# Official 2018 HHN-28 Thread



## keishashadow

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 sites you feel will help others plan their trips & they will be linked in post #9

Above all else, be excellent to each other

http://www.halloweenhorrornights.com/orlando/

http://blog.universalorlando.com/tag/halloween-horror-nights/

https://www.facebook.com/halloweenhorrornightsorlando?ref=ts#

https://mobile.twitter.com/HorrorNightsORL?ref_src=twsrc^google|twcamp^serp|twgr^author

https://www.disboards.com/threads/official-2017-hhn-27-thread.3606743/


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## keishashadow

Dates

9/19 & 9/26 added


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## keishashadow

Icon (if applicable this year)


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## keishashadow

House < Mazes, Scare-zones

HOUSES

1.  Stranger Things

2.  Dead Exposure:  Patient Zero

3.   Trick ‘r Treat

4.  Slaughter Sinema

5.  Carnival Graveyard:  Rust in Pieces

6.  Scenes of Extinction aka SOX

7.  Poltergeist

8.  Halloween 4:  The Return of Michael Myers

9.  Horror of Blumhouse (Happy Death Day & First Purge)

10. Scary Tales


SCARE ZONES

1. The Harvest

2. Vamp’ 85: New Years Eve

3. Twisted Tradition

4. Revenge of Chucky

5. Killer Klowns from Outerspace


The world’s premier Halloween event is getting even scarier. For the first time in 28 years, you’ll experience more houses than ever at Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights. A 10th house is joining the lineup with a terrifying theme that will be revealed in the coming months.

Horrors inspired by the ‘80s will invade this year’s Halloween Horror Nights. The past will haunt you in 10 houses featuring the biggest names in horror – including Netflix’s sci-fi thriller “Stranger Things” and Legendary Pictures’ Halloween classic “Trick ‘r Treat” – and five sinister scare zones. When it comes to scare zones, you’ll come face-to-face with menacing creatures and unearthly forces throughout the streets of Universal Studios Florida.

There are the three original horror stories you’ll see brought to life in the scare zones



#1 April 3rd







#2 April 26th
 Dead Exposure Patient Zero

“The Zombie Apocalypse is Here”

Original Dead Exposure in 2008 — the year that Bloody Mary was an icon.  Post references military, quarantine, vaccinations, sickness & blindness.

Patrick Braillard, show director wittth Universal Creative announces:

“We’re bringing back that same terror. But this time, we’re dropping you in the middle of Paris in 1982.  The city of lights has gone dark as chaos spreads, unchecked. Hordes of vicious, flesh-eating undead are swarming the streets.”






#3 May 16th

Scarezone of 2007 movie gets upgraded to house

We’re throwing you head first into the world of this cult Halloween film, and putting you in the middle of all the grisly scenes and demented characters. These guardians of Halloween will teach you the traditions of the holiday as you find out first hand the consequences of breaking those rules. With monsters around every turn, you need to pay attention…or suffer the ultimate fate.

And then there’s Sam who keeps a watchful eye over it all. He’s the keeper of the rules and the spirit of Halloween. He may look cute on the outside but you don’t want to get on his bad side… or the receiving end of his lollipop






5/31 announcement

TERROR WILL OVERRUN THE STREETS.

Hope you’ve rested your voice to prepare for this year’s screams, Passholder. You’ll face nightmarish creatures in five sinister scare zones. And even more horrors await you. Stay tuned for Passholder exclusives for the

6/8






6/21






  

7/25






Carnival Graveyard: Rust in Pieces.  Set in a closed, dilapidated attraction the house will revolve around decayed rides and games.  The pieces of multiple carnivals have been left to rot:  bright colors turn to rust, cotton candy rots and the funhouses crumble.  The carnivals of yesterday have long been buried.  Something dark and sinister has grown within the decay.  Here in the Carnival Graveyard, trespassers will pay...with their life

Parts of carnival rides have been transformed into instruments of torture and the walls are painted with the blood of the foolish victims who have entered before.  Those brave enough to venture in now will find menacing guard dogs, a macabre tunnel of love and gleefully grotesque performers waiting for their frightfully fun revenge.

“These carnies won’t stop until they’ve had their fun-filled revenge,” Charles Gray, a writer and show director for HHN, posts on the official Universal Orlando blog. He notes that ride parts have become “instruments of torture.”

8/7

Scenes of Extinction “SOX

https://youtu.be/6Via-b48X2k

What would it be like to live in a post-apocalyptic wasteland overgrown with invasive vegetation, and the human race wiped from existence? You’ll find out in the *Seeds of Extinction* haunted house at Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights.

In this original story, a cataclysmic meteor has struck Earth, causing humans to become extinct, and something monstrous to take root. The virulent growth has swept across the planet, covering everything and choking out civilization within moments, creating a tableau of what once was. What appears to be a lush and green graveyard hides the most terrifying and hungry meat eaters. Predatory plants of all species use strangling vines, razor-sharp thorns, and poisonous pollens to encroach from all sides as you invade this new world.

8/9

Poltergeist

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=h0nLGo9voz4&feature=youtu.be

Directed by Tobe Hooper and produced by Steven Spielberg, “Poltergeist” has been characterized as one of the scariest films of all time. This living walkthrough of the film will take guests into some of its most iconic scenes and cross paths with the memorable characters.

The maze will bring guests into the Freeling family home, built atop a cemetery where ghosts threaten the lives of those within. From the underground graveyard to spectral apparitions, guests will come face-to-face with the iconic flickering TV screen, see the Beast from beyond and the pool filled with floating corpses.

As guests cross into the ‘light,’ they’ll find themselves surrounded by vanishing walls, floating furniture, and a creepy clown with an unsettling grin. In a race against time, they’ll have to make it back to the world of the living or forever be trapped in a world unknown.

8/14

Halloween 4:  The Return of Michael Myers

You all know him—the featureless mask, iconic jumpsuit, and the plunging knife. Michael Myers has come back for more in an all-new haunted house – Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers at Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights.

Michael Myers, the Shape, the Boogeyman. He is an unrelenting force of destruction. No one is safe in Haddonfield when he is stalking in the shadows. Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers expanded on the brute strength of Michael Myers as he escaped from a prison transfer and hunted down his niece in Haddonfield.

You’ll be dropped right in the middle of Michael Myers’ path, where he is on his way to eradicating his niece. He takes out everyone in his way…and you’ll be right in the middle of the action. Try your best to escape the bloodbath – not even Loomis, Myers’ psychiatrist, can save you.

Experience this nightmare come to life on select nights from Sept. 14 to Nov. 3. Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers joins the event line-up, featuring more haunted houses than ever, five scare zones and a powerhouse show. It’s the 30th anniversary of Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers, so make sure to watch it before you come to the event.



Horror of Blumhouse



8/21
Scary Tales


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## keishashadow

Ticket Information & Pricing (Standard)

2 dates added 9/19 & 9/26

Offer is Expired for the BOGO night tix.  

Note:  said tix may be upgraded at park GS (outside) to a more expensive tix ( information received via phone call with Universal’s ticketing department, YMMV)



This ticket will be sold between March 22, 2018 and June 6, 2018. The Halloween Horror Nights event begins at 6:30 pm and closing times vary.
Offer available for purchase online only and cannot be combined with any other offers, promotions, discounts or prior purchases.
Select mobile delivery at checkout and you can go straight to the turnstiles with your ticket on your mobile device.

Single Night Tickets


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## keishashadow

*Annual Pass Tix Info 



Single & multinight tix

 
 
 
 

 
 

 
*


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## keishashadow

Tour Information

Annual Pass Pricing







Express






Day Tours


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## keishashadow

Day Tours APH Continued




Dining Information


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## keishashadow

Tours Standard Pricing

RIP Tour

 

Daytime Tour




6 hour Daytime Tour





Scareactor Dining $49.99 +


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## keishashadow

Map

https://orlando.halloweenhorrornights.com/webdata/hhn/files/images/event-map-download.pdf


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## macraven

_To HHN 2018 event sticky!

Many thanks to Keishashadow for setting up this thread....



_


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## OhioStateBuckeye

Here's Johnny!

Oh wait, that was last year.

Excited for this go round!


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## pattyw

Time for the fun/scares to begin!


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## soniam

Was just wondering when this thread would start. Really hoping to do our first HHN this year.


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## macraven

soniam said:


> Was just wondering when this thread would start. Really hoping to do our first HHN this year.



_I hope you will be able to do hhn this year!

And a special bonus if you go the same dates I go.......i smell a meet up_


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## soniam

macraven said:


> _I hope you will be able to do hhn this year!
> 
> And a special bonus if you go the same dates I go.......i smell a meet up_



Totally dude


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## AdrianaR

Yay! Following along. This will be my first time going to HHN. I’m a scaredy cat, but I’m so excited for this. I’m planning on going on September 16th. Are the first nights usually super busy? I know so little of HHN, SO i’m really looking forward to following this thread


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## schumigirl

Cannot wait!!!!!

Rush of Fear with EP for us again.......if available of course.........


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## SgtTibbs

Looking at the ticket site I don't see the EP option, does that come later?  Also, I know I won't do two nights if I wait could I expect a better deal on a one day ticket at some point? Does HHN sell out like MNSSHP?


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## macraven

SgtTibbs said:


> Looking at the ticket site I don't see the EP option, does that come later?  Also, I know I won't do two nights if I wait could I expect a better deal on a one day ticket at some point? Does HHN sell out like MNSSHP?




_Ticket and extras info will be copied to the above held threads

When official hhn info is released, Keishashadow will post it_


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## TaylorsDad

We are planning on arriving September 20th and leaving the following Monday mourning. Obviously we are hoping to be able to purchase the ROF. Is anyone else concerned they are offering the BOGO in order to discontinue the Rush of Fear or Frequent Fear pass? Of course it could just be to increase crowds which seem to me to have already grown immensely each of the last few times I have went, As this would also increase Express Pass sales.


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## schumigirl

TaylorsDad said:


> We are planning on arriving September 20th and leaving the following Monday mourning. Obviously we are hoping to be able to purchase the ROF. Is anyone else concerned they are offering the BOGO in order to discontinue the Rush of Fear or Frequent Fear pass? Of course it could just be to increase crowds which seem to me to have already grown immensely each of the last few times I have went, As this would also increase Express Pass sales.



I hope they don't discontinue those longer passes.......the RoF suits us down to the ground.

You are correct crowds increase every year......very noticeable.......it`s why we always say there`s no real quiet nights now like there used to be......there are nights that are just slightly less manic.


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## keishashadow

schumigirl said:


> Cannot wait!!!!!
> 
> Rush of Fear with EP for us again.......if available of course.........



Not entirely sure what spurred this rumor.  Know many rely heavily upon it. 

Crowds were so high last year around Columbus Day weekend (when I do expect crowds) but it seemed especially busy the days I visited.



macraven said:


> Ticket and extras info will be copied to the above held threads
> 
> When official hhn info is released, Keishashadow will post it



All the gore that’s fit to print



TaylorsDad said:


> We are planning on arriving September 20th and leaving the following Monday mourning. Obviously we are hoping to be able to purchase the ROF. Is anyone else concerned they are offering the BOGO in order to discontinue the Rush of Fear or Frequent Fear pass? Of course it could just be to increase crowds which seem to me to have already grown immensely each of the last few times I have went, As this would also increase Express Pass sales.



JMHO but even if they revamp the multiple day passes (and I have seen nothing but rumors vs insider leaks) your dates are very early on, when crowds are comparatively light.   Check out Schumigirl’s detailed trip reports, she typically visits then. 

As a repeat visitor, I”m sure you know the value of staying (in a holding pen) as a resort guests to get a head jump on a few houses. 

Depending upon the eventual cost of EP, you might want to consider running the numbers to joining a public tour one night to get ‘Er all done.


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## crostorfer

The only night that really works for us is Sunday, October 21st. We'll be heading straight from the cross-country flight, to the PBR, (*unless I can get a better rate at the HRH once the October APH rates are released*), to HHN. This will be our first time at HHN, my daughter is finally old enough, and willing, to go with me.


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## cynditech

Yay   Thank you for putting this together - we are beyond geeked for HHN!  We attended our first one last year!  Booked our flights this week and added an extra day to our HRH reservation


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## macraven

crostorfer said:


> The only night that really works for us is Sunday, October 21st. We'll be heading straight from the cross-country flight, to the PBR, (*unless I can get a better rate at the HRH once the October APH rates are released*), to HHN. This will be our first time at HHN, my daughter is finally old enough, and willing, to go with me.



_I wouldn't hold your breathe and wait for AP hotel rates.
If the hotels fill up quickly, quite possible AP rates won't happen.

I suggest you book now and you can always call and modify your rate if AP rates would be released for your date.

HRH sells out quickly.
They are the smallest hotel with only 650 rooms_


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## HollyMD

For those that have been- we will be going Thur oct 11th for sure. Would this BOGO offer more than likely be our best bet? We will be at US checking in the 11th and checking out the 14th. So we could go the 11th and 12th with this ticket. Going that far down in Oct, from what I’ve read, doesn’t seem the ROF would apply to us, correct?


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## macraven

HollyMD said:


> For those that have been- we will be going Thur oct 11th for sure. Would this BOGO offer more than likely be our best bet? We will be at US checking in the 11th and checking out the 14th. So we could go the 11th and 12th with this ticket. Going that far down in Oct, from what I’ve read, doesn’t seem the ROF would apply to us, correct?


_If I were going only for two nights, I would buy that ticket...bobof

You can use it on any night but Saturday.

I saw on the website that this offer will end on a certain date.
You still have a lot of time to make your decision on buying it.

I'll be there on the 11th also!

I'm holding off for a monthly pass such as Rush of Fear that they have had in the past.
No idea if it will be offered but willing to take the chance and wait it out._


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## HollyMD

@macraven, thank you so much! And if we get the BOGO, and decided later we wanted to add an RIP tour later when they come out, we shouldn’t have any problem doing that, correct?


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## macraven

HollyMD said:


> @macraven, thank you so much! And if we get the BOGO, and decided later we wanted to add an RIP tour later when they come out, we shouldn’t have any problem doing that, correct?



_Correct

If you do a rip hhn tour, you are required to have the hhn ticket 

Tour booking has not opened yet 
Check the hhn website to read what has been released _


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## absolutmey

Hey guys, we'll be in Orlando during this time and planning a day at USO but not HHN (boo).  Is the recommended plan similar to MNSSHP? In other words, is it better to hit USO on a HHN day than a non-party day, crowd and park hour wise?  Thanks!


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## heidijanesmith

Any rumors on what is replacing Bill & Teds?  I am so curious to see what is coming!


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## vrajewski10513

SO EXCITED!!!


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## imprint

I think Universal Hollywood tweeted that they would be making an announcement at the same time (8:00 am PDT), so I would guess they are both revealing a shared IP.  My guess is It.


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## soniam

Oooh the first house or scarezone announcement, probably house though


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## OhioStateBuckeye

Stranger things confirmed.


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## vrajewski10513

Here we are kids...


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## schumigirl

Yep, this should be a good house.........hopefully!


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## dlavender

Finally heading back to HHN after a 10 year hiatus!!  

Probably will hit up the first or second week.  Can't wait!


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## agame2323

We're off to a good start!


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## meryll83

SgtTibbs said:


> Looking at the ticket site I don't see the EP option, does that come later?  Also, I know I won't do two nights if I wait could I expect a better deal on a one day ticket at some point? Does HHN sell out like MNSSHP?


I’m the same, we only need 1 night, so was wondering if anything cheaper will be released.

This ticket is $20 more than we paid last year, but we had a discount through a Coca Cola promotion last year. Can’t remember how much discount it gave, but as I’m not sure if it’ll be back, I’m thinking of purchasing the current ticket anyway...

Looking forward to Stranger Things, it’s not exactly horror for me, but I like what they can do with theming, characters, etc.


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## crostorfer

The video promo for Stranger Things is absolutely fantastic.


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## krazykevy

Calling on some veteran HHN experts/veterans....my wife and I decided that we our going to spend our 15th wedding anniversary at Universal Orlando from 10/10 to 10/14.  We have been to UO before but never to HHN...so needless to say we are pretty stoked about going!  We plan to stay on-site at RP (have stayed at HRH before, wanting to switch it up this time) and considering the club level for our stay there.  Here is where my question lies....do we secure the BOGO now, or wait a bit to see if there are better ticket options that suit us since we will be there for a total of 4 HHNs.  Any and all help would be greatly appreciated!  Looking forward to following this thread closely this year....also need to binge Stranger Things as well...lol

Kevin


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## agame2323

One thing I will say is that they need to continue to bring in more licensed property as opposed to IP. For the last 2 years, IMO this is where HHN has stalled. It started to feel like the same thing as the previous year. So I hope they add to the scarezones and surprise us with more house like Stranger Things. Also, the shows... whatever they replace Bill and Teds with is going to be important.


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## dizneenut

So excited. We will be in FL for this and plan on going to HHN for the first time. Is this an extra ticket price? We were planning on doing a 2 park 1 day ticket and spending a day at the parks and definitely want to do HHN also now that we know it opens while we are there.


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## vrajewski10513

krazykevy said:


> Calling on some veteran HHN experts/veterans....my wife and I decided that we our going to spend our 15th wedding anniversary at Universal Orlando from 10/10 to 10/14.  We have been to UO before but never to HHN...so needless to say we are pretty stoked about going!  We plan to stay on-site at RP (have stayed at HRH before, wanting to switch it up this time) and considering the club level for our stay there.  Here is where my question lies....do we secure the BOGO now, or wait a bit to see if there are better ticket options that suit us since we will be there for a total of 4 HHNs.  Any and all help would be greatly appreciated!  Looking forward to following this thread closely this year....also need to binge Stranger Things as well...lol
> 
> Kevin


If you’re planning on going all 4 nights i would wait for the Frequent Fear passes to be released.


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## patster734

I will be at Universal from Sept 8th to the 15th, so my only option will be the first night on Friday the 14th, and the bogo isn’t feasible because we fly home in the 15th.  Hopefully, there is an AP discount this year.  Because I’m only there for the first night, I will either go RIP or get EP.



dizneenut said:


> So excited. We will be in FL for this and plan on going to HHN for the first time. Is this an extra ticket price? We were planning on doing a 2 park 1 day ticket and spending a day at the parks and definitely want to do HHN also now that we know it opens while we are there.



Yes, it is an extra ticket event.  If you are already in the park with a day ticket, and also have a HHNs ticket, you will be directed to wait in a Stay and Scream holding area inside the park, which will give you an advantage over the guests waiting at the gates to get in.


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## OhioStateBuckeye

So I wonder if the Stranger Things house will focus more on season 1 or 2. I kind of hope 1. Lots of iconic locations. The shed out back of Will's house, the Christmas lights in his house, the government facility, the school and of course the upside down.


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## yulilin3

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> So I wonder if the Stranger Things house will focus more on season 1 or 2. I kind of hope 1. Lots of iconic locations. The shed out back of Will's house, the Christmas lights in his house, the government facility, the school and of course the upside down.


Maybe it'll be a mashup of both


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## OhioStateBuckeye

yulilin3 said:


> Maybe it'll be a mashup of both



True, I forgot to add that option. I think I just personally hope that they focus on season 1. I'm trying to think what locations from season 2 would even factor in...I guess they could do something with trick or treating but that was barely even featured.


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## SgtTibbs

I was on the fence about HHN, but Stranger Things?  Aww Damn. I'm in.  Now it's a must see.


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## imprint

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> So I wonder if the Stranger Things house will focus more on season 1 or 2. I kind of hope 1. Lots of iconic locations. The shed out back of Will's house, the Christmas lights in his house, the government facility, the school and of course the upside down.



HHN-Orlando tweeted that it involves Season 1 only and is a collaboration between Netflix, the show creators, and Universal.  They also tweeted the following scenes (so far):  Mirkwood, Hawkins National Laboratory, The Upside Down, and the Byers' home.


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## lolomarie

I'm planning on surprising DH with a date night to HHN for Sept 20th. Originally I was planning on doing the one night with EP. Now with the BOGO would you suggest doing 2 nights with no express pass?  We could try to convince mom to babysit 2 nights. We are on a tight budget, but seeing everything is important to me. I'd also like to do the rides that are open because we are not visiting Universal this trip because the kiddos are so small (3 years and 10 months). Do you think we could do it all in 2 nights with no EP, or would one night with EP be worth the extra cost?


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## keishashadow

macraven said:


> _If I were going only for two nights, I would buy that ticket...bobof
> 
> You can use it on any night but Saturday.
> 
> I saw on the website that this offer will end on a certain date.
> You still have a lot of time to make your decision on buying it.
> 
> I'll be there on the 11th also!
> 
> I'm holding off for a monthly pass such as Rush of Fear that they have had in the past.
> No idea if it will be offered but willing to take the chance and wait it out._



My interpretation of what I posted in sticky is June 6th is last day to purchase

Lolomarie - i’d Vote for 2 nights . You’re looking @ a Thursday & Friday?  Be at the gates early & follow along here for hints as to which houses to hit early.  Rides that will be open are gravy, suggest saving them for the end of the night.


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## buckeev

STRANGER THINGS!!!  
So HONORED they names a HHN House after MY FAMILY!!!!!!


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## crostorfer

Judging by the overwhelming response on Twitter, I'm betting the Stranger Things house is going to be a massively popular house.


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## vrajewski10513

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> So I wonder if the Stranger Things house will focus more on season 1 or 2. I kind of hope 1. Lots of iconic locations. The shed out back of Will's house, the Christmas lights in his house, the government facility, the school and of course the upside down.


I believe the press release said it would be season one.


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## lolomarie

keishashadow said:


> Lolomarie - i’d Vote for 2 nights . You’re looking @ a Thursday & Friday?  Be at the gates early & follow along here for hints as to which houses to hit early.  Rides that will be open are gravy, suggest saving them for the end of the night.



Thanks so much Keisha. I'm leaning towards this as well, less expensive and an extra kid free night!  Dates would most likely be the 16th and 20th (Sunday and Thursday) Just have to see if my mom is on board for the babysitting!!!


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## macraven

lolomarie said:


> Thanks so much Keisha. I'm leaning towards this as well, less expensive and an extra kid free night!  Dates would most likely be the 16th and 20th (Sunday and Thursday) Just have to see if my mom is on board for the babysitting!!!



_You’ll be glad doing two nights of hhn

 Newbies can get overwhelmed trying to do everything the first time all on one night

Tell your mom Mother’s Day is next month and her babysitting two nights for you is her gift to you_


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## lolomarie

macraven said:


> _You’ll be glad doing two nights of hhn
> 
> Newbies can get overwhelmed trying to do everything the first time all on one night_



I didn't even think of being overwhelmed. This is a good point. I know I'm going to be terrified!  Lol. This is very much a gift to DH, I'm the biggest scaredy cat ever!


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## meryll83

Does anyone think there will be a cheaper offer for just 1 night?


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## schumigirl

meryll83 said:


> Does anyone think there will be a cheaper offer for just 1 night?




Doubt it. 

One day tickets anywhere rarely have a discount and with HHN they know they can sell them.


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## agame2323

I hope there is going to another house that matches or exceeds the excitement of Stranger Things. I say that because, if Stranger Things is this years premier house, the wait times and crowds are going to be insane. 

That said, I do believe US has something else up their sleeve.


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## schumigirl

agame2323 said:


> That said, I do believe US has something else up their sleeve.


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## sconnell

schumigirl said:


> Doubt it.
> 
> One day tickets anywhere rarely have a discount and with HHN they know they can sell them.


schumigirl, The only single day discounts that I can recall was an AP discount and maybe a FL Res discount, but it wasn't very much. Am I right?


I am SO excited for this year. Last year was my first. I know my teens will REALLY want to come this year with a Stranger Things house. They wanted to last year, but I wasn't sure since I hadn't been before. The will be 14 and 16 this fall.
So, with 4 of us, we will probably only do one night or if we did two it would have to be Friday and Saturday, so the BOGO won't help us. Maybe the RIP tour.


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## sconnell

agame2323 said:


> I hope there is going to another house that matches or exceeds the excitement of Stranger Things. I say that because, if Stranger Things is this years premier house, the wait times and crowds are going to be insane.
> 
> That said, I do believe US has something else up their sleeve.




Yes! And I hope they do too! And I'm wondering what will fill the gap left by Bill and Ted's. (Though B&T was the only thing that I decided was a bit much for my kiddos just now.)


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## pattyw

sconnell said:


> Maybe the RIP tour.



We've done the RIP tour twice- I thought it was well worth the cost.  Once I figured out what EP would be for four of us and all that you get with the tour I purchased that.  You see ALL houses, have a VIP area where you have pre HHN appetizers (cash bar)- and available all evening as well.  Also, there are VIP stops with a private bar.  VIP access to some rides as well. And a tour guide- very knowledgeable.  They tell you the story to each house.


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## sconnell

pattyw said:


> We've done the RIP tour twice- I thought it was well worth the cost.  Once I figured out what EP would be for four of us and all that you get with the tour I purchased that.  You see ALL houses, have a VIP area where you have pre HHN appetizers (cash bar)- and available all evening as well.  Also, there are VIP stops with a private bar.  VIP access to some rides as well. And a tour guide- very knowledgeable.  They tell you the story to each house.


Oh that's great to know! Thanks!


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## agame2323

sconnell said:


> Oh that's great to know! Thanks!



I totally agree. For years we only purchased EP. Last year we decided that we would try the RIP tour. It was worth every penny!


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## heidijanesmith

We go two to three nights.

1st night is the non-private RIP tour. You get a great look at the whole HHN scene. We love the RIP tour, totally worth it as the above posters mentioned.
2nd-3rd night we get the EP's  and hit our favorite houses again, hang out at Diagon Alley, hit some rides, get some food and drinks and people watch!


----------



## Linkura

heidijanesmith said:


> We go two to three nights.
> 
> 1st night is the non-private RIP tour. You get a great look at the whole HHN scene. We love the RIP tour, totally worth it as the above posters mentioned.
> 2nd-3rd night we get the EP's  and hit our favorite houses again, hang out at Diagon Alley, hit some rides, get some food and drinks and people watch!


This is my plan.  I think I'll only do 2 nights though.  Halloween night- RIP.  Then the Friday after maybe get an EP if I want to redo several houses (if not, just get there early and redo the few I want to do), and just hang out and do whatever.

My first trip and it's a solo one, so if anyone is going Halloween night or 11/2, let me know, maybe we can meet up.


----------



## Jujumama

Can't wait to do the RIP tour again.  I have never felt so great about dropping that much cash. During a hot muggy Florida night and when you see lines going forever and you go straight in its worth every penny.  I do not have too many sitter options so I only can afford to go one night, RIP is the way to go for sure.


----------



## crostorfer

agame2323 said:


> I hope there is going to another house that matches or exceeds the excitement of Stranger Things. I say that because, if Stranger Things is this years premier house, the wait times and crowds are going to be insane.
> 
> That said, I do believe US has something else up their sleeve.



There is a new Halloween movie coming out in October, starring Jamie Lee Curtis, set in the original location. I expect to see a return of Michael Myers and a Halloween themed house again.


----------



## cynditech

Linkura said:


> This is my plan.  I think I'll only do 2 nights though.  Halloween night- RIP.  Then the Friday after maybe get an EP if I want to redo several houses (if not, just get there early and redo the few I want to do), and just hang out and do whatever.
> 
> My first trip and it's a solo one, so if anyone is going Halloween night or 11/2, let me know, maybe we can meet up.



We will be there the same time - and planning on the RIP tour Halloween night   Then I think we will go on Friday.  We really wanted to go on Saturday too.


----------



## SnowWitch

Okay HHN experts.  My kiddos are 28, 26, 13 and one month shy of 12.  All are huge fans of Stranger Things!!! So everybody is super excited including the 11 yr old.  The material on the website says not suggested for those under 13.  Thoughts on the almost 12 yr old Stranger Things fan???? Be kind , looking for advice from those that have been.  We have never been to one.


----------



## macraven

_Google some of the videos others put up over the past few years

Have him watch them with you and you’ll have an idea if hhn is too intense for him

If he says it’s too scary, think twice before you buy tickets
There are no refunds on the hhn tickets if you go and leave the park right away

Some youngsters can handle the event and some are not ready yet
_


----------



## meryll83

Is there chance for any second visits to houses after the RIP tour? Or does it fill your whole evening?


----------



## cynditech

meryll83 said:


> Is there chance for any second visits to houses after the RIP tour? Or does it fill your whole evening?



Our tour took up the entire time, so we did not have time to do the houses again.  Ours started at 7:30pm - and took us until around 1am I think.




SnowWitch said:


> Okay HHN experts.  My kiddos are 28, 26, 13 and one month shy of 12.  All are huge fans of Stranger Things!!! So everybody is super excited including the 11 yr old.  The material on the website says not suggested for those under 13.  Thoughts on the almost 12 yr old Stranger Things fan???? Be kind , looking for advice from those that have been.  We have never been to one.




We went last year with our son, who was 11, and our niece, who was 14.  They both looooooved it!!!  We did watch a ton of videos ahead of time.  They were never terrified.  We did the RIP tour - so they did all 9 houses with no problems.  My son has autism, so we were super nervous about trying this.  But he absolutely loves all things scary lol!!!  The kids had a blast taking selfies with some of the scareactors too. 

We have already booked a trip to go again this year.  We are all massive Stranger Things fan!!!  Here's a clip from our RIP tour from last HHN:


----------



## ckmiles

After reading this thread (and last years)  Im having some strong feelings of FOMO...

I do not watch horror movies (cant sleep after) - and I'd not ashamed to say Im afraid of the dark.  So Im pretty sure HHN is not for me.  But.......


----------



## Robo56

Yeah!!!!!! Keisha started the Official HHN 2018 sticky.......let the momentum begin for HHN 2018.


----------



## Linkura

cynditech said:


> We will be there the same time - and planning on the RIP tour Halloween night   Then I think we will go on Friday.  We really wanted to go on Saturday too.


I'm doing Friday because I don't want to do 2 days in a row and Saturday isn't covered by the buy 1 get 2. Maybe we will be on the same tour!


----------



## GoldmanTrust

How much was the RIP tour last year? And do you have to buy a ticket aswell?


----------



## Linkura

GoldmanTrust said:


> How much was the RIP tour last year? And do you have to buy a ticket aswell?


Yes you have to buy a ticket. I think it was $191.xx plus tax for non-private.


----------



## heidijanesmith

SnowWitch said:


> Okay HHN experts.  My kiddos are 28, 26, 13 and one month shy of 12.  All are huge fans of Stranger Things!!! So everybody is super excited including the 11 yr old.  The material on the website says not suggested for those under 13.  Thoughts on the almost 12 yr old Stranger Things fan???? Be kind , looking for advice from those that have been.  We have never been to one.



Agree with watching some videos of the past HHN's. My DD was young when we started, but she loves all things Halloween, scary movies and other haunted houses. She was not bothered by gore, scares, more adult themes. 

I have seen younger children do great and some not so great. All up to your child and how these type of situations will affect.


----------



## heidijanesmith

meryll83 said:


> Is there chance for any second visits to houses after the RIP tour? Or does it fill your whole evening?



The RIP tour took up the whole night for us, there might have been a little time at the end for a ride. The RIP credentials let you in the EP line for rides.


----------



## macraven

_Rip HHN tours prices have different rates based on the day of the week

I believe my past public tours were under $200
I like to do a public tour on Sundays and a private tour on Friday of the Columbus Day weekend
Last year the private tour was in the ball park of $2660.
(Ap discount I included in the above number)_


----------



## keishashadow

Attn - those looking for predictions of tix pricing this year...last year’s thread in early posts has all the various tix that were offered & discounts.  The link is in the 1st post of this thread!  

Of course, they seem to be shaking it up a bit this year lol, still a good starting point for noobs is to read thru the first few posts here.


----------



## keishashadow

cynditech said:


> Our tour took up the entire time, so we did not have time to do the houses again.  Ours started at 7:30pm - and took us until around 1am I think.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> We went last year with our son, who was 11, and our niece, who was 14.  They both looooooved it!!!  We did watch a ton of videos ahead of time.  They were never terrified.  We did the RIP tour - so they did all 9 houses with no problems.  My son has autism, so we were super nervous about trying this.  But he absolutely loves all things scary lol!!!  The kids had a blast taking selfies with some of the scareactors too.
> 
> We have already booked a trip to go again this year.  We are all massive Stranger Things fan!!!  Here's a clip from our RIP tour from last HHN:



1st public tour last year, the Sunday prior before Columbus Day.  Finished very early, had easily 1-1/2 hrs before park closed.



macraven said:


> _Rip HHN tours prices have different rates based on the day of the week
> 
> I believe my past public tours were under $200
> I like to do a public tour on Sundays and a private tour on Friday of the Columbus Day weekend
> Last year the private tour was in the ball park of $2660.
> (Ap discount I included in the above number)_



I am admittedly spoiled tagging along for years on a private tour 

However, I was sorely disappointed with my first public one last year.  The posted rules on Universal’s website state a person can only book 6 people on a public, otherwise they have to go Private.  The rationale is that a large group tends to over-run the tour, makes sense.

My adult DS & I were placed with a group of 8 people. The guide followed their lead, lost count of the booze stops.  They wound up being very sloppy drunks, ugg.  Guide when questioned said they reserve the right to distribute guests at will & he was merely following the requests of the majority.  Not sure i’d Book one again.

Had priced out the date initially, then did a another check a few weeks prior.  It must’ve not been selling well as the APH rate had dropped.  Without looking at notes, believe it was in area of under $375 all in for 2 pp.


----------



## macraven

_I was checking my notes of prior public tours I have done and most were done in about 3.5 hours
Did have one that went 4 hours but it was a full group
We hit all houses and scare zones once

The private tours start at 6:30 and end when the park closes
Easy to do repeats of houses then.

A few we did 3 times_


----------



## Linkura

keishashadow said:


> 1st public tour last year, the Sunday prior before Columbus Day.  Finished very early, had easily 1-1/2 hrs before park closed.
> 
> 
> 
> I am admittedly spoiled tagging along for years on a private tour
> 
> However, I was sorely disappointed with my first public one last year.  The posted rules on Universal’s website state a person can only book 6 people on a public, otherwise they have to go Private.  The rationale is that a large group tends to over-run the tour, makes sense.
> 
> My adult DS & I were placed with a group of 8 people. The guide followed their lead, lost count of the booze stops.  They wound up being very sloppy drunks, ugg.  Guide when questioned said they reserve the right to distribute guests at will & he was merely following the requests of the majority.  Not sure i’d Book one again.
> 
> Had priced out the date initially, then did a another check a few weeks prior.  It must’ve not been selling well as the APH rate had dropped.  Without looking at notes, believe it was in area of under $375 all in for 2 pp.


Uhhhhh... as someone who doesn't drink alcohol at all, and is going solo... maybe I shouldn't do a non-private RIP tour then and do EP instead? I'm going to bet the majority of people on such a tour would be drinkers and it would stink big-time to be stuck touring with drunks for several hours.


----------



## macraven

_When I have done the public tours, it’s a hit or miss of the group you are in

You don’t know who is in the group until you all meet up

Hopefully your group will be happy to make the houses and zones the priority for the evening 

Book your tour by phone 
Maybe ask to have it noted you prefer not to be in a drinking group but a group that has teens in it

That might curtail running into any issue of being in a group that wants the bar stops?


In the pass, I bought the ROF with express
(Rush Of fear)

I will hit 7 nights of hhn 
I plan on one private tour and a solo public tour for the Sunday

I hit the Columbus Day weekend and there will be crowds

I like to do the early start public tour and when it finishes, I use my ep for repeating specific houses until the park closes

This works for me_


----------



## Linkura

macraven said:


> _When I have done the public tours, it’s a hit or miss of the group you are in
> 
> You don’t know who is in the group until you all meet up
> 
> Hopefully your group will be happy to make the houses and zones the priority for the evening
> 
> In the pass, I bought the ROF with express
> (Rush Of fear)
> 
> I will hit 7 nights of hhn
> I plan on one private tour and a solo public tour for the Sunday
> 
> I hit the Columbus Day weekend and there will be crowds
> 
> I like to do the early start public tour and when it finishes, I use my ep for repeating specific houses until the park closes
> 
> This works for me_


Yeah, if I do the tour, I'm definitely doing the earliest time available. And I'm doing a second night so if the first one with the tour is a bummer, I'll still have night 2.


----------



## keishashadow

Linkura said:


> Uhhhhh... as someone who doesn't drink alcohol at all, and is going solo... maybe I shouldn't do a non-private RIP tour then and do EP instead? I'm going to bet the majority of people on such a tour would be drinkers and it would stink big-time to be stuck touring with drunks for several hours.



As Mac stated, many have loved their public tours.  In concept, a great way to get it all done in a night.

I’m surely not a tee-totaler, expect that many of my fellow guests aren’t either.  Nothing wrong with responsible especially if staying onsite.  Security keeps a very close eye on everything and doesn’t hesitate to eject trouble BTW.

We ran into a large group of frat-house type amateurs .  Any tour guide worth his salt would’ve reigned that foolishness in with aplomb.  He was admittedly new doing tours, but a long-time universal employee.  I privately expressed myself to him but probably should’ve complained to management.  Just not the type to mess with somebody’s bread & butter.  I’d like to think he settled into that job before another gave him a terrible review.


----------



## cynditech

Linkura said:


> Uhhhhh... as someone who doesn't drink alcohol at all, and is going solo... maybe I shouldn't do a non-private RIP tour then and do EP instead? I'm going to bet the majority of people on such a tour would be drinkers and it would stink big-time to be stuck touring with drunks for several hours.




We've only done the one tour, but our group was great.  I'm sure it's luck of the draw.  When the date gets closer, maybe we could get on the same tour?  We don't drink, plus I'll have DS12 and possibly my niece (15) with me.  Our group last year consisted of our group of four, and then a couple of really nice girls in their 20's and the rest of the people were probably in their 50's or so? We all got along great!  We just all followed what the guide wanted to do - nobody pushed their own agenda.  I'm hoping this year will go equally as good!


----------



## Linkura

cynditech said:


> We've only done the one tour, but our group was great.  I'm sure it's luck of the draw.  When the date gets closer, maybe we could get on the same tour?  We don't drink, plus I'll have DS12 and possibly my niece (15) with me.  Our group last year consisted of our group of four, and then a couple of really nice girls in their 20's and the rest of the people were probably in their 50's or so? We all got along great!  We just all followed what the guide wanted to do - nobody pushed their own agenda.  I'm hoping this year will go equally as good!


Unfortunately I don't think you can pick who you go on non-private tours with? Can anyone weigh in? What if we bought our tickets together? It would be pretty awesome to tour together, just not sure if we'd be able to guarantee that short of us and maybe some other people here buying in on private tour together.


----------



## cynditech

Linkura said:


> Unfortunately I don't think you can pick who you go on non-private tours with? Can anyone weigh in? What if we bought our tickets together? It would be pretty awesome to tour together, just not sure if we'd be able to guarantee that short of us and maybe some other people here buying in on private tour together.



I think we would have to buy our tour together - which we could do.  I could always buy yours with mine when we place the order.  I don't plan on booking it probably until June or so (waiting to see how many of us are going for sure).


----------



## macraven

_I’ve not had but one experience with over zealous drinkers in a public tour and my complaint was, we were rushed to finish the houses

Keisha had a very bad mix of a group that year and it was pitiful for her and adult son

I’ve been doing the tours for hhn for a long time and Keisha takes the cake for worse tour to be in.
Ever...

It can happen but not as frequently to decide to forgo booking a public tour

You can request to be with certain peeps on a private tour but once there are more than 5?, you will be told you need to book a private tour.

Year before last, the hurricane closed the parks down the Friday of the Columbus Day weekend

I had a paid private tour that Friday and it was cancelled and refunded to me

Five of us out of that cancelled group, booked a Sunday public tour

At first our group was broken up into 3 and 2 for different tour guides 

But they kindly switched peeps around when we meet the tour guide and our five were in the same tour group 
(We made the request)
So maybe 5 is the magic number to request to be in the same group?

Policy changes and I’m not clear how many can request to be in the same tour group this year
My situation was in 2016_


----------



## macraven

cynditech said:


> I think we would have to buy our tour together - which we could do.  I could always buy yours with mine when we place the order.  I don't plan on booking it probably until June or so (waiting to see how many of us are going for sure).



_That should work

Exchange personal info by pm
or emails 
One person books for all for the tour
_


----------



## agame2323

macraven said:


> _Rip HHN tours prices have different rates based on the day of the week
> 
> I believe my past public tours were under $200
> I like to do a public tour on Sundays and a private tour on Friday of the Columbus Day weekend
> Last year the private tour was in the ball park of $2660.
> (Ap discount I included in the above number)_



Okay wait... now I'm confused. Is the public tour the one where the guide takes a group of you (maybe 8-10 people) from house to house? You also start in that restaurant directly across from Academy of Villains? If so, this is the tour we did.


----------



## heidijanesmith

We have done the non-private tours for 5 years now.  

 We only had pre-specified bar stops, as the tour was very scheduled.  We did not have any tour deviations.


----------



## macraven

agame2323 said:


> Okay wait... now I'm confused. Is the public tour the one where the guide takes a group of you (maybe 8-10 people) from house to house? You also start in that restaurant directly across from Academy of Villains? If so, this is the tour we did.




_All tours meet at LaBamba
You will meet your tour guide and the others in your group for the tour

I’ve seen public tours with 12 in their group
Their tour will be 3-4 hours long 

Private tours have allowed up to 12 some years and could have a surcharge for those over ten in the group
Those tours end when the park closes

Won’t know that info until UO releases all the info for this year’s event 

Agame,  if your tour cost was under $200 pp, it would have been a public tour _


----------



## agame2323

macraven said:


> _All tours meet at LaBamba
> You will meet your tour guide and the others in your group for the tour
> 
> I’ve seen public tours with 12 in their group
> Their tour will be 3-4 hours long
> 
> Private tours have allowed up to 12 some years and could have a surcharge for those over ten in the group
> Those tours end when the park closes
> 
> Won’t know that info until UO releases all the info for this year’s event
> 
> Agame,  if your tour cost was under $200 pp, it would have been a public tour _




Nah... I guess we did the private tour. I KNOW I paid over $200


----------



## SnowWitch

Ok new to HHN and I’m unfamiliar with the abbreviations being used. What are the common ones and what do they mean?


----------



## schumigirl

RoF........Rush of Fear........EP.....with an Express Pass

FFP..........Frequent Fear Pass

RIP Tour........Rest In Peace Tour........


Any others you’re not sure of? Just ask and someone will let you know what it is........


----------



## SnowWitch

What does the express pass get you? Cost? Is it needed? 

Are rides open during this event?


----------



## schumigirl

I wouldn’t go without EP ever for HHN. 

Whether it’s needed is whether or not you like standing in lines.......some shorter than others but lines get longer every year. 

Cost varies depending on night. 

Have a look at the HHN website.......all info is in there about rides and as soon as other info is available it’ll be on there and Keisha keeps this thread up to date.


----------



## keishashadow

macraven said:


> _That should work
> 
> Exchange personal info by pm
> or emails
> One person books for all for the tour_



A great idea!  There is a certain level of trust involved between all parties, especially when talking the big $ for private tour

Several people in last year’s thread posed dates looking for people to join them on private tours they booked too.


----------



## Linkura

Since I am going solo, I would be cool with someone else booking me into their group and Paypaling them the money.  Once pricing and other details are announced we should get something going.  If it doesn't work out, sounds like the drunk group was an isolated experience, so that makes me feel a little better.


----------



## macraven

agame2323 said:


> Nah... I guess we did the private tour. I KNOW I paid over $200


_Private tour prices are different for week days to weekends.
And some dates.

Last year Columbus day weekend my private tour was about $2582.xx plus park hhn ticket with ap discount 

It started at 6:30 and ended at 2:00 am
Looking at the notes I had and pulling up last years cost sheet, public tours went for $266 which included tax that Friday night.
They could last for 4 hours but you would see all the houses and zones.
Most tour groups included Bill and Ted Adventure show.

Not sure where you did your meet up for the guide and rest of your party, but we all were told in a letter to meet at Cafe La Bamba

Free water, soda and some snacks for all public and private tours._


----------



## patster734

SnowWitch said:


> Okay HHN experts.  My kiddos are 28, 26, 13 and one month shy of 12.  All are huge fans of Stranger Things!!! So everybody is super excited including the 11 yr old.  The material on the website says not suggested for those under 13.  Thoughts on the almost 12 yr old Stranger Things fan???? Be kind , looking for advice from those that have been.  We have never been to one.



I suspect that the age suggestion by Universal is to discourage parents from dropping their kids off for HHNs unsupervised.  Because your 11 year old will be with you and your family, they will probably be fine.  Has your 11 year old gone to local haunted houses for previous Halloween?  If they have, they will be fine at HNNs.



ckmiles said:


> After reading this thread (and last years)  Im having some strong feelings of FOMO...
> 
> I do not watch horror movies (cant sleep after) - and I'd not ashamed to say Im afraid of the dark.  So Im pretty sure HHN is not for me.  But.......



On the other hand, HHN is not for everyone.  Although I have attended several HHNs over the years, my wife has never attended. She doesn’t like horror movies, and isn’t a fan of Halloween.  So while I’m attending HHNs, she will find something else to do.



agame2323 said:


> Nah... I guess we did the private tour. I KNOW I paid over $200



You would know!  A private tour requires someone to be a point of contact to Universal for booking a tour for a group of 6 to 10 (maybe more).  Then the group would decide on their priorities, with the point of contact notifying Universal of those priorities.  That tour will only consist of people in the initial group, and will not contain individuals that book with Universal.  There is one rate ($2600+) for the private tour regardless of how many are in the group.

Public tours is where Universal books everyone else that sign ups without a private tour group.  That rate ($250+) is per person instead of per tour.  If I do the RIP tour on Sept. 14, it will be on a Public tour, because I will be by myself.


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

So it kind of seems like express pass is a cheaper alternative to a tour.

I don't have details in front of me, but the public vip tour only gets you to the front of the line for each house once, right?

I believe the express pass works the same way (once each house), though you have to wait in the express line.


----------



## macraven

_When you book a private or public tour. You have a tour guide 

They lead you to the houses and through the houses
No wait lines

The wait for the group to enter the house can be a minute to four minutes 

The TM at the entrance will hold the regular line so your tour guide can lead you into the house 
Houses have two other wait lines
Standby and express lines _


----------



## Linkura

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> So it kind of seems like express pass is a cheaper alternative to a tour.
> 
> I don't have details in front of me, but the public vip tour only gets you to the front of the line for each house once, right?
> 
> I believe the express pass works the same way (once each house), though you have to wait in the express line.


You are right, RIP tour is front of line, once per house.

EP, not sure if it's once per house, BUT the line can still be long.  From what I've heard, you can sometimes expect to wait 1/2 the time in line as a regular line.  So if a house has a 2 hour wait, you're waiting an hour still.


----------



## schumigirl

Linkura said:


> EP, not sure if it's once per house, BUT the line can still be long.  From what I've heard, you can sometimes expect to wait 1/2 the time in line as a regular line.  So if a house has a 2 hour wait, you're waiting an hour still.



Not our experience.

We had regular lines of 90 minutes last year and some houses we walked on with no line.......other times maybe 10 -15 minutes.....

Not sure what nights you went you waited an hour for EP lines but we were there first 3 weeks of the event. 

Yes it is once per house with EP for HHN.


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

While waiting in the regular house line and staring at the express pass line (nothing better to do), that line really did fluctuate. Too bad you aren't able to see express line before you get in it. Sometimes it backed up, but a half hour before it was practically walk on.


----------



## schumigirl

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> While waiting in the regular house line and staring at the express pass line (nothing better to do), that line really did fluctuate. Too bad you aren't able to see express line before you get in it. Sometimes it backed up, but a half hour before it was practically walk on.



yep, some houses are more popular than others........you can see that by the regular line. 

We saw The Shining line at 100 minutes one night and thought we`ll be here for ages.......walked straight on which was fabulous......and got some abuse from some guys who had certainly indulged in one or two too many drinks......lol.....doesn't bother us in the slightest. 

But, over the amount of nights we go, we averaged 10-15 minutes each house.......usually less last year.


----------



## Linkura

schumigirl said:


> Not our experience.
> 
> We had regular lines of 90 minutes last year and some houses we walked on with no line.......other times maybe 10 -15 minutes.....
> 
> Not sure what nights you went you waited an hour for EP lines but we were there first 3 weeks of the event.
> 
> Yes it is once per house with EP for HHN.


That is good to know.  That isn't my experience, just what I read.  The hour waits were probably on busy nights.


----------



## macraven

_Over the past years, there have been some houses that did have long waits using the ep.

I can remember the year that Walking Dead house was enlarged from previous year.
(The regular line had about a 2 hour wait and the ep was a good 45 minute wait on a weekend night.)

But for me, EP well worth it as the house was a good one for me.


I always tell newbies to try to take in Unmask the Horror day tour.
You do 3 houses in the morning tour and 3 different houses in the afternoon tour.

It is a paid tour you book in advance or day of.

The houses are led by a tour guide and lights will be on in the houses.
You can see all the details up close and some allowed you to take pictures in them.

The tour guide will explain the props in the house and how it relates to the theme.
Great detail you will only find when doing the house tour.
You will hear about the theme of the house and how it all connects with the props inside.


In the evening/night, you will likely miss all the details in the houses.
Houses are dark and dimly lit

You go through the houses congo style and keep the same pace as the ones in front of you.
A person will easily miss the details inside the houses unless you know where to look for them.


I know the money adds up for all these extras for going to HHN, but for me, totally worth it.

I do both day tours so I can get in depth info on the houses and theme, do a private tour and a public tour each year.
Also go solo for other nights for hhn.


I"m just one of those homies that are completely and totally addicted to HHN.


I always buy the pass FF with the express.
I consider it like having full car insurance.
Don't necessarily need total protection but if i need it, I have it 
So, buy the ticket pass that includes EP

(don't need the ep for tours as they have priority for entering houses with a tour guide)



A lot depends on the date and day of the week you do HHN

The crowds grow during the season.
Columbus Day weekend usually has high crowds

Going in the first week of the event can be less crowds but this can always change 
HHN is gaining in popularity and hard to say the size of the crowds in the park in advance until it opens and we see reports on twitter, dis, facebook._


----------



## pattyw

macraven said:


> I always tell newbies to try to take in Unmask the Horror day tour.
> You do 3 houses in the morning tour and 3 different houses in the afternoon tour.



I want to do this tour this year!  Would be nice to see the details with the lights on (and my eyes open!) Do the guides do the same houses each tour or do they ask for any input as to to choices?


----------



## macraven

_Each year there are a set of houses that will be on the day tour.
It is about 3 hours for day or afternoon tours.


If you chose to do both tours, you can book it and they discount it as long as you do the tours on the same day.
(break in time between morning and afternoon tours)

Last year Robo did the tours with me and it was so fun to share our thoughts after we did it.

When we did the private tour in the evening, we knew where to look to see certain and particular items.
We shared this info with others in the tour group right before entering the houses.

I believe we were the only two in our evening tour group that did the day tours.

I started the day tours the first year and do them every year.

In the beginning years, pictures could be taken in the day tour houses.
Now, not necessarily the case.

I hit HHN two times before I do the day tour and and always do them prior to private night tours.

As far as I know, Robo will join me for the Unmask the Horror tour again this year.

Anyone that wants to join it with us, will be welcomed!
Just have to set up a date in advance to be in the same group._


----------



## keishashadow

macraven said:


> _Each year there are a set of houses that will be on the day tour.
> It is about 3 hours for day or afternoon tours.
> 
> 
> If you chose to do both tours, you can book it and they discount it as long as you do the tours on the same day.
> (break in time between morning and afternoon tours)
> 
> Last year Robo did the tours with me and it was so fun to share our thoughts after we did it.
> 
> When we did the private tour in the evening, we knew where to look to see certain and particular items.
> We shared this info with others in the tour group right before entering the houses.
> 
> I believe we were the only two in our evening tour group that did the day tours.
> 
> I started the day tours the first year and do them every year.
> 
> In the beginning years, pictures could be taken in the day tour houses.
> Now, not necessarily the case.
> 
> I hit HHN two times before I do the day tour and and always do them prior to private night tours.
> 
> As far as I know, Robo will join me for the Unmask the Horror tour again this year.
> 
> Anyone that wants to join it with us, will be welcomed!
> Just have to set up a date in advance to be in the same group._



U r truly invested (née addicted) to HHN  

The day tours are on my bucket list.  I just need a longer visit to do it justice lol. 

Money aside, i have avoided it thus far as i truly avoid spoilers, in all things.  I’m probably in the definite minority, but love to go thru houses and try to ferret out the goodies.  Enjoy the discovery process of seeing new things each time through.  Our travel habits haven’t permitted me to do both the few HHNs we manage & the behind the scenes (a day after the first HHN as I’d be too tired to then do that day’s HHN) 

Used to subscribe to the I’ll sleep when i’m Dead on vacation mentality, but now find I’m less of a commando, as there is truly a lot of walking doing that sort of dusk to dawn touring sort of day  Have found I enjoy it less when i’m Running on fumes.

Do you remember what days of week they offer typically & the times?  Is it always on a HHN night?


----------



## macraven

_  Based on last year’s notes, Thursday-Friday- Saturday- Sunday

UTH tours lasted 2 -2.5 hours each

I paid $129.99 + tax as booked both morning and afternoon at the same time_


----------



## keishashadow

macraven said:


> _  Based on last year’s notes, Thursday-Friday- Saturday- Sunday
> 
> I’ll look up the times and be back_



Other than the random wednesday HHN night, sounds like they generally offer on HHN nights. 

Should’ve asked approx what time each session starts.  Know you had to hustle to finnegans for dinner a few years afterwards

That would makes for a really long day for the guides!


----------



## macraven

_Keisha, I only listed the ones for the time period I went

Would like a Wednesday tour if they had them for early to mid October _


----------



## 5lilfish

If I am going on Oct 4 (Thursday night) with my 18 yr old daughter, what is the best way to see it all with least waiting in lines.  It's our first time and we only have 1 night.  It would be a surprise for my daughter.  Since it's just the 2 of us (we're a family of 7), I can afford to go a little nuts to help us not wait in long lines and see as much as possible.  I'm just confused about VIP tours, vs express packages, etc.  

Thanks....


----------



## cynditech

5lilfish said:


> If I am going on Oct 4 (Thursday night) with my 18 yr old daughter, what is the best way to see it all with least waiting in lines.  It's our first time and we only have 1 night.  It would be a surprise for my daughter.  Since it's just the 2 of us (we're a family of 7), I can afford to go a little nuts to help us not wait in long lines and see as much as possible.  I'm just confused about VIP tours, vs express packages, etc.
> 
> Thanks....




We did the RIP tour last year and really thought it was great!  You will be able to do all of the houses as well as scare zones.  You start off at the meeting place where they have appetizers, cupcakes, etc.  They you head off on the tour.  I had two kids with me and seriously this was the best money spent.  So easy, I didn't have to plan anything out at all (which is a big bonus to me).  We were also able to go on a couple rides during the tour, and get a sneak peak at some backstage areas.  We are going again this year and plan on booking the tour.


----------



## macraven

_Stillfish
One of the nights I will be there too

Read up on the threads that we have in the forum about the parks and hhn

Read the www.halloweenhorrornights.com

If you are not familiar with the studio lay out, look at the park map online
Once house info is released, you can easily know the best way to walk to them

Tour and morenticket info will be released by uo before summer
_


----------



## imprint

5lilfish said:


> If I am going on Oct 4 (Thursday night) with my 18 yr old daughter, what is the best way to see it all with least waiting in lines.  It's our first time and we only have 1 night.  It would be a surprise for my daughter.  Since it's just the 2 of us (we're a family of 7), I can afford to go a little nuts to help us not wait in long lines and see as much as possible.  I'm just confused about VIP tours, vs express packages, etc.
> 
> Thanks....



If you are going only one night, and you want to be sure to see it all, then Express Pass or RIP will be what you want.

RIP pros:  You will absolutely see all houses in front of the line fashion.  Historically, you would see the Bill and Teds show, but last year was the last Bill and Teds.  We don't know yet if one, both, or either will be guaranteed this year.  Also, you get front of the line to 1-3 rides during the night and a few exclusive snack/drink bars.  You can use your RIP credentials as an Express Pass for 1 time on each ride after the tour.

RIP con:  You don't get to spend a whole lot of time in each scare zone, but you will get to go through each zone.  Costs more than Express Pass.

EP pros:  You will get to tour the event at your own pace, and you will most assuredly (unless you crap out early or get to the event late) go through all houses.  You should be able to see one or both shows, just depending on when you start the night and how quickly you move from house to house and how much time you spend in each scare zone.

EP cons:  Not a whole lot.  If you go in (early enough) with the intent to see it all, you will.  Probably be able to use Express for a couple of rides too.

Bottom line:  If you are going one night, do yourself the favor and get either Express Pass or RIP.  Yes, it is expensive, but you won't wait forever in lines, and you can see it all. If money is no concern, I'd opt for the RIP tour.  First class all the way (although there is a chance you might not have time to see both shows depending on your tour start time).

Good luck, and have fun.  It truly is an amazingly fun experience!


----------



## patster734

If you plan to use EP during HHN, planning on staying until closing, and taking advantage of the Stay and Play holding area, then I suggest not using the EP for the first couple of houses when the holding area is released, and saving them for later in the evening when the wait lines have gotten longer.  The waits should be minimal after being released from the holding area, as you will arrive before the outside guests.  That way, you can do those houses again later with the EPs when waits have grown longer.


----------



## agame2323

patster734 said:


> If you plan to use EP during HHN, planning on staying until closing, and taking advantage of the Stay and Play holding area, then I suggest not using the EP for the first couple of houses when the holding area is released, and saving them for later in the evening when the wait lines have gotten longer.  The waits should be minimal after being released from the holding area, as you will arrive before the outside guests.  That way, you can do those houses again later with the EPs when waits have grown longer.



THIS. Anyone who's getting an EP... this is the way to go. This is exactly how we did it last year and we manged to see AHS 2x as well as The Shinning.


----------



## meryll83

agame2323 said:


> THIS. Anyone who's getting an EP... this is the way to go. This is exactly how we did it last year and we manged to see AHS 2x as well as The Shinning.


Ditto.
This is why I struggle with RIP, given the additional cost. I’m not sure it gets you say $100 more value by getting a bit of food included and saving a small amount of time in lines, as you really don’t wait long with EP...


----------



## macraven

_If you do any house from out of the holding pins, it will still be light outside 

Repeat those houses when it is dark and you will see a different effect in them as they will be much darker inside 

Can make a huge difference of your opinion in the house when you repeat them later when dark outside _


----------



## vrajewski10513

macraven said:


> _If you do any house from out of the holding pins, it will still be light outside
> 
> Repeat those houses when it is dark and you will see a different effect in them as they will be much darker inside
> 
> Can make a huge difference of your opinion in the house when you repeat them later when dark outside _


I don’t notice a lot of difference in darkness in the actual houses, but it is really difficult to get your eyes to adjust coming into the dark houses from the sunny outside! I really liked how AHS has had a queue that went inside a darker building first so your eyes could be acclimated before going into the actual house.


----------



## macraven

_I hit the first early opening house and it had light filtering into it in sections 
Talking about 6:15 or so_


----------



## patster734

meryll83 said:


> Ditto.
> This is why I struggle with RIP, given the additional cost. I’m not sure it gets you say $100 more value by getting a bit of food included and saving a small amount of time in lines, as you really don’t wait long with EP...



I’ve done both, and do like RIP better, but that was with Private RIP tours.  This year, it will depend upon what, if anything replaces Bill and Ted’s as RIP guests are seated up front.

Also, a few years ago, the RIP break room was inside MIB with the two multi-arm aliens.  That was cool, and I felt like a VIP with MIB riders watching us from the riders line.

Having said that, I will be by myself, and I’m also leaning towards the EP if I go.  My purchase depends upon if any AP discounts exist for either option.


----------



## tink1957

vrajewski10513 said:


> I don’t notice a lot of difference in darkness in the actual houses, but it is really difficult to get your eyes to adjust coming into the dark houses from the sunny outside! I really liked how AHS has had a queue that went inside a darker building first so your eyes could be acclimated before going into the actual house.


I always have trouble getting adjusted to the dark houses so I found the trick of wearing sunglasses until I enter the house, it really helps these old eyes see everything better.


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

I remember last year I only did the Hive house once.

It was so dark inside that I got lost and was just standing still trying to figure out what to do at the very end.

Now that I think about it, that was our first house on one day. So I wonder if I should have given it a second shot after dark.


----------



## Raeven

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> I remember last year I only did the Hive house once.
> 
> It was so dark inside that I got lost and was just standing still trying to figure out what to do at the very end.
> 
> Now that I think about it, that was our first house on one day. So I wonder if I should have given it a second shot after dark.



 same here! It was or first house when we did early entry. I think I walked into a corner at some point because I couldn’t even see the person in front of me. I was wearing sunglasses beforehand, but it was really sunny out still. We also didn’t end up doing that house again.


----------



## keishashadow

Raeven said:


> same here! It was or first house when we did early entry. I think I walked into a corner at some point because I couldn’t even see the person in front of me. I was wearing sunglasses beforehand, but it was really sunny out still. We also didn’t end up doing that house again.



Lol believe i found the same corner.  the way they have so many monitors inside the houses directing traffic & how they pack ‘em in via the conga lines you can’t go too far afield.


----------



## lilmickeygirl

I have a newbie question, does this affect other times in the parks? We are going for our first time and obviously need to be able to cram as much in as possible in the one day we are there. Will we be allowed to stay in the park or do you have to leave when it's time for this?


----------



## keishashadow

lilmickeygirl said:


> I have a newbie question, does this affect other times in the parks? We are going for our first time and obviously need to be able to cram as much in as possible in the one day we are there. Will we be allowed to stay in the park or do you have to leave when it's time for this?



Nope, out you go!  IoA will likely be open a bit later than studios.

They start to check HHN tickets & issue wristbands in the restaurant after 4 pm, preparing to sweep the crowds out the door.

They usher those staying & screaming into the holding pens & won’t open houses until all day guests are cleared.

I’ve marveled at the stragglers I see being herded out well after 6 pm when in pen near simpsons area after. Going to guess they were in line for MIB .  However, it’s my understanding that they won’t open up any of the houses early until all day guests are out.


----------



## vrajewski10513

All of the universal podcasts are making me really nervous about the RoF/FF options... i don’t even know what I’m going to do to change up my plans if for some reason they’re not available...


----------



## dlavender

vrajewski10513 said:


> All of the universal podcasts are making me really nervous about the RoF/FF options... i don’t even know what I’m going to do to change up my plans if for some reason they’re not available...



What are they saying?!


----------



## macraven

_Ticket and pass information will be released by UO in due time.


Most years the tickets, tours, hhn passes, etc are released in different time periods.
All will be known in complete form sometime in June.


The special ticket sale of bogof ends early June.
I do hope past seasonal type of hhn passes for the entire event comes out before the bogo sale is over.


Would help me decide which was is more economical for me this year.


Worse case senario for me is to buy the S-Fri sale price tickets and express separate.


No matter how it turns out, I will be doing HHN during my time period there.
_


----------



## vrajewski10513

macraven said:


> _Ticket and pass information will be released by UO in due time.
> 
> 
> Most years the tickets, tours, hhn passes, etc are released in different time periods.
> All will be known in complete form sometime in June.
> 
> 
> The special ticket sale of bogof ends early June.
> I do hope past seasonal type of hhn passes for the entire event comes out before the bogo sale is over.
> 
> 
> Would help me decide which was is more economical for me this year.
> 
> 
> Worse case senario for me is to buy the S-Fri sale price tickets and express separate.
> 
> 
> No matter how it turns out, I will be doing HHN during my time period there._


Same here. We’re definitely going. We might have to rethink our touring plans and figure out what we want to do if we go for less nights.


----------



## macraven

_I plan to do 7 nights and get a couple of tours in also.
The FF plus EP pass of past years works for me

If they have it without the ep this season, I'm best off doing the bogof for ticket needs.
And then go with ep for the nights I won't be booking tours.

So either way, I'll be doing hhn no matter what it costs.
I throw the budget out the window for this event each year._


----------



## dlavender

We are most likely going 9/14 and 9/15.  Bogo wont work for us.  Do they ever have 2 night deals?


----------



## iivye

Just got APH rate at Royal Pacific for 9/20-9/23!  I can't wait for my first HHN!


----------



## lilmickeygirl

keishashadow said:


> Nope, out you go!  IoA will likely be open a bit later than studios.
> 
> They start to check HHN tickets & issue wristbands in the restaurant after 4 pm, preparing to sweep the crowds out the door.
> 
> They usher those staying & screaming into the holding pens & won’t open houses until all day guests are cleared.
> 
> I’ve marveled at the stragglers I see being herded out well after 6 pm when in pen near simpsons area after. Going to guess they were in line for MIB .  However, it’s my understanding that they won’t open up any of the houses early until all day guests are out.



I broke down and called an Universal Rep and she said pretty much the same thing. Since we're only there one day, she said do Studios in the morning and head to Island in the afternoon. Best way to get everything out of both parks.


----------



## keishashadow

macraven said:


> _I plan to do 7 nights and get a couple of tours in also.
> The FF plus EP pass of past years works for me
> 
> If they have it without the ep this season, I'm best off doing the bogof for ticket needs.
> And then go with ep for the nights I won't be booking tours.
> 
> So either way, I'll be doing hhn no matter what it costs.
> I throw the budget out the window for this event each year._



I expect no less lol

Really hoping they announce FF/RoF, etc. well before they close the window for the BOGO tix.


----------



## vrajewski10513

iivye said:


> Just got APH rate at Royal Pacific for 9/20-9/23!  I can't wait for my first HHN!


I couldn’t get a discount on our room, but i did use an APH rate to upgrade to club level at HRH for only $20 more than the standard room we had!


----------



## pieceofcake

Does anyone know if you book their hhn hotel/ticket package right now, can you add on RIP tour later?
Still trying to decide whether to commit to the RIP cost, but I would feel better if the option was open after we booked and paid for the rest.


----------



## macraven

pieceofcake said:


> Does anyone know if you book their hhn hotel/ticket package right now, can you add on RIP tour later?
> Still trying to decide whether to commit to the RIP cost, but I would feel better if the option was open after we booked and paid for the rest.



_Yes 

Rip public and private tours are separate bookings 

It is an additional charge and no connection to any hhn package you book_


----------



## vrajewski10513

I’m surprised and kinda bummed that Universal didn’t take advantage of it being Friday the 13th for another announcement!!


----------



## CAS239

Interested in seeing what shows they'll have this year. I'm hoping Academy of Villians is back and I'm sure they will be.. But I'm hoping for another show now that Bill and Ted is gone.

Really wish they'd somehow bring back the Rocky Horror show


----------



## macraven

_I was a huge fan of RHPS...
(and still am)

Would see it each night I was at hhn


_


----------



## cschaaf

Hopefully whatever show(s) they come up with eat up crowds. I'd love to see them use the Horror Makeup theater for something during HHN. That, and/or the Animal Actors theater. Anything that helps pull crowds away from the houses.

There's nothing really stopping them from doing a Bill and Ted-style show, without using Bill and Ted - who weren't critical to the 'story' anyway.


----------



## keishashadow

cschaaf said:


> Hopefully whatever show(s) they come up with eat up crowds. I'd love to see them use the Horror Makeup theater for something during HHN. That, and/or the Animal Actors theater. Anything that helps pull crowds away from the houses.
> 
> There's nothing really stopping them from doing a Bill and Ted-style show, without using Bill and Ted - who weren't critical to the 'story' anyway.


 I (& those two excellent dudes above) beg to differ.

A replacement show is a good idea re crowd flow but IMO it’s more about not wanting to pay $$$ for the actors/technicians who I assume get at least scale salary.  No idea what they pay the scare-actors or the dance troupe, but whatever it is, going to guess it’s far more cost effective


----------



## cschaaf

keishashadow said:


> View attachment 317190  I (& those two excellent dudes above) beg to differ.
> 
> A replacement show is a good idea re crowd flow but IMO it’s more about not wanting to pay $$$ for the actors/technicians who I assume get at least scale salary.  No idea what they pay the scare-actors or the dance troupe, but whatever it is, going to guess it’s far more cost effective


You're probably right about the pay part.

I only saw the show in person once... and hated it. I really wanted that time back. When we got home, I watched other 'seasons' on YouTube and wished I would have watched them before we went so I would have known to skip it.  It wasn't for me, but I was happy for those who liked it... and I was happy they were out of the house lines while they were in that theater. 

I think, if it didn't say "Bill and Ted" in the title, most of the audience wouldn't have known it was a "Bill and Ted" show - other characters had a much bigger role.

I guess we'll see what shows they add this year - I figured the B&T license was up and they see a need to renew it. Who knows.


----------



## keishashadow

cschaaf said:


> You're probably right about the pay part.
> 
> I only saw the show in person once... and hated it. I really wanted that time back. When we got home, I watched other 'seasons' on YouTube and wished I would have watched them before we went so I would have known to skip it.  It wasn't for me, but I was happy for those who liked it... and I was happy they were out of the house lines while they were in that theater.
> 
> I think, if it didn't say "Bill and Ted" in the title, most of the audience wouldn't have known it was a "Bill and Ted" show - other characters had a much bigger role.
> 
> I guess we'll see what shows they add this year - I figured the B&T license was up and they see a need to renew it. Who knows.



The show & characters are iconic, dare I say beloved to many who remember the movies.  Perennial must-do for many repeat visitors/HHNs core audience, who have enjoyed the show over it’s long run - a quarter century+. 

Argueably, the quality had dropped the last few years, yet I always enjoyed the show.  As with most live experiences you could get a different show every time

Still miss RHPS, not a fan of Villans.  Something for everyone i keep telling myself, things change, hopefully, for the better.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/trav...l-last-bill-ted-halloween-20170920-story.html


----------



## CAS239

My fingers are crossed that they have a Nun house this year, can't wait to see that movie. 

Also like to see Walking Dead come back

I feel like Halloween is a good bet to be back with the movie coming


----------



## Robo56

Keeping the HHN spirit alive........Trick ‘r TREAT....SCARE ZONE......HHN 2017.


----------



## Robo56

CAS239 said:


> My fingers are crossed that they have a Nun house this year, can't wait to see that movie.



AMERICAN HORROR STORY .......HAUNTED HOUSE


----------



## CAS239

That Trick or Treat scarezone, visually, might have been the best scarezone I've seen


----------



## keishashadow

Great pics Robo!  Just what we need to pass the time


----------



## pattyw

Nice pictures Robo!  I'm so nervous walking around the park I'm not able to take any pictures!!


----------



## Robo56

pattyw said:


> Nice pictures Robo! I'm so nervous walking around the park I'm not able to take any pictures!!



You will do great.

The Trick ‘r Treat Scare Zone was beautiful.  I can’t remember exactly but plus or minus about 475 Pumkins come to mind as the number of lit up pumpkins in the trees.


----------



## keishashadow

pattyw said:


> Nice pictures Robo!  I'm so nervous walking around the park I'm not able to take any pictures!!



First year or two we lugged in the ‘good’ camera, with lens weighs a ton.  At this point if i can’t capture it on my iPhone, I’ll look forward to seeing the ones posted here lol.


----------



## Robo56




----------



## Robo56

keishashadow said:


> First year or two we lugged in the ‘good’ camera, with lens weighs a ton. At this point if i can’t capture it on my iPhone, I’ll look forward to seeing the ones posted here lol.



These are off my iPhone.....some not so good.

IF I remember correctly Schumi had some great pics .........maybe we can coax her to break them out and share.....to keep things going


----------



## pattyw

Have to share a story from last year's HHN.  We had a private HHN tour with my family.  DS's fiancee was a wreck!! We came out of the first house and she was shaking!! While we're still behind the scenes, there were porta potties. She wants to use it.  As she goes to open the door, my niece (with impeccably timing) screams! Fiancee nearly jumps out of her skin and screams so loud we got the attention of everyone in the house line. She thinks it's funny now but at the time...not so much! Wish I had a camera ready for that!! This year at least I'll have my phone out and accessible!


----------



## Robo56

A little fun trivia. 

What house was this in?


----------



## Robo56

pattyw said:


> Have to share a story from last year's HHN. We had a private HHN tour with my family. DS's fiancee was a wreck!! We came out of the first house and she was shaking!! While we're still behind the scenes, there were porta potties. She wants to use it. As she goes to open the door, my niece (with impeccably timing) screams! Fiancee nearly jumps out of her skin and screams so loud we got the attention of everyone in the house line. She thinks it's funny now but at the time...not so much! Wish I had a camera ready for that!! This year at least I'll have my phone out and accessible!



Cute story.........but now she is a seasoned veteran having survived last year...Yep, take lots of pics with your phone and share.......we love looking at everyone’s pics.

LOL.....The one thing that caught me off guard last year was the crazy Santa that came from behind the wall in the “The Asylum” section of American Horror Stories Haunted House.


----------



## pattyw

Robo56 said:


> Cute story.........but now she is a seasoned veteran having survived last year...
> 
> LOL.....The one thing that caught me off guard last year was the crazy Santa that came from behind the wall in the “The Asylum” section of American Horror Stories Haunted House.




Ok- I have to start looking around! I have no idea where the crocodile was and have no memory of Santa!!

I remember from The Shining- those creepy little girls and the bar scene in that big room!


----------



## schumigirl

Robo56 said:


> These are off my iPhone.....some not so good.
> 
> IF I remember correctly Schumi had some great pics .........maybe we can coax her to break them out and share.....to keep things going



I may have one or two since 2007.......


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

Was the crocodile from dark Waters?


----------



## Robo56

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> Was the crocodile from dark Waters?



Yes it was.


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

Robo56 said:


> Yes it was.



My favorite house from last year. Credit to the originals.


----------



## CAS239




----------



## schumigirl

*Two favourites from 2008
*


----------



## schumigirl

*Myers house





*


----------



## schumigirl




----------



## schumigirl




----------



## schumigirl




----------



## schumigirl




----------



## vrajewski10513




----------



## CAS239

Seems like a 28 days later kind of house. So being zombies I doubt they'll bring back Walking Dead


----------



## schumigirl

CAS239 said:


> Seems like a 28 days later kind of house. So being zombies I doubt they'll bring back Walking Dead



Yep, I would hope WD has gone finally


----------



## keishashadow

Zombies are like money, you can never have enough!

Appears 23 days since first house announcement. Perhaps we can expect another ‘go round mid May?

House appears to V2.0 of original house (which I can’t place) during Bloody Mary’s year as icon - 2008.

Carole - great pics


----------



## CAS239

keishashadow said:


> Zombies are like money, you can never have enough!
> 
> Appears 23 days since first house announcement. Perhaps we can expect another ‘go round mid May?
> 
> House appears to V2.0 of original house (which I can’t place) during Bloody Mary’s year as icon - 2008.
> 
> Carole - great pics



Yep, 2008. I didn't attend that so I just found out this is a reboot/sequel of that house

"*Dead Exposure* was one of the eight haunted houses that was featured during Halloween Horror Nights: Reflections of Fear in Universal Studios Florida. An original theme at the event, the house brought guests through the last photographs of Charlie McPherson as he moved through a city full of zombies. Located in Sprung Tent 2 , the house featured strobe lights timed to camera clicks to simulate photographs."


----------



## CAS239

From HHN:

I’m excited to reveal the second haunted house coming to Halloween Horror Nights 2018. This fall, fear will infect you in a brand new house that lives within a world of a fan-favorite from our past: *Dead Exposure: Patient Zero*.

The original Dead Exposure house shook guests to their core. Easily one of the most terrifying houses we’ve ever had—you entered complete darkness with only bright flashes revealing the zombie horde surrounding you.

We’re bringing back that same terror. But this time, we’re dropping you in the middle of Paris in 1982. The city of lights has gone dark as chaos spreads, unchecked. Hordes of vicious, flesh-eating undead are swarming the streets.





The military is forcing those not affected into quarantine and a vaccination is being given. It’s the only chance to ward off the sickness but there are major side effects… blindness.

You’ll be lost in the darkness as the undead hunt you. An attack can come from anywhere. You don’t have to remember the original house, to understand this single truth: They will find you.


----------



## heidijanesmith

Looks like a great new House!! Can't wait


----------



## CDKG

CAS239 said:


> From HHN:
> 
> I’m excited to reveal the second haunted house coming to Halloween Horror Nights 2018. This fall, fear will infect you in a brand new house that lives within a world of a fan-favorite from our past: *Dead Exposure: Patient Zero*.
> 
> The original Dead Exposure house shook guests to their core. Easily one of the most terrifying houses we’ve ever had—you entered complete darkness with only bright flashes revealing the zombie horde surrounding you.
> 
> We’re bringing back that same terror. But this time, we’re dropping you in the middle of Paris in 1982. The city of lights has gone dark as chaos spreads, unchecked. Hordes of vicious, flesh-eating undead are swarming the streets.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The military is forcing those not affected into quarantine and a vaccination is being given. It’s the only chance to ward off the sickness but there are major side effects… blindness.
> 
> You’ll be lost in the darkness as the undead hunt you. An attack can come from anywhere. You don’t have to remember the original house, to understand this single truth: They will find you.


The darkness portion sounds terrifying! Does anyone remember the original? I wonder how they will recreate the streets of Paris circa 1982?


----------



## vrajewski10513

Just speculation.. but a few podcasts have made a connection that the first two houses announced are set in the 80’s... a theme maybe?? 

Probably just coincidence but that would be awesome!!


----------



## Thiago Acquaviva

Hello guys!
I'm new here!

It's gonna be our 4th time in Orlando (first time in October), we've never been to HHN before!
We're 3 adults and* I would like to know how the mazes and the scary zones work.*

Here's the deal:
my fiancé is CRAZY about horror things and LOVE this universe.
our friend also love terror/horror universe and like these things.
about me... I'm just TERRIFIED of those things lol I love horror movies and things like that but I'm really scared haha 

We had this type of event here in São Paulo at the extinguished Playcenter that was called "Noites do Terror" (Terror Nights) and we still have this at the Hopi Hari Park called "Hora do Horror" (Horror Hour). I went 2 times at the "Noites do Terror" and a single time at the "Hora do Horror" and it was REALLY scary I was terrified all the time at the mazes lol.

My question here is: do the actors can TOUCH you? do they can hold us or make something more aggresive like keep us inside the maze agains our will?
I know it sounds bizarre to ask that but I've heard so many things about HHN even some police cases of actors assault or something like that... I was very afraid lol
Here in Sao Paulo during these events at the mazes the rules are clear: "they do NOT touch you and you CANNOT touch them" simple like that.
at HHN the rules are the same?
People enter in group lines at the mazes like here or enter as much as they wish?

big thanks in advance and sorry for my english.


----------



## Raeven

Thiago Acquaviva said:


> Hello guys!
> I'm new here!
> 
> It's gonna be our 4th time in Orlando (first time in October), we've never been to HHN before!
> We're 3 adults and* I would like to know how the mazes and the scary zones work.*
> 
> Here's the deal:
> my fiancé is CRAZY about horror things and LOVE this universe.
> our friend also love terror/horror universe and like these things.
> about me... I'm just TERRIFIED of those things lol I love horror movies and things like that but I'm really scared haha
> 
> We had this type of event here in São Paulo at the extinguished Playcenter that was called "Noites do Terror" (Terror Nights) and we still have this at the Hopi Hari Park called "Hora do Horror" (Horror Hour). I went 2 times at the "Noites do Terror" and a single time at the "Hora do Horror" and it was REALLY scary I was terrified all the time at the mazes lol.
> 
> My question here is: do the actors can TOUCH you? do they can hold us or make something more aggresive like keep us inside the maze agains our will?
> I know it sounds bizarre to ask that but I've heard so many things about HHN even some police cases of actors assault or something like that... I was very afraid lol
> Here in Sao Paulo during these events at the mazes the rules are clear: "they do NOT touch you and you CANNOT touch them" simple like that.
> at HHN the rules are the same?
> People enter in group lines at the mazes like here or enter as much as they wish?
> 
> big thanks in advance and sorry for my english.



They can’t touch you and you can’t touch them. Usually the people that end up getting assaulted are usually the scareactors themselves, I know last year there was an issue with some people drinking and getting a bit aggressive with the scare actors, but they won’t touch you. 

You can enter a house as many times as you want but you will have to wait in line, the lines can get quite long they have passes you can purchase to make your wait shorter. But you’ll always be in a line and never enter a house alone.


