off just taking my time... and planning to enter at 7:30?  Do the lines to enter wind down at a given point?


Usually, they are fine by 6:30, even not bad by 6:15. However, something was going on Saturday. We walked over from the Dead Coconut Club about 6:30x. It was backed up the bridge. We headed over to the hotel guest entrance and walked right in. The night wasn’t really that bad in the end. We did each house once with EP and watched the dance show. Did the Tribute store too. We weren’t running either. Finished up by midnight. Must have had delays getting people in or something.


----------



## Skywalker3

Glad we did HHN this year, but I don’t think we’ll ever plan on it again without express. After the extremely long standby waits at most houses Sunday night, watching crowds of express folks pass us by, I see the necessity, but it would’ve meant another $350 for the 2 of us, just for that . Plus the $ 200 Ticket, that’s a pricey night . DS said he had fun. Son’s favorite house was Halloween. I actually got lost in it, and a team member had to steer me right. Ha . I was embarrassed. I loved Blumhouse and Monaters collide best, and Chupacabra. I only managed 8 houses, DS did 7 before leaving. We made a big mistake in the beginning. Got to S/S early for Halloween. Out if the house by about 540/545. My son didn’t want to do coven, but we could’ve easily done it with no wait. Then should’ve lined up for Dead man/ Chupacsbra. Instead went to wait by gates to go to Blumhouse. DS really wanted to do that one. They held us until 615 behind  the barricades by louies. Finally let us out, I know they were still clearing regular guests, but they’d told us they’d open barricades at 6. Blumhouse took about 25-30 mins. made it to Weekend by about 6:45. Posted 40 mins , but we waited at least 60 or more. Often barely moving due to hordes of expesss coming and coming. I totally get that they deserve to bypass/ get on, but it made me realize that express seems necessary to avoid frustration . Lines last year didn’t build that fast until later in evening. I also agree with the unpopular opinion that they’ve made the rush of fear/ frequent fear pass too cheap and includes too many nights. Holiday weekend probably should’ve been excluded. I know, should’ve just bought ex press, and they were selling the after 11 passes. Considered doing that. But I think they were 129 each. Didn’t check with TM on price. Anyway, it reminded me of what Disney is doing with Genie plus here.
 scare zones were good. Graveyard one was spookiest especially around 1am. Rather deserted, lots of fog.  . Best scares tho we’re in the Candy one. Several got us, because we didn’t realize they were scare actors .  Loved all houses. I have an intense phobia of roaches, so just HAD to do bug house. Creeped me out so much, not scary , but with a roach phobia, def got to me. Weekend was super fun, great music especially appreciated in the long *** queue,  but didn’t get any jumps. Also may just been in bad mood. Dead man and Monsters had great designs . Got the most jumps out of Monsters. Halloween is one my oldest, favorite horror movies, and appreciated the design, but I think my walk through may have just missed some scares. but my son got some and loved it. I loved and had a great walk through Chupacabra.
Anyway, if you have express, you’ll be fine and have a wonderful time..if not, follow the advice on this thread to maximize stay/ scream. We deviated from plan, and not a good idea. Still had a great time
Also had good times on MiB, mummy that night and got my pizza fries!


----------



## FoxC63

*Just a heads up!*

I'm on day 10 of my countdown to vacation, if anyone wants to add their information to the HHN 2022 Never Go Alone - Official Guest List thread please do so.

Countdown to Vacation!


----------



## glamdring269

In the way early planning for Oct 2023 trip and reading through this thread has me a little less excited for HHN next year. I did it once in 2019, with a RIP tour, and would probably do the same in 2023. I guess for now I'll still plan to do it as we'll go to Universal regardless but really bummed reading some of the negative reviews coming through. Hopefully it's just a one year blip.


----------



## Jangles

FoxC63 said:


> *Just a heads up!*
> 
> I'm on day 10 of my countdown to vacation, if anyone wants to add their information to the HHN 2022 Never Go Alone - Official Guest List thread please do so.
> 
> View attachment 710002Countdown to Vacation!


I am so grateful to you for starting this thread. My countdown is 12, so maybe our paths will cross in the fog.


----------



## shb5007

Are you allowed to take a small backpack into HHN?  And through the Mazes?

Are there any rides at HHN that you CAN'T take a backpack on?

Just trying to plan for this weekend...


----------



## Mrs.AMC

shb5007 said:


> Are you allowed to take a small backpack into HHN?  And through the Mazes?
> 
> Are there any rides at HHN that you CAN'T take a backpack on?
> 
> Just trying to plan for this weekend...


Yes, you can take back packs in houses
As for rides, it's no different than daytime
Some yes, some no


----------



## shh

glamdring269 said:


> In the way early planning for Oct 2023 trip and reading through this thread has me a little less excited for HHN next year. I did it once in 2019, with a RIP tour, and would probably do the same in 2023. I guess for now I'll still plan to do it as we'll go to Universal regardless but really bummed reading some of the negative reviews coming through. Hopefully it's just a one year blip.


I wouldn't feel bummed just from what you're reading here. Realize for every negative review, there are many people raving on FB, Twitter and other forums, including this one, about the fun they had. And many more who loved it, but didn't take time to post. I'm sure there were even guests who may have been less than thrilled when comparing it to past years, but would still say they were glad they went vs staying home.

It's just like any vacation destination or themed event, really. Some will love it, others will hate it - and some just have bad luck or timing when they went (an extra crowded night, miserable weather, encountering a group of rude people, etc.) Overall, I'd say this year is a decent success, just going by reviews across different forums & social platforms.

Several reviewers also mentioned they were apprehensive after reading a bunch of negative things before attending, but then when they actually went, they ended up having a wonderful time.


----------



## Skywalker3

shb5007 said:


> Are you allowed to take a small backpack into HHN?  And through the Mazes?
> 
> Are there any rides at HHN that you CAN'T take a backpack on?
> 
> Just trying to plan for this weekend...


I had a full sized backpack , no issues in houses. Did have to put it in lockers for Mummy and MiB, and if we’d gone gringotts, there too.


----------



## Mrs.AMC

Skywalker3 said:


> I had a full sized backpack , no issues in houses. Did have to put it in lockers for Mummy and MiB, and if we’d gone gringotts, there too.


And Rip/Ride/Rocket is a no backpack ride. It's a nothing in pocket period ride. Go through a metal detector on that one. Can take park ticket only (for locker re-entry)


----------



## Skywalker3

glamdring269 said:


> In the way early planning for Oct 2023 trip and reading through this thread has me a little less excited for HHN next year. I did it once in 2019, with a RIP tour, and would probably do the same in 2023. I guess for now I'll still plan to do it as we'll go to Universal regardless but really bummed reading some of the negative reviews coming through. Hopefully it's just a one year blip.


We had a good time, but with some frustration due to long regular stand by lines. Houses were still great, some really great. but it was super crowded. But was a holiday weekend. Expected crowds, but still seemed extra busy. But if you have express or go RIP them won’t have the standby aggravation.  I still hope to do future events if we’re here during the season


----------



## Mrs.AMC

glamdring269 said:


> In the way early planning for Oct 2023 trip and reading through this thread has me a little less excited for HHN next year. I did it once in 2019, with a RIP tour, and would probably do the same in 2023. I guess for now I'll still plan to do it as we'll go to Universal regardless but really bummed reading some of the negative reviews coming through. Hopefully it's just a one year blip.


Search past years (not just here, but facebook/twitter, etc). 
There are always negative reviews. Always. I've not tracked from who, I'd venture to guess in some cases from the same people. Yet they return so that says something
There are always houses that some say are a let down.
There are always nights with long waits.
There are crowds
EP will always get through faster than stand by
Food is always iffy
Some think the scare zones are great, some think they are lame.
Shows seem to fall in the love/hate, rarely are they eh (though there's always a segment of the "bring back Bill and Ted" population that shows up LOL)
That's just about the one constant about HHN, it's a mixed bag.
After 31 years it is getting harder to find something that they haven't done 
So some years they got complaints about too much IP, not enough original stuff
Some years they get complaints about too much original stuff, not enough IP (stuff people have heard of)
Get a pattern? 
You can't please everyone and someone will always complain.
Bottom line, don't let this year detract you from your interest in going.
It's no different than any other year in regards to comments.


----------



## Pooh's World

I think two things hurt this year HHN.
One, way too many people this year for Universal. It reminded me of going to Magic Kingdom for Extra Magic Hours at night and you can't ride but People Mover or Littler Mermaid without waiting in line for over an hour. All you end up doing is just walking around through hordes of people which isn't fun.

Two, the tent poll maze, Halloween is good but not a grand slam in comparison to previous years with Stranger Things , Clowns and American Werewolf in London. So it's just a much weaker lineup of mazes overall.


----------



## keishashadow

Skywalker3 said:


> They held us until 615 behind the barricades by louies. Finally let us out, I know they were still clearing regular guests, but they’d told us they’d open barricades at 6.


Unfortunately, It can be a real crap shoot as to when they get park cleared.  Told it’s not unusual for people to try to hide in bathrooms    Seriously, even a (killer) klown would know that isn’t going to work.


Skywalker3 said:


> I also agree with the unpopular opinion that they’ve made the rush of fear/ frequent fear pass too cheap and includes too many nights. Holiday weekend probably should’ve been excluded


How dare you!

i’m sure the bean counters will have ‘fixed’ that by next year.


glamdring269 said:


> I guess for now I'll still plan to do it as we'll go to Universal regardless but really bummed reading some of the negative reviews coming through. Hopefully it's just a one year blip.


Sometimes the things we complain about are the things we care most about…

for many long-time guests it does seem to have evolved into a love-hate relationship.  I get it, can be rather painful to see changes to the event that appear to be wholly of cost cutting measures vs those of an artistic nature.

take it all with a big grain of salt.  most people who do visit for the first time are absolutely blown away by the experience.  Then, they come back the next year as full-blown critics.

as much as I’ve expressed myself about this year’s event, heading down for one more run thru this weekend


----------



## mechteach1

A huge, HUGE thank you to everyone who has posted tips in this thread! I've been going through every page and putting them in a notes files to help plan our night. I'm *super* excited to be going back to HHN this year. It's been an annual tradition for me and my kids for ~6 years now (my husband/their dad joined us for the first time last year - he's not a theme park guy), and we thought last year would be our last, due to work/school obligations for my oldest. However, she ended up getting part of Friday off, so we are back for one more weekend! 

We are all AP holders (not my husband, but he has a ticket), and staying at the RPR, and splurging on EP (we did that last year as an incentive for my hubs to come, and it's hard to turn back on that), and so we are trying to decide our best strategy for tackling HHN this year. We don't typically want to do any of the house more than once, so that isn't a consideration, but enjoy getting the food, visiting the scare zones, etc. What do you think would be best for that plan of attack? We've done sitting in the Stay-and-Scream areas (+Finnegans) in the past, but the hotel guest entrance sounds amazing this year. Maybe we should just do that?  What would you do in our shoes? I definitely welcome any opinions on this!


----------



## imprint

mechteach1 said:


> A huge, HUGE thank you to everyone who has posted tips in this thread! I've been going through every page and putting them in a notes files to help plan our night. I'm *super* excited to be going back to HHN this year. It's been an annual tradition for me and my kids for ~6 years now (my husband/their dad joined us for the first time last year - he's not a theme park guy), and we thought last year would be our last, due to work/school obligations for my oldest. However, she ended up getting part of Friday off, so we are back for one more weekend!
> 
> We are all AP holders (not my husband, but he has a ticket), and staying at the RPR, and splurging on EP (we did that last year as an incentive for my hubs to come, and it's hard to turn back on that), and so we are trying to decide our best strategy for tackling HHN this year. We don't typically want to do any of the house more than once, so that isn't a consideration, but enjoy getting the food, visiting the scare zones, etc. What do you think would be best for that plan of attack? We've done sitting in the Stay-and-Scream areas (+Finnegans) in the past, but the hotel guest entrance sounds amazing this year. Maybe we should just do that?  What would you do in our shoes? I definitely welcome any opinions on this!


Since you are on-site and have express, I recommend (though please don’t take my word as gospel) using the hotel entrance. Get there before 5:15 and go straight into Hellblock Horror when they open the line. You won’t have to use express. Then go to Halloween and use express. Then Coven with express. By this time, the other sound stage houses will be open or about to open. Go to Dead Man’s Pier with express ( I’ll stop saying express, because you’ll use it every time now) and Chupacabra. 5 down, 5 to go. Since you’re in NY area, SF is just down the street and you could go to Blumhouse. Then make a decision on whether to watch the show or keep doing houses. Bugs would be next, then Descendants, then Weekend and Monsters. Take your time in each scare zone as you circle the park (the last two scare zones would be on your way out). Rides along the way if you wish (Diagon Alley is open until midnightish I believe).  Food and drinks are plentiful along the way too. Have fun!  Our family has had a great time this year.


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> Unfortunately, It can be a real crap shoot as to when they get park cleared.  Told it’s not unusual for people to try to hide in bathrooms    Seriously, even a (killer) klown would know that isn’t going to work.
> 
> How dare you!
> 
> i’m sure the bean counters will have ‘fixed’ that by next year.
> 
> Sometimes the things we complain about are the things we care most about…
> 
> for many long-time guests it does seem to have evolved into a love-hate relationship.  I get it, can be rather painful to see changes to the event that appear to be wholly of cost cutting measures vs those of an artistic nature.
> 
> take it all with a big grain of salt.  most people who do visit for the first time are absolutely blown away by the experience.  Then, they come back the next year as full-blown critics.
> 
> as much as I’ve expressed myself about this year’s event, heading down for one more run thru this weekend



And isn`t it wonderful we can complain without being castigated for it!!! I do like we can say we are disappointed without also being castigated and judged for it.

Some people  

When I hear from TM/SA they see the changes too.....I know I`m not wrong.

And have a blast this weekend!!!!


----------



## tony67

schumigirl said:


> And isn`t it wonderful we can complain without being castigated for it!!! I do like we can say we are disappointed without also being castigated and judged for it.
> 
> Some people
> 
> When I hear from TM/SA they see the changes too.....I know I`m not wrong.
> 
> And have a blast this weekend!!!!


Yeah - exactly why I left the Disney side of the forums many years ago.


You can just watch "Expedition Theme park" and they have a bunch of videos on the History of HHN each covering several years - the difference is night and day.
The Rat Lady, Jack the Clown show, Bill and Ted - fire - motorcycles craziness .
The scare zone used to be actual scare zones where they scared people - not just a selfie zone.
I remember SAs trapping people in stores and they were really scared and the SAs would wait and watch for them and pounce- it was a lot of fun.

That said its still fun overall - and you always have Universal to do during the day.

This version of HHN is brining in the people so Universal is doing something right, but we will always talk about what was.

As for what I see on social media I take it with a grain of salt - the streamers really cant say a lot because they wanted to be invited to the events. 
Most stuff on social media is hyped positively  - it not about reality it about likes etc....

What I do listen to are the folks that have been here for years, or even a couple of years, that I know from here and what their opinion is.


One of the problems with HHN is that two people could go to HHN on the same night and do the exact same things in the exact same order by be 10 seconds apart   - one has an amazing walkthrough and raves - they other misses just about everything and hates it. 

I do all the houses on multiple nights and sometimes multiple times on the same night and the experience can be the luck of the draw. 
Last year I did a private RIP tour and we did a walkthrough on one of the houses and it was terrible - we did it again later and it was great.

If you can afford it and have the time I highly recommend doing the behind the scenes tours during the day - I do the 6 house and 3 house every year and it adds a ton of context and really makes you appreciate the event even more.

If you can do a private RIP tour do it - it was the highlight of my many nights at HHN last year.   A private RIP tour is often less than a regular RIP tour if you have an AP and the 10 people to do it.

If you can afford it get the Express Pass - sounds like this year more than ever it is needed - I don't think I could ever go without it again - but it hurts to pay for it.

I would not tell anyone not to go - especially since I have not gone this year myself - and wont be able to - although I am trying my best to even swing a weekend there.

I will say its not what it was - and we will talk about it here and its going to seam negative - but HHN is still worthwhile overall - and no matter what you are in Orlando and have lots to do and hopefully nice weather - and there is always StrongWater to visit.

Also if you can check out the Sea World event - yes its armature hour compared to HHN  - but there was a time when Universal was armature hour compared to Disney and now its nipping on its heels.


One last thing Disney\Universal\HHN is very expensive trip and may be a once in a lifetime trip in some cases - I'm lucky enough that sometimes I can go two to three times a year with a cheap flight and Annual Passes  - its important that they have all the info - good and bad to way the pros and cons


----------



## schumigirl

tony67 said:


> Yeah - exactly why I left the Disney side of the forums many years ago.
> 
> 
> You can just watch "Expedition Theme park" and they have a bunch of videos on the History of HHN each covering several years - the difference is night and day.
> The Rat Lady, Jack the Clown show, Bill and Ted - fire - motorcycles craziness .
> The scare zone used to be actual scare zones where they scared people - not just a selfie zone.
> I remember SAs trapping people in stores and they were really scared and the SAs would wait and watch for them and pounce- it was a lot of fun.
> 
> That said its still fun overall - and you always have Universal to do during the day.
> 
> This version of HHN is brining in the people so Universal is doing something right, but we will always talk about what was.
> 
> As for what I see on social media I take it with a grain of salt - the streamers really cant say a lot because they wanted to be invited to the events.
> Most stuff on social media is hyped positively  - it not about reality it about likes etc....
> 
> What I do listen to are the folks that have been here for years, or even a couple of years, that I know from here and what their opinion is.
> 
> 
> One of the problems with HHN is that two people could go to HHN on the same night and do the exact same things in the exact same order by be 10 seconds apart   - one has an amazing walkthrough and raves - they other misses just about everything and hates it.
> 
> I do all the houses on multiple nights and sometimes multiple times on the same night and the experience can be the luck of the draw.
> Last year I did a private RIP tour and we did a walkthrough on one of the houses and it was terrible - we did it again later and it was great.
> 
> If you can afford it and have the time I highly recommend doing the behind the scenes tours during the day - I do the 6 house and 5 house every year and it adds a ton of context and really makes you appreciate the event even more.
> 
> If you can do a private RIP tour do it - it was the highlight of my many nights at HHN last year.   A private RIP tour is often less than a regular RIP tour if you have an AP and the 10 people to do it.
> 
> If you can afford it get the Express Pass - sounds like this year more than ever it is needed - I don't think I could ever go without it again - but it hurts to pay for it.
> 
> I would not tell anyone not to go - especially since I have not gone this year myself - and wont be able to - although I am trying my best to even swing a weekend there.
> 
> I will say its not what it was - and we will talk about it here and its going to seam negative - but HHN is still worthwhile overall - and no matter what you are in Orlando and have lots to do and hopefully nice weather - and there is always StrongWater to visit.
> 
> Also if you can check out the Sea World event - yes its armature hour compared to HHN  - but there was a time when Universal was armature hour compared to Disney and now its nipping on its heels.



You make so many good points Tony. 

Yes, it seems most opinions now need to be shouted over to show how "wrong" you are, I think that`s why in the last year I have put 4 people on ignore.....never had to do that before despite being a member since 2007. I don`t miss the negativity. 

But, your points are excellent. Yes, I don`t think anyone was saying not to go, I`d never tell anyone not to visit HHN. Go with lower expectations if you have gone before in the golden years, but yes, first timers and folks who haven`t seen it years ago will most certainly enjoy it. 

I don`t read social media reports either, not interested, like you I go with opinions from folks I know and actually trust their opinion. That can be several folks on here or real life friends who work the event every year. There was a definite decline this year in money for the event, and it shows. Anyone can disagree of course, that`s too easy at times. 

We always buy the Rush of Fear with EP.....this year the EP was not a perk in several houses over several nights. 45/50 minutes is not Express, so I couldn`t imagine not having it. I get some folks say they didn`t need it and I believe them of course, timing is everything and yes, two folks on the same night can have very different experiences. 

If folks go, I do hope they love it.....there`s a lot to enjoy if you can. Fact is, they are letting too many people in most nights. When a SA tells me they can`t scare anyone because it`s too crowded, I believe them. 

I also agree with Seaworld. They have a fabulous event that will grow in time, I have no doubt about it and one day I`ll be happy to say I saw it before it got too big too.


----------



## shh

tony67 said:


> Also if you can check out the Sea World event - yes its armature hour compared to HHN - but there was a time when Universal was armature hour compared to Disney and now its nipping on its heels.


haha....gotta say that the more "polished" events like these tend to get, the more watered down they become to appeal to a wider number of people. Execs start losing their nerve and pull back on the creative teams and actors. I went to HHN in the early years and remember the free-for-all attitude well - you literally didn't know what they would do next. It was like they had no boundaries. It was awesome.