----------



## Thiago Acquaviva

Oh, great! big big thanks @Raeven


----------



## crostorfer

Love zombies. LOVE them. Love the theme.

However....I HATE total blackouts, (its a claustrophobia thing), and I hate strobe lights, I find them very disorienting and they give me headache. :-(   I'm hoping to hear reports back from people going before me that this house isn't pitch blackness while its still light outside, maybe if it is I will do this first.


----------



## macraven

_Read last year’s thread about hhn and the stand alone threads others took on their trip 

Robo56  included pics in her posts _


----------



## Mom2Madi

CAS239 said:


> That Trick or Treat scarezone, visually, might have been the best scarezone I've seen


I SECOND that! My favorite of the of the 7 years I have been going  
It was pretty neat during the day as well.


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> Zombies are like money, you can never have enough!
> 
> Appears 23 days since first house announcement. Perhaps we can expect another ‘go round mid May?
> 
> House appears to V2.0 of original house (which I can’t place) during Bloody Mary’s year as icon - 2008.
> 
> Carole - great pics



I think I remember that house in 08......but it’s vague..........my stand out house that year was Reflections of Fear itself and loved the Dark Reflections scare zone.....that was spooky!!!



crostorfer said:


> Love zombies. LOVE them. Love the theme.
> 
> However....I HATE total blackouts, (its a claustrophobia thing), and I hate strobe lights, I find them very disorienting and they give me headache. :-(   I'm hoping to hear reports back from people going before me that this house isn't pitch blackness while its still light outside, maybe if it is I will do this first.



I hate strobe lights too. And the total darkness thing isn’t my thing either........we’ll be there opening night and will hopefully see this then or the second night.......


----------



## macraven

_In some past years, signage will be up to warn strobe lights in the house, if they do have them _


----------



## imprint

Can someone that saw the original Dead Exposure elaborate on the total darkness?  How does the conga line stay on path?  Friends/family might keep physical contact while walking, but strangers might not.  Were there extended periods of total darkness?  It seems like the line would break up and slow down.  Just curious.

And to the poster above that pointed out this house takes place in the 1980s, it is indeed interesting that Stranger Things also is set in the 1980s.  Some of the rumored houses make sense if there is an overall theme of 80s horror this year.  I'm down with it!


----------



## schumigirl

imprint said:


> Can someone that saw the original Dead Exposure elaborate on the total darkness?  How does the conga line stay on path?  Friends/family might keep physical contact while walking, but strangers might not.  Were there extended periods of total darkness?  It seems like the line would break up and slow down.  Just curious.
> 
> And to the poster above that pointed out this house takes place in the 1980s, it is indeed interesting that Stranger Things also is set in the 1980s.  Some of the rumored houses make sense if there is an overall theme of 80s horror this year.  I'm down with it!



I`m pretty sure I grabbed Metro West a lot in that house......I`m sure we went through that one together with him........if it wasn't I grabbed a total stranger a lot!!! I don't think it was total darkness throughout the house......

Any house we`ve done over the years that has had total darkness, It did affect the line slightly......I know I`ve been disoriented in some. TM`s do an amazing job though of keeping everyone moving. 

I think  a 1980`s theme is cool!!!!


----------



## DizfanMA

If HHN is going to be 80's themed, I'd like to see a Beetlejuice house. Probably won't come close to happening but think it would be an entertaining house.


----------



## heidijanesmith

Thiago Acquaviva said:


> Hello guys!
> I'm new here!
> 
> It's gonna be our 4th time in Orlando (first time in October), we've never been to HHN before!
> We're 3 adults and* I would like to know how the mazes and the scary zones work.*
> 
> Here's the deal:
> my fiancé is CRAZY about horror things and LOVE this universe.
> our friend also love terror/horror universe and like these things.
> about me... I'm just TERRIFIED of those things lol I love horror movies and things like that but I'm really scared haha
> 
> We had this type of event here in São Paulo at the extinguished Playcenter that was called "Noites do Terror" (Terror Nights) and we still have this at the Hopi Hari Park called "Hora do Horror" (Horror Hour). I went 2 times at the "Noites do Terror" and a single time at the "Hora do Horror" and it was REALLY scary I was terrified all the time at the mazes lol.
> 
> My question here is: do the actors can TOUCH you? do they can hold us or make something more aggresive like keep us inside the maze agains our will?
> I know it sounds bizarre to ask that but I've heard so many things about HHN even some police cases of actors assault or something like that... I was very afraid lol
> Here in Sao Paulo during these events at the mazes the rules are clear: "they do NOT touch you and you CANNOT touch them" simple like that.
> at HHN the rules are the same?
> People enter in group lines at the mazes like here or enter as much as they wish?
> 
> big thanks in advance and sorry for my english.



Our family loves Halloween too, but I am a big chicken for most Haunted Houses.

What I like the most about HHN, is the size of the Houses. I always see security in the houses, many US employees and sometimes the ceiling. You enter the Houses like conga line, it's a continuous line. The Haunted Houses in my area, they break you up into groups so they can reset the scares.

I love the conga line aspect of the Houses. DH does not, he does not want to see the scares. The scareactors can not touch you and you can not touch them.  I have never been touched by a scareactor at HHN. I have been accidentally brushed by a zombie in a Scare Zone, but it was pure accident and very little contact.  I have a local house that the actors can't touch you but they did impede our exit. None of the HHN houses are like that, they have to get people in and keep going and get out. 

The Scare Zones, are theme decorated areas around the park. Some past theme's are aliens, scary clowns with chains saws, Horror Night Icons, zombies and the Purge characters.  Some are really well done and some are weird.

I am a big chicken, but I love HHN. The people watching is fantastic! They have great food and drinks. The details are incredible. 

We always get a non-private RIP tour on the 1st night and then an Express Pass for the other two nights. I do not like to wait in line, so the Express Pass is totally worth it!!


----------



## Thiago Acquaviva

@heidijanesmith ohh, thanks for your reply! It made me feel way much better! lol
I was so scared! I'm excited to experience that! 
Here in São Paulo the local houses I've mentioned they also break into groups to reset the scares. Glad HHN is not like that because the flow is faster right?
big thanks now I'm more calm lol


----------



## heidijanesmith

Thiago Acquaviva said:


> @heidijanesmith ohh, thanks for your reply! It made me feel way much better! lol
> I was so scared! I'm excited to experience that!
> Here in São Paulo the local houses I've mentioned they also break into groups to reset the scares. Glad HHN is not like that because the flow is faster right?
> big thanks now I'm more calm lol



That's great!!

HHN houses very much want people in and out as quickly as possible, the queue lines can be very long!  You can see the employees moving people along if they think the line is moving too slow. 

Enjoy the night, it's so much fun. If you can swing it, try and go a couple nights. We try for 3 nights. It's hard to see and enjoy everything in one night, but I would take one night over none!


----------



## macraven

_Once the parks get crowded in the HHN period, house lines will continuously be one long conga line.

Not much pulsing the lines at all_


----------



## pattyw

I think I like the conga line better than separate groups.  At home, our haunted houses only let in a group at a time and my sons say that is much scarier as the ghouls can follow you! No one wants to be last in line!!


----------



## Thiago Acquaviva

heidijanesmith said:


> That's great!!
> 
> HHN houses very much want people in and out as quickly as possible, the queue lines can be very long!  You can see the employees moving people along if they think the line is moving too slow.
> 
> Enjoy the night, it's so much fun. If you can swing it, try and go a couple nights. We try for 3 nights. It's hard to see and enjoy everything in one night, but I would take one night over none!


Yes, we gonna try to do 2 nights! 
I'm so excited and scared at the same time lol
How long lines can be? all the houses have long lines or just the popular ones?



pattyw said:


> I think I like the conga line better than separate groups.  At home, our haunted houses only let in a group at a time and my sons say that is much scarier as the ghouls can follow you! No one wants to be last in line!!


Yes!!! I totally agree! I always kept pushing desperate to not be the last in our group line! it's terryfying lol


----------



## macraven

Thiago Acquaviva said:


> Yes!!! I totally agree! I always kept pushing desperate to not be the last in our group line! it's terryfying lol




_Being first in the line is scary.....
Being last in the line, you can see when others ahead of you are freaked out by the SA

I'd rather be at the end than the beginning of the house lines
To be last in the line, you have someone in front of you to grab.

_


----------



## Thiago Acquaviva

macraven said:


> _Being first in the line is scary.....
> Being last in the line, you can see when others ahead of you are freaked out by the SA
> 
> I'd rather be at the end than the beginning of the house lines
> To be last in the line, you have someone in front of you to grab.
> _


here in Sao Paulo the groups are very far between one and other, so been the last is like only YOU and ALL THE ACTORS! this is INSANE I would faint lol :lol:


----------



## macraven

_I wish the lines for HHN were like those in Sao Paulo!


It is a constant line through the houses at UO for hhn...

Not much space in between the peeps in the house lines.


As crowds build, no space in between any groups in the houses.
You will think you are related to everyone and not just with your friends or group you are doing the houses with._


----------



## imprint

Thiago Acquaviva said:


> Yes, we gonna try to do 2 nights!
> I'm so excited and scared at the same time lol
> How long lines can be? all the houses have long lines or just the popular ones?



The regular standby lines can get to 2+ hours.  The express pass lines are usually half the regular line or (much) less.  I don't think we've ever waited in express more than 45 minutes, and that was rare.  Our experience has been no more than 15-20 minutes in express lines for the most part.

All house lines will be long at various times throughout the night.  The more popular houses will have long lines most of the night.  If you don't have express pass (or RIP tour), you should consider taking advantage of Stay and Scream (be in the park before it closes for HHN) and get a head start on the popular houses early.


----------



## HollyMD

On the Stay and Scream, if we enter the park like 4:15ish(with a regular ticket), we are good, right? As long as we are in before they start showing people out at 5, correct? We will be coming over from WDW our first day and first night of HHN sobantedbto amie sure that would work


----------



## imprint

HollyMD said:


> On the Stay and Scream, if we enter the park like 4:15ish(with a regular ticket), we are good, right? As long as we are in before they start showing people out at 5, correct? We will be coming over from WDW our first day and first night of HHN sobantedbto amie sure that would work



Correct.  You need to be there early enough to still get inside.  Then they will start ushering people out around 5:00, which at that time you need to get to a designated Stay and Scream location (if you are not already camped there).  Historically, these locations have been:  Finnegans, Springfield, Hello Kitty, and Diagon Alley (am I forgetting anything?).  We don't yet know which locations will be used this year.  You will be asked to show your HHN ticket to stay in the designated locations, and you will get a wrist band to confirm you are a ticket holder.  Have fun!


----------



## HollyMD

@imprint, thanks so much!


----------



## macraven

_If you already have your day park ticket, even 4:30 entrance is fine

For those that plan to buy the park ticket at the parks, don’t wait until
4:45 to do so.

Buy day park tickets in advance_


----------



## soniam

So who thinks one of the other IP houses will be the new IT? It's set in the 80s and came out too late last year to be a house. However, if it has to involve Stephen King, then that could be an issue. We are watching it right now, so the thought came up.


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

Who thinks we're due for another house announcement?! Me!!


----------



## schumigirl

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> Who thinks we're due for another house announcement?! Me!!



Shouldn’t be too long now.........


----------



## Thiago Acquaviva

Are there any rumours about what the new houses could be besides "IT"?


----------



## soniam

Thiago Acquaviva said:


> Are there any rumours about what the new houses could be besides "IT"?



I think Craig from DISUnplugged said Lost Boys was rumored.


----------



## Thiago Acquaviva

What about the scary zones, how many each year? I've heard it's like 2 or 3?
They release information about it too? I'm so excited for our first time!


----------



## soniam

Thiago Acquaviva said:


> What about the scary zones, how many each year? I've heard it's like 2 or 3?
> They release information about it too? I'm so excited for our first time!



I know it's at least 2 or 3, maybe 1 or 2 more. They definitely announce the scare zones before the event, but that may be the last things they announce. I can't remember for sure.


----------



## macraven

_Usually 5 -6 scare zones

(Both aisle walk ways past the universal store and other past old T2
building

Last year the two up by the front of the park were really good 


Walk area in front of Louie’s down past the mummy

walkway past richter section 

Area in the  Simpson section

Walk area past la bamba where it empties into back of the park
(Area to the right of Central Park)_


----------



## Robo56

Keeping the HHN fires burning as we await more news


----------



## soniam

Finished watching the new IT. I really like it I forgot how much Stephen King's stories appeal to kids. It's like he wrote down a bunch of his worst nightmares as a kid. Yet, they are all hopeful in a strange way at the end.

We also just realized that we have been horrible parents. DS hasn't seen Psycho or Jaws. I saw Jaws when I was a little kid, so he's way over due to see it. Just added to the Netflix queue behind Stranger Things


----------



## Equestrian

I apologize if it was already mentioned and I missed it, but this is my first year with a premier AP and I’ve never been to HHN before. The pass includes a ticket to “select non-peak” nights. Will the actual dates this free ticket includes be specified later, or is it just any night that’s not Friday/Saturday (which I assume to be the busiest?)


----------



## macraven

_That is how it was last year.
Sun-Thur for the free hhn ticket for premier ap holders_


----------



## crostorfer

soniam said:


> I think Craig from DISUnplugged said Lost Boys was rumored.


I just watched the Universal Podcast show, and I am SO HERE FOR THIS RUMOR!!! I hope the houses stick with the 80's theme, I would LOVE a Lost Boys house.


----------



## crostorfer

Isn't there a Stay and Scream ticket, available at the gate? Purchase a ticket in UO and get the HHN add on for like $50?


----------



## macraven

crostorfer said:


> Isn't there a Stay and Scream ticket, available at the gate? Purchase a ticket in UO and get the HHN add on for like $50?



_That was an option for the past years

Once ticket/pass info is released, we will find out if the “stay and scream” tickets will be sold this year_


----------



## schumigirl

We need another announcement folks.........

I know it’s only May, but we are an impatient bunch........and I believe this years HHN will blow last years efforts out the water..........


----------



## sconnell

Yes, I hope so! My teens are going to be so excited for their first trip! I need to get our room booked.


----------



## soniam

Woohoo! The first episode of the season for Dead Man's Digest was released. Now, it's getting real.


----------



## shh

Thank goodness for this thread! Our HHN isn't until late Oct, so not only is the wait up TO HHN long, but I'll be living vicariously thru everyone else's HHN trip reports for a while.


----------



## schumigirl

shh said:


> Thank goodness for this thread! Our HHN isn't until late Oct, so not only is the wait up TO HHN long, but I'll be living vicariously thru everyone else's HHN trip reports for a while.



Lol.......it does seem a long time to wait doesn’t it........a snail does seem appropriate.......


----------



## pattyw

Robo-  love the pictures! especially the Psycho house!


----------



## Robo56

About time for some more HHN information


----------



## TheConsciousness

Does anyone know when the 'frequent fear' or bulk-night tickets go on sale?


----------



## Thiago Acquaviva

I would like to know when they release the express pass for the houses and how much is the average price.


----------



## macraven

_Nothing is known at this point about the passes or release dates.

Check out last years thread about this and you can see when 2017 release dates were.

I know the private hhn tours came out mid June last year.
I booked that and my hhn passes then._


----------



## meryll83

I can’t believe there’s going to be a new Bill & Ted movie right as the show has been cancelled from HHN!


----------



## macraven

_The movie has been talked about and rumored for years

From what has been written about it, it will be a must see for me!_


----------



## vrajewski10513

When they start the sign ups for the AP early entry nights, does it show up under “Featured fun” on the annual pass holder tab??


----------



## RAPstar

vrajewski10513 said:


> When they start the sign ups for the AP early entry nights, does it show up under “Featured fun” on the annual pass holder tab??



I think it's usually done via email. Or at least they may mention it in the AP email that gets sent about once a month.


----------



## vrajewski10513

Supposedly Universal Hollywood just put up and took down a video announcing Trick R Treat for HHN Hollywood and Orlando....


----------



## RAPstar

vrajewski10513 said:


> Supposedly Universal Hollywood just put up and took down a video announcing Trick R Treat for HHN Hollywood and Orlando....



Beat me too it. The video is down now. From what I've heard it was supposed to be announced last Thursday but Hollywood was having website problems so they pushed the announcement to this Thursday. Either someone hit the button early or in fixing the website problems it accidentally posted the video, lol. Whoops. Really excited I'm making the trip now. I love Trick r Treat and Stranger Things!


----------



## RAPstar

Someone was able to screen record the video. @macraven if this breaks the rules, feel free to remove:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1OfIVKyNhTHSZLrMkKXVsgyHpyL2UFZyS


----------



## macraven

_Thanks for sharing Robbie!

I  it..._


----------



## meryll83

Do we think this’ll be a house rather than a scarezone then this year?


----------



## vrajewski10513

meryll83 said:


> Do we think this’ll be a house rather than a scarezone then this year?


Yes


----------



## RAPstar

meryll83 said:


> Do we think this’ll be a house rather than a scarezone then this year?



They only do big announcements like this for the houses, very rarely for the SZs.


----------



## vrajewski10513

Here it is!


----------



## keishashadow

vrajewski10513 said:


> View attachment 322946 Here it is!



 took screen shot of the premature twitter announcement shared by another site which quickly went poof.  

Somebody let the cat out of the bag a bit early? Lol


----------



## slford00

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/busi...oween-horror-nights-trick-20180516-story.html

Awesome!

Love the movie, LOVED the scare zone last year (probably my favorite scare zone they've ever had). This should be excellent.


----------



## vrajewski10513

keishashadow said:


> took screen shot of the premature twitter announcement shared by another site which quickly went poof.
> 
> Somebody let the cat out of the bag a bit early? Lol


Haha yep! Universal Hollywood had the video up on their YouTube for like 20 minutes then it disappeared!


----------



## heidijanesmith

My favorite scare zone last year, looking forward to an awesome house!!


----------



## vrajewski10513

Let’s hope the TRT House is as pretty as the scare zone was!!


----------



## keishashadow

vrajewski10513 said:


> Haha yep! Universal Hollywood had the video up on their YouTube for like 20 minutes then it disappeared!


what would we do without the leaks?the only spoilers I read lol


----------



## shh

Anyone else get the official email announcement on TRT? Got mine about 5:30pm


----------



## keishashadow

shh said:


> Anyone else get the official email announcement on TRT? Got mine about 5:30pm



Made me look lol, mine received 2:57 pm EST


----------



## Robo56




----------



## RAPstar

Even tho I read that last year wasn’t any better for pics during the UTH house, I might do it it Trick r Treat or Stranger Things is on it. Just because lol


----------



## Robo56




----------



## Robo56




----------



## keishashadow

While i had some dead time todayscrolled thru my neglected twitter feed. 

Noticed more than a few tweets from @LukeOfHorror (not sure why he’s in my feed anyway, but i digress lol).  Media peep from Orion pics (MGM).  A recent nod to U’s Trick or Treat house caught my eye, followed by another for Bloody Mary.  

Dug around a bit, their first project since rebooting will come out this holiday season, movie described as a Zombie musical:  Anna and the Apocolypse. 

“Nothing gets the blood flowing like a good holiday musical...a zombie apocalypse threatens the sleepy town of Little Haven at Christmas, and Anna and her high school friends must fight, sing and slash their way to survival”

Remote chance, but if they are looking for exposure for the project, wonder as to chances of a ‘musical’ show adaptation to fill the B&T void, if not a house?


----------



## macraven

_Nothing can replace Bill and Ted for me

Still devastated they bit the dust..._


----------



## keishashadow

macraven said:


> _Nothing can replace Bill and Ted for me
> 
> Still devastated they bit the dust..._



RIP indeed.  With all the buzz re a reboot of the movie with original cast , ironic it’s been yanked


----------



## RAPstar

Well like any rock band, we can always hope their Farewell Tour isn't really a Farewell Tour


----------



## macraven

_It would take a miracle for Bill and Ted to return to HHN_


----------



## cschaaf

keishashadow said:


> RIP indeed.  With all the buzz re a reboot of the movie with original cast , ironic it’s been yanked


I wonder if that's what was behind it. The license may have been up and the new rate been jacked up by the upcoming reboot.


----------



## cschaaf

Just bought our HHN tickets. We'll be hitting the parks Oct 11 - 13. Going to HHN on the 11th and 12th.

Right now, Hard Rock is $1 more per night than RPR, so we might book HRH for now. We've never stayed there. Then we'll keep an eye on AP discounts and see what happens.

ETA: I was wrong - the HRH rate was SMSM, so we'll do RPR instead.


----------



## HollyMD

We are doing almost exactly the same as you, will be at US oct 11-14, and going to HHN the 11th and 12th as well!


----------



## macraven

_Didn’t know the 11th would be that popular 

It will be my last hhn night of my trip
_


----------



## cschaaf

macraven said:


> _Didn’t know the 11th would be that popular
> 
> It will be my last hhn night of my trip_


My wife is a teacher, so we pick dates based on her fall break. 

Depending on prices, we might spring for EP one of those nights. We've never had HHN EP before and it would be nice to reduce some of the standing around in lines.


----------



## vrajewski10513

macraven said:


> _Didn’t know the 11th would be that popular
> 
> It will be my last hhn night of my trip_


ITs the week of Columbus Day so i imagine it’s a lot of schools fall break.


----------



## keishashadow

vrajewski10513 said:


> ITs the week of Columbus Day so i imagine it’s a lot of schools fall break.



Many schools in my neck of woods schedule teacher in-service & open house days the Thursday & Friday prior.  The reason we started to take the 1st week of Oct as fall trip back in the day.


----------



## macraven

Yea same with our schools
 Back to school day after Columbus day


----------



## HollyMD

Our school system is on fall break the week of Columbus Day as well, same reason for us picking that week, my husband is also a teacher!


----------



## RAPstar

There's a rumor (that I'm really hoping is true) that this year may be a 10 year anniversary of Reflections of Fear. Especially since the copyright for Bloody Mary was cancelled in October of last year.


----------



## M0therfletcher

I tried to read this entire thread but I'm getting old so I may be asking a question already answered, so I apologize in advance.

I've got until 6/6 to buy 3  2 day HHN tickets for 9/23 and 9/29.  I won't go 2 nights without being on the RIP Tour for the Friday night of 9/23.  RIP Tours are not available until mid-June?  I tried to get the package deal to add the RIP Tour and was told that that Friday night still in September would cost me $260 per person?  The package ticket price add reads from $192.  Doesn't a $70 increase seem a little high for September?  Without an RIP Tour I don't know whether to buy the 2 night HHN tickets?


----------



## RAPstar

M0therfletcher said:


> I tried to read this entire thread but I'm getting old so I may be asking a question already answered, so I apologize in advance.
> 
> I've got until 6/6 to buy 3  2 day HHN tickets for 9/23 and 9/29.  I won't go 2 nights without being on the RIP Tour for the Friday night of 9/23.  RIP Tours are not available until mid-June?  I tried to get the package deal to add the RIP Tour and was told that that Friday night still in September would cost me $260 per person?  The package ticket price add reads from $192.  Doesn't a $70 increase seem a little high for September?  Without an RIP Tour I don't know whether to buy the 2 night HHN tickets?



You could buy them just in case, since this deal ends soon, and then see about booking a RIP tour when they're public. I mean worse case you can get express. I've only done an RIP tour once but was still able to see everything over 2 nights with just express.


----------



## M0therfletcher

You kind of get spoiled like getting EP for staying at the hotels.  I've stayed at the on-site hotels for 16 years.  The same is true for RIP.  We have done the RIP tours for HHN and Behind the Screams for the last 5 of our HHN visits.  I'm likely to do exactly what you recommend.  I might just stay at PBH and watch a horror movie.  Thanks for your help.


----------



## keishashadow

M0therfletcher said:


> I tried to read this entire thread but I'm getting old so I may be asking a question already answered, so I apologize in advance.
> 
> I've got until 6/6 to buy 3  2 day HHN tickets for 9/23 and 9/29.  I won't go 2 nights without being on the RIP Tour for the Friday night of 9/23.  RIP Tours are not available until mid-June?  I tried to get the package deal to add the RIP Tour and was told that that Friday night still in September would cost me $260 per person?  The package ticket price add reads from $192.  Doesn't a $70 increase seem a little high for September?  Without an RIP Tour I don't know whether to buy the 2 night HHN tickets?



If your trip covers more than 2 HHN nights, you might want to wait it out & hope multiday tix are offered 

Saturday & sometimes friday nights have been blacked out on some multliday tix.  Without checking last years sticky (where general info such as tix prices are listed in first few posts for easy reference), believe Friday was included on one I purchased Frequent Fear Plus @ $107 pp/APH

Multilday tix have been common for years but until it’s posted, we are all waiting for details.

Interesting they tossed out the 2 day tix upfront of other offerings.  No idea if they are testing the waters to see how many jump or it’s some sort of teaser rate that will increase as the date gets closer

My understanding that the 2 day HHN tix would be upgradeable at the gate for other admission but I don’t have written confirmation on that.  Would think they’d be more than happy to accept more $$$ from guests

Participated in a private tour last year again. Decided to either do EP or public tour when I extended original trip.  Six weeks prior to the date(sunday prior to Columbus Day) the APH rate dropped to $220 pp.  It was closer to $300 when i first started pricing and didn’t include the price of admission.


----------



## M0therfletcher

Thanks for your help!  The number of nights is not as important as the RIP Tour.  On the Tour I'll see it all.
The more I think about it our 1st night could be Sunday and the crowd should be lower as well as the price.  I wonder if they would even have RIP Tours on a Sunday in September?  And if they do it should be the $192 price range.


----------



## keishashadow

M0therfletcher said:


> Thanks for your help!  The number of nights is not as important as the RIP Tour.  On the Tour I'll see it all.
> The more I think about it our 1st night could be Sunday and the crowd should be lower as well as the price.  I wonder if they would even have RIP Tours on a Sunday in September?  And if they do it should be the $192 price range.



Every night as far as I’m aware. That early in season surely less crowded 

The tours sell well. If anything I’d expect In area of 10% increase in pricing. 

We shall see


----------



## M0therfletcher

You think it will be 10% above the  $192 (211) or 10% above the $220 ($242) that you paid last year?
I'm going to shoot for Sunday the 23rd.  Did you mean to say that the Tours sell when it is less crowded?  I would guess the opposite.
We are used to going Oct. 14 (daughters birthday) or Oct. 27th (my birthday) which can get both pricey and congested.
I guess I have a few days before I have to get the 2 day HHN tickets to make up my mind.  I'm leaning towards taking my daughter out to eat and a movie.  My son can fill us in on the Gory details.  I would like to go with him since this will be the 25th anniversary of our first HHN. 
People have asked "How young is too young", so how old is too old?  Maybe its time to hang up the HHN shoes?


----------



## keishashadow

M0therfletcher said:


> You think it will be 10% above the  $192 (211) or 10% above the $220 ($242) that you paid last year?
> I'm going to shoot for Sunday the 23rd.  Did you mean to say that the Tours sell when it is less crowded?  I would guess the opposite.
> We are used to going Oct. 14 (daughters birthday) or Oct. 27th (my birthday) which can get both pricey and congested.
> I guess I have a few days before I have to get the 2 day HHN tickets to make up my mind.  I'm leaning towards taking my daughter out to eat and a movie.  My son can fill us in on the Gory details.  I would like to go with him since this will be the 25th anniversary of our first HHN.
> People have asked "How young is too young", so how old is too old?  Maybe its time to hang up the HHN shoes?



I plan on atttending until they carry me feet first out.  Age is but a number, many 60 somethings lighter in spirit and more physically fit than millennials

My observation is that in general, most touristy things in MCO in tend to increase somewhere between a 7 - 10% minimum annual  

Tours are offered every HHN night.  If there is the demand, i’m going to go with that they will dredge up a part-time tour guide (they are assuredly not all created equal unfortunately) and add on another tour to make some $$$$.  They do ‘sell out’ for certain popular dates though as reported here.

The time has come the walrus said to talk of many things, I too need to decide what to do re the 2 day tix paradox.  Slim hope U might toss out the traditional multi day tix offerings before the window for the 2 day ones expire.


----------



## M0therfletcher

Thanks for cheering me up!  Age is a number.  Weight is a number.  Unfortunately cost is the largest number!

The guides are something I need help with.  Mine have retired or died.  Deena was my favorite.


----------



## macraven

RAPstar said:


> There's a rumor (that I'm really hoping is true) that this year may be a 10 year anniversary of Reflections of Fear. Especially since the copyright for Bloody Mary was cancelled in October of last year.


_Last year I wore my Reflections of Fear lanyard.....
It's one of my favorites.

That was a good year for hhn......Reflections of Fear_


----------



## schumigirl

macraven said:


> _Last year I wore my Reflections of Fear lanyard.....
> It's one of my favorites.
> 
> That was a good year for hhn......Reflections of Fear_



Tom still wears his Reflections of Fear lanyard most years.......it’s his favourite one........

That was a good year.........Bloody Mary  

I remember all the fuss the billboards along the roads caused that year too........parents complaining how scary the pictures were I thought they were fabulous!!! Universal never did back down to them


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

So I had a new email from HHN in my inbox and the subject is 'New Houses of Horror Await You'. Yet I can't see any evidence of a new house announced. What sadness is this?


----------



## RAPstar

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> So I had a new email from HHN in my inbox and the subject is 'New Houses of Horror Await You'. Yet I can't see any evidence of a new house announced. What sadness is this?



They also put a new video on Twitter that basically said the same thing. IDK


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

Here are some pictures from last year's HHN to keep the Halloween spirits up.


----------



## macraven

_Thanks for the pics 
It brings back memories _


----------



## MelissaMonicaDrake

Can someone brief me on how a HHN day would work if you are not going FOR HHN?? We are going to be at Disney the 24th-29th of Oct and had set aside Fri, the 26th for Universal. We really just want to see HP World, and our 2 youngest would not enjoy HHN at all (our 14 year old would love it...but maybe another time!). Is it a separate ticket? Kind of like MNSSHP where regular ticket holders leave early? Is it kid friendly in the morning? ANY info is appreciated! We've never been to Universal so this is ALL new to me!!


----------



## macraven

_The studios is the park hhn is held

On dates hhn happens, the studios closes at 5Pm

If you have P2P tickets, switch other to Island of Adventure as they will be open 

I would have to look at the uo calendar to see IOA park hours for your dates

Large props used during hhn are covered during the day time
Nothing to scare your kids while in the park that Friday or any day

Hhn is a separate ticket _


----------



## mnmmoney

Possible stupid question - does this run every night of the week?  Is October 31st insanely crazy night to go.  We will be there October 29-Nov 1.


----------



## schumigirl

No, not every night.......

It`s been years since we went on Halloween itself, but it wasn't as crazy as you would think. 

Many locals go to their own events or with families, and if it`s a work night it`s not so bad. Friends were there on that night last year, and yes, it was still busy, but not as bad as previous nights they had gone.


----------



## mnmmoney

schumigirl said:


> No, not every night.......
> 
> It`s been years since we went on Halloween itself, but it wasn't as crazy as you would think.
> 
> Many locals go to their own events or with families, and if it`s a work night it`s not so bad. Friends were there on that night last year, and yes, it was still busy, but not as bad as previous nights they had gone.


Thanks!  Also, I LOVE reading your trip reports!  We have stayed at RPR about a dozen times, it is like home, but are considering SF for this trip and so glad for you your latest report.


----------



## tink1957

A few pics from past years​


----------



## tink1957

Sorry for the double images


----------



## macraven

It’s double the fun...


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

mnmmoney said:


> Possible stupid question - does this run every night of the week?  Is October 31st insanely crazy night to go.  We will be there October 29-Nov 1.



I thought last year's halloween night was pretty busy. At chose to go Halloween week since we'd heard it's traditionally not too busy. I think last year broke the mold. Everyone was saying how busy it was compared to previous Halloweens. None of the lines were under an hour.


----------



## macraven

_I read there were more crowds than usually at the end dates for hhn

Bill and Ted show was closing forever and it brought in larger crowds for the last week

I was tempted to return that last week just to see that show again_


----------



## schumigirl

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> I thought last year's halloween night was pretty busy. At chose to go Halloween week since we'd heard it's traditionally not too busy. I think last year broke the mold. Everyone was saying how busy it was compared to previous Halloweens. None of the lines were under an hour.



Lol......one persons perception is always different isn’t it........

They usually go Saturdays as they’re local, and Oct 31st is their favourite night of them all.......huge Halloween fans in general.........

I think any genuine quiet times are gone now altogether.


----------



## pattyw

Last year we went on Oct 29 (Sunday night) and the crowds were pretty big!  Glad we had an HHN tour booked!  The Bill & Ted show had huge crowds! We were in a crowd gridlock after the show!  But it was very fun! Wouldn't stop me from returning!  But I think if you go on a weekend or close to Halloween, I wouldn't do so without having a tour booked- you're guaranteed seeing every house!


----------



## soniam

It's looking like my son will have an extra day off around Columbus Day, and his grades are looking good. So, I think we might get to do HHN and do 4 days instead of 3!!!! I went ahead and added Thursday night. I didn't want the possibility of not being able to get a room for the extra night. I hope he's really getting this extra day. It would make the trip so much nicer. Keeping my fingers crossed.


----------



## macraven

soniam said:


> It's looking like my son will have an extra day off around Columbus Day, and his grades are looking good. So, I think we might get to do HHN and do 4 days instead of 3!!!! I went ahead and added Thursday night. I didn't want the possibility of not being able to get a room for the extra night. I hope he's really getting this extra day. It would make the trip so much nicer. Keeping my fingers crossed.




_WOOT !!

Adding another day will be great.

That Columbus day weekend will have crowds.
I've been hitting that weekend since 2006 or 7 and each year it becomes more popular.

Good that you already added the Thursday night stay now
Prices for rooms will start increasing in August.


I have seen some deals pop up for room rates when the hotels are trying to fill up the hotel._


----------



## pattyw

soniam said:


> It's looking like my son will have an extra day off around Columbus Day, and his grades are looking good. So, I think we might get to do HHN and do 4 days instead of 3!!!! I went ahead and added Thursday night. I didn't want the possibility of not being able to get a room for the extra night. I hope he's really getting this extra day. It would make the trip so much nicer. Keeping my fingers crossed.



Great news! Extra vacation days are always welcome!

 We'll be there Columbus Day weekend as well!!


----------



## schumigirl

2008 Ad for Reflections of Fear


----------



## schumigirl




----------



## schumigirl

2007


----------



## 5lilfish

I want to get tickets for the RIP tour on Oct 4.  Those aren't out yet, right?  When do they come out?  Do I need a separate ticket for the HHN that night or does the VIP tour cover that too?  I'm planning to book my hotel room for that night now and just want to be sure I shouldn't be doing anything else yet.  

Jess


----------



## pattyw

5lilfish said:


> I want to get tickets for the RIP tour on Oct 4.  Those aren't out yet, right?  When do they come out?  Do I need a separate ticket for the HHN that night or does the VIP tour cover that too?  I'm planning to book my hotel room for that night now and just want to be sure I shouldn't be doing anything else yet.
> 
> Jess



I don't think they have started booking the RIP tours yet. They should be able to book very soon!  You do need a separate HHN ticket for entrance to the park.


----------



## 5lilfish

pattyw said:


> I don't think they have started booking the RIP tours yet. They should be able to book very soon!  You do need a separate HHN ticket for entrance to the park.




Thanks!  So I can, and probably should, get my HHN night tickets now....and then keep watchinng for the RIP tour to come out?

I didn't want to buy the HHN tickets only to find out that was included in the tour price.

Thanks again,
Jess


----------



## pattyw

5lilfish said:


> Thanks!  So I can, and probably should, get my HHN night tickets now....and then keep watchinng for the RIP tour to come out?
> 
> I didn't want to buy the HHN tickets only to find out that was included in the tour price.
> 
> Thanks again,
> Jess



Sure- you can buy the HHN ticket now.  They have a promotion right now where if you buy a ticket, you get another night free (both must be Sunday-Friday nights)

Then yes- watch the website or the boards here to see when they release the tours for booking. We've done RIP tours the last two years and LOVED them! You're guaranteed to visit every house with no wait and have access to pre party appetizers and soft drinks and they are available all evening as well. They also have private cash bars!


----------



## macraven

5lilfish said:


> Thanks!  So I can, and probably should, get my HHN night tickets now....and then keep watchinng for the RIP tour to come out?
> 
> I didn't want to buy the HHN tickets only to find out that was included in the tour price.
> 
> Thanks again,
> Jess




_In order to do the hhn evening tours, you will need to buy the hhn park ticket 
so might as well go with the bogo free tickets before that deal expires.

Each year the tours go on sale and usually mid June is when booking information is available

Day tour information will also be released 

I usually buy the the day and evening tour at the same time._


----------



## keishashadow

5lilfish said:


> Thanks!  So I can, and probably should, get my HHN night tickets now....and then keep watchinng for the RIP tour to come out?
> 
> I didn't want to buy the HHN tickets only to find out that was included in the tour price.
> 
> Thanks again,
> Jess



Past practice you need a separate HHN tix when booking public or private tour

Unusual BOGO tix offer out there, but who knows what mayhem they have up their collective sleeves as to admission media.

if you don’t plan on going for two nights, i’d sit pat.  JMHO


----------



## soniam

keishashadow said:


> Past practice you need a separate HHN tix when booking public or private tour
> 
> Unusual BOGO tix offer out there, but who knows what mayhem they have up their collective sleeves as to admission media.
> 
> if you don’t plan on going for two nights, i’d sit pat.  JMHO



Now that we are probably going 3 nights, a Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, I am trying to decide if we should get the BOGO deal and buy a 3rd night ticket. Originally, we were only going Saturday & Sunday, so it didn't make sense. What does everyone think? I don't get the HHN tickets with our APs. Plus, those are usually for early on; we are going Columbus Day weekend. This is our first year, so I don't remember what ticket offers they had in the past. Thanks


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

soniam said:


> Now that we are probably going 3 nights, a Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, I am trying to decide if we should get the BOGO deal and buy a 3rd night ticket. Originally, we were only going Saturday & Sunday, so it didn't make sense. What does everyone think? I don't get the HHN tickets with our APs. Plus, those are usually for early on; we are going Columbus Day weekend. This is our first year, so I don't remember what ticket offers they had in the past. Thanks



Yay 3 days! And sounds like you are very sure you're going.

I would buy the frequent fear...if that is the name, whichever one includes Saturdays. I think it is about the same cost as a 2 day ticket or a little less.


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

Universal needs to stop with the HHN emails which give no info. I just got one that said 5 scare zones...then when I clicked on the link nothing new was mentioned.

Tired of their click bait stuff.


----------



## soniam

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> Yay 3 days! And sounds like you are very sure you're going.
> 
> I would buy the frequent fear...if that is the name, whichever one includes Saturdays. I think it is about the same cost as a 2 day ticket or a little less.



Yesterday was the last day of school, and DS had As and Bs on the website. Something weird would have to happen for them to be lower, but we technically haven't gotten his report card yet. They also just sent an email yesterday that appears to say he will get the Friday and Monday of Columbus Day weekend. It was sort of not exactly clear if Friday was being added or if Friday was replacing Monday I guess I am just too used to precision and exactness. So, yes, we are pretty sure that we will be there all day Friday, Saturday, & Sunday, and then leave Monday night. I might buy airplane tickets this weekend.

Were there any limitations on the dates for the frequent fear? For some reason, I thought it was only valid for the first 3 weeks, but maybe that's the AP tickets.



OhioStateBuckeye said:


> Universal needs to stop with the HHN emails which give no info. I just got one that said 5 scare zones...then when I clicked on the link nothing new was mentioned.
> 
> Tired of their click bait stuff.



I know


----------



## macraven

_Not sure which way would be best for you soniam.


The deal that is out now for a limited time is the bogo free ticket.
Valid for any night of hhn except Saturday.
You could use it for Friday and Sunday hhn nights.

Saturday night tickets should be a tad higher than the other nights if they follow the same ticket price pattern of years past.

I am waiting for the Frequent Fear w/express to come out as I'm counting on 7 nights for hhn.
Last year it was in the $300 range for my price.
It is the expresss add on that makes that price higher.

Rush of Fear covers the first few weeks of the event in the past years.

A lot of us assume we will see the same pattern of the event passes for hhn.
Many locals do go with them
_


----------



## soniam

macraven said:


> _Not sure which way would be best for you soniam.
> 
> 
> The deal that is out now for a limited time is the bogo free ticket.
> Valid for any night of hhn except Saturday.
> You could use it for Friday and Sunday hhn nights.
> 
> Saturday night tickets should be a tad higher than the other nights if they follow the same ticket price pattern of years past.
> 
> I am waiting for the Frequent Fear w/express to come out as I'm counting on 7 nights for hhn.
> Last year it was in the $300 range for my price.
> It is the expresss add on that makes that price higher.
> 
> Rush of Fear covers the first few weeks of the event in the past years.
> 
> A lot of us assume we will see the same pattern of the event passes for hhn.
> Many locals do go with them_



I was confusing the Frequent Fear and Rush of Fear. So much fear Anyway, I would want Express for 2 of the nights, because I think we will do a private RIP tour for one of the 3 nights. I'll go look for prices from last year to get an idea of what might be best. Thanks


----------



## tink1957

Rush of Fear tickets are for the first few weeks of HHN and are usually good until the end of September.


----------



## macraven

_soniam, if you booked a public vip hhn tour, you will see all the houses and scare zones.
You do need the hhn ticket to enter the park 

If you go that route, then do the other two nights and you could buy the ep for them.
But in the past, they are not cheap but a real time saver if you only have one or two nights for hhn._


----------



## krazykevy

Ok, so it looks like I am down to 6 days or so to figure out if I want to take advantage of the BOGO...and i am so unsure on what to do...my wife and i will be there in October on a Wed, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night (departing on Sunday).  Trying to figure out best bang for my buck...and since I have no clue what the FF pass costs (or entails) I am kind of at a loss.  Does Universal give ANY kind of break if you already purchased theme park tickets for the day if you don't have HHH tix yet?  Or, do i go with this BOGO to take advantage of my wed. and Thursday night there...and pay whatever Universal throws at me for Friday night and Saturday night HHH....uuugghhh frustrating.  Any opinions would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks.

Kevin


----------



## MelissaMonicaDrake

macraven said:


> _The studios is the park hhn is held
> 
> On dates hhn happens, the studios closes at 5Pm
> 
> If you have P2P tickets, switch other to Island of Adventure as they will be open
> 
> I would have to look at the uo calendar to see IOA park hours for your dates
> 
> Large props used during hhn are covered during the day time
> Nothing to scare your kids while in the park that Friday or any day
> 
> Hhn is a separate ticket _


Just now saw your reply, thank you! We will have p2p tickets, will check the calendar for times.


----------



## macraven

krazykevy said:


> Ok, so it looks like I am down to 6 days or so to figure out if I want to take advantage of the BOGO...and i am so unsure on what to do...my wife and i will be there in October on a Wed, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night (departing on Sunday).  Trying to figure out best bang for my buck...and since I have no clue what the FF pass costs (or entails) I am kind of at a loss.  Does Universal give ANY kind of break if you already purchased theme park tickets for the day if you don't have HHH tix yet?  Or, do i go with this BOGO to take advantage of my wed. and Thursday night there...and pay whatever Universal throws at me for Friday night and Saturday night HHH....uuugghhh frustrating.  Any opinions would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks.
> 
> Kevin


What dates in October for hhn?


----------



## soniam

macraven said:


> _soniam, if you booked a public vip hhn tour, you will see all the houses and scare zones.
> You do need the hhn ticket to enter the park
> 
> If you go that route, then do the other two nights and you could buy the ep for them.
> But in the past, they are not cheap but a real time saver if you only have one or two nights for hhn._



I knew we had to have tickets for every night, no matter if we do a tour or EP. I think we want to try to do a private RIP tour, so I might be talking with you at some point about that If we can't tag along on someone else's private tour, then I will probably book one and invite others from the board. I plan to get EP for the other 2 nights. I don't think my son could handle waiting that long or staying up until the very end every night to get into the houses, especially since I think he's going to want to hit the parks at rope drop too Also, we always have EP for normal park days, so we have developed a bad habit. I know the EP is pretty expensive. However, if I don't spend it on this, then I don't know what the heck I work so hard for


----------



## macraven

_Since prices for express passes, day tours(Unmask the horror), public and private hhn rip tours have not been released, we don't know the prices yet.
In past years Saturday private rip tours were the most costly, followed by Fridays.
Weekday private rip tours were at a lower price.

The private tours are for the entire evening until the park closes.
Public tours can be about 3.5 hours long.

All those on the rip tours will see each house once and go through all the scarezones.
Bill and Ted show has bit the dust so no idea if anything will replace it on the tours.

Private tours are booked by one person and can work with the tour guide that night on how they want to do the event._

_Public tours are done by what the vip tours guide decides._

_
I enjoy doing the hhn tours.
It is a great way to be able to do all the houses without long lines to stand in.
And you will see every __house and scare zone even if the park is packed with crowds._


----------



## krazykevy

macraven said:


> What dates in October for hhn?


October 10th - 14th


----------



## pattyw

soniam said:


> I know the EP is pretty expensive. However, if I don't spend it on this, then I don't know what the heck I work so hard for



 Vacations are what get me through many (most) work days!!

We love the RIP tours! We did a public one two years ago and a private one last year. Definitely the way to go!


----------



## keishashadow

soniam said:


> I was confusing the Frequent Fear and Rush of Fear. So much fear Anyway, I would want Express for 2 of the nights, because I think we will do a private RIP tour for one of the 3 nights. I'll go look for prices from last year to get an idea of what might be best. Thanks



See post #5

https://www.disboards.com/threads/official-2017-hhn-27-thread.3606743/


----------



## Robo56

Well the crazy clowns are back with their scare zone this year again


----------



## RAPstar

Robo56 said:


> Well the crazy clowns are back with their scare zone this year again



Not officially. It was a really poorly worded email. The only real announcement was confirming there will be 5 scarezones.


----------



## Robo56

I guess time well tell if we get the clowns back or not for sure......I will admit I would not be upset if something else was there instead.


----------



## macraven

_Clowns do nothing for me
_


----------



## keishashadow

macraven said:


> _Clowns do nothing for me_



You just haven’t met the right Bozo

IDK, I find something very special about a clown with a chainsaw

Now that The Shining has broken the Stephen King ice, who’s to say Pennywise won’t pop in with a nice balloon?lol


----------



## Robo56

keishashadow said:


> You just haven’t met the right Bozo
> 
> IDK, I find something very special about a clown with a chainsaw



I had to laugh at that 

LOL.......Mac do remember last year at HHN we were sitting on a bench by the bridge were the clowns were chasing people and one of the clowns came up behind this guy and acted like he was going to chainsaw the guys Keister. It was pretty funny I have to admit


----------



## Robo56




----------



## RAPstar

keishashadow said:


> You just haven’t met the right Bozo
> 
> IDK, I find something very special about a clown with a chainsaw
> 
> Now that The Shining has broken the Stephen King ice, who’s to say Pennywise won’t pop in with a nice balloon?lol



King wasn't happy that they did The Shining and the only way they got around him was that it was the Kubrick movie they were basing it on. Rumor has it he is being equally difficult with It so it's likely not to happen.


----------



## soniam

Woohoo! Plane tickets booked. Already got the hotel. So, now I just need to figure out which tickets As strange as it seems, it looks like the BOGO + a Saturday ticket + 2 nights EP is the cheapest route. Unfortunately, the Frequent Fear Pass hasn't included Saturdays in the past The Ultimate Pass, which does include Saturdays, is just too much for only 3 nights.


----------



## macraven

_Soniam
You work fast !

Just last night you were talking about hhn and now you are booked with a hotel room and flight_


----------



## schumigirl




----------



## schumigirl




----------



## schumigirl




----------



## schumigirl

soniam said:


> Woohoo! Plane tickets booked. Already got the hotel. So, now I just need to figure out which tickets As strange as it seems, it looks like the BOGO + a Saturday ticket + 2 nights EP is the cheapest route. Unfortunately, the Frequent Fear Pass hasn't included Saturdays in the past The Ultimate Pass, which does include Saturdays, is just too much for only 3 nights.



Fantastic news!!!

Glad you have everything sorted...….

We`re hoping the Rush Of Fear with EP is still going to be offered this year again....suits us down to the ground as we prefer to go over many nights on our trip.


----------



## pattyw

Love the pictures @Robo56 and @schumigirl !! Good thing I'm looking at these this morning! I don't think I'd sleep tonight if I look at these late at night!

@soniam - great news about plane tickets and hotel!!


----------



## soniam

macraven said:


> _Soniam
> You work fast !
> 
> Just last night you were talking about hhn and now you are booked with a hotel room and flight_



Well, I had the hotel, except for the extra day, booked back in January, because I know Columbus Day weekend is busy. Can't wait to get tickets and tours next. Thanks for all of the help everyone.


----------



## macraven

_I’m glad you all set with the basics

Hotel and travel are the biggies to book early_


----------



## mombrontrent

Couple questions for the experts! This is our first time doing HNN, actually out first time in this park at all. We did one day at IOA back in 2011. This trip will be me, dh dd16 and dd11 (she’ll be twelve just a couple weeks after the trip). She knows all about how scary it will be and is super excited anyways.

Our trip dates are October 27-November 6th. We are planning MNSSHP for either Sunday 28th or Tuesday the 30th (leaning towards the 30th) and also have 5 day Disney tickets. We don’t really want to shell out more money for express passes or tours and we are ok with not seeing everything. We’d like to ride a few rides and see what we can. I was thinking of getting the BOGO deal so whatever we don’t see we can try to catch another night. So while I have the option of going to the HHN on Sunday the 28th I was thinking if we wait until after Halloween and use the BOGO for November 1st and 2nd (Thursday and Friday) if might be less busy? Does this seem like a reasonable plan?


----------



## keishashadow

RAPstar said:


> King wasn't happy that they did The Shining and the only way they got around him was that it was the Kubrick movie they were basing it on. Rumor has it he is being equally difficult with It so it's likely not to happen.



A girl’s gotta dream


----------



## cynditech

mombrontrent said:


> Couple questions for the experts! This is our first time doing HNN, actually out first time in this park at all. We did one day at IOA back in 2011. This trip will be me, dh dd16 and dd11 (she’ll be twelve just a couple weeks after the trip). She knows all about how scary it will be and is super excited anyways.
> 
> Our trip dates are October 27-November 6th. We are planning MNSSHP for either Sunday 28th or Tuesday the 30th (leaning towards the 30th) and also have 5 day Disney tickets. We don’t really want to shell out more money for express passes or tours and we are ok with not seeing everything. We’d like to ride a few rides and see what we can. I was thinking of getting the BOGO deal so whatever we don’t see we can try to catch another night. So while I have the option of going to the HHN on Sunday the 28th I was thinking if we wait until after Halloween and use the BOGO for November 1st and 2nd (Thursday and Friday) if might be less busy? Does this seem like a reasonable plan?



We are going almost the same dates and doing a similar plan.  I'm thinking I'm going to buy the B1G1 tickets and go on the 31st and then the 2nd.  I'm sure someone that has more experience with these dates will chime in 

I took DS11 and my niece (14) last year to our first HHN and they both absolutely loved it!!!  They enjoyed just taking everything in, it was an absolute blast - and not too scary.  We are so excited to go again!!!


----------



## macraven

_Mombron and cynditech, I’m still thinking on how to answer your questions

Last year the end of hhn was busy at the end as many came for the farewell to bill and Ted excellent adventure live show 
Usually the last nights are not bad crowd wise especially if it is weekdays

I’ll be back after I read some other sites to see what the thoughts are for those last days of hhn attendance wise_


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

Anyone have any house rumors??


----------



## shh

Anyone else still on the BOGO nite fence? Tomorrow's the last day, right? Think I'll be buying tonight. We probably just want to do 2 nights max anyhow.


----------



## mombrontrent

shh said:


> Anyone else still on the BOGO nite fence? Tomorrow's the last day, right? Think I'll be buying tonight. We probably just want to do 2 nights max anyhow.


My plan is to buy tomorrow. I’ve been waiting to see if there were any other deals and we were only doing two nights max as well.


----------



## RAPstar

Rumor is we may get the full ticket release on Thursday.


----------



## soniam

shh said:


> Anyone else still on the BOGO nite fence? Tomorrow's the last day, right? Think I'll be buying tonight. We probably just want to do 2 nights max anyhow.





mombrontrent said:


> My plan is to buy tomorrow. I’ve been waiting to see if there were any other deals and we were only doing two nights max as well.



I'm on the fence. I actually came here to see if there's any news.



RAPstar said:


> Rumor is we may get the full ticket release on Thursday.



This is what I figured would happen Looking at last year's prices and comparing to the BOGO, I still think buying the BOGO, a separate Saturday ticket, and 2 nights EP is still cheaper than anything else I have seen, since they don't offer Saturdays on the Frequent Fear Pass w/ EP. Guess I'll bit the bullet and just do it tonight.


----------



## AtTheRoyal

soniam said:


> I'm on the fence. I actually came here to see if there's any news.



Me too.... looking for a plan.  Will be there for 3 nights.  Would like to get something with express.


----------



## soniam

AtTheRoyal said:


> Me too.... looking for a plan.  Will be there for 3 nights.  Would like to get something with express.



Will you be there on a Saturday night? If not, then the Frequent Fear or Frequent Fear Plus with Express Pass might be the better option. The prices from last year in the link below.

https://www.disboards.com/threads/official-2017-hhn-27-thread.3606743/#post-57642452


----------



## AtTheRoyal

soniam said:


> Will you be there on a Saturday night? If not, then the Frequent Fear or Frequent Fear Plus with Express Pass might be the better option. The prices from last year in the link below.



Thanks for the link it reminded me of what we paid.  We had Frequent Fear last year and used it for four nights.  This year we will be at RPR for a week and three nights of HHN (Fri, Sat & Sun).  I'm not sure if I'm getting BOGO and express or just getting Frequent Fear and maybe one night express.   The week we will be there is a little earlier than last year.  Not sure how busy the weekend will be during the third weekend (Sept 28, 29, 30)


----------



## macraven

RAPstar said:


> Rumor is we may get the full ticket release on Thursday.



_RAPstar usually is on the mark with what he posts.

I always pay attention what he has to say._


----------



## soniam

AtTheRoyal said:


> Thanks for the link it reminded me of what we paid.  We had Frequent Fear last year and used it for four nights.  This year we will be at RPR for a week and three nights of HHN (Fri, Sat & Sun).  I'm not sure if I'm getting BOGO and express or just getting Frequent Fear and maybe one night express.   The week we will be there is a little earlier than last year.  Not sure how busy the weekend will be during the third weekend (Sept 28, 29, 30)



Would the Rush of Fear work for you? I don't know all of the details on it.


----------



## AtTheRoyal

soniam said:


> Would the Rush of Fear work for you? I don't know all of the details on it.


Yes... I meant to say Rush of Fear not Frequent Fear.  Rush of Fear is I think the first 21 days or so of HHN?  Does that sound right??  I'm not sure about what Frequent Fear is.  Three nights will work for me.  I'll probably end up waiting for the full release of tickets.  Do they release the APH tickets along with all the others?  I guess I've got one more day for BOGO.  Right?


----------



## macraven

_Last year and prior years, the Rush of Fear covered the first ten days for hhn park admission_


----------



## macraven

_Frequent Fear in the past years, did not cover Saturdays.

There was one FF available that did cover Sundays-Fridays
The other covered Sundays-Thursdays

AP ticket rates usually come out soon after the HHN prices are posted.
_


----------



## AtTheRoyal

macraven said:


> Last year and prior years, the Rush of Fear covered the first ten days for hhn park admission


Thank you.  I'm guessing that the last weekend of September (28, 29, 30) would be covered by Rush of Fear and include Saturday?


----------



## macraven

_Yes, Sept 14-30 would be ten days of hhn 

Saturdays are included with the Rush of Fear tickets in the past years.



*We all assume it will follow the same pattern this year.*

But until UO releases ticket info, we won't know for sure._


----------



## AtTheRoyal

Oh... thank you so much, I really appreciate it.   I  understand, nothing is for sure until they release the info.   It would be nice if they offered Rush of Fear again.


----------



## macraven

_I usually just give out info based on what we have experienced over the past year.
Then I look and see if a poster is new to the boards, if so I add the we assume it will be the same way as in the past.

I use last years costs for tickets and events as a measure of what to plan for financially for the upcoming year.

I know each year there is a slight increase on somethings.

I hope the FF + ep is not over $300 this year.
I plan on going 7 nights and it would be a deal for me to pay the same as last year for the FF pass.
_


----------



## keishashadow

RAPstar said:


> Rumor is we may get the full ticket release on Thursday.



Andy  do you mean release it on Thursday, as in we’d still have a chance to pounce on the BOGO free tix?

Oh, how i do hope you are right on the mark!  Sure would make planning easier this year.


----------



## soniam

keishashadow said:


> Andy  do you mean release it on Thursday, as in we’d still have a chance to pounce on the BOGO free tix?
> 
> Oh, how i do hope you are right on the mark!  Sure would make planning easier this year.



Isn't the BOGO only good through tomorrow, Wednesday, the 6th? If they don't release other tickets until Thursday and have really stopped BOGO like the website says, then there isn't any overlap


----------



## soniam

I went ahead and pulled the trigger on the BOGO. I might be too busy tomorrow, and I don't think any news will come until after the BOGO is gone At least we have some of our tickets now. Can't wait to eat a voodoo doll doughnut during HHN


----------



## schumigirl

AtTheRoyal said:


> Thanks for the link it reminded me of what we paid.  We had Frequent Fear last year and used it for four nights.  This year we will be at RPR for a week and three nights of HHN (Fri, Sat & Sun).  I'm not sure if I'm getting BOGO and express or just getting Frequent Fear and maybe one night express.   The week we will be there is a little earlier than last year.  Not sure how busy the weekend will be during the third weekend (Sept 28, 29, 30)



The RoF with EP is the ticket we buy every year Holly, does our full trip usually. 

There are a lot of choices though for tickets!


----------



## AtTheRoyal

Thanks Carole.  So many tickets .... so many choices.  I get the RoF and FF confused at times ... We actually added on a couple of more days to our trip.  Our HHN nights will remain the same for the last weekend in Sept.... for some reason it's just the way it turned out.  No complaints though!


----------



## schumigirl

AtTheRoyal said:


> Thanks Carole.  So many tickets .... so many choices.  I get the RoF and FF confused at times ... We actually added on a couple of more days to our trip.  Our HHN nights will remain the same for the last weekend in Sept.... for some reason it's just the way it turned out.  No complaints though!



We have to meet for a drink this time for sure...…..we`re at RP in September again...….


----------



## AtTheRoyal

schumigirl said:


> We have to meet for a drink this time for sure...…..we`re at RP in September again...….



Yes!! Definitely.  We will be at RP also ... last week or so of September and into a bit of October.  Trying to make arrangements for my son to join us on the weekend for HHN ... it will be his second year of college and can only get off for a little bit.  Don't get me wrong ... I love it with just me and my husband ... but my heart strings pull for my kids to be there too.  So many years with them and now its just the two of us.  And a new chapter begins!!!


----------



## schumigirl

AtTheRoyal said:


> Yes!! Definitely.  We will be at RP also ... last week or so of September and into a bit of October.  Trying to make arrangements for my son to join us on the weekend for HHN ... it will be his second year of college and can only get off for a little bit.  Don't get me wrong ... I love it with just me and my husband ... but my heart strings pull for my kids to be there too.  So many years with them and now its just the two of us.  And a new chapter begins!!!



I understand totally!!!

We love it just being a couple again, but we do miss Kyle...….he however has his own life now although thankfully still at home...…..but it`s lovely when they still actually want to vacation with you. You`re correct, new chapters and all that. But, I hope he does make it along for a little bit, however short. 

I think we have decided to have our last 4 nights at Sapphire if we can, will try and arrange that in July......but we`ll be around that`s for sure...….


----------



## RAPstar

I’m debating doing Howl o Scream the first Saturday or Sunday of my trip (which is HOS’s last weekend) in which case I may only need the FFP+ w/ express if they keep the dates roughly the same. That would save me $200 on tickets for HHN based on last years prices. But then I may end up spending that extra 200 at HOS lol


----------



## RAPstar

macraven said:


> _RAPstar usually is on the mark with what he posts.
> 
> I always pay attention what he has to say._


 I only get my info from other people who know people so I’m not that smart lol


----------



## macraven

AtTheRoyal, my dates also at rpr 

I smell a meet up!


----------



## macraven

RAPstar said:


> I only get my info from other people who know people so I’m not that smart lol



_Have your people call my people with the scoops 

But you are smart as you call things correctly a lot of the time_


----------



## mombrontrent

So I also bit the bullet and bought the BOGO, planning on going November 1 and 2. This is out first time and we are excited!


----------



## macraven




----------



## pattyw

mombrontrent said:


> So I also bit the bullet and bought the BOGO, planning on going November 1 and 2. This is out first time and we are excited!



Yay!! You will have so much fun! and BOGO makes it sweeter!


----------



## RAPstar

UK UNIVERSAL TRAVEL HOUSE BASICALLY CONFIRMED 10 HOUSES THIS YEAR


----------



## macraven

RAPstar said:


> UK UNIVERSAL TRAVEL HOUSE BASICALLY CONFIRMED 10 HOUSES THIS YEAR




_Andy, knew you would come through with some new info...._


----------



## schumigirl

Like the sound of 10 houses!!

We need another house announced!!!!


----------



## RAPstar

schumigirl said:


> Like the sound of 10 houses!!
> 
> We need another house announced!!!!



Especially if we only have one show (AoV probably)


----------



## krazykevy

Well, I officially just took the dive.  Didn't want to lose the BOGO option...but bought the cancel for any reason insurance just in case the other ticket options are more attractive.  Either way, it will be our first HHN trip and I am so very stocked for that!


----------



## macraven

_You will be amazed by how the park transforms to a totally different park for hhn nights.

I'm sending you Mummy Dust so you will have a fantastic time!_


----------



## imprint

I'm rolling the dice that a FF+EP will be released (without too much of a price increase).  We plan to go 10/10, 10/11, and 10/14.  Fingers crossed!  If they don't have those tix this year, I will regret not getting the BOGO.


----------



## lolomarie

Purchased the BOGO tonight. Planning on Sept 16th and 20th, it'll be our first HHN. I'm giving tickets to hubs as a 2nd anniversary gift!!!!  So excited. 

My question is, when should I purchase EP?  Are the passes tied to a specific day? Not sure if I should get EP for both nights. Also, historically have they ever discounted EP or done any type of offer. 

Thanks so much!


----------



## macraven

_imprint, I'll be there on the 10 and 11th also.
name the place and time and we will do a mini meet and greet...._


----------



## macraven

lolomarie said:


> Purchased the BOGO tonight. Planning on Sept 16th and 20th, it'll be our first HHN. I'm giving tickets to hubs as a 2nd anniversary gift!!!!  So excited.
> 
> My question is, when should I purchase EP?  Are the passes tied to a specific day? Not sure if I should get EP for both nights. Also, historically have they ever discounted EP or done any type of offer.
> 
> Thanks so much!



_What a wonderful wife you are!
Perfect anniversary gift...

UO should be releasing ticket info this month.
No idea if they will follow past years ticket/ep set up or not.

I usually buy the Frequent Fear with ep pass.
I can't answer your question on which nights you should have them for.

I have not seen the ep discounted in all the years I have gone.
It is an item that many buy especially when the parks are crowded and have long house lines.
It can be purchased at any time, prior to the event and day of the event._


----------



## MikeNamez

macraven said:


> _What a wonderful wife you are!
> Perfect anniversary gift...
> 
> UO should be releasing ticket info this month.
> No idea if they will follow past years ticket/ep set up or not.
> 
> I usually buy the Frequent Fear with ep pass.
> I can't answer your question on which nights you should have them for.
> 
> I have not seen the ep discounted in all the years I have gone.
> It is an item that many buy especially when the parks are crowded and have long house lines.
> It can be purchased at any time, prior to the event and day of the event._



The BOGO ticket was good until June 6th for purchase so I would assume the rest of the ticketing info will be released shortly.  

Do you remember how much the Frequent Fear with EP was?.... Also was the EP for a few days or just one night?


----------



## RAPstar

Tickets are kinda on sale now, but not official announced yet and no info on AP discount yet. Hopefully announcement soon.

https://hhntickets.universalorlando.com/

EDIT: tickets annouced. I don't have my physical AP yet so it won't let me see prices. If anyone is nice enough to post them I'd really appreciate it!


----------



## CAS239

Just announced there will be more houses than ever before


----------



## RAPstar

Also, 80'S THEME YAAAAAAAAAAASS I'M SO EXCITED!!!


----------



## Chumpieboy

The ticket site is, as usual, not 100% ready.  

But on the upside, you can pay $1000 per person to experience HHN with no crowds...


----------



## macraven

Yikes
It’s over $110 more for the ff+ Ep pass than last years


----------



## MikeNamez

macraven said:


> Yikes
> It’s over $135 more for the ff+ Ep pass than last years



Looks like its a Rush of Fear + a Single night of EP.  Seems to be around 175-200$ with AP discount.


----------



## RAPstar

Considering just doing the FF+ with express and not doing the first Saturday I'm there. 5 nights should be enough, right? (Sun, Wed-Sat?)


----------



## keishashadow

macraven said:


> Yikes
> It’s over $110 more for the ff+ Ep pass than last years


.

Those BOGO tix are looking better to me too bad I thot today was the 6th lol


----------



## CAS239

The world’s premier Halloween event is getting even scarier. For the first time in 28 years, you’ll experience more houses than ever at Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights. A 10th house is joining the lineup with a terrifying theme that will be revealed in the coming months.

The Harvest





An old barn is the setting of every kind of horror. Its walls are decorated with ominous objects and images from each house, hinting at the horrors to come. This barn is not as abandoned as it initially seems, and by the time you realize what lies within, it will be too late. Foul creatures lurk within, ready for a harvest of flesh and screams. Will you survive the reaping?


Vamp 85: New Year’s Eve





Before the countdown to midnight has started, it’s clear this party has already been crashed, and the streets are running red with blood. You’ll enter what looks to be your typical New Year’s Eve bash until it’s too late. As the ball drops, fanged punks and big-haired vamps will start their feeding frenzy.

Twisted Tradition





Travel through the forest of Central Park where an ancient evil has been awakened. Halloween has been transformed into an abomination with rotting pumpkins fused with decaying human flesh. Try and escape the grasps of these fetid beings, with nothing but the light from rotting jack o’ lanterns to guide you.

And there’s still more to be revealed…stay tuned to the blog for more details on the remaining scare zones and houses.

Plus, the powerhouse dance crew, Academy of Villains, is returning for their third consecutive year. This year’s performance will be taken to the next level with an all-new show jam packed with mind-bending entertainment. Stay tuned for more details.


----------



## vrajewski10513

WooHoo!! Just got our AP RoF passes!!


----------



## vrajewski10513

I also love how they unofficially stated the 80’s theme


----------



## tink1957

RAPstar said:


> Tickets are kinda on sale now, but not official announced yet and no info on AP discount yet. Hopefully announcement soon.
> 
> https://hhntickets.universalorlando.com/
> 
> EDIT: tickets annouced. I don't have my physical AP yet so it won't let me see prices. If anyone is nice enough to post them I'd really appreciate it!


APH prices are as follows:

ROF - $84.99 + tax/ Express - $288.99

FF - $95.99 + tax/ Express - $328.99

FF plus - $110.99 + tax/Express- $407.99

Ultimate FF- $193.99 + tax/Express- $589.99

Happy planning!


----------



## keishashadow

Thanks I’m on iPad right now. A real nightmare trying to upload info

Will fire up desktop later


----------



## Raeven

vrajewski10513 said:


> WooHoo!! Just got our AP RoF passes!!



Us too! 



keishashadow said:


> Thanks I’m on iPad right now. A real nightmare trying to upload info
> 
> Will fire up desktop later



Ugh I had so much trouble with the AP page on my phone it took about an hour to make it all work.


----------



## shh

I only had 2 wishes after doing HHN last year - a Stranger Things house (love that show - but never believed there was any chance of it happening) and 2 nights to enjoy instead of one. So I'm already set - everything else is gravy. 

(I kinda wished they'd bring back that beautiful Trick r' Treat scare zone, but hopefully the house will be good.)


----------



## AtTheRoyal

macraven said:


> AtTheRoyal, my dates also at rpr
> 
> I smell a meet up!



Yessss.  Definitely!  (lost my internet connection for a day .... sorry couldn't get in for a quicker reply)
We'll be in on the 24th Sept.
Missed my opportunity for BOGO.... hopefully the RoF will be a good ticket for this year.


----------



## AtTheRoyal

Just got my AP Rush of Fear tickets.  Yeah!!!  Glad I passed on BOGO!


----------



## RAPstar

I decided to go with the Ultimate pass without express. Figure I'll get express the first Saturday I'm there. I wonder why there was no express option for the dates after Halloween tho. I guess it won't be that busy hopefully. Also went ahead and got my UTH tour for the day of Halloween.


----------



## schumigirl

shh said:


> I only had 2 wishes after doing HHN last year - a Stranger Things house (love that show - but never believed there was any chance of it happening) and 2 nights to enjoy instead of one. So I'm already set - everything else is gravy.
> 
> (I kinda wished they'd bring back that beautiful Trick r' Treat scare zone, but hopefully the house will be good.)



Yep, we loved that scare zone too......it was a lot of fun! 

Stranger Thjngs is new to us, but enjoying it a lot and looking forward to the house! 



AtTheRoyal said:


> Just got my AP Rush of Fear tickets.  Yeah!!!  Glad I passed on BOGO!



Fantastic!!!

I think RoF with EP is the same price as last two years........I’m sure we paid that for each person........

Glad it was still on offer though, perfect ticket for us.


----------



## AtTheRoyal

Yes.  Excellent choice.  Thanks for all your help.  The price was great.  We did have same ticket last year and it worked out well.


----------



## imprint

macraven said:


> _imprint, I'll be there on the 10 and 11th also.
> name the place and time and we will do a mini meet and greet...._



Sounds great, definitely!


----------



## soniam

I think I gambled right by getting the BOGO. FF+ w/EP would have been more expensive, since it doesn't cover Saturdays. Just got my EP for 1 night. I need to figure out what other night I want EP for. It's begun


----------



## keishashadow

Ser


soniam said:


> I think I gambled right by getting the BOGO. FF+ w/EP would have been more expensive, since it doesn't cover Saturdays. Just got my EP for 1 night. I need to figure out what other night I want EP for. It's begun


seriously. Bet the horses Saturday lol.


----------



## vrajewski10513

Raeven said:


> Us too!


When will you guys be down there?


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

Hmm now I'm unsure what to do. The ticket including Saturday jumps up so much in price. 

We were going to arrive on Thursday, take the magical express to Disney and stay Thursday and Friday nights, then switch to Universal starting Saturday. But we could be doing the HHNs on that Thursday and Friday...so now I'm torn.


----------



## soniam

Has anyone gotten the AP links to work for purchasing tickets? When I enter either my or my son's AP numbers, it comes back as invalid. I am entering the entire number on the back.

EDIT: I think they have my AP and my son's marked as expired. Grrr! Now I have to call them back.


----------



## keishashadow

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> Hmm now I'm unsure what to do. The ticket including Saturday jumps up so much in price.
> 
> We were going to arrive on Thursday, take the magical express to Disney and stay Thursday and Friday nights, then switch to Universal starting Saturday. But we could be doing the HHNs on that Thursday and Friday...so now I'm torn.



Id price out the difference in current hotel costs & factor it all into your decision.  Shocked how much WDW’s values have increased on the weekends, same with the other categories


----------



## CDKG

So...I don't know how to post a screen shot...but, are dates already selling out for the RIP tours? Or, have they just not posted all of the availability yet? Most days in September and Mon/Tues in October are showing no availability.


----------



## RAPstar

CDKG said:


> So...I don't know how to post a screen shot...but, are dates already selling out for the RIP tours? Or, have they just not posted all of the availability yet? Most days in September and Mon/Tues in October are showing no availability.



The day time or night time one? (Why are they calling them both RIP tours this year anyway). They only do RIP tours on event days for either time of day so there would be nothing on Monday or Tuesday. The only day I see sold out in September for the night time is the 21, and everything is open for the daytime tour


----------



## cynditech

Is it common for RIP tours to sell out?  How far in advance would anyone suggest booking?  We went last year and booked the day before.  I don't plan on waiting until the last minute again, but not 100% of the dates we want to do.


----------



## CDKG

RAPstar said:


> The day time or night time one? (Why are they calling them both RIP tours this year anyway). They only do RIP tours on event days for either time of day so there would be nothing on Monday or Tuesday. The only day I see sold out in September for the night time is the 21, and everything is open for the daytime tour


I was looking at the nighttime RIP tours. I am only seeing 7 nights offered in September (16, 20, 22, 23, 28, 29, 30). But, maybe those are the only nights hosting a party?

I'm looking at booking October 24th anyway...I just thought if dates were already selling out, I better get to booking! Is 7 pm typically the first tour of the night? Is there more there one tour for any given time slot? I will be attending with friends, but booking separately.


----------



## keishashadow

cynditech said:


> Is it common for RIP tours to sell out?  How far in advance would anyone suggest booking?  We went last year and booked the day before.  I don't plan on waiting until the last minute again, but not 100% of the dates we want to do.



Are you talking a public tour?

How many in your party?

When did you visit last year?  

_Asking as all factors contribute to a date selling out as well as just luck of the draw.  You may have snagged a cancellation booking the day prior last year._

My crystal ball indicates that Weekends, Columbus Day holiday weekend (although i waited and grabbed a price drop on a public Sunday tour two months out last year), & dates closer to Halloween would be most likely to sell out.

_YMMV, only way to be sure is to book as soon as you do narrow down your date(s).  Good luck!_


----------



## RAPstar

CDKG said:


> I was looking at the nighttime RIP tours. I am only seeing 7 nights offered in September (16, 20, 22, 23, 28, 29, 30). But, maybe those are the only nights hosting a party?
> 
> I'm looking at booking October 24th anyway...I just thought if dates were already selling out, I better get to booking! Is 7 pm typically the first tour of the night? Is there more there one tour for any given time slot? I will be attending with friends, but booking separately.



They usually have a few tour groups at the same time spots. They split you up and put you with different guides. When you set up your tour you can give them the names of the other people you're going with so they will put you in the same group. 

Yes the nights that have availability are party nights. It's always better to book early cause they can sell out kinds quickly.


----------



## Raeven

vrajewski10513 said:


> When will you guys be down there?


14th-16th or 17th (depending on if my boss gives me the extra day). But we’ll only be at HHN the first 2 nights.


----------



## cynditech

keishashadow said:


> Are you talking a public tour?
> 
> How many in your party?
> 
> When did you visit last year?
> 
> _Asking as all factors contribute to a date selling out as well as just luck of the draw.  You may have snagged a cancellation booking the day prior last year._
> 
> My crystal ball indicates that Weekends, Columbus Day holiday weekend (although i waited and grabbed a price drop on a public Sunday tour two months out last year), & dates closer to Halloween would be most likely to sell out.
> 
> _YMMV, only way to be sure is to book as soon as you do narrow down your date(s).  Good luck!_



Thank you!  Last year we went on a Sunday, I think it was 10/22.  This year we are visiting from 10/30 to 11/6 - so thinking of doing the public tour for 10/31 and 11/2.  I'm worried about 10/31 selling out - but leaving for vacation in a week and really want to hold off booking until we get back.


----------



## soniam

CDKG said:


> So...I don't know how to post a screen shot...but, are dates already selling out for the RIP tours? Or, have they just not posted all of the availability yet? Most days in September and Mon/Tues in October are showing no availability.



How are you looking at the available dates for the RIP tours? The page I see says to call in.

EDIT: I think I found the page, but only the day time tours are showing up. Not the public or private RIP night tours. Can anyone else currently see the RIP tours?


----------



## RAPstar

soniam said:


> How are you looking at the available dates for the RIP tours? The page I see says to call in.
> 
> EDIT: I think I found the page, but only the day time tours are showing up. Not the public or private RIP night tours. Can anyone else currently see the RIP tours?



For the private tours you have to call, but you can book the regular ones online:

https://hhntickets.universalorlando.com/permalink/tab-tours/upgrades/index.html


----------



## CDKG

soniam said:


> How are you looking at the available dates for the RIP tours? The page I see says to call in.
> 
> EDIT: I think I found the page, but only the day time tours are showing up. Not the public or private RIP night tours. Can anyone else currently see the RIP tours?


There are two tours listed. Event Tour (nighttime) and Daytime Tour. If you click on "Select Dates" for the Event Tour, it pulls up an availability calendar. Select your date and you get a list of available times.


----------



## soniam

RAPstar said:


> For the private tours you have to call, but you can book the regular ones online:
> 
> https://hhntickets.universalorlando.com/permalink/tab-tours/upgrades/index.html



That's weird. If I go to the annual passholder page, enter an AP number, and then go to Extra Chills/Tours, only the day time tours show up. There's no gold tab for the night time tours. However, if I click your link, it works fine. The URLs look to be exactly the same too Thanks

EDIT: I found the difference in the links. Weird.



CDKG said:


> There are two tours listed. Event Tour (nighttime) and Daytime Tour. If you click on "Select Dates" for the Event Tour, it pulls up an availability calendar. Select your date and you get a list of available times.



Only the day time is listed if I go through the annual passholder page. RAPstar's link shows both though.

EDIT #2: The night time tours are available online but not with or through the annual passholder section of the HHN site. Only the day time shows up. However, both day and night are showing up through the regular/non-passholder link. Oh well, the public RIP for the night I am looking is about the same price as a private, assuming you can fill the private. So, I won't bother with the public one.


----------



## cschaaf

soniam said:


> . Oh well, the public RIP for the night I am looking is about the same price as a private, assuming you can fill the private. So, I won't bother with the public one.


Where are you seeing the Private tour prices?


----------



## RAPstar

soniam said:


> Oh well, the public RIP for the night I am looking is about the same price as a private, assuming you can fill the private. So, I won't bother with the public one.



IIRC, private tours are at least $1000.


----------



## macraven

RAPstar said:


> IIRC, private tours are at least $1000.


Depending on the date/day of the week, some dates cost more than others 
Friday and Saturday has the higher cost for private tours 
More than twice the amount of what you listed

Weekdays are not as expensive but still over 1K


----------



## hawktalksl

Well speaking of the tours..  Is anyone considering a private tour during the last week of October? I've been thinking perhaps the 31st for my family (Me, DW, DS(16), & DD(11))


----------



## patster734

RAPstar said:


> For the private tours you have to call, but you can book the regular ones online:
> 
> https://hhntickets.universalorlando.com/permalink/tab-tours/upgrades/index.html



Thanks for the link.  I’m not seeing a public RIP tour on the first night, Sept 14, which is the only night I can attend.  Without it, I’m leaning toward skipping HHNs.  I might still consider going, and getting a HHNs Express Pass.  That same night, I see that a Jake’s Beer Dinner is scheduled at RPR.  So I might do that instead of HHNs.  For now, I’ll keep my options open.


----------



## SnapesGirl

Is Express Pass needed in September? This is my first HHN and I'll be going from Sept 20-27th. Would EP be needed that early on?


----------



## MikeNamez

SnapesGirl said:


> Is Express Pass needed in September? This is my first HHN and I'll be going from Sept 20-27th. Would EP be needed that early on?



I go every September usually first or second week and it typically is busy.  40-50minute wait for houses. In the past we have done 3 days and were are able to get through everything with a few repeats.  This year we are electing to grab an EP for the Saturday we are their and just play it by ear Friday/Sunday.  I would say its not needed if you have a few days but if your trying to jam it all into one then yes its a must.


----------



## schumigirl

SnapesGirl said:


> Is Express Pass needed in September? This is my first HHN and I'll be going from Sept 20-27th. Would EP be needed that early on?



We are there the first 3 weeks of HHN every year........

We wouldn’t be without EP even early in the event. We have seen lines grow every year........sure you might find the odd house with a short line, but for the most part........there’s no such thing as a quiet night anymore........maybe a little quieter........but I would get the EP. 



Speaking of which.......we just purchased our Rush of Fear with EP tickets this afternoon.........one more box ticked for September trip........


----------



## soniam

cschaaf said:


> Where are you seeing the Private tour prices?



I called in about pricing.



RAPstar said:


> IIRC, private tours are at least $1000.



I should have qualified "per person assuming 10 people in a group". The date I was interested in is around $2500. The same night for a public RIP tour was $250, so about the same. However, I feel there's a little more value in the private one.