*Hey - does anyone have links or suggestions of where I can see TRs, pics or videos of those daytime behind the scenes tours *- other than robo's review of the 6 she did? (Which I'm enjoying now.) I won't have a chance to do that tour this year and will only have 1 nite at the event, so would love to see some details from the comfort of my easy chair (and free wine refills lol)


----------



## tony67

shh said:


> *Hey - does anyone have links or suggestions of where I can see TRs, pics or videos of those daytime behind the scenes tours *- other than robo's review of the 6 she did? (Which I'm enjoying now.) I won't have a chance to do that tour this year and will only have 1 nite at the event, so would love to see some details from the comfort of my easy chair (and free wine refills lol)


You dont see much of that to be honest - maybe a google image search for photots - there are a lot of places you cant take photos so you really can't record the whole thing - would be cool if you could


----------



## keishashadow

schumigirl said:


> And isn`t it wonderful we can complain without being castigated for it!!!


Absolutely!  We haven’t taken to drinking the koolaid as freely on the U side of things.

tony - did u do HoS @ SW again this year?  Will say, for just year two, the really ramped things up.  Scarezones especially!


----------



## keishashadow

ssh Robbie’s TR are always stellar, i have some pics of this year’s tour. 

for those who are still avoiding pictures (not sure how you have this late in game), might want to avoid posts #1325 to #1338

personally, i prefer to do the houses one night; then the tour.  enhances the subsequent viewings as story line is explained and items of interest pointed out you’d never see ‘in the fog’

note all pics taken when permitted.  So many were sneaking them when told not to, figure it’s a matter of time before enough are posted on social media that U again clamps down on picture taking inside the houses.


----------



## keishashadow

More monsters


----------



## keishashadow

Next, interesting how they worked in many props from prior year’s houses.  Note next to last picture is “not” Neegans barbed wire bat .


----------



## keishashadow

Impressive subway scene.  Had thot they might have used old Disaster pieces…nope, all new & a very clever usage of mirrors in upper portion to make the car look longer


----------



## shh

keishashadow said:


> Will say, for just year two, the really ramped things up. Scarezones especially!


cannot wait to do this next year again...kind of kicking myself that I'm not going this year, but oh well...something to look fwd to. Did you try any of the specialty drinks at either event? If so, any good? 

SW's last year had a nice kick. UO's tend to be sugar water, so avoid them.


----------



## keishashadow

creepy crawlies, such extensive detail


----------



## keishashadow

More


----------



## keishashadow

Blumhouse 
freaky


----------



## shh

keishashadow said:


> ssh Robbie’s TR are always stellar, i have some pics of this year’s tour.
> 
> note all pics taken when permitted.  So many were sneaking them when told not to, figure it’s a matter of time before enough are posted on social media that U again clamps down on picture taking inside the houses.


thank you! This year, I'm determined to do some homework and know the non-IP backstories before going in and see daytime pics when I can...because in the past, when I go thru the houses at night, I really miss so much of the storytelling detail. I'm so focused on preparing for the jump scares lol.

Just reminiscing on recent years, I adored slaughterhouse cinema and that riverboat themed one - can't remember the name, but it was so pretty. I hear deadman's pier is like that too. Bugs looks kinda like slaughterhouse - campy kind of.


----------



## keishashadow

Blumhouse
black phone, few legit opportunities here


----------



## keishashadow

Best house  aka Deadman’s pier


----------



## keishashadow

More


----------



## mechteach1

imprint said:


> Since you are on-site and have express, I recommend (though please don’t take my word as gospel) using the hotel entrance. Get there before 5:15 and go straight into Hellblock Horror when they open the line. You won’t have to use express. Then go to Halloween and use express. Then Coven with express. By this time, the other sound stage houses will be open or about to open. Go to Dead Man’s Pier with express ( I’ll stop saying express, because you’ll use it every time now) and Chupacabra. 5 down, 5 to go. Since you’re in NY area, SF is just down the street and you could go to Blumhouse. Then make a decision on whether to watch the show or keep doing houses. Bugs would be next, then Descendants, then Weekend and Monsters. Take your time in each scare zone as you circle the park (the last two scare zones would be on your way out). Rides along the way if you wish (Diagon Alley is open until midnightish I believe).  Food and drinks are plentiful along the way too. Have fun!  Our family has had a great time this year.


That is an amazingly clear way of laying that out, and makes a ton of sense!! Thank you so much for taking the time to do so!


----------



## keishashadow

Hellblock, was told one of the scareactors in first scene would do CPR on the dummy lol.  Interesting Viking reference in last (gory) scene.


----------



## tony67

keishashadow said:


> tony - did u do HoS @ SW again this year? Will say, for just year two, the really ramped things up. Scarezones especially!


Unfortunately not - I've had to cancel this year completely at this point - hoping to get down for a weekend.


That said SeaWorld and Universal customer service were great and refunded everything.   
For Universal it was a 6 house and 3 house tour as well as the Ultimate Fear + with express - so glad to get that $$$ back.
I did have to call VIP - but they took care of it all.

SeaWorld was the every night ticket and within an hour of emailing they had sent a refund.

So once again great customer service from Universal and even SeaWorld


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

@keishashadow from your pics I actually think the Bug house would be scarier if they kept the lights on...


----------



## schumigirl

Great pics Keisha.......certainly changes the look when the lights are on......






tony67 said:


> Unfortunately not - I've had to cancel this year completely at this point - hoping to get down for a weekend.
> 
> 
> That said SeaWorld and Universal customer service were great and refunded everything.
> For Universal it was a 6 house and 3 house tour as well as the Ultimate Fear + with express - so glad to get that $$$ back.
> I did have to call VIP - but they took care of it all.
> 
> SeaWorld was the every night ticket and within an hour of emailing they had sent a refund.
> 
> So once again great customer service from Universal and even SeaWorld



Sorry you had to cancel Tony. But, glad to hear both UOR and Seaworld CS both came through and you had no grief with your refunds.


----------



## keishashadow

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> @keishashadow from your pics I actually think the Bug house would be scarier if they kept the lights on...


I’m of the same mind. Has chalked it up
To the comedy house until all the components became clear

One interesting tidbit, the stove in the kitchen
Was authentic to the era. The designers hauled it from Somewhere rural in FL, along with era appropriate small appliances etc. 

pretty cool the attention to detail in there


----------



## tony67

keishashadow said:


> pretty cool the attention to detail in there


Yeah - one of the reasons I like to do this tour as well - there is so much you miss in the rushed conga line.

For example the one a few years ago that was sort of a shopping mall - there were  detailed notes from people, I recall a goodbye email to someone's mother on a computer screen in the bank - just ridiculous stuff that added to the story that almost no one will ever see 

Last year I did  Case Files Unearthed: Legendary Truth a few times and it was OK - but after doing the tour and getting all the background it was a different experience and maybe a favorite for me.

Then there are the tips about buttons you can press - for example in Killer Klowns there was a button that squirted you and one that squirted someone behind you - so good to know

In Ghostbusters you could high five at the end - but you usually cant touch SAs so its good to know

In stranger things there was an elevator button you could press - I would never think to touch that and now I know you should 

Also - I always try to do at least one night of HHN without doing the tours so I can experience it on my own and then have context to ask the guide questions


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

tony67 said:


> Yeah - one of the reasons I like to do this tour as well - there is so much you miss in the rushed conga line.
> 
> For example the one a few years ago that was sort of a shopping mall - there were  detailed notes from people, I recall a goodbye email to someone's mother on a computer screen in the bank - just ridiculous stuff that added to the story that almost no one will ever see
> 
> Last year I did  Case Files Unearthed: Legendary Truth a few times and it was OK - but after doing the tour and getting all the background it was a different experience and maybe a favorite for me.
> 
> Then there are the tips about buttons you can press - for example in Killer Klowns there was a button that squirted you and one that squirted someone behind you - so good to know
> 
> In Ghostbusters you could high five at the end - but you usually cant touch SAs so its good to know
> 
> In stranger things there was an elevator button you could press - I would never think to touch that and now I know you should
> 
> Also - I always try to do at least one night of HHN without doing the tours so I can experience it on my own and then have context to ask the guide questions



I do like to do the tours so I can hear the story behind the houses. Some houses are easy enough to determine the story, or they actually do a good job of telling you.

I had been thinking lately I might like it if each house had like a couple minute video or performance outside in the queue that would give you a really good idea of what the story is. I think the Bug house does a good job of that on it's own, what with the billboard and then the opening scene with the housewife showing the product.

But other houses I just feel completely in the dark about what the story is and I feel like some sort of couple minute explanation (whether coming from a video or a live actor in the queue) would help loads and increase enjoyment.


----------



## tony67

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> I do like to do the tours so I can hear the story behind the houses. Some houses are easy enough to determine the story, or they actually do a good job of telling you.
> 
> I had been thinking lately I might like it if each house had like a couple minute video or performance outside in the queue that would give you a really good idea of what the story is. I think the Bug house does a good job of that on it's own, what with the billboard and then the opening scene with the housewife showing the product.
> 
> But other houses I just feel completely in the dark about what the story is and I feel like some sort of couple minute explanation (whether coming from a video or a live actor in the queue) would help loads and increase enjoyment.


I am sort of surprised they don't do more with social media for this - and not a facebook group please 

It seemed like they were going that route a few years back with graveyard games - but that seemed to die on the vine


----------



## soniam

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> I do like to do the tours so I can hear the story behind the houses. Some houses are easy enough to determine the story, or they actually do a good job of telling you.
> 
> I had been thinking lately I might like it if each house had like a couple minute video or performance outside in the queue that would give you a really good idea of what the story is. I think the Bug house does a good job of that on it's own, what with the billboard and then the opening scene with the housewife showing the product.
> 
> But other houses I just feel completely in the dark about what the story is and I feel like some sort of couple minute explanation (whether coming from a video or a live actor in the queue) would help loads and increase enjoyment.



The Universal podcast did a cool reading of a story by the creatives for each house. It's an actual story, not just a description. They released these before or at the beginning of the event.


----------



## Mrs.AMC

There is some sort of game they’ve been promoting that you can play waiting in line
 Never tried it but didn’t know if it gave any info about the houses stories


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

tony67 said:


> I am sort of surprised they don't do more with social media for this - and not a facebook group please
> 
> It seemed like they were going that route a few years back with graveyard games - but that seemed to die on the vine



Honestly I had a crazy idea that I would actually love a theater/Icecapades type glossy program to go with each year's event. 

Like a nice taller paperback large book with tons of pictures that is created for the event each year. Has some background on each house, couple full page photos of memorable scenes or characters in each house. Kind of like as a commemorative item you can get for each year's event. I would buy the crap out of something like that. 



soniam said:


> The Universal podcast did a cool reading of a story by the creatives for each house. It's an actual story, not just a description. They released these before or at the beginning of the event.



I do remember you saying that. Need to find time to listen before the event ends.