----------



## RAPstar

patster734 said:


> Thanks for the link.  I’m not seeing a public RIP tour on the first night, Sept 14, which is the only night I can attend.  Without it, I’m leaning toward skipping HHNs.  I might still consider going, and getting a HHNs Express Pass.  That same night, I see that a Jake’s Beer Dinner is scheduled at RPR.  So I might do that instead of HHNs.  For now, I’ll keep my options open.



As far as I know, with all the media and press there opening weekends, the tour department is too busy with that to be able to have RIP tours the first weekend. Sorry you might miss it, it's really shaping up to be a great year.


----------



## RAPstar

soniam said:


> However, I feel there's a little more value in the private one.



I agree, even though I've only done the RIP once and as a private tour. It just seems easier when you have a group of people who are have mostly the same interests than just luck of the draw with strangers.


----------



## schumigirl

Slightly off topic, but in the same genre as HHN........

I just watched the trailer for the new Halloween movie......due out Oct this year.........it looks cool!! Even the trailer gave me a huge scare!! 

I like that it is going to ignore all the sucky in between Halloween movies and just continues on from the first........only 40 years later........I love that Jamie Lee and Nick Castle are both back.......and of course John Carpenter has been involved too. 

I cannot wait to see this movie......albeit with my hands in front of my eyes......... 

Love it........

Now I have to go to bed, just after watching this trailer.......maybe I should have waited till tomorrow morning to watch it..........


----------



## soniam

schumigirl said:


> Slightly off topic, but in the same genre as HHN........
> 
> I just watched the trailer for the new Halloween movie......due out Oct this year.........it looks cool!! Even the trailer gave me a huge scare!!
> 
> I like that it is going to ignore all the sucky in between Halloween movies and just continues on from the first........only 40 years later........I love that Jamie Lee and Nick Castle are both back.......and of course John Carpenter has been involved too.
> 
> I cannot wait to see this movie......albeit with my hands in front of my eyes.........
> 
> Love it........
> 
> Now I have to go to bed, just after watching this trailer.......maybe I should have waited till tomorrow morning to watch it..........



I'm in on that. I can't believe they got Jamie Lee Curtis back! It sounds like it could be really good. They made a good decision throwing out the garbage and keeping the good parts.


----------



## Raeven

schumigirl said:


> I just watched the trailer for the new Halloween movie......due out Oct this year.........it looks cool!! Even the trailer gave me a huge scare!!
> 
> I like that it is going to ignore all the sucky in between Halloween movies and just continues on from the first........only 40 years later........I love that Jamie Lee and Nick Castle are both back.......and of course John Carpenter has been involved too.



I saw it too! It looks really good. I'm also glad they decided to skip the sequels it makes more sense that way.


----------



## keishashadow

Can you close the closet door?


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

So couple things....


First off @soniam  so excited! Can't wait!

Second...I'm trying to decide between Cabana Bay and Aventura. I guess we don't really know too much about Aventura yet, right? Just the roof top bar and the fact that you can use Sapphire Falls boat without having to cross that street.

Third...there are a lot more houses to announce!

Some notable 1980s horror films....

The Thing
Nightmare on Elm Street
Gremlins
Evil Dead
The Shining (just did it)
An American Werewolf in London
Hellraiser
Poltergeist
The Fly
Fright Night
Lost Boys
Aliens
Child's Play
Creepshow
Day of the Dead


----------



## soniam

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> So couple things....
> 
> 
> First off @soniam  so excited! Can't wait!
> 
> Second...I'm trying to decide between Cabana Bay and Aventura. I guess we don't really know too much about Aventura yet, right? Just the roof top bar and the fact that you can use Sapphire Falls boat without having to cross that street.
> 
> Third...there are a lot more houses to announce!
> 
> Some notable 1980s horror films....
> 
> The Thing
> Nightmare on Elm Street
> Gremlins
> Evil Dead
> The Shining (just did it)
> An American Werewolf in London
> Hellraiser
> Poltergeist
> The Fly
> Fright Night
> Lost Boys
> Aliens
> Child's Play
> Creepshow
> Day of the Dead



I know I'm excited too

Didn't they do the Thing at some point. I love the original John Carpenter one though. Reminds me of Christmas Gremlins would be really cool, but I don't see it happening. I don't think they will do Evil Dead. I thought they did it before. Plus, they did Ash VS Evil Dead last year. I think they did American Werewolf in London twice before. Hellraiser: I might need a change in pants for that one (in a good way) I would love to have one of those puzzle boxes, but I think it would give me nightmares. Poltergeist would be cool and scary at the same time. The Fly is so gross. I think it might prevent me from eating any Voodoo Dougnhuts, and we can't have that. Lost Boys is my pick for the perfect fun 80s house. Creepshow might be expensive if they did the Crypt Keeper. I don't know if they could really do him justice. I like Night of the Living Dead better. I think the black & white in the movie makes it not so cheesy and more scary, but I don't think that would translate well. Ah, so many possibilities and too much time


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

soniam said:


> I know I'm excited too
> 
> I like Night of the Living Dead better. I think the black & white in the movie makes it not so cheesy and more scary, but I don't think that would translate well. Ah, so many possibilities and too much time



Oh my gosh a whole house in black and white. Have they done that before?!  That sounds really cool conceptually, if it's even light enough to tell.


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

soniam said:


> Hellraiser: I might need a change in pants for that one (in a good way) I would love to have one of those puzzle boxes, but I think it would give me nightmares.



...Speaking of puzzle boxes, did you ever see the low budget 90s movie The Cube? This what wikipedia says about the Cube:

the film follows a group of people as they cross industrialized cube-shaped rooms, some rigged with various traps designed to kill.

_Cube_ has gained notoriety and a cult following, for its surreal atmosphere and Kafkaesque setting and concept of industrial, cube-shaped rooms. The film received mixed reviews, and was followed by two sequels. A remake is in development at Lionsgate.


The Cube doesn't fit with the 80s theme, but I'd love to see a house based off that in the future.


----------



## RAPstar

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> Oh my gosh a whole house in black and white. Have they done that before?!  That sounds really cool conceptually, if it's even light enough to tell.



I think they did a couple of years ago,  it was a Universal Classic monster house. Tho it may have been Hollywood I'm thinking of. If it was Orlando I didn't go that year


----------



## RAPstar

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> So couple things....
> 
> 
> First off @soniam  so excited! Can't wait!
> 
> Second...I'm trying to decide between Cabana Bay and Aventura. I guess we don't really know too much about Aventura yet, right? Just the roof top bar and the fact that you can use Sapphire Falls boat without having to cross that street.
> 
> Third...there are a lot more houses to announce!
> 
> Some notable 1980s horror films....
> 
> The Thing
> Nightmare on Elm Street
> Gremlins
> Evil Dead
> The Shining (just did it)
> An American Werewolf in London
> Hellraiser
> Poltergeist
> The Fly
> Fright Night
> Lost Boys
> Aliens
> Child's Play
> Creepshow
> Day of the Dead



4 or 5 of the houses are going to be original stories. All the others will be IPs. The only rumour that sounds plausible are Poltergeist,  and Happy Death Day seems to have some traction tho I dont know why and I hope the rumor is wrong. There's also a rumor that one will be a mash up house, similar to Silver Screams or All Nite Die In. But both of those are linked to icons and there probably won't be an icon this year.


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

RAPstar said:


> 4 or 5 of the houses are going to be original stories. All the others will be IPs. The only rumour that sounds plausible are Poltergeist,  and Happy Death Day seems to have some traction tho I dont know why and I hope the rumor is wrong. There's also a rumor that one will be a mash up house, similar to Silver Screams or All Nite Die In. But both of those are linked to icons and there probably won't be an icon this year.



I just watched Happy Death Day and that'd probably be the worst house ever. Not even sure what they'd put in there.


----------



## RAPstar

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> I just watched Happy Death Day and that'd probably be the worst house ever. Not even sure what they'd put in there.



Exactly. People are speculating that it may be a part of a second Blumhouse maze but I'm not any more pleased with that theory either lol


----------



## macraven

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> I just watched Happy Death Day and that'd probably be the worst house ever. Not even sure what they'd put in there.



_There is always one house each year that is a dud and just falls short 

If you see a house with a line wait of 15 minutes and others at 75 minutes, you know why...._


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

macraven said:


> _There is always one house each year that is a dud and just falls short
> 
> If you see a house with a line wait of 15 minutes and others at 75 minutes, you know why...._



Hey I really liked Ash vs the evil dead, which I'm pretty sure was last year's dud.


----------



## vrajewski10513

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> Hey I really liked Ash vs the evil dead, which I'm pretty sure was last year's dud.


I LOVED IT!


----------



## Raeven

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> Hey I really liked Ash vs the evil dead, which I'm pretty sure was last year's dud.





vrajewski10513 said:


> I LOVED IT!



We loved that one too!


----------



## schumigirl

Raeven said:


> We loved that one too!



It’s funny, we really disliked it.........and it was voted the dud of the year........but......who voted???

No one asked me that question and so many seemed to enjoy it......a lot!!! 

I objected to the long walk mainly.......lol.......


----------



## vrajewski10513

schumigirl said:


> It’s funny, we really disliked it.........and it was voted the dud of the year........but......who voted???
> 
> No one asked me that question and so many seemed to enjoy it......a lot!!!
> 
> I objected to the long walk mainly.......lol.......


Omg, it really was a hike!

If you don’t mind me asking, did you watch the series?? I could see if people were unfamiliar with the characters it wouldn’t be that interesting.


----------



## schumigirl

vrajewski10513 said:


> Omg, it really was a hike!
> 
> If you don’t mind me asking, did you watch the series?? I could see if people were unfamiliar with the characters it wouldn’t be that interesting.



It really was wasn’t it.......I think it may have affected our opinion of the house.....we’re fickle like that.....lol......

We did make a point of watching it, and I did get it and quite liked the show........but the house just didn’t hit with us at all........but I can see why fans enjoyed it........and yes, i agree if you didn’t know who the characters were it may get lost on you......

We should have went back a second time, I broke my own rule there.......as sometimes a house doesn’t quite gel, but go again and it’s one we enjoy. 

It did have its fans though


----------



## RAPstar

schumigirl said:


> It’s funny, we really disliked it.........and it was voted the dud of the year........but......who voted???
> 
> No one asked me that question and so many seemed to enjoy it......a lot!!!
> 
> I objected to the long walk mainly.......lol.......



I think they talley the votes from employees, exit surveys, and line length


----------



## schumigirl

RAPstar said:


> I think they talley the votes from employees, exit surveys, and line length



Yeah I kinda knew that.........

It was a general “who voted” as so many seem to love that house despite it being described as a dud.


----------



## keishashadow

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> Hey I really liked Ash vs the evil dead, which I'm pretty sure was last year's dud.



Not for me, love my Ash!   

The Shining was such a let down for me. Some books/movies just didn’t translate well

Remember the stinker of the dust to dawn hoochie vampire one? Lol


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

keishashadow said:


> Not for me, love my Ash!
> 
> The Shining was such a let down for me. Some books/movies just didn’t translate well
> 
> Remember the stinker of the dust to dawn hoochie vampire one? Lol



I liked the Shining, it was one of the only houses that really got me, in the bar/ballroom my first time through was timed perfectly.

I do remember that, Dusk Til Dawn, right? That was bad.


----------



## schumigirl

Yep, Dusk till Dawn was truly dreadful...….

Felt so bad for the SA who tried their best to make it work......it just didn't.


----------



## keishashadow

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> I liked the Shining, it was one of the only houses that really got me, in the bar/ballroom my first time through was timed perfectly.
> 
> I do remember that, Dusk Til Dawn, right? That was bad.



Multiple trips thru, only timed it once but appreciated it.  Do think that was the problem in general, extremely hit or miss.

Did like the elevator scene and of course the cute little girls 



schumigirl said:


> Yep, Dusk till Dawn was truly dreadful...….
> 
> Felt so bad for the SA who tried their best to make it work......it just didn't.



Yes, they had little to work with, well...except the ‘ladies’ ahem they had ample endowments.  I’m pretty sure my DH enjoyed ‘the scenery’ more than me.


----------



## cschaaf

And we liked Dusk till Dawn on the one walk through we did. I don't remember the reviews being that bad that year. I remember the Dracula reviews being much, much worse. We didn't make it through that one, so I don't know what it was like.


----------



## RAPstar

cschaaf said:


> And we liked Dusk till Dawn on the one walk through we did. I don't remember the reviews being that bad that year. I remember the Dracula reviews being much, much worse. We didn't make it through that one, so I don't know what it was like.



I don't even remember that Dracula house.


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

I think I've finally got most of my details worked out 

I'll be attending 5 nights of hhn using a ff plus pass. We could do 6 but the additional $80ish for a Saturday night ticket doesn't really seem worth it.

We're staying our first night at rp for the express pass, so we'll have that for Saturday/Sunday for regular rides.

Probably going to go to volcano Bay one day, Monday might be a good day for that, no hhn.

The only thing I haven't decided is if we're doing the majority of our stay at cb or Aventura.

I know Aventura hasn't opened yet so that makes it hard, but it seems like the rooftop bar is the big draw and we can visit that from cb. Cb just has a vibe we really like, and it has it's own entrance for volcano Bay, right?


----------



## keishashadow

Dracula house was out before the movie. I’m into that genre so I appreciated it. Wish they make better use of their treasure trove of iconic horror characters

Helped we had a tour guide explain beforehand the storyline they were using


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> Wish they make better use of their treasure trove of iconic horror characters



We`ve said the same thing for many years...….they have so much to work with there...….can you imagine some of the houses they could do!!!!


----------



## RAPstar

We’ve got a spec map for this year. Keep in mind this is just based on current rumors and hints we have so it may change (in fact some of it has already corrected but the map haven’t changed to reflect that yet). Blumhouse 2 Might be based on just one movie and Halloween probably isn’t coming. A and B are probably switched. The San Francisco might not be there at all cause of the new ride. Unsure where the new location will be tho


----------



## vrajewski10513

I’m still convinced by the font of the header in the email that went out that either Friday the 13th or Nightmare on Elm street will be there


----------



## Gillbob316

I realize I'm coming in a couple days late to this conversation, but I just want to say, I had no major problems with Ash vs. Evil Dead as a house. My one minor problem with it was... (and I'm trying to be polite here) a couple of the Ashes at times were... much more noticeably soggy around the midsection than Bruce Campbell... too much so to ever make a convincing Ash. BUT that said... the house itself wasn't terrible for me.

What was terrible (+1 from me) was the walk. That walk was murder. I hope SEVERELY that that queue path isn't repeated this year.

I feel like the low wait times had less to do with its popularity and had everything to do with the fact it was the most isolated house with the most grueling walk.

Not just the walk, but the fact it was out of the way. 3 houses were clustered in the back, 5 in the front... and those lines all fueled one another. You'd leave one, and if another nearby was low(ish), you'd get in line for the next. But Ash was just all by its lonesome in the middle, where nobody felt like walking. There weren't 2 lines that started in that section of the park like previous years, and thus less foot traffic.


----------



## RAPstar

The main reason the path was so long was that the HHN people thought that construction would have started in the KidsZone section for the conversion into the new NintendoLand, but now rumors are that it’s going to be a part of the new 3rd park universal is planning.


----------



## keishashadow

RAPstar said:


> We’ve got a spec map for this year. Keep in mind this is just based on current rumors and hints we have so it may change (in fact some of it has already corrected but the map haven’t changed to reflect that yet). Blumhouse 2 Might be based on just one movie and Halloween probably isn’t coming. A and B are probably switched. The San Francisco might not be there at all cause of the new ride. Unsure where the new location will be tho
> 
> View attachment 328882



A work in progress. Have seen them morph from the leaked ones but a good start



vrajewski10513 said:


> I’m still convinced by the font of the header in the email that went out that either Friday the 13th or Nightmare on Elm street will be there



Yes, that was interesting.  My vote for Freddy  but ahem we know Micheal has his fans lol.  Not sure which has made more appearances @ HHN, going to guess MM


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> but ahem we know Micheal has his fans lol.


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

I like the thought of that b movie mashup house, that could be very interesting.

Wonder if they'll incorporate bungees into any of this year's houses. I thought those worked real well last year.


----------



## Raeven

vrajewski10513 said:


> I’m still convinced by the font of the header in the email that went out that either Friday the 13th or Nightmare on Elm street will be there



I would love if they did Nightmare On Elm Street again!


----------



## MikeNamez

keishashadow said:


> A work in progress. Have seen them morph from the leaked ones but a good start
> 
> 
> 
> Yes, that was interesting.  My vote for Freddy  but ahem we know Micheal has his fans lol.  Not sure which has made more appearances @ HHN, going to guess MM



Halloween would make more sense anyway with the new movie coming out.


----------



## keishashadow

MikeNamez said:


> Halloween would make more sense anyway with the new movie coming out.



True, but you are talking to the women who always bets the long-shots for bigger rewards lol


----------



## RAPstar

I'm hearing the B-Movie house is more of a tribute to 80's schlock films. Like the Troma films (Toxic Avenger being their most famous). So lots of gore, lol.


----------



## schumigirl

MikeNamez said:


> Halloween would make more sense anyway with the new movie coming out.


----------



## macraven

_So that means your avatar picture will be staying the same...._


----------



## schumigirl

macraven said:


> _So that means your avatar picture will be staying the same...._


----------



## Gillbob316

If we're talking personal preference, I prefer Michael to Freddy. I've always been a big fan of the Halloween Franchise, seen them all. Own a Michael Myers action figure.

THAT said...

Even I won't argue Freddy fits the 80's theme 1000x better.

Freddy was an icon in the 80s. He was everywhere. Dolls, Halloween Costumes, TV. You name it. I remember Freddie, as a presence, from my childhood in the late 80s/early 90s (I was born in '85 for the record). I honest to god didn't get acquainted w/ Michael until later in life (around my teens) because he had already largely come and gone, and wasn't a presence for most of the 80s. Halloween 2 released in '81, Halloween 4 released in '88, Michael wasn't in Halloween 3. He was absent for most of the middle formative years of the decade. He wasn't nearly as EVERYWHERE as Freddy in the 80s.

The original Nightmare on Elm Street would fit the 80s theme like a glove.

The original Halloween was released in the late 70s, and has an extremely 70s Aesthetic. You could put Laurie Strode in an episode of That 70's Show and she'd blend in seamlessly. That said, the rumor is the house would be based on the new movie, not the original, which is even more far removed from the 80s theme (though admittedly, synergizes with advertising the film quite well, so I don't doubt it's still a strong possibility.)

So yeah, to sum up... it wouldn't surprise me if they did Halloween, and I'm a bigger fan of Michael generally speaking... but Freddy would unquestionably be the better choice for an 80's theme.


----------



## Gillbob316

SnapesGirl said:


> Is Express Pass needed in September? This is my first HHN and I'll be going from Sept 20-27th. Would EP be needed that early on?



Delayed response but my 2 cents...

You have to weigh the circumstances of your own trip. In September, you don't _*need *_it... but it is nice to _*have *_it... ultimately I think you have to determine if the costs outweigh the benefits for your own trip. How many nights are you going? How many people would you need to buy express passes for?

Here's my experience...

I went for 2 days total on the second weekend in 2016 (Believe it was Thur & Sun, Disney in-between).
I went for 5 days total spread across the first two weekends in 2017. (Fri/Sat the first weekend, skipped Sunday due to fatigue, Thur/Fri/Sat the second weekend, flew home Sunday)

I didn't have express for either trip.

In 2016 I was able to do every house once the first night + both shows. I was able to do 8 of 9 houses the second night + both shows, and that was with a lengthy dinner at toothsome in the middle. Had we not eaten at toothsome, I'd easily have had time to do the 9th house a second time. I did make an effort to cram, and I did have to work at it. It's not easy to fit everything in 1 night, but it is totally doable. But takes pretty much the entire night, open to close.

In 2017 I was able to do every house 3 times, spread across 5 nights. I was pacing myself way more in 2017 than I did in 2016. I did 8 of 9 houses, plus both shows the first night. I think it's worth mentioning - I was TRYING to do all 9 again that first night + both shows, just to see if I could, and I failed. The second night I did the 9th house I didn't hit the prior night, and repeats of whichever houses had decent lines. After that the other 3 nights the second weekend were much the same. Just caught houses and shows wherever the waits looked good. Casually.

Finally I returned for the final (*final* final) night of the event in 2017, which was the first weekend of November. THAT crowd was 1000x worse than ANY of the nights in September. I did every house once, and caught both shows, but *ONLY *because I sprang for the $50 "after 10pm" express pass. In September express lines were walk-in. That night express lines were 30+ minutes (Let me repeat that for emphasis: *Express *lines were 30+ minutes!) I had express and still waited in several lines.

So yeah... you have to judge your circumstances...

For a single night, I think it's worthwhile. 1 night of express costs roughly $80. Based on the fact you're hard pressed to fit everything in a single night I think it pays off. It's possible to fit everything without, but it isn't easy (especially since this year there's a 10th house to fit in)

For a handful of nights, I don't think it's worthwhile, as your costs double or triple and you could potentially be paying a couple to several hundred dollars per person to add express... BUT... you have several nights to do and see everything once, if not a few times.

If you're going every weekend for the entire month, I think it becomes worthwhile again, even at a cost of several hundred dollars. This is why you frequently see regulars say, "I wouldn't be without it" ... because yeah, if you're local, it pays off quickly.

I'll say this, the lines are grueling. Because they're temporary makeshift lines, put up in backstage areas, there often aren't any walls or railings to lean on, so your legs tire out over time. And they're obviously outside and not air-conditioned. So as I started off saying you don't _*need *_it... but it is _*nice *_to _*have *_it.


----------



## macraven

_Crowds grow larger every year for hhn.

Wednesday is the one night of the week where crowds are not bad.

I go only 7 nights but it is cheaper for me to go with FF +ep.



I quit doing Saturdays nights about 5 years ago.
Crowds for walking in the park, restrooms, eateries had too many long waits for me.


Each week can give you a different experience.
What happened during opening week and the week that followed, could be different for the rest of the time  period hhn runs.


Peeps quit or get fired from their jobs, new ones take over, by the time I am there, all seems to work like a team in the houses and streets.
_


----------



## keishashadow

Gillbob316 said:


> If we're talking personal preference, I prefer Michael to Freddy. I've always been a big fan of the Halloween Franchise, seen them all. Own a Michael Myers action figure.
> 
> THAT said...
> 
> Even I won't argue Freddy fits the 80's theme 1000x better.
> 
> Freddy was an icon in the 80s. He was everywhere. Dolls, Halloween Costumes, TV. You name it. I remember Freddie, as a presence, from my childhood in the late 80s/early 90s (I was born in '85 for the record). I honest to god didn't get acquainted w/ Michael until later in life (around my teens) because he had already largely come and gone, and wasn't a presence for most of the 80s. Halloween 2 released in '81, Halloween 4 released in '88, Michael wasn't in Halloween 3. He was absent for most of the middle formative years of the decade. He wasn't nearly as EVERYWHERE as Freddy in the 80s.
> 
> The original Nightmare on Elm Street would fit the 80s theme like a glove.
> 
> The original Halloween was released in the late 70s, and has an extremely 70s Aesthetic. You could put Laurie Strode in an episode of That 70's Show and she'd blend in seamlessly. That said, the rumor is the house would be based on the new movie, not the original, which is even more far removed from the 80s theme (though admittedly, synergizes with advertising the film quite well, so I don't doubt it's still a strong possibility.)
> 
> So yeah, to sum up... it wouldn't surprise me if they did Halloween, and I'm a bigger fan of Michael generally speaking... but Freddy would unquestionably be the better choice for an 80's theme.



Yep, I still have the original large talking Freddy doll, MIB . My kids basically wore out the other one lol.

Not to mention other memorabilia, such as variations of the glove etc.  one of my kids  bought a hand-crafted metal one at a comic con.  It looks like it could do some damage if the blades were sharp. Eek. Glad he took it with him when he moved out.   Gave me the creeps 



macraven said:


> _Crowds grow larger every year for hhn.
> 
> Wednesday is the one night of the week where crowds are not bad.
> 
> I go only 7 nights but it is cheaper for me to go with FF +ep.
> 
> 
> 
> I quit doing Saturdays nights about 5 years ago.
> Crowds for walking in the park, restrooms, eateries had too many long waits for me.
> 
> 
> Each week can give you a different experience.
> What happened during opening week and the week that followed, could be different for the rest of the time  period hhn runs.
> 
> 
> Peeps quit or get fired from their jobs, new ones take over, by the time I am there, all seems to work like a team in the houses and streets._



Sat even tho not included in most multi night tix still packs them in the park.  

Thursday was dead not that long ago, maybe the same 5 years or bit more you mention.  Hope Wednesday isn’t the next to fall.


----------



## schumigirl

Gillbob316 said:


> For a handful of nights, I don't think it's worthwhile, as your costs double or triple and you could potentially be paying a couple to several hundred dollars per person to add express... BUT... you have several nights to do and see everything once, if not a few times.
> 
> If you're going every weekend for the entire month, I think it becomes worthwhile again, even at a cost of several hundred dollars. This is why you frequently see regulars say, "I wouldn't be without it" ... because yeah, if you're local, it pays off quickly.
> 
> I'll say this, the lines are grueling. Because they're temporary makeshift lines, put up in backstage areas, there often aren't any walls or railings to lean on, so your legs tire out over time. And they're obviously outside and not air-conditioned. So as I started off saying you don't _*need *_it... but it is _*nice *_to _*have *_it.




We are not local and the EP is worth every single cent it costs for us, and we go many nights. 

We buy the RoF with EP every year, I think we can go around 10 nights and usually go around 6 or 7 of those. It absolutely IS worth it for some of us. 

We started going to HHN in 2007 and have seen crowds increase massively. Last year we were surprised how long some of the regular lines were on so called "quiet" nights. No way are we going to stand in those lines when you can pay not to. 

Sometimes it`s more than about money. Convenience and time. We don't want to spend all night there, as we have usually been in the parks all day or most of the day in September, so EP is perfect for us for HHN`s. 

Of course some people don't mind waiting in lines...….but not us. It is indeed very nice to have, but for us essential. 

Just another viewpoint of course.


----------



## mombrontrent

Sorry if this mentioned somewhere, I looked and can’t see but what dining options are available during the party? Just snacks and quick service options. Planning on eating a late lunch/early dinner before heading in but I know the teens will definitely be hungry and need a pick me up somewhere around 9-10pm.


----------



## RAPstar

mombrontrent said:


> Sorry if this mentioned somewhere, I looked and can’t see but what dining options are available during the party? Just snacks and quick service options. Planning on eating a late lunch/early dinner before heading in but I know the teens will definitely be hungry and need a pick me up somewhere around 9-10pm.



Louie's Pizza will be open for sure. Monsters Cafe may be but that's usually where the scareactor dining is. They bring in a bunch of food stalls for the event as well. Plus if you wanted you can hop over to citywalk


----------



## patster734

RAPstar said:


> Louie's Pizza will be open for sure. Monsters Cafe may be but that's usually where the scareactor dining is. They bring in a bunch of food stalls for the event as well. Plus if you wanted you can hop over to citywalk



Finnegan’s and the Simpson’s food court are also open. Correct?


----------



## macraven

Yes they are open


----------



## patster734

Thanks, Mac!


----------



## SnapesGirl

Gillbob316 said:


> Delayed response but my 2 cents...
> 
> You have to weigh the circumstances of your own trip. In September, you don't _*need *_it... but it is nice to _*have *_it... ultimately I think you have to determine if the costs outweigh the benefits for your own trip. How many nights are you going? How many people would you need to buy express passes for?



Thank you so much for the detailed response and to everyone else who responded as well! It's just me doing this trip and after speaking to a few people, I decided to just splurge and get the Express Pass. I'm only doing 2 nights at HHN (1 is a Friday and 1 a Sunday) so I figured I might as well buy them and then not stress about.

Can't wait to go!! Been wanting to do this for years!


----------



## Robo56




----------



## Robo56




----------



## RAPstar

There will most likely be a new house announcement on Thursday for one of the original houses.


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

RAPstar said:


> There will most likely be a new house announcement on Thursday for one of the original houses.



Original houses yes! So excited for the originals.


----------



## schumigirl

Won`t be here for throwback Thursday…...here`s a little Throwback Tuesday to 2016


----------



## macraven




----------



## RAPstar

schumigirl said:


> Won`t be here for throwback Thursday…...here`s a little Throwback Tuesday to 2016



Hey, I know some of those people!


----------



## Robo56

RAPstar said:


> Hey, I know some of those people!




Me too


----------



## patster734

Robo56 said:


> Me too



Me too!


----------



## RAPstar

https://blog.universalorlando.com/whats-new/slaughter-sinema-hhn/


----------



## RAPstar




----------



## Robo56




----------



## vrajewski10513

Maybe just a nod or maybe intentional but all those movie posters released for Slaughter Sinema have some sort of “Jack” on them


----------



## RAPstar

vrajewski10513 said:


> Maybe just a nod or maybe intentional but all those movie posters released for Slaughter Sinema have some sort of “Jack” on them



It's intentional. Albert Craine is listed on the Beast Baby poster, and that's the Caretaker. Nancy Stebler is TJ Mannarino's secretary.


----------



## imprint

Love the B-movie smash-up house idea!  Schlocky, grindhouse cinema is a real guilty pleasure.  The easy money is on Stranger Things being "House of the Year," but I wouldn't be surprised if Slaughter Sinema winds up as the hardcore fan favorite house.  I'm really stoked for the confirmed houses/zones so far!


----------



## keishashadow

schumigirl said:


> Won`t be here for throwback Thursday…...here`s a little Throwback Tuesday to 2016



Even tho leaning in, i’m standing tall lol. Had forgotten about that pic!  Thanks for posting...now to swipe it


----------



## keishashadow

In the official video (posted 1st page) it gives new meaning to Hall & Oates lyrics for Maneater (watch out boy she’ll chew you up) lol


----------



## macraven

schumigirl said:


> Won`t be here for throwback Thursday…...here`s a little Throwback Tuesday to 2016


_We did have fun at our mini meet that hhn!_


----------



## RAPstar

imprint said:


> Love the B-movie smash-up house idea!  Schlocky, grindhouse cinema is a real guilty pleasure.  The easy money is on Stranger Things being "House of the Year," but I wouldn't be surprised if Slaughter Sinema winds up as the hardcore fan favorite house.  I'm really stoked for the confirmed houses/zones so far!



From the rumors I've heard, Stanger Things may actually be kind of a let down unfortunately.


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

RAPstar said:


> From the rumors I've heard, Stanger Things may actually be kind of a let down unfortunately.



Where are the rumors from?


----------



## RAPstar

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> Where are the rumors from?



A very reliable poster on some different message boards.


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

2 more scare zones according it Universal's Facebook.

Killer clowns from outer space and revenge of chucky.


----------



## vrajewski10513




----------



## RAPstar

Chucky will be in Hollywood in the area close to where T2 was. Killer Klowns will be near Sting Alley and the lakeside over there.


----------



## macraven

_Chucks does nothing for me

Don’t feel the love there

Same for clowns
They bore me_


----------



## vrajewski10513

macraven said:


> _Chucks does nothing for me
> 
> Don’t feel the love there
> 
> Same for clowns
> They bore me_


I’m curious to see what changes, if any, they make to the roaming hoard clowns to make them Killer Klowns from Outer Space specific...


----------



## MikeNamez

macraven said:


> _Chucks does nothing for me
> 
> Don’t feel the love there
> 
> Same for clowns
> They bore me_



Clowns are always the worst part of HHN. Surprised that it is still going.


----------



## schumigirl

Chucky is dull and clowns are overrated..........

Yes, surprised the clowns are still being used.........I want to be scared out of my wits during HHN, not thinking oh another clown dressed slightly odd.


----------



## Lynne G

That Outer Space area did nothing for me last year, so with clowns from there.  Huh?  Not a clown fan either.


----------



## Robo56




----------



## RAPstar

Well they aren't just guys in clown costumes, they're bigger and scarier looking. The movie actually terrified me as a kid.


----------



## RAPstar

vrajewski10513 said:


> I’m curious to see what changes, if any, they make to the roaming hoard clowns to make them Killer Klowns from Outer Space specific...



They're not the roaming clowns, they're in a scarezone


----------



## vrajewski10513

RAPstar said:


> They're not the roaming clowns, they're in a scarezone


Simpson’s area isn’t a scare zone?


----------



## vrajewski10513

vrajewski10513 said:


> Simpson’s area isn’t a scare zone?


Well, i know it’s not an official scare zone.. but what will make KKFOS different from the designated “clown area” they almost always have?


----------



## RAPstar

The look of the Klowns, the fact that they announced it as a scarezone. They've never officially announced any of the roaming hordes before. There will be specific set pieces from the movie as well. They mention a tent, and the cotton candy people cocoons.


----------



## RAPstar

I'm hoping they will include a recreation of the parade scene from the movie


----------



## RAPstar

Also, here's the most updates spec map for reference.


----------



## MikeNamez

I know its not official, but am I the only one thinking why would they do "Carnival Graveyard" and KKFOS. Both seem pretty similar.


----------



## RAPstar

MikeNamez said:


> I know its not official, but am I the only one thinking why would they do "Carnival Graveyard" and KKFOS. Both seem pretty similar.



From what I've heard its more of a graveyard for old carnival rides, and the scareactors in it will be evil carnies. Or something like that. We'll find out more/for sure when they announce it.


----------



## MikeNamez

RAPstar said:


> From what I've heard its more of a graveyard for old carnival rides, and the scareactors in it will be evil carnies. Or something like that. We'll find out more/for sure when they announce it.



Ok that i can do, not terrible.


----------



## keishashadow

Killer Klowns camp horror flick at it’s best


----------



## kylieelizabethhh

I’m so excited to see killer klowns be brought to life! I was terrified of that movie as a kid. I think clowns will be amazing as an actual scarezone instead of just as a roaming horde.

Hi, everyone! So happy that I remembered my log-in info and can finally partake in HHN discussions again. Last year was so much fun.


----------



## Seeker615

Hey everyone
I am still debating if I can make it through. I hate clowns so that announcement of them being there is freaking me out. 

I love Halloween but I am such a chicken. Last haunted house I went through I was buried in my husbands back! I so do want to experience this but I don't want to waste money and ruin my hubby's possible good time by being a scardy cat. 
Anyone else have doubts but went and really enjoyed it?


----------



## keishashadow

Seeker615 said:


> Hey everyone
> I am still debating if I can make it through. I hate clowns so that announcement of them being there is freaking me out.
> 
> I love Halloween but I am such a chicken. Last haunted house I went through I was buried in my husbands back! I so do want to experience this but I don't want to waste money and ruin my hubby's possible good time by being a scardy cat.
> Anyone else have doubts but went and really enjoyed it?



What you describe is a very common sight @ HHN...often it’s the big, burly dudes cowering

Will be willing to bet the last HHN was nowhere up to snuff as to what you’ll experience @ HHN, be forewarned.

Does you DH ‘mind’ you closing your eyes & burrowing into his back/hanging onto his shirt tails?  If not, well, then you’d have to face your fears on your own lol.

JMHO being ‘scared’ is a very GOOD thing, but only if you enjoy having your adrenaline running and having an over-the-top experience.  Personally, i’m A very easy scare but LOVE it.

There’s a h-u-g-e difference tho between getting startled & lol’ing your head off VS finding yourself in the state of being absolutely terrified/frozen in fear.


----------



## DIS_AWC

Seeker615 said:


> I love Halloween but I am such a chicken. Last haunted house I went through I was buried in my husbands back! I so do want to experience this but I don't want to waste money and ruin my hubby's possible good time by being a scardy cat.
> Anyone else have doubts but went and really enjoyed it?



I am like you - total chicken! I generally can NOT do scary things at all, and usually have every light in my house on when I am home alone. But my husband is _obsessed_ with Halloween and scary movies and his birthday is the week of Halloween, so it's become a super big deal in our house for as long as we've been together, and I try to be a good sport for him. Our first HHN was in 2001 and we didn't even know what it was, just decided on a whim to go since we were already down at Universal. I was terrified and miserable, but he had the best time. I did a LOT of clinging to him and keeping my eyes shut. The last time we were down there was in 2007 when a lot of the houses were based on the scary movies we grew up with (Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, TX Chainsaw Massacre, The Thing). I started out the night doing the clinging and the eyes shut and it just wasn't fun for either of us, so then I decided when we walked through the Friday the 13th "camp" house that I was just going to allow myself to be scared and go with it, so I kept my eyes open and jumped and screamed and had such a great time! We haven't been to HHN in 11 years (gasp!) and I'll probably have a heart attack going through the houses now, but I'm going to try to just let myself be scared (if that makes sense) because that actually feels so much more fun and freeing - hooray for adrenaline!  It is somewhat comforting to remember that the scare actors can't touch you, even if they get right up close.

That said, I do think in a small way my husband likes that I am such a scaredy cat so he can feel "protective" of me.  And I get to laugh extra hard when something manages to really scare him!


----------



## heidijanesmith

Did I miss something, did the Academy of Villains replace Bill and Ted?


----------



## RAPstar

heidijanesmith said:


> Did I miss something, did the Academy of Villains replace Bill and Ted?



Basically.


----------



## macraven

_Im taking a pass on AOV

Boo hoo for no bill and ted_


----------



## Seeker615

keishashadow said:


> What you describe is a very common sight @ HHN...often it’s the big, burly dudes cowering
> 
> Will be willing to bet the last HHN was nowhere up to snuff as to what you’ll experience @ HHN, be forewarned.
> 
> Does you DH ‘mind’ you closing your eyes & burrowing into his back/hanging onto his shirt tails?  If not, well, then you’d have to face your fears on your own lol.
> 
> JMHO being ‘scared’ is a very GOOD thing, but only if you enjoy having your adrenaline running and having an over-the-top experience.  Personally, i’m A very easy scare but LOVE it.
> 
> There’s a h-u-g-e difference tho between getting startled & lol’ing your head off VS finding yourself in the state of being absolutely terrified/frozen in fear.





DIS_AWC said:


> I am like you - total chicken! I generally can NOT do scary things at all, and usually have every light in my house on when I am home alone. But my husband is _obsessed_ with Halloween and scary movies and his birthday is the week of Halloween, so it's become a super big deal in our house for as long as we've been together, and I try to be a good sport for him. Our first HHN was in 2001 and we didn't even know what it was, just decided on a whim to go since we were already down at Universal. I was terrified and miserable, but he had the best time. I did a LOT of clinging to him and keeping my eyes shut. The last time we were down there was in 2007 when a lot of the houses were based on the scary movies we grew up with (Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, TX Chainsaw Massacre, The Thing). I started out the night doing the clinging and the eyes shut and it just wasn't fun for either of us, so then I decided when we walked through the Friday the 13th "camp" house that I was just going to allow myself to be scared and go with it, so I kept my eyes open and jumped and screamed and had such a great time! We haven't been to HHN in 11 years (gasp!) and I'll probably have a heart attack going through the houses now, but I'm going to try to just let myself be scared (if that makes sense) because that actually feels so much more fun and freeing - hooray for adrenaline!  It is somewhat comforting to remember that the scare actors can't touch you, even if they get right up close.
> 
> That said, I do think in a small way my husband likes that I am such a scaredy cat so he can feel "protective" of me.  And I get to laugh extra hard when something manages to really scare him!



Thanks - I am still trying to decide what to do. I don't see me being a total wreck rocking in the corner somewhere halfway through the night but I can see me screaming and clinging to my hubby. That said it looks like such a cool experience. Are there places to take a break from the horror? Any rides open or "safe zones"? How crowded is it on a week night?


----------



## vrajewski10513

Reference to Dead Exposure or something new??


----------



## macraven

Seeker615 said:


> Thanks - I am still trying to decide what to do. I don't see me being a total wreck rocking in the corner somewhere halfway through the night but I can see me screaming and clinging to my hubby. That said it looks like such a cool experience. Are there places to take a break from the horror? Any rides open or "safe zones"? How crowded is it on a week night?



_Not many safe places where you won’t see the scare actors as they are in the houses, zones and streets

Most of the eateries and restrooms won’t have scareactors involved 

Rides won’t have SA on them 

Thursday’s and Sunday’s have crowds but Wednesday seems to be much lighter with crowds

_


----------



## patster734

Seeker615 said:


> Thanks - I am still trying to decide what to do. I don't see me being a total wreck rocking in the corner somewhere halfway through the night but I can see me screaming and clinging to my hubby. That said it looks like such a cool experience. Are there places to take a break from the horror? Any rides open or "safe zones"? How crowded is it on a week night?



If Diagon Alley is open, there shouldn’t be any scare actors in it.


----------



## macraven

_True
But you have to walk through the park to reach DA
(DA has been open during hhn)

You will be walking thru scare zones to reach potter_


----------



## Zim

Well, we weren't going to add this to our Disney trip, since a) we just got back from a quick Universal weekend and b) we are planning on HHN 2019. But then Killer Klowns was announced and my DD20 freaked out.  So for the cost of $1.80 we changed the flight from evening to morning of October 4th in order to add HHN that night!  Going to be nuts! And then as I read through this thread and saw the 80s theme developing I thought wow, I'd love to see Poltergeist and lo and behold, that cinched it!

Since we aren't getting daytime tickets like we'd normally do, I guess we will be getting the 5pm entry ticket with EP (I'm sure I will lament not starting from our usual stay and scream hang out). RIP tour sounds tempting, but this was supposed to be a short cheap trip XD  Always famous last words...

And I have to mention as someone asked if scare actors touch you. I have told my DD20 ever since I made her come to her first HHN ten years ago... the scare actors never touch you! Then while the park was still light out, we were sitting on a bench all alone around the lake, we see a score of scare actors come around the path - obviously on their way to a shift change. And with no one else to scare, they wandered by us looking very sinister... and the last one in the group brushed her hand across my daughter's knee and that was it. Mom was forever wrong after than moment! Hahahaha


----------



## macraven

_I’ll be doing hhn also on that Wednesday 

Last year and prior years, peeps had to have the day ticket and hhn ticket tonstay inside the park 

You mentioned the 5 Pm entry ticket with ep
Not heard of that 
Is it new?

I usually stay in the park and get the head start on the event

I go with the FF-+ep and have the ap for park ticket entrance

New policies pop up and guess I’m behind the info for the one you mentioned 

You win the parents award for being the best one of the year
Changing plans so you can take your daughter to hhn!!

You will have a lot of fun
_


----------



## RAPstar

vrajewski10513 said:


> View attachment 334480 Reference to Dead Exposure or something new??



Where’d you find this at.


----------



## vrajewski10513

RAPstar said:


> Where’d you find this at.


@HorrorNightsORL has been posting different post cards all day. I think they’re up to about 15 now.


----------



## schumigirl

vrajewski10513 said:


> @HorrorNightsORL has been posting different post cards all day. I think they’re up to about 15 now.



Lol......they are so cool!!!

Poor Greg........


----------



## RAPstar

vrajewski10513 said:


> @HorrorNightsORL has been posting different post cards all day. I think they’re up to about 15 now.



Yeah I found out on a different board. Marketing this year is killing it. Will this year finally surpass HHN 19 as my favorite year???


----------



## CDKG

vrajewski10513 said:


> View attachment 334480 Reference to Dead Exposure or something new??


I LOVED following these post cards on Twitter yesterday! Now I'm super excited for this original house. Bravo marketing department!!!


----------



## Erica_Haley

Someone replied on twitter, one of the recipients of the post cards was Kimberly Duncan, the name of the lady that did the preshow for Terminator 2: 3D. How suuupeeeerrr.


----------



## RAPstar

Erica_Haley said:


> Someone replied on twitter, one of the recipients of the post cards was Kimberly Duncan, the name of the lady that did the preshow for Terminator 2: 3D. How suuupeeeerrr.



Shes the only recipient, and is Emily's sister.


----------



## Erica_Haley

You're right. I didn't see all the postcards on the twitter feed, just skimmed through the comments while at work. Oops


----------



## vrajewski10513

How close to the event do they usually send the email about sign ups for the AP early entry??


----------



## macraven

_It should be by August _


----------



## RAPstar

Aiello is going to Midsummer Scream for the first time. The con is at the end of July, and he will be part of a presentation for HHN Hollywood. Needless to say, but we will more than likely get some sort of announcement then.


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

Did HHN facebook just officially announce the Purge coming back for the new movie? Or am I going crazy. I swear I just saw an advertisement for it.


----------



## vrajewski10513

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> Did HHN facebook just officially announce the Purge coming back for the new movie? Or am I going crazy. I swear I just saw an advertisement for it.


It’s for Hollywood


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

vrajewski10513 said:


> It’s for Hollywood



Ah ok I was confused.


----------



## keishashadow

They tend to share more than a few houses, likely cost savings measures.  Wouldn’t be surprised to see Purge crop up in MCO.


----------



## vrajewski10513

keishashadow said:


> They tend to share more than a few houses, likely cost savings measures.  Wouldn’t be surprised to see Purge crop up in MCO.


Yeah i definitely wouldn’t be surprised. Although, I’ve always liked The Purge as a scare zone. I think it fits better with the theme of the movie. But, i haven’t seen the First Purge yet so I’m not sure.


----------



## RAPstar

keishashadow said:


> They tend to share more than a few houses, likely cost savings measures.  Wouldn’t be surprised to see Purge crop up in MCO.



I think the last shared IP is gonna be the Blumhouse 2 house. Probably. We'll see lol


----------



## keishashadow

RAPstar said:


> I think the last shared IP is gonna be the Blumhouse 2 house. Probably. We'll see lol



Odds on favorite I’d guess.  Didn’t think i’d enjoy the last offering, proved wrong.  Always nice when that works out.

So which house do we think will be the ‘cold’ one this year?  Poltergeist?


----------



## RAPstar

keishashadow said:


> Odds on favorite I’d guess.  Didn’t think i’d enjoy the last offering, proved wrong.  Always nice when that works out.
> 
> So which house do we think will be the ‘cold’ one this year?  Poltergeist?



I'm hoping.


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

So what IPs do we have announced so far so I can start making my watch list?

Stranger Things seasons 1 and 2
Killer Clowns from Outer Space
Trick r Treat
Chucky- I've actually never seen a Chucky movie. Do I need to watch more than 1?


----------



## macraven

_I’m not a Chucky fan .....

So I would say don’t waste your time




Of course I’ll be in the minority here_


----------



## vrajewski10513

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> So what IPs do we have announced so far so I can start making my watch list?
> 
> Stranger Things seasons 1 and 2
> Killer Clowns from Outer Space
> Trick r Treat
> Chucky- I've actually never seen a Chucky movie. Do I need to watch more than 1?





macraven said:


> _I’m not a Chucky fan .....
> 
> So I would say don’t waste your time
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Of course I’ll be in the minority here_


I have to agree with macraven, i don’t like Chucky.. but i have seen the movies and i would recommend the first one if anything.. revenge of Chucky was terrible.


----------



## keishashadow

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> So what IPs do we have announced so far so I can start making my watch list?
> 
> Stranger Things seasons 1 and 2
> Killer Clowns from Outer Space
> Trick r Treat
> Chucky- I've actually never seen a Chucky movie. Do I need to watch more than 1?



Like pro basketball u could just watch last ten minutes and call it a day lol

First page post has up to date info But you have it down pat thus far 



macraven said:


> _I’m not a Chucky fan .....
> 
> So I would say don’t waste your time
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Of course I’ll be in the minority here_



Add me to the club, don’t get the appeal but with so many houses on tap there’s something for all


----------



## vrajewski10513

Please excuse my unmade bed! But i wanted to post my $6 Hot Topic find... bummer Nightmare on Elm St won’t be a part of this years event, but it still fits in with the 80’s theme none-the-less!! 

Only 69 days until our our first night at HHN for this year! ::in my best Bill & Ted voice::


----------



## Raeven

vrajewski10513 said:


> Please excuse my unmade bed! But i wanted to post my $6 Hot Topic find... bummer Nightmare on Elm St won’t be a part of this years event, but it still fits in with the 80’s theme none-the-less!!



I have that shirt too!  I was hoping Nightmare on Elm St would be part of things too because I love those movies, and if they were I was going to wear that shirt


----------



## macraven

vrajewski10513 said:


> View attachment 336791 Please excuse my unmade bed! But i wanted to post my $6 Hot Topic find... bummer Nightmare on Elm St won’t be a part of this years event, but it still fits in with the 80’s theme none-the-less!!
> 
> Only 69 days until our our first night at HHN for this year! ::in my best Bill & Ted voice::
> View attachment 336792



_I don’t think anyone will even notice the bed...._


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

vrajewski10513 said:


> View attachment 336791 Please excuse my unmade bed! But i wanted to post my $6 Hot Topic find... bummer Nightmare on Elm St won’t be a part of this years event, but it still fits in with the 80’s theme none-the-less!!
> 
> Only 69 days until our our first night at HHN for this year! ::in my best Bill & Ted voice::
> View attachment 336792



Like the shirt! I just got a Ready Player One neon shirt that I'm excited to wear!

I was debating if I should have an 80s appreciation night and wear some neon and puff out my hair.

Also sounds like the consensus is that Chucky is terrible and I should probably just see if I can youtube the last ten minutes.


----------



## Robo56




----------



## Robo56

62 days until the start of HHN


----------



## RAPstar

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> So what IPs do we have announced so far so I can start making my watch list?
> 
> Stranger Things seasons 1 and 2
> Killer Clowns from Outer Space
> Trick r Treat
> Chucky- I've actually never seen a Chucky movie. Do I need to watch more than 1?



ST is just gonna be season 1 for the house this year. Based off rumors, I'd also throw in Poltergeist, maybe Halloween 4, Happy Death Day, Ouija, and Unfriended.


----------



## purple hippo

We are going Sep 30-Oct 5!  This is the first year we have an AP.  What is the early entry sign up for?  I figured we just had to make sure we were in parks by 4 so that we would be in before the close at 5.  But if there is another way for early entry that would be great as well.


----------



## macraven

_You can enter the park at 4:50
and still be allowed into the park to wait for hhn to start _


----------



## RAPstar

purple hippo said:


> We are going Sep 30-Oct 5!  This is the first year we have an AP.  What is the early entry sign up for?  I figured we just had to make sure we were in parks by 4 so that we would be in before the close at 5.  But if there is another way for early entry that would be great as well.



The first couple of weekends the back area and usually 3 houses are reserved for ap, so its kinda like stay and scream but only ap holders get access to that section. Yiu usually got early entry into like the first bill and Ted show as well but idk if theyll do it with AOV instead this year. Probably


----------



## Robo56




----------



## keishashadow

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> Like the shirt! I just got a Ready Player One neon shirt that I'm excited to wear!
> 
> I was debating if I should have an 80s appreciation night and wear some neon and puff out my hair.
> 
> Also sounds like the consensus is that Chucky is terrible and I should probably just see if I can youtube the last ten minutes.



What better reason to rock the 80’s again?


----------



## wendyt_ca

Does anyone know if the Hogwart's Express is open during HHN when IOA is still open?


----------



## Robo56

That’s a great question. Honestly I have not paid attention the last three years.

Was told my Universal agent that it would close about 5 pm. He said he believes that is what happened last year on HHN nights.

Since HHN is a separate ticketed event folks with just a HHN event ticket cannot ride Hogwarts Express over to Hogsmeade in IOA without a park to park ticket for IOA and UO and folks over at IOA with park to park ticket cannot ride Hogwarts Express to Kings Cross Station at Universal without a HHN event ticket. So sounds right.


----------



## wendyt_ca

Robo56 said:


> That’s a great question. Honestly I have not paid attention the last three years.
> 
> Was told my Universal agent that it would close about 5 pm. He said he believes that is what happened last year on HHN nights.
> 
> Since HHN is a separate ticketed event folks with just a HHN event ticket cannot ride Hogwarts Express over to Hogsmeade in IOA without a park to park ticket for IOA and UO and folks over at IOA with park to park ticket cannot ride Hogwarts Express to Kings Cross Station at Universal without a HHN event ticket. So sounds right.



That’s kind of what I was thinking was the case. I guess there probably wouldn’t be many people using it. We are getting a 1 day park to park pass and are going to use it the same day we do the parks (we go yearly so we don’t have to do everything...first HHN though). I’m a huge HP fan so I HAVE to see the projection show. So we were going to pop back over to IOA to see it. The Hogwarts express def would have made that easier lol. But I figured that was a long shot.


----------



## RAPstar

wendyt_ca said:


> Does anyone know if the Hogwart's Express is open during HHN when IOA is still open?



No, it is not.


----------



## macraven

_I think few years back (2014) HE was open until 6 pm. (last train out)
HHN began at 6:30 so probably the reason that was the stop time for HE.


I'm in the parks for hhn and stay in the Studios side so not aware what time HE stops running when the park closes at 5:00.
Just the ride Gringotts is running during hhn.
_


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

Well I finally booked my hotel. Kept waiting for ap rates but decided I needed something on the books.

Was going to do a few days at Disney for mnsshp and the magical express, but then I changed my mnsshp date. We'd have still had to Uber from Disney to universal anyway so may as well just uber from the airport. 

This will be one of my first trips without doing a bunch of hotel hopping/split stay nonsense so I am looking forward to that.


----------



## DisneyLoverBda

My husband and I are doing a quick adults only birthday trip long weekend. We will be staying at Disney but are planning to spend the Saturday at Universal including HHN.  We have purchased park to park tickets plus express pass for the day and HHN plus RIP tour for the evening. Since we have limited time and have booked the RIP tour, would you recommend staying in the holding zones or should we use that time in IOA and enter HHN in time for our 7pm tour?


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

DisneyLoverBda said:


> My husband and I are doing a quick adults only birthday trip long weekend. We will be staying at Disney but are planning to spend the Saturday at Universal including HHN.  We have purchased park to park tickets plus express pass for the day and HHN plus RIP tour for the evening. Since we have limited time and have booked the RIP tour, would you recommend staying in the holding zones or should we use that time in IOA and enter HHN in time for our 7pm tour?



That's a tough one. You might have time to do one or two of the houses you're looking forward to if you do stay and scream.  

Are you in the private or public tour? If public you'll only do each house once so I might be tempted to get a couple in with stay and scream.


----------



## keishashadow

RAPstar said:


> No, it is not.



My understanding of it also


----------



## macraven

DisneyLoverBda said:


> My husband and I are doing a quick adults only birthday trip long weekend. We will be staying at Disney but are planning to spend the Saturday at Universal including HHN.  We have purchased park to park tickets plus express pass for the day and HHN plus RIP tour for the evening. Since we have limited time and have booked the RIP tour, would you recommend staying in the holding zones or should we use that time in IOA and enter HHN in time for our 7pm tour?




_Might as well and you can get one house for sure done by starting from the holding area.
HHN usually allows at least two house to open early.
Other houses will open when the park is officially open to all.


Last year I knocked off 2 houses before the crowds were let in and was in line at 6:30 for the 3rd house.
They could be a few houses with staggering times for opening.

But a lot depends on the day of the week you attend hhn.
Some nights have less crowds than others.
Wednesday is usually less attended than the weekends.

I buy the FF + EP for hhn.
I don't use the ep for those first houses when at hhn.
I save them to go back later in the evening when it is dark and lines are long.
You get a different outlook of the houses when it is totally dark later in the evening.

Since there will be a record number of ten houses this year, I'm sure those doing the public tours will be extremely helpful.
When you do a public tour, you will see all the houses the date you go.

I booked a private tour and our meet up time is at 5:30 as we start our tour at 6:00.
But do not know at this point if that start up time means we meet at La Bamba for a time period until we do the houses.

It's a new game this year with some changes.
We all will know more after Sept 14 has passed and others share about their time for hhn when it opens._


----------



## DisneyLoverBda

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> That's a tough one. You might have time to do one or two of the houses you're looking forward to if you do stay and scream.
> 
> Are you in the private or public tour? If public you'll only do each house once so I might be tempted to get a couple in with stay and scream.


We are doing a public tour so it may make sense to pick one that we want to do twice.


----------



## DisneyLoverBda

macraven said:


> _Might as well and you can get one house for sure done by starting from the holding area.
> HHN usually allows at least two house to open early.
> Other houses will open when the park is officially open to all.
> 
> 
> Last year I knocked off 2 houses before the crowds were let in and was in line at 6:30 for the 3rd house.
> They could be a few houses with staggering times for opening.
> 
> But a lot depends on the day of the week you attend hhn.
> Some nights have less crowds than others.
> Wednesday is usually less attended than the weekends.
> 
> I buy the FF + EP for hhn.
> I don't use the ep for those first houses when at hhn.
> I save them to go back later in the evening when it is dark and lines are long.
> You get a different outlook of the houses when it is totally dark later in the evening.
> 
> Since there will be a record number of ten houses this year, I'm sure those doing the public tours will be extremely helpful.
> When you do a public tour, you will see all the houses the date you go.
> 
> I booked a private tour and our meet up time is at 5:30 as we start our tour at 6:00.
> But do not know at this point if that start up time means we meet at La Bamba for a time period until we do the houses.
> 
> It's a new game this year with some changes.
> We all will know more after Sept 14 has passed and others share about their time for hhn when it opens._


Thanks for all the info. We are doing a public tour on Saturday September 22nd so it will likely be pretty busy. I’ll definitely watch for more information. Is it difficult to get into HHN in time for the tour if we choose to stay in IOA?  Would we end up needing to spend some of that time in line to get in anyways?  If we need to cut into our IOA touring time to get in line for HHN it probably just makes sense to stay grab dinner in one of the holding areas.


----------



## macraven

_If your tour begins at 7:00, you probably would want to be there 6:45 to sign in and meet your tour guide and the others that will be in the tour group.
You will be issued a rip hhn lanyard once you have signed in for your tour.

You should have received an email to confirm your tour with info in it for where to meet up and the time you need to be there._
_Do what the RIP hhn tour email states on what time to be at the place for meeting your tour guide._
_

If you are at IOA Saturday, you can walk over to the studios or take the HE to the other park.
The studios closes at 5:00.
You would need to be inside the park before 5 and wait in the holding zones of your choice.
Holding zones will release all the peeps once the houses start to open.

A few will open early.


If you want to stay at IOA longer, you can.
But, I have no idea how long it would take you to enter the studios if you walked from that park to the other.

I can't say how long the entrance line is to the studios once the park is open.
I am inside the park at that time.
Saturdays has the highest crowd levels for HHN.

To enter the Studios, you would enter through the studios entrance and show your hhn ticket.

Head to where you were instructed to meet up for your rip tour.


I find it easier to be in the park prior to its closing.
I stay in the park and wait out the time in one of the holding sections.
I prefer to stay in the Simpson area as there are places to sit 

I do on some nights go to the ET ride and get in the line at 4:55.
All in the line are allowed to stay and do the ride even if the park is closing.

By the time I get on the ride and off, it is about 5:20 ish

I head towards the area nearer Simpsons food court area and find a place to sit until hhn begins.


You have plenty of time to make the decision of staying in the Studios and hit a few houses before you met up for you rip tour.
Many will start posting about hhn sometime in August.

Do a search and pull up past years threads about hhn.
Some will include pictures, details of their evening, etc._


----------



## vrajewski10513

Hoping for some updates tomorrow!!!


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

vrajewski10513 said:


> Hoping for some updates tomorrow!!!



We know all the scare zones, right? Are there still 7 houses to announce?? Or am I making that up?


----------



## vrajewski10513

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> We know all the scare zones, right? Are there still 7 houses to announce?? Or am I making that up?


Yes, all scare zones have been announced. There are 6 houses left (already announced-Stranger Things, Dead Exposure, Trick r Treat and Slaughter Sinema)


----------



## Robo56

6 houses to be announced. There is supposed to be total of 10 houses for HHN 28


SCARE ZONES

1. The Harvest

2. Vamp’ 85: New Years Eve

3. Twisted Tradition

4. Revenge of Chucky

5. Killer Klowns from Outerspace


HOUSES

1. Stranger Things

2. Dead Exposure: Patient Zero

3. Trick ‘r Treat

4. Slaughter Sinema


----------



## vrajewski10513

Robo56 said:


> SCARE ZONES
> 
> 1. The Harvest
> 
> 2. Vamp’ 85: New Years Eve
> 
> 3. Twisted Tradition
> 
> 4. Revenge of Chucky



And Killer Klowns from Outer Space


----------



## Robo56

Yep, caught the omission of Killer Klowns and added it to list.


----------



## RAPstar

vrajewski10513 said:


> Hoping for some updates tomorrow!!!



Probably no update till the 29th, which will probably be one of the shared IPs. So either Blumhouse 2 or Poltergeist (someone on a different board posted a picture of facade construction from Hollywood and it looks an awful lot like the layout of the house from Poltergeist).


----------



## Robo56

I have lots of faith in the folks at Universal that they are going to blow our socks off with HHN 28.

I thought the best original house last year was "Fallen". It was a house that just got better every time I went in.

I'am a believer in Mac's view that you really can't appreciate a house totally with only going in it once. 

For those who are into the artistry that goes into the creation of the houses think about doing the Unmasking the Horror Tour if you have time. It's so nice to be able to appreciate in the daylight what creativity goes into the houses.


----------



## purple hippo

DH and I decided to go to HHN this year back in December when we were at USO with the kids.  We went for the first time on our honeymoon in 1999 and go back every couple of years to relive the fun for our anniversary.  Through changes in plans it appears we will be bringing our DS13 and DD15 on the trip.  We gave them the option of coming to HHN or hanging out in the room when we go.  They have no issue hanging out in the room but are very excited to finally get to go to HHN after all our talk about it.  We have warned them that it is scary and they have seen the pictures and videos we have taken in the past.  We are staying at RPR so we are close distance to the parks.  I really don't know for sure if they will love it or want to opt out.  DH and I plan on getting FF and go 3 nights while we are there.  Trying to decide if I should buy 4 FF or only 2 and then 2 single night passes for the kids?  If they don't like it or want to go again then I don't want to have spent the money on FF when a single night would have suffice, and vice versa if I get a single night and they love it I don't want to buy two more single nights.  We got APs before we left in January.  Thoughts?  Can you buy a single night and then upgrade to a FF after if they decide they like it?


----------



## macraven

_I have no idea if a hhn ticket can be upgraded to the FF pass

This is a question you could send to guest services for an answer_


----------



## keishashadow

Robo - thanks for the summary of houses/SZ!  Swiped it  and put in sticky notes for simplicity’s sake


----------



## Robo56




----------



## macraven

_Robbie, I can always count on you to brighten up this thread  !!

Your pictures are so cool_


----------



## keishashadow

macraven said:


> _Robbie, I can always count on you to brighten up this thread  !!
> 
> Your pictures are so cool_



And fresh ones I haven’t seen . Hoping chickies gal pal doesn’t make an appearance in the house


----------



## RAPstar

keishashadow said:


> And fresh ones I haven’t seen . Hoping chickies gal pal doesn’t make an appearance in the house



Scarezone*


----------



## soniam

We got Killer Klowns on DVD right before we left on vacation but didn’t get a chance to watch it. Maybe it will keep us awake after our redeye from Hawaii tonight.


----------



## iona

DisneyLoverBda said:


> Thanks for all the info. We are doing a public tour on Saturday September 22nd so it will likely be pretty busy. I’ll definitely watch for more information. Is it difficult to get into HHN in time for the tour if we choose to stay in IOA?  Would we end up needing to spend some of that time in line to get in anyways?  If we need to cut into our IOA touring time to get in line for HHN it probably just makes sense to stay grab dinner in one of the holding areas.



It may have changed since but when we did a public tour in 2016 we entered through the "VIP Check In Lobby near the Guest Services Window" and therefore didn't need to go through the turnstiles which made entering the park quicker.


----------



## keishashadow

Can’t get nuthin past Andy lol



soniam said:


> We got Killer Klowns on DVD right before we left on vacation but didn’t get a chance to watch it. Maybe it will keep us awake after our redeye from Hawaii tonight.



Lucky you. On fence whether to book (points or via cash pre cruise end of April/May).  Hope you post a mini TR to share thots on staying there.


----------



## vrajewski10513




----------



## kylieelizabethhh

I’m excited to see how the house will be different from the Killer Klowns scarezone. I hope they use the carnival house as a way to focus on other aspects of the carnival and not just clowns - maybe focus on animals, a bearded lady, funhouse mirrors, stuff like that. I’m so excited for the scarezone, I don’t want the house and scarezone to mirror each other. Does that make sense?


----------



## RAPstar

kylieelizabethhh said:


> I’m excited to see how the house will be different from the Killer Klowns scarezone. I hope they use the carnival house as a way to focus on other aspects of the carnival and not just clowns - maybe focus on animals, a bearded lady, funhouse mirrors, stuff like that. I’m so excited for the scarezone, I don’t want the house and scarezone to mirror each other. Does that make sense?



They wont, they have nothing in common really.


----------



## kylieelizabethhh

RAPstar said:


> They wont, they have nothing in common really.


Besides clowns. And the smell of cotton candy will be in Killer Klowns (obviously assuming they use the cotton candy ray gun blasts), and Carnival Graveyard mentions decaying cotton candy.

But Universal did describe the people in Carnival Graveyard as “carnies”, so maybe they won’t abuse the clown theme. I think a scarezone AND house revolving around clowns is a little much, but maybe that’s just my opinion.


----------



## RAPstar

kylieelizabethhh said:


> Besides clowns. And the smell of cotton candy will be in Killer Klowns (obviously assuming they use the cotton candy ray gun blasts), and Carnival Graveyard mentions decaying cotton candy.
> 
> But Universal did describe the people in Carnival Graveyard as “carnies”, so maybe they won’t abuse the clown theme. I think a scarezone AND house revolving around clowns is a little much, but maybe that’s just my opinion.



Well Killer Klowns are very much circus based. This is more like those carnivals you can find in random parking lots (do they still do those? I remember going a lot when I was a kid). 

One of the descriptions I read mentioned guard dogs, carnies with weapons made out of old ride parts, "automatons" (which I'm thinking like the old fortune teller machines), and a tunnel of love filled with flayed corpses. I'm really quite excited for this house!!


----------



## kylieelizabethhh

RAPstar said:


> Well Killer Klowns are very much circus based. This is more like those carnivals you can find in random parking lots (do they still do those? I remember going a lot when I was a kid).
> 
> One of the descriptions I read mentioned guard dogs, carnies with weapons made out of old ride parts, "automatons" (which I'm thinking like the old fortune teller machines), and a tunnel of love filled with flayed corpses. I'm really quite excited for this house!!


I haven’t seen any of those death traps in years, but I used to go to them all the time as a kid! That makes sense for a house, and would be a really fun idea.

If that description is true, then I think this house will be bomb. A tunnel of love would be amazing. Especially with this being an original house, they can really do a lot with it. I hope they do!


----------



## RAPstar

Here are the two descriptions I've found:

_The caramel-coated carnivals of yesteryear have long died, but something sinister has festered within the decay, waiting to torment trespassers. Enter a dilapidated salvage yard, a maze of rides, games and carnival parts tainted with rust and blood. Gleefully vicious performers stalk you from the shadows, coming ever closer. Feel the first glint of terror with gory games a-plenty, where losing has a terrible price. Then your flesh will crawl as you come upon brutal automatons that quickly ensnare you. After that, you'll enter a tunnel of love where flayed lovers have been grotesquely memorialized, overwhelming you with disgust. You're in for a show-stopper._

_As [you] trespass into a dilapidated carnival, [you] will find a maze of decayed rides and games – and soon discover [you] are not alone. Horrifying guard dogs, a grotesque ‘tunnel of love’, gleefully vicious performers loaded with deadly weapons fabricated from old rides and more will stalk [your] every move as [you] try [your] best to escape._


----------



## keishashadow

kylieelizabethhh said:


> I haven’t seen any of those death traps in years, but I used to go to them all the time as a kid! That makes sense for a house, and would be a really fun idea.
> 
> If that description is true, then I think this house will be bomb. A tunnel of love would be amazing. Especially with this being an original house, they can really do a lot with it. I hope they do!



Not. Sure where you live but in the Pittsburgh suburbs nearly every church & fire department has an annual carnival as a fund-raiser.  They say the state inspects the attractions.  Let’s just say their condition adds an interesting vibe to attending.


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

keishashadow said:


> Not. Sure where you live but in the Pittsburgh suburbs nearly every church & fire department has an annual carnival as a fund-raiser.  They say the state inspects the attractions.  Let’s just say their condition adds an interesting vibe to attending.



Do you live near pittsburgh??? I grew up in claysville near Washington.



I keep thinking of the AHS house which had the small carnival section. I hope they distinguish this new house from that.


----------



## Thiago Acquaviva

_just to update:_
*
SCARE ZONES*
1. The Harvest
2. Vamp’ 85: New Years Eve
3. Twisted Tradition
4. Revenge of Chucky
5. Killer Klowns from Outerspace

*HOUSES*
1. Stranger Things
2. Dead Exposure: Patient Zero
3. Trick ‘r Treat
4. Slaughter Sinema 
5. Carnival Graveyard: Rust in Pieces


----------



## kylieelizabethhh

keishashadow said:


> Not. Sure where you live but in the Pittsburgh suburbs nearly every church & fire department has an annual carnival as a fund-raiser.  They say the state inspects the attractions.  Let’s just say their condition adds an interesting vibe to attending.


That’s so funny! I live in small town New York and the smallest thing we get is the county fair. It’s huge, though. I’m sure the churches are truly testing your faith in Christ with those rides.


----------



## keishashadow

Thiago Acquaviva said:


> _just to update:_
> *
> SCARE ZONES*
> 1. The Harvest
> 2. Vamp’ 85: New Years Eve
> 3. Twisted Tradition
> 4. Revenge of Chucky
> 5. Killer Klowns from Outerspace
> 
> *HOUSES*
> 1. Stranger Things
> 2. Dead Exposure: Patient Zero
> 3. Trick ‘r Treat
> 4. Slaughter Sinema
> 5. Carnival Graveyard: Rust in Pieces



Lol the sticky has been updated, complete with video and best descriptions I could find.


----------



## keishashadow

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> Do you live near pittsburgh??? I grew up in claysville near Washington.
> 
> 
> 
> I keep thinking of the AHS house which had the small carnival section. I hope they distinguish this new house from that.



Hello fellow yinz’er   Before rivers came to town I made my share of donations @ the meadows and the outlets


----------



## AlvaroLuis

My apologies if this has been asked and answered already. A few years ago I bought what they used to call "Stay & Scream" tickets... the ones you bought if you wanted to hit the park all day and stay for HHN that same night. I don't find that option on the website now. Has this been discontinued?


----------



## RAPstar

AlvaroLuis said:


> My apologies if this has been asked and answered already. A few years ago I bought what they used to call "Stay & Scream" tickets... the ones you bought if you wanted to hit the park all day and stay for HHN that same night. I don't find that option on the website now. Has this been discontinued?



You don't have to buy a ticket just for stay n scream. Just buy a regular HHN ticket and as long as you're in the park before it closes you can stay.


----------



## macraven

_They had it last year.
Have not seen it advertised yet and maybe they will have it again before hhn opens.
It does bring in more peeps.

Have a day ticket and add on the hhn ticket at a discounted price so you can stay in the park that day.

If the stay and scream ticket is sold this year, we will see it on the website or one of the medias _


----------



## schumigirl

*7 WEEKS TO GO...………….















https://www.google.co.uk/imgres?img...7_cAhWLD8AKHStrDnwQMwg6KAQwBA&iact=mrc&uact=8
*


----------



## AlvaroLuis

RAPstar said:


> You don't have to buy a ticket just for stay n scream. Just buy a regular HHN ticket and as long as you're in the park before it closes you can stay.


Thanks! That makes sense, although you would miss the entering to the park, which used to be a biggie back then when they held HHN at IOA.


----------



## AlvaroLuis

macraven said:


> _They had it last year.
> Have not seen it advertised yet and maybe they will have it again before hhn opens.
> It does bring in more peeps.
> 
> Have a day ticket and add on the hhn ticket at a discounted price so you can stay in the park that day.
> 
> If the stay and scream ticket is sold this year, we will see it on the website or one of the medias _


Thanks McRaven. My (grown up) kids are trying to save a few bucks and were looking for the discounted ticket to HHN when you buy it as an add on to the regular USF day pass... we'll keep looking.


----------



## Thiago Acquaviva

Sorry guys I couldn't understand that stay ticket.
We have regular tickets to UN/IoA/VB and BOGO HHN ticket.

If we're at UN park all day long and want to stay for HHN we're fine? we don't have to leave and then comeback, right?
If we quit the park or hop to IoA we have to get in the line for the HHN and wait? what time the line start and what time they open the park again?


----------



## vrajewski10513

Thiago Acquaviva said:


> Sorry guys I couldn't understand that stay ticket.
> We have regular tickets to UN/IoA/VB and BOGO HHN ticket.
> 
> If we're at UN park all day long and want to stay for HHN we're fine? we don't have to leave and then comeback, right?
> If we quit the park or hop to IoA we have to get in the line for the HHN and wait? what time the line start and what time they open the park again?


If you stay in USF as long as you’re in the park by 5pm (maybe 5:30?) you can stay in a holding area and get a little head start on the guests just coming for the event. If you are not in the park before 5pm (or maybe 5:30?) then you will have to wait with everyone else outside of the gate for the event to start.


----------



## Thiago Acquaviva

vrajewski10513 said:


> If you stay in USF as long as you’re in the park by 5pm (maybe 5:30?) you can stay in a holding area and get a little head start on the guests just coming for the event. If you are not in the park before 5pm (or maybe 5:30?) then you will have to wait with everyone else outside of the gate for the event to start.


ohhh, now I got it!
BIG thanks!


----------



## vrajewski10513

Do we think the holding area at Finnegan’s will open to the houses at the front of the park again this year? I remember for HHN 26 we stayed in the Hello Kitty area for AHS, but Finnegan’s last year.


----------



## macraven

_On the dates HHN is happening, the park closes to the public at 5:00 for the studios.
If you are not in the park by 4:59/5:00, you have to wait outside the gate until the park is open for hhn.

I always make sure I am at the the park entrance line by 4:45 to enter the park.
Some dates the line can be long and you don't reach the ticket gate until close to 5:00


If you have a day park ticket and hhn ticket, you are allowed to stay in the park and wait it out in the holding zones until hhn starts.

If it is 5:00 and you have the park day and hhn ticket, you won't be allowed into the park if you haven't cleared security.
You would have to wait until till they reopen the park to enter.


It varies each year if any of the holding areas are released before the others.

Some years it has been Finnegans while other times the holding pen near Hello Kitty was released first.


I usually go to the Simpsons holding area as there are plenty of seats in that section.

_


----------



## RAPstar

Catching up on a live stream from the con out in LA. I keep hearing no actual announcement tonight. When I'm done I'll make a post with all the new information we do get tonight.

ETA: no announcement


----------



## RAPstar

stranger things

orlando will do shed, byer's house, hawkings lab [two story lab, will have tank that eleven was in].

orlando will have demogorgon in different looks [closed mouth, opened mouth, and puppets with openable and closable mouths]


----------



## macraven

_Thanks for the update !_


----------



## RAPstar

A better look at the Carnival Graveyard pics (on the right)


----------



## macraven

_thanks again!_


----------



## pattyw

@RAPstar - thanks for all the details on the houses! Nice pictures!


----------



## SgtTibbs

There is no show to replace Bill and Ted correct?  It's just flat canceled with no equivalent replacement correct?


----------



## macraven

_sadly, yes

It bit the dust and no replacement._


----------



## RAPstar

SgtTibbs said:


> There is no show to replace Bill and Ted correct?  It's just flat canceled with no equivalent replacement correct?



The only show is Academy of Villains. From what I heard they considered doing either a second show or 10 houses.......and we know what they chose, lol.


----------



## macraven

RAPstar said:


> The only show is Academy of Villains. From what I heard they considered doing either a second show or 10 houses.......and we know what they chose, lol.


_So, no show for this year for us.....
sadly disappointed Bill and Ted are a thing in the past.
I adored that show!!!!_

_I saw academy of villians open and thought it was awful.
Others have said it was a waste of their time.

Nothing to do with the theme of halloween.
_


----------



## glencoe

I hope I didn't miss this as I went through this board, but I was wondering if there would be the "late park entry, 2pm" ticket (not full day as asked before) to purchase along with HHN ticket?  I saw it was offered last year but did not see it at the site.  I just booked a last minute trip for a surprise for my daughter's 16th bday.  She was so excited to see Stranger Things at the HHN and we have never gone.  We are staying at Disney ( I get discounts on resorts there) and plan on one night at HHN with express pass.  However entering the park at 2 would be fun to do other rides not open at HHN.  It will be the weekend of Columbus day, which I am now seeing is very busy!!
I am buying 4 tickets and am trying to purchase the best experience without breaking the bank.  Suggestions from the experienced?  TIA!!


----------



## RAPstar

glencoe said:


> I hope I didn't miss this as I went through this board, but I was wondering if there would be the "late park entry, 2pm" ticket (not full day as asked before) to purchase along with HHN ticket?  I saw it was offered last year but did not see it at the site.  I just booked a last minute trip for a surprise for my daughter's 16th bday.  She was so excited to see Stranger Things at the HHN and we have never gone.  We are staying at Disney ( I get discounts on resorts there) and plan on one night at HHN with express pass.  However entering the park at 2 would be fun to do other rides not open at HHN.  It will be the weekend of Columbus day, which I am now seeing is very busy!!
> I am buying 4 tickets and am trying to purchase the best experience without breaking the bank.  Suggestions from the experienced?  TIA!!



I've never heard of such a ticket, but I've had an AP most of the times I've gone.


----------



## RAPstar

macraven said:


> _So, no show for this year for us.....
> sadly disappointed Bill and Ted are a thing in the past.
> I adored that show!!!!_
> 
> _I saw academy of villians open and thought it was awful.
> Others have said it was a waste of their time.
> 
> Nothing to do with the theme of halloween._



AOV is at least horror adjacent since they've done shows about Dracula and such. HHN Hollywood keeps having the Jabbawokees or however its spelled and they're even less on theme. I enjoyed the AOV show in 2016, but I love watching talented dancers performing. I'm interested to see how elaborate their show might be in the FFL auditorium.


----------



## tink1957

I wish they would at least bring back Rocky Horror


----------



## glencoe

RAPstar said:


> I've never heard of such a ticket, but I've had an AP most of the times I've gone.


I just got an email back from them, this year they will not be offering it.. here is what they sent:

"Thank you for contacting Universal Orlando Resort™ Guest Services.

We are committed to providing the most frightening entertainment experience possible during our annual Halloween Horror Nights™ event. I do regret to inform you that we do not have a ticket allowing admission to the park at 2:00PM. We do have an add-on event ticket, if you would like to experience a full day in the park and then enjoy the event.


Halloween Horror Nights™ Add-on Tickets** during Halloween Horror Nights™ 28 will have the following prices^:


Wednesday:

Oct. 3, 10, 17, 24, 31                                                                                        $72.99^ + tax


Sunday – Thursday:

Sept. 16, 20, 23, 30, Oct. 4, 25, 28, Nov. 1                                               $72.99^ + tax

Oct. 7, 11, 14, 18, 21                                                                                        $76.99^ + tax


Friday:

Sept. 14, 21, 28, Oct. 5, 26, Nov 2                                                               $83.99^ + tax

Oct. 12, 19                                                                                                           $89.99^ + tax


Saturday:

Sept. 15, 2, 29, Oct. 6, 13, 20, 27, Nov. 3                                  $97.99^ + tax


On Halloween Horror Nights™ event dates, Universal Studios Florida™ will close daytime operation at 5:00 PM so that we can prepare for Halloween Horror Nights™ to begin at 6:30 PM. If you are inside the park before 5:00 PM and have a Halloween Horror Nights™ Add-on Ticket for that same evening, you are welcome to remain in the park at a designated waiting area for the event to begin. Our Team Members will be happy to direct you to the location of the waiting area on the day of your visit. You must present your Halloween Horror Nights™ Add-on Ticket to be admitted into the waiting area. If you decide to exit the park for any reason before accessing the holding area, you will be able to re-enter the park for Halloween Horror Nights™ at 6:30 PM with your valid Halloween Horror Nights™ admission ticket.


For additional information on Halloween Horror Nights™, please visit the official Halloween Horror Nights™ website athttp://www.halloweenhorrornights.com/orlando/ or the official Halloween Horror Nights™ Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/halloweenhorrornightsorlando."

Hope this helps others....


----------



## macraven

AlvaroLuis said:


> My apologies if this has been asked and answered already. A few years ago I bought what they used to call "Stay & Scream" tickets... the ones you bought if you wanted to hit the park all day and stay for HHN that same night. I don't find that option on the website now. Has this been discontinued?



_In case you don't see the recent post, there will be the add on ticket again this year for hhn.