----------



## soniam

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> Honestly I had a crazy idea that I would actually love a theater/Icecapades type glossy program to go with each year's event.
> 
> Like a nice taller paperback large book with tons of pictures that is created for the event each year. Has some background on each house, couple full page photos of memorable scenes or characters in each house. Kind of like as a commemorative item you can get for each year's event. I would buy the crap out of something like that.
> 
> 
> 
> I do remember you saying that. Need to find time to listen before the event ends.


Each house has its own episode, so you can pick and choose. Fiesta de Chupacabras has one in English and one in Spanish.


----------



## Mrs.AMC

soniam said:


> Each house has its own episode, so you can pick and choose. Fiesta de Chupacabras has one in English and one in Spanish.


Brilliant marketing idea.


----------



## Mrs.AMC

One thing that sticks in my mind about our Unmasked tour was in the Poltergeist house. In Carrie Ann's bedroom scenes. They put so much attention to detail in the room they made sure every toy that was in her room at the beginning, when it was neat and orderly also appeared in her room when it was in disarray, when the ghost had attacked and everything was spinning around. None were added, none were missing. At least according to our guide. We didn't look for each and every toy but he pointed out several. So I only assume he was correct. It's something that someone going through the house would never, ever pick up on. You go through too fast. Don't spend enough time in any one room long enough to look for all those details. But it's real interesting to learn how much effort they put in the houses even knowing guests will never know. Just like the authentic stove mentioned in a PP. A guest would never know that but the house designers do. That is the kind of stuff that keeps me coming to HHN. I don't enjoy the scare/horror part (I can barely tolerate that). I enjoy the level of detail that Universal puts in to the houses. Often a level that only a movie studio can reach.


----------



## SnowWitch

We just wrapped our first HHN, our group consisted of me (the adult) and (2) 17 yr olds and (2)) 16 yr olds.

We went with the base ticket, nothing fantasy, we watched a couple of YouTube videos and selected our 4 houses +2 if we had time. We did those 6 plus rode Mummy, Gringotts and explored diagonal alley, and RRR, made it
Thru 4 scare zones and us a few snacks. I will address snacks first, the zombie brains cauliflower was great, the other items we got- rotten Bear, absolutely inedible, and the heart was so over the top sour our group did not find it enjoyable. The maggot cheese hot dog was the winner with the zombie brains a fav with the whole group.

The houses- I have seen a lot of dissatisfaction on this thread and our group had nothing to compare to. Our thoughts- Dead Mans Pier was the standout for theming!  Most screams- Halloween. Bugs Alive was enjoyed by all of us. The Classics was also really enjoyed. The bottom of our list was the prison themed one and the Coven. Coven had no story, I was so looking forward too it and left disappointed. 

All and all, great time. We will absolutely be doing this again in the future.


----------



## schumigirl

SnowWitch said:


> We just wrapped our first HHN, our group consisted of me (the adult) and (2) 17 yr olds and (2)) 16 yr olds.
> 
> We went with the base ticket, nothing fantasy, we watched a couple of YouTube videos and selected our 4 houses +2 if we had time. We did those 6 plus rode Mummy, Gringotts and explored diagonal alley, and RRR, made it
> Thru 4 scare zones and us a few snacks. I will address snacks first, the zombie brains cauliflower was great, the other items we got- rotten Bear, absolutely inedible, and the heart was so over the top sour our group did not find it enjoyable. The maggot cheese hot dog was the winner with the zombie brains a fav with the whole group.
> 
> The houses- I have seen a lot of dissatisfaction on this thread and our group had nothing to compare to. Our thoughts- Dead Mans Pier was the standout for theming!  Most screams- Halloween. Bugs Alive was enjoyed by all of us. The Classics was also really enjoyed. The bottom of our list was the prison themed one and the Coven. Coven had no story, I was so looking forward too it and left disappointed.
> 
> All and all, great time. We will absolutely be doing this again in the future.



Glad to hear you enjoyed the event overall!! 

DMP is definitely a winner for most folks, visually it is so beautiful and there are some nice scare jumps in there too.  And yes, for real scares.....Halloween was amazing!!

I agree, Coven was left floundering most nights. 

The food too was a hit or miss for us. 

Glad to hear you`ll do it in the future and thank you for the honest review


----------



## tony67

Mrs.AMC said:


> Brilliant marketing idea.


Agreed - now they just if they market it better - not sure most of us knew about this until @soniam pointed it out


----------



## glamdring269

I did HHN back in 2019 with a RIP tour. After I did the tour I know I ended up sticking around until the wee hours of the morning, basically until they kicked me out. I really don't remember the lines being too terrible but also think I walked around a lot after the tour and did some rides before going back to the houses.

Anyway, that's the really long way to get to my direct question:

If one has a public RIP tour, and a non-express admission, do they only get post-tour express to rides and regular line for houses? Or does the RIP credential also work as express to houses? It's been 3 years and I can't remember how that worked. It could be that the lines were just short because it was late on a Thursday night by the time I started going back to houses.


----------



## tony67

glamdring269 said:


> I did HHN back in 2019 with a RIP tour. After I did the tour I know I ended up sticking around until the wee hours of the morning, basically until they kicked me out. I really don't remember the lines being too terrible but also think I walked around a lot after the tour and did some rides before going back to the houses.
> 
> Anyway, that's the really long way to get to my direct question:
> 
> If one has a public RIP tour, and a non-express admission, do they only get post-tour express to rides and regular line for houses? Or does the RIP credential also work as express to houses? It's been 3 years and I can't remember how that worked. It could be that the lines were just short because it was late on a Thursday night by the time I started going back to houses.


*• Universal Express Unlimited ride access* (with R.I.P. credential) at all participating rides & attractions for the date of their tour (valid upon check-in at VIP Experience lobby to be used before or after tour during normal event operating hours; *excludes Halloween Horror Nights haunted houses*)


----------



## cfoxga

Just got back from our first HHN and can relate to much of what was stated in the thread.  Overall, we enjoyed the experience and would consider going again.

First the good:

- I was extremely impressed with the level of detail in the houses.  We did the 3 house tour before our fir HHN night and it was fantastic to see all of the details that would otherwise missed at night.  I really liked when there were "rooms" that 

- The Wildfire show was very well done; much better than I was expecting.  

- Really loved the Graveyard scare zone


And the not-so-good:

- Everything about this event was super expensive.  This was far-and-away our most expensive UO trip, and we already had our APs!  

- Super crowded on Sat/Sun (Oct 8/9).  We did most of the houses during the day to avoid the crowds, but it really takes away from the feel when you exit a house into sunlight.  By 8 pm, everything seemed like an hour wait.

- Some houses seemed like a bunch of hallways with scare-actors jumping out.  Deadman's Pier, Halloween, and Weeknd were so much more immersive than Chupacabra or Hellblock.  

- While Scarecrow and Conjure scare zones were ok, the other two were disappointing (especially Sweet Revenge).  My DD16 and her friend were very scared in all of the houses, but not at all in the "scare" zones. 

- Food was a big let down vs the international food from Mardi Gras (which we loved)


----------



## glamdring269

tony67 said:


> *• Universal Express Unlimited ride access* (with R.I.P. credential) at all participating rides & attractions for the date of their tour (valid upon check-in at VIP Experience lobby to be used before or after tour during normal event operating hours; *excludes Halloween Horror Nights haunted houses*)



Thanks tony. Glad I completely overlooked the specific exclusion there hah.


----------



## soniam

tony67 said:


> Agreed - now they just if they market it better - not sure most of us knew about this until @soniam pointed it out



It's a fairly new podcast. I think it just started in the last few months. They don't have the publicity yet. However, they are getting access to really good people in the company. I will tout my favorite Universal podcast, the Unofficial Universal Orlando Podcast.


----------



## Mrs.AMC

cfoxga said:


> Just got back from our first HHN and can relate to much of what was stated in the thread.  Overall, we enjoyed the experience and would consider going again.
> 
> First the good:
> 
> - I was extremely impressed with the level of detail in the houses.  We did the 3 house tour before our fir HHN night and it was fantastic to see all of the details that would otherwise missed at night.  I really liked when there were "rooms" that
> 
> - The Wildfire show was very well done; much better than I was expecting.
> 
> - Really loved the Graveyard scare zone
> 
> 
> And the not-so-good:
> 
> - Everything about this event was super expensive.  This was far-and-away our most expensive UO trip, and we already had our APs!
> 
> - Super crowded on Sat/Sun (Oct 8/9).  We did most of the houses during the day to avoid the crowds, but it really takes away from the feel when you exit a house into sunlight.  By 8 pm, everything seemed like an hour wait.
> 
> - Some houses seemed like a bunch of hallways with scare-actors jumping out.  Deadman's Pier, Halloween, and Weeknd were so much more immersive than Chupacabra or Hellblock.
> 
> - While Scarecrow and Conjure scare zones were ok, the other two were disappointing (especially Sweet Revenge).  My DD16 and her friend were very scared in all of the houses, but not at all in the "scare" zones.
> 
> - Food was a big let down vs the international food from Mardi Gras (which we loved)


A good example of how different things are to different people

 as scare zones go Sweet Revenge has been the very popular with it and graveyard battling back and forth for top ranking. Not discounting your report in anyway at all I assure you. Just pointing out how varied these reviews are


----------



## Mrs.AMC

SnowWitch said:


> We just wrapped our first HHN, our group consisted of me (the adult) and (2) 17 yr olds and (2)) 16 yr olds.
> 
> We went with the base ticket, nothing fantasy, we watched a couple of YouTube videos and selected our 4 houses +2 if we had time. We did those 6 plus rode Mummy, Gringotts and explored diagonal alley, and RRR, made it
> Thru 4 scare zones and us a few snacks. I will address snacks first, the zombie brains cauliflower was great, the other items we got- rotten Bear, absolutely inedible, and the heart was so over the top sour our group did not find it enjoyable. The maggot cheese hot dog was the winner with the zombie brains a fav with the whole group.
> 
> The houses- I have seen a lot of dissatisfaction on this thread and our group had nothing to compare to. Our thoughts- Dead Mans Pier was the standout for theming!  Most screams- Halloween. Bugs Alive was enjoyed by all of us. The Classics was also really enjoyed. The bottom of our list was the prison themed one and the Coven. Coven had no story, I was so looking forward too it and left disappointed.
> 
> All and all, great time. We will absolutely be doing this again in the future.