A poster shared their email from UO guest services to confirm it._


----------



## glencoe

macraven said:


> _In case you don't see the recent post, there will be the add on ticket again this year for hhn.
> 
> A poster shared their email from UO guest services to confirm it._


I did see the recent post but that is in reference to a different ticket than I was interested in.  I am not looking to add the HHN to a full day ticket, I was hoping for the late day entrance (2pm)park ticket which could be added to the HHN ticket.  The email I got from universal (I posted it above) basically said they are not offering it this year (2018) even though it was offered last year.  There was a difference in cost for the late day vs. full day that made it worth it for us.  As of now we will just do the HHN with express pass.  For 4 people I just can't do the full day on top of that!  Thanks for the help!


----------



## schumigirl

whispers...………

*(we love AOV)*

Looking forward to it this year...…….think we are in the minority who will not miss B&T...….(sorry )


----------



## vrajewski10513

schumigirl said:


> whispers...………
> 
> *(we love AOV)*
> 
> Looking forward to it this year...…….think we are in the minority who will not miss B&T...….(sorry )


I will definitely miss B&T! BUT, i really enjoy AoV and I’m excited to see them perform at full capacity after being cut down the last two years.


----------



## bas71873

Columbas Day weekend is the only weekend we can swing this.  Thinking of doing HHN on Sunday night.   I cannot for the life of me find park hours for that night.  I know HHN starts at 6:30, but what time does it end?  And, can you do it “all” in one night?  Will it take forever just to get IN the park at 6:30. We weren’t planning to do anything but HHN, so we won’t be in the park before.


----------



## macraven

_It will end at 2:00 am Monday
Talking about the hhn for Sunday Oct 7th.

It will be a busy night for it so be in line for the gate early.
You have ten houses to complete besides the scare zones.

That Sunday is one of the nights I will also be doing hhn.

Looking to meet you then will be like looking for a needle in a haystack.......lol_


----------



## bas71873

macraven said:


> _It will end at 2:00 am Monday
> Talking about the hhn for Sunday Oct 7th.
> 
> It will be a busy night for it so be in line for the gate early.
> You have ten houses to complete besides the scare zones.
> 
> That Sunday is one of the nights I will also be doing hhn.
> 
> Looking to meet you then will be like looking for a needle in a haystack.......lol_



Oy!   Will Saturday be worse crowd wise?  What time would you say to get in line to get in?   We will be catching a flight home Monday, late morning.


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

Ahhhhh @soniam we're getting close I can't wait!!

Never done even a public rip tour before.

I'm ready to be a princess (of the zombie variety, gotta stay in theme).


----------



## macraven

bas71873 said:


> Oy!   Will Saturday be worse crowd wise?  What time would you say to get in line to get in?   We will be catching a flight home Monday, late morning.


_Saturday has more crowds than Sundays

You are going over the Columbus Day weekend and that weekend always is crowded.

Sunday would be better than Saturday.

If you buy the ep, it will help you to do all the houses before the park closes.

If hhn would begin at 6:30 pm this year, be in line for the entrance to the park one hour prior._

_I booked a private rip tour which starts at 6:00 on that weekend._

_The hhn park hours are not listed on the website right now so no idea if the general opening time will be 6:30 or earlier._


----------



## bas71873

Thanks again for all the help.  I booked a room, now my question is are HHN tickets refundable?  My dad has been ill off an on all summer and I'm hesitant to do anything that's not refundable this far out.  If not refundable, what are the odds of a Sunday sell out on October 7?


----------



## schumigirl

bas71873 said:


> Thanks again for all the help.  I booked a room, now my question is are HHN tickets refundable?  My dad has been ill off an on all summer and I'm hesitant to do anything that's not refundable this far out.  If not refundable, what are the odds of a Sunday sell out on October 7?


 
Totally Non Refundable I’m afraid.

Doubt very much it’ll be sold out.


----------



## macraven

_I have been going to hhn for the Columbus Day weekend since 2000.

Have only seen one sell out night and that was when it was in both parks for a Saturday night.

I doubt the park will sell out for your date.


Suggest you think about buying the ep so you can get all ten houses done and the scare zones.
Traditionally, Columbus Day weekend packs the crowds.
Saturday is the really packed night with Friday following.
Sunday is up there in crowds but still manageable.

Many peeps that have Monday off work make it a 3 day weekend for a quick trip.

At this point, no idea how ticket sales are going and if Sunday will be highly crowded or moderately crowded.


If you don't buy the ep, do the add on ticket.
Buy the day ticket and hhn ticket for the same day and you will have a slight discount on the hhn ticket.

Like Schumi said, tickets are nonrefundable._


----------



## keishashadow

glencoe said:


> I did see the recent post but that is in reference to a different ticket than I was interested in.  I am not looking to add the HHN to a full day ticket, I was hoping for the late day entrance (2pm)park ticket which could be added to the HHN ticket.  The email I got from universal (I posted it above) basically said they are not offering it this year (2018) even though it was offered last year.  There was a difference in cost for the late day vs. full day that made it worth it for us.  As of now we will just do the HHN with express pass.  For 4 people I just can't do the full day on top of that!  Thanks for the help!



Perhaps you’re thinking of a convention ticket?  Not aware of any other tix that offers 2 pm entrance.  

Well, unless you’re thinking of MNSSHP and DVC members getting entrance into MK @ 2 ahead of the 4 pm herd.



bas71873 said:


> Thanks again for all the help.  I booked a room, now my question is are HHN tickets refundable?  My dad has been ill off an on all summer and I'm hesitant to do anything that's not refundable this far out.  If not refundable, what are the odds of a Sunday sell out on October 7?



If you booked onsite, you can use the dedicated entrance.  No experience there, always in the park before 5 pm.  That large of a crowd at the gates makes me uneasy.

While not refundable, you may be able to ‘transfer’ the tickets to others.  Check the back for details.

Hope not, but recently read a comment on a blog (not sure if reputable, mind you) indicting rumor of this year’s individual HHN tix prices possibily increasing as the dates for the parties near.


----------



## keishashadow

Doing something with the alley again has been on my wishlist for years.


----------



## schumigirl

schumigirl said:


> Totally





keishashadow said:


> Doing something with the alley again has been on my wishlist for years.
> 
> View attachment 341156



That is amazing!!!! 

What year was that????? ...…...they really should utilize that area again...…..


----------



## vrajewski10513

We’re the early entry nights for APH’s part of the APH appreciation deals? If so, then I guess we’re not getting it this year?


----------



## Robo56

Yep.....Keisha that alley scene is creepy.....looks like the guy from Phantasm


----------



## cschaaf

schumigirl said:


> whispers...………
> 
> *(we love AOV)*
> 
> Looking forward to it this year...…….think we are in the minority who will not miss B&T...….(sorry )



Count me as one that will not miss B&T. I see complaints about AOV not having anything to do with Halloween, but neither did B&T. They'd have some very loose story that might have Halloween tones, but it was a show about jamming in as many pop culture references as they could. It also had nothing to do with Bill & Ted. 

I really thought this year, they would just dump the B&T tie in and do the same type of show without it. It wouldn't have changed the show at all.

I tried to watch it, but it just wasn't for me. I do feel sorry for those who enjoyed it; it sucks when something you enjoy gets taken away. Even worse when it's not really replaced.

I'm not into AOV, either. It's fine for what it is and if we walked past when they were on, we'd slow down and watch, but not stop. I won't be stopping into their show this year. To me, it's a waste of precious HHN time for something that I could see on America's Got Talent - incidentally, I saw a rumor that they will be on AGT this coming week.

All just my opinion, of course. 

I'm getting a bit worried about the days we are going. Been checking for APH rates and nothing popping up yet. In fact, the only places showing rooms at rack rate are Cabana Bay and HRH. Might be pretty crowded.

Hopefully the extra house helps distribute the crowds.


----------



## eliezra

A few Newbie questions:

We have 12 & 13 year old boys.  They have been to haunted houses and mazes before and have really liked it.  I have watched some vlogs of past events, seems ok for their tolerance level (maybe not mine!).  However, in the videos I did not really see any kids in the crowds.  Is the general atmosphere more adult oriented due to the scare factor or other aspects of the event?  
I am good with just visiting 3-4 of the houses, the scare zones and show seem more up my alley.  Is the event worth it just for a few houses?  All the props, atmosphere, and people watching looks so fun!
We have APs, any HHN discounts (sorry if this has been asked already). We will be there Oct 25-30.
Thanks so much for any info or advice!


----------



## CAPSLOCK

Presumably you must have AP in hand for discounted HHN tickets. Is it also fair to assume that they don't "sell out" of Frequent Fear passes and the like? You can buy those any time including same day?


----------



## macraven

_It’s popular and generally it will be older teens through all adult ages at hhn

Website recommends 13 and up

It’s a parental choice to take kids to hhn
It’s expensive for one night when you have a few tickets to purchase 
Suggest if you go make it for the Thursday the 25 for lighter crowds

You might not need to buy the ep then

Walk through the scare zones, take pictures if you wish
They are more decorative than scary

Read up on the houses in advance and pick a few to do for starters

If your children have no problem with them, continue your evening at 
Hhn

Once all the house names and their descriptions have been released, decide then on which houses you want to go thru

_


----------



## RAPstar

Whoops


----------



## Robo56

This means we might see Mikey again


----------



## schumigirl

I`m sure we will


----------



## macraven

_Mikey will make
Schumi ‘s day !_


----------



## schumigirl

macraven said:


> _Mikey will make
> Schumi ‘s day !_



I think I’m going to be very happy!!! 

We leave America before the new Halloween movies comes out.........I keep hinting maybe we should fly back to see it on the 19th!!! 

I think that may be a no. Expensive movie night..........


----------



## RAPstar

schumigirl said:


> I think I’m going to be very happy!!!
> 
> We leave America before the new Halloween movies comes out.........I keep hinting maybe we should fly back to see it on the 19th!!!
> 
> I think that may be a no. Expensive movie night..........



Well this house won't be based off that movie.


----------



## schumigirl

RAPstar said:


> Well this house won't be based off that movie.



I didn’t think it was. 

It was just a comment about missing the release of the newest movie.........


----------



## Brownie54

macraven said:


> _It’s popular and generally it will be older teens through all adult ages at hhn
> 
> Website recommends 13 and up
> 
> It’s a parental choice to take kids to hhn
> It’s expensive for one night when you have a few tickets to purchase
> Suggest if you go make it for the Thursday the 25 for lighter crowds
> 
> You might not need to buy the ep then
> 
> Walk through the scare zones, take pictures if you wish
> They are more decorative than scary
> 
> Read up on the houses in advance and pick a few to do for starters
> 
> If your children have no problem with them, continue your evening at
> Hhn
> 
> Once all the house names and their descriptions have been released, decide then on which houses you want to go thru
> _



Hello Mac. I haven't posted here for a long time, but have always stopped by for a read.  I just wanted to take the time to thank you for all your work here and the "Spot On" advise you give. While I haven't always agreed with your opinions on houses and shows like AOV, that's fine. That is as they say subjective. I've been going to enough HHN's to know your information is correct 99.9% of the time and your advice rates almost as high. So Thank You! 

To add to the conversation: We went with my 13 year old granddaughter for her first HHN last year. While she is certainly mature for her age I wasn't sure if she was old enough, but thankfully that decision was up to her mother. By the way, I consider this one of the advantages to being a grandparent. The first two houses she was scared, but not crazy scarred. She went on to do many more houses that night with us and while still scared she loved it. As Mac said, just go to a couple houses and enjoy the environment. Then take it from there. I have one warning. You all may have so much fun that you will want to do it every year and maybe even multiple nights a trip which could lead to strains on the budget. Even worse, you may find yourself in the future saying something like this " Hello. My name is Brownie54 and I'm a HHNaholic".


----------



## macraven

_ Brownie!

I remember youse !

Glad you posted and shared your experiences with a teen at hhn
And thank you for your kind words 

So have you booked your room, bought hhn tickets and ready to take your granddaughter back for another fun vacation and include hhn...


If you are ever at hhn anytime during my dates, give me a heads up 
Would love to do a mini meet and great with you

And that goes for any other posters here

Love putting a face with a name and saying hi
_


----------



## RAPstar

schumigirl said:


> I didn’t think it was.
> 
> It was just a comment about missing the release of the newest movie.........



Oh, I'm dumb lol


----------



## schumigirl

RAPstar said:


> Oh, I'm dumb lol



You’re not dumb at all..........


----------



## schumigirl

Brownie54 said:


> Hello Mac. I haven't posted here for a long time, but have always stopped by for a read.  I just wanted to take the time to thank you for all your work here and the "Spot On" advise you give. While I haven't always agreed with your opinions on houses and shows like AOV, that's fine. That is as they say subjective. I've been going to enough HHN's to know your information is correct 99.9% of the time and your advice rates almost as high. So Thank You!
> 
> To add to the conversation: We went with my 13 year old granddaughter for her first HHN last year. While she is certainly mature for her age I wasn't sure if she was old enough, but thankfully that decision was up to her mother. By the way, I consider this one of the advantages to being a grandparent. The first two houses she was scared, but not crazy scarred. She went on to do many more houses that night with us and while still scared she loved it. As Mac said, just go to a couple houses and enjoy the environment. Then take it from there. I have one warning. You all may have so much fun that you will want to do it every year and maybe even multiple nights a trip which could lead to strains on the budget. Even worse, you may find yourself in the future saying something like this " Hello. My name is Brownie54 and I'm a HHNaholic".





Nice to see you back again............

We’re a real bunch of fellow HHNaholics..........you’re in the right place.........


----------



## keishashadow

CAPSLOCK said:


> Presumably you must have AP in hand for discounted HHN tickets. Is it also fair to assume that they don't "sell out" of Frequent Fear passes and the like? You can buy those any time including same day?



Last i checked online you had to input your APH #

Not sure what year that alley photo.


----------



## macraven

_I've either bought tickets on the ap ordering site or called and they verified my ap in order to buy the ap discounted tickets/passes.



When I ordered the FF + ep in June, I had to give them my ap number over the phone in order to get the ap discount._


----------



## CAPSLOCK

Do they sell unlimited numbers of the Frequent Fear passes, straight through the end of Oct?


----------



## RAPstar

Final spec map until UO finally releases all info


----------



## cynditech

eliezra said:


> A few Newbie questions:
> 
> We have 12 & 13 year old boys.  They have been to haunted houses and mazes before and have really liked it.  I have watched some vlogs of past events, seems ok for their tolerance level (maybe not mine!).  However, in the videos I did not really see any kids in the crowds.  Is the general atmosphere more adult oriented due to the scare factor or other aspects of the event?
> I am good with just visiting 3-4 of the houses, the scare zones and show seem more up my alley.  Is the event worth it just for a few houses?  All the props, atmosphere, and people watching looks so fun!
> We have APs, any HHN discounts (sorry if this has been asked already). We will be there Oct 25-30.
> Thanks so much for any info or advice!


 

Of course it will depend on the maturity of your kids - but we had a great time last year with an 11 & 14 year old.  We did every zone and every house.  I'm pretty sure I was more scared lol!!!  I would go even just for the atmosphere, it was fun walking around and taking it all in.  We saw nothing too questionable as far as it being adult oriented.  The worst was probably when we were waiting for our Uber at the end of the night and the kids seeing quite a few drunk people, and one was puking.  We're going again this year, from Oct 30-Nov 6, and my son cannot wait for the haunted houses!!!


----------



## Brownie54

macraven said:


> _ Brownie!
> 
> I remember youse !
> 
> Glad you posted and shared your experiences with a teen at hhn
> And thank you for your kind words
> 
> So have you booked your room, bought hhn tickets and ready to take your granddaughter back for another fun vacation and include hhn...
> 
> 
> If you are ever at hhn anytime during my dates, give me a heads up
> Would love to do a mini meet and great with you
> 
> And that goes for any other posters here
> 
> Love putting a face with a name and saying hi_



Thanks for remembering. I hope to go again this year, but "real life" is trying to make it harder. I'll be sure to share dates and hopefully info if I can make it official. I'm thinking of making a hotel reservation just to hold a room in case we go. Fingers crossed.


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

Does anyone know when we'll get the hours?

I know that it will be opening at the same time, but certain nights stayed open later than others and I can't find that info for this year.


----------



## RAPstar

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> Does anyone know when we'll get the hours?
> 
> I know that it will be opening at the same time, but certain nights stayed open later than others and I can't find that info for this year.



Soon? Lol


----------



## macraven

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> Does anyone know when we'll get the hours?
> I know that it will be opening at the same time, but certain nights stayed open later than others and I can't find that info for this year.




_
The only thing I am sure of is the park will close hhn at 2:00 am for Friday and Saturdays.

When I booked my private rip hhn tour I was given the start time of 6 or 6:30 for that Friday night.


Past years the park opens officially at 6:30
If there are any changes or adjustments, UO will release that soon._


----------



## tbird89

My wife and I used to go to HHN every year (during a five year span) up until we had kids. We haven't been to HHN or Universal Orlando since 2007. My son, the little guy on my profile pic, is 11 and my daughter 8. Going back to our old stomping grounds next month, and I'm glad to see some of the same people on here that used to offer us a lot of great advice back in the day.

I'll be asking some questions along the way, but the first that comes to mind involves HHN Express Passes. I recall back in 06 and 07 that staff would walk around the park (during HHN) selling express passes at a discount. Does anyone know if this still goes on?


----------



## schumigirl

Getting a little impatient now for HHN...………….

Two of my favourite throwback pictures...……2008


----------



## macraven

tbird89 said:


> My wife and I used to go to HHN every year (during a five year span) up until we had kids. We haven't been to HHN or Universal Orlando since 2007. My son, the little guy on my profile pic, is 11 and my daughter 8. Going back to our old stomping grounds next month, and I'm glad to see some of the same people on here that used to offer us a lot of great advice back in the day.
> 
> I'll be asking some questions along the way, but the first that comes to mind involves HHN Express Passes. I recall back in 06 and 07 that staff would walk around the park (during HHN) selling express passes at a discount. Does anyone know if this still goes on?


No it doesn’t 

You can buy the ep at guest services during the event while you are there for hhn

Some nights they can sell out


----------



## kristenabelle

Jumping on late re: holding pens and stay & scream. I was in the Finnegan's area on the Saturday before Halloween last year (26th/27th?). Didn't feel crowded at all. We were released earlier than I thought, and I was able to do Shining & Dead Waters in less than 15 minutes. Downside was absolutely no one was in front or behind me, so I got every. single. scare. And then some. 

Looking forward to doing it again this year, and based on the spec map, hopefully hitting up Stranger Things first


----------



## vrajewski10513

kristenabelle said:


> Jumping on late re: holding pens and stay & scream. I was in the Finnegan's area on the Saturday before Halloween last year (26th/27th?). Didn't feel crowded at all. We were released earlier than I thought, and I was able to do Shining & Dead Waters in less than 15 minutes. Downside was absolutely no one was in front or behind me, so I got every. single. scare. And then some.
> 
> Looking forward to doing it again this year, and based on the spec map, hopefully hitting up Stranger Things first


Probably because everyone made a B-Line to AHS from that holding area lol i feel like the same will be true this year assuming Stranger Things is in that first building AHS was in last year.


----------



## macraven

_So true!

That front house always gets heavy crowds each year

Location besides popularity adds to the long lines for it_


----------



## vrajewski10513

macraven said:


> _So true!
> 
> That front house always gets heavy crowds each year
> 
> Location besides popularity adds to the long lines for it_


Definitely. I feel like they always put the “Big dog” in that building.


----------



## vrajewski10513

I’ve never seen anything like this. Super pumped to see what they do with it!!


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

Very 'annihilation'.


----------



## RAPstar

Rumor is that the "moon" will be the only source of light in SOX. I'm very excited!


----------



## keishashadow

Perhaps they’ll work in a nod to Audrey


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> Perhaps they’ll work in a nod to Audrey



Lol.......despite never having watched that particular movie.........much to Tom’s disbelief, I love that scene!!!


----------



## RAPstar

POLTEGEIST CONFIRMED

https://blog.universalorlando.com/whats-new/poltergeist-hhn/


----------



## vrajewski10513

RAPstar said:


> POLTEGEIST CONFIRMED
> 
> https://blog.universalorlando.com/whats-new/poltergeist-hhn/


Woohoo!!! Keep ‘em comin!!


----------



## kylieelizabethhh

Between Poltergeist and Stranger Things, I definitely think those will be the long-line houses. I’m so excited for the originals this year, I think they’re going to truly shine against the IPs. But it’ll be cool to see what they do with Poltergeist!


----------



## keishashadow

Sticky updated, please Universal, do Poltergiest right!  So much iconic material there but the swimming pool scene would be much appreciated 



schumigirl said:


> Lol.......despite never having watched that particular movie.........much to Tom’s disbelief, I love that scene!!!



Oh, but you must see it!  Get that vibe when looking at giant flower on wall in the RPH standard rooms lol


----------



## buckeev

OK...Stranger Thangs and Poltergiest ... Guess that seals my fate! We're going for the last HHN weekend!


----------



## RAPstar

Oh and also SOX is going to be very influenced by Annihilation, the sequence from Creepshow that Stephen King was in (something something Jordy Verrell), and The Colour Out of Space by Lovecraft. 



keishashadow said:


> Sticky updated, please Universal, do Poltergiest right!  So much iconic material there but the swimming pool scene would be much appreciated



 From what I heard from the person I've been getting all my info from, you start out in the underground graveyard (that the house is built on) then come up through the backyard and enter the "house" from there.


----------



## keishashadow

RAPstar said:


> Oh and also SOX is going to be very influenced by Annihilation, the sequence from Creepshow that Stephen King was in (something something Jordy Verrell), and The Colour Out of Space by Lovecraft.
> 
> 
> 
> From what I heard from the person I've been getting all my info from, you start out in the underground graveyard (that the house is built on) then come up through the backyard and enter the "house" from there.



Good thing he kept his day job lol. Campy fun though. 






Wow, working in Lovecraft?  I’m surprised and impressed, not exactlly mainstream

You are an quite the fountain of HHN knowledge! Yea!  That sounds very promising.  Nothing worse than a favorite movie/book missing the mark translating into a house.

Do you have any guesses what we might see for remaining houses this year?


----------



## RAPstar

keishashadow said:


> Do you have any guesses what we might see for remaining houses this year?



The only ones left to be announced are: 

Halloween 4: Return of Michael Meyers (are ya'll related BTW? haha)
Scary Tales: Deadly Ever After 
Blumhouse 2 (with Happy Death Day for sure. The First Purge is rumored to be the second movie but we don't know for sure)


----------



## keishashadow

Andy after meeting some of my DHs relatives, I’m going to say there’s a distinct possibility hehe

Ok no surprises but seems to be a varied & promising lineup


----------



## RAPstar

keishashadow said:


> Andy after meeting some of my DHs relatives, I’m going to say there’s a distinct possibility hehe
> 
> Ok no surprises but seems to be a varied & promising lineup



I'm just glad to finally get to see a Scary Tales house. I'm kind of a big fairy tale nerd, and also a big Oz nerd (the wicked witch is going to be featured prominently).


----------



## macraven

RAPstar said:


> Oh and also SOX is going to be very influenced by Annihilation, the sequence from Creepshow that Stephen King was in (something something Jordy Verrell), and The Colour Out of Space by Lovecraft.
> 
> 
> 
> From what I heard from the person I've been getting all my info from, you start out in the underground graveyard (that the house is built on) then come up through the backyard and enter the "house" from there.


_There are a lot of private boards you can join on FB
All that I read a month ago has been valid 

Maybe next year we will set up a spoiler site thread for hhn

For those that do not want to read about specifics before uo announces it would be a good thing for a general thread


_


----------



## schumigirl

*5 weeks to go...……………….*


----------



## MikeNamez

I may have missed it but have they announced any AP early entry events yet?


----------



## vrajewski10513

MikeNamez said:


> I may have missed it but have they announced any AP early entry events yet?


Not yet.


----------



## bas71873

Talk to me about getting in to HHN at the start time.  We are not going to be in the park before HHN because I just can't justify the cost with buying an HHN ticket and the EP for all 4 of us.  Any good tips & tricks?


----------



## Robo56

bas71873 said:


> Talk to me about getting in to HHN at the start time. We are not going to be in the park before HHN because I just can't justify the cost with buying an HHN ticket and the EP for all 4 of us. Any good tips & tricks?



Universal Studios will close at 5 pm on HHN nights.

Folks who have a day park ticket and HHN ticket can go to stay and scream areas. Once all non HHN ticket holders are out of the park then the folks in stay and scream areas can be released to houses when they open usually about 6 - 6:15 pm. Most of these people do not have EP.

Non day park HHN ticket holders start lining up outside the gate early.....I have seen lines pretty hefty on weekends for sure......the fact you are going to have EP will help.

You will be glad you have the EP when you see how long the lines are for folks who do not have EP....especially if it’s on a busy night.

Not sure what month or night you are going September, October. This does make a difference. If it’s a Friday or Saturday it will be busy.

Did you cost out the price of a RIP TOUR vs ticket for the night and EP for each in your party.

If you only have one night that might be a good cost comparable option...Nice perks with the tour for sure.


----------



## yulilin3

read through page one but didn't see the answer. Has the UO TM discount ticket prices been released? For some reason I go to the UOTeam site and can't find prices there either


----------



## macraven

_No TM’s have posted here what their discounts will be for tickets 

We usually do not have any postings from staff that will state it openly

Your best bet is to talk to other TMs and ask them what was the discounted cost for tickets last year
My guess it will be about the same for 2018

I was told it usually is late in the game for the employees to find out their discounted cost in past years

Hopefully you will find out the info soon!_


----------



## yulilin3

macraven said:


> _No TM’s have posted here what their discounts will be for tickets
> 
> We usually do not have any postings from staff that will state it openly
> 
> Your best bet is to talk to other TMs and ask them what was the discounted cost for tickets last year
> My guess it will be about the same for 2018
> 
> I was told it usually is late in the game for the employees to find out their discounted cost in past years
> 
> Hopefully you will find out the info soon!_


Thanks. I know the current newsletter is talking about rock the universe so I'm guessing next one will be hhn and that will have the discount info. My son is a tm so he'll be able to get me a discounted ticket


----------



## macraven

_Isn't it great to have a relative working the parks so you can enjoy the perks!
UO is great about TM getting deals for their family.

I did contact two TM's I am friends with after i posted back to you and they told me they have not seen or heard anything yet on the discounts for them.(hhn)
_


----------



## schumigirl

After the last Potter movie tonight we are going to watch the original Poltergeist........

Haven’t watched it in a while..........

Then must get Netflix back and start watching Stranger Things.........not sure I’ll like it, but will give it a go........


----------



## soniam

schumigirl said:


> After the last Potter movie tonight we are going to watch the original Poltergeist........
> 
> Haven’t watched it in a while..........
> 
> Then must get Netflix back and start watching Stranger Things.........not sure I’ll like it, but will give it a go........



We should be getting Poltergeist in a few days from Netflix. Son just got home from visiting the grandparents, so we have some movies to catch up on. Right now, it's Exorcist. I know it's not a house this year, but he really wants to see it. Next is Killer Klowns. We watched all the first season of Stranger Things and liked it. It reminded me of a Stephen King story, little more like Stand by Me with a bit of IT. It was visually very good too.


----------



## keishashadow

RAPstar said:


> I'm just glad to finally get to see a Scary Tales house. I'm kind of a big fairy tale nerd, and also a big Oz nerd (the wicked witch is going to be featured prominently).



She’ll get you, my pretty

_Surely, they won’t pass on having Flying monkeys.  _



schumigirl said:


> After the last Potter movie tonight we are going to watch the original Poltergeist........
> 
> Haven’t watched it in a while..........
> 
> Then must get Netflix back and start watching Stranger Things.........not sure I’ll like it, but will give it a go........



Caught it a few weeks ago.  Still holds up but had to explain why the tv channel went off with national anthem to the youngins lol


----------



## schumigirl

soniam said:


> We should be getting Poltergeist in a few days from Netflix. Son just got home from visiting the grandparents, so we have some movies to catch up on. Right now, it's Exorcist. I know it's not a house this year, but he really wants to see it. Next is Killer Klowns. We watched all the first season of Stranger Things and liked it. It reminded me of a Stephen King story, little more like Stand by Me with a bit of IT. It was visually very good too.



I wouldn’t watch The Exorcist for years!! Thought it would be too scary.........when I finally did watch it as an adult it was the biggest disappointment since finding out about Father Christmas!!! I kept saying is this it???? Lol.......big disappointment..........but so many love it, so it must just be me..........

Started watching Stranger Things last night.........think we’re going to like it! 



keishashadow said:


> She’ll get you, my pretty
> 
> _Surely, they won’t pass on having Flying monkeys.  _
> 
> 
> 
> Caught it a few weeks ago.  Still holds up but had to explain why the tv channel went off with national anthem to the youngins lol



Lol......I know, makes you feel ancient when you can remember those days!!

I know a few flying monkeys..........


----------



## keishashadow

schumigirl said:


> I wouldn’t watch The Exorcist for years!! Thought it would be too scary.........when I finally did watch it as an adult it was the biggest disappointment since finding out about Father Christmas!!! I kept saying is this it???? Lol.......big disappointment..........but so many love it, so it must just be me..........
> 
> Started watching Stranger Things last night.........think we’re going to like it!
> 
> 
> 
> Lol......I know, makes you feel ancient when you can remember those days!!
> 
> I know a few flying monkeys..........



Have you seen the exorcist tv show?  I’m back the last season on DVR but it’s pretty creepy but strikes me rather depressing.  Didn’t get that in the movies.


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> Have you seen the exorcist tv show?  I’m back the last season on DVR but it’s pretty creepy but strikes me rather depressing.  Didn’t get that in the movies.



Never watched it. 

Have seen it advertised but didn’t appeal at all........don’t fancy depressing!!! Like the creepy vibe shows can give off though........


----------



## Robo56




----------



## TheNameless

bas71873 said:


> Talk to me about getting in to HHN at the start time.  We are not going to be in the park before HHN because I just can't justify the cost with buying an HHN ticket and the EP for all 4 of us.  Any good tips & tricks?



Scareactor dining is another option. It takes place at the monster cafe and is a buffet. If you can reserve an early seating (they start at 5 pm) I have read they will let you into the houses before HHN opening, I think when the stay and scream people are allowed into houses. The dinning is $50 per person. 

https://www.universalorlando.com/web/en/us/things-to-do/dining/hhn-scareactor-dining/index.html

I'm doing this on the Saturday night I am attending HHN (09/22). I couldn't justify the cost of single day tickets either due to not only money but time. I can only spend so long in the parks before I get too tired.


----------



## TheNameless

It is rumored that the Simpsons ride will not be open for HHN this year.


----------



## kylieelizabethhh

TheNameless said:


> It is rumored that the Simpsons ride will not be open for HHN this year.


Any idea why? I’ve seen that a few times too, but haven’t found a reason why.


----------



## soniam

schumigirl said:


> I wouldn’t watch The Exorcist for years!! Thought it would be too scary.........when I finally did watch it as an adult it was the biggest disappointment since finding out about Father Christmas!!! I kept saying is this it???? Lol.......big disappointment..........but so many love it, so it must just be me..........
> 
> Started watching Stranger Things last night.........think we’re going to like it!



It definitely wasn't as scary as it seemed as a kid. I think the thought of the devil was just scarier then. I don't think it scared my son much either. I think the language and sexual innuendo were pretty shocking back then. However, it's actually a really good film, with a good script and acting. We haven't always seen that in horror films, until Blumhouse came about. I hadn't realized it was based on a supposed non-fiction book. That might be a good read before HHN.


----------



## Robo56

TheNameless said:


> I'm doing this on the Saturday night I am attending HHN (09/22). I couldn't justify the cost of single day tickets either due to not only money but time. I can only spend so long in the parks before I get too tired.



Yep, can be a long day for sure especially after Parks during day and HHN at night.

You will have to have your HHN ticket for that evening plus your Scareator dining ticket to get into the park for your 5 pm dining experience.

I just noticed the dining experience is not available on any Friday during HHN.

Have great fun dining with the Monsters


----------



## TheNameless

kylieelizabethhh said:


> Any idea why? I’ve seen that a few times too, but haven’t found a reason why.



The user legacy who as been leaking clues about the houses the past few months on another forum suggested it was due to staffing, since there is an additional house now and also F&F is rumored to be open this year at HHN. This year will be my first HHN, so just going off what I have read online.


----------



## TheNameless

Robo56 said:


> Yep, can be a long day for sure especially after Parks during day and HHN at night.
> 
> You will have to have your HHN ticket for that evening plus your Scareator dining ticket to get into the park for your 5 pm dining experience.
> 
> I just noticed the dining experience is not available on any Friday during HHN.
> 
> Have great fun dining with the Monsters



Thank you I can't wait to get a pick with Sam   I bought the Rush of Fear with Express tickets and am going Sat 09/21 and Sun 09/22.


----------



## DIS_AWC

Robo56 said:


> Universal Studios will close at 5 pm on HHN nights.
> 
> Folks who have a day park ticket and HHN ticket can go to stay and scream areas. Once all non HHN ticket holders are out of the park then the folks in stay and scream areas can be released to houses when they open usually about 6 - 6:15 pm. Most of these people do not have EP.



I was just looking at the calendar and noticed that it now says Universal closes at *6:00* for the dates we will be there in October. 

With HHN officially starting at 6:30, do the seasoned vets think there will still be any advantage to being in the park ahead of time and staying in a holding area if they will be emptying regular park guests out up to 6:00? We're trying to figure out if we want to spend the whole day straight through at Universal or break up the day with an early dinner outside the park. We will have EP and are staying at the Hard Rock if that makes a difference.


----------



## Robo56

DIS_AWC said:


> I was just looking at the calendar and noticed that it now says Universal closes at *6:00* for the dates we will be there in October.
> 
> With HHN officially starting at 6:30, do the seasoned vets think there will still be any advantage to being in the park ahead of time and staying in a holding area if they will be emptying regular park guests out up to 6:00? We're trying to figure out if we want to spend the whole day straight through at Universal or break up the day with an early dinner outside the park. We will have EP and are staying at the Hard Rock if that makes a difference.




That will be interesting as when they have closed the park to regular guest at 5 pm usually it seems to take for forever for some of those people to leave the park....so unless the staff are going to be really rounding those folks up to get them out quickly this year I don’t see how that will work.

With you staying onsite you can go through the hotel guest entrance to your far right on the other side of
Building. So when you go under the arch entrance to US you will go to your right not straight to regular ticket holder gate entrance.

You having EP will help a lot.

Even if you have EP and you are going on weekend at end of September and October it will be busy. So some do the Stay and Scream just to have a jump on the houses. Having dinner prior to hitting HHN is not a bad idea. They do have select restaurants open inside the park also during the event.

For those who want to stay in the park for STAY AND SCREAM.....go to parks early in the day.....go back to hotel and have a rest and then come to US and be in the park before 5 pm.


----------



## schumigirl




----------



## soniam

DIS_AWC said:


> I was just looking at the calendar and noticed that it now says Universal closes at *6:00* for the dates we will be there in October.
> 
> With HHN officially starting at 6:30, do the seasoned vets think there will still be any advantage to being in the park ahead of time and staying in a holding area if they will be emptying regular park guests out up to 6:00? We're trying to figure out if we want to spend the whole day straight through at Universal or break up the day with an early dinner outside the park. We will have EP and are staying at the Hard Rock if that makes a difference.



I got an email from Touring Plans about that. I wonder if it's a mistake. That's not much time to get people out, unless they are going to start herding people to the exits before 6pm, like closer to 5pm.


----------



## bas71873

Robo56 said:


> That will be interesting as when they have closed the park to regular guest at 5 pm usually it seems to take for forever for some of those people to leave the park....so unless the staff are going to be really rounding those folks up to get them out quickly this year I don’t see how that will work.
> 
> *With you staying onsite you can go through the hotel guest entrance to your far right on the other side of*
> *Building. So when you go under the arch entrance to US you will go to your right not straight to regular ticket holder gate entrance.*
> 
> You having EP will help a lot.
> 
> Even if you have EP and you are going on weekend at end of September and October it will be busy. So some do the Stay and Scream just to have a jump on the houses. Having dinner prior to hitting HHN is not a bad idea. They do have select restaurants open inside the park also during the event.
> 
> *For those who want to stay in the park for STAY AND SCREAM.....go to parks early in the day.....go back to hotel and have a rest and then come to US and be in the park before 5 pm.*



THANK YOU!  I had no idea about a separate entrance for hotel guests.  Still trying to decide what to do about our day!  Maybe doing a park day, with a break for lunch and a nap and being back before 5;00 isn't a bad idea for a Saturday.......


----------



## keishashadow

DIS_AWC said:


> I was just looking at the calendar and noticed that it now says Universal closes at *6:00* for the dates we will be there in October.
> 
> With HHN officially starting at 6:30, do the seasoned vets think there will still be any advantage to being in the park ahead of time and staying in a holding area if they will be emptying regular park guests out up to 6:00? We're trying to figure out if we want to spend the whole day straight through at Universal or break up the day with an early dinner outside the park. We will have EP and are staying at the Hard Rock if that makes a difference.



What are they thinking?  

Runs opposite to official closure re RIP tours starting up slots earlier this year for checkin???

Really hope they think this thru & modify it back to 5 pm closure for studios.

Have lounged in simpsons area last few years.  Always scratched my head as to how late the few stragglers are urged out.  I’ve often wondered if people try to hide in the bathrooms, etc. to gain access, not realizing that absolutely won’t work.  

Surely hope closing @ 6 pm doesn’t mean they will let guests still enter MIB line shortly beforehand. Depending upon how it’s stacked could take a good hour plus for them to circulate thru it.  The hounds aren’t released from the pens until park is cleared.


----------



## vrajewski10513

DIS_AWC said:


> I was just looking at the calendar and noticed that it now says Universal closes at *6:00* for the dates we will be there in October.
> 
> With HHN officially starting at 6:30, do the seasoned vets think there will still be any advantage to being in the park ahead of time and staying in a holding area if they will be emptying regular park guests out up to 6:00? We're trying to figure out if we want to spend the whole day straight through at Universal or break up the day with an early dinner outside the park. We will have EP and are staying at the Hard Rock if that makes a difference.





Robo56 said:


> That will be interesting as when they have closed the park to regular guest at 5 pm usually it seems to take for forever for some of those people to leave the park....so unless the staff are going to be really rounding those folks up to get them out quickly this year I don’t see how that will work.
> 
> With you staying onsite you can go through the hotel guest entrance to your far right on the other side of
> Building. So when you go under the arch entrance to US you will go to your right not straight to regular ticket holder gate entrance.
> 
> You having EP will help a lot.
> 
> Even if you have EP and you are going on weekend at end of September and October it will be busy. So some do the Stay and Scream just to have a jump on the houses. Having dinner prior to hitting HHN is not a bad idea. They do have select restaurants open inside the park also during the event.
> 
> For those who want to stay in the park for STAY AND SCREAM.....go to parks early in the day.....go back to hotel and have a rest and then come to US and be in the park before 5 pm.





soniam said:


> I got an email from Touring Plans about that. I wonder if it's a mistake. That's not much time to get people out, unless they are going to start herding people to the exits before 6pm, like closer to 5pm.





keishashadow said:


> What are they thinking?
> 
> Runs opposite to official closure re RIP tours starting up slots earlier this year for checkin???
> 
> Really hope they think this thru & modify it back to 5 pm closure for studios.
> 
> Have lounged in simpsons area last few years.  Always scratched my head as to how late the few stragglers are urged out.  I’ve often wondered if people try to hide in the bathrooms, etc. to gain access, not realizing that absolutely won’t work.
> 
> Surely hope closing @ 6 pm doesn’t mean they will let guests still enter MIB line shortly beforehand. Depending upon how it’s stacked could take a good hour plus for them to circulate thru it.  The hounds aren’t released from the pens until park is cleared.


I just got a touring plans notification that closing time for studios was changed back to 5pm.


----------



## vrajewski10513

It’s official!!


----------



## soniam

vrajewski10513 said:


> I just got a touring plans notification that closing time for studios was changed back to 5pm.



Me too. Finally, something that makes sense. It must have been a mistake.


----------



## keishashadow

Carole’s mad-man is baaack!!!

Happy 30th anniversary & all, wasn’t my favorite of the franchise, was a bit fuzzy on details JIK any one needs to brush up here’s plot synopsis

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halloween_4:_The_Return_of_Michael_Myers


----------



## schumigirl

keishashadow said:


> Carole’s mad-man is baaack!!!
> 
> Happy 30th anniversary & all, wasn’t my favorite of the franchise, was a bit fuzzy on details JIK any one needs to brush up here’s plot synopsis
> 
> https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halloween_4:_The_Return_of_Michael_Myers



    

I wish it wasn’t about this film too........it’s not the best........but it’s still Michael Myers!!! May need to visit HHN every night we can now.........usually we skip a night or two as I believe we can go around 10 nights.......but since we knew my favourite nightmare was coming back.........well.............

I’m desperate to see the new one coming out October........ I love that it ignores all the others in the franchise! And Nick Castle and Jamie lee are in it........that was enough for me to know I’d love it!


----------



## Robo56

Mikey’s officially back


----------



## MikeNamez

schumigirl said:


> I’m desperate to see the new one coming out October........ I love that it ignores all the others in the franchise! And Nick Castle and Jamie lee are in it........that was enough for me to know I’d love it!



The thing that excites me most about the new one is Danny McBride who helped write it.  I loved what Jordan Peele did with Get Out and now I'm curious to see what Danny can do coming from a Comedy background.


----------



## andrea4896

I purchased the BOGO tickets and my husband and I are headed to HHN for our first time ever. We are planning to go October 24th (Wednesday) and November 1st (Thursday). I would love to see everything that HHN has to offer and also possibly ride some rides (especially the Happy Potter ride if it's open) if we have the time since I have never been to Universal. Does this sound possible without buying EP or will it be too much? Based on ticket prices I think the nights we have picked will be less busy and we will plan to arrive well in advance and will stay until close.

Should I just bite the bullet and buy the express pass or do you think this is doable without it?

Thanks!


----------



## kylieelizabethhh

andrea4896 said:


> I purchased the BOGO tickets and my husband and I are headed to HHN for our first time ever. We are planning to go October 24th (Wednesday) and November 1st (Thursday). I would love to see everything that HHN has to offer and also possibly ride some rides (especially the Happy Potter ride if it's open) if we have the time since I have never been to Universal. Does this sound possible without buying EP or will it be too much? Based on ticket prices I think the nights we have picked will be less busy and we will plan to arrive well in advance and will stay until close.
> 
> Should I just bite the bullet and buy the express pass or do you think this is doable without it?
> 
> Thanks!


Depending on crowds, you could possibly see everything. But if I were you, I would buy an express pass for one of the nights, just as a guarantee. With there being 10 houses this year, you want to make sure you see them all! Plus AoV, plus rides, I just think it’s a good idea to have an express pass for one night, then try to do as much as you can on the other night without a pass.

I hope you enjoy your first HHN! Once you go once, you’ll want to go back every year.


----------



## schumigirl

*BLAST FROM THE PAST...…….2008





*


----------



## RKS03

Hi all.  We’re planning on flying in 4:30ish to Orlando in the last Friday before Halloween so expecting it’ll be pretty busy.  Thinking I should book the R.I.P. public tour so i’ll have time to do all the houses.  I’m a little worried about flight delays so thinking I should book the last tour that day (8:30). Will I have express access to rides or any other VIP privileges before the tour or only after? Thanks for any tips.


----------



## schumigirl

*4 WEEKS TO GO...……………




















*


----------



## bas71873

andrea4896 said:


> I purchased the *BOGO tickets* and my husband and I are headed to HHN for our first time ever. We are planning to go October 24th (Wednesday) and November 1st (Thursday). I would love to see everything that HHN has to offer and also possibly ride some rides (especially the Happy Potter ride if it's open) if we have the time since I have never been to Universal. Does this sound possible without buying EP or will it be too much? Based on ticket prices I think the nights we have picked will be less busy and we will plan to arrive well in advance and will stay until close.
> 
> Should I just bite the bullet and buy the express pass or do you think this is doable without it?
> 
> Thanks!



Where did you find the BOGO tickets?


----------



## sarahgirl

bas71873 said:


> Where did you find the BOGO tickets?



Universal had a sale for BOGO HHN tickets but that ended 6/30/18.


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

So I started my hhn prep last night. We watched killer clowns from outer space.

I'll admit, it's a terrible movie but it's the enjoyable type of terrible.

I thoroughly enjoyed it. Now I'm wondering if there will be some Shadow puppets on the walls for the scare zone. I hope one of the clowns has a balloon dog.

Wonder if they'll actually shoot popcorn occasionally.


----------



## andrea4896

kylieelizabethhh said:


> Depending on crowds, you could possibly see everything. But if I were you, I would buy an express pass for one of the nights, just as a guarantee. With there being 10 houses this year, you want to make sure you see them all! Plus AoV, plus rides, I just think it’s a good idea to have an express pass for one night, then try to do as much as you can on the other night without a pass.
> 
> I hope you enjoy your first HHN! Once you go once, you’ll want to go back every year.



Thanks! This is exactly what I was thinking. I will probably end up buying the EP for the first night in hopes that we can do all/most things and then re-do our favourites on the second night.


----------



## RKS03

I decided to book the V.I.P. Non private tour because of how busy it will be the night I’m going and I really want to go in every house.  I got an email confirmation when I booked but it didn’t even say what time my reservation is for or where I need to meet.  Does anyone know if that e-mail comes later?


----------



## jessicag13

RKS03 said:


> I decided to book the V.I.P. Non private tour because of how busy it will be the night I’m going and I really want to go in every house.  I got an email confirmation when I booked but it didn’t even say what time my reservation is for or where I need to meet.  Does anyone know if that e-mail comes later?


i was concerned when i signed up for mine too, because it didn't show in the email, but it DOES show the date/time in the app under "wallet" > "purchases"


----------



## RKS03

jessicag13 said:


> i was concerned when i signed up for mine too, because it didn't show in the email, but it DOES show the date/time in the app under "wallet" > "purchases"


Thanks for that! I see the time there along with a message that the order is processing.  Apparently it takes a bit of time for them so maybe we’ll het e-mails eventually.


----------



## macraven

_You should get the email from Vip Tours once the payment has been processed.

You will totally love this tour!


You will see all the houses guaranteed _


----------



## soniam

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> So I started my hhn prep last night. We watched killer clowns from outer space.
> 
> I'll admit, it's a terrible movie but it's the enjoyable type of terrible.
> 
> I thoroughly enjoyed it. Now I'm wondering if there will be some Shadow puppets on the walls for the scare zone. I hope one of the clowns has a balloon dog.
> 
> Wonder if they'll actually shoot popcorn occasionally.



I loved the balloon dog. I laughed so hard at that. It was a fun movie. Now, we have Poltergeist. I hope it came in the mail today. We've been watching some other non-HHN movies. Just watched Exorcist and Oculus. I really liked Oculus. It was an interesting story line. Kind of hard to follow though if you are trying to do anything else at the same time. We have Omen as well, but I'm not in the mood for it. It's kind of slow. I realized today that DS hasn't seen the other Halloweens except the first one. We might have to get the others now too. I haven't seen 3 or 4. I think I really need to see 3 after how much they talked about it in the Universal DISunplugged yesterday.


----------



## iluvpluto27

jessicag13 said:


> i was concerned when i signed up for mine too, because it didn't show in the email, but it DOES show the date/time in the app under "wallet" > "purchases"



How did you link your tour to the wallet? I can’t seem to do it with the confirmation number. Or did you purchase the tour through the app itself?

Thanks


----------



## jessicag13

iluvpluto27 said:


> How did you link your tour to the wallet? I can’t seem to do it with the confirmation number. Or did you purchase the tour through the app itself?


i think i was logged into my universal account when i purchased on my computer- and it just linked when i logged into the app.


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

soniam said:


> I loved the balloon dog. I laughed so hard at that. It was a fun movie. Now, we have Poltergeist. I hope it came in the mail today. We've been watching some other non-HHN movies. Just watched Exorcist and Oculus. I really liked Oculus. It was an interesting story line. Kind of hard to follow though if you are trying to do anything else at the same time. We have Omen as well, but I'm not in the mood for it. It's kind of slow. I realized today that DS hasn't seen the other Halloweens except the first one. We might have to get the others now too. I haven't seen 3 or 4. I think I really need to see 3 after how much they talked about it in the Universal DISunplugged yesterday.



We watched the Exorcist and the Shining last year. Also did Halloween 1 and 2. I haven't listened to the latest Universal podcast yet, but I was considering skipping Halloween 3 and just going to 4. Maybe I shouldn't.

We are also going to re-watch Stranger Things season 1 and Poltergeist. If Happy Death Day is a house we watched that a few months ago.


----------



## soniam

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> We watched the Exorcist and the Shining last year. Also did Halloween 1 and 2. I haven't listened to the latest Universal podcast yet, but I was considering skipping Halloween 3 and just going to 4. Maybe I shouldn't.
> 
> We are also going to re-watch Stranger Things season 1 and Poltergeist. If Happy Death Day is a house we watched that a few months ago.



It's not that Craig said 3 was good, but he said you have to see it. So, I'm thinking it's going to be hilarious


----------



## schumigirl

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> We watched the Exorcist and the Shining last year. Also did Halloween 1 and 2. I haven't listened to the latest Universal podcast yet, but I was considering skipping Halloween 3 and just going to 4. Maybe I shouldn't.
> 
> We are also going to re-watch Stranger Things season 1 and Poltergeist. If Happy Death Day is a house we watched that a few months ago.



Halloween 3 has to be the worst ever........I honestly wouldn’t bother........

Michael Myers isn’t the story, he’s not in it.......except for a 3 second image on a tv screen.......it’s about an insane toy maker out to kill as many on Halloween as possible.......

It is truly dire and I haven’t been as disappointed in a movie ever........well, maybe except Shrek 2


----------



## GirlDreamer

Is it worth getting the Express Pass for the Haunted Houses? We're planning on going on Sept.20th and want to do as many houses as possible.


----------



## schumigirl

GirlDreamer said:


> Is it worth getting the Express Pass for the Haunted Houses? We're planning on going on Sept.20th and want to do as many houses as possible.



Absolutely!!!

We wouldn’t do HHN without EP! 

Even on so called quieter nights early in the event, lines can get long........really long......especially for the best houses.........

With EP you will definitely be able to see them all in one night.


----------



## GirlDreamer

schumigirl said:


> Absolutely!!!
> 
> We wouldn’t do HHN without EP!
> 
> Even on so called quieter nights early in the event, lines can get long........really long......especially for the best houses.........
> 
> With EP you will definitely be able to see them all in one night.




Thanks. We don't really want to spend too much time in lines and we're only planning on the one night, so I think we'll get them. We got our tickets during the promotion where you get a 2nd night free, so we can go again if we want, but I'm not sure we'll have time for that.


----------



## schumigirl

GirlDreamer said:


> Thanks. We don't really want to spend too much time in lines and we're only planning on the one night, so I think we'll get them. We got our tickets during the promotion where you get a 2nd night free, so we can go again if we want, but I'm not sure we'll have time for that.



Sounds like a plan! 

Without EP there’s no guarantees you’ll see everything if lines are excessive.........it’s still fairly early in the event you are going, but I’d rather buy the EP and be sure, especially as you probably have only one night.......


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

schumigirl said:


> Halloween 3 has to be the worst ever........I honestly wouldn’t bother........
> 
> Michael Myers isn’t the story, he’s not in it.......except for a 3 second image on a tv screen.......it’s about an insane toy maker out to kill as many on Halloween as possible.......
> 
> It is truly dire and I haven’t been as disappointed in a movie ever........well, maybe except Shrek 2



What?..... That doesn't even sound like a Halloween movie. I guess they just wanted to bank off the good will of the name?


----------



## schumigirl

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> What?..... That doesn't even sound like a Halloween movie. I guess they just wanted to bank off the good will of the name?



It really isn’t anything to do with the known Halloween franchise which was annoying as a group of us at the time went to the cinema to see it........boy were we disappointed...........

Especially as we were all still at school, around 15, and the movie was rated an X, which was 18 and above in the UK.....in those days it was quite difficult to get in to “adult” movies..........we were all made up to the nines......I cringe when I think of the make up mess we made of our faces to look grown up........lol.........

But, yep, it was a crock of a movie!


----------



## macraven

GirlDreamer said:


> Thanks. We don't really want to spend too much time in lines and we're only planning on the one night, so I think we'll get them. We got our tickets during the promotion where you get a 2nd night free, so we can go again if we want, but I'm not sure we'll have time for that.



_You will  using their express pass for the houses 
And it allows to use the ep line for the rides once each

If you return for a second night, you will know which houses  are worth a wait_


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

https://orlando.halloweenhorrornigh...TTER&linkId=55786827#horrors-of-blumhouse-hhn

Happy death day and the first purge house.


----------



## schumigirl

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> https://orlando.halloweenhorrornigh...TTER&linkId=55786827#horrors-of-blumhouse-hhn
> 
> Happy death day and the first purge house.



We just watched Happy Death Day on Saturday night........spent most of it picking out what bits will make the house and sounds too!! 

Not a bad movie.......watched worse!!


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

schumigirl said:


> We just watched Happy Death Day on Saturday night........spent most of it picking out what bits will make the house and sounds too!!
> 
> Not a bad movie.......watched worse!!



We saw the first purge in theaters and during several parts I kept thinking... They just put that in so they could use it in hhn later.


----------



## yulilin3

GETTING EXCITED!!!
<iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/vi...ideos/2196024783989633/&show_text=0&width=560" width="560" height="315" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe>


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

yulilin3 said:


> GETTING EXCITED!!!
> <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https://www.facebook.com/halloweenhorrornightsorlando/videos/2196024783989633/&show_text=0&width=560" width="560" height="315" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe>



You're just now getting excited? I've been riding a wave of excitement for months, haha.


----------



## jessicag13

from the HHN - Orlando twitter-
added two more dates: 9/19 & 9/26 (both Wednesdays)


----------



## vrajewski10513




----------



## yulilin3

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> You're just now getting excited? I've been riding a wave of experience for months, haha.


lol, I wasn't sure I was going this year, but with the tour thing booked and knowing I'll be able to go to all the houses on the same night I'm super pumped


----------



## Thiago Acquaviva

HOUSES
1. Stranger Things
2. Dead Exposure: Patient Zero
3. Trick ‘r Treat
4. Slaughter Sinema
5. Carnival Graveyard: Rust in Pieces
6. Scenes of Extinction aka SOX
7. Poltergeist
8. Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers
9. The Horror of BlumHouse (Happy Death Day and The First Purge)
10. Scary Tales: Deadly Ever After

SCARE ZONES
1. The Harvest
2. Vamp’ 85: New Years Eve
3. Twisted Tradition
4. Revenge of Chucky
5. Killer Klowns from Outerspace

all llineup is ready! :O


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

So what's everyone most excited about?

For me it's:

Scare zone: vamp new years and klowns

Houses: scary tales and Extinction.


----------



## RAPstar

Park map released


----------



## RAPstar

HAUNTED HOUSES 
A
Stranger Things

B
Carnival Graveyard: Rust in Pieces

C
ScaryTales: Deadly Ever After

D
Poltergeist

E
The Horrors of Blumhouse

F
Slaughter Sinema

G
Dead Exposure: Patient Zero

H
Seeds of Extinction

I
Trick ‘r Treat

J
Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers

SCARE ZONES 
K
The Harvest

L
Vamp 85: New Year's Eve

M
Killer Klowns From Outer Space

N
Twisted Tradition

O
Revenge of Chucky

SHOW 
P
Academy of Villains: Cyberpunk

RIDES & ATTRACTIONS 
1
Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit™

2
TRANSFORMERS™: The Ride-3D

3
Revenge of the Mummy™

4
Fast & Furious - Supercharged™

5
Harry Potter and the Escape From Gringotts™

6
MEN IN BLACK™ Alien Attack™

SHOPPING 
1
Universal Studios Store™

2
Universal Music Plaza Kiosk

3
Your Halloween Horror Nights™ Merchandise 
Headquarters – featuring exclusive event merchandise

4
Sahara Traders

5
The Film Vault

6
MIB Gear

7


----------



## schumigirl

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> So what's everyone most excited about?
> 
> For me it's:
> 
> Scare zone: vamp new years and klowns
> 
> Houses: scary tales and Extinction.



Well I think everyone can guess what my first choice will be.........

Halloween I am ecstatic about........

Poltergeist and Blumhouse.........and probably Trick ‘r’ treat too........

Not interested at all in Chucky, even as a scare zone...........

Think the Harvest looks good already.......


----------



## vrajewski10513

Now all we need is the food and drink news!!


----------



## schumigirl

vrajewski10513 said:


> Now all we need is the food and drink news!!



Oh I forgot about that!!!

Yep, all important food.........


----------



## avic77

jessicag13 said:


> from the HHN - Orlando twitter-
> added two more dates: 9/19 & 9/26 (both Wednesdays)


Uggg I just came to find out what the 2 added dates are. We were planning MNSSHP on the 18th and Universal on 19th since it didnt have HHN and we only have 1 day  we leave on the 21st. I guess we are just going to have to make the most of the shorter hours.


----------



## Grimgrinningfan

Long time forum stalker, first time posting. 
So my wife and I are going to Universal for the first time Sept 15th. I was not planning on doing HHN at all because we have a pretty full schedule. But I decided to do it because I don't know if we will ever be back during the fall ever again and I have always wanted to do HHN. So our two options are to do HHN 2 nights in a row, Sept 15 and stay and scream Sept 16. Or do HHN for one night with express pass. My goal is to do all houses at least once, but mainly not feel like i'm rushing from house to house stressed. What would you do in our situation?


----------



## Thiago Acquaviva

Houses I'm most excited for:

Carnival Graveyard: Rust in Pieces
Halloween 4
Stranger Things

Scare Zone I'm most excited for:

Vamp 85


----------



## Thiago Acquaviva

Grimgrinningfan said:


> Long time forum stalker, first time posting.
> So my wife and I are going to Universal for the first time Sept 15th. I was not planning on doing HHN at all because we have a pretty full schedule. But I decided to do it because I don't know if we will ever be back during the fall ever again and I have always wanted to do HHN. So our two options are to do HHN 2 nights in a row, Sept 15 and stay and scream Sept 16. Or do HHN for one night with express pass. My goal is to do all houses at least once, but mainly not feel like i'm rushing from house to house stressed. What would you do in our situation?


We were on a similar situation, we bought the 2 nights in a row ticket, I've heard if you stay and scream you can get all houses and scare zones at least 1 time with not such a crazy rush... I hope it's true lol because the express pass is so expensive


----------



## RKS03

I’ll be doing the RIP tour. I’ll be at the park during the day. Can I do the stay and scream or do I need to back out to the entrance to get paper work? 

Thanks!


----------



## Dis_Fan

Universal released a really interesting 75 minute look at this years HHN.

It does not go into detail for every house but the majority of them get time.


----------



## soniam

RKS03 said:


> I’ll be doing the RIP tour. I’ll be at the park during the day. Can I do the stay and scream or do I need to back out to the entrance to get paper work?
> 
> Thanks!



Where is the checkin point for your tour? My private tour checks in at VIP checkin lobby near guest services outside of the park. Also, depending upon what time it starts, it might be better to be outside instead of stuck in the SnS crowds.


----------



## tink1957

So excited to hear we get an extra night of HHN during our trip...yay for 5 nights instead of 4


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

Does anyone know why the last Thursday in September doesn't have a hhn?


----------



## Robo56

Dis_Fan said:


> Universal released a really interesting 75 minute look at this years HHN.



Thanks for the heads up on this will go and watch it all the way through on Youtube. Took a quick glance and saw the Stranger Things coffee cup on the table. That is going to sell nicely I think. I know I want one.


----------



## RKS03

soniam said:


> Where is the checkin point for your tour? My private tour checks in at VIP checkin lobby near guest services outside of the park. Also, depending upon what time it starts, it might be better to be outside instead of stuck in the SnS crowds.



Even though I purchased the package 4 days ago I still haven’t received all of the info. My ticket within my wallet still says processing. They sent a very generic response to my email.  I’ll try to call them in a few days.  

You think it’s brtter to wait outside the entrance? Thanks for the tip.


----------



## bas71873

Hotel booked, flight booked, now trying to decide on HHN tickets.  Which scenario would be best for Saturday, Oct 6?  I know it will be crowded, but I'm going to need Sunday to lounge and recover before we fly home Monday and get to back to the school/work grind on Tuesday:

1.  Buy a park ticket and do the park for a bit on Saturday, leave mid day for a good lunch and maybe a rest.  Then head back before 5:00 for Stay & Scream.  AND purchase the express pass (so park ticket + HHN ticket + express pass)

2.  Book a RIP tour for Saturday night which has a 7:30 start time.  Where does this meet?  We lose an hour and half with this tour right?

I guess I'm trying to decide if I'm better off with a RIP tour or Stay & Scream?  Financially it's RIP, but strategy wise, I wonder which is better.  And does RIP rush you through everything?


----------



## verleniahall

Just booked tickets for our first HHN - it is on DHs bucket list - I’m thourly terrified  - we will be going on Nov 1s


----------



## macraven

bas71873 said:


> Hotel booked, flight booked, now trying to decide on HHN tickets.  Which scenario would be best for Saturday, Oct 6?  I know it will be crowded, but I'm going to need Sunday to lounge and recover before we fly home Monday and get to back to the school/work grind on Tuesday:
> 
> 1.  Buy a park ticket and do the park for a bit on Saturday, leave mid day for a good lunch and maybe a rest.  Then head back before 5:00 for Stay & Scream.  AND purchase the express pass (so park ticket + HHN ticket + express pass)
> 
> 2.  Book a RIP tour for Saturday night which has a 7:30 start time.  Where does this meet?  We lose an hour and half with this tour right?
> 
> I guess I'm trying to decide if I'm better off with a RIP tour or Stay & Scream?  Financially it's RIP, but strategy wise, I wonder which is better.  And does RIP rush you through everything?


_If it were me, I would book the rip tour as you will see all houses and zones 
Your group does not stand in the regular line but moves ahead of all wait lines 

So for the time prior to your tour start time, you are in your own in hhn for that 90 minutes 
Explore the park until you meet your tour guide

You can do rides after your tour ends by showing your rip tour ticket and use the ep lines _


----------



## bas71873

macraven said:


> _If it were me, I would book the rip tour as you will see all houses and zones
> Your group does not stand in the regular line but moves ahead of all wait lines
> 
> So for the time prior to your tour start time, you are in your own in hhn for that 90 minutes
> Explore the park until you meet your tour guide
> 
> You can do rides after your tour ends by showing your rip tour ticket and use the ep lines _




Thank you.  How long does the RIP tour last?  I'm going to scour the web for reviews


----------



## jessicag13

bas71873 said:


> Thank you.  How long does the RIP tour last?  I'm going to scour the web for reviews


this is my first HHN and i did a LOT of research before deciding to go, and then deciding to do the RIP tour.
here's a discussion about the RIP tour from 2016, with a lot on how long it takes:
https://www.disboards.com/threads/halloween-horror-nights-rip-non-private-tour.3534873/
and here's a mini review from last year's HHN thread:
https://www.disboards.com/threads/official-2017-hhn-27-thread.3606743/page-27#post-58271116


----------



## bas71873

jessicag13 said:


> this is my first HHN and i did a LOT of research before deciding to go, and then deciding to do the RIP tour.
> here's a discussion about the RIP tour from 2016, with a lot on how long it takes:
> https://www.disboards.com/threads/halloween-horror-nights-rip-non-private-tour.3534873/
> and here's a mini review from last year's HHN thread:
> https://www.disboards.com/threads/official-2017-hhn-27-thread.3606743/page-27#post-58271116



Thank you.  Now I'm wondering if you have a 7:30 RIP tour time, can I still go to the VIP entrance at 5:30/6:00 to get checked in and then wander the park from 6:00 to 7:00 and then go to the Cafe place?  I think if we do RIP, we won't do the park that day if we can avoid the regular entrance lines.  And we are staying at HRH if that matters.


----------



## GirlDreamer

Is there much difference on crowd levels in day time on days that are HNN nights versus normal days? I'm considering changing which day we visit the Universal parks as they seem to have added a party on the day we were thinking on going. But then again, will the crowds be easier considering the park that holds the HHN will close earlier?


----------



## macraven

bas71873 said:


> Thank you.  How long does the RIP tour last?  I'm going to scour the web for reviews


_I have booked the hhn rip tours since I have been going to hhn

Public and private tours

You will see everything using the public tour

All houses and scare zones will be seen by the group 

Pass the pre time before your tour begins doing anything you wish in the park 

With it being your first time, walk around in the scare zones and take your time watching the scareactors in action 

The public tour is 3 to 4 hours long

The tour is over after you have seen all the scare zones and walked through all the houses

Saturdays have the largest crowds in the park 
Very wise to book the tour

I book public tour usually on sundays for the Columbus Day weekend and book the private tour for the Friday of that sans weekend _


----------



## soniam

RKS03 said:


> Even though I purchased the package 4 days ago I still haven’t received all of the info. My ticket within my wallet still says processing. They sent a very generic response to my email.  I’ll try to call them in a few days.
> 
> You think it’s brtter to wait outside the entrance? Thanks for the tip.



My email took a while to come too, but I booked on the first day they were made available. If your email says to meet that the same place as mine, then I think you have to be outside. Someone mentioned that sometimes there's a door open from inside the park, but that's not always the case. I believe this is NOT the same place that tours met last year. Last year, I think they met in front of Cafe La Bamba, inside the park. Once the tours start up, people will hopefully comment on how it's working.



GirlDreamer said:


> Is there much difference on crowd levels in day time on days that are HNN nights versus normal days? I'm considering changing which day we visit the Universal parks as they seem to have added a party on the day we were thinking on going. But then again, will the crowds be easier considering the park that holds the HHN will close earlier?



Islands of Adventure won't be closing early, just Studios. If you have park hoppers/2 park tickets, then you can go back and forth very easily. It's not like hopping at WDW. In fact, you can take Hogwart's Express between the two. Just do Islands once Studios closes. The parks never really stay open very late in September anyway.


----------



## bas71873

macraven said:


> _I have booked the hhn rip tours since I have been going to hhn
> 
> Public and private tours
> 
> You will see everything using the public tour
> 
> All houses and scare zones will be seen by the group
> 
> Pass the pre time before your tour begins doing anything you wish in the park
> 
> With it being your first time, walk around in the scare zones and take your time watching the scareactors in action
> 
> The public tour is 3 to 4 hours long
> 
> The tour is over after you have seen all the scare zones and walked through all the houses
> 
> Saturdays have the largest crowds in the park
> Very wise to book the tour
> 
> I book public tour usually on sundays for the Columbus Day weekend and book the private tour for the Friday of that sans weekend _




Thank you!!!  Saturday RIP was sold out, so we booked for 7:30 on Sunday, Oct 7.  We will just be dragging on Monday for the flight home.  No biggie .    

One more question, since we now won't do a "park day" and can't get in 'til 6:00 when HHN starts, can I be at the VIP Tour window at 6:00ish to get all of our tour "stuff" and get in the park that way, or do I still need to use the hotel park entrance and then go find the VIP place?  

Also need to decide if I want to give up my room at HRH and move to SF and save some money since we don't need the the express pass perk.  We tend to be creatures of habit, but saving $300 speaks to me and we LOVE the HRH pool and plan to hang out there during the day Sat and Sun.


----------



## macraven

_Do not give up your room at hrh unless you can book another room for that one more night you need 

I’ll be at uo that weekend also

I have been looking to add one more night but many of the hotels are booked up for that time period

If you can book a one night only at Sfalls..... book that first then adjust your hrh reservation 

You can use the hotel only entrance for hhn_


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

Here is my assessment of the two Blumhouse movies:

I'm not too excited about Happy Death Day. It was an ok movie but really wasn't scary at all. I guess we'll just be seeing lots of scare actors wearing the puffy cheek mask.

I always like when HHN uses the Purge movies. I'm pretty excited to see what they do with the First Purge. I expect those glowing eyes to be everywhere. If there isn't a place where one of the walls is pitch black and you just see several pairs of colored eyes lit up I'm going to be sad (then they can scare you from the opposite direction when you're focused on the eyes.


----------



## CDKG

soniam said:


> My email took a while to come too, but I booked on the first day they were made available. If your email says to meet that the same place as mine, then I think you have to be outside. Someone mentioned that sometimes there's a door open from inside the park, but that's not always the case. I believe this is NOT the same place that tours met last year. Last year, I think they met in front of Cafe La Bamba, inside the park. Once the tours start up, people will hopefully comment on how it's working.
> 
> 
> 
> Islands of Adventure won't be closing early, just Studios. If you have park hoppers/2 park tickets, then you can go back and forth very easily. It's not like hopping at WDW. In fact, you can take Hogwart's Express between the two. Just do Islands once Studios closes. The parks never really stay open very late in September anyway.


I booked my RIP tour a few days after they were made available and never received an email with instructions. I only received the email receipt with confirmation number. It states the date of my tour, but doesn't even list the time.

I downloaded the app and created an account. But, I can't link any of my HHN reservations because I only have confirmation numbers, not actual ticket numbers.

So, I am just planning on following the instructions on the website and any advice I read here. I wish Universal was better with communication...


----------



## soniam

CDKG said:


> I booked my RIP tour a few days after they were made available and never received an email with instructions. I only received the email receipt with confirmation number. It states the date of my tour, but doesn't even list the time.
> 
> I downloaded the app and created an account. But, I can't link any of my HHN reservations because I only have confirmation numbers, not actual ticket numbers.
> 
> So, I am just planning on following the instructions on the website and any advice I read here. I wish Universal was better with communication...



I'm wondering if only the private RIP tour people get emails. I booked a private, not public one.

I know what you mean about communication though. I bought a Grinch breakfast for November. I only received the email with the receipt and QR code. It didn't say what time. Luckily, I remembered.


----------



## bas71873

CDKG said:


> I booked my RIP tour a few days after they were made available and never received an email with instructions. I only received the email receipt with confirmation number. It states the date of my tour, but doesn't even list the time.
> 
> I downloaded the app and created an account. But, I can't link any of my HHN reservations because I only have confirmation numbers, not actual ticket numbers.
> 
> So, I am just planning on following the instructions on the website and any advice I read here. I wish Universal was better with communication...



I booked my RIP tour and HHN tickets yesterday. Did it online. Got an email right away, but they assigned the names wrong.  My husband has 2 tickets and I don't even have one.  The site was very glitchy and I had to type in the names a few times.  I've emailed customer service to get this corrected and will give that few days before I call.


----------



## verleniahall

Question - we are going on nov 1, but now dh is orried about people sneaking up on him...he is a combat veteran.

Would it be a good idea to put something on the back of his shirt? Something simple like - combat veteran in glow in the dark htv?


----------



## verleniahall

He is worried his reflexes will come out and might accidentally panic on someone


----------



## Robo56

verleniahall said:


> He is worried his reflexes will come out and might accidentally panic on someone



God Bless your husband for his service to our country.......hopefully he will do fine and have a great time.

Scareactors's are not allowed to touch you and you are not allowed to touch them at all. They do come up behind you and in front of you at times.

Not having been in these Scare Zones or Houses this year yet it is hard to tell what to expect.

The houses can have strobe lights, loud noises, loud music, banging, darkness and scareactor's that come out behind walls etc.

If your husband has severe combat PTSD this might be hard for him.

After HHN starts the guys here on the Dis (Craig and Ryno on the Dis unplugged) will go and do a review of the Houses and the Scare Zones. If you don't mind finding out about the houses and scare zones ahead of your visit you can watch those and see if it would be something that would work for your husband.

There will also be folks on this site doing reviews.


----------



## verleniahall

As long as they can't touch you, I think he will be fine - he's totally fine at Disneyeven knwoing that there are people behidn him

Yes - since I am a scardy cat i plan to find out EVERYTHING I can prior to our night - between review and Dis Unplugged and TimTracker, I will have plenty of info to sort through!


----------



## kylieelizabethhh

andrea4896 said:


> Thanks! This is exactly what I was thinking. I will probably end up buying the EP for the first night in hopes that we can do all/most things and then re-do our favourites on the second night.


That’s what my group and I are doing! We’re going on a Friday and Sunday, so we’re getting a pass for Friday and just winging it on Sunday. It’s expensive, but so worth it.


----------



## bas71873

So besides Halloween and Poltergeist, what movies should we watch in prep for HHN.  Labor Day weekend weather forecast looks crappy here, so we may use that weekend to movie binge!


----------



## Iheoma

9/26/18 HHN w/o EP - are we making a mistake? 

We (DH, DD(17) and I) will be at Universal the last full week on Sept staying at PBH. I was really bummed to learn there were no HHN nights scheduled during our stay until last week when DD asked me why the parks were closing so early on one of our days. Turns out that another date was added and I immediately bought tix for all of us. After reading this thread, I’m now a bit concerned that we won’t have EPs. We’ll be spoiled with having our unlimited EPs during the day, but the projected crowd levels (for the parks) don’t seem too high. Am I wrong to assume the same for HHN. Does anyone have thoughts on how busy this date will be (based on historical data)? Is it possible to upgrade a regular HHN ticket with EP? I’m not a horror movie fan, but my DH and my DD *love* them and will want to see as much as possible. Any suggestions/ideas/input would be great.


----------



## Robo56

Wednesday’s are not as slammed as the weekends.

You have a few options.

1. You can wait till you get there to see how busy it is then buy EP if needed.

2. Since you will have daytime park tickets. You can be in the park before it closes at 5 pm to those who do not have HHN tickets. You can go to one of the Stay and Scream areas and be released to the houses before the people who are waiting at gate get in.

3. Buy the RIP TOUR for each of you it is a awesome deal for that evening. You are in a tour (of 10 to 12 people) guide who will take you front of line of all the houses, there are finger foods and Halloween desserts at Cafe LaBamba prior to tour starting. You get a tour lanyard and after the tour you use your tour lanyard card for unlimited express for the rides that are open. All the information on the cost of tour is on the website with all the information of the extras you get with the tour. Compare the price of RIP with Express.

No matter what you choose Have a great time


----------



## Iheoma

Thanks so much for this info. Do you know if the it's possible to upgrade a single day HHN ticket to a RIP tour ticket?


----------



## soniam

Iheoma said:


> Thanks so much for this info. Do you know if the it's possible to upgrade a single day HHN ticket to a RIP tour ticket?



No, because the RIP Tours require separate HHN admission, ie admission not included in the tour


----------



## macraven

_Rip public tours are a good way to see all ten houses and all scare zones

They can be booked for specific dates.

The tours start at different times and you have a choice which time start you want_


----------



## Robo56

Nice that they added the two Wednesday’s in September.......19 and 26th...

I was looking up some info for family yesterday and noticed they have HHN closing at different times during the event on this new calendar.


----------



## Robo56




----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

Robo56 said:


> Nice that they added the two Wednesday’s in September.......19 and 26th...
> 
> I was looking up some info for family yesterday and noticed they have HHN closing at different times during the event on this new calendar.
> 
> View attachment 346143



I saw this! The only thing bad about this is it directly contradicts my rope drop lifestyle.

I think I'm a bit too old to stay out til 2 am and then rope drop the next morning.


----------



## schumigirl

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> I saw this! The only thing bad about this is it directly contradicts my rope drop lifestyle.
> 
> I think I'm a bit too to stay out til 2 am and then rope drop the next morning.



Lol.......that’s one of the reasons we’re not interested in doing RIP tours........we couldn’t be that long in the park and burn the candle at both ends..........

I’m not 19 any more!!! And it shows.......


----------



## soniam

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> I saw this! The only thing bad about this is it directly contradicts my rope drop lifestyle.
> 
> I think I'm a bit too old to stay out til 2 am and then rope drop the next morning.



I am going to do my best to get DS to stay up until closing to do the whole RIP Tour Friday night. Don't feel like you have to though. I had already given up on the idea of hitting rope drop or early entry on Saturday. We have EP and will just use that. I told him that we have to make it to the park to have lunch with you guys though Unfortunately, we get in Thursday night at 9:20pm. I am hoping we can get to bed by 11pm, because Friday morning was really the only day that we could do Early Entry at Volcano Bay. Luckily, early entry at VB will probably be at 9am. I am hoping to take a nap before hitting the park Friday night. I don't think we will stay until park closing at HHN Saturday & Sunday.


----------



## heidijanesmith

We love the RIP tour and was so happy that they opened up the 19th of Sept!  We booked the 7PM tour, it usually takes 4.5 hours, so we are done around 11:30PM. After that we hit one or two rides and then we are pooped and head back to HRH.

I can't remember the last time I stayed up till 2AM!


----------



## heidijanesmith

verleniahall said:


> Question - we are going on nov 1, but now dh is orried about people sneaking up on him...he is a combat veteran.
> 
> Would it be a good idea to put something on the back of his shirt? Something simple like - combat veteran in glow in the dark htv?



Thank you and your husband for his service. My children are both Marines. DS just got back from a tour in Afghanistan and does not like strangers at his back in restaurants, bars and movie theaters. I understand your situation.

As the above poster mentioned the scare actors are not allowed to touch you in the houses or in the park. I was accidentally brushed once by a zombie, it was an accident and has not happened again.

They do come up behind your, beside you and in your face in the scare zones in the park. 

I think it's a good idea to watch some Utube video's of this years event, so you can get a good idea of what happens. Then your DH can decide if he can handle it


----------



## TheNameless

Robo56 said:


> Nice that they added the two Wednesday’s in September.......19 and 26th...
> 
> I was looking up some info for family yesterday and noticed they have HHN closing at different times during the event on this new calendar.
> 
> View attachment 346143



We changed our flight so we could also go on the 09/19 event. We had the Rush of Fear with Express tickets, so it was so nice to get another day at HHN for no additional cost.


----------



## verleniahall

heidijanesmith said:


> Thank you and your husband for his service. My children are both Marines. DS just got back from a tour in Afghanistan and does not like strangers at his back in restaurants, bars and movie theaters. I understand your situation.
> 
> As the above poster mentioned the scare actors are not allowed to touch you in the houses or in the park. I was accidentally brushed once by a zombie, it was an accident and has not happened again.
> 
> They do come up behind your, beside you and in your face in the scare zones in the park.
> 
> I think it's a good idea to watch some Utube video's of this years event, so you can get a good idea of what happens. Then your DH can decide if he can handle it



Thanks for being a Military Mamma!

We have been watching youtube videos and he's pretty excited, so hopefully that will outweigh everthing else. We have tickets, so I guess we shall see how this goes!


----------



## soniam

I just read somewhere that the only food option open during Stay & Scream is Finnegan's. Is that correct? No Fast Food Blvd? I also heard that Finnegan's will not take reservations during S&S this year, just first come/first serve. Looking at their online reservations, that looks to be the case. Is Fast Food Blvd open for food during the event? Trying to plan out food. I don't want to waste too much time eating during the event. Plus, DS is terribly picky, and I am not sure if we will any of the special food offerings. I too am shocked at the thought of a kid who might not like the pizza fries, or even possibly the donuts on a stick He doesn't even really like plain fries. I am very much looking forward to trying these though. I would tell him to suck it up, but I don't want to have to put up with the crankiness that will ensue from not eating, especially if we are trying to stay out later than normal.


----------



## Jlane5000

Has anyone got any ideas of a strategy, like which houses you plan to hit first and which order to try and minimise waits? I was thinking of doing stay and scream, hitting stranger things and poltergeist and then heading towards the back of the park to get those houses at minimal waits (accepting this means we will have to skip some of the ones near the entrance as we won't have EP). Does this sound like a sensible idea? just curious what other people plan on doing  anyone else going the first night on Friday 14th Sept? 

Oh and given the map, does anyone know/have a good guess which house the holding area at Finnegan's will be for? sorry for all the questions I'm a bit new to this.


----------



## patster734

Jlane5000 said:


> Has anyone got any ideas of a strategy, like which houses you plan to hit first and which order to try and minimise waits? I was thinking of doing stay and scream, hitting stranger things and poltergeist and then heading towards the back of the park to get those houses at minimal waits (accepting this means we will have to skip some of the ones near the entrance as we won't have EP). Does this sound like a sensible idea? just curious what other people plan on doing  anyone else going the first night on Friday 14th Sept?
> 
> Oh and given the map, does anyone know/have a good guess which house the holding area at Finnegan's will be for? sorry for all the questions I'm a bit new to this.



We fly home on the 15th, so I’m planning to attend on the 14th but haven’t purchased my ticket yet.  I’m waiting to purchase my ticket closer to the date so that I can see the forecasted weather.  Also, because RIP isn’t available, I will be buying the EP if I go.  DW doesn’t do haunted houses, so I will be doing HHNs solo.  If the weather is bad (too hot or too wet) or EPs sell out, I won’t be going.


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

soniam said:


> I just read somewhere that the only food option open during Stay & Scream is Finnegan's. Is that correct? No Fast Food Blvd? I also heard that Finnegan's will not take reservations during S&S this year, just first come/first serve. Looking at their online reservations, that looks to be the case. Is Fast Food Blvd open for food during the event? Trying to plan out food. I don't want to waste too much time eating during the event. Plus, DS is terribly picky, and I am not sure if we will any of the special food offerings. I too am shocked at the thought of a kid who might not like the pizza fries, or even possibly the donuts on a stick He doesn't even really like plain fries. I am very much looking forward to trying these though. I would tell him to suck it up, but I don't want to have to put up with the crankiness that will ensue from not eating, especially if we are trying to stay out later than normal.



I thought the Simpsons fast food boulevard was open last year.

We'll have to check reports from this year to make sure.

So how does the private rip tour work? You said you might not make it until 2? Does that tour last the whole night? I know the public one doesn't.

And we might have to rework some of our plans 

Brian and I were going to fly out of Dallas so his mom could watch the dog, but I'm sick of driving 7 hours right before and after vacation so we found really cheap flights out of Kansas City. Only problem is we're now leaving at 7 am Saturday. I'm wondering if we should even go to sleep.

I'm going to have to pm you.


----------



## schumigirl

Latest picture of Twisted Tradition scare zone...……

Picture from Bioreconstruct…………


----------



## Robo56

I loved the pumpkins in the Trick ‘r Treat Scare Zone last year. Nice they are incorporating them again they were beautiful


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

Yeah looks very trick or treat. Which is fine, that was the coolest looking scare zone ever.


----------



## macraven

soniam said:


> I just read somewhere that the only food option open during Stay & Scream is Finnegan's. Is that correct? No Fast Food Blvd? I also heard that Finnegan's will not take reservations during S&S this year, just first come/first serve. Looking at their online reservations, that looks to be the case. Is Fast Food Blvd open for food during the event? Trying to plan out food. I don't want to waste too much time eating during the event. Plus, DS is terribly picky, and I am not sure if we will any of the special food offerings. I too am shocked at the thought of a kid who might not like the pizza fries, or even possibly the donuts on a stick He doesn't even really like plain fries. I am very much looking forward to trying these though. I would tell him to suck it up, but I don't want to have to put up with the crankiness that will ensue from not eating, especially if we are trying to stay out later than normal.



_ Assuming it will be like last years and Simpson’s food court and Louie’s will stop taking food orders at 4:40

But will sell any food already made up and under the heat lamps 

They will allow patrons to finish their food but try to clear peeps out soon after 5

They will reopen when hhn opens 

I went to the Simpson’s food court one hhn night last year 
Was there solo and ordered food prior to their closing

I was not rushed out and sat there until 5:15

Finnegans started the no reservation set up quite a few years ago
I think they stop reservations about 3:30 as last seating on hhn nights 

Last year Robbie and I went to Finnegans about close to 10 pm
and no crowds there at all

Maybe plan your main meal before you go to hhn or wait and eat at the studios later in the evening

On the private tours, you will have a designated dinner break 
Decide with your group where you want to go for food for that time period _


----------



## macraven

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> I thought the Simpsons fast food boulevard was open last year.
> 
> We'll have to check reports from this year to make sure.
> 
> So how does the private rip tour work? You said you might not make it until 2? Does that tour last the whole night? I know the public one doesn't.
> 
> .



_Private rip hhn tours end when the park closes
Most nights it will be at 2:00 am

If people in your private tour want to leave before then, not an issue

The tours will cover all the houses and zones
The group does use short cuts to reach the houses 
This cuts back on the time walking on the pathway to the houses and zones 

You can easily do each house twice during the tour time period

My groups in the last years will hit particular houses 3 times during the evening

I have had some in the group leave the tour early due to flying out early the next morning 
I always let our tour guide know if someone in my group leaves early

So we count a few less noses then 
Lol
_


----------



## soniam

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> I thought the Simpsons fast food boulevard was open last year.
> 
> We'll have to check reports from this year to make sure.
> 
> So how does the private rip tour work? You said you might not make it until 2? Does that tour last the whole night? I know the public one doesn't.
> 
> And we might have to rework some of our plans
> 
> Brian and I were going to fly out of Dallas so his mom could watch the dog, but I'm sick of driving 7 hours right before and after vacation so we found really cheap flights out of Kansas City. Only problem is we're now leaving at 7 am Saturday. I'm wondering if we should even go to sleep.
> 
> I'm going to have to pm you.



Like @macraven said, I was told the tour lasts until the park closes We'll see how long we make it. I want to at least make it until midnight.



macraven said:


> _ Assuming it will be like last years and Simpson’s food court and Louie’s will stop taking food orders at 4:40
> 
> But will sell any food already made up and under the heat lamps
> 
> They will allow patrons to finish their food but try to clear peeps out soon after 5
> 
> They will reopen when hhn opens
> 
> I went to the Simpson’s food court one hhn night last year
> Was there solo and ordered food prior to their closing
> 
> I was not rushed out and sat there until 5:15
> 
> Finnegans started the no reservation set up quite a few years ago
> I think they stop reservations about 3:30 as last seating on hhn nights
> 
> Last year Robbie and I went to Finnegans about close to 10 pm
> and no crowds there at all
> 
> Maybe plan your main meal before you go to hhn or wait and eat at the studios later in the evening
> 
> On the private tours, you will have a designated dinner break
> Decide with your group where you want to go for food for that time period _



Great! That will allow us to maybe grab something from FFB that we could maybe eat at our S&S area, if it's not at Simpson's. I knew we would be good on the tour night, since there's the setup in Cafe La Bamba at the beginning and a food stop during the tour. Thanks


----------



## macraven

_Last year our group went back to Labamba twice after we meet there at 6ish

We sat and introduced the newbies to our group to the others in our group 
Had snacks ( appetizers) soda/water and desserts

We stopped there again about 10 as it was in the way and many in the group wanted water or a soda 
Did another stop close to 11:30
For snacks
Items on the hot tray sections were not replenished  and nothing was out 
So we struck out on that

They did have sweets left out of what was left of it
Some cake and cookies were about it for the groups
Slow picking for grub at that time we were told Labama had nothing at midnight and they were cleaning and were close to closing the place 

Something like this dessert and beverages were the only items left. There were some cookies out besides a few other sweets 

Bartender shut down the drinks at midnight


Don’t wait that longer or food will be gone

Nice place to see what is available beside water and soda 

Food was fair for our group 

Assuming the set up will be the same this year

Lots of groups already booked to stop there during the even time_


----------



## lolomarie

We purchased the BOGO and our nights are Sunday, Sept 16 and Thursday, Sept 20th. We've budgeted for express pass for 1 night if we need to. But budget is tight right now, so if we could skip EP that would be money in our pocket. Would you do as much as you can Sunday then see if EP is needed for Thursday, or purchase EP on Sunday?  It's $20 more on Sunday. I'm confused on the best game plan.


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

lolomarie said:


> We purchased the BOGO and our nights are Sunday, Sept 16 and Thursday, Sept 20th. We've budgeted for express pass for 1 night if we need to. But budget is tight right now, so if we could skip EP that would be money in our pocket. Would you do as much as you can Sunday then see if EP is needed for Thursday, or purchase EP on Sunday?  It's $20 more on Sunday. I'm confused on the best game plan.



I'd probably wait. 

Someone will chime in if I'm wrong, but I thought I saw signs last year that express pass goes on sale Midway through the night if it's not sold out.


----------



## HollyMD

lolomarie said:


> We purchased the BOGO and our nights are Sunday, Sept 16 and Thursday, Sept 20th. We've budgeted for express pass for 1 night if we need to. But budget is tight right now, so if we could skip EP that would be money in our pocket. Would you do as much as you can Sunday then see if EP is needed for Thursday, or purchase EP on Sunday?  It's $20 more on Sunday. I'm confused on the best game plan.


I’d like to know this as well, but our dates are Oct 11 and 12


----------



## lolomarie

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> I'd probably wait.
> 
> Someone will chime in if I'm wrong, but I thought I saw signs last year that express pass goes on sale Midway through the night if it's not sold out.


Do you happen to know if it's sold at full price or at a discount if you wait until part way through the night?


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

lolomarie said:


> Do you happen to know if it's sold at full price or at a discount if you wait until part way through the night?



Half price I believe.


----------



## macraven

_Over some past years, ep sold for a discounted price and covered the last 4 hours of hhn 

But some nights they sold out

It has to have been 4 years since I did houses with a friend that bought the discounted ep for the late evening at hhn

I’m sure someone will post of their experiences of buying those ep that night for late start time usage _


----------



## Brownie54

macraven said:


> The tours will cover all the houses and zones
> The group does use short cuts to reach the houses
> This cuts back on the time walking on the pathway to the houses and zones



    I never really thought about the tours taking short cuts to the houses, but it would make sense that they do it. The "saving steps" could be a big plus for some of us.


----------



## macraven

_When I do the private tours, it saves a lot of walking times

And we can easily do each house twice with time left to do some houses a third time

I’m including the break time that the private tour includes in getting houses down twice _


----------



## Linlindoujin

Odd and probably silly question
First time for Halloween horror nights and universal ever. Received my tickets and express passes in the mail but the express pass just looks like a run of the mill ticket. How do they tell what houses you've been to?
Or do I have to pick up a different sort of physical pass at the gate ? Slightly confused.


----------



## Robo56

They will scan your Express Pass in the Express line for each house.


----------



## vrajewski10513

They just went Live with the AP early entry sign ups!! We will be there the 21st!

You can access on the AP page on the universal Orlando website.


----------



## vrajewski10513

Also for those of you who have done the early entry, it says there’s no check in. But you need to show your AP and ID along with the email. I got the confirmation for both mine and my sisters AP’s, but there is no identifying information on the confirmation other than the date and time. So essentially aren’t we just showing the same email since they were both sent to me? Do they have a system where they confirm you’ve signed up by scanning your AP or something??


----------



## patster734

vrajewski10513 said:


> They just went Live with the AP early entry sign ups!! We will be there the 21st!
> 
> You can access on the AP page on the universal Orlando website.



Thanks.  I just got signed up for  September 14th.

Edit:  And now that I’m signed up for this, I went ahead and purchased my HHN ticket, and the EP for that night.


----------



## eccobleu

vrajewski10513 said:


> They just went Live with the AP early entry sign ups!! We will be there the 21st!
> 
> You can access on the AP page on the universal Orlando website.


Do you need an activated AP to sign up for this?  I bought an AP online but won't be able to activate it until Sept 20th.  Would love to do this on the 21st!


----------



## vrajewski10513

eccobleu said:


> Do you need an activated AP to sign up for this?  I bought an AP online but won't be able to activate it until Sept 20th.  Would love to do this on the 21st!


I believe you do. You need to enter your AP# to sign up.


----------



## eccobleu

vrajewski10513 said:


> I believe you do. You need to enter your AP# to sign up.


Bummer!  I was afraid that would be the case - Thanks!


----------



## Monykalyn

vrajewski10513 said:


> They just went Live with the AP early entry sign ups!! We will be there the 21st!
> 
> You can access on the AP page on the universal Orlando website.


  THANKS!!

Got us signed up! 9/21.

Talking with the DD I am bringing and what we would like to do within constrains of my budget (way too many Disney trips this past year thanks to oldest doing a DCP x 2). 

Was toying with idea of adding a MNSSHP-but I think we are going to do a daytime tour, and getting a ROF pass for us so we can come and go the 4 nights we are there. Along with this early entry-hoping we won't regret not getting the EP . It's just out of the budget for more than one night and I hope we will get better touring with the ROF. 

This trip started off very budget as we have the free HHN ticket with our AP's...I can't help adding stuff


----------



## tink1957

I signed us up for the 21st too!  It's funny that they're limiting it to only 1 event night per passholder unlike previous years.

Good thing we only wanted to go to the  AP event one night as we prefer to do stay and scream at Finnegan's anyways.  Plus we booked the scareactor dining for the 20th so we have all the holding areas covered.

Only two more weeks to go!


----------



## HollyMD

Can anyone give reviews in the scareactor dining? Thought about booking it for my DH and DD for the Friday night they go, but scared it will eat into too much time and not be worth it? Any opinions?


----------



## schumigirl

tink1957 said:


> I signed us up for the 21st too!  It's funny that they're limiting it to only 1 event night per passholder unlike previous years.
> 
> Good thing we only wanted to go to the  AP event one night as we prefer to do stay and scream at Finnegan's anyways.  Plus we booked the scareactor dining for the 20th so we have all the holding areas covered.
> 
> Only two more weeks to go!



Vicki, I`ve heard little rumblings that they are really upping the standard of the Scare actor dinner this year...…..sounds as though it will be massively improved from previous years...…..


----------



## verleniahall

we were hoping to do the scarator dinning, but it seems to be full for Nov 1st


----------



## RKS03

RKS03 said:


> Even though I purchased the package 4 days ago I still haven’t received all of the info. My ticket within my wallet still says processing. They sent a very generic response to my email.  I’ll try to call them in a few days.
> 
> You think it’s brtter to wait outside the entrance? Thanks for the tip.



Update, I called up and they said because it was an online order it’ll always show processing and I will not receive a physical ticket. Pickup for the RIP tickets this year will be by the Univeral Studios entrance at a VIP window near guest services. The representative advised that I can pick up the ticket any time they’re open (even the day before is ok) if I want to stay and scream and do not want to exit the park right before the RIP tour to get the tickets.


----------



## nkereina

Any news on the food offerings this year? Or a list somewhere of what the options and specialty items will be? Apologies if I've missed it!


----------



## vrajewski10513

nkereina said:


> Any news on the food offerings this year? Or a list somewhere of what the options and specialty items will be? Apologies if I've missed it!


No announcements yet! It’s the last piece I’m waiting for!


----------



## Chumpieboy

HollyMD said:


> Can anyone give reviews in the scareactor dining? Thought about booking it for my DH and DD for the Friday night they go, but scared it will eat into too much time and not be worth it? Any opinions?



We went the first two years it was offered.  The food was OK the first year.  Second year the food seemed worse. Some of the character actors were good. Chance ignored us (table of two) like 5 times. And this was at the first seating of the night. It's not like the place was full. There were two other tables in our section of the restaurant and they both got all the attention. We complained about being ignored, and got some kind of photo card for free photos. The photos did not make it to the photo pickup location at the park exit. 

We've not gone back since and have no plans to.  SnS gives similar opportunities for early entry to houses before the general public is let in.  The scare zone in front of the park gives similar opportunities for selfies with the scareactors.


----------



## soniam

RKS03 said:


> Update, I called up and they said because it was an online order it’ll always show processing and I will not receive a physical ticket. Pickup for the RIP tickets this year will be by the Univeral Studios entrance at a VIP window near guest services. The representative advised that I can pick up the ticket any time they’re open (even the day before is ok) if I want to stay and scream and do not want to exit the park right before the RIP tour to get the tickets.



That's convenient. I guess we'll see how the private ones are working once someone has done it. Thanks


----------



## Raeven

Chumpieboy said:


> We went the first two years it was offered.  The food was OK the first year.  Second year the food seemed worse. Some of the character actors were good. Chance ignored us (table of two) like 5 times. And this was at the first seating of the night. It's not like the place was full. There were two other tables in our section of the restaurant and they both got all the attention. We complained about being ignored, and got some kind of photo card for free photos. The photos did not make it to the photo pickup location at the park exit.
> 
> We've not gone back since and have no plans to.  SnS gives similar opportunities for early entry to houses before the general public is let in.  The scare zone in front of the park gives similar opportunities for selfies with the scareactors.



We had the same experience! We enjoyed it the first year and thought the food was okay. Second year the food seemed a little worse and we were also a table of 2 and got skipped over by some of the characters (Chance was one of them). They also had a problem scanning our dinner tickets at the door and we had to sort it out at guest services which took some time away from the dinner. Anyway last year we decided to just do the Ap holding area and we planned to do it again this year.

@HollyMD  it can be fun the first year we had a great time with the characters, food was never the greatest, we felt more rushed the last time we did it. I haven’t felt like it was worth it the last 2 years especially since the AP area releases a little earlier, but it can be a fun experience. Last time we did it, it pretty much ended when the houses opened so it wouldn't take too much time. You’ll want to reserve the earliests eating you can though so you have enough time to eat and get pictures.


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

Did you guys see the merchandise article?
https://blog.universalorlando.com/whats-new/merchandise-reveal-hhn2018/

Also, my library doesn't have Halloween 4 or Trick R Treat. I couldn't find them on Amazon Prime streaming or Netflix. Anyone know if there is a place I could watch those?


----------



## keishashadow

Finally have a replacement keyboard, apologies for delay in updating thread. Will have all in place tomorrow.
C
wanted to mention that the special tix Bogo that were offered earlier this year CAN be upgraded at the gate.

Called U today when the email came in for the Q&A days.  Said you can also apply APH discount to whatever HHN tix you pick -


----------



## HollyMD

@Chumpieboy and @Raeven, thank you both for your opinions!


----------



## schumigirl

*2 WEEKS TO GO...………………….











Next pictures courtesy of Bioreconstruct………..

























*


----------



## macraven

*WOOT *


----------



## MikeNamez

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> Did you guys see the merchandise article?
> https://blog.universalorlando.com/whats-new/merchandise-reveal-hhn2018/
> 
> Also, my library doesn't have Halloween 4 or Trick R Treat. I couldn't find them on Amazon Prime streaming or Netflix. Anyone know if there is a place I could watch those?



I've been searching myself for Halloween 4 but cant seem to find it. May have to bite the bullet and buy it from amazon, 12$.


----------



## hawktalksl

MikeNamez said:


> I've been searching myself for Halloween 4 but cant seem to find it. May have to bite the bullet and buy it from amazon, 12$.



You can rent it from Netflix if you have a DVD plan. If you don't already have a plan, you may be able to get in on a free trial which typically lasts for a couple of months.


----------



## NashvilleTrio

We just signed up for the AP night on 9/22!  So excited!  Last year we were able to do all houses except one, Saw, without purchasing EP.  And I think the longest we waited was maybe 20 minutes or so.  I'm so psyched about the Stranger Things house this year, as well as the merchandise.


----------



## RAPstar

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> Does anyone know why the last Thursday in September doesn't have a hhn?



I think that's the night that Microsoft usually buys out the park for some convention that's always in town that time of year.


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

RAPstar said:


> I think that's the night that Microsoft usually buys out the park for some convention that's always in town that time of year.



Oooh that's right, I have heard about that before.


----------



## Monykalyn

NashvilleTrio said:


> We just signed up for the AP night on 9/22! So excited! Last year we were able to do all houses except one, Saw, without purchasing EP. And I think the longest we waited was maybe 20 minutes or so. I'm so psyched about the Stranger Things house this year, as well as the merchandise.


So what is the secret? We will have 4 nights if I end up getting the ROF pass. We have AP's so we can be in the park 3 of the 4 days before HHN starts and park closes. Thursday we likely won't get into park til 9pm or so, but hoping it dies down after 11pm and we can get at least 2 or 3 of the popular houses with minimal waits...

And that ST mug is soooo mine!


----------



## vrajewski10513

Monykalyn said:


> So what is the secret? We will have 4 nights if I end up getting the ROF pass. We have AP's so we can be in the park 3 of the 4 days before HHN starts and park closes. Thursday we likely won't get into park til 9pm or so, but hoping it dies down after 11pm and we can get at least 2 or 3 of the popular houses with minimal waits...
> 
> And that ST mug is soooo mine!


We were able to do it in 2016. The trick is to be flexible. We did a lot of wait time stalking and ALOT of walking back and forth across the park. It wasn’t so bad because atleast we got to go through the Scare zones multiple times lol


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

Huh, I figured that I would miss all the HHN AP events because I know those usually happen pretty early in the event. Just realized that they are doing a Q&A night on Sept 30, which is our first night. Got us signed up. Have they had these Q&A events before? I assume we'll be talking with the designers of whichever house we get early access to, that would make the most sense.


----------



## Ohanaof3

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> Did you guys see the merchandise article?
> https://blog.universalorlando.com/whats-new/merchandise-reveal-hhn2018/
> 
> Also, my library doesn't have Halloween 4 or Trick R Treat. I couldn't find them on Amazon Prime streaming or Netflix. Anyone know if there is a place I could watch those?


I found Halloween 4 on YouTube, rented Trick R Treat from my local cable company for 5$


----------



## soniam

Ohanaof3 said:


> I found Halloween 4 on YouTube, rented Trick R Treat from my local cable company for 5$



We are watching it right now, but from Netflix DVD. We're old school and still get DVDs. We find that selection on streaming not the greatest, especially when we are wanting to find old stuff for our son.


----------



## keishashadow

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> Huh, I figured that I would miss all the HHN AP events because I know those usually happen pretty early in the event. Just realized that they are doing a Q&A night on Sept 30, which is our first night. Got us signed up. Have they had these Q&A events before? I assume we'll be talking with the designers of whichever house we get early access to, that would make the most sense.



We’re coming down a day early (even got a credit from SWA) to do Q&A, sounds interesting.  Will stay for the early house & sneak in a few others before we start what was supposed to be the first stop of the spit stay.  I can easily live with jumping to 3 different hotels if it equates to more HHN nights!  

 I’m Guessing the house won’t be a headliner, but it’d be nice if so.  Perhaps one of the houses that opens first near simpsons area since that area tends to clear out first?  I do wonder how many spaces they offer per night for the Q&A and where it will be held.

Signed up for scareactor dinner for the first time.  Having issues with my foot swayed me a bit to at least be able to be sitting vs standing in holding pen until first house is cleared.  Not to compare parks but the Knotts Berry Farm hotel holds a dinner in the nearby hotel with just two characters.  They were incredibly talented actors.  One of things I remember most vividly about that experience.  Sounds like U needs to up their game, fingers crossed they come through this year


----------



## macraven

_I have done the SA dinner 3 times and that was enough for me


It was not worth it for me 
Same issues that others have had 

Hope your experience will be better than mine_


----------



## tony67

RAPstar said:


> I think that's the night that Microsoft usually buys out the park for some convention that's always in town that time of year.


Yeah - I think it is an employee thing - I seem to end up there that week every year and lose a night of ROF - but at least that lets me have a night off to enjoy Citywalk.

I am pretty happy that they added the Wednesday though - so I can get 6 nights of HHN


----------



## tony67

schumigirl said:


> Vicki, I`ve heard little rumblings that they are really upping the standard of the Scare actor dinner this year...…..sounds as though it will be massively improved from previous years...…..


Hmm - Ive always wanted to do this - but I've heard so many things about it being bad that I have not done it.

Are you just a universal plant trying to drum up business? 

I am going to have to think about it now - it's always good to go to these things a year when they are trying to up the quality - that will get them good word of mouth for the next few years even if it declines.

Has anyone done this solo and how was it - did you feel totally out of place?   On my own I usually sit at the bar and meet and chat with people - a table on my own is fine - but not much fun


----------



## tony67

nkereina said:


> Any news on the food offerings this year? Or a list somewhere of what the options and specialty items will be? Apologies if I've missed it!


I found the "specialty items" somewhat disappointing last year compared to previous years - it was more of the standard offerings and I felt I really had to search out unique items.
Pizza fries were a great idea - but it was poorly executed IMO

Also the specialty drinks were hit or miss ( alcohol content wise)  - mostly miss - still they always get me as I want a couple of the glasses
(If you want a good drink the outside bar at Simpson's will make whatever you want - and of course Finnegan's)

Also what happened to the IVs - I miss those - although I never bought one 

Hopefully it will be better this year


----------



## schumigirl

tony67 said:


> Hmm - Ive always wanted to do this - but I've heard so many things about it being bad that I have not done it.
> 
> Are you just a universal plant trying to drum up business?
> 
> I am going to have to think about it now - it's always good to go to these things a year when they are trying to up the quality - that will get them good word of mouth for the next few years even if it declines.
> 
> Has anyone done this solo and how was it - did you feel totally out of place?   On my own I usually sit at the bar and meet and chat with people - a table on my own is fine - but not much fun



lol...….

I`m going to change my signature to I`m not a plant 





​
Feed me Seymour...….Feed me...……………………

Still, better than a Universal shill!!!! 

I haven't done it, but heard so many didn't enjoy it previous years including friends and even TM friends who didn't rate it highly...….and I said so on the boards. So, no, not a plant...…..

One friend did it on his own and said he asked the staff member with the SA if they would come over early to him as he wanted to leave quickly and they did......he got some fabulous pictures......I`m not sure if he sat on his own, I didn't ask, but he really enjoyed it...….but you could feed him dry toast and he`d eat it!!!! Not fussed about food at all. 

But, things improve and they do get feedback, so hopefully it will be better...…..


----------



## tony67

vrajewski10513 said:


> They just went Live with the AP early entry sign ups!! We will be there the 21st!
> 
> You can access on the AP page on the universal Orlando website.


So - does anyone have the dates?

I see that between various posts people have posted the 21st, 22nd and 30th.
Anyone have the full list?

Unfortunately I cant get my AP till the day i get there as I have a 3day ticket I need to upgrade - Ill try to book it on the day.

Last year I did not even know about this and just walked up and they added me to the list.
It was good - I think I did 4 or 5 houses in a very short time


----------



## macraven

tony67 said:


> Hmm - Ive always wanted to do this - but I've heard so many things about it being bad that I have not done it.
> 
> 
> Has anyone done this solo and how was it - did you feel totally out of place?   On my own I usually sit at the bar and meet and chat with people - a table on my own is fine - but not much fun



_I did it 3 times solo 

Only had the characters at my table when I went to one of the handlers to request it a visit from the characters 

Also saw other single diners were passed over 
So it wasn’t just me

The sitting each time was either in the middle area of two groups 
Bench seat that covered 3 seating sections
I was in the middle section

Table top for one person 
If there were 2 peeps, a chair could be used for across the bench seating and could be used for two where I sat

My only pictures with a character and me in them happened to be in the line for pic with the photo connect card

One year I went back to the food line to get some thing else

Returned to my table and it was cleaned off with new peeps sitting there
Was not a good way to start the evening 

Each time I booked first seating

If you go, hope they have corrected the issues for single diners 

Food was not all that great but eatable 
If you are hungry, it serves a purpose 
At the cost of it at $50, you would expect a better quality of food 

Some peeps may rave about it, others may not

Even when there is a poor review for this event, peeps will continue to book it for the experience _


----------



## macraven

tony67 said:


> So - does anyone have the dates?
> 
> I see that between various posts people have posted the 21st, 22nd and 30th.
> Anyone have the full list?
> 
> Unfortunately I cant get my AP till the day i get there as I have a 3day ticket I need to upgrade - Ill try to book it on the day.
> 
> Last year I did not even know about this and just walked up and they added me to the list.
> It was good - I think I did 4 or 5 houses in a very short time


I’ll look up the dates and put them
In my post here



You need the confirmation email. Your ap
And picture ID to get in for the event


September
14. 15.  16.  19. 20. 21.  22.  23. 26

28. 29. 30

October
3. 10. 17. 24. 28


November
1. 2. 3


----------



## schumigirl

macraven said:


> _I did it 3 times solo
> 
> Only had the characters at my table when I went to one of the handlers to request it a visit from the characters
> 
> Also saw other single diners were passed over
> So it wasn’t just me
> 
> The sitting each time was either in the middle area of two groups
> Bench seat that covered 3 seating sections
> I was in the middle section
> 
> Table top for one person
> If there were 2 peeps, a chair could be used for across the bench seating and could be used for two where I sat
> 
> My only pictures with a character and me in them happened to be in the line for pic with the photo connect card
> 
> One year I went back to the food line to get some thing else
> 
> Returned to my table and it was cleaned off with new peeps sitting there
> Was not a good way to start the evening
> 
> Each time I booked first seating
> 
> If you go, hope they have corrected the issues for single diners
> 
> Food was not all that great but eatable
> If you are hungry, it serves a purpose
> At the cost of it at $50, you would expect a better quality of food
> 
> Some peeps may rave about it, others may not
> 
> Even when there is a poor review for this event, peeps will continue to book it for the experience _



I remember you didn’t have good experiences. 

Coming back to folks sitting at your table is unacceptable. 

I really hope it is improved this year as there’s a few people I know now going........fingers crossed.


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

keishashadow said:


> We’re coming down a day early (even got a credit from SWA) to do Q&A, sounds interesting.  Will stay for the early house & sneak in a few others before we start what was supposed to be the first stop of the spit stay.  I can easily live with jumping to 3 different hotels if it equates to more HHN nights!
> 
> I’m Guessing the house won’t be a headliner, but it’d be nice if so.  Perhaps one of the houses that opens first near simpsons area since that area tends to clear out first?  I do wonder how many spaces they offer per night for the Q&A and where it will be held.
> 
> Signed up for scareactor dinner for the first time.  Having issues with my foot swayed me a bit to at least be able to be sitting vs standing in holding pen until first house is cleared.  Not to compare parks but the Knotts Berry Farm hotel holds a dinner in the nearby hotel with just two characters.  They were incredibly talented actors.  One of things I remember most vividly about that experience.  Sounds like U needs to up their game, fingers crossed they come through this year



Any excuse to come early is a good one. 

So are you going on the 30th as well?


----------



## Robo56

HHN 28 will be here soon


----------



## vrajewski10513

tony67 said:


> So - does anyone have the dates?
> 
> I see that between various posts people have posted the 21st, 22nd and 30th.
> Anyone have the full list?
> 
> Unfortunately I cant get my AP till the day i get there as I have a 3day ticket I need to upgrade - Ill try to book it on the day.
> 
> Last year I did not even know about this and just walked up and they added me to the list.
> It was good - I think I did 4 or 5 houses in a very short time





macraven said:


> I’ll look up the dates and put them
> In my post here
> 
> 
> 
> You need the confirmation email. Your ap
> And picture ID to get in for the event
> 
> 
> September
> 14. 15.  16.  19. 20. 21.  22.  23. 26
> 
> 28. 29. 30
> 
> October
> 3. 10. 17. 24. 28
> 
> 
> November
> 1. 2. 3


This year the nights for AP early enter are September 14, 15, 21 and 22.  The AP exclusive Q&A are on i believe September 28, 29 and 30th.


----------



## keishashadow

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> Any excuse to come early is a good one.
> 
> So are you going on the 30th as well?



No, split trip X 3.  Off to WDW on Sat night or Sun am for full schedule but back to U on 10/4 until 10/7. A whirlwind of funs


----------



## KNovacovschi

This will be our first HHN and I’m so excited. We will be there Sept 23rd and I’m wondering if Sundays are a busy night, also we didn’t get the express pass, my husband refuses due to it being more then the ticket itself, will we be ok? I’m planning on doing Stranger Things first because I know that’s going to be a huge hit. I would like to do all the houses but don’t feel like that will be able to be done so I’m going to visit my top 3 and hope for the best.

Also we won’t be in the park during the day so we will be entering at 6:30.


----------



## Robo56

Weekends are busy.

One thing that would have helped was being in park before it closes st 5 and going to stay and scream areas. The people in those areas are released to the houses while people at gate are waiting to get in at 6:30.

Try to be at front of gate to get in at 6:30 this will help a little.

If lines are terrible you can still buy EP if needed in park.

Print the map ahead of time and find your must do first house “Stranger Things” and go from there.

Have a great time. You will be a HHN fan after this visit.


----------



## hockey mom

Question if We have an annual passes do we get ushered to the holding zone before hhn starts .


----------



## patster734

hockey mom said:


> Question if We have an annual passes do we get ushered to the holding zone before hhn starts .



If you’re in the park before 5pm, yes but only if you also have your HHNs ticket.  If you’re still outside the front gate when the park closes, no.


----------



## KNovacovschi

Robo56 said:


> Weekends are busy.
> 
> One thing that would have helped was being in park before it closes st 5 and going to stay and scream areas. The people in those areas are released to the houses while people at gate are waiting to get in at 6:30.
> 
> Try to be at front of gate to get in at 6:30 this will help a little.
> 
> If lines are terrible you can still buy EP if needed in park.
> 
> Print the map ahead of time and find your must do first house “Stranger Things” and go from there.
> 
> Have a great time. You will be a HHN fan after this visit.



Thank you


----------



## Robo56

Your welcome....if you have anymore questions someone will jump in and help you.


----------



## Lewdannie

Hi,

I have a Seasonal Annual Pass that will activate when I arrive on October 1. 
I am planning on getting a ticket for my son to attend the HHN on October 3.  I was hoping to get a discount, but when I rang the price they quoted was the same as what is shown online and I won't be able to purchase until I have activated my Annual pass.

Is expected that the 3 October HHN will sell out or should I just buy it online now?

Thanks

Dean


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

Lewdannie said:


> Hi,
> 
> I have a Seasonal Annual Pass that will activate when I arrive on October 1.
> I am planning on getting a ticket for my son to attend the HHN on October 3.  I was hoping to get a discount, but when I rang the price they quoted was the same as what is shown online and I won't be able to purchase until I have activated my Annual pass.
> 
> Is expected that the 3 October HHN will sell out or should I just buy it online now?
> 
> Thanks
> 
> Dean



I doubt it will sell out.


----------



## macraven

_Wednesday hhn nights have the lowest attendance 

I would not worry that oct 3 would sell out_


----------



## yulilin3

Getting my HHN Frequent fear plus pass tomorrow!! Happy happy joy joy


----------



## tony67

Thanks again to those that answered those AP questions for me - it is a real pain when you cant access the AP site for prices and info - they really should let you view that stuff even if you cant buy it

I had one more question - what is the AP price for rush of fear with express pass?  Just trying to see if it is worth waiting till I get my AP to make that purchase.
Time will be tight on my arrival day and it would be a PITA to upgrade to AP and then buy the ROF with express pass.

Thanks in advance


----------



## yulilin3

tony67 said:


> Thanks again to those that answered those AP questions for me - it is a real pain when you cant access the AP site for prices and info - they really should let you view that stuff even if you cant buy it
> 
> I had one more question - what is the AP price for rush of fear with express pass?  Just trying to see if it is worth waiting till I get my AP to make that purchase.
> Time will be tight on my arrival day and it would be a PITA to upgrade to AP and then buy the ROF with express pass.
> 
> Thanks in advance


$288.99


----------



## tink1957

tony67 said:


> Thanks again to those that answered those AP questions for me - it is a real pain when you cant access the AP site for prices and info - they really should let you view that stuff even if you cant buy it
> 
> I had one more question - what is the AP price for rush of fear with express pass?  Just trying to see if it is worth waiting till I get my AP to make that purchase.
> Time will be tight on my arrival day and it would be a PITA to upgrade to AP and then buy the ROF with express pass.
> 
> Thanks in advance


You can do both at the same time.


----------



## tony67

yulilin3 said:


> $288.99


Thanks - for $10 it's probably not worth the agro of cutting it close..but $10 will cover a drink..I will need to think about that - much apprecaited


----------



## yulilin3

I'm confirmed for the early house access for Sep 21st and the q&a pm Sep 28, anyone else going those dates?


----------



## tink1957

yulilin3 said:


> I'm confirmed for the early house access for Sep 21st and the q&a pm Sep 28, anyone else going those dates?


 Me too for the 21st!


----------



## tony67

tink1957 said:


> You can do both at the same time.


Yeah that was the initial plan - but I can wait on the AP upgrade till the next day  - guess i can just wait either way and buy ROF the day of and upgrade if time allows - thanks


----------



## vrajewski10513

yulilin3 said:


> I'm confirmed for the early house access for Sep 21st and the q&a pm Sep 28, anyone else going those dates?


We are for the 21st!


----------



## Lewdannie

macraven said:


> _Wednesday hhn nights have the lowest attendance
> 
> I would not worry that oct 3 would sell out_


Thanks...can anyone confirm what the Annual Pass price is for October 3?


----------



## macraven

yulilin3 said:


> I'm confirmed for the early house access for Sep 21st and the q&a pm Sep 28, anyone else going those dates?



_I’m registered for 9/30_


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

We're doing the q&a Sept 30.


----------



## macraven

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> We're doing the q&a Sept 30.



_Hope to meet you and any other homie at that Q&A session 

I’ll be wearing my chainsaw wolf black and white jersey

My name is on the back of it 

(Macraven)_


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

macraven said:


> _Hope to meet you and any other homie at that Q&A session
> 
> I’ll be wearing my chainsaw wolf black and white jersey
> 
> My name is on the back of it
> 
> (Macraven)_



I have red hair so am usually easy to pick out of a crowd.


----------



## Monykalyn

yulilin3 said:


> I'm confirmed for the early house access for Sep 21st





tink1957 said:


> Me too for the 21st!





vrajewski10513 said:


> We are for the 21st!


Me too!!
@yulilin3 - I met you a few years ago during the last Star Wars weekend-your thread on that was so helpful! So if you see someone waving frantically at you it's just me (in know way do I expect you will remember so I didn't want to alarm you )


----------



## tlinus

Going on the 28th. Going to be rough being we will be at the Microsoft Party at both parks the night before......BUT I MUST SEE STRANGER THINGS


----------



## yulilin3

Monykalyn said:


> Me too!!
> @yulilin3 - I met you a few years ago during the last Star Wars weekend-your thread on that was so helpful! So if you see someone waving frantically at you it's just me (in know way do I expect you will remember so I didn't want to alarm you )


 I barely remember what happened last week but I do seem to remember our meet,  by all means if you see me come say hi


----------



## purple hippo

We will be there Sep 30 as well and tried to sign up DH and I for the Q&A but it's full/sold out.  I guess they won't be able to add more seats or have a wait list.  Has anyone been to something like this before?  Do they have a stand by line for those who don't show up or should I scratch it off my list?


----------



## kittylady1972

Planning to attempt our very FIRST HHN this year...in honor of our 20th wedding anniversary!  We've purchased the RIP Tour for Sept. 26th so far, and have our room at RPR.  Question right now...is it imperative that we get our HHN tickets this far in advance?  I'm assuming that Wed night won't see out, and how would it work if we have the tour booked but somehow don't get tickets for HHN as well?  Would they take pity on us and let us get tickets if by some strange reason it's sold out?

Hopeful that just one night of HHN will be enough for us, so that's why we are delayed a bit in getting tickets.  With no HHN on Thursday (I guess there's a big group event that night?) we aren't sure if we'll want to do an extra night of HHN or just do something else during our short trip.


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

purple hippo said:


> We will be there Sep 30 as well and tried to sign up DH and I for the Q&A but it's full/sold out.  I guess they won't be able to add more seats or have a wait list.  Has anyone been to something like this before?  Do they have a stand by line for those who don't show up or should I scratch it off my list?



If you're planning on being there that night anyway I might just show up to the sign in and ask.


----------



## keishashadow

Tracie is coming to play!  Sweet, wasn’t it your DH who collected the tshirts?  We fly in late on 28th, doing the 29th  then to WDW & back to U on 10/4.  



tony67 said:


> Thanks again to those that answered those AP questions for me - it is a real pain when you cant access the AP site for prices and info - they really should let you view that stuff even if you cant buy it
> 
> I had one more question - what is the AP price for rush of fear with express pass?  Just trying to see if it is worth waiting till I get my AP to make that purchase.
> Time will be tight on my arrival day and it would be a PITA to upgrade to AP and then buy the ROF with express pass.
> 
> Thanks in advance



There’s various APH pricing info on page one of this sticky which may be helpful



Monykalyn said:


> Me too!!
> @yulilin3 - I met you a few years ago during the last Star Wars weekend-your thread on that was so helpful! So if you see someone waving frantically at you it's just me (in know way do I expect you will remember so I didn't want to alarm you )


Wait, did i meet you there??? The lunch time one @ ABC that yulilin organized?


----------



## Monykalyn

keishashadow said:


> Wait, did i meet you there??? The lunch time one @ ABC that yulilin organized?


OMG! Probably. My family thought I was nuts LOL but they sure appreciated the planning and tips from Yulilin thread! We were there the 2nd to last weekend all weekend and the friday of the very last weekend to see Frank Oz!!


----------



## keishashadow

Monykalyn said:


> OMG! Probably. My family thought I was nuts LOL but they sure appreciated the planning and tips from Yulilin thread! We were there the 2nd to last weekend all weekend and the friday of the very last weekend to see Frank Oz!!



I’d have to go back to check my notes. So funny!  Offhand, do u remember what year that was?


----------



## Monykalyn

keishashadow said:


> I’d have to go back to check my notes. So funny!  Offhand, do u remember what year that was?


2015


----------



## keishashadow

Monyk - Know i did 2013 & 2014 (amazing pkg they used to offer too bad it was dumbed down) need to dig some more to verify 2015 dates.


----------



## tlinus

Yep ... Jim did collect the shirts. Hoping to have better luck with the Stay and Scream this year. Last year took at least 45 minutes in the pouring rain to get thru The Shining. Need the area closer to Stranger Things this year!!


----------



## imprint

Finally booked our HHN tickets.  My wife and I will be attending 10/10, 10/11, and 10/14 with FF+E tix (our 6th time at HHN).  Our tween will be attending her first HHN with us on 10/11.  If she likes it, we will get her a ticket for 10/14 too.  We will all be attending our first UtH morning of 10/10 (really hope we get a tour of Stranger Things and/or Poltergeist).

We've really had a great time every year, but I'm really thinking this year has the potential to be our favorite HHN yet.  We cannot wait!


----------



## macraven

_Woot
Your 10 and 11 dates are on my list also

Let’s do a quick meet and greet !_


----------



## keishashadow

imprint said:


> Finally booked our HHN tickets.  My wife and I will be attending 10/10, 10/11, and 10/14 with FF+E tix (our 6th time at HHN).  Our tween will be attending her first HHN with us on 10/11.  If she likes it, we will get her a ticket for 10/14 too.  We will all be attending our first UtH morning of 10/10 (really hope we get a tour of Stranger Things and/or Poltergeist).
> 
> We've really had a great time every year, but I'm really thinking this year has the potential to be our favorite HHN yet.  We cannot wait!



U was smart to nail down Stranger Things this year.  Have heard many state they are coming back after a moratorium of a few years along with a younger crowd (of not quite so rabid horror fans) that has never been in the past.

Unfortunately, a potential perfect storm (rain, rain, go away lol) for a tidal wave of guests.  May be the first year I regretting not purchasing EP.  Never really needed it in the past doing several nights & a tour.  Will be interesting to see if those who do standardly purchase them, report experiencing a marked uptick in the return lines this year


----------



## keishashadow

Attention & welcome to all new posters here who have mosey’d over since the sticky started!!! 

Well into single digits before the first night, we are rabidly awaiting ‘dead or live’ reports For the event.

Feel free to post a link to your HHN TR thread here.

Alternatively, your brief take on the event, especially as to your favorite house along with crowd levels, is most welcome too!


----------



## Monykalyn

I’ve looked a bit but if someone can answer- I’ve heard the 1/2 price EP after 10p is sold, but is this something you can only buy on that day? I’m guessing they probably sell out too...


----------



## macraven

_Yes they have sold them in the past as long as they have not reached their limit of the number of eps have been sold 

Ep can sell out so if you wait until that evening, might be a gamble 

I buy the FF + with ep pass the day they are first released 

You can buy the ep in advance at full price or try to get them on the date you are there (discount price) at the allowed time period _


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

keishashadow said:


> Attention & welcome to all new posters here who have mosey’d over since the sticky started!!!
> 
> Well into single digits before the first night, we are rabidly awaiting ‘dead or live’ reports For the event.
> 
> Feel free to post a link to your HHN TR thread here.
> 
> Alternatively, your brief take on the event, especially as to your favorite house along with crowd levels, is most welcome too!




Oooh I haven't done a TR in quite some time. Maybe I should do one for this trip. Would anyone actually read and comment?

I think I used to get discouraged because some trip reports get tons of comments and I don't think mine was every one of those.


----------



## shh

i agree on the increased popularity this year possibly justifying greater need for Epass. Still gonna try to go without it, but may be hunting for that discounted pass halfway thru either night I'm there. There's a shot it'll be offered, since I'm not going till end of event and middle of the week, no less. I can hope, anyway


----------



## yulilin3

Ok so this is my first year to actually have a multi-day ticket, the FFPP, I work on I-drive and would generally take me about 5 min to get to Universal after closing at 12:30am. That means I would be able to be inside the park by 1am.
Do you guys think it's worth the trip to be in there for the last hour? Would it be enough time to get into one house? I just want to use my ticket as much as possible and I only have Mondays and Fridays off from work.


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

yulilin3 said:


> Ok so this is my first year to actually have a multi-day ticket, the FFPP, I work on I-drive and would generally take me about 5 min to get to Universal after closing at 12:30am. That means I would be able to be inside the park by 1am.
> Do you guys think it's worth the trip to be in there for the last hour? Would it be enough time to get into one house? I just want to use my ticket as much as possible and I only have Mondays and Fridays off from work.



The only issue I can think of would be parking and actually getting inside, then how much time would you even have left? If you really do have an hour then you might even get to do two houses, which would probably be worth it to me. But I am a bit crazy.


----------



## macraven

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> Oooh I haven't done a TR in quite some time. Maybe I should do one for this trip. Would anyone actually read and comment?
> 
> I think I used to get discouraged because some trip reports get tons of comments and I don't think mine was every one of those.



_Go for it !!

I read all trip reports.......and enjoyed what everyone has to write about.

I"ll be one of your biggest fans.....
(remember that line from the movie....quoting Kathy Bates __here )_


----------



## soniam

macraven said:


> _Go for it !!
> 
> I read all trip reports.......and enjoyed what everyone has to write about.
> 
> I"ll be one of your biggest fans.....
> (remember that line from the movie....quoting Kathy Bates __here )_



That would make a cool house


----------



## yulilin3

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> The only issue I can think of would be parking and actually getting inside, then how much time would you even have left? If you really do have an hour then you might even get to do two houses, which would probably be worth it to me. But I am a bit crazy.


Ill try it on a Thursday that closes at 2 and see how it goes.  I'm very curious to see what I could get done


----------



## macraven

yulilin3 said:


> Ok so this is my first year to actually have a multi-day ticket, the FFPP, I work on I-drive and would generally take me about 5 min to get to Universal after closing at 12:30am. That means I would be able to be inside the park by 1am.
> Do you guys think it's worth the trip to be in there for the last hour? Would it be enough time to get into one house? I just want to use my ticket as much as possible and I only have Mondays and Fridays off from work.



_Depending on the date, the last hour can be a good time to hit hhn.
Weekends could be iffy on going then.
Parking lot might be tough in finding a place to park.
Just depends on the date you choose to arrive at the park at 1:00ish.


Only thing that could be an issue is many without the ep will line up for the house that has the longest waits.
As long as you are in the line for the house before closing time, you are allowed to stay in the line until you have been through the house.

One year, one of the "hot" houses had a 90 minute wait for those entering the line before the cut off time.



I had a friend in guest services working and was going to meet up with her once she got off work that night.

Ended up leaving and went back to my room as she did not leave the park until 3:30 that morning.

Some employees do have to stay until the park is emptied out_


----------



## schumigirl

​*Getting closer!!!!!*


----------



## keishashadow

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> Oooh I haven't done a TR in quite some time. Maybe I should do one for this trip. Would anyone actually read and comment?
> 
> I think I used to get discouraged because some trip reports get tons of comments and I don't think mine was every one of those.



Of course!  You can always do a mini one.



yulilin3 said:


> Ill try it on a Thursday that closes at 2 and see how it goes.  I'm very curious to see what I could get done



Lucky you!



macraven said:


> _Depending on the date, the last hour can be a good time to hit hhn.
> Weekends could be iffy on going then.
> Parking lot might be tough in finding a place to park.
> Just depends on the date you choose to arrive at the park at 1:00ish.
> 
> 
> Only thing that could be an issue is many without the ep will line up for the house that has the longest waits.
> As long as you are in the line for the house before closing time, you are allowed to stay in the line until you have been through the house.
> 
> One year, one of the "hot" houses had a 90 minute wait for those entering the line before the cut off time.
> 
> 
> 
> I had a friend in guest services working and was going to meet up with her once she got off work that night.
> 
> Ended up leaving and went back to my room as she did not leave the park until 3:30 that morning.
> 
> Some employees do have to stay until the park is emptied out_



That was my thot too, you are in line, you are ‘in’.

Read a comment recently, not sure if here.  Somebody insisted they were stopped from entering line to a house as it was near closing time.  Hope that was a one-off, not a new thing last year.  

Perhaps they. Need to institute the balloon method but have pennywise hold it lol


----------



## schumigirl

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> Oooh I haven't done a TR in quite some time. Maybe I should do one for this trip. Would anyone actually read and comment?
> 
> I think I used to get discouraged because some trip reports get tons of comments and I don't think mine was every one of those.



Absolutely do a trip report!!!! 

Would love to read yours...…..of course we would comment...…..I always comment on trip reports if I read one...….I know how much work goes into them......so please, write away...…..


----------



## KNovacovschi

Hi, I posted about a week ago that we are doing our first HHN on Sept 23rd but not doing EP, after reading I felt I wouldn’t enjoy it as much because I love the idea of all the houses and know I won’t be able to do them without EP. My question is how do they differentiate who has an EP or not, is it a special wristband? Also is there a separate entrance for it and is it good for all the rides that are open that night.

TIA


----------



## schumigirl

KNovacovschi said:


> Hi, I posted about a week ago that we are doing our first HHN on Sept 23rd but not doing EP, after reading I felt I wouldn’t enjoy it as much because I love the idea of all the houses and know I won’t be able to do them without EP. My question is how do they differentiate who has an EP or not, is it a special wristband? Also is there a separate entrance for it and is it good for all the rides that are open that night.
> 
> TIA



Our Rush of Fear ticket has EP written on it...….I`m sure other tickets will be the same......it does get scanned too. 

There is a separate EP line to the houses. They are more or less side by side with the regular line...….but TM will check it does have EP written on it before you get to enter the line.


----------



## macraven

_Once the bar code is scanned, it shows up as valid for the ep line 

Procede in the ep house line then _


----------



## KNovacovschi

schumigirl said:


> Our Rush of Fear ticket has EP written on it...….I`m sure other tickets will be the same......it does get scanned too.
> 
> There is a separate EP line to the houses. They are more or less side by side with the regular line...….but TM will check it does have EP written on it before you get to enter the line.



Ok thank you


----------



## macraven

_Peeps show their ep ticket to the Tm at the beginning of the house line

Second check will be closer to the house
Tm there checks and scans your ticket then you proceed in the house line_


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

Watched Poltergeist last night. I'm now afraid that the house is just going to be one continuous strobe light to mimic the flickering of the TV. I hate the strobe light houses, they are painful. I really hope that they have the medium in the house, she was a fun, unique character. If there isn't a huge demon head shooting out of the closet I will be sad.

I think the moral of that movie is that swimming pools are bad.


----------



## vrajewski10513

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> Watched Poltergeist last night. I'm now afraid that the house is just going to be one continuous strobe light to mimic the flickering of the TV. I hate the strobe light houses, they are painful. I really hope that they have the medium in the house, she was a fun, unique character. If there isn't a huge demon head shooting out of the closet I will be sad.
> 
> I think the moral of that movie is that swimming pools are bad.


I’m excited to see what’s in the light!!!


----------



## HollyMD

I have a question- we took advantage of the Buy one, get one back in June. It only sent one ticket per person and it says +1 promo in it but in the writing, it also says ticket can only be scanned once and then invalid. How will they know when we go the 2nd night that the ticket is still valid? Also, do they take the tickets up when they first scan?


----------



## vrajewski10513

HollyMD said:


> I have a question- we took advantage of the Buy one, get one back in June. It only sent one ticket per person and it says +1 promo in it but in the writing, it also says ticket can only be scanned once and then invalid. How will they know when we go the 2nd night that the ticket is still valid? Also, do they take the tickets up when they first scan?


They don’t take the ticket. You use the one ticket for as many nights as it’s valid. They can tell when they scan it how many nights are available on it.


----------



## macraven

_Ditto 

She beat me to the answer 

Lol_


----------



## Djscarlette

How busy is opening night? This will be my first ever time at HHN!! I want to go every year, but my kids are still too young. My only option to attend is opening night, and I have my ticket in hand. I'd love to know what to expect so I can prepare for crazy crowds if I need to. Thanks!


----------



## schumigirl

Djscarlette said:


> How busy is opening night? This will be my first ever time at HHN!! I want to go every year, but my kids are still too young. My only option to attend is opening night, and I have my ticket in hand. I'd love to know what to expect so I can prepare for crazy crowds if I need to. Thanks!



It`s not the busiest night there is, but we usually do opening night and have been surprised how busy it has become over the years...…..but you shouldn't see crazy crowds...….

Do you have Express Pass? 

That`ll help to see all the houses as we do see long lines early in the event, especially the popular houses...…

We`ll be there opening night at some point...…...hope you enjoy it, we love it and wouldn't miss it every year!!!


----------



## Djscarlette

schumigirl said:


> It`s not the busiest night there is, but we usually do opening night and have been surprised how busy it has become over the years...…..but you shouldn't see crazy crowds...….
> 
> Do you have Express Pass?
> 
> That`ll help to see all the houses as we do see long lines early in the event, especially the popular houses...…
> 
> We`ll be there opening night at some point...…...hope you enjoy it, we love it and wouldn't miss it every year!!!



I do not have the EP... I was thinking maybe I should encourage my group to get it though. Thanks for your feedback. I appreciate the help!

ETA: I am super excited to go. I think I will become an HHN addict quick!


----------



## schumigirl

Djscarlette said:


> I do not have the EP... I was thinking maybe I should encourage my group to get it though. Thanks for your feedback. I appreciate the help!
> 
> ETA: I am super excited to go. I think I will become an HHN addict quick!



Oh you absolutely will become an addict for HHN.....I`m sure of that...…..

Some people manage without EP...….many don't buy it and some can even do all the houses in one night if it`s not a busy night...….it would be a long night....but it is doable. 

We just hate queueing with a passion!!!


----------



## tony67

schumigirl said:


> It`s not the busiest night there is, but we usually do opening night and have been surprised how busy it has become over the years...…..but you shouldn't see crazy crowds...….


I was really surprised at just how busy it was so early last year - some of that may have been related to people coming out after the storm - and it did seem to get busier every day that first two weekends


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

I'm so excited for hhn!

Finally bought my frequent fear plus tickets.


----------



## Thiago Acquaviva

This friday is the first HHN, right?
Anyone attending?
I'm so curious about the line lenghts, tips and information about everything!

It's gonna be our first time doing HHN and I'm so excited (and so scared because I'm really afraid of those things lol)


----------



## schumigirl

Thiago Acquaviva said:


> This friday is the first HHN, right?
> Anyone attending?
> I'm so curious about the line lenghts, tips and information about everything!
> 
> It's gonna be our first time doing HHN and I'm so excited (and so scared because I'm really afraid of those things lol)



We’ll be there opening night........

You’ll love it........it is a huge amount of fun. It’s a hoot from beginning to end........we are so looking forward to this years event........it looks amazing! 

I hope you enjoy it........


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

https://orlando.halloweenhorrornigh...00003364&IndivKey=252058803#terror-trivia-hhn

I got an email that says they're going to have horror trivia in the app:

"Happy Halloween (Horror Nights) – my favorite time of the year! I am excited to announce an all-new way to interact with this year’s Halloween Horror Nights event – TERROR TRIVIA.

Built within The Official Universal Orlando Resort App, TERROR TRIVIA allows guests to compete against each other in 11 horror-packed levels. The trivia surrounds this year’s horrifying 10 haunted houses and includes a bonus ‘History Rewind’ level for die-hard Halloween Horror Nights fans. This level quizzes players on previous event years, haunted houses, event icons scare zones and more."


----------



## patster734

DW and I fly home this Saturday, so the only night I can attend is opening night.  Fortunately, I will have my EP, and I got signed up for the AP early access.


----------



## imprint

tony67 said:


> I was really surprised at just how busy it was so early last year - some of that may have been related to people coming out after the storm - and it did seem to get busier every day that first two weekends



We were there opening night last year, and a big problem that night was that the new ticket scanners were not working properly.  At times, it took a minute or so to scan each ticket in the express line.  It really slowed the flow.  They seemed to fix it after that though.

Off topic...  Last year received quite a few mediocre reviews, and there was speculation that the HHN team received less funding last year due to other park expenses.  I really think they are trying to outdo themselves this year and up the bar for a quality.  We still had a great time last year, but I think this year might be the best that we have attended (we started in 2012).  I cannot wait to see the reviews posted in a few days!


----------



## tony67

imprint said:


> We were there opening night last year, and a big problem that night was that the new ticket scanners were not working properly.  At times, it took a minute or so to scan each ticket in the express line.  It really slowed the flow.  They seemed to fix it after that though.
> 
> Off topic...  Last year received quite a few mediocre reviews, and there was speculation that the HHN team received less funding last year due to other park expenses.  I really think they are trying to outdo themselves this year and up the bar for a quality.  We still had a great time last year, but I think this year might be the best that we have attended (we started in 2012).  I cannot wait to see the reviews posted in a few days!


I went the first two weekends last year - so about 6 nights - and it seemed to get better each night as they set up more and more things and more SAs were in the scare zones.
I am guessing they took a lot of things down the days before the storm and then had to rush to get it set back up
I suspect some of the SAs were dealing with more important things and were not available to work and many of the people probably had other things on their mind

So I will give last year a pass and hope it is better this year - what I have seen so far looks great.


----------



## NashvilleTrio

Monykalyn said:


> So what is the secret? We will have 4 nights if I end up getting the ROF pass. We have AP's so we can be in the park 3 of the 4 days before HHN starts and park closes. Thursday we likely won't get into park til 9pm or so, but hoping it dies down after 11pm and we can get at least 2 or 3 of the popular houses with minimal waits...
> 
> And that ST mug is soooo mine!



I think just getting there before or right at the AP entry time is what worked for us.  Also we attend an earlier date so I think crowds are a little lower than if we were to wait until later into October.


----------



## keishashadow

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> https://orlando.halloweenhorrornigh...00003364&IndivKey=252058803#terror-trivia-hhn
> 
> I got an email that says they're going to have horror trivia in the app:
> 
> "Happy Halloween (Horror Nights) – my favorite time of the year! I am excited to announce an all-new way to interact with this year’s Halloween Horror Nights event – TERROR TRIVIA.
> 
> Built within The Official Universal Orlando Resort App, TERROR TRIVIA allows guests to compete against each other in 11 horror-packed levels. The trivia surrounds this year’s horrifying 10 haunted houses and includes a bonus ‘History Rewind’ level for die-hard Halloween Horror Nights fans. This level quizzes players on previous event years, haunted houses, event icons scare zones and more."



Ah, i missed the app part, no wonder the email link didn’t work lol. Good idea to kill hehe time while in line


----------



## yulilin3

the map for team preview nights is out. My son is going tonight. I'll share all the details tomorrow
http://www.uoteam.com/assets/documents/HHN2018-TeamMemberPreviewMap.pdf


----------



## tony67

SnapesGirl said:


> Is Express Pass needed in September? This is my first HHN and I'll be going from Sept 20-27th. Would EP be needed that early on?


Did you get the ROF ticket or are you going for just one night?
For one night you might be better off with express pass - but for not much more you van get the ROF ticket and get all the nights of HHN during your stay
Even then express is nice - but if you go multiple night it is less of an issue - just dont be surprised if some thing are 60-90 minutes - especially with stranger things most likely bringing in folks who have not done HHN before
I am getting the ROF ticket, but I am thinking about getting it with express - that gives you express every night you go - so for the six nights I go it is tempting


----------



## macraven

yulilin3 said:


> the map for team preview nights is out. My son is going tonight. I'll share all the details tomorrow
> http://www.uoteam.com/assets/documents/HHN2018-TeamMemberPreviewMap.pdf



_Thank you and adding a  for sharing what you do find out_


----------



## yulilin3

Food!!!
https://blog.universalorlando.com/w...s-hhn2018/?__source=ag.FBPAGE&linkId=56767880


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

yulilin3 said:


> Food!!!
> https://blog.universalorlando.com/w...s-hhn2018/?__source=ag.FBPAGE&linkId=56767880



Aww you beat me to it.


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

Also, these snacks put Disney's Halloween stuff to shame.

Hello extra ten pounds, welcome to the party.


----------



## tony67

yulilin3 said:


> Food!!!
> https://blog.universalorlando.com/w...s-hhn2018/?__source=ag.FBPAGE&linkId=56767880


looks good - seems like a lot more dessert options this year - unless i missed those in the past


----------



## soniam

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> Also, these snacks put Disney's Halloween stuff to shame.
> 
> Hello extra ten pounds, welcome to the party.



That's why I'm dieting now. I gotta make room or my clothes won't fit after HHN Most of those look pretty good. Hopefully, I can get them to remove the peanut stuff from some of it, because DS would eat them without it. No allergy; our family just doesn't like peanuts or peanut butter


----------



## keishashadow

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> Aww you beat me to it.



Ok, silver medal is bestowed



OhioStateBuckeye said:


> Also, these snacks put Disney's Halloween stuff to shame.
> 
> Hello extra ten pounds, welcome to the party.



IDK, did the mnsshp dessert party opening day.  The spread was inventive, themed well and varied, lots of mini-sized versions of stuff they were selling throughout the parks.  Found a few new favorites lol


----------



## imprint

All the Twitter pics, videos, and quick reports from the preview tonight...  Argh!  I want to me there!  I cannot wait!!!


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

What is this monster house people are talking about on Twitter?

Did I miss something?


----------



## Raeven

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> What is this monster house people are talking about on Twitter?
> 
> Did I miss something?



In Universal Hollywood I heard they’re doing a classic monsters house this year so that might be it.


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

Raeven said:


> In Universal Hollywood I heard they’re doing a classic monsters house this year so that might be it.



But not universal Orlando?


----------



## Raeven

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> But not universal Orlando?



Yeah, only in Hollywood.


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

Looks pretty cool though, I'm jealous.


----------



## keishashadow

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> Looks pretty cool though, I'm jealous.



Same!  They used to have this amazing walk thru attraction at USH with live actors portraying their famous franchise.

Had hoped they’d incorporate it or more of the characters in FL but the initial reboots of classic monsters were so dismal, i’ve Lost hope.  

Monsters’ cafe decor is a treasure, too bad the food is even scarier.  No idea why they haven’t morphed it into a character buffet or standard restaurant, even if just limited fare.


----------



## yulilin3

Son did 5 houses and aov last night.  I haven't spoken to him in person yet but thought text he said his favorite houses were stranger things and poltergeist,  he said blumhouse was good too. 
Aov was good but not as good as their first year


----------



## schumigirl

yulilin3 said:


> Son did 5 houses and aov last night.  I haven't spoken to him in person yet but thought text he said his favorite houses were stranger things and poltergeist,  he said blumhouse was good too.
> Aov was good but not as good as their first year



Couple of people we spoke to last night said the same thing about AOV........

And no pool scene in Poltergeist..........can’t remember who said they hoped it would be there.........

But can’t wait for tonight........


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

schumigirl said:


> Couple of people we spoke to last night said the same thing about AOV........
> 
> And no pool scene in Poltergeist..........can’t remember who said they hoped it would be there.........
> 
> But can’t wait for tonight........



I had mentioned a pool but just tried to make a bad joke about the moral of the movie being 'don't put in a pool'.


----------



## tony67

Anyone have opinions on the Unmasking the Horror tours.
I booked the 6 house for this year - I had tried for last years but was not able to as they were filled - so I made sure to get it this year

Also I saw a rumor that they might be starting HHN earlier next year - considering they added Wednesdays earlier on I would not be surprised - thoughts?


----------



## Robo56

I highly recommend the UMH Tour. 

I have done it last couple years and I’am doing the Tour both morning and afternoon this year also. 

Great way to appreciate the artistry that goes into creating the houses. 

You will really enjoy it.


----------



## Robo56

To all who are attending opening night tonight have a great time.


----------



## Jarsnofski

Hello! I have a premier pass and I wondering if I would be able to go on 9/18 (Tuesday) with my premier annual pass.


----------



## macraven

_Once your ap is activated, you can do the parks in the regular park hours_


----------



## Jarsnofski

macraven said:


> _Once your ap is activated, you can do the parks in the regular park hours_


I mean with my premier annual pass that I bought in January, I can go on september 18th which is a blockout date for regular HHN tickets correct?


----------



## macraven

_No Black out dates for premier ap for the parks during the day

Info is on the website so you will not have a problem

Only the seasonal and power ap have block out dates listed_


----------



## macraven

_Are you asking about the one free hhn ticket that premier AP Holders get ?_


----------



## Laura727

Newbie here - heading to HHN tonight, Saturday and Sunday with the ROF pass. Staying off property and not doing park beforehand. We do not have EP or RIP tour. Plan is to do as much as we can before lines get insane. So what time should we get to the park to stand in line?  I’ve read through page 38 of this thread (and am still reading) and only saw one post saying to get there one hour before. Is that about right?


----------



## Angeliamc

We are missing HHN by one night this year , we have never been. We will going for 5 days this trip. Would there be any benefit to upgrading our 5 day park to park to AP in hopes that I can swing a trip next year for HHN for my son's 16th birthday? Would this only be beneficial if we do the parks during the day as well or would it give us some perks on HHN ticket prices or other "things". I did try to read through the thread, but I am still not sure. Thanks so much!!


----------



## keishashadow

Angeliamc said:


> We are missing HHN by one night this year , we have never been. We will going for 5 days this trip. Would there be any benefit to upgrading our 5 day park to park to AP in hopes that I can swing a trip next year for HHN for my son's 16th birthday? Would this only be beneficial if we do the parks during the day as well or would it give us some perks on HHN ticket prices or other "things". I did try to read through the thread, but I am still not sure. Thanks so much!!



I’m guessing you arrive after HHN is over this year?  If so, I’d definitely run the numbers.  Not sure what you paid for your tickets, but as long as they are upgradeable (as most are) you could always visit guest services to convert to even the lowest, seasonal APH.  Various types listed on Universal’s website.

You would receive APH dining & merchandise discounts, where available, as well as potential discount for onsite hotels.

There are APH discounts for various HHN tickets & merchandise & tours (see first page of this thread)

Good luck, that’s a great age to introduce your DS to HHN.  Suggest taking him to a local haunt in your area as a warm up this year or next to ease him into it if he’s on the fence.


----------



## macraven

Laura727 said:


> Newbie here - heading to HHN tonight, Saturday and Sunday with the ROF pass. Staying off property and not doing park beforehand. We do not have EP or RIP tour. Plan is to do as much as we can before lines get insane. So what time should we get to the park to stand in line?  I’ve read through page 38 of this thread (and am still reading) and only saw one post saying to get there one hour before. Is that about right?


_If you are driving, go early as it will have lines for garage parking 
I would plan to be there around 4

You could be tied up for 30 minutes for driving and entering the parking garage 

I have seen lines outside the gate begin at 4:30 on select hhn dates

If you are doing car service to drop you off maybe 4:45-5:00 for drop off

I stopped going opening nights some years back
Others can guide you better if they normally attend hhn opening day/week

Columbus Day weekend I have been doing for many years
It is crowded 

Have seen peeps waiting in gate line after 4:00
Not many but was taken back last year to see that 

When you enter the park for hhn, don’t start the houses up front 
Most people do the houses while others that are not new to hhn, go to the back of the park 

Hours after hhn begins, front houses won’t take as long _


----------



## Angeliamc

Thanks so much for your reply keishashadow! Yes we will miss HHN by one night, we arrive on the 4th.  I will check out the first page again, I think by the time I read several pages I had myself confused! My son LOVES scary movies and I did show him some vlogs and he thought it was awesome! I will do some number crunching since i am not sure we will be able to return next year to see if it would be worth it to try to upgrade our tickets. Thanks again!


----------



## keishashadow

Mac - good advice as always.  I am having 2nd thoughts as to normal drill of doing houses in the back first this year due to inclusion of Stranger Things.  Even if it turns out to be a dog, it is such a cultural phenom, it will be a must-do.  

IMO it’s is going bump attendance to HHN thru the stratosphere this year, to the point where those without EP (me lol) might be better served hitting it first.

Has worked out well to hang at simpsons, to take advantage of them opening whatever house early back there once they toss out the day laggers.  thinking it may be blumhouse again?


Still, not sure if i’m quick enough to beat the gate crowd to ST, hopefully the Harvest scare zone will bog them down.


----------



## keishashadow

For those who attend the early HHN nights, Inquiring minds need to know please:


Simpson’s holding area:  

what house was opened early/first after crowd was cleared from the park?


Q&A attendees:  

where is the presentation located?  

Can you elaborate on the procedure as to lining up etc.?  Assume you need to get your tix scanned/wrist banded.

what house did you get to attend early after the presentation?  

If you made it through the bonus house before the gates opened, were you free to roam/get back into line for a repeat, or directed to holding pen?


----------



## Laura727

macraven said:


> _If you are driving, go early as it will have lines for garage parking parking
> I would plan to be there around 4
> 
> You could be tied up for 30 minutes for driving and entering the parking garage
> 
> I have seen lines outside the gate begin at 4:30 on select hhn dates
> 
> If you are doing car service to drop you off maybe 4:45-5:00 for drop off
> 
> I stopped going opening nights some years back
> Others can guide you better if they normally attend hhn opening day/week
> 
> Columbus Day weekend I have been doing for many years
> It is crowded
> 
> Have seen peeps waiting in gate line after 4:00
> Not many but was taken back last year to see that
> 
> When you enter the park for hhn, don’t start the houses up front
> Most people do the houses while others that are not new to hhn, go to the back of the park
> 
> Hours after hhn begins, front houses won’t take as long _


Thanks for the quick response!  Guess I better get the troops prepared. Doing car service drop off so hopefully it won’t be as crazy I am anticipating. Our plan is to bang out a few houses each night and will just do rides it is too nuts. Fingers crossed.


----------



## soniam

keishashadow said:


> Mac - good advice as always.  I am having 2nd thoughts as to normal drill of doing houses in the back first this year due to inclusion of Stranger Things.  Even if it turns out to be a dog, it is such a cultural phenom, it will be a must-do.
> 
> IMO it’s is going bump attendance to HHN thru the stratosphere this year, to the point where those without EP (me lol) might be better served hitting it first.
> 
> Has worked out well to hang at simpsons, to take advantage of them opening whatever house early back there once they toss out the day laggers.  thinking it may be blumhouse again?a
> 
> 
> Still, not sure if i’m quick enough to beat the gate crowd to ST, hopefully the Harvest scare zone will bog them down.



I am so glad that we have 3 nights, 1 private RIP tour, and 2 HHN EP and will probably do Stay n Scream 2 nights for our first trip. I know that we will be incredibly spoiled now, but I would hate for this to be a bad experience for my son and I. I am feeling ever so more confident in my choices. Plus, my son loves Stranger Things (he's 12, perfect age for it) and will want to see that house but hates waiting long.


----------



## Robo56

keishashadow said:


> IMO it’s is going bump attendance to HHN thru the stratosphere this year, to the point where those without EP (me lol) might be better served hitting it first.



I hope that house is not a disappointment.....I’am looking forward to it.....and you are correct.....I think that house is going going to a big draw for crowds.......I have heard that some parents are taking their kiddos to HHN for this house alone.


 


 

 



Oh and Mikey too


----------



## keishashadow

Robo56 said:


> I hope that house is not a disappointment.....I’am looking forward to it.....and you are correct.....I think that house is going going to a big draw for crowds.......I have heard that some parents are taking their kiddos to HHN for this house alone.
> 
> 
> View attachment 350865
> 
> 
> View attachment 350857
> 
> View attachment 350859
> 
> 
> 
> Oh and Mikey too
> 
> View attachment 350862



I’ve heard the same.  Have concerns people don’t fully understand the scare level of the rest of the event, which isn’t exactly PG mildly scary type as Stranger things tends to roll. 

So many people don’t do any sort of research on vacations in general. More than a few appear to ignore the advisories as to suggested minimum age/scare tolerance.  

HHN is not the sort of place for kids/tweens to necessarily cut their teeth visiting haunted houses.  

Have seen my share of screaming kids there.  You just know people are going to attend with their kiddos on impulse, then come back here & start a thread to vetch about how inappropriate/adult/scary/non MNSSHP it was.


----------



## Carnut12

I just solidified with my Wife we will be going on October 10th to HHN.  I have booked a room at Portifino with an AP Rate, I have NOT bought tickets yet for HHN.

Here is my question, will I be fine with just getting tickets and the EP or should I bite the bullet and just do the VIP Tour???  I only have one night, I am starting to lean towards the VIP Tour.

Anyone that has done both I would love some feedback.

Thank you!!!


----------



## Laura727

Here now. Got to the gate at 5:06 - about 10 people deep per line. It is now almost 5:30 and it is easily 30 people deep per line. Sun is brutal. Early arrivals get the shade. Everyone else is in the sun.  

Update: 5:45 and the lines are officially insane - out to the arches.


----------



## macraven

Laura727 said:


> Here now. Got to the gate at 5:06 - about 10 people deep per line. It is now almost 5:30 and it is easily 30 people deep per line. Sun is brutal. Early arrivals get the shade. Everyone else is in the sun.
> 
> Update: 5:45 and the lines are officially insane - out to the arches.



_I was reading on FB it is really crowded in the park 
Some past years, opening night did not have peeps staking out in the line 
until an hour before general public was  let in

Stay and scream holding areas always gives peeps the advantage of hitting a couple of houses without long waits

Laura I hope you have a great time at hhn

Come back and share your experiences with us_


----------



## Robo56

Carnut12 said:


> Here is my question, will I be fine with just getting tickets and the EP or should I bite the bullet and just do the VIP Tour??? I only have one night, I am starting to lean towards the VIP Tour.



Want to make sure you know the difference between VIP RIP TOUR and Public RIP TOUR.

VIP RIP TOUR....is a tour someone has bought ahead of time and they depending on how many people join their tour divide the cost of the tour among all the participants....there are usually about 10 people in this tour..... You can tour the houses more than once on this tour.....front of line in some chosen rides.....these tours can sometimes be as reasonable as the public RIP TOUR.

Public RIP TOUR...they are usually 10 to 11 in this tour. You have a tour guide who will take you to front of line of all the houses once....front of line in some chosen rides.....read up on the things included in RIP TOUR.....this is a great option for someone who only has one night. 

You will need an HHN ticket in addition to RIP Tour purchase.

Since your going on a Wednesday you might be ok with ticket and EP......hard to predict this year’s crowds.

I would cost it out and do what fits your budget.


----------



## macraven

_Since it is your first hhn, go with fhe public tour

You will be able to do all houses and scare zone once 

Use the regular house lines to repeat houses for the rest of your evening 

Oct 11 is a school holiday for some of the counties 
It could mean more in the park for hhn on Wednesday 

That is one of the dates I will be there too_

_Hope you have a great time !


_


----------



## vrajewski10513

Just FYI... read on Twitter that Finnegan’s was let into Stranger Things first. Hello Kitty was just overflow from the other two holding areas.


----------



## Carnut12

Thank you!!!  I went with the Public VIP Tour!!!


----------



## macraven




----------



## schumigirl

Janet, have no idea on your questions.........I’m sure folks will be able to answer you though.


But, that was the busiest and I mean BUSIEST opening HHN I have ever seen.........it was so busy with crowds everywhere.........

At 6.30 we used the hotel guest entrance........queue was round the back of the building.......won’t go that early again.

Didn’t do a whole lot of houses but.........

Halloween...........they did it good!!!! Lots of scares from Michael and a few others........will do that house every night we go..........at 6.55pm queue was 60 minutes.........EP line was 10 minutes till we entered the house.

Carnival Graveyard..........60 minute regular line, took us 20 minutes in Express line, but felt longer........house was just ok. Some good scenes, including above you......but lacked scares.

Poltergeist.........75 minutes regular line.........25 minutes wait with Express. Some decent scenes you would recognise from the movie.......lacked real scares.....but worth doing if you don’t have to wait too long. This house was amazingly cold......which was lovely with the heat of tonight.

Scary Tales........75 minute wait.........15 minutes with Express......but met friends later who said Express took them 25 minutes. This was a good house I didn’t expect to like a whole lot. But we did. Good theme and a few good scares. We would do this one again.

Stranger Things line was 100 minutes at 9.20. Express would have been too long. Will do it another night early.


Scare Zones..........

The Harvest..........no scares but it was alright.

Vamp 85..........we really liked this zone.......loads of 80’s iconic music and Michael Jackson in Thriller mode, a really good Freddie Mercury........and 80’s music playing. Some excellent scare actors here........and a few good “jumps” but no scares.......however, this is a fun zone and we did enjoy it........

Revenge of Chucky. Not sure what to say about this one........a couple of good SA and Chucky gave a “talk” to the crowd. That was about it. Not a fan of this one.

Twisted Tradition.........we liked this one!!! Some good little characters that gave good scares. And the pumpkins lit up is always pretty........

AOV..........not great. Different people from first year and it shows. Won’t see this again.

Louie’s for pizza was good. Busy. But good.


So we still have to see most of the houses. Will cover that over next nights we go.

But, if the event gets busier and busier.............wow!! It will be mobbed. Folks were complaining about the walk to Trick r Treat house.........

We met some TM friends who all said they couldn’t believe how busy it was for opening night, and they didn’t have EP........

We left without buying a souvenir drinks cup, but will get one. They look good.

It already is so much better than last years event. We can go 12 nights, but maybe not make 12 of them......will definitely do Halloween every night and cover one half of the park on various nights.

Universal Store has 80’s video games like Donkey Kong........and there was a queue to enter the pop up HHN store where fake Macy is. So didn’t go in there tonight. 

Plenty of kids unfortunately including a 2 year old on dad’s shoulders. He was told to remove her from his shoulders going in the house and proceeded to argue he wasn’t going to.........he soon did when he was approached by an officer. A 2 year old!!

So, a very short review of a shortish visit.......we left at 10.30 and just got back to our room. Whooped.

It was incredibly hot and the crowds made it worse. But, it was a lot of fun.........and looking forward to going back again after dinner tomorrow night and again Sunday.


----------



## Laura727

macraven said:


> _I was reading on FB it is really crowded in the park
> Some past years, opening night did not have peeps staking out in the line
> until an hour before general public was  let in
> 
> Stay and scream holding areas always gives peeps the advantage of hitting a couple of houses without long waits
> 
> Laura I hope you have a great time at hhn
> 
> Come back and share your experiences with us_


Had a great time!!

Here is the low down of our experience tonight:
Gates opened at 6:06 and the general public was let loose. Houses did not open until 6:30. We did not have EP but were able to do four houses by 8pm. EP lines were LONG so I was glad to not have spent the money. We went counter clockwise starting at Halloween 4 (my personal favorite). We were done with that house by 6:45. The posted times for the houses did not match the actual wait time. Two houses had 40 and 45 min as their posted wait times. We were waited about 20-25 at each. 

Since we knew we were coming back and the times posted for houses were over 60 minutes, we switched to rides (wait times of 15 minutes). We left at 10:30. The posted wait times for Poltergeiest and Stranger Things were 100/110 min respectively when we left. One woman I spoke to on line said she waited two hours for Stranger Things.  

Hope this helps!


----------



## tony67

So stay and scream at Finnegan looks like it will be an even more popular option then in the past - now I just have to be sure to finish my pint, and not order another, and be ready to go when the let people loose - always a challenge

Based on Shumgirl's update I think I made my decision to get EP with my ROF - sounds like it will be well worth it.

I checked out a couple of live streams last night it it did look crazy busy - almost uncomfortable - hopefully it will be more reasonable on a Wednesday night so I can get some decent pix

Also seeing how busy it was I think it is even more likely it will start earlier next year now that they moved Rock the Universe to February.

What was going on in teh Simpsons area - that is where they usually have the random roaming SAs in an unofficial scare zone - anything this year?


----------



## patster734

I went last night.  Because it was my only night, I used Express and the AP Early Access.  I managed to see all of the houses, and did three houses twice.  The AP holding area was around Duff Gardens, and there was a huge crowd for the AP Early Access.  People were everywhere.

Finally released  a little before 5:30.  The two houses we were sent to were Slaughter Sinema and Dead Exposure.  I choose Slaughter Sinema first, and it had a short wait, but going over to Dead Exposure afterwards and that wait was about 40 minutes.  By the time I got out of that house, it was already after 6:30, and the crowds were growing quickly.  I still managed to get into Blumhouse which was probably around a 30 minute wait.