The comment about no story has brought up something that I think may offer one point that could explain such differing reviews

 lack of story means nothing to me in a house  I would know if a house had a story if the storybook hit me over the head. Lol I barely notice anything. I’m just concerned with getting out alive. I didn’t even realize the ending changed in monsters.   and obviously I scare very easily so it doesn’t take much there either. I’m sure I’m not the only one out there who doesn’t do houses for stories. So those of us are probably all very happy due to the overall quality

 if that makes sense


----------



## MinnieMSue

A few random thoughts on HHN the 13th and our behind the screams 6 house tour today. Still have another night for HHN tomorrow. We had a great time Thursday in spite of exhaustion from getting up at 2:30am in Ohio and going to HHN that night. Loved the nightmare fuel show. We had closest seats to front and center you could get without having a rip tour. We sat behind someone who I would say is their number one fan. She screamed their names out and cheered for them the whole show. I have no idea how she had a voice left. I loved her enthusiasm. I believe she has seen it every evening.  I cannot decide my favorite house as we liked elements of them all. We had the most scares in Descendants. DMP is clearly the best set for us and we loved the campiness of bugs.  Our tour guide told us there were 37,500 and something bugs in the house.  We thought it was fun. Definitely a little scarier with lights on lol. One thing we thought was interesting was a family in front of us waiting for nightmare fuel said their (adult) kids were carded by security when drinking their drinks. Minutes later several security people came up to them and carded them again. I have never seen this at any park after purchase. I am wondering if they do anything more than take the drinks away if they are not of age like kick them out of the park. I don’t disagree with it at all. Just thought it was interesting. We had express and got through all the houses easily except we were so tired we completely missed hellblock. We liked the sweets scarezone best for scares in that the actors blended in so well that they really could get close and surprise you easily. The cemetery was our other favorite. The food we had was meh except my daughter really liked the pizza skull. Not sure what we will eat tomorrow as we really don’t seem too interested in the options. Our 6 house tour went from 10:15-4:15. Our guide also told us the coven story since it is kind of hard to get from the house alone. It is not included on the 6 house tour. We had Kendal (prob spelled his name wrong). I liked having the listening devices on the tour because it was much easier to hear if you were near the back of the group. He gave us a ton of info and was really an excellent guide. Now I am off to dreamland as I am dead tired lol


----------



## macraven

To answer your question, under age drinking gets the person a ride to the police station and a shiny bracelet to wear…


----------



## MinnieMSue

macraven said:


> To answer your question, under age drinking gets the person a ride to the police station and a shiny bracelet to wear…



Wow! I love that security has a strong presence there. We had zero issues Thursday night. Saturday will be a whole different ballgame with crowds I think.


----------



## MinnieMSue

I guess I should say how er did our houses Thursday - we did the simpsons (really Central Park ) stay and scream and got into the weekend line around 4:15. Lucky it was cloudy or it could be so hot there. They moved us up to by the animal actors show area and we were held this the cleared ET and kids area of the park. We did weekend and monsters walk on then ate pizza fries (good quality but meh) then walked to the back by MIB and did Descendants and Bigs. All 4 were walk-on. We decided to ride gringots but my daughter was distracted by Fortesque ice cream so while she ate that the line went from 15-30 min. We skipped the ride and waited to watch nightmare fuel. Then we worked our way around the park in order continuing to the Coven riding all rides we came across. No express for mummy but a listed 45 min wait was 7 minutes. We had express so we didn’t wait long for anything except maybe 20 min for Halloween and at the merge (we almost always were the family stopped at the express merge while they let in the regular line)  Anyway at the Halloween merge the attendant asked me how long we had waited. He was glad it wasn’t bad because he said they had to close the house for a bit just before we got there to clean up what I inferred was someone got sick. We rode every ride and did every house in order. Only thing was we had to search for the was pizza skull so we did back track a bit there. We skipped the transformer ride and accidentally skipped hellblock. We know crowds will be worse tonight but think we will do the same path as we really liked it.


----------



## shh

MinnieMSue said:


> I guess I should say how er did our houses Thursday - we did the simpsons (really Central Park ) stay and scream and got into the weekend line around 4:15. Lucky it was cloudy or it could be so hot there. They moved us up to by the animal actors show area and we were held this the cleared ET and kids area of the park. We did weekend and monsters walk on then ate pizza fries (good quality but meh) then walked to the back by MIB and did Descendants and Bigs. All 4 were walk-on. We decided to ride gringots but my daughter was distracted by Fortesque ice cream so while she ate that the line went from 15-30 min. We skipped the ride and waited to watch nightmare fuel. Then we worked our way around the park in order continuing to the Coven riding all rides we came across. No express for mummy but a listed 45 min wait was 7 minutes. We had express so we didn’t wait long for anything except maybe 20 min for Halloween and at the merge (we almost always were the family stopped at the express merge while they let in the regular line)  Anyway at the Halloween merge the attendant asked me how long we had waited. He was glad it wasn’t bad because he said they had to close the house for a bit just before we got there to clean up what I inferred was someone got sick. We rode every ride and did every house in order. Only thing was we had to search for the was pizza skull so we did back track a bit there. We skipped the transformer ride and accidentally skipped hellblock. We know crowds will be worse tonight but think we will do the same path as we really liked it.


Thanks for reporting in. Fun to read everyone's impressions.

Funny: I keep reading big differences in opinions on houses, scare zones and overall event, but the one constant from almost every trip report seems to be disappointment with the food and specialty drinks (the latter I hear every year though lol). 

Feeling like UO has some big opportunities to improve that in future years - maybe a new F&B exec could breathe some life into the event offerings. I think they do a better job during Mardi Gras in that respect.


----------



## SnowWitch

Mrs.AMC said:


> The comment about no story has brought up something that I think may offer one point that could explain such differing reviews
> 
> lack of story means nothing to me in a house  I would know if a house had a story if the storybook hit me over the head. Lol I barely notice anything. I’m just concerned with getting out alive. I didn’t even realize the ending changed in monsters.   and obviously I scare very easily so it doesn’t take much there either. I’m sure I’m not the only one out there who doesn’t do houses for stories. So those of us are probably all very happy due to the overall quality
> 
> if that makes sense


Completely understand!! I was just so excited about this house and wanted more from it. The visuals and all of that were great but the house just didn’t make sense to me. I however, if you easily scare I get that a story is irrelevant.


----------



## keishashadow

shh said:


> but the one constant from almost every trip report seems to be disappointment with the food and specialty drinks


The Alcatraz bar is full-Service, not premixed specials only and typically offer a generous pour


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

Another report from me. We went Thursday October 13. We got a late start from our house so we made it to the parking garage with 11 minutes to work with and scooted into the park with 2 minutes to spare. Phew. That was also the fastest walk I have maybe ever done.

We were, of course, way too late to get into line for Halloween. So here is what we did:

5:08- in line for Hellblock at stay and scream. 

5:17- house opened.

5:18- In.

We joined the stay and scream line for Coven which hadn't started to load yet. 

5:24- Spirit line started to move a couple minutes after we joined in.

5:37- Into Coven.

We then got some food and hovered at the fence to be released after park clear. We had the Haunted Horseshoe and the killer stove top popcorn custard. The Horseshoe was ok but probably not worth the 2k calorie count. The first couple bits of popcorn custard were interesting and then it kind of got to be not as good as we kept eating.

We actually didn't realize it but Blumhouse was open and available to us at the 5:45 mark. So we probably could have got that done too, but it's really not my favorite and I honestly don't care if I never do it again.

6:05- Team Members got the park all clear notice and we were set free to speed walk to the Weeknd and Monsters. We got to walk by ourselves through the corn scare zone, which wasn't nearly as scary as the hoard of guests coming down the street towards us from the front gate.

So we narrowly beat the front gate crowd. 

6:08- in line for Weeknd

6:14- Into Weeknd, had a really good run. This house is growing on me.

6:24- in line for Monsters (my favorite).

6:35- into Monsters. I really do love this house. The mummy won the fight this night, so we have now seen all three win.

6:47- in line for Bug.

6:59- into Bug, also love this house. 

We could see the line for Destruction was short as we left Bug so we went there next.

7:06- in line for Destruction.

7:11- in Destruction. This house is also growing on me. We saw some extra scare actors at the front we'd never seen below and they had some excellent outfits.

At this point the park was filling up and we needed to decide if we were going to head back to the front of the park for Dead Man's Pier. The app had the line listed as 35 minutes, but we were right there and decided to do Monsters again.

7:26- in line for Monsters.

7:52-into the Monsters house.

The park was crowded at this point so we gave up on houses (final count 7, 1 was a repeat) and wandered the scare zones. We wanted to do Gringott's but it had a 40 minute wait listed.

We also got pizza fries and Rueben fries. I actually thought the Rueben fries were very tasty.

We left around 9:30 pm.

Next up I think we are going again tomorrow night. We really like a challenge, so I think we might try for the perfect stay and scream experience. I feel like we did a pretty good job Thursday night, but I think we can do better...I have a strategy in mind I'd like to try.




















Opposite of a horror night picture but I loved this giant pygmy puff in a top hat:


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## macraven

great pictures!
much appreciated your time frame on what you shared with us


----------



## shh

If a guest doesn't have stay and scream (but does have express) and can only enter at the event's official 6:30 start time, is there still a recommended strategy in terms of which order to do the houses? Or does it not matter at that point? I've always had S&S prior years...1st time without it.


----------



## Robo56

shh said:


> If a guest doesn't have stay and scream (but does have express) and can only enter at the event's official 6:30 start time, is there still a recommended strategy in terms of which order to do the houses? Or does it not matter at that point? I've always had S&S prior years...1st time without it.


Do you have a day park ticket or an AP? If you have those you don‘t need a stay and scream ticket. You would just need to be in the park before closing and go to the Stay and Scream area you wanted closest to the houses you are wanting to see first.

It is a bit confusing to folks I think. The extra Stay and Scream is really geared to people who don’t have day park tickets or AP‘s and want be allowed to come into the park at the designated time before the park closes.  They choose the Stay and Scream location they want based on the houses they want to see first.

They are in seeing houses before the gate open to the regular ticketed event crowd.

Having Express for the night does not have anything to do with Stay and Scream.

With HHN Express for the night you will have the advantage of using Express line for the houses which is a significant advantage for you.


----------



## shh

Robo56 said:


> Do you have a day park ticket or an AP? If you have those you don‘t need a stay and scream ticket. You would just need to be in the park before closing and go to the Stay and Scream area you wanted closest to the houses you are wanting to see first.
> 
> It is a bit confusing to folks I think. The extra Stay and Scream is really geared to people who don’t have day park tickets or AP‘s and want be allowed to come into the park at the designated time before the park closes.  They choose the Stay and Scream location they want based on the houses they want to see first.
> 
> They are in seeing houses before the gate open to the regular ticketed event crowd.
> 
> Having Express for the night does not have anything to do with Stay and Scream.
> 
> With HHN Express for the night you will have the advantage of using Express line for the houses which is a significant advantage for you.