After Blumhouse, I walked through Vamp 85, and down to Stranger Things.  It had a 100 minute wait.  I walked back to Scary Tales, which had a 45 minute wait, and got in line.  This would be the last house that I would do without Express.

I hadn’t eaten dinner yet, so I got food from the Classic Monsters Cafe.  Eating in the restaurant was a nice reprieve from the heat.

My first house with Express was Stranger Things.  Standby was still 100 minutes.  Express was probably 20 minutes. Leaving Stranger Things, I walked through The Harvest, grabbed a bottle of water from Boulangerie, and headed toward Chucky’s Scarezone.  But on the way there, saw the Halloween entrance, and used Express for it.  Afterwards, I walked through Twisted Tradition.

After that, I did Seeds of Extinction.  Express was bad for this as it combined with the Standby line very early, and the conga line wasn’t backed up to the Standby/Express junction when I went through around 10:30.  So the Express was a waste for it.  Afterwards, I did Trick or Treat, and that Express worked much better than with Seeds.  FYI, the exit line for SofD and TorT is the worst as it snakes past the TorT standby line, and people were constantly stopping to chat with friends in that line.

Afterwards, I repeated Dead Exposure and Slaughter Sinema.  I walked down to Gramercy Park, where I did Poltergeist, Carnival Graveyard, and repeated Scary Tales (walk on with Express).

By this time, it was 12:40.  I walked down to Stranger Things.  85 minute wait.  I initially got in line, but decided not to do it, and got back out. I limped down (feet were killing me at this point) to Killer Klowns scare zone, and had good interaction with the Klowns.  And then limped to Chucky’s, and saw that scare zone right at closing.  Unfortunately, Chucky had just finished his scene as I arrived, so I missed it.

I had a lot of fun.  Saw all of the scare zones and houses.  My favorite houses were Slaughter Sinema and Scary Tales becauseof the variety of monsters in the mazes.  My least favorite was probably Bloomhouse.  I could have done that house twice, because I still had the Express for it, but didn’t.


----------



## Robo56

Looking forward to hearing about anyone’s impression with Demogorgon presentation in “Stranger Things” House.


----------



## keishashadow

Thanks for the updates.  Not thrilled to read confirmation it’s going to be crazy busier this year.  

Conversely, reading the length of EP return times has be mess inclined to purchase it, seems devalued for shorter stays.

Carole special thanks re the mini house reviews. May set up a thread with template for others to cut/paste reviews.

Interesting reading finnegans getting released to ST first vs hello kitty holding area.  Finnegans may find themselves in the position this year of adhering to fire code occupancy


----------



## Laura727

Robo56 said:


> Looking forward to anyone’s impression with Demogorgon presentation in “Stranger Things” House.
> 
> View attachment 350928


We didn’t do this house yet but spoke with a woman who waited two hours. She said it was ok and only did it for her kids. She said it was not worth the wait.


----------



## keishashadow

Carole’s post inspired me to set up a new thread with a template to make it easy to post mini reviews in a succient way.  Swing away 

https://www.disboards.com/threads/hhn-28-attendees-survey-says.3706584/


----------



## shh

thank you to everyone reporting back. Was really hoping another holding area would release first to ST, as we really liked having dinner at Finnegans during Stay and Scream. Sounds like that's going to be much harder to swing this year.

I forgot - is there a place where you can sit and dine in AC at the Simpson's holding area? Or is Finnegan's the only choice?


----------



## tony67

Laura727 said:


> We didn’t do this house yet but spoke with a woman who waited two hours. She said it was ok and only did it for her kids. She said it was not worth the wait.


Cant say I'd enjoy it if I had to wait two hours and if she only did it for her kids I would not put too much stock in it..look forward to your opinion after you do it.

I am having a hard time avoiding the walk through videos - it is very tempting to check them all out


----------



## patster734

Laura727 said:


> We didn’t do this house yet but spoke with a woman who waited two hours. She said it was ok and only did it for her kids. She said it was not worth the wait.



No house is worth a 2 hour wait, but all houses are worth the Express Pass.


----------



## crostorfer

I spent all night last night watching Twitter and IG feeds from people at the event. General consensus was that UNI knocked it out of the park with the theming in every house/maze and scare zone. Even the houses that weren't particularly scary were worth it to walk through for the theming and set design. Reviews on Dead Exposure were very mixed, some people thought it was the scariest of the night, others complained that it was too dark and crowded, and that the strobe lights bothered them. Slaughter Sinema seemed to have consistently been one of the overall winners of the night, all things considered. Nothing but rave reviews. People also said Scary Tales was not scary, and neither was Stranger Things, so I'm wondering if both were thrown in to accommodate the younger crowd they seem to have attracted. I saw lots and LOTS of teens and pre-teens in pics and video. 90% of the tweets and IG stories were from people who all claimed to be having the time of their lives, many saying that this is the best HHN they've ever attended. There were definitely 10%, however, who seemed to not be having a good time. Lots of complaints about crowds and wait time, and several complaints that they sold too many express passes, because the express lines were too long in comparison to stand by wait times.

We'll be there October 24th. I CAN'T WAIT!!! All of the reviews have me so excited to see this in person.


----------



## patster734

I held off on using my Express until 8:30.  And then used it for all of the houses except Blumhouse because it was getting late and I wasn’t that impressed with Blumhouse on my earlier visit last night.  It was totally useless at SofE because the line joined very early and the backup didn’t occur until after the joining.  At 12:30, Express was a walk-on for Scary Tales while the standby line reflected 45 minutes.


----------



## Monykalyn

@schumigirl there wereblits of comments on FB today about a screaming baby holding up an exit line at one of the houses which resulted in a 20 minute wait to Exit.  

Also reports of the crowd was around 35k, I remember someone did a report on the dis about the crowds and lack of control at the Fallout Boy concert which was ?40k? people.  Seems it was larger than usual crowd. 

So I’m thinking RoF definitely and maybe an express after 10 one night if there’s still houses we haven’t got to. We have 4 nights so I’m hoping this works. Also have the AP early thing, and we can be in park early to get into the holding areas in plenty of time.

The reports are really getting me excited!!


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

Is there anywhere on the app to see house wait times? 

I tried to find them and couldn't.


----------



## soniam

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> Is there anywhere on the app to see house wait times?
> 
> I tried to find them and couldn't.



Select the 3 lines on the top left. HHN (spelled out) is one of the choices. It will then list wait times for the attractions and houses, but some of the houses aren't listing times

EDIT: Select the Houses & More tab too.
EDIT2: There's also a wait time alert setting if you select the house.


----------



## crostorfer

I'm following the hashtag #HHN28 on twitter and instagram again tonight. So far, tonight's favorite house seems to be Poltergeist, lots of shout outs. The waits tonight seem to be slightly higher than last night. Also, people are reporting that the queue situation at Seeds of Extinction has been resolved and its much better.

Also, much love for the Pizza Fries.

Vamp 85 seems to be everyone's favorite scare zone again tonight.


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

soniam said:


> Select the 3 lines on the top left. HHN (spelled out) is one of the choices. It will then list wait times for the attractions and houses, but some of the houses aren't listing times
> 
> EDIT: Select the Houses & More tab too.
> EDIT2: There's also a wait time alert setting if you select the house.



I dunno, I did the houses and more and I see attraction wait times and aov show times but no house wait times.


----------



## soniam

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> I dunno, I did the houses and more and I see attraction wait times and aov show times but no house wait times.



Try again. It seems to be coming and going. It's showing 55 min for Carnival Graveyard right now.


----------



## TheNameless

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> I dunno, I did the houses and more and I see attraction wait times and aov show times but no house wait times.



The times for all the houses show up in the app for me. I'm checking from Maryland with location turned off. Screenshot attached.


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

I have no idea why mine isn't working. I even checked for updates to the app.


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

Just saw on Facebook someone is reporting they have $30 cups that you can buy if you have a frequent fear pass that'll get you free refills at the freestyle machines and icees until November 5th, during hhn and during the day.


----------



## soniam

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> I have no idea why mine isn't working. I even checked for updates to the app.



Did you sign in?


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

soniam said:


> Did you sign in?



Yeah I'm logged in.


----------



## imprint

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> Yeah I'm logged in.



Android or iPhone?


----------



## imprint

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> Just saw on Facebook someone is reporting they have $30 cups that you can buy if you have a frequent fear pass that'll get you free refills at the freestyle machines and icees until November 5th, during hhn and during the day.



I saw that too, and that's a pretty good deal, although I thought I saw someone say that it cannot be used during the day.  I think the Freestyle cups at HHN last year were around $15/night, so if you're going 3+ nights, it's worth it.  I just wish they'd fill it up with beer


----------



## tony67

Monykalyn said:


> Also reports of the crowd was around 35k, I remember someone did a report on the dis about the crowds and lack of control at the Fallout Boy concert which was ?40k? people.  Seems it was larger than usual crowd.



I saw one of the bloggers who blogs from Universal at least once a week say it was officially sold out - so for the first night that is pretty big

So one question I have - if it is that busy is it possible they might stop selling ROF this year or ROF with EP?


----------



## macraven

_I read that but it was incorrect info
On another site it was stated it was not a sellout 

There have been 40,000 in the park during the day and that is not a sell out_


----------



## tony67

macraven said:


> _I read that but it was incorrect info
> On another site it was stated it was not a sellout
> 
> There have been 40,000 in the park during the day and that is not a sell out_


Thanks - I assumed they had some sort of artificial limit that was considered a sellout to keep it reasonable - I think there is some lower limit to the Disney Halloween party for example.


----------



## tony67

crostorfer said:


> Also, much love for the Pizza Fries.


I was a bit disappointed with them last year - they were just OK - basically overcooked frozen crinkle fries with pizza toppings - Ill have to try them again this year


----------



## Laura727

We have gone two nights in a row now and tonight is our last night. No express pass and no early entry. Have done 8 houses so far - still need to do Blumhouse and Stranger Things. Wondering what people’s experience has been with Stranger Things wait times - whether to do it first or last. We left at 10 last night and posted wait time was 70 minutes (less than the night before at that time).  Let me know your thoughts or suggestions. 

My two cents on the houses - Poltergeist was very dark such that you couldn’t see and it had lots of strobes. Made it my least favorite house so far.  

Loved seeds of extinction and Halloween 4 - both had great themes and LOTS of scares. 

And I must say that Scary Tales was awesome. Not a ton of scares but the set and theming were so well done.


----------



## tony67

Laura727 said:


> We have gone two nights in a row now and tonight is our last night. No express pass and no early entry. Have done 8 houses so far - still need to do Blumhouse and Stranger Things. Wondering what people’s experience has been with Stranger Things wait times - whether to do it first or last. We left at 10 last night and posted wait time was 70 minutes (less than the night before at that time).  Let me know your thoughts or suggestions.
> 
> My two cents on the houses - Poltergeist was very dark such that you couldn’t see and it had lots of strobes. Made it my least favorite house so far.
> 
> Loved seeds of extinction and Halloween 4 - both had great themes and LOTS of scares.
> 
> And I must say that Scary Tales was awesome. Not a ton of scares but the set and theming were so well done.



thanks - just wondering - did you do Poltergeist while it was still light out?   I did one of the houses very early in the day last year (scarecrow maybe) and i could not see anything as my eyes were not adjusted - I did the same house another night and could see and it was very good - so sounds like I want to keep that in mind


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

imprint said:


> Android or iPhone?



Android


----------



## Laura727

tony67 said:


> thanks - just wondering - did you do Poltergeist while it was still light out?   I did one of the houses very early in the day last year (scarecrow maybe) and i could not see anything as my eyes were not adjusted - I did the same house another night and could see and it was very good - so sounds like I want to keep that in mind


Maybe that was it. But the house itself does not start out dark.  And I will say that even by the end of the house it was still dark. May try it when it is dark out. Thanks!

Still looking for advice on the last two houses we need to hit - stranger things and blumhouse. Which one first?


----------



## keishashadow

crostorfer said:


> I spent all night last night watching Twitter and IG feeds from people at the event. General consensus was that UNI knocked it out of the park with the theming in every house/maze and scare zone. Even the houses that weren't particularly scary were worth it to walk through for the theming and set design. Reviews on Dead Exposure were very mixed, some people thought it was the scariest of the night, others complained that it was too dark and crowded, and that the strobe lights bothered them. Slaughter Sinema seemed to have consistently been one of the overall winners of the night, all things considered. Nothing but rave reviews. People also said Scary Tales was not scary, and neither was Stranger Things, so I'm wondering if both were thrown in to accommodate the younger crowd they seem to have attracted. I saw lots and LOTS of teens and pre-teens in pics and video. 90% of the tweets and IG stories were from people who all claimed to be having the time of their lives, many saying that this is the best HHN they've ever attended. There were definitely 10%, however, who seemed to not be having a good time. Lots of complaints about crowds and wait time, and several complaints that they sold too many express passes, because the express lines were too long in comparison to stand by wait times.
> 
> We'll be there October 24th. I CAN'T WAIT!!! All of the reviews have me so excited to see this in person.



Could be a fair share of young first timers who are in awe, not exactly able to compare to prior years’ events let alone life experience lol 

Would be nice if we all agreed after visiting tho!



Monykalyn said:


> @schumigirl there wereblits of comments on FB today about a screaming baby holding up an exit line at one of the houses which resulted in a 20 minute wait to Exit.
> 
> Also reports of the crowd was around 35k, I remember someone did a report on the dis about the crowds and lack of control at the Fallout Boy concert which was ?40k? people.  Seems it was larger than usual crowd.
> 
> So I’m thinking RoF definitely and maybe an express after 10 one night if there’s still houses we haven’t got to. We have 4 nights so I’m hoping this works. Also have the AP early thing, and we can be in park early to get into the holding areas in plenty of time.
> 
> The reports are really getting me excited!!



That was me, my fallout boy crowd experience would make an awesomely terrifying house 

They swear they learned their lesson and it appears so I’ve observed dedicated exit/egress areas and more crowd control staff at special events since 



OhioStateBuckeye said:


> Just saw on Facebook someone is reporting they have $30 cups that you can buy if you have a frequent fear pass that'll get you free refills at the freestyle machines and icees until November 5th, during hhn and during the day.



Nice. However I was told a few years ago if I bought the special light up adult drink cup, it’d be honored the next year. No cigar but it is a cool cup


----------



## jlay68

Stay and Scream question for you veterans:  We are coming from out-of-town and going on Friday October 19th (no other option but that night).  We have Express passes but have never done the Stay and Scream option.  I know they let you out to different houses depending on which holding area you are in.  Can you use the Express Pass at that point?  Or is it better to save it in case you want to go back?  We are trying to get through all 10 houses and we only have this one night to attend HHN.


----------



## crostorfer

Night 3 of my new ritual, the social media follow alongs. It's 5:30pm Orlando time. I just saw 2 pictures from 2 different people on Twitter, one of a current look at the Finnegans holding area, and one of the AP early entry people in queue for Stranger Things and Poltergeist. Good luck to anyone there early tonight, ya' gonna need it.


----------



## SgtTibbs

How does HHN effect City Walk?  Is it more crowded with people that are not doing HHN, or less crowded because people are doing HHN?


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

I know that I'm a bit behind now...but I'm going to be disappointed if there is not a scene in the Halloween 4 house where a bunch of rednecks shoot up a park gazebo. We're just now watching it for the first time.

I haven't looked up spoiler footage of the houses.


----------



## patster734

tony67 said:


> thanks - just wondering - did you do Poltergeist while it was still light out?   I did one of the houses very early in the day last year (scarecrow maybe) and i could not see anything as my eyes were not adjusted - I did the same house another night and could see and it was very good - so sounds like I want to keep that in mind



I experienced the same thing with Dead Exposure on Friday.  On my first pass, it was light out, and I couldn’t see anything between light flashes in the house.  The second time through, although it was still difficult to see in the darkness, there was improvement.



Laura727 said:


> Maybe that was it. But the house itself does not start out dark.  And I will say that even by the end of the house it was still dark. May try it when it is dark out. Thanks!
> 
> Still looking for advice on the last two houses we need to hit - stranger things and blumhouse. Which one first?



I liked Stranger Things better than Blumhouse, but then I’ve watched both seasons.



jlay68 said:


> Stay and Scream question for you veterans:  We are coming from out-of-town and going on Friday October 19th (no other option but that night).  We have Express passes but have never done the Stay and Scream option.  I know they let you out to different houses depending on which holding area you are in.  Can you use the Express Pass at that point?  Or is it better to save it in case you want to go back?  We are trying to get through all 10 houses and we only have this one night to attend HHN.



You can use your Express Pass anytime.  I saw people use it during the AP early release last Friday. If you plan to stay all night until the park closes, I’d save using Express Pass until later so that you can repeat some houses.

Last Friday, also using the AP early release, my first 4 houses were without Express.  It was 8:30pm when I finally began using my Express Pass, and that was for Stranger Things.  Because I didn’t use Express initially, I was able to repeat three of those first 4 houses later with it, in addition to seeing the remaining 6 houses.


----------



## jlay68

Thank you!!


----------



## macraven

_I always get the ep

It’s like having car insurance 
It costs a lot but when you need to use it (put a claim in). you are glad you have it

I would not deal well spending an hour + of time in a house line

I do stay and scream holding areas and get two houses done early
Then I pick and choose which house to hit 
Usually the short line houses before I use my ep

By 8:30 for weekends, I start using my ep
Wednesday usually start using the ep much later_


----------



## imprint

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> Android



The app on my iPhone has been showing the house wait times, but then again that might not have anything to do with it.  Just a thought.


----------



## imprint

We booked our first Unmasking the Horror tour this year.  We just got the morning tour.  If anyone has done, or will do, the morning-only tour, would you please post the houses?  I assume the houses remain the same, but let me know if they might change.  I saw on another site that someone toured Stranger Things, Carnival Graveyard, and Scary Tales during the morning tour.  I'd feel more confident about the info if it came from a screen name I trust, though.


----------



## tony67

been watching a few more vlogs - one of them went on the media tour (or not sure I trust their opinions as they want to be invited back) but it was cool to watch the guides describe each house before they went in - be aware they were allowed to film in the houses so you may want to fast forward through that - he did point out that at open with just the folk from Finnegan's the wait was 60 minutes for Stranger things and Poltergeist

Another vlogger was focusing on the wait times - 150 minutes for stranger things and he waited an hour in express - he will be back Wednesday so will be interested to see if it is a bit slower - he seemed to really like most of the houses - some of the best ever

that $30 cup seems like a great deal if your going multiple nights - does anyone know if they have just filtered water or soda water - I dont drink soda for the most part - but the small cups of free water are a pain


----------



## macraven

SgtTibbs said:


> How does HHN effect City Walk?  Is it more crowded with people that are not doing HHN, or less crowded because people are doing HHN?


_Many grab food at city walk before they enter the park 
And quite a few will eat at 4ish so they can be in the park prior to 5

But The eateries are not full up at those times 

At closing time for hhn, some hang out in city walk so the cars clear out of the garage somewhat 

 City walk closes at 2:00 but some places such as HRC close at midnight 

Check the Citywalk.com to see what is open at midnight in advance 

Saturdays are busy nights did Citywalk_


----------



## SgtTibbs

macraven said:


> Many grab food at city walk before they enter the park
> And quite a few will eat at 4ish so they can be in the park prior to 5
> 
> But The eateries are not full up at those times
> 
> At closing time for hhn, some hang out in city walk so the cars clear out of the garage somewhat
> 
> It’s walk closes at 2:00 but some places such as HRC close at midnight
> 
> Check the Citywalk.com to see what is open at midnight in advance
> 
> Saturdays are busy nights did Citywalk



The more I think about it, the more I'm planning to skip HHN.  As a solo non-drinker who's not a huge horror fan I think I'll just save the $$$ hang out in City Walk or perhaps *gasp* retire early for a good nights sleep.   Hopefully once HHN is in full swing City Walk won't be too busy.


----------



## slford00

keishashadow said:


> Thanks for the updates.  Not thrilled to read confirmation it’s going to be crazy busier this year.
> 
> Conversely, reading the length of EP return times has be mess inclined to purchase it, seems devalued for shorter stays.
> 
> Carole special thanks re the mini house reviews. May set up a thread with template for others to cut/paste reviews.
> 
> Interesting reading finnegans getting released to ST first vs hello kitty holding area.  Finnegans may find themselves in the position this year of adhering to fire code occupancy



Opening night was insanely busy (and brutal HOT), but already by the 2nd night on Saturday it was much, much better. We didn't go Sunday, which is usually even less crowded, but we'll be back next weekend on Sunday to see (we live in Tampa).

So, I wouldn't necessarily take the insane rush on opening (buzz from opening + Stranger Things buzz) to mean that the entire event is going to be miserably busy.


----------



## slford00

imprint said:


> We booked our first Unmasking the Horror tour this year.  We just got the morning tour.  If anyone has done, or will do, the morning-only tour, would you please post the houses?  I assume the houses remain the same, but let me know if they might change.  I saw on another site that someone toured Stranger Things, Carnival Graveyard, and Scary Tales during the morning tour.  I'd feel more confident about the info if it came from a screen name I trust, though.



I'm not 100% positive, but I believe the houses do actually rotate from day to day and morning/afternoon (not always the same 3-6 houses on the tour).


----------



## slford00

Back home in Tampa after HHN opening Friday/Saturday night.

*Opening weekend thoughts*

- Opening night was crazy busy. The busiest I've ever seen HHN in 6 years. The Stranger Things effect is real. It also didn't help that it was miserably hot (much moreso than I remember from the same weekend the last 2 years)

- By 2nd night, the crowds were MUCH more reasonable. Still busy, but nothing compared to the madhouse on Friday. Plus, it rained that afternoon so it was much more comfortable and not brutal hot.

- If doing annual passholder early entry vs. Finnegan's stay and scream, Finnegan's is absolutely the way to go (more on this in a future post).

- If using Express, as others mentioned above, the merge point for Seeds of Extinction is AWFUL. Unless the wait is REALLY long, 1/2 of more of the wait is after the merge point (we waited 25 minutes with Express when the total wait was listed as 45 minutes)


----------



## slford00

Initial house and scarezone impressions/rankings (Spoiler Free):

Houses:
**1st tier - very little separation between 1-4**
1. Slaughter Sinema - Just brilliant. #2 is scarier, but this house is so original/creative and fun that it wins overall. It does have decent scares. The facade in the queue is the best of the event, hands-down.
2. Poltergeist - Very pleasantly surprised by this house. They absolutely knocked it out of the park. Scariest house of the event. It definitely "feels" like the same vein of The Exorcist and The Shining from the last couple years, but this one is much better.
3. Trick r Treat - It was great as a scarezone and it's great as a house. Need to be a fan of the movie to really enjoy it.
4. Carnival Graveyard - 2nd best facade, elaborate set design (think Ghost Town or Dead Waters), high energy cast, some good scares. Surprisingly long.

**2nd tier**
5. Halloween 4 - Probably the weakest of the Halloween/Halloween 2/Halloween 4 trio of houses they've done since 2014, but still a good house. Myers always makes for a good house. They did a great job translating the film to a house (as they did w/ the last two), but the 2 things that held it back for me are 1) it didn't include what was by far the most intense moment of the film (rooftop), and 2) it felt a little short -- probably a result of being in the Shrek building. It was going along really great and then just kinda abruptly ended.
6. Stranger Things - The opposite of our Poltergeist experience -- we were very excited with super high expectations for this house, and it didn't quite delivery (though it has room to improve). There were reportedly a lot of technical issues with the house on opening night (audio triggers not working for characters, costumes not fitting, etc) and it felt like we missed a lot. 2nd night it was better. I think once everything gets ironed out, this could make it into the top tier of houses. I was just a little stunned at how it under-performed, especially when comparing to how Universal absolutely crushed the blockbuster American Horror Story houses the past 2 years -- I thought this would be even better as the underlying IP is better.
7. Dead Exposure - A very good house with cool effects; I just prefer the above 6.
8. Scary Tales - Same as #7. Still a good house. It's easy to miss some of the best scares in this house if you don't have the luckiest timing during your walkthrough (similar to The Fallen last year).

**1-8 were all really good houses**

9. Blumhouse 2 - Not a bad house, but not the best. Just decent. I don't understand the need to mash 2 partially-complete houses together into one house. It would've worked much better as just an entire Happy Death Day house that was fleshed out a bit more (could say the same for The First Purge, but Purge at HHN is a little worn out at this time).
.
.
.
.
.
10. Seeds of Extinction. Did not like this house at all.



Scarezones:
1. Vamp '85 -- #1 with a bullet, and probably my favorite scarezone ever (already topping Trick r Treat from last year). I mean, Michael Jackson, Prince, and Freddie Mercury vampires, lol. The set pieces and background music selections are fantastic, and the "show" that kicks off each cast change is also great. The energy level among scareactors is very high in this zone -- they know how awesome it is and they are living it up.

2. Revenge of Chucky -- well done set pieces and the Chucky puppet and voice are well done. I also like the projections on the buildings and the set pieces.

3. Killer Klowns -- this may end up #2; we didn't spend as much time here. Again, the set pieces and decorations are great. Also, keep an eye out for shadow projections on the building above the scarezone -- a very neat nod to the film if you're familiar with it.

4. Twisted Tradition -- didn't find this to be scary or particularly fun either. A couple of nice costumes/decorations, and the lit pumpkins are always nice.

5. The Harvest -- as has been the trend the past few years for the entry area zone, this hardly qualifies as a scarezone.



Overall, a VERY strong year for HHN -- easily the best since HHN 25 and maybe the best we've been to (we've gone to HHN 22 and then 24-28). Really looking forward to going back several more times and seeing the houses once things are running a bit smoother (and when it isn't so HOT!).


----------



## slford00

For those wanting to do Stay & Scream:

Springfield:
- I can't comment on how the Springfield area will work, since it was used for the Annual Passholder Early Entry events. I presume it will let out to some combination of Slaughter Sinema/Dead Exposure/Blumhouse, though possibly Trick r Treat or Seeds of Extinction might open early from here as well. Other than the convenience of being in the park before opening and not messing w/ the main gate crowd, I don't know that it will save a "ton" of wait time since the waits for these houses in the back build much more slowly than the front soundstage houses.

Finnegan's:
- This holding area lets out to either Stranger Things or Poltergeist. 80-90% of the crowd (which is massive) will head to Stranger Things, the other 10-20% will head to Poltergeist.

- You have to be in before park closing (5 pm), and then they release people to line up at the 2 houses around 5:45, though the houses may not actually run until closer to 6. This provides a HUGE advantage as the main gate crowd won't be let in until ~6:15 or so  (w/ official opening time of 6:30) and both of these houses may have 60+ minute waits from that point on through most of the night.

- This Stay & Scream area was MARKEDLY more full than ever before ("Stranger Things effect"). It was also much larger than before. In previous years, you were fenced in pretty much in the immediate block around Finnegan's. Now, most of the entire park area between Finnegan's and NY area/Fallon ride is part of the holding pen, and in addition to Finnegan's, there are open tent bars and food tents (Benny's Burgers and a dessert tent).

- Within the large area, they specifically have a section blocked off to go ahead and queue for when everyone is released. In the past, we've eaten dinner at Finnegan's and then drifted outside around 5:30 or so and still made it toward the front of the pack to be let out into the houses. This year, when we finished eating around that time there was already a HUGE crowd lined up. If you want to have minimal wait for Stranger Things, then probably need to head to that area and line up shortly after checking in to the area (maybe even before 5)... which kills off the best part about this Stay & Scream (the ability to unwind in the A/C at Finnegan's while waiting).

- If you want to have an actual table to have dinner at Finnegan's while waiting during Stay & Scream, you need to check in far earlier than park close at 5 pm. Our party of 2 requested a table just after 4 pm and it was a 30 minute wait to be seated, which gave us about an hour to comfortably enjoy dinner before heading outside for the release.


**For future reference for Annual Passholders**

- The "special" Annual Passholder Early Entry that Universal offers on the 1st 2 weekends for AP holders who register ahead of time is NOT worth it. We've done it the last 3 years and it's never been a great experience. Far too many people are allowed to sign up (and bring a guest), you wait in the brutal heat (mostly unshaded) from ~4-4:30 until the houses open at 5:30, and then unless you're in the first bit of that huge crowd (i.e. arrived at 4 PM and waited 90 minutes), the waits for the houses are still 25-45+ minutes. You can realistically expect to complete 2 of 3 open houses (maybe all 3 if using express or you're in the front of the crowd) by "official" opening time of 6:30.

- SO, between waiting 60+ minutes in the brutal sun to see 2-3 houses from 5:30-6:30 pm, I would MUCH more strongly recommend doing Finnegan's with A/C, being let out just 15-30 minutes later at 5:45-6, and having access to the 2 most popular houses with the longest waits of HHN.


----------



## Chumpieboy

jlay68 said:


> Stay and Scream question for you veterans:  We are coming from out-of-town and going on Friday October 19th (no other option but that night).  We have Express passes but have never done the Stay and Scream option.  I know they let you out to different houses depending on which holding area you are in.  Can you use the Express Pass at that point?  Or is it better to save it in case you want to go back?  We are trying to get through all 10 houses and we only have this one night to attend HHN.



If you bought the HHN-specific EP you can use it at any time.  But the point of the EP is to get into the houses faster than you would in the standby line.  That early in the event with the S&S people as the only patrons, the wait times for the designated houses won't be bad.  Check the maps ahead of time to see which houses exit near which other houses' entrances - you will vey likely be able to do multiple houses in standby then save the EP for busy houses later on, or to revisit a house a second time when the crowds build.


----------



## Thiago Acquaviva

thank you guys for these amazing reviews! it's so good to read all this information!
It's gonna be our first time and we're soooo excited (even I been SO AFRAID of all this lol)

I just have a question I wish to know.... about average wait times of the houses
*can somebody list them in order by popularity (wait time)?* 
We have 2 nights tickets but we would like to optimize the best we can to experience everything and maybe repeat our favorites... we have tickets to the park as well so we gonna stay n scream.


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## 5lilfish

I'll apologize in advance because I am sure that what I am going to ask is probably answered somewhere in these 55 questions...

I have RIP tickets for Oct 4 (along with my entry ticket to HHR)….no regular ticket for the parks.  I was told to meet at  Café La Bamba at 6:30pm and my tour is for 7pm.  With these tickets, what time am I allowed to enter the park?  

Thanks...
Jess


----------



## houseofthrees

slford00 said:


> **For future reference for Annual Passholders**
> 
> - The "special" Annual Passholder Early Entry that Universal offers on the 1st 2 weekends for AP holders who register ahead of time is NOT worth it. We've done it the last 3 years and it's never been a great experience. Far too many people are allowed to sign up (and bring a guest), you wait in the brutal heat (mostly unshaded) from ~4-4:30 until the houses open at 5:30, and then unless you're in the first bit of that huge crowd (i.e. arrived at 4 PM and waited 90 minutes), the waits for the houses are still 25-45+ minutes. You can realistically expect to complete 2 of 3 open houses (maybe all 3 if using express or you're in the front of the crowd) by "official" opening time of 6:30.
> 
> - SO, between waiting 60+ minutes in the brutal sun to see 2-3 houses from 5:30-6:30 pm, I would MUCH more strongly recommend doing Finnegan's with A/C, being let out just 15-30 minutes later at 5:45-6, and having access to the 2 most popular houses with the longest waits of HHN.



Agreed!! We were there opening night.  We signed up for the annual passholders early entry, but ended up staying at Finnegan's and hitting Stranger Things 1st.  Glad we did it that way.  Pretty sure we would have just skipped Stranger Things otherwise.


----------



## macraven

5lilfish said:


> I'll apologize in advance because I am sure that what I am going to ask is probably answered somewhere in these 55 questions...
> 
> I have RIP tickets for Oct 4 (along with my entry ticket to HHR)….no regular ticket for the parks.  I was told to meet at  Café La Bamba at 6:30pm and my tour is for 7pm.  With these tickets, what time am I allowed to enter the park?
> 
> Thanks...
> Jess





_Park opens officially at 6:30 but many times all will be let in earlier.
I read a few blogs of outside lines entering the park around 6:15


The confimation email. when someone paid for a public tour, can be shown to get inside the park for the meet time.

Last year there was a specific line that was used for those in tours.
Contact Vip Tours and see if there will be a specific entrance line for paid tours.

When you get to LaBamba, you give your name to the TM;s in front of the building.
They will tell you the name of your tour guide and where your group is seated inside LaBamba 

You will be able to get to LaBamba entering the park by 6:20
Not everyone in the group shows up early.

Your tour guide will hand out your tour lanyards and explain the evening to you during that meet up period.

_


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## Robo56

Halloween fun


----------



## HollyMD

Question for you pros- we have tickets to HHN OCT 11(Thursday) and 12(Friday). Trying to decide between an EP for the 11th or adding Saturday night the 13th for 3 full nights and break up the houses. Suggestions? Also, EP is good for only one use per hoise, correct? How are crowds usually around those dates? We decided against the RIP tour(money wise) and just trying to weigh our options on the others.


----------



## soniam

tony67 said:


> that $30 cup seems like a great deal if your going multiple nights - does anyone know if they have just filtered water or soda water - I dont drink soda for the most part - but the small cups of free water are a pain



I read on FB that the Freestyle machines were working for water without a Freestyle cup on at least opening night of HHN. The guy said you had to select water first and then put in your cup. I know that the Freestyle machines will also put water into the Freestyle cup, and I think it also has carbonated water. We used to get water from those machines without having the cup, but at some point, it seemed to quit working. Maybe the key is the order of the steps, choice then cup.


----------



## macraven

HollyMD said:


> Question for you pros- we have tickets to HHN OCT 11(Thursday) and 12(Friday). Trying to decide between an EP for the 11th or adding Saturday night the 13th for 3 full nights and break up the houses. Suggestions? Also, EP is good for only one use per hoise, correct? How are crowds usually around those dates? We decided against the RIP tour(money wise) and just trying to weigh our options on the others.



_Saturdays cost more for the hhn tickets and will have huge crowds.
If it were me, I would go for that Thursday and Friday and do ep for Friday.

Friday has a larger draw of peeps than Thursday

That Thursday is my last night of HHN and i bought the FF + ep pass _


----------



## purple hippo

macraven said:


> _No Black out dates for premier ap for the parks during the day
> 
> Info is on the website so you will not have a problem
> 
> Only the seasonal and power ap have block out dates listed_



Just want to double check that our Seasonal AP will get us into the parks on HHN days correct?  They are not listed as a blockout date on the website and would not be counted as a concert night because it is a separately ticketed event.  Just a little nervous as we leave next week and have booked Behind the Screams tour which is during the day and planned on hanging in the park each HHN we are there.


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

purple hippo said:


> Just want to double check that our Seasonal AP will get us into the parks on HHN days correct?  They are not listed as a blockout date on the website and would not be counted as a concert night because it is a separately ticketed event.  Just a little nervous as we leave next week and have booked Behind the Screams tour which is during the day and planned on hanging in the park each HHN we are there.



I hope so since that's the level of pass my boyfriend has and that's our plan too


----------



## tony67

purple hippo said:


> Just want to double check that our Seasonal AP will get us into the parks on HHN days correct?  They are not listed as a blockout date on the website and would not be counted as a concert night because it is a separately ticketed event.  Just a little nervous as we leave next week and have booked Behind the Screams tour which is during the day and planned on hanging in the park each HHN we are there.


I get the seasonal pass for HHN every year - it's not an issue that I can see and plan to get one this year as well


----------



## hockey mom

So if we have a seasonal pass and hit the park around 1 can we wait in the Finnegan s area for hhn. We bought our tickets for that separately


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## macraven

_Yes you sure can !_


----------



## MikeNamez

Just got back from opening weekend and man was it a bit disappointing.  Scare zones weren't even worth a walk through(Except for the music of Vamp 85, that was AMAZING.), but most of the houses were awesome.  Anybody going I highly suggest getting half price fast passes as they are worth their weight in gold.


----------



## purple hippo

MikeNamez said:


> Just got back from opening weekend and man was it a bit disappointing.  Scare zones weren't even worth a walk through(Except for the music of Vamp 85, that was AMAZING.), but most of the houses were awesome.  Anybody going I highly suggest getting half price fast passes as they are worth their weight in gold.



Maybe I missed this earlier, but how do you get a half priced express pass?  Is it really half price?



tony67 said:


> I get the seasonal pass for HHN every year - it's not an issue that I can see and plan to get one this year as well



Yay!!!  Thanks for confirming! One less thing to think about.


----------



## MikeNamez

purple hippo said:


> Maybe I missed this earlier, but how do you get a half priced express pass?  Is it really half price?
> 
> 
> 
> Yay!!!  Thanks for confirming! One less thing to think about.



They start 3 hours before the end of HHN.. So if HHN closes at 1AM then they start working at10PM.  Yes, they truly are half priced as we paid 45$ on Friday and Sunday. We didn't even go into HHN untill 10PM each day and did everything at least twice.


----------



## Mighty Mikser

We attended on opening night (9/14) and while it was a good time overall it is not something I would attempt to experience again. We purposely scheduled our trip around the HHN dates to make sure we could experience it for the first time ever. Below are spoilers from the event so read at your own risk.

Spoilers
Spoilers
Spoilers


*Crowds:*
Obscenely crowded on opening night. We were in the Finnegan's holding area, and went straight to Stranger Things at 5:30pm and had to wait 2 hours. We had express passes but thought we could get in quickly being amongst the first to the line and then use the express pass a 2nd time since Stranger Things was #1 on our list but that backfired with just about everyone in the holding area rushing to ST. Word has it they sold over 40k tickets for the opening night, and I would guess half those people had express passes as we didn't have a single house that was shorter than 20 minutes even with Express Passes. Stranger Things with express passes was estimated at 45-60 minutes by the time we exited the house. We checked back at 12:30am and the estimate was still the same.

*Houses:*
For all houses (except for Patient Zero) the decorations were great, costumes were great, and overall sets were great. However, there's just no creativity in regards to how they try to "scare" people from house to house. It's all 100% jump scares, you go around a corner and someone/something pops out with a loud noise. This results in being startled a bit at the first house and desensitized by the 3rd/4th house. Admittedly, I am not the one that gets scared, the Mrs. is, but there are other ways to scare people than the one trick pony the houses offer up.
For Dead Exposure: Patient Zero - excessive use of strobe effects, and I do mean excessive. Also very annoying sound effects used in this house. The overall feel of it was extremely uncomfortable from a senses standpoint that I wasn't even paying attention to the scare actors.
All the houses focused on loud, banging, shrieking noises, and less on actual atmosphere that I feel loud thematic music provides. I was hoping for more music throughout the houses and the park and didn't get very much.

*Scare Zones:*
Aside from Vamp 85, these were a total letdown. Too many people, not enough scare actors, and almost no screaming. There was just a complete lack of atmosphere for the event outside the houses. Much of the fun for us is seeing people get scared unexpectedly as they traverse the park and there was almost none of that happening. There were a couple "haha" moments when people got surprised by a chainsaw wielding scare actor outside the scare zones, but those weren't enough to create a fun atmosphere around the park. I had heard and read so much about HHN and was excited, but the scare zones and really just everything outside the houses failed to meet my expectations (Knotts Scary Farm does a better job with park atmosphere).
Vamp 85 was awesome. The music blasting really set the mood, the singing and dancing was great and the total immersion of the zone really gave it a great vibe. I wish I would've just spent the whole evening here instead of walking to the other ends of the park.

*Scare Actors:*
Outside the Vamp 85 area, I don't think the scare actors were very into things this year. Maybe just being opening night and really warm had something to do with it. But we didn't see a lot of people really dedicated to actually getting people to jump or be scared. There also did not seem to be very many scare actors outside the houses. The scare zones felt mostly barren and empty, overall just disappointing.

*Lines and Queues:*
I'm okay waiting in lines. After reading countless blogs and forums I was definitely expecting them for my first HHN event. That's also why I went with the express pass and mentally prepared myself that my wait would be half of what the standby queue time was listed as. That being said, it felt like they definitely oversold express pass for the event. Additionally, some of the walks to the houses and even more so the walk after finishing a house were very long. I estimate that the Trick'r'treat house had a half mile walk from the exit back to the park. Multiple houses had similar long walks back to the park. Add to this the long lines, even with express pass, and the poor layout of the line queues and it just resulted in much more walking than necessary. I know complaining about walking seems silly but even in my wildest scenario I didn't expect that there would be quite as much walking leaving one house, getting back to the main area, and then going through the next queue.
For Slaughter Cinema and Dead Exposure, these 2 houses were side by side but to do both required about 1.5 miles of walking. I would rather wait in a longer queue and do 1 house and then immediately go into the next to reduce that walking by half. I get this isn't ideal for Universal (and maybe some park guests that don't want to do a particular house) so that's really just my own personal squabble.

*Merchandise:*
Like all merchandise at Universal Studios, everything was marked up 100-300% more than normal. There were some cool shirts and the souvenir drinking glasses were slick but nothing memorable or worth the prices. I personally have a lot of black t-shirts from various events over the years, I really wish people would make them in other colors for these kinds of events.

*Overall:*
Having frequented lesser haunted events throughout the years and always wanting to experience HHN either at Hollywood but preferably at Orlando I had high expectations. The set and costume design quality were top notch and obviously worthy of Universal (I can't think of anything that rivals their quality), but everything else was a lackluster experience. Aside from visual quality and themes of the houses, there's nothing that HHN 28 offered me that I haven't gotten from other scare events. The scare attempts are all the same, the overall park atmosphere was lacking, and the crowd level felt extreme even for a Disney parks veteran.
Maybe when my kids are old enough to want to experience the event I will give it another go, otherwise I can say I'm glad I've done it but wouldn't plan another trip for it. If I happen to take another trip during the HHN event season then I would likely give it another shot after learning more about the event this year. However, I wouldn't purposely schedule another trip for HHN like I did this time around.


*Edit - adding below section:
Newbie Tips:*
Express Pass on any moderately crowded night (probably every Friday-Sunday) is definitely a must unless you have the ability to go on multiple nights.
Stranger Things was the longest and will likely remain the most popular house all season long. If you can start in the park and have express pass, use the express pass here first and then speed along to the other houses while everyone else waits in the standard queue or comes in through the main gate. If you start at the main gate and have express pass, then I recommend starting elsewhere for the shorter initial queues and ending at Stranger Things.
If you don't have express pass, then all bets are off and you should just prioritize your top 5 houses and utilize the app for wait times.
Grab some pizza and/or drinks and hang out in the Vamp 85 area, it is really well done thematically and is nearby 4 houses so it makes for a good time. I regret not spending more time in this zone due to my desire to see the other areas.
Be friendly with your fellow park goers, one of the best memories from the event was the people we chatted with during our 2-hour wait for Stranger Things. They were part of the reason we didn't jump over the rail to switch into the Express lane after the first hour had passed.

*My Nostalgic Final Thought:*
Writing all this up and reflecting on the event makes me want to give it another go with the lessons learned... but on a cooler, less busy night.  It's something everyone should experience once!


----------



## imprint

Although I'm a big fan of HHN and am eagerly waiting for our visit in a few weeks, it is always good to have a well thought out review with likes and dislikes.  So often on the internet, instead of thoughtfully articulating criticism, they just post "It sucks."  Those "reviews" are useless and just trolling.  Your post will benefit other first timers understand there are possible disappointments.


----------



## Mighty Mikser

imprint said:


> Although I'm a big fan of HHN and am eagerly waiting for our visit in a few weeks, it is always good to have a well thought out review with likes and dislikes.  So often on the internet, instead of thoughtfully articulating criticism, they just post "It sucks."  Those "reviews" are useless and just trolling.  Your post will benefit other first timers understand there are possible disappointments.



I will edit my original reply also to add some additional tips for first timers based on my experiences. I think knowing what I know now I could've had avoided the 2 hour wait which would've meant shorter lines at several other houses to start.


----------



## DarkOne

Mighty Mikser said:


> We attended on opening night (9/14) and while it was a good time overall it is not something I would attempt to experience again.
> 
> *Houses:*
> However, there's just no creativity in regards to how they try to "scare" people from house to house. It's all 100% jump scares, you go around a corner and someone/something pops out with a loud noise. This results in being startled a bit at the first house and desensitized by the 3rd/4th house. Admittedly, I am not the one that gets scared, the Mrs. is, but there are other ways to scare people than the one trick pony the houses offer up.
> For Dead Exposure: Patient Zero - excessive use of strobe effects, and I do mean excessive.




For the future, and for anyone else attending for the first time, I cannot strongly enough recommend doing the Daytime 'Unmasking the Horror' tour before experiencing the haunt itself.  Why, you ask?  

Universal puts so much thought and details into almost all of their houses.  There is generally an extensive backstory, as well as a narrative being told in each house.  And some of these are incredibly detailed.  The daytime tour goes into all of that.  Even if you don't tour a particular house, the guide will generally explain the storyline and what is happening while you're walking through.  That doesn't even begin to mention the astounding level of intricate details they put into each house . . . .things that almost no one will ever see with the lights off.

Having that knowledge transforms a house from "oh, look, another boo around the corner" to an amazing horror show being played out as you participate.  I never get scared, but I can't get enough of HHN, just because of all the work put into it.

Try that out, and then experience HHN with a new perspective.

Steve in Philly


----------



## patster734

Sounds like crowds are very light tonight.  Other than Stranger Things, I’ve seen twitter feeds reporting 15 minute waits or less for the other houses.


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## schumigirl

patster734 said:


> Sounds like crowds are very light tonight.  Other than Stranger Things, I’ve seen twitter feeds reporting 15 minute waits or less for the other houses.



Crowds were light. You really felt you could breathe in the parks.......

Halloween was a total walk on with EP at 8pm didn’t even stop......regular line was 15 minutes.

Poltergeist was 30 minutes regular.......we walked straight on......again, barely stopped in EP line. 

Scary Tales was 20 minutes regular.....we would have walked on, but there was a “guest incident” and we had to wait till it was sorted......maybe waited 10 minutes. This is a short house. 

Stranger Things was 45 minutes regular........we were 8 minutes with EP from entering line till going in house......

We really enjoyed it tonight.......Vamp 85 is still the scare zone that tops the rest. Although no real scares, just lots of fun with SA doing what they do best...........

Will do more houses over next few nights.


----------



## macraven

_This is why I do Wednesdays at hhn

Lighter crowds!_


----------



## hockey mom

Awesome time. Just got home. All ten houses and dinner buy 10:30. 
Biggest line was poltergeist. Said 45 but I think we were in at about 25 mins. So glad we went on a Wednesday. !!
Oh and that’s also without express passes .


----------



## Lewdannie

Not sold out?

Just wanting reassurance that 3 October will not be sold out.


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

Lewdannie said:


> Not sold out?
> 
> Just wanting reassurance that 3 October will not be sold out.



It most likely will not be sold out, but no one can say with absolute surety that it won't be.


----------



## tony67

Just wondering on the $30 HHN Free Style Cup - any Annual pass holders purchase one and were you able to use the "All Passholders receive 15% off each Coca-Cola freestyle® " offer for AP Appreciation days?


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

tony67 said:


> Just wondering on the $30 HHN Free Style Cup - any Annual pass holders purchase one and were you able to use the "All Passholders receive 15% off each Coca-Cola freestyle® " offer for AP Appreciation days?


That's a good question.

I also wonder if you have to buy that cup during hhn  or if you can get it during the day.

I'll be doing this Saturday the 29 so I'll report back here if no one has answered before then.


----------



## hockey mom

We started in the other park and could not buy the hhn quick service combo with hhn cup. It had to be bought in studios. So once we moved to that park at 2pm we bought the $29.99 meal plan. The cup was good for ten hours from first use


----------



## tony67

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> That's a good question.
> I also wonder if you have to buy that cup during hhn  or if you can get it during the day.
> I'll be doing this Saturday the 29 so I'll report back here if no one has answered before then.


Thanks Ill be there on the 29th and sooner so I will try to update as well



hockey mom said:


> We started in the other park and could not buy the hhn quick service combo with hhn cup. It had to be bought in studios. So once we moved to that park at 2pm we bought the $29.99 meal plan. The cup was good for ten hours from first use


Thanks - There is a special HHN cup that is $30 dollars that is good for the entirety of HHN (so multi day during the day and night) - seems like a good value


----------



## keishashadow

HollyMD said:


> Question for you pros- we have tickets to HHN OCT 11(Thursday) and 12(Friday). Trying to decide between an EP for the 11th or adding Saturday night the 13th for 3 full nights and break up the houses. Suggestions? Also, EP is good for only one use per hoise, correct? How are crowds usually around those dates? We decided against the RIP tour(money wise) and just trying to weigh our options on the others.



You bought 2 individual tix?  Any way you could do wednesday in lieu of sat, possibly upgrade your tix to Frequent fear?  Would need to check first page of this thread to see if fri the 12th is included.

I don’t bother with the EP, usually do two or three nights (jumping in on one private VIP tour which ensures we will see every house at least twice).  

The public tour will get you into each house & show.  The group and guide factor in immensely as to your enjoyment factor.  We were lumped in with a large frat-boy group (not how it’s supposed to run, believe if you book for 8 they are supposed to divert you to a private tour).  Most report they enjoy the public tours, YMMV.

Rarely last till the bitter end each night, it becomes work for me, fun factor disappears.

There’s a lot to enjoy about HHN besides scurrying from one house to the other, take time to stop & smell the mayhem


----------



## Erica_Haley

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> That's a good question.
> 
> I also wonder if you have to buy that cup during hhn  or if you can get it during the day.
> 
> I'll be doing this Saturday the 29 so I'll report back here if no one has answered before then.


I was in IOA Monday recharging my annual passholder cup at the outside register by Confisco and Croissant Moon Bakery and they had the hhn cup there. She asked if I wanted to purchase one and it was about 1pm


----------



## macraven

Erica_Haley said:


> I was in IOA Monday recharging my annual passholder cup at the outside register by Confisco and Croissant Moon Bakery and they had the hhn cup there. She asked if I wanted to purchase one and it was about 1pm


_Thanks for that info _


----------



## HollyMD

keishashadow said:


> You bought 2 individual tix?  Any way you could do wednesday in lieu of sat, possibly upgrade your tix to Frequent fear?  Would need to check first page of this thread to see if fri the 12th is included.
> 
> I don’t bother with the EP, usually do two or three nights (jumping in on one private VIP tour which ensures we will see every house at least twice).
> 
> The public tour will get you into each house & show.  The group and guide factor in immensely as to your enjoyment factor.  We were lumped in with a large frat-boy group (not how it’s supposed to run, believe if you book for 8 they are supposed to divert you to a private tour).  Most report they enjoy the public tours, YMMV.
> 
> Rarely last till the bitter end each night, it becomes work for me, fun factor disappears.
> 
> There’s a lot to enjoy about HHN besides scurrying from one house to the other, take time to stop & smell the mayhem


It’s actually the “buy one, get one” ticket. We are in Disney thru Thursday mid afternoon (the 11th) and do my check in to RP until that day. Guess we could always skip Disney that Wednesday and DD and DH go that Nole guy and thurnighy he y really ddisappointed my want time short change DS(3) and tryIng to avoid a lot of back and forth. May consider that, tho, and could always Uber back to Disney and use our last day ticket that Friday or Saturday


----------



## keishashadow

HollyMD said:


> It’s actually the “buy one, get one” ticket. We are in Disney thru Thursday mid afternoon (the 11th) and do my check in to RP until that day. Guess we could always skip Disney that Wednesday and DD and DH go that Nole guy and thurnighy he y really ddisappointed my want time short change DS(3) and tryIng to avoid a lot of back and forth. May consider that, tho, and could always Uber back to Disney and use our last day ticket that Friday or Saturday



Careful re the BOGO tix, not valid on saturday


----------



## HollyMD

Oh we weren’t going to use the bogo for Saturday. I was just trying to decide if I should get them a third ticket for Saturday for them to go theee nights and spread things out or if I should just get them EP for that Thurs night and let them try to get in all houses that night, then Friday, repeat the ones they liked best in stand by line 
But thank you for that just in case!


----------



## Monykalyn

I can see why people go year after year.  Ended up getting a RoF passes for me and teen and we got there around 10:20ispm last night. Took our time walking and did TrT, Dead Exposure (where my teen got the pants scared off her by well timed scare-after kinda making fun of me of getting a good scare in a zone lol) and Scary tales , watched Vamp 85 and then decided to leave.  It was midnight when we left. Every wait time in the houses we did was less than posted except TrT because that 10 min wait time is how long it takes you to walk to house-not kidding! I timed it. 
Dead Exposure wait time 35 minutes-actual wait 16 minutes, ST wait time 45 minutes actual wait 20 minutes.
We probably could have got 2 more houses in but we were tired.


----------



## Hippopupamous

HollyMD said:


> Oh we weren’t going to use the bogo for Saturday. I was just trying to decide if I should get them a third ticket for Saturday for them to go theee nights and spread things out or if I should just get them EP for that Thurs night and let them try to get in all houses that night, then Friday, repeat the ones they liked best in stand by line
> But thank you for that just in case!




A bit of advice to save you some money, we were able to upgrade our bogo tickets at guest services to a rush of fear pass. It ended up being just under $15 ($7.50 pp) altogether with our annual pass discount. Significantly cheaper than buying just a separate night. You just have to do it before you scan in for the second time.


----------



## HollyMD

@Hippopupamous, I appreciate the information. But the ROF is over sept 30 and we won’t be there until Oct 12


----------



## HollyMD

Unless you meant frequent fear? Maybe if I can figure out a way for them to do wed and Thur, then Saturday instead of Friday, we could try to upgrade to that one. I just have to figure out Disney. The teen and husband are doing the HHN, I have to miss out this year as I will be hanging with our 2 yr old but thinking of just husband and I going next year


----------



## macraven

_I buy the FF+ ep that covers Sunday thru Friday
I come out ahead buying that ticket as I attend each night I am there _


----------



## HollyMD

Ouch! I just realized they rais d the prices of the EP! The one we were looking at for that Thursday night has gone up $10/ticket


----------



## macraven

_Some years ago, Thursdays and Sundays were a well kept secret for having low crowds.

Not true anymore.

EP can increased on a night based on attendance.
This is why I take a gamble and buy mine prior to the opening of HHN.

_
_Wednesdays hhn nights are better crowd wise _
_EP's are not a necessity_


----------



## gmadvm

Apologies if this has been asked... I did a search and nothing more recent than 2010 came up.  Packing for Orlando and husband asks me if he can bring his go pro through the mazes.  No flash, no lights. I honestly don't know.  I'm sure it's fine for scare zones but is it okay for the mazes?  To just wear it on his chest?   I looked on the official ticket and among the taboos like alcohol and drugs it also says no cameras or recording devices.  But every phone is a camera and recording device now.  I don't want to break the rules.  What say you HHN experts?


----------



## macraven

_found this by googling:_



Unlike at Disney World, bags of any size are not *allowed* on most rides at the *Universal* Studios *theme parks*. ... If all you want to do on the day is shoot photos, rather than partake in rides, a large camera bag is an option.May 16, 2018


*Universal Studios Resort* - has installed metal detectors at three rides in Orlando - Dragon Challenge, Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit and the Incredible Hulk- to keep any items that can become projectiles from making onto the ride.

There are free lockers available at the entrance to these rides.

Universal and Islands of Adventure - ban cameras from being visible on Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts, Krustyland, Men in Black and The Mummy rides.


----------



## macraven

_I've been told to put my iphone away when I tried to use it in a house._


----------



## yulilin3

Currently in the hold spot for ap by Simpson's


----------



## Monykalyn

yulilin3 said:


> Currently in the hold spot for ap by Simpson's


We decided to wait it out at Finnegans. AC lol


----------



## yulilin3

Walking into slaughter house cinema now


----------



## yulilin3

Slaughter house cinema was so much fun.  Decided to skip patient zero and I'm in line for blumhouse


----------



## yulilin3

Blumhouse was only alright.


----------



## yulilin3

Decided to do patient zero.  30 min wait posted it was actual 10.
Completely disorienting house,  actually went the wrong way at one point. Half of the time i couldn't figure out what was happening the other half i was truly terrified


----------



## yulilin3

Trick r treat.  Loved all the details from the movie


----------



## macraven

_I’m enjoying your on the spot reports 

Still reading along _


----------



## yulilin3

Currently waiting for the show. 
The bananas fosters waffle is delicious,  very sweet though but delicious.  After academy of villains I'm going shopping for hhn merch and hanging out at vamp. Probably going home after.


----------



## patster734

yulilin3 said:


> Decided to do patient zero.  30 min wait posted it was actual 10.
> Completely disorienting house,  actually went the wrong way at one point. Half of the time i couldn't figure out what was happening the other half i was truly terrified



Was it still light out when you went in?  Last week, I did this house twice.  The first time with the AP early entry, and the second time with EP later in the evening.  I did a little better on the second pass because my eyes were more accustomed to the darkness.


----------



## keishashadow

macraven said:


> _Some years ago, Thursdays and Sundays were a well kept secret for having low crowds.
> 
> Not true anymore.
> 
> EP can increased on a night based on attendance.
> This is why I take a gamble and buy mine prior to the opening of HHN.
> 
> _
> _Wednesdays hhn nights are better crowd wise _
> _EP's are not a necessity_



Don’t recall them ever lowering the price lol.  Probably better to just commit to it when one buys their HHN tix.



gmadvm said:


> Apologies if this has been asked... I did a search and nothing more recent than 2010 came up.  Packing for Orlando and husband asks me if he can bring his go pro through the mazes.  No flash, no lights. I honestly don't know.  I'm sure it's fine for scare zones but is it okay for the mazes?  To just wear it on his chest?   I looked on the official ticket and among the taboos like alcohol and drugs it also says no cameras or recording devices.  But every phone is a camera and recording device now.  I don't want to break the rules.  What say you HHN experts?



No pictures in the houses, period.  There are TMs everywhere, you would be noticed. 

My guess, you’d probably just get a warning...the first time.  Why chance it?

Have fun in the scare zones, the scareactors can be hard to pin down for a pic/selfie, they often move quickly.


----------



## yulilin3

patster734 said:


> Was it still light out when you went in?  Last week, I did this house twice.  The first time with the AP early entry, and the second time with EP later in the evening.  I did a little better on the second pass because my eyes were more accustomed to the darkness.


That's exactly what happened,  next time i do it after dark.


----------



## yulilin3

back home now,  AOV was good not as great as year one,  still entertaining. 
I agree about the scare zones,  they seemed to be an afterthought.  And Vamp was fun but it was so crowded that the scare actors were just walking around not really doing anything and there just seemed to be less scare actors in general. 
Going Again next Friday for the q&a


----------



## soniam

yulilin3 said:


> back home now,  AOV was good not as great as year one,  still entertaining.
> I agree about the scare zones,  they seemed to be an afterthought.  And Vamp was fun but it was so crowded that the scare actors were just walking around not really doing anything and there just seemed to be less scare actors in general.
> Going Again next Friday for the q&a



Did they still have a lot of merch?


----------



## yulilin3

soniam said:


> Did they still have a lot of merch?


Yes they do and in a lot of places.  The tribute store was pretty cool.


----------



## nj2ftl

Hey all, 4th year doing HHN. We have always been able to do all the houses with S&S and no express passes. We usually knock out 3 or so houses before the mob comes in. We’ve always stayed at Finnegans. 

We will be going tonight. I understand Stranger Things will be the most popular. I read a post saying at 5:30 they were let out of their holding area and there was still a 2 hour wait? Even before the general opening?

Can someone post a house-route suggestion if we stay in the Finnegans holding area?


----------



## Monykalyn

Posted this on FB UOAP Page- our experience last night. So. Much. Fun. Thursday was better for scare zones though, overall as less crowds and SA able to do more.

FWIW-our (me and 15 yo daughter) waits Friday night(long -sorry)
Finnegans stay n scream(early AP access corral- very back of corral)
*Stranger things -released at 5:38, done by 6:25; Posted wait time(PWT):120 minutes
*Slaughter Sinema PWT: 10m, walked right through
*Dead Exposure PWT: 30m wait 15 m
*Blumhouse PWT: 10 m, walked right in
(8p AOV-gringotts pwt 35; wait 20; mummy PWT 45, on in 15)
*Carnival Graveyard PWT:45 m, wait 19m
*Halloween 4 PWT 50; jumped to 75 just after got in line, waited 75m-this was at 11:23 when we got in line, we’d not have done that if the posted wait was 75 when we got in line. 
Also got snacks Mel’s, took our time in scare zones etc, spent time shopping, wandering empty Diagon Alley.
We probably could have done all the houses if we’d been planned and disciplined but we have a couple more days, and did 3 houses Thursday between 10:30p and midnight, plus all scare zones.
Also I’d not do 8 pm AoV as I’d have saved this for later when most times were over an hour. Think we could have done two more houses in this time.
We’ve done Dead Exposure twice now as this is dd fave.
 And this SA in Chucky was phenomenal.she stalked dd all through zone just staring at her. She’s disappear then reappear right beside her. Dd was so jumpy (& laughing, I had tears from laughing at dd) - she kept looking over shoulder for a good ten minutes even after we left zone. Goes to show the scare don’t all have to be a “jump and gotcha “ scares.  Tweeted HHN a team member compliment.


----------



## soniam

Monykalyn said:


> Posted this on FB UOAP Page- our experience last night. So. Much. Fun. Thursday was better for scare zones though, overall as less crowds and SA able to do more.
> 
> FWIW-our (me and 15 yo daughter) waits Friday night(long -sorry)
> Finnegans stay n scream(early AP access corral- very back of corral)
> *Stranger things -released at 5:38, done by 6:25; Posted wait time(PWT):120 minutes
> *Slaughter Sinema PWT: 10m, walked right through
> *Dead Exposure PWT: 30m wait 15 m
> *Blumhouse PWT: 10 m, walked right in
> (8p AOV-gringotts pwt 35; wait 20; mummy PWT 45, on in 15)
> *Carnival Graveyard PWT:45 m, wait 19m
> *Halloween 4 PWT 50; jumped to 75 just after got in line, waited 75m-this was at 11:23 when we got in line, we’d not have done that if the posted wait was 75 when we got in line.
> Also got snacks Mel’s, took our time in scare zones etc, spent time shopping, wandering empty Diagon Alley.
> We probably could have done all the houses if we’d been planned and disciplined but we have a couple more days, and did 3 houses Thursday between 10:30p and midnight, plus all scare zones.
> Also I’d not do 8 pm AoV as I’d have saved this for later when most times were over an hour. Think we could have done two more houses in this time.
> We’ve done Dead Exposure twice now as this is dd fave.
> View attachment 353050 And this SA in Chucky was phenomenal.she stalked dd all through zone just staring at her. She’s disappear then reappear right beside her. Dd was so jumpy (& laughing, I had tears from laughing at dd) - she kept looking over shoulder for a good ten minutes even after we left zone. Goes to show the scare don’t all have to be a “jump and gotcha “ scares.  Tweeted HHN a team member compliment.



Were the shops open in Diagon Alley? Son's wand broke on the last day of our last trip. We won't be in the park until during HHN. If it's open, then I will drop it off. Otherwise, I can do it at IOA the next day. Were the food places, ie Leaky, Hoppin Pot, Florean's, open? Thanks. Sounds like you had a good time. We have less than 2 weeks now until our first HHN


----------



## mamapenguin

I haven't done HHN in many years. I have a Premier AP and I want to use my free HHN on one of the designated days in October, can I do stay and scream at Finnegan's? Do they just scan my AP to get my wristband? What are the odds off the passholder shirt still being available mid October? TIA


----------



## CAS239

gmadvm said:


> Apologies if this has been asked... I did a search and nothing more recent than 2010 came up.  Packing for Orlando and husband asks me if he can bring his go pro through the mazes.  No flash, no lights. I honestly don't know.  I'm sure it's fine for scare zones but is it okay for the mazes?  To just wear it on his chest?   I looked on the official ticket and among the taboos like alcohol and drugs it also says no cameras or recording devices.  But every phone is a camera and recording device now.  I don't want to break the rules.  What say you HHN experts?



They don't allow any photos or recording inside the houses. They would tell your husband to remove the go pro prior to entering. Then inside the house in certain corners and rooms they have team members. If they see you with a phone, go pro, etc out they will tell you to put it away.

Outside of the houses it's perfectly fine to record and take pics with a phone, go pro, or camera. I've seen a few here and there with the chest or head mount walking around. Scareactors will stop and take pics with you if you want. It's just not allowed inside the houses


----------



## tink1957

A few pics from scareactor dining


----------



## CAPSLOCK

How is the scareactor dining this year?


----------



## meryll83

For the first time we won’t have day tickets so will be entering for actual HHN start time. It looks like this is 6.30pm - is that what time they will actually open the gates for us?
We’ll have Express, so don’t know how early we should arrive...


----------



## tink1957

CAPSLOCK said:


> How is the scareactor dining this year?


It was fun but some were disappointed that there were only 4 characters, purge lady, Igor, vamp guy and the wicked witch and those were very slow to come around.  The food was okay.. wasn't expecting much and several items listed on the menu weren't there...NY striploin, mashed potatoes to name a few.  At least it wasn't cold as some have reported.  

We were glad we did it since a huge rainstorm happened while we were eating...wouldn't want to be waiting in that downpour...we saw alot of soaked people in line for Stranger Things.


----------



## CAS239

meryll83 said:


> For the first time we won’t have day tickets so will be entering for actual HHN start time. It looks like this is 6.30pm - is that what time they will actually open the gates for us?
> We’ll have Express, so don’t know how early we should arrive...



For the last 8 years I've never done early entry with day tickets, so I've always entered at the regular start time. I've found they usually open up the gates about 10-15 min early. I've also never done express pass, but I'd say you should arrive the same time you would with Express pass as you would with just a regular ticket.

I aim to be at the gates waiting about 45 min prior to scheduled opening


----------



## abooch

How were the crowds yesterday?


----------



## meryll83

CAS239 said:


> For the last 8 years I've never done early entry with day tickets, so I've always entered at the regular start time. I've found they usually open up the gates about 10-15 min early. I've also never done express pass, but I'd say you should arrive the same time you would with Express pass as you would with just a regular ticket.
> 
> I aim to be at the gates waiting about 45 min prior to scheduled opening


Thanks for the advice!


----------



## KayKayJS

Anyone know if we need express passes for a Wednesday? Husband and I thinking about going this Wednesday and would like to do all houses in one night?


----------



## Monykalyn

abooch said:


> How were the crowds yesterday?


Very busy. Friday wasn’t bad I didn’t think. We got through 3 houses Thursday in less than two hours as well, if you can go during week.  In Finnegans holding area right now-swear it’s busier here tonight than Friday although reports are Simpson’s area is dead. Like less than 50 people.


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

KayKayJS said:


> Anyone know if we need express passes for a Wednesday? Husband and I thinking about going this Wednesday and would like to do all houses in one night?



Last wednesday sounded like it was really empty (I wasn't there). Just reports from social media.

I would wait, you can always buy them when you get there if it's very crowded.


----------



## heidijanesmith

Little review from our 9/19-9/23 trip.

Did HHN on Wed the 19th. Crowds were great. House lines were not that bad at all. Stranger Things was about 65 min. The others around 20-35min.

Did RIP tour Thurs the 20th. Crowds were definitely getting larger! Loved Acadamy of Villiams. Great show!!  Loved Trick R Treat, Stranger Things, Poltergeist, Seeds of Extinction and Dead Exposure. Thought Blumhouse, The Picture show one and Halloween houses were just ok. 

DH did Friday the 21st to just walk around. He thought it was crowded, but not crazy. He repeated Poltergeist when the park opened with little wait and Seeds. His two favorite houses.

We went Sat the 22nd, our last night. Super, super crowded. We got the Express Passes, totally worth it. The longest line with an EP was for Poltergeist. The EP line was very mismanaged. The other houses lines with EP was pretty good. The EP was well worth it!

Thought the scare zones were lame this year. The "pumpkin zone" was the best. We did like the Chucky zone. The chain saw zones were just lame. I think previous scare zones were much, much better. I actually miss the Walking Dead scare zones.

Great HHN this year!


----------



## soniam

Anyone done a private RIP tour this year? If so, let us know what the logistics were, ie meeting up, pre-tour snacks, etc.


----------



## macraven

soniam said:


> Anyone done a private RIP tour this year? If so, let us know what the logistics were, ie meeting up, pre-tour snacks, etc.


_Your tour group meets at La Bamba at the time listed in your confirmation booking email 

Owner of the tour signs the group in at vip tour office _


----------



## soniam

macraven said:


> _Your tour group meets at La Bamba at the time listed in your confirmation booking email
> 
> Owner of the tour signs the group in at vip tour office _



Is that what's been happening? My email just says that we meet at the VIP office outside of the entrance at a specified time.


----------



## schumigirl

KayKayJS said:


> Anyone know if we need express passes for a Wednesday? Husband and I thinking about going this Wednesday and would like to do all houses in one night?



Last Wednesday was so quiet.........most without EP were saying waits weren’t too long........so I would hope this Wednesday would be similar........

We had a friend go without EP and he told us he did 4 or 5 houses in two hours.


----------



## hockey mom

KayKayJS said:


> Anyone know if we need express passes for a Wednesday? Husband and I thinking about going this Wednesday and would like to do all houses in one night?


We did last Wednesday all ten houses by 10:30. No express passes


----------



## macraven

soniam said:


> Is that what's been happening? My email just says that we meet at the VIP office outside of the entrance at a specified time.


_Once your entire group is at entrance of LaBamba you go to vip tours office and sign in telling them your group is waiting for you at LaBamba 

Your guide will be at LaBamba

Give your name to the TM with the clip board at LaBamba entrance and they will tell you who your guide is_


----------



## Cinemaxwell

My wife and two of my friends just got back from a weekend trip down to Universal for HHN28 and we all had a truly spectacular time. We stayed at Royal Pacific for the weekend so we had the unlimited express pass during the day. On Saturday, the day we were going to HHN, we left the parks in the afternoon to have lunch at City Walk and head back to our hotel for a little rest before the evening. We took the boat back and got into the park around 4:30pm. We then went over to the stay & scream area by Finnegan's and very luckily found a bench in the shade to sit on and have a drink before the evening's festivities. Of note, the last time I was at HHN I was in a much worse place in my life and had a hard time dealing with the sensory overload and constant jump scares of the houses. This time, while I certainly found certain things scary and some jumps definitely go me, I was able to handle everything fairly well and enjoyed myself thoroughly. For the record, we all had the express pass and did 8 of the 10 houses and saw the Academy of Villains show, which was a ton of fun with great music and dancing. The 2 houses we didn't do were basically because we decided not to and used that time to ride The Mummy, Transformers, and Men in Black. Below are my thoughts/rankings of each house...

1. Trick R' Treat - By far my favorite of the houses, I was basically awash in amazement the entire time. Keeping in mind that I am a big fan of the movie, this house felt like a perfect re-creation of many of the iconic scenes from the film. The scale and attention to detail was astounding, with so many wonderful set pieces and a lot of good scares too. For obvious reasons this one is also the most Halloween-y of the houses and really got me into the spirit of the season. More than any other I wish I could've gone through this house a second time. I tried my best to take my time and really take it all in, and luckily I didn't feel rushed. With the express pass we waited about 15 minutes for this house, and part of that was certainly the rather long walk towards the entrance.

2. Stranger Things - While this was probably the least scary of the houses, it was also the most impressive in terms of re-creating a piece of IP in a way that felt accurate and passionate. As a fan of the series I was like a kid in a candy shop. The details are spot on and the actors they cast for various scenes look so much like their television counterparts. This house captures the entire first season of the show and was a joy to walk through. With the express pass we waited about 20 minutes; the posted wait was 90 minutes.

3. Slaughter Sinema - My favorite of the non-IP houses, this one was split into very deliberate sections and while a few jump scares got me really good, there was also a strong element of comedy (albeit very dark) that really tickled me. Each little section was beautifully designed and many could've sustained their own house. I love cult cinema and cheesy 80s horror movies and this was a loving ode to those. The amount of creativity that went into creating each of the fake movies was awesome. With the express pass we waited 5 minutes, so basically we walked right in.

4. Poltergeist - We headed to this house right after we were let in from the Stay and Scream area (which was at about 5:50). Whether because this was the first house or simply because it was so well done, we all felt that this was by far the scariest house of the evening. More so than just the jump scares, this house felt very dark and very disorienting. Like the other two above based on IP it captured the source material beautifully and actually expanded on it a bit, taking you into elements of the film that we only could have dreamed of. This house also has some incredible puppets that scared the heck out of me, frankly. We actually didn't use our express pass for this one as we went right in line after Stay & Scream in case we wanted to do it again, and we waited for about 20 minutes.

5. Scary Tales: Deadly Ever After - Based on the world of dark fairy tales, this house had some comical moments and some truly scary ones, especially the ending which I won't reveal here. I loved the dark gothic imagery and the playful elements of twisting these fairly tales upside down. The entrance to the house is truly stunning and has a stunt/effect that was one of my favorite elements of the evening. With the express pass we waited about 15 minutes.

6. Seeds of Extinction - With the express pass our wait would have been 10 minutes, however an incident occurred in line right before us involving someone who got sick and then they shut down the house for a little bit, I assume to check and see if the aforementioned incident caused any issues in the house. After waiting about 30 minutes (and dealing with some obnoxious people in line behind us who wouldn't keep quiet and exercise some patient) we finally got through the house. For me this was the second scariest house of the night, but it was also a bit monotonous as there wasn't a lot of variety of the types of monsters/creatures. However I'm splitting hairs as I genuinely loved all of the top 6 houses on this list. Seeds also featured some awesome effects involving water and a slanted section (there's an alternate route if you're not comfortable walking on this) that had some of the best scares of the night. This one was like getting lost in the jungle and had some really impressive design work.

7. Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Meyers - It saddens me that a house involving Michael Meyers is one of my least favorites, but alas this house never fully came together for me. Perhaps because Halloween 4 isn't that great of a movie or perhaps because it ultimately becomes very repetitive, the house had a few decent scares but never made much of an impression with the design elements or the sets. There were a few decent jumps and I had a good time regardless, it just felt a bit like a shrug compared to some of the other houses. With the express pass we waited 15 minutes.

8. The Horrors of Blumhouse - The first part of this house, based on Happy Death Day (a really clever horror comedy) is a lot of fun but I wish it had captured the silliness/comedy of the movie a bit better. That being said it does capture the look/feel of the film really well, although I didn't find this section scary at all. The second section, based on The First Purge, was very disappointing although a bit scarier than the first half. It sort of just felt like Universal was going through the motions with this part of the house. I could imagine a Purge house being excellent; this wasn't it. With the express pass we waited 15 minutes.


As for the scare zones, my favorite was probably Killer Klowns From Outer Space just because it was so fun and it was great to see the wonderful costumes based on the designs from the film. Vamp 85 was also a ton of fun with great music. The scariest scare zone for me was probably Twisted Tradition over by the iconic central park pumpkin trees as it gets really dark back there and you never see anything coming. The Harvest zone, right by the front of the park, has some really cool stilt walkers and nice costumes. I also love the roaming band of chainsaw guys over by Springfield. It's fun to sit and have a few Duff beers (as we did) and watch people scream and run away from the chainsaws.

All in all, we had a wonderful/scary/awesome time. I wish I could go again this year as I'd love to go through some of the houses again, particularly the top 3. I don't see how the night would be worth it on a busy weekend without the express pass as the crowds are really out of control. Luckily we were able to make it all work for us financially although I know that's not the case for all.


----------



## abooch

I’m trying to decide between this Saturday or Sunday. Will be using EP either day. I understand that Sunday will be less crowded but I live in Tampa and have work the next morning. On Saturday I’m staying the night in Orlando but idk. I prefer less crowds. Help. Lol oh Don’t forget the $120 cheaper price on Sunday


----------



## RAPstar

abooch said:


> I’m trying to decide between this Saturday or Sunday. Will be using EP either day. I understand that Sunday will be less crowded but I live in Tampa and have work the next morning. On Saturday I’m staying the night in Orlando but idk. I prefer less crowds. Help. Lol oh Don’t forget the $120 cheaper price on Sunday



Sometimes sundays can be more crowded.


----------



## macraven

_abooch, if you do hhn on the Saturday, you can stay to 2:00 am in the park.
You can sleep in the next morning.

Sunday also is open until the morning hours.

Since you have to be at work on Monday, you might be able to do just a simple nap in before you have to drive back to Tampa for work if you hit hhn Sunday night.


Choose the lesser of the two evils.
Crowds
Lack of sleep and off to work for a full day.
(unless you only do a portion of the park)_


----------



## lolomarie

Wanted to write a quick review. This was our first ever HHN and this board helped so much, especially schumigirl, so thank you!!!!!

We attended with BOGO on Sept 16th and 20th. We decided to splurge for Express Pass for our first night. We did every haunted house and 2 rides, men in black and mummy. We walked through scare zones but didn't linger. The second night we took our time in scare zones and did Diagon Alley and the rest of the rides. We never waited more than 10 minutes for a ride. I felt our strategy was well worth it and we got to see everything we wanted. EP was definitely worth the money!  We missed the Villans show, but we were just too tired. Lol. 

We got the refillable cup for beer and enjoyed it!  Nice beer selection. My favourite was the pumpkin. We snacked at different places and took lots of photos. 

Favourite house was Stranger Things followed by Carnival Graveyard. 

Favourite scare zone was Vamp, then The pumpkin one, then chucky!!!

I was so scared to do this and was so glad I did. I got lots of scares. Including having to run away in scare zones. Lol. But I realized the antidote to fear is laughter so it was an absolute blast. 

Thanks again to this board!  Let me know if you have any questions about our experience.


----------



## Thiago Acquaviva

How crowds are on Thursdays and Fridays? 
We're planning to go on October 25th and 26th.
and unfortunately it's impossible for us to get Express Pass


----------



## lolomarie

Thiago Acquaviva said:


> How crowds are on Thursdays and Fridays?
> We're planning to go on October 25th and 26th.
> and unfortunately it's impossible for us to get Express Pass


The posted wait times were definitely longer on the Sunday when we went compared to the Thursday, but it downpoured on Sunday which cleared a lot of people out, so it "felt" more crowded on Thursday. This was my experience anyways.


----------



## mamapenguin

Any thoughts on Wednesday 10/10 as far as crowds?


----------



## macraven

_Well, some schools have Thursday Oct 11 off.
It could bring a bit more into the parks Wednesday.

That is one of my dates also that i will do hhn._


----------



## nkereina

For those who have already attended HHN, what are the best things you ate there? We definitely want to try some of the unique snacks, but won't have the stomach or time to try them all!


----------



## Monykalyn

nkereina said:


> For those who have already attended HHN, what are the best things you ate there? We definitely want to try some of the unique snacks, but won't have the stomach or time to try them all!


 We only tried the Pizza fries but we enjoyed them!


----------



## Monykalyn

I posted our experience on the other thread "Survey says" started by keisha


----------



## yulilin3

nkereina said:


> For those who have already attended HHN, what are the best things you ate there? We definitely want to try some of the unique snacks, but won't have the stomach or time to try them all!


I loved the bananas foster waffles,  hoping to try the waffle sundae this Friday


----------



## sconnell

We will be in the parks 10/5-10/8 (APs) and decided this was the year we would introduce our teens to HHN. They’ve been asking for a few years (dad and I have been going without them) and we thought they’d be ready this year. Then when they announced ST house and they HAD to go. Lol

I had planned to just attend on Sunday, 10/7 and purchased tickets. Of course, I wanted to do the RIP tour, but it was $249/person that night and that was out of budget for the whole family. Then EPs would be great, but they were $149/person that night and it was a stretch. Especially after seeing how long EP wait times were the first night. I realized I could add another night for less than half of that price and just pace ourselves with a good touring plan. BUT (and you guys already know this) upgrading to the Frequent Fear Plus was even less expensive than adding another day! 

So, we’re all set now for HHN on 10/5 and 10/7. Myself, DH, DD16, & DS 14. With the option for additional nights if we find time to pop back. 

Yay! Can’t wait for some pizza fries!


----------



## shh

anyone have any opinions on the specialty drinks offered this year? Good, bad, meh? (I'll check the other thread too.)


----------



## LittleBitt

Going to HHN for the first time this weekend and are starting with the Q&A. We'll be using our free HHN day with our premier pass, do we need to leave the park after the Q&A and re-enter for HHN? Or do we check in for HHN before or after the Q&A? Any help is super appreciated.


----------



## Ohanaof3

I have booked an unmasking the horror 6 house tour on October 13. What would be a good tip for the guide? I am sure someone talked about it in the last 60 pages, but I have not found it in what I have read.


----------



## Monykalyn

shh said:


> anyone have any opinions on the specialty drinks offered this year? Good, bad, meh? (I'll check the other thread too.)


 Tried both, just ok. Preferred my double vodka/cranberry from Chez Alacatraz bar (but way more expensive LOL)



LittleBitt said:


> Going to HHN for the first time this weekend and are starting with the Q&A. We'll be using our free HHN day with our premier pass, do we need to leave the park after the Q&A and re-enter for HHN? Or do we check in for HHN before or after the Q&A? Any help is super appreciated.


 Since you have day admission passes you can stay in a special area and wait for changeover to HHN, no need to exit park. Highly recommend the Finnegan's area as you have bathroom, shady area to wait, and bar/access to drinks. Staff will scan pass and see you have HHN ticket, then give you a wrist band so you can stay in holding area in park. Gives you a good 30-40 minute jump on those waiting outside gates.


----------



## macraven

Ohanaof3 said:


> I have booked an unmasking the horror 6 house tour on October 13. What would be a good tip for the guide? I am sure someone talked about it in the last 60 pages, but I have not found it in what I have read.


10-15%
Some do 20%


----------



## casnider

Thiago Acquaviva said:


> How crowds are on Thursdays and Fridays?
> We're planning to go on October 25th and 26th.
> and unfortunately it's impossible for us to get Express Pass


Whoo hoooo.......see you there!


----------



## schumigirl

Not overly impressed with food options this year.........

Pizza fries we bought ended up in trash........fries with a slurry on top........not a fan of sweet options. 

Drinks are mediocre...........shame. Still bought a couple of drinks to get souvenir cups though.........


----------



## mamapenguin

schumigirl said:


> Not overly impressed with food options this year.........
> 
> Pizza fries we bought ended up in trash........fries with a slurry on top........not a fan of sweet options.
> 
> Drinks are mediocre...........shame. Still bought a couple of drinks to get souvenir cups though.........


Do they have the skewer of fresh doughnuts (looked like a stack of doughnuts on a stick)? My Dad sent me a picture of that last year, and I have been thinking about them ever since.


----------



## sconnell

ONE week!!! 

One week until I send my unsuspecting teens through the houses of Halloween Horror Nights for their first time ever! I cannot wait! This is the payback every parent dreams of! I can't wait to laugh at them as they scream! (In a completely controlled and relatively safe environment, of course! )


----------



## nkereina

What time do you all suggest lining up at the gates for HHN if it starts at 6:30? We will not be staying on-site or have day tickets. We will have EPs, so we don't care about being at the front of the pack but don't want to waste the first hour of HHN waiting to get in either.

Do they ever open the gates early or is it promptly at 6:30?

Is the queue for HHN clearly marked outside? Last time we were able to wait inside in a holding area.

Thanks!


----------



## schumigirl

nkereina said:


> What time do you all suggest lining up at the gates for HHN if it starts at 6:30? We will not be staying on-site or have day tickets. We will have EPs, so we don't care about being at the front of the pack but don't want to waste the first hour of HHN waiting to get in either.
> 
> Do they ever open the gates early or is it promptly at 6:30?
> 
> Is the queue for HHN clearly marked outside? Last time we were able to wait inside in a holding area.
> 
> Thanks!



They do sometimes open gates earlier.........someone posted 6.15pm one night.........we never go in when it’s just opening so have no clue really........

You won’t miss the lines........everyone there is going in for HHN.


----------



## schumigirl

mamapenguin said:


> Do they have the skewer of fresh doughnuts (looked like a stack of doughnuts on a stick)? My Dad sent me a picture of that last year, and I have been thinking about them ever since.



Sorry, haven’t noticed them, but haven’t looked either.......

Maybe some of the twitter feeds will have some info or pictures.........


----------



## nkereina

schumigirl said:


> we never go in when it’s just opening so have no clue really



What time do you typically enter, and is there still a line to get in at that time? Do you find you have enough time to do everything? Last time we did HHN was part of a Universal trip so we could be in a holding area and didn't bother doing any rides. But this time, we are just doing HHN during a night of a WDW trip, and are hoping to do all the rides and houses throughout the night. We will have EPs.


----------



## schumigirl

nkereina said:


> What time do you typically enter, and is there still a line to get in at that time? Do you find you have enough time to do everything? Last time we did HHN was part of a Universal trip so we could be in a holding area and didn't bother doing any rides. But this time, we are just doing HHN during a night of a WDW trip, and are hoping to do all the rides and houses throughout the night. We will have EPs.



We go in somewhere between 7 and 8.30 but use the hotel guest entrance. Lines for main entrance can vary but haven’t seemed too bad at that time except for first few nights.

We don’t stay a full night ever, we do around 6 or 7 nights every trip so no need for us to every house in a night. We typically do around 4 houses, most scare zones and some people watching in around a few hours with EP. We don’t tend to do rides on those nights. 

If you go in when it opens and stay till it’s done you should be able to do it all.........first Wednesday was so quiet.....but nights since have been busy.........


----------



## ErinBoBerin

Question I'm curious about just because I've never been to universal in the fall - what is the park like in the day during HHN? Can you see the exterior of the houses as you walk around? Are any rides down?


----------



## yulilin3

out of curiosity,  has universal studios ever closed for capacity during hhn?
How about the parking garage?


----------



## meryll83

Looking for some advice...

We have an Express Pass but usually try and get round a few houses without it first...

We won’t be in the park already, entering just for HHN.

Any recommendations for which houses to aim for first?


----------



## Texan

Am I reading this right everyone?  Last year, first time at HHN, we waited in the Finnegan's area and walked right into The Shining with no wait.  Now that the Finnegan's area has enlarged you can go straight to Stranger Things and have up to an hour wait when you are in the park at the holding area?!?  I did not want to use my EP until later on in the evening to go again to Stranger Things, but I don't want to wait an hour right off the bat.  Ugh.


----------



## soniam

mamapenguin said:


> Do they have the skewer of fresh doughnuts (looked like a stack of doughnuts on a stick)? My Dad sent me a picture of that last year, and I have been thinking about them ever since.



They aren't on a skewer this year. They are on a plate with red frosting drizzled on top. They have powdered sugar and cinnamon. I don't know if they are cooking them fresh or not. I haven't been yet; I have just been following stuff very closely.



yulilin3 said:


> out of curiosity,  has universal studios ever closed for capacity during hhn?
> How about the parking garage?



I don't think it has closed. However, opening weekend, people were waiting in very long lines to get into the garage. I'll PM you about parking with the RIP tour.



meryll83 said:


> Looking for some advice...
> 
> We have an Express Pass but usually try and get round a few houses without it first...
> 
> We won’t be in the park already, entering just for HHN.
> 
> Any recommendations for which houses to aim for first?



Honestly, it really depends upon the night. If you really want to see Stranger Things, and you get to HHN when it opens, then you might want to hit that first. I would check the wait times though on the app, because they will be a good estimate for the EP times. I have also heard that ST slows down in the last hour or so of the park. Otherwise, I would just look at the times and go see what you want.



Texan said:


> Am I reading this right everyone?  Last year, first time at HHN, we waited in the Finnegan's area and walked right into The Shining with no wait.  Now that the Finnegan's area has enlarged you can go straight to Stranger Things and have up to an hour wait when you are in the park at the holding area?!?  I did not want to use my EP until later on in the evening to go again to Stranger Things, but I don't want to wait an hour right off the bat.  Ugh.



I think that was opening weekend. Are you entering the park before it closes? A lot of people have been getting there early, like before 4pm on really busy days, and everyone wants to hit Stranger Things. Also, they are kind of lining people up weird in the Finnegan's waiting area. Some people eating inside have gotten put back at the end of the pack. Also, people are reporting that the posted wait times are inflated. So, 1 hour at opening, may really only be 20 minutes. The 1 hour+ waits at opening that i have hearing of are coming from people who did not do Stay & Scream. I would do S&S. Go to Finnegan's early on your day, like before 4pm, and see what the crowd looks like. You might even be able to talk with a Team Member to see how they are going to line people up. It might mean that you have to stand outside in the sun though. It really depends upon how busy the day you are going will be. Good luck.


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

I'm here now so if anyone has any questions I can try to find them out. Our first HHN will be tomorrow. Tonight we plan on going into IOA while HHN goes on. Hope it will be very empty.



ErinBoBerin said:


> Question I'm curious about just because I've never been to universal in the fall - what is the park like in the day during HHN? Can you see the exterior of the houses as you walk around? Are any rides down?



Most of the houses are out of the way, so no, you can't see most of the entrances during the day. You will see all the bigger props for the scare zones, those will be left up.


----------



## yulilin3

I've always already been at universal during the day for hhn, yesterday was the first time going at opening time,  yeah traffic is insane,  had to drop someone off and go back and pick my dd from work and go back at 9pm and it was so much better. 
It was crazy busy but did 2 houses and the wait times are slightly inflated.  Trick r treat said 60 minutes,  real time was 40. Scary tales said 60 was actually 20. Btw scary tales is so far my favorite house
Tried the waffle sundae,  delicious. 
Can't wait for Friday


----------



## soniam

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> I'm here now so if anyone has any questions I can try to find them out. Our first HHN will be tomorrow. Tonight we plan on going into IOA while HHN goes on. Hope it will be very empty.





yulilin3 said:


> I've always already been at universal during the day for hhn, yesterday was the first time going at opening time,  yeah traffic is insane,  had to drop someone off and go back and pick my dd from work and go back at 9pm and it was so much better.
> It was crazy busy but did 2 houses and the wait times are slightly inflated.  Trick r treat said 60 minutes,  real time was 40. Scary tales said 60 was actually 20. Btw scary tales is so far my favorite house
> Tried the waffle sundae,  delicious.
> Can't wait for Friday



Can't wait to be with both of you on Friday! Gotta do laundry and pack this weekend.


----------



## Texan

Soniam - thank you - yes, we have park to park day passes, mainly for HP at IOA and last year youngest son missed King Kong; then we will head to US, eat late lunch, do a couple of rides and head to Finnegans; I think baking in the sun with a beer in our hands may be worth it; those EP are so costly we only used them until we had to last year.  Are the inflated times from the app or from the house itself?  Really kicked ourselves for not doing The Shining twice last year, it was awesome but we did all 9 houses and were too tired.  Would love to try for ST twice this year.  Thank you again.


----------



## soniam

Texan said:


> Soniam - thank you - yes, we have park to park day passes, mainly for HP at IOA and last year youngest son missed King Kong; then we will head to US, eat late lunch, do a couple of rides and head to Finnegans; I think baking in the sun with a beer in our hands may be worth it; those EP are so costly we only used them until we had to last year.  Are the inflated times from the app or from the house itself?  Really kicked ourselves for not doing The Shining twice last year, it was awesome but we did all 9 houses and were too tired.  Would love to try for ST twice this year.  Thank you again.



The wait time reported outside the house is the same as on the app, so both. You may luck out, especially if you are doing a week night instead of a weekend.


----------



## shh

soniam said:


> Some people eating inside have gotten put back at the end of the pack.


Thanks soniam for all your info.  So glad you mentioned the above - I'm going to keep tabs on this over the next few weeks to see if it is the standard process. 

I like Finnegan's, but don't think I'd want to spend $75 + on dinner and a couple rounds of drinks if it may actually penalize us, vs just milling around outside with a slice and a beer. AC and a sit down meal is nice, but the main goal is S&S - otherwise I'd do dinner at CityWalk. (We're going late Oct, so hopefully a wee bit less humid and hot.)


----------



## soniam

shh said:


> Thanks soniam for all your info.  So glad you mentioned the above - I'm going to keep tabs on this over the next few weeks to see if it is the standard process.
> 
> I like Finnegan's, but don't think I'd want to spend $75 + on dinner and a couple rounds of drinks if it may actually penalize us, vs just milling around outside with a slice and a beer. AC and a sit down meal is nice, but the main goal is S&S - otherwise I'd do dinner at CityWalk. (We're going late Oct, so hopefully a wee bit less humid and hot.)



I've seen some of these comments on FB. I don't know if I have read anything like that about Finnegan's here on the boards. I gave up on the idea of eating there too. My son would probably one eat a burger anyway. There is supposedly a drink cart, with made to order alcoholic drinks, in that holding area. They might not be as strong as Finnegan's though. You can also get drinks to go from Finnegan's.


----------



## Diasmom

Kind of a dumb question but I want to make sure I buy the right ticket.  My husband and son will be going to HHN on the 24th and 25th and I was looking to buy the frequent fear pass.  Will they potentially be turned away if either night is sold out?  If so, maybe they are better off with two single night tickets.  Does anyone have a recommended tour plan for the haunted houses?  Thanks for any suggestions!


----------



## bas71873

Hi again!  We are attending HHN and have reserved a non private RIP for Sunday, Oct 7. I THINK our RIP time is 7:30. I need to confirm that somewhere because it's not on my confirmation email with my tickets. 

Anyway, I have a few questions with regard to our stay if someone can help me out so we are better prepared:


We are staying at the Sapphire Falls resort and I understand that there is a dedicated park entrance for on site hotel guests. Where is that located? 


How early should we make our way to that entrance point to be there when HHN begins at 6:30? We will NOT be IN the park that day.  Only doing HHN.  


Where is it that we go to pick up our HHN & RIP tickets AND, can we do that BEFORE Sunday night?


Finally, where is it that we meet for our RIP tour?



Thank you so much. We are very much looking forward to our trip!


----------



## Iheoma

Hi Everyone - we were at HHN 9/26/18. We went to VB in the morning and got to USF around 3:30 pm, did a couple of rides (with EPs) and wondered over to Finnegans around 4:30pm. My daughter(17) andDH(teen at heart) really wanted to see Stranger Things. After checking into through the HHN event line we walked toward Finnegans. There was a USF/HHN giving out wristband at the door. She said they would be required so that people wouldn’t be kicked out of the bar when the park officially closed at 5pm. We took a look inside and decided it was way too busy to be a place for a decent dinner or drink. We instead hung out on the “stoops” by the front of the Stranger Things holding area. It was hot as hades, people were packed in like sardines, but they officially let us “fast walk” over to the Stranger Things house at 5:45pm. We didn’t have EPs for HHN, but were in the House after waiting for about 5 mins. In fact, the walk through the queue in front of the stage in front of Rip R Rocket was longer than the actual wait for the house. We then went to Scary Tales and waited about 10 minutes and then Carnival Graveyard and waited 10-15 minutes. So my advice (if you’re in the park prior to close) would be to skip Finnegans and just wait in the holding area. My next advice would be to go to the very back of the park and do the houses back there. People are stuck in the front at the beginning of the night, and then wander to the back. I’m a big scaredy cat, so I was done with houses after the first three, but DH and DD, saw everything except Patient Zero. We also went to the 9pm Academy of Villians show (really good!) stopped for pizza fries (really gross!) and went through all of the scare zones. We stopped for a quick dinner in CityWalk and we were back at Portofino by around 11:30pm. It was a fun evening. We didn’t feel rushed, but saw everything we planned.


----------



## soniam

Diasmom said:


> Kind of a dumb question but I want to make sure I buy the right ticket.  My husband and son will be going to HHN on the 24th and 25th and I was looking to buy the frequent fear pass.  Will they potentially be turned away if either night is sold out?  If so, maybe they are better off with two single night tickets.  Does anyone have a recommended tour plan for the haunted houses?  Thanks for any suggestions!



I have not heard of them turning people away with the frequent fear pass. I don't think the park has reached capacity for HHN. I think you should be OK. I would definitely look at the wait times on the app to help with touring, but I would also recommend what @Iheoma recommended in the previous post #1222. It's not specifically a touring plan; it's more about geographic location.



bas71873 said:


> Hi again!  We are attending HHN and have reserved a non private RIP for Sunday, Oct 7. I THINK our RIP time is 7:30. I need to confirm that somewhere because it's not on my confirmation email with my tickets.
> 
> Anyway, I have a few questions with regard to our stay if someone can help me out so we are better prepared:
> 
> We are staying at the Sapphire Falls resort and I understand that there is a dedicated park entrance for on site hotel guests. Where is that located?
> 
> How early should we make our way to that entrance point to be there when HHN begins at 6:30? We will NOT be IN the park that day.  Only doing HHN.
> 
> Where is it that we go to pick up our HHN & RIP tickets AND, can we do that BEFORE Sunday night?
> 
> Finally, where is it that we meet for our RIP tour?
> 
> Thank you so much. We are very much looking forward to our trip!



I don't know where the hotel guest entrance is. It might be to the left if you are facing the main entrance. Hopefully others will pipe up. I believe it's was previously said in the this thread, so you might be able to search.

Do you remember picking a certain type of pick up, ie ticket window or kiosk? Your emails should say in the "Shipping Method". If it says "Will Call Kiosk" then you can go to the unmanned automatic kiosks that are outside of the entrance of each park. If it says kiosk or ticket window, then you can go to a ticket window outside of the park entrances, one in Citywalk, or in the lobby of each hotel. You can pick these up whenever the ticket windows are open. I believe the kiosks are always available, since they are unmanned. I would definitely do this before hand. I don't know if you get RIP tickets or not, but you definitely can pick up HHN tickets. With RIP, you might just show the email. Look at the email for further instructions.

As for the RIP tour meetup, does it say anything in your email? If not, you either meet at Cafe La Bamba or the VIP entrance, which is to the right, when facing the park entrance, outside of the turnstiles. While waiting in line to get in, one of your party could go over to VIP and ask. Or you could ask at Cafe La Bamba, once inside the park.


----------



## vrajewski10513

Hey everyone! Just thought i would post my Pre-event hype list vs. my Post event actual ranking of the houses... I’ve seen a lot of different rankings but it seems that Poltergeist is consistently a top house which i have to agree with!

HHN Pre-Event Hype List

Slaughter Sinema
Dead Exposure
Carnival Graveyard
Poltergeist
Halloween
Trick R Treat
Stranger Things
Seeds of Extinction
Scary Tales
Blumhouse 

HHN Post-Event Actual Ranking

Poltergeist
Dead Exposure
Scary Tales
Stranger Things
Slaughter Sinema
Seeds of Extinction
Trick R Treat
Halloween
Carnival Graveyard
Blumhouse
I do want to say that even though blumhouse is ranked last, it’s solely due to how awful the Happy Death day half was. I actually enjoyed The First Purge half.. i feel like it would have worked better with a whole house for the purge.


----------



## sassy2000

I’m sure it’s on this thread somewhere but can someone give me a list of the holding areas available if I stay in the park after closing and what houses they let out to? Thanks.


----------



## 5lilfish

We are doing the RIP tour on Thursday the 4th.  Our tour starts at 7pm.  After we do the houses and whatever else the tour gets us in to, will there be time leftover to either re-do a house we liked or even venture to the Harry Potter area to look around?

Also....anyone know if warm butterbeer is 'in season' yet?  

Thanks...
Jess


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

IOA was very empty this morning. We got the park right at opening (9 am). We were the first people on Kong and got a nice special tour of the queue. Did Forbidden Journey twice with a 5 minute wait, walked onto Hippogriff. Did all of Seuss land, ate at Mythos when they opened at 11 and then watched Poseidon's Fury (which I actually really enjoy).

Think we picked out our HHN merch. Brian is going to get the Hawkins AV Club t-shirt, I'm a little torn on the Killer Klowns shirt or the CyberPunk Vamp 85 shirt. 

We got our $30 refillable HHN cup. I was told I couldn't get it at IOA, so we picked one up at Monster's Cafe. There is no AP discount on them.


----------



## heidijanesmith

bas71873 said:


> Hi again!  We are attending HHN and have reserved a non private RIP for Sunday, Oct 7. I THINK our RIP time is 7:30. I need to confirm that somewhere because it's not on my confirmation email with my tickets.
> 
> Anyway, I have a few questions with regard to our stay if someone can help me out so we are better prepared:
> 
> 
> We are staying at the Sapphire Falls resort and I understand that there is a dedicated park entrance for on site hotel guests. Where is that located?
> 
> 
> How early should we make our way to that entrance point to be there when HHN begins at 6:30? We will NOT be IN the park that day.  Only doing HHN.
> 
> 
> Where is it that we go to pick up our HHN & RIP tickets AND, can we do that BEFORE Sunday night?
> 
> 
> Finally, where is it that we meet for our RIP tour?
> 
> 
> 
> Thank you so much. We are very much looking forward to our trip!


+

We have done the non-private RIP tour 4 years now, and we are always super happy with the tour!  Hope you love it too.

You can call the Tour phone number and they can confirm your tour time. Check in 1/2 before your tour time at La Cabana. My tip is don't wait for the bar in the check in area. There is a bar in the inside area, where the food and seating is. We made that mistake and by the time we got to the food area all the tables were taken.

There is a dedicated On-site hotel check in line. There was a an employee in the front area directing you where the on-site entrance is. It's to the far right if you are facing the front of US.

You are directed in your e-mail to check in and get your credentials at the VIP check in Lobby or when you check in for your tour. We just got our credentials when you check into our tour.

I would get in line at the hotel entrance around 6:30. The line is usually not that big.

I was able to trade my paper HHN tickets for the small regular size tickets at the HRH ticket counter in the lobby. I am not sure if Sapphire Falls has one or not, we have never stayed there.


----------



## heidijanesmith

5lilfish said:


> We are doing the RIP tour on Thursday the 4th.  Our tour starts at 7pm.  After we do the houses and whatever else the tour gets us in to, will there be time leftover to either re-do a house we liked or even venture to the Harry Potter area to look around?
> 
> Also....anyone know if warm butterbeer is 'in season' yet?
> 
> Thanks...
> Jess



Our tour started at 8PM and lasted until 12:15 AM. We had time to go on the rides afterwards. I would plan on 4-4.5 hours for your tour.

Someone can correct me if I am wrong, but you would not have "Express Entrance" privileges with your RIP Tour credentials for the houses. I think they are only valid for the houses while you are on your tour. You would have to wait in the regular line.

The rides after your tour do have the Express Pass privileges. We did the Mummy, Gringotts and Transformers. The lines were so short the Express Pass was not needed.

It was so hot, like 96 degrees hot. So no warm butterbeer available for us. We went Sept 19-23rd.


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

In the Simpsons holding area. Sun needs to go away.

I'll be posting pics on Instagram all night if anyone wants to take a look rjrook


----------



## Monykalyn

nkereina said:


> What time do you all suggest lining up at the gates for HHN if it starts at 6:30? We will not be staying on-site or have day tickets. We will have EPs, so we don't care about being at the front of the pack but don't want to waste the first hour of HHN waiting to get in either.
> 
> Do they ever open the gates early or is it promptly at 6:30?
> 
> Is the queue for HHN clearly marked outside? Last time we were able to wait inside in a holding area.
> 
> Thanks!


Before 5-early yes but parking and lines into parking were bad from reports. Heck we went on a Thursday after 10 and the line to get through parking was backed up (free after 10pm). Get in early and eat at Citywalk and get to gates early too



yulilin3 said:


> out of curiosity,  has universal studios ever closed for capacity during hhn?
> How about the parking garage?


 We were on top of the garage the thursday we went (after 10-free parking had kicked in). We were always down and close when we went around 3-4 ish after that-preferred parking with our AP.



soniam said:


> Also, they are kind of lining people up weird in the Finnegan's waiting area. Some people eating inside have gotten put back at the end of the pack. Also, people are reporting that the posted wait times are inflated.


There was 2 corrals the week we went (last week=has it been over a week already??). The super early birds got first corral and walk on to Stranger things and Poltergiest. We were back of first corral a week ago Friday (after eating at Finnegans) and go on Stranger things in 45 minutes. sunday we were near the beginning of 2nd corral and got into Poltergeist in about 20 minutes. 
After hitting those 2 head to back of park and whip out most of other houses. Although Slaughter sinema, Seeds and Dead exposure I think are better after dark.


Texan said:


> Are the inflated times from the app or from the house itself?


In my experience it depended on the day: Friday was inflated by a bunch early, Saturday was right on, Sunday was pretty close, inflated by 5 minutes in a couple places.

It also appeared our weekend that Stranger thing lined swelled early, then dipped after a couple hours, then swelled again - probably because everyone saw the wait times had dropped to 60 minutes lol! It is definitely a cool house, but Scary Tales, CG and Poltergeist were worth repeating more than Stranger things.


----------



## cschaaf

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> We got our $30 refillable HHN cup. I was told I couldn't get it at IOA, so we picked one up at Monster's Cafe. There is no AP discount on them.


Did you happen to see if the cup works during the day? I've seen mixed reports.


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

cschaaf said:


> Did you happen to see if the cup works during the day? I've seen mixed reports.



We've been using it all day, during hhn and regular day. It's the one with the pumpkin on it.


----------



## keishashadow

soniam said:


> They aren't on a skewer this year. They are on a plate with red frosting drizzled on top. They have powdered sugar and cinnamon. I don't know if they are cooking them fresh or not. I haven't been yet; I have just been following stuff very closely.
> 
> 
> 
> I don't think it has closed. However, opening weekend, people were waiting in very long lines to get into the garage. I'll PM you about parking with the RIP tour.
> 
> 
> 
> Honestly, it really depends upon the night. If you really want to see Stranger Things, and you get to HHN when it opens, then you might want to hit that first. I would check the wait times though on the app, because they will be a good estimate for the EP times. I have also heard that ST slows down in the last hour or so of the park. Otherwise, I would just look at the times and go see what you want.
> 
> 
> 
> I think that was opening weekend. Are you entering the park before it closes? A lot of people have been getting there early, like before 4pm on really busy days, and everyone wants to hit Stranger Things. Also, they are kind of lining people up weird in the Finnegan's waiting area. Some people eating inside have gotten put back at the end of the pack. Also, people are reporting that the posted wait times are inflated. So, 1 hour at opening, may really only be 20 minutes. The 1 hour+ waits at opening that i have hearing of are coming from people who did not do Stay & Scream. I would do S&S. Go to Finnegan's early on your day, like before 4pm, and see what the crowd looks like. You might even be able to talk with a Team Member to see how they are going to line people up. It might mean that you have to stand outside in the sun though. It really depends upon how busy the day you are going will be. Good luck.



ST was at 90 minutes well before 7 pm friday.  Didn’t take long to hit 120 minutes.

More than a few groups of young adults pushing their way thru the standby lines.  Going to get ugly if U doesn’t monitor the lines better on the grassy areas.



yulilin3 said:


> I've always already been at universal during the day for hhn, yesterday was the first time going at opening time,  yeah traffic is insane,  had to drop someone off and go back and pick my dd from work and go back at 9pm and it was so much better.
> It was crazy busy but did 2 houses and the wait times are slightly inflated.  Trick r treat said 60 minutes,  real time was 40. Scary tales said 60 was actually 20. Btw scary tales is so far my favorite house
> Tried the waffle sundae,  delicious.
> Can't wait for Friday




We waited a good 20 min in line after 3 pm yesterday when moving car over to garage from SF. Discovered many of vehicles were workers turning into the employee line  assume big shift change time?



bas71873 said:


> Hi again!  We are attending HHN and have reserved a non private RIP for Sunday, Oct 7. I THINK our RIP time is 7:30. I need to confirm that somewhere because it's not on my confirmation email with my tickets.
> 
> Anyway, I have a few questions with regard to our stay if someone can help me out so we are better prepared:
> 
> 
> We are staying at the Sapphire Falls resort and I understand that there is a dedicated park entrance for on site hotel guests. Where is that located?
> 
> 
> How early should we make our way to that entrance point to be there when HHN begins at 6:30? We will NOT be IN the park that day.  Only doing HHN.
> 
> 
> Where is it that we go to pick up our HHN & RIP tickets AND, can we do that BEFORE Sunday night?
> 
> 
> Finally, where is it that we meet for our RIP tour?
> 
> 
> 
> Thank you so much. We are very much looking forward to our trip!



Visit the ticket desk at SF with your confirmations & ID in hand and they will help you sort things out.  Lovely lady there helped us print out various tix from the fat bunch of printouts I had in hand, including upgrading to an AP for DS.  Whole process took a whopping 5 minutes start to finish.  GS lines were daunting, so glad I stopped.

Your confirmation for RIP should have date/time as wel as instructions as to where you meet.  Call universal


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

All right.

So we got to the Simpsons holding area around 5.

I had got spots in the Passholder Q&A session tonight and completely forgot about it until 10 minutes after it started  So much for that.

They let us out around 5:40. We headed to Slaughter.

Slaughter: In line at 5:45, out of the house at 6.

Liked this house, but will definitely have to go back when it's dark. Couldn't even see any of the film clips that should have been projected on the screen, way too bright for that.

Dead Exposure was still not open, so we went to Blumhouse.

Blumhouse:  In line at 6:06, out of the house at 6:10. There was absolutely no one ahead of me so no safety conga line. Of course I got lost in a corner and went to some backstage area. I swear I'm the worst at that. I'm probably more afraid of getting lost in the houses than getting actually scared.

This house was awful. Pretty much all I have to say about it.

Dead Exposure: In line at 6:13. Out of the house at 6:34.

Liked this house...I think. So dark. This would probably be a great house to see in the Behind the Screams Tour. I wish it was just a touch brighter in there.

Trick R Treat: In line at 6:43. Out of the house at 6:53.

I really like this house. Nice to see they reused some aspects of the scare zone from last year.

Seeds of Extinction: In line at 7. Out of the house at 7:22.

Enjoyed this house, definitely want to go back when it's dark.


On second reflection, I wish we had headed to the front of the park after Dead Exposure. Trick R Treat and Seeds stayed a bit lower for the next hour or so.

Waits were up at this time so we checked out all the scare zones and got a gelato waffle sundae (really good, prob not worth the $10 price tag, but it's theme park food so what are ya gonna do).

Vamp 85: Loved this so much. I wish I knew my 80s music better because I'm pretty sure that there are even more music icon vamps besides Thriller Michael Jackson, Prince and Run DMC.

Killer Klowns: Excellent. They even had the shadow puppets on the side of the building.

Chucky: I enjoyed it. It's pretty much just Chucky doing stand up and ripping on the audience.

Harvest/Twisted Traditions: I honestly don't know which is which. I thought the one with the pumpkins was just a pale imitation of the Trick R Treat zone there last year. The one at the front of the park is the typical selfie scare zone like usual.

House waits had stayed around an hour and we'd been up since 7 that morning so we tried one more.

Scary Tales: In line at 9:04, out of the house at 9:43. (posted wait said 55 minutes)

I reeeeeally liked this house. This was the only one we saw tonight after we got dark, so I'm sure that helped. Loved the witch and the lion was amazing. Got pretty wet in the Humpty Dumpty room, poor thing.


We are going again Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

The game plan for Wednesday will be Finnegan's waiting area. We'll try for Stranger Things if we're near the front, if not Poltergeist will be up first then we'll knock out the front of the park then head for the back.


----------



## sconnell

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> All right.
> 
> So we got to the Simpsons holding area around 5.
> 
> I had got spots in the Passholder Q&A session tonight and completely forgot about it until 10 minutes after it started  So much for that.
> 
> They let us out around 5:40. We headed to Slaughter.
> 
> Slaughter: In line at 5:45, out of the house at 6.
> 
> Liked this house, but will definitely have to go back when it's dark. Couldn't even see any of the film clips that should have been projected on the screen, way too bright for that.
> 
> Dead Exposure was still not open, so we went to Blumhouse.
> 
> Blumhouse:  In line at 6:06, out of the house at 6:10. There was absolutely no one ahead of me so no safety conga line. Of course I got lost in a corner and went to some backstage area. I swear I'm the worst at that. I'm probably more afraid of getting lost in the houses than getting actually scared.
> 
> This house was awful. Pretty much all I have to say about it.
> 
> Dead Exposure: In line at 6:13. Out of the house at 6:34.
> 
> Liked this house...I think. So dark. This would probably be a great house to see in the Behind the Screams Tour. I wish it was just a touch brighter in there.
> 
> Trick R Treat: In line at 6:43. Out of the house at 6:53.
> 
> I really like this house. Nice to see they reused some aspects of the scare zone from last year.
> 
> Seeds of Extinction: In line at 7. Out of the house at 7:22.
> 
> Enjoyed this house, definitely want to go back when it's dark.
> 
> 
> On second reflection, I wish we had headed to the front of the park after Dead Exposure. Trick R Treat and Seeds stayed a bit lower for the next hour or so.
> 
> Waits were up at this time so we checked out all the scare zones and got a gelato waffle sundae (really good, prob not worth the $10 price tag, but it's theme park food so what are ya gonna do).
> 
> Vamp 85: Loved this so much. I wish I knew my 80s music better because I'm pretty sure that there are even more music icon vamps besides Thriller Michael Jackson, Prince and Run DMC.
> 
> Killer Klowns: Excellent. They even had the shadow puppets on the side of the building.
> 
> Chucky: I enjoyed it. It's pretty much just Chucky doing stand up and ripping on the audience.
> 
> Harvest/Twisted Traditions: I honestly don't know which is which. I thought the one with the pumpkins was just a pale imitation of the Trick R Treat zone there last year. The one at the front of the park is the typical selfie scare zone like usual.
> 
> House waits had stayed around an hour and we'd been up since 7 that morning so we tried one more.
> 
> Scary Tales: In line at 9:04, out of the house at 9:43. (posted wait said 55 minutes)
> 
> I reeeeeally liked this house. This was the only one we saw tonight after we got dark, so I'm sure that helped. Loved the witch and the lion was amazing. Got pretty wet in the Humpty Dumpty room, poor thing.
> 
> 
> We are going again Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
> 
> The game plan for Wednesday will be Finnegan's waiting area. We'll try for Stranger Things if we're near the front, if not Poltergeist will be up first then we'll knock out the front of the park then head for the back.




Thanks for these details!


----------



## nkereina

Monykalyn said:


> Before 5-early yes but parking and lines into parking were bad from reports. Heck we went on a Thursday after 10 and the line to get through parking was backed up (free after 10pm). Get in early and eat at Citywalk and get to gates early too



Thanks. We were planning to get to City Walk around 2pm to do some shopping and have something to eat. We'll also be arriving via Uber, so parking and traffic are not a concern for us. What time would you recommend lining up at the gate to get into HHN?


----------



## tony67

Just got back - did 6 nights of HHN and the behind the scenes tour - probably wont have time to write up much before the weekend but:

1) if you can go on a Wednesday night it is far better than the weekends - the SAs were far more into it on Wednesday and seemed to be really having fun - not so much on the weekends - and Friday and Saturdays of both weekends were just crazy IMO

2) if you can wait till it gets darker out or wear sunglasses  - it is hard to enjoy some of the houses until your eyes are adjusted - and you cant see the movies at the Slaughter Sinema till it gets darker

3) dont bother with the pre-mixed drinks unless you really just want the glass - they are about 1% alcohol (well maybe 2%) - I usually buy 2 so I can get 2 glasses and did not this year

4) get express pass- even with that some of the lines were a bit long - but still far better - I did Stranger Things every night and I dont think I ever waited more than 10-15 minutes - some of the other were probably 20 minutes as they merge in too soon - but still better than an hour for many of them

5) If you can do the behind the scenes tour it really improves the experience - the first weekend I was a bit disappointed overall - I did the tour and then the following weekend had a much better appreciation for everything

6) Find the HHN multi night cup as soon as you can - I think it is only in restaurants - I tried to get one the first few nights and had no luck - once I did find it it was not worthwhile for me

7) Finnegans used to be amazing - but now not so much IMO - I went there the first night and there is a line just to but a drink, you can only get 1 drink and getting back to the bar - even if you are in the place in next to impossible - I was in a roped off area and could not get back to the bar without going outside and getting in line again - normally I would go to Finnegans every night

8)  the rest of the time - since I was staying on property AND had express pass - I showed about opening time and just used the resort entrance - that was pretty quick - other than on a Saturday - and I could just hang at one of the bars (get a real drink) and relax before HHN - went up to the back By MIB or Toon area and most of the houses were 15 minutes without express (if they were even open yet)

9) if you are at the on site hotels - even visiting - they have unfolded HHN maps that are on a harder card stock that are a cool (and free) souvenir

10) there are 2018 HHN tokens in the Universal Studio store at the left near the entrance just before the first scare zone to use on the Arcade machines - 2 for $1 - makes a nice souvenir as well


----------



## Chumpieboy

schumigirl said:


> Not overly impressed with food options this year.........
> 
> Pizza fries we bought ended up in trash........fries with a slurry on top........not a fan of sweet options.
> 
> Drinks are mediocre...........shame. Still bought a couple of drinks to get souvenir cups though.........




Yeah - not a fan of the food-service too-sweet tomato sauce used for the pizza fries.


----------



## Chumpieboy

ErinBoBerin said:


> Question I'm curious about just because I've never been to universal in the fall - what is the park like in the day during HHN? Can you see the exterior of the houses as you walk around? Are any rides down?



The houses are either in soundstages whose entrances are away back stage or tents in the backstage areas.  Either way there's nothing visible of the houses themselves during the day.  There are covered signs at the entrances of the walkways to each house but if you didn't know it was HHN time you wouldn't know what these signs were for.  Some of the set pieces for the scare zones are visible but nothing scary if you're worried about little kids seeing things.


----------



## shh

Thanks Tony67: so helpful to hear from those who attended. 
_
"Finnegans used to be amazing - but now not so much IMO"._ The only bummer I'm hearing this year - really enjoyed chilling w/dinner there last year during S&S and it was busy, but not insanely so. Sounds like it's a zoo due to ST - plus from what others mentioned, sometimes they're directing diners to the back of holding area line, which kind of negates S&S benefit. (Although one plus: if I get there early enough to secure a table, drink orders are way easier - no wait at the bar!) 

Since we're doing 2 nights, gonna try the Simpsons holding area for 2nd night: would love to hear from anyone who waited there (Regular holding area - not AP entrance as that won't be offered in Oct.) 

Can you dine there in AC or is it just an outdoor area?


----------



## tony67

Chumpieboy said:


> Yeah - not a fan of the food-service too-sweet tomato sauce used for the pizza fries.


the pizza fries at the booth were not good at all - if you get them in Louie's they are much better 

I was VERY disappointed with the twisted tater - soggy and greasy 

The burger at a Benny's Burgers was pretty decent and the fries were cooked perfectly - but they did not have any condiments left


----------



## ErinBoBerin

Chumpieboy said:


> The houses are either in soundstages whose entrances are away back stage or tents in the backstage areas. Either way there's nothing visible of the houses themselves during the day. There are covered signs at the entrances of the walkways to each house but if you didn't know it was HHN time you wouldn't know what these signs were for. Some of the set pieces for the scare zones are visible but nothing scary if you're worried about little kids seeing things.



Cool thank you


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

shh said:


> Thanks Tony67: so helpful to hear from those who attended.
> _
> "Finnegans used to be amazing - but now not so much IMO"._ The only bummer I'm hearing this year - really enjoyed chilling w/dinner there last year during S&S and it was busy, but not insanely so. Sounds like it's a zoo due to ST - plus from what others mentioned, sometimes they're directing diners to the back of holding area line, which kind of negates S&S benefit. (Although one plus: if I get there early enough to secure a table, drink orders are way easier - no wait at the bar!)
> 
> Since we're doing 2 nights, gonna try the Simpsons holding area for 2nd night: would love to hear from anyone who waited there (Regular holding area - not AP entrance as that won't be offered in Oct.)
> 
> Can you dine there in AC or is it just an outdoor area?



If you go one page back in the thread I just started at Simpsons holding area. At first, you wait on the bar side of the land and can't go inside. Then, when they have day guests gone they'll open up the inside area. We waited about 15 minutes outside then were able to go inside and sit down for the remaining time.


----------



## shh

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> If you go one page back in the thread I just started at Simpsons holding area. At first, you wait on the bar side of the land and can't go inside. Then, when they have day guests gone they'll open up the inside area. We waited about 15 minutes outside then were able to go inside and sit down for the remaining time.


Thank you - I must have accidentally skipped over that part!


----------



## RKS03

For S&S, what time would we need to be inside Finnigans to get a table Inside? Thinking I’ll just head to Poltergeist so don’t care as much about being later in line.  

Also, could my family join me at the table for dinner if they will not be doing HHN? Kids are way too young.  

Thanks!


----------



## Monykalyn

tony67 said:


> the pizza fries at the booth were not good at all - if you get them in Louie's they are much better


 Maybe that’s why we liked our pizza fries?


----------



## soniam

RKS03 said:


> For S&S, what time would we need to be inside Finnigans to get a table Inside? Thinking I’ll just head to Poltergeist so don’t care as much about being later in line.
> 
> Also, could my family join me at the table for dinner if they will not be doing HHN? Kids are way too young.
> 
> Thanks!



People without HHN tickets are not allowed in the park after 5pm. Your family can join you in Finnegan's before that though. I don't know what time to get a table. I heard opening weekend that there were no tables by 4pm. I think it depends upon what day you are going.


----------



## destinationdoug

tony67 said:


> the pizza fries at the booth were not good at all - if you get them in Louie's they are much better
> 
> I was VERY disappointed with the twisted tater - soggy and greasy



Weird, I had the opposite experience with the pizza fries. I ordered them twice from the booth. Both times I had to wait several minutes for my fries to be ready, but when I got them they were piping hot and delicious. I got them once from Louie’s.  He handed them to me immediately after ordering. They had clearly been sitting under a heat lamp for a while. They were very dry.  Still pretty good, but not nearly as good as the dedicated booth. 

I do agree with you regarding the Twisted Taters. Truly awful.


----------



## RKS03

soniam said:


> People without HHN tickets are not allowed in the park after 5pm. Your family can join you in Finnegan's before that though. I don't know what time to get a table. I heard opening weekend that there were no tables by 4pm. I think it depends upon what day you are going.



Thanks so they wouldn’t be kicked out if we get a table by 4? Maybe you don’t know the answer to this but what time do they cut off the train back to Islands if adventure? 

Alternatively, would it be possible for me to eat at Leaky Cauldron with the family for dinner and then head over to S&S by Finnigans? Not sure if that restaurant would even be open or if they’d allow me to walk over to Finnigans afterwords.  

Appreciate all the guaidance.


----------



## macraven

RKS03 said:


> Thanks so they wouldn’t be kicked out if we get a table by 4? Maybe you don’t know the answer to this but what time do they cut off the train back to Islands if adventure?
> 
> Alternatively, would it be possible for me to eat at Leaky Cauldron with the family for dinner and then head over to S&S by Finnigans? Not sure if that restaurant would even be open or if they’d allow me to walk over to Finnigans afterwords.
> 
> Appreciate all the guaidance.


_You need to be in the park (studios) before 5
And have the hhn ticket if staying for the ticketed event 

Don’t count on getting a table at Finnegans if you arrive there at 4:30
Bar will have a line if you want a drink there 

You can stay in the Finnegans holding area but limited places to sit if all the stairs are taken 

HE train stops with last train out of the studios at 5 to go over to IOA 

It shuts down for the night during hhn

I got to the studios Sunday at 4:59 and they were stopping entry to that park then 

I did get in but can’t say how I got in...

Those in the line for screening were told to wait in the line at the front of the park 
And enter when park reopened _


----------



## sconnell

What time will they usher non-HHN ticket holders out of Finnegan's?


----------



## soniam

sconnell said:


> What time will they usher non-HHN ticket holders out of Finnegan's?



5pm at the latest, but I bet they will start trolling for tickets earlier. The sooner they run you riff raff out, the sooner they can open up for HHN


----------



## sconnell

soniam said:


> 5pm at the latest, but I bet they will start trolling for tickets earlier. The sooner they run you riff raff out, the sooner they can open up for HHN


Well, get 'em out!  lol

We leave in about 37 hours! woohoo! I need to finish up our shirts and then I'll post some!


----------



## soniam

sconnell said:


> Well, get 'em out!  lol
> 
> We leave in about 37 hours! woohoo! I need to finish up our shirts and then I'll post some!



We leave in about 29 hours! I have to finish packing up tonight. Mostly done though. Gotta print out EP, tickets, and touring plans still.


----------



## Monykalyn

They came by just after 4 and asked for our HHN tickets (eating dinner) then gave us wristbands. Another run by 5 pm same thing even though we already ahd the wristbands.


----------



## sconnell

soniam said:


> We leave in about 29 hours! I have to finish packing up tonight. Mostly done though. Gotta print out EP, tickets, and touring plans still.


Woohoo! Which night(s) are you going? We will be in the parks all weekend, but HHN Friday and Sunday.


----------



## soniam

sconnell said:


> Woohoo! Which night(s) are you going? We will be in the parks all weekend, but HHN Friday and Sunday.



We will be at Volcano Bay Friday during the day, the parks the rest of the days. We leave Monday afternoon. HHN will be Friday, Saturday, & Sunday nights.


----------



## Texan

Everyone, round 2 of my questions, this is shorter.  Promise.  Our day of HHN is Saturday the 13th.  Had to make it a Saturday.  I love my DIL to pieces, she is the sweetest soul on earth.  She is also terrified of all things scary.  I don't know how she did it, but she did 7 houses last year. Refused to go to the Saw.  She only really liked The Shining, and then made herself brave up and go to others, clinging to my son. She hated the Purge area and refused to be around it.  I joked around and asked if she was going again this year with a promise of ST, which she loves, and Epcot the next day.  After a little bit of thought, she said yes. So, I think I am going to give her fair warning about Scary Tales.  From what I am reading it is more disturbing and "gross" than others.  Your take? I don't want her to see this house and refuse all others.  

So Finnegans, where we will be heading for our wait zone, there is a line for drinks at the bar even at 4:30?  US needs to figure this out better, especially when they have a big ticket house like ST.  Not terribly happy about this SS area, but it is what it is.  

Thank you everyone.


----------



## RKS03

soniam said:


> 5pm at the latest, but I bet they will start trolling for tickets earlier. The sooner they run you riff raff out, the sooner they can open up for HHN



So if we’re having dinner (me plus 3 non HHN family members) they’ll kick the rest of my group out by 5? Will I be able to stay at the table lol?


----------



## soniam

RKS03 said:


> So if we’re having dinner (me plus 3 non HHN family members) they’ll kick the rest of my group out by 5? Will I be able to stay at the table lol?



You will be able to stay, but no HHN ticket, no stay. However, if you aren't actively eating, they might hover to hurry you up so that others can get in to eat.

EDIT: Since 5pm is when the park closes, they technically can't kick anyone out earlier. They might try though.


----------



## RKS03

soniam said:


> You will be able to stay, but no HHN ticket, no stay. However, if you aren't actively eating, they might hover to hurry you up so that others can get in to eat.
> 
> EDIT: Since 5pm is when the park closes, they technically can't kick anyone out earlier. They might try though.



Ok thanks.  I’m staying for HHN but trying to figure out the best plan not to ditch my wife and two young kids earlier than I need to for HHN and S&S. 

But sounds like if they leave at 5 and want to go to Islands of Adventure they’d have to exit the park and go through the main entrance. 

Also sounds like I better get to the restaurant before 4 on what I’m assuming will be a very busy day (Oct 27, the last Saturday before Halloween.)


----------



## soniam

RKS03 said:


> Ok thanks.  I’m staying for HHN but trying to figure out the best plan not to ditch my wife and two young kids earlier than I need to for HHN and S&S.
> 
> But sounds like if they leave at 5 and want to go to Islands of Adventure they’d have to exit the park and go through the main entrance.
> 
> Also sounds like I better get to the restaurant before 4 on what I’m assuming will be a very busy day (Oct 27, the last Saturday before Halloween.)



I agree. That sounds like a good plan. Hope you have a great time!


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

In the holding area at Finnegan's. No chance of first pen, so looks like we're headed to poltergeist first.

Pretty crowded in here.


----------



## heidijanesmith

Texan said:


> Everyone, round 2 of my questions, this is shorter.  Promise.  Our day of HHN is Saturday the 13th.  Had to make it a Saturday.  I love my DIL to pieces, she is the sweetest soul on earth.  She is also terrified of all things scary.  I don't know how she did it, but she did 7 houses last year. Refused to go to the Saw.  She only really liked The Shining, and then made herself brave up and go to others, clinging to my son. She hated the Purge area and refused to be around it.  I joked around and asked if she was going again this year with a promise of ST, which she loves, and Epcot the next day.  After a little bit of thought, she said yes. So, I think I am going to give her fair warning about Scary Tales.  From what I am reading it is more disturbing and "gross" than others.  Your take? I don't want her to see this house and refuse all others.
> 
> So Finnegans, where we will be heading for our wait zone, there is a line for drinks at the bar even at 4:30?  US needs to figure this out better, especially when they have a big ticket house like ST.  Not terribly happy about this SS area, but it is what it is.
> 
> Thank you everyone.



I think Scary Tales did have quite a bit of gore. 
I think that Dead Exposure also had quite a bit of gore.
I thought Stranger Things and Trick R Treat to be really good, but not very scary.


----------



## RKS03

macraven said:


> _You need to be in the park (studios) before 5
> And have the hhn ticket if staying for the ticketed event
> 
> Don’t count on getting a table at Finnegans if you arrive there at 4:30
> Bar will have a line if you want a drink there
> 
> You can stay in the Finnegans holding area but limited places to sit if all the stairs are taken
> 
> HE train stops with last train out of the studios at 5 to go over to IOA
> 
> It shuts down for the night during hhn
> 
> I got to the studios Sunday at 4:59 and they were stopping entry to that park then
> 
> I did get in but can’t say how I got in...
> 
> Those in the line for screening were told to wait in the line at the front of the park
> And enter when park reopened _


Thanks for the input.


----------



## soniam

I just realized that I don't know which rides are open during HHN. I only ask, because I don't want to have to skip Horror Makeup show before the park closes. If I can tell my son, that the ride we are skipping for it is open during HHN, then he will be fine. We have 3 nights: 1 with a private RIP tour and 2 with EP, so I'm not too worried about wasting a little HHN time on a a couple of rides. Thanks

We leave tomorrow night


----------



## imprint

soniam said:


> I just realized that I don't know which rides are open during HHN. I only ask, because I don't want to have to skip Horror Makeup show before the park closes. If I can tell my son, that the ride we are skipping for it is open during HHN, then he will be fine. We have 3 nights: 1 with a private RIP tour and 2 with EP, so I'm not too worried about wasting a little HHN time on a a couple of rides. Thanks
> 
> We leave tomorrow night



Gringotts
Fast and Furious
Mummy
Transformers
Men in Black
Rip Ride Rocket

I think anyway.  We haven't been yet.


----------



## keishashadow

soniam said:


> You will be able to stay, but no HHN ticket, no stay. However, if you aren't actively eating, they might hover to hurry you up so that others can get in to eat.
> 
> EDIT: Since 5pm is when the park closes, they technically can't kick anyone out earlier. They might try though.



I’ve always told server upfront I will cover their time when staying till released. As in Double normal tip, figure only room get since they don’t turn the table   Never, ever a problem


----------



## yulilin3

The lines are pretty bad tonight,  almost same wait times that Friday.  Also the wait times are a bit under on what they truly are. The temps are great though
Anyways finally did stranger things,  really cool,  lots of great details and the actors are killing it (pun intended)
Took a break at the San Francisco Francisco bakery,  ate some waffles and watched people getting scared of the chainsaw gang... good times


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

Ok wait times are much higher than I've heard for Wednesdays. Pretty sad


----------



## schumigirl

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> Ok wait times are much higher than I've heard for Wednesdays. Pretty sad



The first Wednesday was so quiet, unbelievably quiet.........then, last Wednesday was the busiest Wednesday I’d seen for a while.......sounds like the secret is out. 

Hope you still managed to have fun.


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

Here is tonight's quick report.

Got to the park a bit before 5, into Finnegan's holding area. Was nowhere near getting into the first holding pen for Stranger Things. Sat near the exit for the secondary holding area. The first holding pen was let out right around 5:30, we followed after.

Poltergeist: in line at 5:40. Done at 6:20. I don't think this house opened until 6. 

I liked it well enough, but I didn't think it lived up to The Shining or the Exorcist of past years.

Carnival Graveyard: In line 6:22. Out of house at 6:54. 

Solid house. About in the middle of mine.

Scary Tales:  in line at 6:57. Out of house at 7:22. 

I liked this one the second time. It's not particularly scary (though I'm not sure if I'm really scared by any) but it's very well done and interesting.

Halloween 4: In line at 7:34.  Projected wait time was 40 minutes. Out of house at 8:22. 

I liked this one, which surprised me because I didn't think the movie was particularly strong. And I was sad there was only one redneck ahahah.

All the waits were looking longer than we would have liked at this time. Earlier in the day we had decided to leave the park and have dinner at City Walk for a break. Originally we were going to leave around 9:30, but since we were at the front entrance and very hungry we just left then. I somehow had not eaten since lunch the day before besides MNSSHP candy yet I wasn't hungry. Which is odd for me. Was probably super dehydrated. 

So we had dinner at Antojito's which was delicious. I had the Budin, which very oddly kind of tasted like the HHN houses smell. The restaurant also had a mariachi band play which was nice.

We went back to the parks, which were sadly still busy.  My feet were hurting at this point (pro tip, not a great idea to wear combat boots as part of your MNSSHP costume for roughly 9 hours.  We went thru some scare zones, bought our shirts and decided to watch the Clockwork Orange/French chainsaw people at the Simpsons.  We kept our eye on the app and took off when a wait plummeted. 

Seeds of Extinction:  In line at 11:28. Posted wait time 20 minutes.  Done at 11:46. 

Much easier to see this when you go after it's dark.

Slaughter Sinema:  In line at 12:07. Posted wait time 20 minutes.  Out of house at 12:23.

Walked through Vamp 85 and saw them dance to Thriller on stage. The Thriller Michael Jackson scare actor was also walking thru the audience acting out what he did in the music video with various guests.

Carnival Graveyard:  In line at 12:43. Posted wait time 35 minutes.  Out of house at 12:51. This one would have been a bit shorter, but we had the most annoying group ever in front of us. They were petrified the whole house, they kept refusing to go forward, trampled me once so I then stayed a good 5 feet back. 

Stranger Things:  In line at 12:54. Posted wait time 90 minutes. Out of house at 1:38.

This was our first time in this house. It is more theatrical than scary, but still good. I think we saw most of the actors represented, which is always nice (especially after the Walking Dead houses, that never had any of the main cast represented).  I'm glad we didn't really wait 90 minutes though.  Those lines are so nice after express pass ends.

Well there was my Wednesday.

Hope these write ups are helpful.


----------



## yulilin3

Wanted to add we had the strawberry shortcake waffle and the Christmas light cupcake. 
The waffles were good,  bananas foster still my favorite but the cupcake was a huge disappointment.  Very dry,  flavorless and it seemed to have been refrigerated for a day or two


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

yulilin3 said:


> Wanted to add we had the strawberry shortcake waffle and the Christmas light cupcake.
> The waffles were good,  bananas foster still my favorite but the cupcake was a huge disappointment.  Very dry,  flavorless and it seemed to have been refrigerated for a day or two



The bananas foster waffle and the drink with syrup or whatever the heck it is are the two snacks left on my list.


----------



## keishashadow

So to get this straight. If at finnegans can’t get to ST?  I’m reading poltergeist. Missing something here?

Wondering what house scareactor dinner we will get tonight


----------



## shh

keishashadow said:


> I’ve always told server upfront I will cover their time when staying till released. As in Double normal tip, figure only room get since they don’t turn the table   Never, ever a problem



We did this last time too - roughly doubled the tip, since I felt a bit guilty at holding the table for a while longer than we normally would. Only I didn't think to mention that upfront - which is a good idea. Will do that this year. We had the most wonderful server - she was so nice and laid back - didn't mind us hanging out at all. Of course we both ordered apps, full dinners and two rounds of drinks, so at least it was a decent tab.


----------



## iivye

keishashadow said:


> So to get this straight. If at finnegans can’t get to ST? I’m reading poltergeist. Missing something here?



You can still go to ST.  People are saying that they were so far back when the pen was released that there was already a good amount of people lining up for ST so it was a better use of time to go to Poltergeist first. 

ETA:  This happened to us.  My daughter wanted a burger and as we were eating the pen was released and a ton of people flooded ST.  We lined up anyway but it was a long wait and not the best use of our time.  It was almost comical because we had EP but she wanted to do the house twice and by the end of the night she didn't want to use the EP for ST to go again.  I forced her to go again since we waited an hour in the line at the beginning of the night.


----------



## soniam

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> Here is tonight's quick report.
> 
> Got to the park a bit before 5, into Finnegan's holding area. Was nowhere near getting into the first holding pen for Stranger Things. Sat near the exit for the secondary holding area. The first holding pen was let out right around 5:30, we followed after.
> 
> Poltergeist: in line at 5:40. Done at 6:20. I don't think this house opened until 6.
> 
> I liked it well enough, but I didn't think it lived up to The Shining or the Exorcist of past years.
> 
> Carnival Graveyard: In line 6:22. Out of house at 6:54.
> 
> Solid house. About in the middle of mine.
> 
> Scary Tales:  in line at 6:57. Out of house at 7:22.
> 
> I liked this one the second time. It's not particularly scary (though I'm not sure if I'm really scared by any) but it's very well done and interesting.
> 
> Halloween 4: In line at 7:34.  Projected wait time was 40 minutes. Out of house at 8:22.
> 
> I liked this one, which surprised me because I didn't think the movie was particularly strong. And I was sad there was only one redneck ahahah.
> 
> All the waits were looking longer than we would have liked at this time. Earlier in the day we had decided to leave the park and have dinner at City Walk for a break. Originally we were going to leave around 9:30, but since we were at the front entrance and very hungry we just left then. I somehow had not eaten since lunch the day before besides MNSSHP candy yet I wasn't hungry. Which is odd for me. Was probably super dehydrated.
> 
> So we had dinner at Antojito's which was delicious. I had the Budin, which very oddly kind of tasted like the HHN houses smell. The restaurant also had a mariachi band play which was nice.
> 
> We went back to the parks, which were sadly still busy.  My feet were hurting at this point (pro tip, not a great idea to wear combat boots as part of your MNSSHP costume for roughly 9 hours.  We went thru some scare zones, bought our shirts and decided to watch the Clockwork Orange/French chainsaw people at the Simpsons.  We kept our eye on the app and took off when a wait plummeted.
> 
> Seeds of Extinction:  In line at 11:28. Posted wait time 20 minutes.  Done at 11:46.
> 
> Much easier to see this when you go after it's dark.
> 
> Slaughter Sinema:  In line at 12:07. Posted wait time 20 minutes.  Out of house at 12:23.
> 
> Walked through Vamp 85 and saw them dance to Thriller on stage. The Thriller Michael Jackson scare actor was also walking thru the audience acting out what he did in the music video with various guests.
> 
> Carnival Graveyard:  In line at 12:43. Posted wait time 35 minutes.  Out of house at 12:51. This one would have been a bit shorter, but we had the most annoying group ever in front of us. They were petrified the whole house, they kept refusing to go forward, trampled me once so I then stayed a good 5 feet back.
> 
> Stranger Things:  In line at 12:54. Posted wait time 90 minutes. Out of house at 1:38.
> 
> This was our first time in this house. It is more theatrical than scary, but still good. I think we saw most of the actors represented, which is always nice (especially after the Walking Dead houses, that never had any of the main cast represented).  I'm glad we didn't really wait 90 minutes though.  Those lines are so nice after express pass ends.
> 
> Well there was my Wednesday.
> 
> Hope these write ups are helpful.



It actually sounds like it wasn't too terrible. Although, maybe I am just preparing for the worst this weekend. You got to do a lot of houses though. Do you think you still want to do Stranger Things a zillion times on the RIP Tour



keishashadow said:


> So to get this straight. If at finnegans can’t get to ST?  I’m reading poltergeist. Missing something here?
> 
> Wondering what house scareactor dinner we will get tonight



What @iivye said. @OhioStateBuckeye decided to do Poltergeist, because they didn't get into the first pen at Finnegan's. They thought the ST wait would just be too long. It sounds like you have to get to Finnegan's closer to 4pm to get into the 1st pen.


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

Wow. Stranger things first holding pen is much shorter tonight.


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

soniam said:


> It actually sounds like it wasn't too terrible. Although, maybe I am just preparing for the worst this weekend. You got to do a lot of houses though. Do you think you still want to do Stranger Things a zillion times on the RIP Tour
> 
> 
> 
> What @iivye said. @OhioStateBuckeye decided to do Poltergeist, because they didn't get into the first pen at Finnegan's. They thought the ST wait would just be too long. It sounds like you have to get to Finnegan's closer to 4pm to get into the 1st pen.



Yep I do. Stranger things a million times.


----------



## Texan

So it seems wise, especially since we will be there on a Saturday (13th), we should be at Finnegan's at 4:00?  And did anyone have to stand in a long line to be served a drink at the bar?  Especially you who have been on a Saturday.  I am starting to worry.


----------



## macraven

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> Wow. Stranger things first holding pen is much shorter tonight.



I left the park and will go back in an hour if it does not rain

No line outside the gate for peeps coming for hhn

Had a brief shower about 4? Today and that was it

I did Finnegans hold area yesterday and it went to ST
Not a bad line wait


----------



## cschaaf

There was a FedEx party last night (Wed). That drove up the normally slower Wednesday HHN crowds.

Anyone try the 5 house RIP tour yet? Rumors are that it's half the price of the 10 house tour, which would make it about $10 more than EP (on the specific night I looked at).

Rumors say it's only available day of, and at the front gate. You can choose from 1 of 2 tours: Stranger Things, Scary Tales, Carnival Graveyard, Poltergeist, and Halloween or Stranger Things, Trick 'r Treat, Seeds, Blumhouse, and Dead Exposure.

I'm trying to figure out what would be the better option - 5 house RIP or EP.

With the RIP, you could knock out the 5 houses quickly,  but then you'd be in standby for the remaining 5. Go fast, then slow.

With EP, you'd get the EP line at all 10 houses. More of a medium pace at all houses.

I can't see that one would have a great advantage over the other.

Any thoughts?


----------



## CAPSLOCK

For rides that typically have them, are the single rider lines available during HHN?


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

Came back early tonight.

Well do my wait time write up tomorrow, going to go to bed so I can do studios at 7 am.

I will say, tonight was very empty for the first about two hours, then got a lot busier.


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

CAPSLOCK said:


> For rides that typically have them, are the single rider lines available during HHN?



Diagon alley had theirs open tonight.


----------



## Monykalyn

I think Mummy had single rider open when we were there but line wait time exaggerated first night, the second night we did rides we had EP.

I'd do EP again hands down. Even though we had RoF and 4 nights and probably didn't need it, we got to do houses multiple times and our favorites 3 and 4 times. And we didn't ever go open to close either.

Thinking of doing a trip report on our experience as we did  1- offsite (including parking experiences, although I do believe the free premium helped), 2-EP only one night. Helpful or not?


----------



## Robo56

cschaaf said:


> Anyone try the 5 house RIP tour yet? Rumors are that it's half the price of the 10 house tour, which would make it about $10 more than EP (on the specific night I looked at).



Yes, it is half the price of RIP, but like RIP was told price will fluctuate according to when you go ex..Wednesday is cheaper then Friday-Saturday. 

This is first year being offered and as you said purchased day of only.


----------



## eliezra

Wow, thanks for the info on the half price RIP tour, this is the first I have heard of it.  Do you know where you can purchase this and can you buy it in the AM or do you have to wait until HHN starts?  Also, does it include the snacks and AOV show like the full RIP tour?  Thanks!


----------



## macraven

_Yes this is new this year for the 5 house hhn public tour for $100

And is bookable only on Wednesday 
The only thing I can add is you can  not guranteed which of the 5 houses will be used for the tour until that day

The houses to be used are not know in advance 
It is announced the day of the trip 

It is a sweet deal_


----------



## macraven

eliezra said:


> Wow, thanks for the info on the half price RIP tour, this is the first I have heard of it.  Do you know where you can purchase this and can you buy it in the AM or do you have to wait until HHN starts?  Also, does it include the snacks and AOV show like the full RIP tour?  Thanks!



_From what I was told it incliudes 5 houses only as a public hhn tour 

Once you are done with the houses, do  that show and rest of the houses that evening on your time_


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

eliezra said:


> Wow, thanks for the info on the half price RIP tour, this is the first I have heard of it.  Do you know where you can purchase this and can you buy it in the AM or do you have to wait until HHN starts?  Also, does it include the snacks and AOV show like the full RIP tour?  Thanks!



I have seen some signs and a little tent up by the Universal globe. That may be where you buy it.


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

Report from Thursday Oct 4.

We went into Finnegan's holding area around 4:45. We were shocked to see that the first holding pen was only about halfway full, so we decided to just go ahead and get in there. We had thought we were doing Poltergeist first, but with how far up we were we changed our minds to Stranger Things. We were let out at 5:35 and led in a pretty orderly line to Stranger Things.

Stranger Things:  in line at 5:36, finished at 6:03.

Scary Tales: in line at 6:05, finished at 6:19.

We wanted to get in line for Halloween 4, but it still hadn't opened by now. We took a few steps inside and it looked packed and still wasn't open so we turned around and left.

Trick R Treat: in line at 6:31, finished at 6:40. It was just an immediate walk in.

Seeds of Extinction: in line at 6:45, finished at 6:57.

Dead Exposure: in line at 7:08, out at 7:19.

Slaughter Sinema: in line at 7:21, out at 7:33.

Could have done Blumhouse with a short wait, but we hate it.

Saw the 7:45 Cyberpunk Villains show walking in 5 minutes before.

Rode Gringott's, posted wait was 10, waited 25.

We wanted to make it an early night, we were going to get into Studios at 7 am opening the next morning so didn't see a need to do long ride waits.

Stopped at the Vamp 85 scare zone and had the syrup and waffles slushy. It was very sweet but decent.  Had a good time watching the scare actors. 

I had seen some people walking around with the little wolfman stuffed animal and wanted one, so we went to the games in front of the Stranger Things queue. 

It cost $6 to play, or $9 just to purchase the little stuff animal. The worker convinced me to play and I got three tries to hit the teeth in on a pumpkin. I actually got it my third try and won my little wolfman.

Then we made our way our pretty early around 9:30, all the wait times had gone up to at least 45 minutes at that point.


----------



## crostorfer

macraven said:


> _From what I was told it incliudes 5 houses only as a public hhn tour
> 
> Once you are done with the houses, do  that show and rest of the houses that evening on your time_



This is very interesting to me, if its $100 on a Wednesday, for the night we are going, (the 24th), that would make the 5 house RIP Tour cheaper than the EP.


----------



## cschaaf

crostorfer said:


> This is very interesting to me, if its $100 on a Wednesday, for the night we are going, (the 24th), that would make the 5 house RIP Tour cheaper than the EP.


Every other HHN related ticket has variable pricing. I don’t think there is any way that they forgot that when pricing the half RIP.


----------



## yulilin3

Had an amazing time last night with @soniam and @OhioStateBuckeye during the RIP private tour.
Hands down,  If you can splurge on this I would recommend it,  the guide gave some cool info on each house and scare zone before we went in, the appetizer and dessert food was very tasty and plentiful,  the tour guide absolutely caters to your needs,  he does whatever the group wants,  we ended up going to all the houses twice (minus Blumhouse, Trick r treat, and Seeds of extinction by group choice) did rides and took multiple breaks.
Having done all the houses I can now rank them from best to worst for me:
1 Scarytales
2 Stranger Things
3. Poltergeist
4. Patient Zero
5. Carnivale Graveyard
6 Trick r Treat
7. Seeds of Extinction
8. Slaughter Cinema
9. Halloween
10. Blumhouse


----------



## macraven

_I was hoping to meet you and all In Soniam’s group Friday night 
Believe our two groups had the same meet up time at LaBamba_


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

As @yulilin3 said, the RIP Tour is great!  This post is only allowing me to add 10 pics so I'll add the rest in another post.

We were let into the VIP building area around 5:30. We checked in and went upstairs to relax. There was a balcony that overlooked all the crowds waiting to get in. They had a TV playing HHN promos.



We met our tour guide and got exclusive tour lanyards. We headed over to Cafe La Bamba to relax before we started. They had appetizers, desserts and drinks.

        

We were able to stay there as long as we wanted. There was a cash bar, but other than that there was tea, coffee, lemonade and pop that was complimentary.

It felt a little weird to not be in a stay and scream getting ready to rush to houses but I quickly got over that.

Throughout our breaks during the night there would be random scare actors in the building who would interact and take pictures with you.

We all had a lot of food and desserts and were finally ready to go. We started off at Halloween, since it was the closest house. It was pretty nice bypassing the lines, especially express. Sorry not sorry express, I watched you guys walk past me for the past three event dates.

We walked through the Killer Klowns scare zone on our way to the front of the park. The way we did the scare zones was that our tour guide slowly walked through with his raised light up stick. You could stick with him or take your time going through the scare zone. He waited at the end of the scare zone for everyone to catch up then moved on.

There were basically 3 areas of houses. Halloween was off by itself in the middle of the park, then the front of the park we could get to 4 houses within a matter of minutes, Stranger Things, Carnivale Graveyard, Scary Tales and Poltergeist. We did all 4 of those and repeated Poltergeist then headed out and went through some scare zones.

We took another break at Cafe La Bamba, the food was still out at this point.

You basically take as many breaks as the group wants, plus one mandatory half hour break.

A few of the attractions close before the park closes at 11 pm. Gringotts is one of them so we headed there next. We were back doored onto the ride (this means you skip all the queue area including pre-shows) and decided to immediately ride a second time. We chose this time for our mandatory half hour break so those of us who wanted butterbeer or to enjoy Diagon Alley could do so.

After this we headed to the long walk houses of Trick R Treat and Seeds of Extinction. We only did these once, I probably would have requested a second go round but it had been a long trip and my feet were tired. Your tour guide will encourage you to do any repeats while there since these houses are a bit out of the way.

Then we went to Slaughter Sinema and Dead Exposure, we did both twice. Dead Exposure was much better to enter when it was already dark. The house is still super dark inside but I was able to see a bit better than when I entered in the daylight.

After that some of our group decided to call it a night. If you leave the tour early (you have the guide until the event closes), you can use your lanyard to gain express pass entry to all the open attractions for the rest of the night.

Since we were in the area we did MIB and also asked to do the Immigration Tour. The Immigration Tour is an event where you get to enter the big lobby/office in the queue area. We were allowed to sit at all the desks and chairs, we just couldn't touch the twins.

We did another break at Cafe La Bamba after that, surprisingly all the dessert items were still there. We were getting down to the wire at this point so we decided to do some more front of the park houses.

We repeated Halloween on the way, then did Stranger Things, Carnival Graveyard and Scary Tales again.

Pro tip, look for the two big red buttons in Carnival Graveyard and press them to experience some surprises.

We then lost some more members of the group and finished the night by riding the Mummy and Rip Ride Rocket.

Our guide stayed til the end and made sure that we all knew where we were going to get back to our hotels.

Overall a very great experience. The tour gets to set the pace of the night, though you should note that whoever's name is on the paperwork gets to make the final decision. Which was fine for us since we were all on the same page and wanted to mostly focus on the houses. Your guide will also get you VIP seating to the Academy of Villains show, but you have to go to the 9 pm showing and arrive at least half an hour early. Our group decided by consensus to skip the show, I think people were going to see it other nights. I was a little sad we didn't go, as I had seen it the night before and really liked it. But it would have taken a lot of time out of the night.

This is a great, if expensive, way to be able to experience all the houses numerous times. If we had wanted to we could have just done Stranger Things ten times in a row and only waited the amount of time it took us to walk from the exit back to the entrance.

I did mention the expense but it is completely worth it if you want a relaxing, no hassle way to experience multiple houses in the same party night.


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

Scare Actor inside Cafe La Bamba




Drink Station inside Cafe La Bamba



Bar at a different rest stop for RIP Tours.


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

Sorry about that last post, posted some of the pics multiple times and is being difficult to edit so I just give up.


----------



## CAPSLOCK

Awesome review and photos!


----------



## imprint

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> Sorry about that last post, posted some of the pics multiple times and is being difficult to edit so I just give up.



Fantastic write-up and review of a private RIP tour!  Awesome pics too!  Thanks for sharing!

I just want to add a bit of info for those unfamiliar with RIP tours.  There is also a public RIP tour, and although most of the info provided is applicable to private and public tours, for the public tours, the guide will take the group to each house only once.  As you can see, if you have enough people for a private tour, that is the absolute best way to tour HHN.  And that is not to slight the public RIP tour in the least.  It is the second best way to tour HHN.  Then express pass (also fantastic), then finally standard ticket (which is obviously still a great time!).


----------



## macraven

_On Wednesday, saw the sign for a sweet deal

5 houses completed in one hour for public rip tour for (i think) $100

Choice of 5 houses in the back area or the 5 in the front of the park 

Can only sign up that day for this new trial tour

I mentioned this event I’m the prior page but wanted to list the house sets as did not ha e that info when I first posted about this 

Wednesday  is the cheapest day for this trial new tour

If the demand is there, maybe it will continue for next year_


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## keishashadow

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> View attachment 356334 Scare Actor inside Cafe La Bamba
> 
> 
> View attachment 356330
> 
> Drink Station inside Cafe La Bamba
> 
> View attachment 356331
> 
> Bar at a different rest stop for RIP Tours.
> View attachment 356333
> 
> View attachment 356335 View attachment 356336
> 
> View attachment 356337 View attachment 356338
> 
> View attachment 356339
> 
> View attachment 356332



Went over and introduced myself to soniam after recognizing gent in her tour from last year. Probably wondered who the wacky lady was lol. Didn’t realize you & yeullin (who recognized me later lol) were in group too or I’d have shouted out  

It really is the way to go. Have only done one public tour but not a fan


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

keishashadow said:


> Went over and introduced myself to soniam after recognizing gent in her tour from last year. Probably wondered who the wacky lady was lol. Didn’t realize you & yeullin (who recognized me later lol) were in group too or I’d have shouted out
> 
> It really is the way to go. Have only done one public tour but not a fan



I don't remember seeing anyone come over, so looks like I missed seeing you


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

So now that I am back home 
Time to do HHN 2018 overall review.

*DATES*

It was my boyfriend and I for the most part, we attended HHN Sept 30 Sunday, Oct 3 Wednesday, Oct 4 Thursday and Oct 5 Friday.
We both feel that Thursday was the emptiest, but all nights were pretty busy, we never experience a night where most waits weren't at least 40 minutes during most of the night.

*Manner of Entry*

We did stay and scream 3 nights, RIP private tour one night.

1 night we did the *Simpsons area stay and scream*, this is a good holding area because you can go inside the food court and relax, seated, in air conditioned with food. 

2 nights we did *Finnegan's stay and scream. *The restaurant fills up quickly and early, so the other options are to hang around outside. There are two holding areas inside here, the main area and then a smaller queue that fills up faster and is let go first (most head to Stranger Things from this first queue). 

We did not do the *Hello Kitty* stay and scream, but we walked by it one night when the park was closed and there were about 20 people in there. This could be a good option if you want to start with Halloween 4, then do the back of the park houses.

*Best Strategy* for Stay and Scream without Express Pass

In my opinion, this is the best way to see the houses if you do stay and scream without express.

Do the Finnegan's waiting area. Try to get into the smaller queue. You might have to show up around 4 to get inside there.

You will most likely be let loose around 5:30. If you are in the first queue let go, head to Stranger Things. If you are not, do Poltergeist.

After Stranger Things, head to Poltergeist. After that, you should still be able to get into Carnivale Graveyard and Scary Tales with a 15 minute or less wait.

Skip Halloween unless it's listed at 15 minutes or lower.

Head to the ET area. You should have short waits for both Trick R Treat and Seeds of Extinction.

Head to the MIB area and do Slaughter Sinema and Dead Exposure. Next up Blumhouse, near the Academy of Villains show, should still have a short wait.

You may need to go back to Halloween or Poltergeist at this time and just deal with the longer waits. 

During the 8 pm-midnight time you should spend your time doing scare zones, the Academy of Villains show, and frequently checking the app for lower wait times. The problem with that, everyone will rush the houses with the lower waits. So you need to be lucky in checking the times and get over there quickly, because everyone else is headed there too.

Around midnight the waits should start to lessen. Don't trust posted wait times during the last hour, they are rarely accurate.

If you want to repeat Stranger Things, get in line a few minutes before park closes. We did that one night, posted wait 90, we waited a little less than 40. Once express pass clears out the regular line just moves continuously. 

*House and Zone Rankings*

Here are Brian's house rankings:

1.   Seeds of Extinction
2.   Poltergeist
3.   Scary Tales
4.   Slaughter Sinema
5.   Stranger Things
6.   Dead Exposure: Patient Zero
7.   Carnival Graveyard: Rust In Pieces
8.   Halloween 4 Return of Michael Meyers
9.   Trick r' Treat
10. Blumhouse

The difference between 1-9 is very very minimal. They were all excellent houses.

Here are my house rankings:
My top 4 were all very close. I don't really get scared by most of the houses, just occasionally startled by the quick movements.

1.  Scary Tales
So creative, I didn't appreciate getting soaked several times in the Humpty scene but other than that I loved all the little details and smells (candy and bacon). 
2.  Dead Exposure
This house was the only one that I felt was genuinely scary. This one was very dark, but I liked it once I realized it was part of the story line. I think it got better each time I went thru since I saw more details. Loved the subway scene with the noises.
3.  Seeds of Extinction
I loved the whole apocalyptic mall. Good use of little hand puppets, liked the light fading in and out when you went thru the glow plants. Liked the tilted floor, that was a good effect to 'throw you off balance', physically and mentally.
4.  Stranger Things
Great representation of the show series. I liked that they had actor lookalikes, though I never did see Lucas or Jonathan. 
5.  Poltergeist
I'm not sure I liked how they executed the house. They started their timeline very late in the movie, and you entered thru the pool. I did like the smell of dirt at the pool. I would have liked to have seen the scene in the kitchen with the chairs moving. I did like the big puppets/animatronics.
6.  Slaughter Sinema
Loved this idea, and the designers did a very good job with the house overall. There was a little portion to put the movie poster, then they had to set up the entire feel/premise of the movie with a very small space and they did a good job on that. I didn't like the weird 'locked in the basement' Chunk type guy. His volume was turned up way too loud and you could hear 'daddy!!' all thru the house.
7.  Trick R Treat
I think I enjoyed the scare zone more than the house. It was a well done house, just fell a bit flat for me.
8.  Carnival Graveyard
Creative house, some decent scares. Just didn't hit it out of the park. This house has two giant red buttons that you can press to add additional elements.
9. Halloween 4
Decent overall house, Michael Myers is very imposing and scary. Was actually probably stronger than the movie, but still just a bit meh.
10.  Blumhouse
How do you not have the glowing contacts from the movie? Overall, the house was very disjointed. Happy Death Day was just the same dorm room over and over, and the First Purge was kind of a mess with no overall story line. 

And scare zone rankings:

1. Vamp 85: such a great idea and I loved all the musical icons represented. Also really enjoyed the Michael Jackson vamp moving among the crowd during Thriller and acting out the music video scenes.
2.  Killer Klowns from Outer Space: not scary, but I loved the movie and the zone was so much fun. They even did shadow puppets on the walls occasionally. 
3.  Chucky: all the supporting cast was kind of meh, but Chucky was hilarious and worth watching.
4.  French chainsaw clowns in the Simpsons area: loved the costumes and the music really added to the atmosphere/them
5.  Twisted Traditions: had to go thru a few times to appreciate, it's best later in the night after the dark and fog settles in. Still kind of seemed a Trick R Treat rip off.
6.  The Harvest: meh, it's a selfie zone. Though the stilt walkers were cool this year
7.  Dock Worker chainsaws in the San Francisco area. Just meh. Though I did get scared when one of them crouched down behind a group of tourists walked toward us then jumped out from behind.

*Academy of Villains
*
I really enjoyed the show. It has a very loose Matrix apocalypse type vibe. Loved the tight rope dancers and the audience dancers. I would definitely see it at least once. It's also a nice sit down break.

*Extras
*
I had two of the special food items. The waffle sundae, which was good if a bit pricey, and the waffles and syrup slushie which wasn't bad but not great either.

I really liked the whole 80s theme.


----------



## cschaaf

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> We've been using it all day, during hhn and regular day. It's the one with the pumpkin on it.


Do the refillable cups only work at the Freestyle machines?


----------



## OhioStateBuckeye

cschaaf said:


> Do the refillable cups only work at the Freestyle machines?



Kind of. You can also get icees but you have to ask for those to be filled by a team member at a kiosk that has the machines.


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## Robo56

Some HHN Pics


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## Robo56




----------



## macraven

_Great photos Robbie!
Thanks for sharing them _


----------



## bas71873

Thank you to those who answered my many questions about HHN and the RIP tour. We had a great time!  Exhausting, but great!