No - that's just it. Always had APs before - so always did S&S. No park tics this time and don't really want to spend the extra $ for S&S for our group. So wondering if I even need a strategy for the order of houses or if it really doesn't matter for those not in the parks early or staying onsite.


----------



## Robo56

Are you going during the week or the weekend?

It also depends on the house.  Some of the more popular houses have longer wait times.

If your are going on a busy night like Friday, Saturday having the HHN Express for the night will be a life saver.

They are selling out of Express on some of the busy nights.

I had ROF with Express and on a Friday night with a wait time of 90 to 100 minutes on the Halloween House for the regular ticket holders without Express I only had a wait of 25 minutes with EP.

I would not want to be standing in any of those regular ticket lines.

Even with EP I did not rush to get in. Once I made it to the park I looked at the Universal App as well as the board by the drink stand where the Pumpkin Lord is and checked the wait times for the houses. I went for the houses with the lowest wait times knowing those would be an almost walk on with EP. Then I hit the others I wanted to see during the night.

I was there multiple nights so I didn’t feel rushed to see every house all the time.


----------



## wmoon

Hi

Very first HHN tonight with no express. Early dinner and Lombards so we will be too late to make the most of Halloween stay and scream I think so settled on Blumhouse. Wondering if anyone has any advice where they’d go next? Towards monsters and weekend, back to Coven and the houses in that direction ( we can catch Halloween on a different night) or over to bugs and descendants? 
Thanks for any advice.


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## keishashadow

At 4:45 pm TMs estimated Halloween wait time at 2.5 hrs

Few min later, coven over an hour 

Grabbed beers & will Just use our EPs in twenty min lol


----------



## MinnieMSue

We did HHN Thursday the 13th which I previously talked about. We went back Saturday the 15th.  iIt was so much more crowded but with express and being in the park for stay and scream it didn’t really matter. Did the same basic thing. Monsters first - our favorite. There is a point when you basically can get a triple scare with 2 on opposite sides then turn a corner and get another. I screamed and jumped so much the scare actor actually laughed which made me laugh. Also I couldn’t see well coming in from the light and got lost. Basically got trapped in a corner. So embarrassing and funny at the same time lol. Anyway did weekend with express and liked it better this time. Then descendants walk on which was fun and bugs walk on no express. Rode men in black then expressed bugs. It is our second fav. Went to ride gringots which would have been walk-on but it went down - waited it out and after maybe 10 min rode quickly. Watched nightmare fuel which was a very different show. They clearly change the show based on the performers they have any given night. Saturday - the man having the nightmare was a different person and clearly a gymnast. They had a different person doing a completely different aerial routine and they also had a woman doing aerials in a white gown that was not part of the show Thursday. There were other changes too but it was interesting to see how different it can be. Then we did the rest of the houses and ate a little. We skipped Halloween and Blumhouse because my daughter doesn’t like those. We rode mummy. 75 min wait posted and took 15 minutes. We ended the night doing monsters again with express    Left by midnight. I will say express is so fast. Only house that took a bit was Dead man’s pier. Had so much fun. Prob won’t be able to return for a few years sadly


----------



## CAPSLOCK

In 2017 when Halloween was on Tuesday, like it will be in 2023.  Who remembers whether HHN went til Halloween, or until the following weekend? 

(Or better yet, anyone have an actual inside scoop on 2023 dates?!)


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## keishashadow

Got lucky here, out by 6:10 pm

Then hammered out monsters & finished the weekend by 6:50 pm

Time to slow down & use those EPs. Turning out well!  Apps been spot on


----------



## Robo56

keishashadow said:


> Time to slow down & use those EPs. Turning out well! Apps been spot on


Wow…you are doing good…drink more beers and enjoy. 

Looks crowded.


----------



## tony67

CAPSLOCK said:


> In 2017 when Halloween was on Tuesday, like it will be in 2023.  Who remembers whether HHN went til Halloween, or until the following weekend?
> 
> (Or better yet, anyone have an actual inside scoop on 2023 dates?!)


Yeah I was just thinking about that - with how popular its is I would not be surprised if they add night depending on how these extra days they added this year go.

Going Halloween weekend I was wondering of they will run HHN n from the Wednesday to the Tuesday night - would be a good weekend to go. 
I like to go in September with ROF, but I have to think its so busy they don't need ROF anymore.


----------



## Bird003

We are planning to go again next year. Would y’all suggest Labor Day weekend or Halloween weekend? We want to stay on property as well


----------



## wmoon

As very first timers last night we had a good time. Absolutely nothing to compare it to but a lot of expectations as this was something I’d wanted try for years but wanted to wait till Ds was a good age, he’s 15 and it was right for us. 

Early dinner at Lombards. Started off in Richters Stay and Scream with Blumhouse as our first house. Loved the Black Phone part. 

Then Dead Man’s Pier, thought this was so detailed. 

Chupacabra next - quite a few scares in here. 

Bugs which we all enjoyed but wouldn’t do this one again. Sure I felt I was itching for the rest of the night. 

Did the Nightmare Fuel show and we were very impressed. 

Last house was monsters which had so many scares and I think my favourite overall. 

Scare zones were fun, loved Graveyard and Scarecrow for scares and I thought Sweet Revenge was really fun. 

We didn’t have express and only lasted till 11.30pm after arriving from the UK on Saturday night. Got 2 more nights this week.


----------



## tony67

Bird003 said:


> We are planning to go again next year. Would y’all suggest Labor Day weekend or Halloween weekend? We want to stay on property as well


So I think that it is less crowded overall Halloween weekend.   A crazy number of people are there Labor Day as teh last hurrah of summer etc and its a three day weekend.

As I understand it Halloween can be less crowded just because the local folks have their trick or treating stuff to do, Halloween parties etc.. 
I think Orlando (pre Pandemic anyway) had a big event as well that attracted a lot of locals

I am sure they will chime in.

the other thing with Early September - the SAs are still learning the ropes - but Halloween they have it down pat and are 100% on game, but probably very tired as well


----------



## Bird003

tony67 said:


> So I think that it is less crowded overall Halloween weekend.   A crazy number of people are there Labor Day as teh last hurrah of summer etc and its a three day weekend.
> 
> As I understand it Halloween can be less crowded just because the local folks have their trick or treating stuff to do, Halloween parties etc..
> I think Orlando (pre Pandemic anyway) had a big event as well that attracted a lot of locals
> 
> I am sure they will chime in.
> 
> the other thing with Early September - the SAs are still learning the ropes - but Halloween they have it down pat and are 100% on game, but probably very tired as well


Thank you for your input! Leaning towards October 27-30 , also the weather will be much better


----------



## Mrs.AMC

Bird003 said:


> Thank you for your input! Leaning towards October 27-30 , also the weather will be much better


Definitely more likely to be cooler that hotter. Less likely to have a hurricane. So that's good.
Heck, while it's not Halloween weekend, this week the temps even as far south as Orlando, are going to dip to low 50's overnight, which is quite low for this time of year. It's short burst of cold but just shows that you never know what the weather will bring. By Halloween weekend it can be just about anything.


----------



## keishashadow

managed to complete all houses before 10 pm last night with the EP.  Busy there but kept eye on app (rarely use)
& truly surprised how well things went.


----------



## CAPSLOCK

Bird003 said:


> We are planning to go again next year. Would y’all suggest Labor Day weekend or Halloween weekend? We want to stay on property as well


Definitely Halloween. Went around that weekend last year & it was great. Nice weather (major storm on one day, but very pleasant temps all week). Low crowds during the weekdays surrounding. Do note that the Fri before Halloween was an Orlando school day off, not sure if that's the case every year. HHN was packed, but it was our first time so no basis for comparison. 

Plus we did Howl-o-Scream at Sea World on actual Halloween - it was fun, cheap, and had all merchandise half price being the last day.


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

We had thought to go last night but we didn't do stay and scream. We were looking at waits around 9 and they looked pretty big so we decided not to go.

Will definitely be going two days this week, though.


----------



## SnowWitch

If you are staying at Portifino, HR or RP, does that have any benefit related to HHN’s?


----------



## MinnieMSue

SnowWitch said:


> If you are staying at Portifino, HR or RP, does that have any benefit related to HHN’s?



No that’s why we stayed at the much cheaper sapphire falls. Still had excellent boat service to the parks.


----------



## CAPSLOCK

SnowWitch said:


> If you are staying at Portifino, HR or RP, does that have any benefit related to HHN’s?


Proximity...


----------



## macraven

Some use the select hotel line to enter HHN which is open until 8 pm

Just saves a person a shorter entrance line

I never use it but have friends that to go later  and before 8 to enter for hhn
just show your room key to use this guest line to enter the enter the hhn park

when i do hhn, i hit the parks at an early time


----------



## leiaorgana

What time does the VIP entrance outside of the park open for RIP check in again please? Is it 5:00pm or 5:30pm?


----------



## SnowWitch

Thanks for the responses.


----------



## soniam

leiaorgana said:


> What time does the VIP entrance outside of the park open for RIP check in again please? Is it 5:00pm or 5:30pm?



5:30

Are you doing public or private? Public people started lining up on the left, when facing the door, pretty early, like before 5pm. If it's private, just walk-in on the right after 5:30pm.


----------



## leiaorgana

soniam said:


> 5:30
> 
> Are you doing public or private? Public people started lining up on the left, when facing the door, pretty early, like before 5pm. If it's private, just walk-in on the right after 5:30pm.


Thank you!! We’re doing the public one next Wednesday but we wanted to get changed into something warmer and grab a few snacks from the Club level lounge at HRH first before we head over and I just wanted to double check what time it opened as it’s unlikely we’ll be there before 5pm to line up.


----------



## MusicalAstronaut

Looking forward to trip reports for this week!  Going 10/26 and it's my second HHN.  The first time I just followed my family around and had a blast, this time I'll be with my sister who will be on a MISSION.  I'm a little nervous about keeping her happy so I love reading all of your tips & trip reports!


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

We went again on Wednesday October 19. We were on our way to stay and scream tonight and got T Boned by some jerk turning left onto our road during heavy traffic who simply didn't see us. Sigh. We are ok but the car got scraped up. So no HHN tonight. Maybe we'll go on Sunday.


We had wanted to get in line at stay and scream for Halloween. However, we were a bit late and didn't arrive until 4:15 and at that point Halloween already had a giant queue. We talked to the people in the front and they said the official queue started at 4.

Instead, we walked around a bit then met a friend and got in line for Hellblock's stay and scream. We were in line way earlier than we needed to be, we got in at 4:45. We were held outside the queue building until around 5 and then moved inside to wait until the house opened at 5:15. We were in within the minute.

Next we joined the stay and scream line for Coven at 5:22. The line started right at 5:30 and we were inside at 5:41.

It is possible to join the Halloween line at this point before the main gate crowd comes in, but you're still going to have a long wait. If I have to do a long wait I'd rather do that during regular party time and not during the coveted stay and scream extra time. So either be in line right at 4 for Halloween or just save the wait til later at night.

We got some food (lil boo buns and pizza skulls) and hovered at the gate to be released to the rest of the park. Almost exactly at 6 pm the gate opened and we power walked to the Weeknd. We were in line at 6:02 but it wasn't like the other night where we just walked in. Not sure if the house had opened late or if there were just more people, but we got into the house at 6:19.

We could see the line for Monsters as we exited Weeknd and we decided it was longer than we'd like so we took off for the back of the park.

At 6:34 we entered the line for Bug. We were in at 6:49. There was a lot of standing still and not moving for this one as they let hordes of Express in. I wonder if their ratio was a bit off at that time.

We could see the line for Destruction as we left Bug and it was really long so we got some more food and drinks and headed back to Monsters to wait. We got in line at 7:13 and were in at 7:48.

At that point most lines were advertised as over 60 minutes and we decided to head out around 8:30.

Couple random observations: crowds still haven't let up and it's pretty busy. Merch is still holding strong at full price other than one or two things. Lil Boo baseball hats were back in stock. The weather was actually kind of chilly and delightful. I still think this isn't the best year, but I am getting very attached to a couple houses and the graveyard scare zone.


----------



## shh

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> We went again on Wednesday October 19. We were on our way to stay and scream tonight and got T Boned by some jerk turning left onto our road during heavy traffic who simply didn't see us. Sigh. We are ok but the car got scraped up. So no HHN tonight. Maybe we'll go on Sunday.
> 
> 
> We had wanted to get in line at stay and scream for Halloween. However, we were a bit late and didn't arrive until 4:15 and at that point Halloween already had a giant queue. We talked to the people in the front and they said the official queue started at 4.
> 
> Instead, we walked around a bit then met a friend and got in line for Hellblock's stay and scream. We were in line way earlier than we needed to be, we got in at 4:45. We were held outside the queue building until around 5 and then moved inside to wait until the house opened at 5:15. We were in within the minute.
> 
> Next we joined the stay and scream line for Coven at 5:22. The line started right at 5:30 and we were inside at 5:41.
> 
> It is possible to join the Halloween line at this point before the main gate crowd comes in, but you're still going to have a long wait. If I have to do a long wait I'd rather do that during regular party time and not during the coveted stay and scream extra time. So either be in line right at 4 for Halloween or just save the wait til later at night.
> 
> We got some food (lil boo buns and pizza skulls) and hovered at the gate to be released to the rest of the park. Almost exactly at 6 pm the gate opened and we power walked to the Weeknd. We were in line at 6:02 but it wasn't like the other night where we just walked in. Not sure if the house had opened late or if there were just more people, but we got into the house at 6:19.
> 
> We could see the line for Monsters as we exited Weeknd and we decided it was longer than we'd like so we took off for the back of the park.
> 
> At 6:34 we entered the line for Bug. We were in at 6:49. There was a lot of standing still and not moving for this one as they let hordes of Express in. I wonder if their ratio was a bit off at that time.
> 
> We could see the line for Destruction as we left Bug and it was really long so we got some more food and drinks and headed back to Monsters to wait. We got in line at 7:13 and were in at 7:48.
> 
> At that point most lines were advertised as over 60 minutes and we decided to head out around 8:30.
> 
> Couple random observations: crowds still haven't let up and it's pretty busy. Merch is still holding strong at full price other than one or two things. Lil Boo baseball hats were back in stock. The weather was actually kind of chilly and delightful. I still think this isn't the best year, but I am getting very attached to a couple houses and the graveyard scare zone.
> 
> View attachment 712312
> 
> View attachment 712313
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Thanks for continuing to post...and so sorry to hear about your fender bender - what an aggravating start to the weekend.  But glad you are all ok.


----------



## macraven

Great pictures!

Yikes for the car accident but you did not let it ruin your trip


----------



## buzlite

For express pass is the best strategy to do stay and scream for Halloween? Is there a seperate stay and scream line for express pass?
I'll be their Wednesday and trying to make a plan. My only thing is I want to do the Weekend after hours when it's dark. Initially I was going to start their.


----------



## schumigirl

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> We went again on Wednesday October 19. We were on our way to stay and scream tonight and got T Boned by some jerk turning left onto our road during heavy traffic who simply didn't see us. Sigh. We are ok but the car got scraped up. So no HHN tonight. Maybe we'll go on Sunday.
> 
> 
> We had wanted to get in line at stay and scream for Halloween. However, we were a bit late and didn't arrive until 4:15 and at that point Halloween already had a giant queue. We talked to the people in the front and they said the official queue started at 4.
> 
> Instead, we walked around a bit then met a friend and got in line for Hellblock's stay and scream. We were in line way earlier than we needed to be, we got in at 4:45. We were held outside the queue building until around 5 and then moved inside to wait until the house opened at 5:15. We were in within the minute.
> 
> Next we joined the stay and scream line for Coven at 5:22. The line started right at 5:30 and we were inside at 5:41.
> 
> It is possible to join the Halloween line at this point before the main gate crowd comes in, but you're still going to have a long wait. If I have to do a long wait I'd rather do that during regular party time and not during the coveted stay and scream extra time. So either be in line right at 4 for Halloween or just save the wait til later at night.
> 
> We got some food (lil boo buns and pizza skulls) and hovered at the gate to be released to the rest of the park. Almost exactly at 6 pm the gate opened and we power walked to the Weeknd. We were in line at 6:02 but it wasn't like the other night where we just walked in. Not sure if the house had opened late or if there were just more people, but we got into the house at 6:19.
> 
> We could see the line for Monsters as we exited Weeknd and we decided it was longer than we'd like so we took off for the back of the park.
> 
> At 6:34 we entered the line for Bug. We were in at 6:49. There was a lot of standing still and not moving for this one as they let hordes of Express in. I wonder if their ratio was a bit off at that time.
> 
> We could see the line for Destruction as we left Bug and it was really long so we got some more food and drinks and headed back to Monsters to wait. We got in line at 7:13 and were in at 7:48.
> 
> At that point most lines were advertised as over 60 minutes and we decided to head out around 8:30.
> 
> Couple random observations: crowds still haven't let up and it's pretty busy. Merch is still holding strong at full price other than one or two things. Lil Boo baseball hats were back in stock. The weather was actually kind of chilly and delightful. I still think this isn't the best year, but I am getting very attached to a couple houses and the graveyard scare zone.
> 
> View attachment 712312
> 
> View attachment 712313
> 
> View attachment 712314
> 
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> 
> View attachment 712321



Glad you’re ok, that could have been so much worse for you!

Lovely pictures and great detail for folks……also like you, we loved a couple of houses and the Graveyard Scare Zone, but agree it’s not their best year by a long shot.

Hope you get to go on Sunday too.


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

buzlite said:


> For express pass is the best strategy to do stay and scream for Halloween? Is there a seperate stay and scream line for express pass?
> I'll be their Wednesday and trying to make a plan. My only thing is I want to do the Weekend after hours when it's dark. Initially I was going to start their.



That is a strategy, maybe not best but it's fine. Ideally you should be able to use express anytime of the night.

There's only one stay and scream line for Halloween. You'll wait in that and once you hit the line entrance you'll go in the express side. Very easy to see you can't miss it.

For you I would stay and scream hellblock. Then get in the stay and scream line for coven. Then get in line for dead man's pier which opens at 6. After that chupacabra and then use express for Halloween and it should be starting to get dark for the Weekend.


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

Some nights just work out perfectly....

We attended Sunday Oct 23 and I'd say we got pretty close to the perfect stay and scream.

We wanted to finally try for Halloween at stay and scream. The goal was to get in line at 4, however, traffic always sucks coming from our house and so we were late.

4:24 pm in line for stay and scream Halloween. We were in the first of the secondary queue line that stretches along the tribute store side. After we got our spot I got a turkey bun and the African lentil and potato sambusa coffin, both delicious. Also get a cake pop which was also really good.

They started to load us by degrees into the actual Halloween queue and that was very organized. The house opened at almost exactly 5:15 and we were inside at 5:30. Really, not bad.

We considered doing Coven, but I think the house opened late because it was 5:35 and their line still hadn't been loaded into the house queue, so instead we got in line for Dead Man's Pier at 5:36. The house opened up at 5:56 and we were in at 5:59. Hauntingly beautiful, as always. Though a couple notable scare actors were missing.

We could see Chupacabra's line right before we went into Dead Man's and saw it was very small, so we immediately got in line for Chuppy at 6:04. We walked right in with no wait at 6:07. We really enjoyed this walk through and decided to go around again. So we got in line at 6:13 and were in with a very short wait at 6:18. I think they had the smells of this house pumped up to 11.

We headed to Monsters next and we were in line at 6:31. Surprisingly, we walked right up and were in the house at 6:35. As we exited we saw that the Weeknd had a super short wait too. I was tempted to do Monsters again because I love it, but decided that we should try for the Weeknd. It got a bit longer in the time it took us to get there, We were in line at 6:44 and into the house at 7:04.

We could see the Monsters line was a lot longer as we left the Weeknd, so we moved on.

In line for Destruction at 7:18 and into the house at 7:25. This house is definitely growing on me.

We had one more house we wanted to do so got in line for Bug at 7:34. Took a bit longer than we'd like and we were in at 8:04. Bug is a very frustrating house to wait in the standby, it feels like they constantly move express through and barely shuffle any standby in. Ratio just seems worse than all the other houses.

At this point we felt super accomplished. In roughly 3 hours we did 8 houses. Halloween, Dead Man's, Chuppy x2, Monsters, Weeknd, Destruction and Bugs. We don't like Blumhouse so didn't care we missed it, and we've also done Coven and Hellblock a lot, especially for houses that aren't our favorites.

It was kind of weird, I don't think the dance show was running that night. They had all the floodlights on inside and sounded like they were working on something. I didn't see any times for the show in the app either. Wonder what is going on.

So we did the final goal of the night, which was to head to IOA to see the Dementors. We made it to Hogsmeade around 8:30 and the Dementors came out soon after. They are pretty fierce and fantastic. We were also able to catch the end of the castle show and then head out.

We're not doing any more HHN until the very earliest Oct 28. Excited to close out the event!

Delicious dessert:



And dessert I got at the Today cafe last time we did HHN. Made me question all my life decisions that led to this point. Did not enjoy it very much, cannot recommend.


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## schumigirl

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> Some nights just work out perfectly....
> 
> We attended Sunday Oct 23 and I'd say we got pretty close to the perfect stay and scream.
> 
> We wanted to finally try for Halloween at stay and scream. The goal was to get in line at 4, however, traffic always sucks coming from our house and so we were late.
> 
> 4:24 pm in line for stay and scream Halloween. We were in the first of the secondary queue line that stretches along the tribute store side. After we got our spot I got a turkey bun and the African lentil and potato sambusa coffin, both delicious. Also get a cake pop which was also really good.
> 
> They started to load us by degrees into the actual Halloween queue and that was very organized. The house opened at almost exactly 5:15 and we were inside at 5:30. Really, not bad.
> 
> We considered doing Coven, but I think the house opened late because it was 5:35 and their line still hadn't been loaded into the house queue, so instead we got in line for Dead Man's Pier at 5:36. The house opened up at 5:56 and we were in at 5:59. Hauntingly beautiful, as always. Though a couple notable scare actors were missing.
> 
> We could see Chupacabra's line right before we went into Dead Man's and saw it was very small, so we immediately got in line for Chuppy at 6:04. We walked right in with no wait at 6:07. We really enjoyed this walk through and decided to go around again. So we got in line at 6:13 and were in with a very short wait at 6:18. I think they had the smells of this house pumped up to 11.
> 
> We headed to Monsters next and we were in line at 6:31. Surprisingly, we walked right up and were in the house at 6:35. As we exited we saw that the Weeknd had a super short wait too. I was tempted to do Monsters again because I love it, but decided that we should try for the Weeknd. It got a bit longer in the time it took us to get there, We were in line at 6:44 and into the house at 7:04.
> 
> We could see the Monsters line was a lot longer as we left the Weeknd, so we moved on.
> 
> In line for Destruction at 7:18 and into the house at 7:25. This house is definitely growing on me.
> 
> We had one more house we wanted to do so got in line for Bug at 7:34. Took a bit longer than we'd like and we were in at 8:04. Bug is a very frustrating house to wait in the standby, it feels like they constantly move express through and barely shuffle any standby in. Ratio just seems worse than all the other houses.
> 
> At this point we felt super accomplished. In roughly 3 hours we did 8 houses. Halloween, Dead Man's, Chuppy x2, Monsters, Weeknd, Destruction and Bugs. We don't like Blumhouse so didn't care we missed it, and we've also done Coven and Hellblock a lot, especially for houses that aren't our favorites.
> 
> It was kind of weird, I don't think the dance show was running that night. They had all the floodlights on inside and sounded like they were working on something. I didn't see any times for the show in the app either. Wonder what is going on.
> 
> So we did the final goal of the night, which was to head to IOA to see the Dementors. We made it to Hogsmeade around 8:30 and the Dementors came out soon after. They are pretty fierce and fantastic. We were also able to catch the end of the castle show and then head out.
> 
> We're not doing any more HHN until the very earliest Oct 28. Excited to close out the event!
> 
> Delicious dessert:
> 
> View attachment 712954
> 
> And dessert I got at the Today cafe last time we did HHN. Made me question all my life decisions that led to this point. Did not enjoy it very much, cannot recommend.
> 
> View attachment 712956
> 
> 
> View attachment 712957
> 
> View attachment 712958
> 
> View attachment 712959
> 
> View attachment 712960
> 
> View attachment 712961
> 
> View attachment 712962
> 
> View attachment 712973
> 
> View attachment 712974



So happy you had such a good night!!

Your pictures are lovely and I’m glad you mentioned the desserts…..we looked at that one to try, but we are never hungry for snacks so never got around to it.

And nice job with the dementors pics!

Definitely looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the event towards the end….


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## FoxC63

Here now at Universal, it's a hot day!  Last night the weather was awesome, visited Monster of Legends at Cabana Bay.  Fun, free photo ops!
Had dinner at Bubba Gump, omg waited an hour for a Caesar salad with chicken.  An hour, I kid you not!  Waiter was fun but waiting that long for food, never again!  We actually had three refills on beverages (soda) before we were served dinner.


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## agavegirl1

Here now taking a break at Cafe La Bamba. It is still 80 degrees out there at 9:23 PM.


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## Jangles

Anyone in Cafe Le Bamba now on an RIP tour? Come and say hello.


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## paopiru

Mrs.AMC said:


> The comment about no story has brought up something that I think may offer one point that could explain such differing reviews
> 
> lack of story means nothing to me in a house  I would know if a house had a story if the storybook hit me over the head. Lol I barely notice anything. I’m just concerned with getting out alive. I didn’t even realize the ending changed in monsters.   and obviously I scare very easily so it doesn’t take much there either. I’m sure I’m not the only one out there who doesn’t do houses for stories. So those of us are probably all very happy due to the overall quality
> 
> if that makes sense


I can relate. I was just screaming and hiding but my sons were appreciating details and storytelling…laughing at their scary mom too…


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## Nlfm432010

Is there a chance HHN will be open 11/1? I overheard a parking attendant tell a guest that 6 pm free parking won’t start until Wednesday due to HHN and when I checked HHN website 11/1 is on the calendar but says tickets are unavailable


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## OhioStateBuckeye

Nlfm432010 said:


> Is there a chance HHN will be open 11/1? I overheard a parking attendant tell a guest that 6 pm free parking won’t start until Wednesday due to HHN and when I checked HHN website 11/1 is on the calendar but says tickets are unavailable



I can't say with 100% certainty but I feel we would have heard something by now if that was the case. Even if it was a rumor, they would have had to have asked the cast by now and I'm sure someone would have leaked it.


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## Nlfm432010

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> I can't say with 100% certainty but I feel we would have heard something by now if that was the case. Even if it was a rumor, they would have had to have asked the cast by now and I'm sure someone would have leaked it.


Thank you that makes sense!


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## tinkerbell1991

Oooh, a new house has already been announced for 2023 - Chucky


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## Nlfm432010

I’m here now and all HHN merch is 70% off plus you can use your AP discount


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## keishashadow

haven’t eaten all the halloween candy and, as of 10/31/22, the first maze of HHN 32 is already out there

We’ll call it just desserts 


__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1587187958410579969


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## OhioStateBuckeye

And sadly the sun has set on Halloween.

We managed to make it two more times.

Sunday October 30 we did stay and scream and did:
Halloween, Dead Man's Pier, Monsters x2 and Bugs before 8. 

On Halloween we did stay and scream again. We managed to get Hellblock, Dead Man's Pier, Chupacabra, Monsters, and Destruction by 7. We were starving and got pizza fries and Rueben fries. 

Then we waited 40 minutes for Bug house (was still sad to see the grub was still missing, didn't see it for the last couple nights). 



The whole event was much more crowded than last year on Halloween. Stay and scream was massively packed. The line for Halloween was so long they didn't let us over to the Dead Man's and Chuppy lines until 5:50. 

We then met up with a friend at the Dead Coconut club and got to meet Drac, Frank and the Bride. All the lines were about an hour at this point so we just waited 50 minutes for Monsters and finished out the night with a 40 some minute wait for Dead Man's. By the time we were done with Dead Man's it was close to midnight and the lines still weren't really letting up. 

We were very tired from doing stay and scream, I would have liked to stay until the end but it was still massively crowded and the lines were huge so we headed out. 

I'm also glad we did our last minute shopping around 4:30 because there was a line for the tribute store for most of the night, at least that I saw. We did make out like bandits with last minute merchandise. On Sunday October 30 most items were 50% off, and on Monday they were 70%. And the AP 20% stacked on top. So the item would ring up as 50 or 70 off, then take the 20% off that price. 

We got the every night is Halloween spirit jersey, the women's house shirt, a dead coconut club shirt, the Halloween leggings, two window stickie sheets and the Lil Boo pillow. Some of the Lil Boo merchandise did not go on sale, and there were some shirts that were from an outside vendor that didn't go on sale either. 







My Lil Boo collection (including the styrofoam pumpkin I carved myself):


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## OhioStateBuckeye

I also kept track of all the days we attended, what houses we did, and what the wait times were. We never did have express pass, but one night we did go on a private RIP tour.

Our final count for HHN 31:

11 visits
Wednesday 2
Thursday 2
Friday 2
Sunday 4
Monday 1
Only 2 visits were not stay and scream (one of those was the RIP, the other the first re-opening date after hurricane Ian).

And the final house tally:
Monsters 13
Dead Man's Pier 11
Bug 10
The Weeknd 9
Hellblock 8
Chupacabra 7
Descendants of Destruction 7
Spirits of the Coven 7
Halloween 5
Blumhouse 2

And my final house rankings:
Monsters
Dead Man's Pier
Bug
Destruction
Weeknd
Chupacabra
Halloween
Hellblock
Spirits of the Coven
Blumhouse

Until next year (I'm still pulling for Wicked Growth 2: Revenge of Lil Boo).



















Even on the final HHN you could see Christmas starting to creep in:


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## Mrs.AMC

One comment regarding waits on Halloween night at least, the express line waits were EXTREMELY short.
Way less than half the stand by
That may explain why wait times were so long all night.
I was rather surprised. I expected to be in line 30 or so minutes for each house, since the stand by waits all avg'd about 60 min but we waited less than 15 every time. Now, could the wait time be off on each house? Sure. Always possible. Just find it hard to think that every house was off that much. I think they just pulled in more EP line but just my opinion.
Only thing I regretted for Halloween night was we didn't make it back there to see Nightmare Fuel. We dilly-dallied at the front of the park too long and by the time we made it back to that area it was the final show and it was jam packed. 

We ended up skipping Destruction and Bugs. We grabbed something to eat and walked over to have a seat to eat it and by the time we got ready to get up and move again, we didn't feel like back tracking. Plus, DH really hated the Bugs house. 

We went back to the parks yesterday before heading to the airport and they'd already started taking down quite a lot of the stuff. I figured most would wait till last night simply because of time. So little time to work after closing at 2AM. But they made decent progress all things considered. 

I didn't do any research to see which house won or got best house or whathaveyou but it did seem like most houses had way more action in them Halloween night. I know I felt like I got way more scares. I think Dead Man's Pier still makes the top of my list but really hard to pick. Seems each time I go through I like a different one more.


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## keishashadow

Monsters turned out to get the most votes.  

The nights we did use express, often it was 1/3rd the stated stand by time if not more

Could be the luck of the draw  over two different trips (one 3rd week of September, the other mid October) it did seem as standby wait times were understated up to the 2nd hour of main gate release    Conversely, the exact opposite the last 1-1/2 hours, overstated.


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