We stayed at Sapphire Falls (we usually to Hard Rock).   Really enjoyed the hotel and the pool area.  Had two great, relaxing pool days.   My only complaints about SF is the bathroom.  I don't get why hotels don't put exhaust fans in the shower area.  Drives me crazy.  I also am not a fan of the barn door.  It does not conceal noise and it's loud in the middle of the night when someone gets up to use the bathroom.  Finally, the lighting in the sink area is terrible.  It needs additional lighting terribly.  Would absolutely stay at SF again.

The HHN non private RIP tour was worth it's weight in gold on Sunday night (10/7).  We checked in the "people in the scrubs" we were told to look for about 5:45 and the let us in the park about 6:10.  We rode Mummy twice and wandered around until we went to Cafe La Babamba at 7:00.  We ate some apps and had a drink and were off on our tour with Lacey. She was great.   During the show, it started pouring, but by the time it was over it had stopped.  She had gone and bought us all ponchos just in case.  Thankfully we did not need them.   In the 4 1/2 hours we did all the houses and scare zones.  Made 2 bar and potty stops and one stop back at the Cafe for a break and desserts.  After the tour we wandered around again and rode RRR and then headed back to the hotel.  We had a morning flight home....that was rough!

I would absolutely do the RIP tour again.  I'm not sure how you do it all without it unless you can go multiple nights.


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## purple hippo

We just returned from our week at USO and attended HHN on three nights - Sun Sep 30, Wed Oct 3 and Thurs Oct 4.  This was meant to be an anniversary trip for DH and I but my parents couldn't come to stay with the kids (DD 15, DS 13) after all so we drove down from Toronto area.  DH and I first attended HHN on our honeymoon back in 99.  We've been back twice - 2001 and 2013.  This is our 4th trip to HHN and the kids were cautiously interested in attending as well but understood what it was all about.  Didn't hurt that Stranger Things was there this year either.

Sunday we expected to be busy but seemed crazy busy to us.  DH and I arrived around 7:15 and used the hotel guest entrance without delay.  Thought that was a great bonus.
Everything had a huge wait.  We went right to the back of the park and waited for Dead Exposure and then Slaughterhouse Cinema.  Enjoyed those houses very much but wait over an hour for each.  The scarezones weren't very scary as it was crowded so SA couldn't really move around or sneak up on people.  We caught the AOV show and thought it was great but since we were on the extreme right we didn't really see everything.  We waited for Blumhouse and it was ok but meh as others have said.  Once midnight 12:30 hit the wait times finally started to go down and we were able to complete 7 of the houses (all except for Stranger Things, Poltergeist and Halloween) before we left at 2 am.  We really enjoyed the Vamp 85 scarezone.  SA seemed quite into it in this area and the show was great.

Wednesday all 4 of us were booked on the 6 House Behind the Screams tour.  I can't thank enough all of you who recommended this tour!  It was fantastic!!!  One of the pet peeves we have during HHN (especially DH) is that you spend all that time waiting in line to go into a house and then the staff rush you through it to keep it moving.  This tour gives you the chance to really look around and appreciate not only all the work that goes into each house, but the easter eggs, the tribute pieces, the full story line of the house, little known facts such as how they come up with codenames, and photo ops.  We all really enjoyed this tour and our tour guide Andrew was awesome.   I would definitely do this again!  Our tour ended around 4:30 and then we headed over to the holding area by Finnegans.  The people that were already in the entire holding area was shocking and it was only just before 5!  They released us around 5:40 but the waits were already at over an hour.  I thought this would be our great advantage to see Stranger Things - Wednesday night and Stay and Scream but both seemed to backfire on us.  We ended up waiting for Scary Tales to open and checked that house off the list.  We walked through the Vamp 85 section after and the scare actors took a liking to my daughter.  It was great fun to watch and she was a good sport about it all.  We headed to Seeds and then the kids needed a break so we left them by the line entrys and DH and I did Trick r Treat again.  Completely new appreciation and I found myself looking for things I had learned on the tour.  Saw AOV again with centre seats - fantastic show - lots of energy.  We walked around through scarezones and then just before midnight decided to bite the bullet and enter the Stranger Things line which was at 75 minutes.  As this was the only night the kids would be joining us we had to complete that house that night.  It was a good house but the wait ended up being just over 90 minutes.  

Thursday DH and I decided since it was so crowded we would arrive later this time.  Sounds like from other posts that's the night we should have arrived earlier lol.  We enjoyed our evening though and completed Halloween with a 40 minute wait and Poltergeist later in the the night with another 40 minute waited followed later by a 10 minute wait (although it was posted as a 35 minute wait).  We even did Stranger Things with a posted wait of 35 minutes and we were in and out in 15 minutes.  We had a great time and did all houses twice over 3 nights with the exception of Halloween (by choice - gave me a lot of good scares but that was it - I rather repeat others).  It seems later in the night the posted times are more guidelines.  We Poltergeist, Scary Tales, Carnival and Stranger Things in about half an hour total, and they all had a wait time of 30+ minutes posted.  We noticed when behind the buildings the waits were non-existent so decided to redo them again.

Although we brought our teens I found that this was not as scary of an event as it used to be.  Not sure if that's because they toned it down for younger people attending or if it was just us.  The number of small children we saw around too was shocking.  The streets were rarely filled with fog as we remember them to be.  I think it was a lot scarier in previous years and perhaps it would be better if they were to reduce the limit of people able to attend in a night and put a hard age limit as well.  We were trying to figure out what has changed since our first HHN to now and the crowds seem to be so much larger now and we seem to remember an age limit back then, but maybe we are imagining it.  Even when we attended in 2013 for the Walking Dead it didn't seem nearly as crowded.  Not sure what the solution is or if it is just us.  I had hoped that with us avoiding Friday and Saturday the crowds would have been lighter.  It was also a lot warmer/muggier than we were expecting as well - especially in the evenings so that may have also contributed to it.

Perhaps next time we will do the RIP tour or Express Pass and go one night rather than several nights without an advantage.  I think that might be the way to go for us next time.  Thanks again to all for all your insight and tips that helped make our trip a great one!


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## shh

Thanks for taking time to share your experience, purple hippo (btw...great DisBoard name! Purple's my fave color! )


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## macraven

_Purple hippo thanks for a detailed thorough report!

Everyone has a different experience and yours was a great read!_


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## crostorfer

Those of you who saw the booths for the 1/2 RIP Tour available night-of only, do you remember where you saw the place to sign up at?


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## purple hippo

shh said:


> Thanks for taking time to share your experience, purple hippo (btw...great DisBoard name! Purple's my fave color! )





macraven said:


> _Purple hippo thanks for a detailed thorough report!
> 
> Everyone has a different experience and yours was a great read!_



You're quite welcome!  Thank you to all for all that you do, say and share! 

I forgot to mention that I agree with OhioStateBuckeye's list of favourite houses.  Scary Tales was my favourite house because it was so creative and I saw something new everytime I went through - same with Slaughter Sinema.DH loved Dead Exposure and Carnival Graveyard.

DH still wants to find a way to fly back ourselves and go one more time.  Not sure it will happen but guess that's a sign he still enjoyed it!


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## macraven

crostorfer said:


> Those of you who saw the booths for the 1/2 RIP Tour available night-of only, do you remember where you saw the place to sign up at?


_I saw the sign advertising this new tour at a few places 

First as in the bridge you walk over before you enter the park 

And stand up large signs by minions ride and after Boulangerie but before horror make up show

Further in the park saw same sign last Central Park on the walkway near beat builders 

I looked at the signs and it listed where to go to purchase the discount rip one hour tour for 5 houses 

This tour lasts one hour 
I talked to one of the team members by the sign and was told 12 tops allowed in each tour 

Also was told uo is trying this and will judge after the fact if this is something that can be continued next year for hhn

We all know that if uo can make a profit out of this, we will see it back next year

For this hhn season, it is sign up and pay the day you are there 

No prepaying or setting it up in advance 

Ten houses this year
Five houses close to each other in front part of park

Back area had five houses near each other

If a person goes on a crowded day
Half of the houses total can be done in one hour

To complete the rest of the houses is where the longer wait lines will be but still makes it possible to see all the houses  in the park before you leave the park

I think it is a good concentrate
And cover half of the houses that are close together with a guide 

It’s a money maker

Not all people buy the season ep


This could help lessen long ep line waits _


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## crostorfer

macraven said:


> _I saw the sign advertising this new tour at a few places
> 
> First as in the bridge you walk over before you enter the park
> 
> And stand up large signs by minions ride and after Boulangerie but before horror make up show
> 
> Further in the park saw same sign last Central Park on the walkway near beat builders
> 
> I looked at the signs and it listed where to go to purchase the discount rip one hour tour for 5 houses
> 
> This tour lasts one hour
> I talked to one of the team members by the sign and was told 12 tops allowed in each tour
> 
> Also was told uo is trying this and will judge after the fact if this is something that can be continued next year for hhn
> 
> We all know that if uo can make a profit out of this, we will see it back next year
> 
> For this hhn season, it is sign up and pay the day you are there
> 
> No prepaying or setting it up in advance
> 
> Ten houses this year
> Five houses close to each other in front part of park
> 
> Back area had five houses near each other
> 
> If a person goes on a crowded day
> Half of the houses total can be done in one hour
> 
> To complete the rest of the houses is where the longer wait lines will be but still makes it possible to see all the houses  in the park before you leave the park
> 
> I think it is a good concentrate
> And cover half of the houses that are close together with a guide
> 
> It’s a money maker
> 
> Not all people buy the season ep
> 
> 
> This could help lessen long ep line waits _



We are going on the 24th and I've decided we're going to go this route vs EP. It was never my desire to do every house, I knew after reading the house descriptions that Dead Exposure was a no-go for me due to total darkness and strobe lights. I'm so over The Purge that I don't have any desire to try Blumhouse. If I can get through 3 of my 5 absolute must-do houses in an hour, that's money well spent to me, and a better value than the EP, when I never intended to hit every house anyway.


----------



## macraven

_Your plan can work for you

Some of the five in the front houses are great
A few I’m the back did not thrill me
Blumhouse did nothing
for me

Watch the reviews here and other places to make sure which group of houses are for you

Houses get tweaked frequently for improvements during the hhn season _


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## hawktalksl

Question for you folks that have done the RIP tours.. What do you tip the tour guide??  We're doing a public tour on the 31st and I'm just trying to plan accordingly.  Thanks!


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## macraven

I tip 20% of the tour cost pre discount
Per person 

10% off cost before discount is acceptable and many do that

The amount is what I was told by employees when I asked

It is a tipped position


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## hawktalksl

macraven said:


> I tip 20% of the tour cost pre discount
> Per person
> 
> 10% off cost before discount is acceptable and many do that
> 
> The amount is what I was told by employees when I asked
> 
> It is a tipped position



Thanks Mac. When you say discount, are you referring to the annual pass discount?


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## OhioStateBuckeye

So for those who have been a lot of nights, what was probably the least crowded week so far?

I hope it wasn't mine (first week of October) because it seemed pretty busy.


----------



## macraven

hawktalksl said:


> Thanks Mac. When you say discount, are you referring to the annual pass discount?



_Yes!_


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## schumigirl

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> So for those who have been a lot of nights, what was probably the least crowded week so far?
> 
> I hope it wasn't mine (first week of October) because it seemed pretty busy.



The first week for us felt the quietest.......excluding opening night! That was chaos....

First Sunday felt quieter than opening night, but still busier than usual.......First Wednesday was thankfully dead.......it really was quiet and the only quietish night we had. Then it was just busy. 

Second week was just busy........even the Wednesday.........


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## heidijanesmith

We thought Wed the 19th was not busy at all. All of the houses had a short wait time, especially those in the back.

Thurs the 20th was not too bad. We had our non-private RIP tour that night. I could tell the crowds were larger as it was harder to get through the Scare Zones.

Fri the 21st was crazy busy. The lines for the specialty drinks, food and houses was nuts. We used our Express Pass for every house that night.

Sat the 22nd was the busiest day during our trip. It was hard to get through the scare zones, there was so many people. The Express pass was wonderful and well worth the money.


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## OhioStateBuckeye

So is hhn kind of going the way of mnsshp? Well all the future hhn just be so busy you need a military level strategy plan or express pass to enjoy?


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## schumigirl

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> So is hhn kind of going the way of mnsshp? Well all the future hhn just be so busy you need a military level strategy plan or express pass to enjoy?



Absolutely........opening night was unbelievable for crowds......especially as the night went on.......

Yes, you may get quieter times during a night, but generally speaking it’s much busier especially compared to a few years back........it’s just getting busier and busier.......2007 seems positively deserted in comparison!!

I couldn’t imagine doing it without EP. 


Heidijane.....yep, the first Wednesday 19th was deserted........amazingly quiet.......probably our favourite night of the Whole event........following Wednesday was completely different. It was so busy!


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## Robo56

Some more pics HHN


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## Robo56




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## Robo56




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## Robo56




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## Robo56




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## schumigirl

From Bioreconstruct


Picture taken at entrance on Wednesday October 10th around 6.25pm.

Sign for hotel guest entrance over to the right of the picture.


----------



## crostorfer

schumigirl said:


> From Bioreconstruct
> 
> 
> Picture taken at entrance on Wednesday October 10th around 6.25pm.
> 
> Sign for hotel guest entrance over to the right of the picture.


For context, is that more or less than usual?


----------



## cschaaf

Anyone know if the half-RIP folks get loinge/food access before or after the tour?

We went to guest services and bought our HALF-RIP for tonight, but they were pretty confused. It took a few minutes to convince them that it was even a thing. 

They said we can't pick the tour houses (front/back) and that would be up to the guide. We'll ask when we get over to the VIP area tonight


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## crostorfer

cschaaf said:


> Anyone know if the half-RIP folks get loinge/food access before or after the tour?
> 
> We went to guest services and bought our HALF-RIP for tonight, but they were pretty confused. It took a few minutes to convince them that it was even a thing.
> 
> They said we can't pick the tour houses (front/back) and that would be up to the guide. We'll ask when we get over to the VIP area tonight



Please please please come back and give us a report! I'm doing this the week after next vs EP.


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## cschaaf

It's all been very confusing.

We just checked in at the VIP Center and they also seemed to be confused by this half-RIP. I suggest calling it "the 5 house tour" that seems to be the one phrase that makes sense to them.

When checking in, it's loud and crammed in that area. 3 people are asking you questions.

What's your last name?
How do you spell that again?
Could it be under a different name?
Where are you from? And when we say, he says he knows exactly where it is then proceeds to tell us where it is except that he's wrong.
"I need to take all of your passes, I'll be back"
"have you been to HHN?"
"Are you sure you didn't give another name"
"ready to get scared?"

And on and on and on. Rapid fire. 

Finally, the guy comes back with our passes, he went to talk to some, what looked like, supervisors and said "okay, you are seeing the tent houses tonight. That's the tour we have."

We wanted the other, but oh well. 

Queued up now to get I to the park then will meet at La Bamba later......


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## crostorfer

cschaaf said:


> It's all been very confusing.
> 
> We just checked in at the VIP Center and they also seemed to be confused by this half-RIP. I suggest calling it "the 5 house tour" that seems to be the one phrase that makes sense to them.
> 
> When checking in, it's loud and crammed in that area. 3 people are asking you questions.
> 
> What's your last name?
> How do you spell that again?
> Could it be under a different name?
> Where are you from? And when we say, he says he knows exactly where it is then proceeds to tell us where it is except that he's wrong.
> "I need to take all of your passes, I'll be back"
> "have you been to HHN?"
> "Are you sure you didn't give another name"
> "ready to get scared?"
> 
> And on and on and on. Rapid fire.
> 
> Finally, the guy comes back with our passes, he went to talk to some, what looked like, supervisors and said "okay, you are seeing the tent houses tonight. That's the tour we have."
> 
> We wanted the other, but oh well.
> 
> Queued up now to get I to the park then will meet at La Bamba later......


He
Yeah, I don't know if I like the sound of that.


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## cschaaf

Confusion still reigns.

Walked to La Bamba. Went to check in, got asked to spell my name several times. Then couldn't find me anywhere. Ended up searching for my first name and found it.

I heard another family doing the 5 sound stage houses, so I have no idea what's going on.

I guess my advice now is to buy the tour fist thing in the morning (which we did) at the VIP Center at USO (which we did not. We bought at IOA Guest Services).

ETA: Finished our 5 houses. Did trick r treat, Seeds, Dead Exposure, Sinema., and ST by 8:00

The family that I heard was doing the stages didn't. They were on the same tour with us.

The pass does get you EP on the rides. There was no free food or drinks on the tour.

ETA2: we stopped at Lombard's for a quick break. There was a bar with some drinks and snacks, but nothing was free. They couldn't get the credit card reader working, so it ended up being cash only.

Overall, we loved the tour. We got a lot done, with less walking than normal, and pretty quickly. I don't see any way those 5 houses could be done in an hour. The guide said it's ~2 hour average. We did it in 90 minutes. He said he had a group last night that took 3 hours.


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## macraven

_This 5 house rip tour is new this year
Kinks have not totally been worked out yet is my guess

If it is a good seller, I can see it being repeated next hhn season

It can only be purchased on the day you book and pay for it

To get 5 houses done in 90 minutes is a time saver !

Limited lines for you
_


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## schumigirl




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## schumigirl




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## schumigirl




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## schumigirl




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## schumigirl




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## schumigirl




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## schumigirl




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## schumigirl




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## schumigirl




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## schumigirl

crostorfer said:


> For context, is that more or less than usual?



Certainly for a Wednesday it was busier than a lot of people had seen for a while. A TM friend mentioned she was there in an email and she had never seen a Wednesday line like it. 

This was Thursday 11th around same time....after initial rush according to Bioreconstruct




Picture from Bioreconstruct


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## Robo56

I was there about 8 pm on Wednesday the 10th. People were still pouring across the bridge. Thank goodness for the hotel entrance.

It was pretty humid, lines were long and it was a bit more rowdy then the other nights I went.

They were selling a lot of Express passes. So express lines on some houses were long.

So the plan of non busy Wednesday nights have gone out the window.


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## cschaaf

We did Stay and Srceam on Wednesday the 10th and the crowds weren't bad at all early. 

People in the S&S who had done that the previous Sunday were shocked at how differet the crowd was. 

We did Poltergeist first - through the queue and out of the house in 12 minutes. 

Then did Scary Tales in 10 min. Went to the MIB houses and did Sinema and DE both in 18 minutes. It was exactly 8:00. 

We're very slow walkers, we both have developed foot is use in the last few years, and our feet hurt by that time otherwise, we would have done the kid zone houses next. 

Instead, we grabbed something to eat and hung out in a few scare zones for about an hour, then left.


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## crostorfer

Tonight is sold out!!!!!


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## mamapenguin

I am not surprised. The park was crowded when we got there at noon. (Our party was 10/10, so not there tonight) Gringott's took 30 min. for express at 4:00pm today. We were meeting family for dinner and headed to Islands after. Toothsome was super packed and slow. Islands was crowded, but when we left at 8:15 there was a steady stream of people headed in, and more cars than I've ever seen coming into that parking lot. Cars were blocking the intersection turning to get in. I wonder if Express sold out? I don't know if we would have enjoyed Wednesday without it.


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## macraven

_Wednesday the 10th was not a bad night for me

It had crowds in the front of the park for Stranger Things when I went by it at 7 pm

I started with scary tales and less than ten minutes wait 
Then did poltergeist and short wait

I did not stay late that night but thought there were less crowds at the sections in the park I was at

Thursday night was okay for when I was there 
I did a late start due to the rain
I waited it out before I left my hotel room for hhn

Did a partial night so no idea what type of crowds were there after I left at 10:30_


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## frank808

So the 5 house half RIP tour is available every night now?  If so, we get into MCO next friday afternoon and head on over to VIP area at Universal Studios and buy the tour.  We were going to do EP but would rather do this and make it an early night as we have the Uncover the Horror tour the next morning on Saturday.  Thanks


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## RAPstar

HHN tonight is sold out


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## macraven

_Where did you find that info?_


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## cschaaf

frank808 said:


> So the 5 house half RIP tour is available every night now?  If so, we get into MCO next friday afternoon and head on over to VIP area at Universal Studios and buy the tour.  We were going to do EP but would rather do this and make it an early night as we have the Uncover the Horror tour the next morning on Saturday.  Thanks


It's impossible to talk in absolutes about the 5 house tour. 

They should be available every night, but it depends on the number of guides who have signed up to work. I'd think on a Friday, there would be A lot of guides who want to work. 

I think they max the tours at 12 people. There were only 8 on ours.


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## cschaaf

mamapenguin said:


> I am not surprised. The park was crowded when we got there at noon. (Our party was 10/10, so not there tonight) Gringott's took 30 min. for express at 4:00pm today. We were meeting family for dinner and headed to Islands after. Toothsome was super packed and slow. Islands was crowded, but when we left at 8:15 there was a steady stream of people headed in, and more cars than I've ever seen coming into that parking lot. Cars were blocking the intersection turning to get in. I wonder if Express sold out? I don't know if we would have enjoyed Wednesday without it.


Timing is everything, I guess. 

We got to USO around 8 yesterday and stayed until close. The only long lines we had (with EP) were F&F (I wasn't watching the time, but I'd guess we waited 40 minutes) and transformers at 4:00 was a 15 min wait. 

At 10am, we walked right into the first pre-show on Gringott's. At 4:30, we walked into the pre-show for Minions  

We went to toothsome for lunch on Wednesday, think. Seated right away and the plan e was pretty empty. Service was very slow.


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## crostorfer

macraven said:


> _Where did you find that info?_



Universal put it out on their social media, the USO Twitter and the HHN Twitter.


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## macraven

_I'm glad not to be in the parks today since hhn is sold out.
I can imagine the crowds and line waits this afternoon !

I arrived home yesterday and playing catch tch up on threads today.
Thanks for the info on the sell out. _


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## OhioStateBuckeye

So how do sell outs work?  That means no frequent fear tickets of any level can get in?


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## RAPstar

OhioStateBuckeye said:


> So how do sell outs work?  That means no frequent fear tickets of any level can get in?



Just guessing, but I would think it would be more like when MK hits capacity over the holidays?


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## macraven

_My thought is no park tickets sold that day for the evening hhn but those with the passes will be honored.

I looked at my hhn FF + ep pass and it has nothing listed if there is a sell out.
You should be fine using your FF pass to get in for hhn tonight.

That is only my guess.
I have been only once when it rumored to be a sell out after I was inside the park waiting for hhn to begin.

If you need reassurance, call guest services for their official info regarding park sell outs during hhn._


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## cschaaf

macraven said:


> _I'm glad not to be in the parks today since hhn is sold out.
> I can imagine the crowds and line waits this afternoon !
> 
> I arrived home yesterday and playing ctch up on threads today.
> Thanks for the info on the sell out. _



We spent most of the day in UOR (8:00-1:45 or so) and the EP lines were fast. Gringott's we walked right up to the merge point.  F&F walked into the pre-show. Mummy we got stopped halfway up the steps. MIB we got stopped halfway down the steps.

The longest wait was for HE, but again, we walked right to the merge.

We went back to the hotel to wash clothes, we will be without power for days at home due to Michael, and we're back in IOA now.

Spider-Man showed 65 minute wait. EP was 12 minutes and they were sending cars with empty rows.

Doom shows 65 and we just got in line. EP backed up before the steps, so this will be a long wait.

ETA: one side of Doom was down. Took us about 20 minutes. 

JP was an EP walk on. 

Watched the last showing of the hogwarts lights and now our longest wait of the trip - we checked Tooth, Buffet, Vivo, and Cowfish. All were 45 minutes or longer even with the on-site guest access.


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## macraven

_You had a great day cshaaf!
Not bad waits for what you mentioned.

But I see a few lines had waits now that i reread your post.

My guess is hhn will be crowded tonight.
I quit going on Saturday nights due to higher crowds.
I only go Sun-Fri for hhn.

Saturday night for City Walk can be a scramble for short waits to get in an eatery.

Either I do city walk on Saturday about 4:45 for an early dinner or just hit the section for Moes, Burger King, etc for fast service and eat there.

The other days of the week were not much of a wait for me in the evenings but I went Sun-Thurs those nights.
Think my longest wait as a walk up was 20 minutes _


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## agame2323

So, did the price of the RIP Tour increase? I thought it was cheaper last season.


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## macraven

agame2323 said:


> So, did the price of the RIP Tour increase? I thought it was cheaper last season.



_The private rip hhn tour I did this year was at the same price as last year.
Did same Friday night for Columbus day weekend both years.

I don't know if the public rip hhn tours were the same or an increased for 2018._


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## crostorfer

Not sure what has gone on the last two nights, but apparently the crowds are large and rowdy? There are scareactors and team members taking to social media reporting they are being harassed, and, in some cases, assaulted. How hard is it to go to a public event and just be a decent human being?


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## schumigirl

crostorfer said:


> Not sure what has gone on the last two nights, but apparently the crowds are large and rowdy? There are scareactors and team members taking to social media reporting they are being harassed, and, in some cases, assaulted. How hard is it to go to a public event and just be a decent human being?



That’s awful to hear!!!

I agree......how hard is it to behave like a decent person.........I hope these folks are known and as many as possible ejected from the park! 

SA and TM do an amazing job, they shouldn’t have to deal with idiots like this.......


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## macraven

_Which social media’s?
Nothing listed on the one I have been reading

Columbus Day weekend in the past had issues with over eager guests before 
When the booze stands and alcohol was very accessible, there were issues in past years 
When the sale of alcohol was limited on where it could be bought and the shot girls ceased to exist, there were a lot less problems _


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## RKS03

agame2323 said:


> So, did the price of the RIP Tour increase? I thought it was cheaper last season.


 I added my wife for public RIP tour for Sat October 27th (originally only bought a ticket for myself).  The price actually went up $30 since I bought my ticket in August.  Was a little surprised.


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## cschaaf

crostorfer said:


> Not sure what has gone on the last two nights, but apparently the crowds are large and rowdy? There are scareactors and team members taking to social media reporting they are being harassed, and, in some cases, assaulted. How hard is it to go to a public event and just be a decent human being?


Ugh, so gross 

We didn't see anything that bad, but we saw our fair share of drunk people on Wed and Thurs. 

Our Wed run through of DE was ruined by drunk couple . They were right in front of us and spent the time falling over each other. Going back and forth between arguing and making out. 

At the entrance, security told them they couldn't take their beers in. She dumped hers, he pounded the rest of his. 

Two steps into the house, he whipped out his phone and held it above his head. 

An ops guy told him to turn it off and he just brushed him off and kept going. The ops guy gave chose and kept telling him to shut it off. Ops ended up following him through most of the maze, then pointed the guy out to security. 

Secigot to him and pulled him aside and his drunk partner kept going, oblivious to what was going on. 

We heard him arguing that 'facetime is not recording'. Then he ran from security try to find his GF/wife/whatever. 

Security grabbed him again and we were past the a room by that point. 

We missed half of the house due to the action. We probably should ha r asked for another run. 

Fortunately we had another night to try it again. And I loved that house.


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## Robo56

crostorfer said:


> Not sure what has gone on the last two nights, but apparently the crowds are large and rowdy? There are scareactors and team members taking to social media reporting they are being harassed, and, in some cases, assaulted. How hard is it to go to a public event and just be a decent human being?



On Wednesday the 10th I noted above that the crowds were pouring in across the bridge and it was more rowdy then the other nights I attended. The alcohol was flowing and drink lines were long.

I had two incidents that happened to me that evening. 

1. While I was in express line for Trick ‘r Treat a young couple who were behind me in line who had been drinking decided to let loose with a not so pleasant stream of inebriated consciousness that turned physical as the girl 3 times hit be in the back when she was flailing her arms. Not an excuse me or nothing. I finally turned around and told her if she hit my back one more time I was going to security. She then apologized. I asked them to take a step back away from me.

While going through the house her boyfriends hand got a little to close to my face when we were going through curtained area and I was ready and saw it and swatted it away.........unbelievable.

2. When I was getting on boat to go back to SF a fellow who had to much to drink stepped on my heel of my tennis shoe and I came out of my shoe and almost fell. He raced past me without so much as an I’am sorry. I had enough and I walked right up to him and said how rude of you. 

So, yes it was rowdy that evening. I feel sorry for the Scareactors that someome would be so hurtful and rude to harass or hit them........it always seems there are a few bad folks who don’t know their limits with alcohol that ruin things for everyone else.

The crowd that evening seemed to be mostly in the 20 - 30 year range with a few older people like myself mixed in. 
Definitely the rowdiest night of all the nights I attended. 


That being said, I think HHN is a fun event for all who love all things Halloween....I respect the dedication that the Scareactors give to this event. They are a big factor in the event and should not have to be concerned for their safety.

I think HHN is the best movie quality haunted house and Scare Zone event in the US. It has without a doubt the best Scareactors.  I will not let one bad night of many visited on this trip keep me from coming back.


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## crostorfer

macraven said:


> _Which social media’s?
> Nothing listed on the one I have been reading
> 
> Columbus Day weekend in the past had issues with over eager guests before
> When the booze stands and alcohol was very accessible, there were issues in past years
> When the sale of alcohol was limited on where it could be bought and the shot girls ceased to exist, there were a lot less problems _


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## Robo56

Terrible. I hope the people who did these things to the Scareactors were arrested and removed from the event.


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## schumigirl

That is truly dreadful. 

What on earth is wrong with people!!


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## shh

Not sure if it's true, but I read some postings on other forums and social media that Universal tried banning alcohol completely in the California HHN one year and it didn't help at all - the problems actually got worse, as many people purposely binge drank before entering the parks and used other substances instead.

It always worries me that these low lifes are going to ruin the event for everyone by forcing UO to add more and more restrictions in place that dumb down the event or change it for the worse in some way. 

And the other extreme - all the parents of young children who are complaining in greater numbers to guest services, corporate and on social media that it was too scary for their little snowflakes, despite the blatant warnings everywhere that it may be too intense for young kids and to please consider that before bringing them.

Geez...this is why we can't have nice things


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## macraven

_I agree that stuff that happened to you was awful
To the other poster, thanks for the site links it was exactly as you said in the reports 

I hope peeps will email universal and share with them what you experienced

I missed it all
Did houses early with the ep
No long lines for what I went to and when line waits increased, went to Finnegans before it was too crowded there 

I did not stay for the entire event but went back to my room early and relaxed

If I would have stayed I’m sure my experience would have been a totally different story and more like the posters 

Thanks to all for sharing !_


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## schumigirl

shh said:


> Not sure if it's true, but I read some postings on other forums and social media that Universal tried banning alcohol completely in the California HHN one year and it didn't help at all - the problems actually got worse, as many people purposely binge drank before entering the parks and used other substances instead.
> 
> It always worries me that these low lifes are going to ruin the event for everyone by forcing UO to add more and more restrictions in place that dumb down the event or change it for the worse in some way.
> 
> And the other extreme - all the parents of young children who are complaining in greater numbers to guest services, corporate and on social media that it was too scary for their little snowflakes, despite the blatant warnings everywhere that it may be too intense for young kids and to please consider that before bringing them.
> 
> Geez...this is why we can't have nice things



We commented this was the worst year we have seen for children too.......

Quite a lot of strollers, and we even saw a baby of no more than 8 weeks old being held in parents arms one evening.......even the SA looked shocked..........

Little ones in lines, and one little girl on her dads shoulders who was barely two.....he was refusing to take her off his shoulders as they tried to enter a house.......he was told in no uncertain terms to remove her or he’d be asked to leave........

A family in front of us in Scary Tales tried to hold everyone up very vocally in line so their little cherub of around 4 could see things better.......unbelievable.......the guys in front of us soon told them, and a TM had to intervene.......

Yes, this is why we can’t have nice things!

I do wish they would enforce an age limit........whatever it is and stick to it........it’s awful seeing little toddlers scared and crying..........and yes, many say their kids love it.......but many don’t..........


----------



## shh

To me the solution is so obvious - you have two parks. Schedule a 1x/week "not so scary" style party for the little ones in IOA - that fun, colorful cartoony park is perfect for a lighter, more kid geared Halloween. Disney is raking in HUGE bucks with their "not so scary" parties. That would offer pleasing choices for everyone and a revenue boost for UO in the process.


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## schumigirl

shh said:


> To me the solution is so obvious - you have two parks. Schedule a 1x/week "not so scary" style party for the little ones in IOA - that fun, colorful cartoony park is perfect for a lighter, more kid geared Halloween. Disney is raking in HUGE bucks with their "not so scary" parties. That would offer pleasing choices for everyone and a revenue boost for UO in the process.



You would still get parents who don’t want to go and do the “not so scary” event and still take kids to the adult event.......

For me and many TM friends who we chatted to about this, they need to enforce an age limit.....but of course, they would lose revenue from the children who attend and from parents who may then not go because their toddlers can’t go! 

But they may need to look at this as it was shocking....... young tweens aren’t the problem really,  it was the amount of toddlers and babies that appalled us.  I would make it at least 10 and over only.


----------



## TinkerbellTris

shh said:


> Not sure if it's true, but I read some postings on other forums and social media that Universal tried banning alcohol completely in the California HHN one year and it didn't help at all - the problems actually got worse, as many people purposely binge drank before entering the parks and used other substances instead.
> 
> It always worries me that these low lifes are going to ruin the event for everyone by forcing UO to add more and more restrictions in place that dumb down the event or change it for the worse in some way.
> 
> And the other extreme - all the parents of young children who are complaining in greater numbers to guest services, corporate and on social media that it was too scary for their little snowflakes, despite the blatant warnings everywhere that it may be too intense for young kids and to please consider that before bringing them.
> 
> Geez...this is why we can't have nice things



Yes!!!!! This is true. This is very true. We are in Cali, and have been attending HHN in Hollywood since my son was 13 years old in 2012. Here’s what happened
2012-2014 we hap VIP tickets which included a dinner and beer or wine, sodas, waters. I think there was one fast food place that sold beer in the simpsons area. That’s it. What we had noticed was a lot of drunk people that were absolutely stupid, falling all over each other, yelling profanities at scare actors, and those of us in vip lines for mazes. I saw lots of people being taken out by security. We did not see any kids that weren’t teenagers. In 2015-2016 they dropped the vip tickets, and no more alcohol. There were still issues, but not like what we’d seen before. 2017 I cannot remember if there was VIP passes, we didn’t buy them if there was, but I remember seeing a no alcohol sold during HHN signs in the park. There were plenty of rowdy people in the park I saw being escorted out, and a lot of little kids. No strollers.....but kids under 10.
Honestly, my son could have handled HHN at probably 5 years old, we are huge horror film enthusiasts and we introduced him at age 3 to chucky and Jason. He loved them. But I wasn’t about to bring my kid to HHN. Why? Because it says 13 and up on the signs! So we stuck to mickeys not so scary Halloween party in Cali, and a few times in Orlando and it was fantastic for him. But once he hit 13 it was on at HHN! Lol that said, this is our first year doing HHN in Orlando but our 7th year at HHN as a whole. We will be there oct 19 and 21, express passes night 1, rip tour night 2. Looking forward to this.


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## Robo56

On a happier note some more HHN Pics


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## Robo56




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## glencoe

So sorry to hear about the misbehavings of many.  We got back Monday night from a weekend enjoying orlando and on Sunday (Oct. 7) HHN with express pass for my two sons (19 and 22) and my daughter (15) and me (old).  We had a blast.  I did not notice excessive drunkeness and it seemed lots of staff in the houses wearing all black and just hanging out in certain parts to make sure all moved along and no trouble. 

However...we became trouble!!  In the Happy Death Day house which had the college dorm room decor, with clothing hanging down inbetween rooms...well as we were scared silly by "baby face" and pushed to the next room my daughter got stuck...her hair got caught in one of the buttons on the sleeves of the clothes hanging down.  Everything stopped, staff was there in a millisecond to help, babyface just stood there with nowhere to go...a comical moment.  However I apologize to anyone who was behind us and got stuck waiting!!!  We finally had to rip her hair off the button, she was fine and baby face applauded us as scary as he could! Which was the most hysterical thing...we will remember that forever!!  

We had alot of fun, our first time going. Since we were there only the one night, we got the express pass and it was worth every penny.  We did every house, scare zones, rides and were done and exhausted by 12:45am.  I saw no strollers or really young children, hopefully more people use better judgement.  Of course everyone knows their own kids, I was quiet surprised my 22 year old big hockey player turned out to be a chicken!!!


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## briemer99

Hearing that this weekend is awful crowds at both HHN and the parks. We will be there from Tuesday to Friday and doing HHN wednesday and thursday without express. Hoping it is at the least manageable...


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## macraven

_Glencoe.....ouch for your daughter!_


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## justcin711

Just got back from tonight's HHN (Sunday). We did the stay and scream and crowds weren't bad until after 8. Saw lots of small children that really shouldn't be there, even toddlers in the scare zones! I also saw two guys kicked out of a house for line jumping at Slaughter Sinema. The line was long so they started handing out numbered tickets and someone must have said something because when we reached the front they compared their ticket numbers to the people behind them and made them leave the line. Didn't see any obnoxious drunk people but we left at 11. My biggest complaint was people running away from chainsaws in the scarezones with no regard for other people in their path. Overall we had a great time!


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## briemer99

justcin711 said:


> Just got back from tonight's HHN (Sunday). We did the stay and scream and crowds weren't bad until after 8. Saw lots of small children that really shouldn't be there, even toddlers in the scare zones! I also saw two guys kicked out of a house for line jumping at Slaughter Sinema. The line was long so they started handing out numbered tickets and someone must have said something because when we reached the front they compared their ticket numbers to the people behind them and made them leave the line. Didn't see any obnoxious drunk people but we left at 11. My biggest complaint was people running away from chainsaws in the scarezones with no regard for other people in their path. Overall we had a great time!


Did you have express? How many houses did you get to?


----------



## tony67

schumigirl said:


> We commented this was the worst year we have seen for children too.......
> 
> Quite a lot of strollers, and we even saw a baby of no more than 8 weeks old being held in parents arms one evening.......even the SA looked shocked..........
> 
> Little ones in lines, and one little girl on her dads shoulders who was barely two.....he was refusing to take her off his shoulders as they tried to enter a house.......he was told in no uncertain terms to remove her or he’d be asked to leave........
> 
> A family in front of us in Scary Tales tried to hold everyone up very vocally in line so their little cherub of around 4 could see things better.......unbelievable.......the guys in front of us soon told them, and a TM had to intervene.......
> 
> Yes, this is why we can’t have nice things!
> 
> I do wish they would enforce an age limit........whatever it is and stick to it........it’s awful seeing little toddlers scared and crying..........and yes, many say their kids love it.......but many don’t..........


Yeah -it was pretty ridiculous this year - I actually saw a guy coming out of a house with an infant - I'd guess six months old - everyone in line just looked at each and said WT% at about the same time


----------



## fanoforlando

So we went to HHN on saturday , we got there around 3:30 and our party decided to just wait to be first in line.

We were the first people to the right entrance of the main gate , our wait wasn't too bad but the crowds began getting full around 4:30 and by 5:30 the sea of people reached back all the way the Universal globe. 

We ran to Stranger Things as soon as the gates open and only had a 20 min. wait to get in, my wife got hurt on one of the rails that the foot of the rail was raised up and she didn't see it and slammed her foot on it, despite a 25 minute set back ( we had to get one of the park EMT's to come look at her foot ) because she was complaining of not being able to walk very well , but after walking it off we made our way to Poltergeist ( only had a 20 minute wait ) but i would say that was a conservative number because it felt like we went right in.


We then did Scary Tales ( again the wait time was only 20 minutes ) which was pretty cool , then we got to Slaughter Cinema ( and again the wait time only stated 30 minutes ) but it seemed like we got in faster than that , unless we were so distracted by our conversations , after that we checked wait times for the rest of the houses and most said 45-60 minutes and by that time we were tires and we checked out Fast & Furious ride, which by 9:30 it only had a 15 minute wait, after that we ate at Mel's D I E IN and by 10:30 we were beat from the night. 


The Chucky scare zone was pretty cool since Chucky on the stage wasw interacting with the crowd and was hilarious !


Overall this year was pretty cool , our last HHN event was in 2014 so we we're kind of reluctant to go this year since we have been going since 2011, and it seemed as though this year might have been boring ( we don't watch Stranger Things since we don't have Netflix ) , so making a HHN event around that we were thinking it might be meh. 


Despite that we surprisingly enjoyed the night, i also loved how they were blasting old 80's metal music over by the Poltergeist house . 

Overall i would give the night a 9/10 very well put together despite my wife hurting her foot on the railing leg, by the time we got out of F & F she was also complaining of her foot pain so we decided to call it a night


----------



## schumigirl

tony67 said:


> Yeah -it was pretty ridiculous this year - I actually saw a guy coming out of a house with an infant - I'd guess six months old - everyone in line just looked at each and said WT% at about the same time



It was the same for us.......whenever we saw something like that, everyone around was slightly shocked and showed it.......

Not nice to see! 

We’ve always seen lots of kids and toddlers, but yes, this year seems to have been much worse.


----------



## fanoforlando

Yeah i was surprised to see strollers walking , i can't remember if i had seen them before. 

I wonder if these people didn't know about Mickeys not so scary halloween party? 

Made a small video , i  hope the music doesn't get deleted , thats the song i remember when going into Poltergeist


----------



## purple hippo

Is anyone he relocated in Canada that is at or going to HHN?  When we were there I had intended on going to the Universal Store in the park to get a couple of the HHN tokens as souvenirs.  We didn't make it to the store and therefore left with no tokens.  DH just found out about them on line and now regrets that we didn't make it to the Universal Store while we were there.  I was thinking it would be a nice surprise or even stocking stuffer for him.  Anyways, I was wondering if anyone would be willing to buy a couple of the them and mail them to me and I could pay them back. I would be willing to pay them first in good faith plus postage as it isnt much money.


----------



## Texan

I will try to make this short; thank you everyone for your tips and especially for Finnegan's S&S (what a mess).  Our first HHN was HHN 27; really looking forward to the whole family together again this year, especially with ST.  We started at IOA really late, due to a 4 hour delay in our connecting flight then a 1 hour delay for our luggage.  Checked into Cabana Bay around 1:30 a.m.  Got to IOA around 11; ride waits were okay with express pass; maybe 20 min at Spiderman, Hulk and about 30 at King Kong.  We ate a late lunch at Mythos and felt rushed for time as I wanted to get to US and a S&S area early.  We split up and 3 went to Forbidden Journey and 3 went on the train to US.  There was already a line forming on the side street behind Finnegans at 4:00.  They told us it was new this year and it headed left to ST or right to Poltergeist.  After baking in the sun and the other 3 joined us with beers, we were released at 5:30.  It was nuts.  There was a swarm from behind us walking/running to ST.  And yes, we saw many of the the metal legs in this line raised up where anyone could bash a foot in as a poster mentioned.  We commented on it as we were going thru the maze.  We had to wait about 20 min (didn't want to use EP yet) for ST, and that was about the average wait for the houses for a bit.  The wait times quickly escalated.  We used our EP's mainly as a time saver at the beginning knowing it was a possibility for ST and Potergeist later.  (that did not happen, too tired and 2 hour waits there later, but 2 in our party stayed and said they got in within 30 min with EP.)  And can I say wow, so much more crowded than last year and we went around the same timeframe.  We did all of the houses (me and DIL voted no on Blumhouse) and enjoyed the scare zones.  Chuckie area was a riot and the Vamp 85 was amazing.  Loved the Killer Klowns.  Wow.  ST, Poltergeist and Deadly Exposure were our favorites.  This is such a unique event, I hope Universal "listens" and continues to find ways to make it an enjoyable, safe ADULT event.


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## macraven

_Read on facebook and checked the hhn schedule.
The last Tuesday October 30 hhn was added._


----------



## macraven

_Now it is official.
HHN for Tuesday Oct 30 is an add on day.

Recieved the email from UO to confirm_


----------



## RAPstar

So I could potentially go to HHN 8 nights? Wow!


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## macraven




----------



## imprint

Better late than never, but here are my quick thoughts about HHN 28.  I won't have a rank, I'll give a rating and comment about each.

Houses (from left to right around the park)...

Stranger Things - 9/10 - 3 visits:  I'm a big fan of the show, and the level of detail here is great.  In three trips through the house, we saw almost everything.  We never had a perfect run, which is reflected in the 9/10 rating.  I highly recommend going here first, since the lines get ridiculous.  We even went against usual protocol and used express right away.  The cast, costumes, and sets are amazing.  Pro tip: press the elevator button in the first scene and look in the elevator.

Carnival Graveyard - 10/10 - 3 visits:  The sets are great, and the scares are great.  There are 2 very visible buttons to press.  Do press them, but the results are variable.  There's a lot of set pieces that will be known to Universal and HHN aficionados.

Scary Tales - 10/10 - 3 visits:  Amazing sets and costumes.  There are a couple of sights that are luck dependent, but we finally saw them all.  Two of the scented rooms were potent, but the third scented room was muted (during our UtH tour, we learned that they toned it down since the scent from Exorcist stuck around for a very, very long time).

Poltergeist - 10/10 - 3 visits:  Another home run.  It's a bit abstract at times, but the house is great.  I was disappointed that the steak did not crawl during our runs, and we now know that a clown scare was altered after the first week, but it was still there (in still form).

Blumhouse 2 - 5/10 - 1 visit:  I think it is an ok house.  Not spectacular, but the actors were into it during my run.  If you are a big fan of either movie, then be sure to visit this house.  If you need to skip a house due to time, this is the one to skip.

Slaughter Sinema - 7/10 - 2 visits:  I really like the idea and the execution of this house... from what I saw.  There were a couple of "movies" that I never saw any action.  It's a fun, light romp through a bunch of fictional B movies.  I'd gladly welcome a Slaughter Sinema 2 in the future.

Dead Extinction - 10/10 - 2 visits:  This is a dark house house with a lot of strobe lighting.  It might be the most intense house this year.  My first run was good, not great; however, my second run was a perfect run and was phenomenal.  Lots and lots of good scares in here.  I recommend not doing this house in the daylight unless you wear sunglasses before entering, since the house is so dark.

Seeds of Extinction - 8/10 - 2 visits:  This is another dark house, and the theme is pretty cool.  Again, I recommend sunglasses before entering if going through before dark.  The scares are very well hidden and effective.

Trick 'r Treat - 10/10 - 3 visits:  Love the movie and love the house.  Sam appears a lot in the house (background and foreground).  The werewolf is sometimes easy to miss, so be on the lookout for it.  When entering the house at the beginning, be sure to look up the stairs.

Halloween 4 - 6/10 - 2 visits:  The movie is ok, and the house is ok.  You'll notice the (very abundant) Michael Myers are of differing heights.  During the UtH tour, I learned that usually they cast 6'4" + actors for Myers, but this year they needed the very tall actors for Demogorgons in Stranger Things.  The ending of the movie was easy to miss when exiting the house too.  If you need to skip a second house, this is the one I would recommend to miss.

Scare Zones...

The Harvest - 6/10:  There's the promo materials for the houses, but those are out to view during the day.  The actors are cool, but there's not a whole lot here.

Vamp '85 - 8/10:  Loved the interaction with the actors roaming the area.  The ball drop is fun too.  I love 80's music, so that was a bonus as well.

Killer Klowns from Outer Space - 10/10:  I'm a fan of the cheesy movie.  This is basically a photo op area, but the actors are into it and it really is fun.  It's small, but we spent a lot of time here watching and interacting.  Not scary at all, but it's just plain fun.

Twisted Traditions - 7/10:  It's a beautiful zone, much akin to the Trick 'r Treat zone here last year.  Not a whole lot of actors, but it is a great sight.

Chucky - 6/10:  The actors roaming the zone are interesting, and there are a few set pieces to look at.  The main attraction though is an insult show by Chucky.  The show is dependent on the people interacting with Chucky, but there are some regular show elements too.

AoV Show - 6/10:  I'm glad I saw it, but it's not really my thing.  The chance to sit a while was surely welcome, though.

Overall, this might be the best HHN I have been to.  Attendance is up and lines are long.  I'm sure we'll be hit with a big price increase next year.  We didn't notice drunk behavior, but we did see some teens being jerks.  The reports from scare actors being harassed and assaulted is very disturbing, so I hope that will be addressed.  Everyone needs to heed the immortal words "Be excellent to each other."

Looking forward to HHN 29!


----------



## yulilin3

My DDs teacher and a group from school went this past Sunday and it was ridiculously packed. Most of them got a one day only ticket for this event. By around 11pm they decided to call it a night since it was so crowded, went to Guest Relations to vent their frustrations and received one day park tickets good for a year. I think they might have too start considering some sort of cap on this event, I'm sure it's hard without knowing how many people with frequent fear passes will go on any specific night
My DD her BF and I are going tonight, we will be there early but no stay and scream since they don't have a day ticket. My DD last houses that she wants to do is Halloween and Slaughter Sinema so it should be easily done in an hour or two (fingers crossed)


----------



## schumigirl

Just a few random thoughts about this years event...……



*Tickets...….*.Rush of Fear with Express Pass. 

Still a fabulous buy for the first 3 weeks of the event. We could have gone 12 nights this year. 

*

Houses...……*


*Stranger Things*...…….I was glad we had watched the show, as it was pretty honest towards the show. Many things were recognizable from the show and the SA were quite realistic to the characters. A few good jumps but not over the top. We timed it badly here on 3 occasions and missed a lot, but the visits we got it right it was good. 

*Poltergeist*...…..one of the highlight houses this year...….we loved the freezing cold rain as you entered the swimming pol scene, but it was missing on later visits.....good scares, but the smell of the smoke effect choked me very time we went in. Thought some of the later scenes were a little unrealistic, but got a few good scares in here. It varied a lot from night to night and a few effects were missing on each night we went. 

*Dead Exposure*......Didn't do this due to strobe lighting. 

*Carnival Graveyard*...…..Loved this house. It was fun and I was scared a lot of times!! Definitely a house to pay attention in for remnants of past universal objects...….this house was the same every time we did it and was always a high standard. 

*Blumhouse*……..Could do better. Nothing particularly special about either house in there, but the Purge was especially poor for us....not fans at all. SA could have been better in Happy Death Day too. 

*Seeds of Extinction*...…...Hated this house...….genuinely hated it. Although I did like the angled floor but that was about it...….did not do it again. And a ridiculously long walk!!!

*Trick r Treat*...…...Loved this house!!! So true to the movie, and lots of good scares and as imprint has said above, look up the stairs just after you enter.....it`s fab if you time it right!! Plenty of Sams and plenty of scares...…..and plenty of scenery to take in. 

*Scary Tales*...…..one of the best this year. I wasn't sure about this one before the event, but it was a classic. Not scary, but very beautifully done and again, plenty to take in from sights to smells. Wouldn't miss this one at all!!! 

*Slaughter Sinema*……..we really enjoyed this one too. But, it wasn't as good as we imagined.....and it varied a lot over several nights...….but still, it was good......not the best review you`ll ever read here, but, not sure what to say really. 

*Halloween 4*...…...this is my personal favourite…….but fully agree it`s not the best house......and I also said it`s not even the best Halloween house they have ever done. But, it works for me...…...it was interesting to read imprint say above they like Michaels to be tall......for me the original scary Michael wasn't very big at all.....he was quite slight actually...….so he doesn't need to be tall for me. Later ones were larger all over of course. But, the house itself we were incredibly lucky with......we seemed to time it spectacularly well to get almost every Michael there was...…..it was recognizable from the movie in parts, but you didn't need to have seen this one. 


*Scare Zones. *


*The Harvest*...…. Relatively poor...….the stilt characters were the best thing about this zone. 

*Vamp85*...….one of the best zones they have had for years!!! So much fun!!!! Loved the theme and the characters were fabulous posing for pictures and engaging with you....in and out of character which I love!!! 

*Killer Klowns*……..This grew on me...….wasn't sure at first, but it was just pure fun. 

*Twisted Tradition*...…...Not enough character interaction this year. Pretty zone but lacked a lot of scares, or any scares. Last year when it was Trick r Treat it was amazing, so while we enjoyed it as visually it is lovely, could do better.

*Revenge of Chucky*...…...total waste of time. 

*Chainsaw people*...…..time to get rid of these.


*
AOV*...…...watched it once, that was enough. It was decent, but a shadow of the first year. 




This was a good year overall. Much better than last year. But, it still lacked something. 

Scare Zones and houses didn`t seem very scary...….and scare zones actually weren't scary at all. Past years we have been scared from one side of the park to the other...…..Killer Klowns and an insulting Chucky just doesn't cut it...…..

Crowds were awful most nights apart from the first Wednesday, but with EP that wasn't an issue. I thanked the people that didn't buy EP every night we were there. We had very little in the way of waits for any houses and with the heat that was a blessing. 

Didn't see any drunken behavior at all, but so many children of varying ages, and so many that were very young, weeks old in some cases. Strollers and toddlers were more abundant than any year I can remember. Universal needs to do something about this and enforce an age limit. 

Was this the best year ever for us? Sadly no. We enjoyed it, but it needs to go back to actually scaring us again......our favourite years are still 2007/2008......it was fun but so many scares at the same time. 

I should add we were as always struck by the quality of SA again...….whether or not you like the house or zone, they put so much effort and love into their roles every night......they do an tremendous job and I admire every one of them. It was horrifying to read some of them being attacked, whether it be verbally or physically...….

It may sound as though we didn't enjoy it, we really did, it was a huge amount of fun...….and already looking forward to next year!!!


----------



## casperthegm

I have a question, if anybody has any insight to offer.

We'll be attending next Thursday and Friday, hitting the parks during the day and waiting in the pens for early admission (stay and scream), no express passes.  Both days will be busy, but we figure Thursday will be a bit better, so we plan on hitting the houses toward the front of the park that evening, starting with Stranger Things.  Someone mentioned the holding pen behind or next to Finnegan's.  It sounds like this is where we'd want to be in order to get to Stranger Things quickly. We have stayed and the Hello Kitty pen before and that seems to be just as close, if not closer to Stranger things.  Can someone provide some details on the Finnegan's pen and confirm that this one is preferable to the Hello Kitty waiting area, as far as getting to Stranger Things quickly?


----------



## macraven

_If you want to do Stranger Things first, Finnegans holding area is the place to be

I stayed in the front area which faced
the Mummy and to the left side was Central Park _


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## tony67

schumigirl said:


> *Tickets...….*.Rush of Fear with Express Pass.
> Still a fabulous buy for the first 3 weeks of the event. We could have gone 12 nights this year.


Totally agree - I sure hope they dont get rid of this next year - but with how busy it was this year, most likely season 2 of Stranger Things and possibly starting earlier I am concerned



schumigirl said:


> *Stranger Things*...……SA were quite realistic to the characters.


I did the behind the scenes day tour and I guess netflix was very involved in picking the pope and they had to look like the characters - they may have only had one of each of some of them - so you did not always see all the boys on the same walk through
This was made even tougher since they have to be 18 or over - women ended up playing a few of the boys
Also for eleven they had a real hard time finding some who looked like her, was over 18 and would shave their head



schumigirl said:


> *Scary Tales*...…..one of the best this year. I wasn't sure about this one before the event, but it was a classic. Not scary, but very beautifully done and again, plenty to take in from sights to smells. Wouldn't miss this one at all!!!


When this one was on it was great - but most of the times I did this people were missing or did not "perform" (dont want to give any spoilers)


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## Texan

If it wasn't for the awesome posters here I would not have known where to go at Finnegan's SS; there is a side street behind it that has the metal gates all around it; you line up on this side street; we got there at 4:00 and there already people there; I confirmed with a worker near the area this was for ST; he said yes, left for ST, right for Potergeist.  So, look for the side street behind Finnegans, you will be facing The Mummy.  They will release your metal gate around 5:30 and it is a mad house; beware; people were acting so dumb and trying to run by you.


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## macraven

_I went end of sept and early October and waited in the front of Finnegans and did the ST house early when crowds released from there

Not as bad crowds back then as it has now _


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## RAPstar

Saturday 10/20 is sold out

https://twitter.com/HorrorNightsORL/status/1053465863595192321?s=20


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## jlay68

We just finished our HHN tonight.  Busy but not crazy.  Some rowdiness but didn’t really see young kids.  We did Stay and Scream in Springfield.  Did Slaughter cinema, Blumhouse, Seeds, Dead Exposure and MIB in less than 2 hours.  Then started using our Express Pass.  We were able to do all the other houses, scare zones and academy of villains.  No other rides.  Left about 11pm.  Pro tip:  consider the Springfield stay and scream area.  Felt like we had HHN to ourselves for the first hour or so.


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## crostorfer

I just checked the app to see what the wait time are tonight, (Saturday, sold out event).  

Wow. 

The longest wait at 9pm EST is Stranger Things at 2 and a half hours. The shortest is Seeds at 55 minutes. It's 65 minutes for Fast and Furious, 60 for the Rip Ride Rocket, 40 for Gringotts.


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## jlay68

crostorfer said:


> I just checked the app to see what the wait time are tonight, (Saturday, sold out event).
> 
> Wow.
> 
> The longest wait at 9pm EST is Stranger Things at 2 and a half hours. The shortest is Seeds at 55 minutes. It's 65 minutes for Fast and Furious, 60 for the Rip Ride Rocket, 40 for Gringotts.



Wow.  Longest wait we saw for ST last night (Friday the 19th) was 105 minutes.  Avoid Saturday I guess.


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## justcin711

briemer99 said:


> Did you have express? How many houses did you get to?


We did not have express but we got through 6 houses and all the scare zones. We left around 10 when it started getting busy. Going back tomorrow.


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## yulilin3

This past Friday's experience:
Got to UO parking lot around 4:30pm avoided all the crazy traffic.  Quick stop at Moe's for chips and queso and another stop at the bar in front of voodoo for a drink while we waited.
Got in line at around 5pm, not bad at all
They let us in at 6:10 and we went straight for Halloween since it was one of our priorities, was informed the house wouldn't open until 6:30 which was fine with us.
After went to Poltergeist walt time posted was 45 actual wait was 30.
Slaughter Sinema next,  posted wait was 40 actual was 20
Seeds of extinction posted wait was 55 actual was 25.
We called it a night and were back in the car by 10pm
Call that a successful night.  We're going back on the 30th to do some of our favorites,  plans are to stay until the end and be there Halloween morning


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## PrincessTiannaLove

I have a few things to add & a bit about Scare Actor dining THIS year, as info for that was quite limited in my opinion, plus my opinions as a first timer who took kids (yes, I was the jerk!)! ;-)

We had 5:15pm ressies for Scare Actors Wednesday the 17th. My kids have done Haunted Houses in Denver & loved them, and second being so far away, I'm not sure when our next vacation will include USO, and I always want to experience everything that we can. If we only made it through 1 or 2 houses, and the kids had some interaction w the Scare Actors at dinner, then I would call it a successful evening. 
We arrived at USO about 330pm, about 1.5hour later than I would have liked. However, lines to get in were minimal, which I was very worried about. We got in and went towards Simpson Land, as we missed most of it the evening before. We immediately ran into Beetlejuice, and I was more than excited. No line for pictures, he was great. Very funny. 
Did Simpsons w 20min wait, had my Flaming Moe sat for a bit bc it was screaming hot & then walked back around towards Monsters about 445pm.
They did not give anyone wristbands, but they were scanning tickets to get into the holding areas. We walked past Bennys, the holding pen to the right of that was already mostly full, had to get someone to open the gate to let us through to the entrance of Monsters Cafe. We got there, gave them our tickets & they put us to the left of the waiting area outside, the 5pm group was to the right, already lined up. Igor came blazing by, gave everyone a laugh & 5pm went in about 455pm. They then let our "group" go to line up. As we were one of the last families to check in for our time, we were in front of the "group" as everyone else had stood back in the shade & sat down to wait. We had one older couple who pushed past us to get in front of us to be front in line. And then a family behind us in line was obviously annoyed with us too. To be fair, I didn't know that is how it would work, and we checked in closer to our originally time. But I could tell then that this was going to be feast or famine! Hahah 
We waited in line for out turn to go in, FOR. EVER. In the direct sun. My husband was dripping sweat, I was melting (and I rarely complain about the heat) it was brutal. We got past 515pm & at 520pm a CM came over and said at 530pm they would start taking us over to ST OR  Poltergeist when we were finished eating. I wasn't quite sure what that meant, but it sent me into a small panic. We hadn't even started eating, 530pm was pretty early to start lining up, when would they open the pens, ahhhhhh. Right about then they opened the doors and we went in. Game plan was to load up the trays & plates with as much as we wanted to eat or try, so we didn't have to wait in line for 2nds or waste time.  We got sat towards the left side in a half round booth, which was good as the SA seemed to be coming from the left. We sat & started shoveling in food. Sam was playing a lot w my kids, peeking over the wall, super cute. The Purge lady came and sat down & did some fun stuff to my daughter (huge Purge fan here so I was thrilled!) & my son stood to take a picture. 
Igor then jumped onto the booth bench, behind my son & next to me. BEST thing ever. He sat w us for almost 4 or 5mins & just talked to us & played with the kids. Super funny & he def made me jump (almost never happens). We had kids go to the bathroom, in case we were in line for 2hours, which worked well-there was no lines inside the cafe. 
We got a little interaction w the Witch from ST, Sam took pictures w us, and the Vampire never stopped for us, but did make my kids jump a few times. At that time the CM came back around to tell us the line was open for "us" over at ST when we were finished. We asked her what that meant exactly, and she said that they would take us over to the line. I asked about the regular gates opening and she said oh no, that is still 6pm. And then I asked about the holding pens & she said something about we would get in line with the first holding pen. Whatever, it seemed like we wouldn't be just let loose & that it was actually in our favor that we did the dining. But-I wasn't taking any chances. So we finished shoveling food in our mouths, grabbed a couple cookies & a full drink each (hindsight, was a terrible idea), threw a $20 on the table & ran out. We walked out towards the left & the line of people in front from the pens walking into the queue was long, but moving. No running, people were lined up orderly.
We asked a CM about the "line" for SA dining, and a CM w a headset (nicely dressed, not just a kid or whatever) walked us over to the entrance of the line, and let us right in, basically merging into the line. BRILLIANT. Best guess were, we walked out of Monsters right about 550pm, and when we stopped for the first time in the line & I looked at my phone it was 552pm. Husband had seen the board that said wait was at 70mins as we got in line.
So, after I had time to reflect, I think it ended up being a good option. Food was buffet food, but I thought it was pretty good. They had several choices, mostly fresh & plenty seasoned. When I went back to grab cookies, there was no line at all for 2nds. The CM was like yes yes yes take a drink, take some more cookies, very nice. 
I probably would have slowed down just a smidge when it came to eating, or tried to get the 500pm time, so that we had a full 30mins at least to eat & see the SA. 
And to me, it was def worth it to sit inside with AC to wait & have a quick bite, plus bathrooms to use before we jumped in line.
From time we entered Cafe to time we jumped in line, I would say it was about 30mins total.


----------



## motown21

Has anyone gone to HHN the Saturday before Halloween? How are the crowds? 

I know when I worked at Howl O Scream at Busch Gardens the crowds the weekend before Halloween were lighter because of events and parties happeneing in Downtown Tampa, but I haven’t experienced HHN at that time.


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## 4greatboys

The last couple of years Saturday hasn't been too bad early, do stay & scream, but does get pretty crowded later on in the evening.


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## ScottwPA

Hi all - couple questions for a HHN newbie! I've been reading through all of these comments with excitement and anticipation - thanks for all the input!! My wife and I are attending our first HHN on Nov 1st. We purchased the EP and are attending the event only, so will not be in the park to take advantage of that perk. What time should we show up at the front gate for entrance into the park? Since we have EP, I'm not too worried about the lines but I don't want to lose much time at opening either! Also, is there any suggested order WITH the EP? Or is there a basic strategy that you should never use your EP unless the queue is over 20 minutes (would love to see some of the houses more than once if possible!). Finally, I've been reading that Gringotts closes 'early', but haven't seen a specific time. That is the one ride we are interested in checking out. Anyone know what time it has been closing? Thanks in advance!!! Happy Hauntings!


----------



## CAS239

ScottwPA said:


> Hi all - couple questions for a HHN newbie! I've been reading through all of these comments with excitement and anticipation - thanks for all the input!! My wife and I are attending our first HHN on Nov 1st. We purchased the EP and are attending the event only, so will not be in the park to take advantage of that perk. What time should we show up at the front gate for entrance into the park? Since we have EP, I'm not too worried about the lines but I don't want to lose much time at opening either! Also, is there any suggested order WITH the EP? Or is there a basic strategy that you should never use your EP unless the queue is over 20 minutes (would love to see some of the houses more than once if possible!). Finally, I've been reading that Gringotts closes 'early', but haven't seen a specific time. That is the one ride we are interested in checking out. Anyone know what time it has been closing? Thanks in advance!!! Happy Hauntings!



I go every year with just a regular ticket.. Express pass or regular, I recommend getting to the gate 45-60 min prior to opening. Earlier the better and more up front you'll be. 

I personally wouldn't start using my express pass until later when lines are heavy. This year I'd hit stranger things first as it seems to be most popular, then do another house that's popular.


----------



## soniam

ScottwPA said:


> Hi all - couple questions for a HHN newbie! I've been reading through all of these comments with excitement and anticipation - thanks for all the input!! My wife and I are attending our first HHN on Nov 1st. We purchased the EP and are attending the event only, so will not be in the park to take advantage of that perk. What time should we show up at the front gate for entrance into the park? Since we have EP, I'm not too worried about the lines but I don't want to lose much time at opening either! Also, is there any suggested order WITH the EP? Or is there a basic strategy that you should never use your EP unless the queue is over 20 minutes (would love to see some of the houses more than once if possible!). Finally, I've been reading that Gringotts closes 'early', but haven't seen a specific time. That is the one ride we are interested in checking out. Anyone know what time it has been closing? Thanks in advance!!! Happy Hauntings!



Gringott's closed at 11pm on our 2am night.


----------



## imprint

Keep in mind that with 10 houses, there is a lot, and I mean a lot, of walking.  The express lines not only save time, but they also save a lot of walking due to shorter queue lines.  The tent and parade houses have very long walks in particular.  I'm not trying to discourage you from using standby lines and later using express, but I just want you to be aware that there's a lot more walking than a regular tour of the park.  If you think you might tire out early, then I recommend using express from the get-go and make sure you see all the houses.  Regardless of which path you take, when you are near Diagon Alley, go ahead and ride Gringotts.  Use your express there too, because the line was pretty long when we were there a couple of weeks ago.  The last couple of years, DA has been fairly empty and it was great to go in there for a break, but it was almost as crowded as during the day when we went there during HHN.  Have fun, it's an amazing event!


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## JULIE21

There is a mention of an ap for wait times - what ap? Going 10/26 excited and nervous about wait times!!


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## crostorfer

Here now, sitting the the Finnegans Stay and Scream area. Well, off to the side of it in the shade anyway. Lots of people are crammed in the holding pen and it's quite warm in the sun. Benny's Burgers, the Donut stand, and the drink station are open, so lots of food and drinks available for Stay and Scream folks. Really, really, really excited!!!

We decided to bite the bullet and pay for express vs the 5 house RIP.


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## macraven

crostorfer said:


> Here now, sitting the the Finnegans Stay and Scream area. Well, off to the side of it in the shade anyway. Lots of people are crammed in the holding pen and it's quite warm in the sun. Benny's Burgers, the Donut stand, and the drink station are open, so lots of food and drinks available for Stay and Scream folks. Really, really, really excited!!!
> 
> We decided to bite the bullet and pay for express vs the 5 house RIP.


_Have a great time and let us know your thoughts about tonight after you’ve been released from the holding pen_


----------



## crostorfer

We had an amazing time! We were there from 4:30-11:30 and did 8 of 10 houses and rode 3 rides. We skipped Blumhouse and Dead Exposure by choice. 

We sat off to the side of the holding pen in the Finnegans S&S area until 5:30, when they opened the pen. We decided to go to Poltergeist rather than. Stranger Things, where the majority of the masses were heading. Being in the back of the pack, we chose to use Express right off the bat. I was honestly shocked at how long the queues were for every house. We waited maybe 15 minutes. We stopped for a bathroom break then went and used express for Stranger Things, and I feel like we walked right in. We were done with both houses by 6:15, which is when we noticed people seemed to be coming through the main gate. 

I could honestly write a novel about this, so I'll try to condense this and give some bullet point thoughts.

IP Houses vs Original: We thought the original houses blew the IP out of the water by a long shot. Both my 15 year old and I's top 3 houses are originals, and that surprised me. 

Express Pass: Worth its weight in gold, especially if you only have one night. We couldn't have done nearly as much as we did without it. 

Stay and Scream: If Stranger Things is your priority, do it. Especially if you only have one night, or are going on a night that's going to be more crowded. 

Crowd level: I thought our Wednesday crowd was very manageable. The back of the park houses, (Slaughter Sinema, Dead Exposure, Seeds, Trick r Treat), were empty at 7:00. The park never seemed that crowded until 9-10, when the lines grew and the scare zones got very congested. I think the longest wait of the night was an 155 minute ST. Waits hovered between 45-90 minutes for everything else. The ride wait times were up to 40 mins at one point, but with Express we rode Gringotts, the RRR, and The Mummy with no more than a 5 minute wait. 

Food: We ate the pizza fries, a twisted tater, the triple decker waffle sundae, my kiddo ate the chocolate covered waffle on a stick, and I drank the raspberry specialty drink. The pizza fries were better than I was expecting. We were disappointed in the tater, we expected it to be crispy and it wasn't. Had it been crispy, it would have been amazing. The waffle sundae was just a carb bomb, delicious but waaay too sweet. My daughter said the waffle on a stick was good, but it tasted more like a chocolate covered pancake. I didn't care that much for the drink, it was sweet and syrupy. I really just wanted the souvenir cup. 

My House Rankings:

1. Slaughter Sinema
2. Seeds of Extinction 
3. Carnival Graveyard
4. Scary Tales
5. Trick-r-Treat
6. Stranger Things
7. Poltergeist 
8. Halloween 

My daughter said she couldn't rank them all, but Seeds was her #1 and Carnival Graveyard her 2. She was making fun of Seeds before she went in, "how can they make a tree scary Mom, this is dumb". She ate her words. We had an OUTSTANDING run. It was absolutely the best run of the night for us, we got every scare. 

I loved every single thing about Slaughter Sinema. Every. Single. Thing. If I had to design the perfect house, that's it for me. I'm a HUGE fan of B movies, that's my kind of scene. Our run through Seeds was better, but I loved the theme and the house more. 

I wish I had gotten more time in each house. Particularly in Scary Tales, there is so much going on that when they are constantly herding you through and shouting to keep moving, it's hard for your brain to process what you are looking at. I wanted to go through a couple a second time, but our feet were wrecked and I didn't physically have it in me by 11 to walk anymore.

Walking: Holy crap wear comfortable shoes. With insoles. Or, just strap pillows to your feet and down pain relievers. The walk back from the back houses alone is INTENSE. I feel like I've run a marathon this morning.

Scare Zones: Twisted Traditions was beautiful. Killer Clowns was perfect, and come on, is there anything better than Vamp? That was the best atmosphere ever. I don't like chainsaw people that much but I have to say, we sat and ate waffles in San Francisco and had a ball watching them rove the street and scare the crap out of people. Quite entertaining. 

I'm so so so so glad we went, and that we went with express. Thanks to everyone here for your advice.


----------



## crostorfer

Got a great pic of the full moon rising over Twisted Traditions.


----------



## macraven

_For posting your reviews!

Good you included  details and both your thoughts in your report _


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## FranDVCMadrid

Hi! I know that you recieved complimentary Valet parking with the RIP Tour. We're planning to visit USO and IOA the same day. Shall we pay for Valet parking until the RIP Tour starts? Or it would be better to park in the normal parking?

Thanks!


----------



## Monykalyn

crostorfer said:


> I'm so so so so glad we went, and that we went with express. Thanks to everyone here for your advice.


 Sums up our time there perfectly too! Sounds like you had a really great night.  Dead exposure was my DD fave house (and the one we did the most) but it is definitely not for everyone with the flashy lights.
We had 4 nights (and we didn't stay open to close on any of them) but I too am glad we got EP our last night. Now that I know-well will get from start from now on probably (think I have DH talked into going next year-he couldn't with work this year but DD and I are working on him!)

Some cool pics too!!


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## soniam

crostorfer said:


> Walking: Holy crap wear comfortable shoes. With insoles. Or, just strap pillows to your feet and down pain relievers. The walk back from the back houses alone is INTENSE. I feel like I've run a marathon this morning.



My son clocked our private RIP Tour from start to finish at over 25,000 steps! It's because you have to walk to the backstage areas on the periphery of the park. I don't think you really get it until you see it.


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## CAPSLOCK

JULIE21 said:


> There is a mention of an ap for wait times - what ap? Going 10/26 excited and nervous about wait times!!


It is the official Universal Orlando Ap.


----------



## casperthegm

Just got back. First, I want to thank everyone who left feedback and tips on the board- it was a huge help.  Our plan was to knock the 5 front of the park houses on Thursday so we could the remaining 5 in the back on Friday, when it was busier.  Summary below;

Thursday; 

Got to Universal at 8 am for park opening.  Felt like we had the park to ourselves the first couple of hours.  By the time we got to our late lunch or early dinner at Lombard's we'd hit all the rides we wanted to, most of them multiple times (btw, not overly impressed with Fast and Furious).

We got out of Lombard's and made our way to the first pen, next to Finnegan's, probably in the front third of the group, maybe a bit further back, but solidly in the front half.  Shortly after 5:30 they let us out and the mad dash to Stranger Things ensued. We held our own and were through within 20 minutes and on our way over to Poltergeist.  I'd say about another 20 minutes or so to get through Poltergeist, perhaps a tad longer.  Carnival Graveyard and Scary Tales came next, each with similarly short waits.  By the time we got to Halloween the crowds were building up and the wait was posted as 60 minutes...And they shut down the house for some reason, so we improvised and headed to the back of the park. We found the lines for Trick R Treat and Seeds of Extinction were still pretty short. We finished both of those houses, making that 6 houses by 8:30 pm. We headed back to Halloween. Back up and running with a 45 minute wait time.  We were pretty much dead on our feet after we got through.  Still, 7 houses without express passes by around 9:30 wasn't too bad.

Friday;

Got to IOA by 9 am for park opening. Easily hit all the rides we wanted to, had lunch and we headed over to meet for our Behinds the Screams, Unmasking the Horror tour at 2 pm. 

OMG, so glad we took this tour. We were scheduled to tour Stranger Things, Carnival Graveyard, and Scary Tales. We arrived about 45 minutes early, expecting to just chill for a while. Upon finding out that Poltergeist was not on the list of houses to visit, our son was a bit bummed, though still excited about the houses were planned to see. One of the tour guides took note, and since nobody else was there, offered to quickly show us around the Poltergeist house.  Seriously?  There are no words to describe how grateful we were.  The rest of the tour was fantastic, giving us some amazing insight into how it all comes together. I can't recommend it enough.

Our 2 pm tour ended around 4:15 pm and we again headed over to the first holding pen by Finnegan's.  Our plan was to hit Stranger Things and Poltergeist first again, and then head to the back of the park to visit the final 3 that we hadn't seen yet.  We were in the front 1/4 of the pen and again out shortly after 5:30 pm. After a brief wait at ST we were quickly through and done with Poltergeist quickly as well.  The park felt nearly deserted over by Slaughterhouse Cinema and Dead Exposure.  We waited for a couple of minutes for Dead Exposure to open up, got through within 10 minutes and then waited another 20 minutes or less for SC.  Blumhouse was about a 15 minute wait, if that.  We were done with 5 houses by 7:30 pm with no express passes.

Finished out the evening with a couple of rides on MIB, Gringots, and Mummy.  After another full day we were done and headed back to the hotel by 9:30 pm. 

What a fantastic couple of days.  It felt like everything really came together about as well as we could have hoped.  We got to see ST and Poltergeist twice and hit all the other houses with waits of 25 minutes or less (except for Halloween).  Thanks again for all of those who helped by posting on this thread.

Favorite houses; ST and Poltergeist
Least favorite; Blumhouse (not terrible, just not great compared to the others this year)


----------



## imprint

Great report!  That is truly awesome they gave you a personal, bonus tour of Poltergeist!  We did the 3-house UtH tour this year (our first UtH tour) and were equally impressed!  I think we'll do it again next year.


----------



## alanisrox69

We made the mistake of doing both parks AND HHN on the same day on Sunday the 21st. I did not realize how far the walks to and from the houses would be! #newbiemistake

Upon entering HHN and seeing the wait times at 140min for Stranger Things, we decided to just buy the express pass. $170 per person. Holy smokes! Total ripoff price wise, BUT also totally worth it. I did check other nights and the pass was cheaper, but we were already scanned into the park, and pretty much you’re forced to buy the express pass at that point. I’m not going to wait 140min to get into a haunted house lol.

I think they need to re-do the lines, especially if you have an express pass, most of the houses are in groups, so when you exit one, there should be an express line entrance right to the next house right there. You shouldn’t have to walk 1 mile back to the entrance that runs along the entrance to the next house. Just my 2 cents.

Overall, we got 9 of the 10 houses done on this night. After Seeds of Extinction (which took about 20mins to get into even with Express!) and then another 10-15min to exit because it was SO FAR back there, coupled with how horrible this house was, we skipped Trick R Treat to save another mile round trip of walking since our feet were completely destroyed. Our fitbits clocked almost 17miles of walking this day

We headed to Halloween 4 and ended our night there.

We returned Thursday evening just for HHN, got there right at 7, and headed right to Trick R Treat since that’s the house we missed. Sign said 15min wait but we were in the house within 5 mins. After that we just rode the rides, Gringotts and Mummy a few times each. The rides had little to no wait times up until about 10pm when people started finishing houses. It was weird walking around an almost empty Diagon Alley, but cool at the same time! (Again, Diagon starting filling up closer to 10pm). We also enjoyed walking around thru the scare zones. We also watched the Cyberpunk show which was neat.

Overall HHN was super fun for us first timers.

Things I would want Universal to improve on and/or change:
-cheaper express pass ($170 pp is extreme!)
-quicker entry/exit system to/from houses, especially if you have a express pass. There should be an express pass entry from one house exit to another house entry - since most of the houses are in groups and next to each other

Things I won’t do again:
-go on a weekend night. Thursday night was much calmer than Sunday!!
-try to do both parks during the day + HHN at night. Nope!


----------



## CAS239

For those that have been this year, what time are they typically opening the front gate for regular guests? I'll be there tonight and opening is 6:30. Wondering if they've been opening at say 6 or 6:15 lately.

And with just regular tickets I'll be trying the most popular houses first. Stranger things will be number 1, but what's the second most popular, Halloween?

Hoping the crowds for tonight will be a little lighter than Friday and Saturdays


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## tony67

alanisrox69 said:


> Things I would want Universal to improve on and/or change:
> -cheaper express pass ($170 pp is extreme!)
> -quicker entry/exit system to/from houses, especially if you have a express pass. There should be an express pass entry from one house exit to another house entry - since most of the houses are in groups and next to each other


People are willing to pay it - so I dont see that changing - if you wait till 10 it might be half price IF they did not sell out
At that price people might be better off with a RIP tour - but you really need to plan that in advance

I like the second idea - as it is a ridiculous walk back and forth to some of those houses - they could probably make that work for express


----------



## soniam

CAS239 said:


> For those that have been this year, what time are they typically opening the front gate for regular guests? I'll be there tonight and opening is 6:30. Wondering if they've been opening at say 6 or 6:15 lately.
> 
> And with just regular tickets I'll be trying the most popular houses first. Stranger things will be number 1, but what's the second most popular, Halloween?
> 
> Hoping the crowds for tonight will be a little lighter than Friday and Saturdays



I have heard as early as 6pm or 6:15pm. There may have been some nights where people were let in a little before 6pm. Do you have day tickets? If so, definitely do Stay & Scream at Finnegan's for Stranger Things. I don't think Halloween is that popular. I think Poltergeist or Scary Tales would be the second one to hit. Carnival Graveyard seems to open after those two, so if you get in early, it may not be open yet.


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## CAS239

soniam said:


> I have heard as early as 6pm or 6:15pm. There may have been some nights where people were let in a little before 6pm. Do you have day tickets? If so, definitely do Stay & Scream at Finnegan's for Stranger Things. I don't think Halloween is that popular. I think Poltergeist or Scary Tales would be the second one to hit. Carnival Graveyard seems to open after those two, so if you get in early, it may not be open yet.



No day tickets, just a HHN ticket. But thanks for the info, probably hit poltergeist or scary tales after ST


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## FranDVCMadrid

FranDVCMadrid said:


> Hi! I know that you recieved complimentary Valet parking with the RIP Tour. We're planning to visit USO and IOA the same day. Shall we pay for Valet parking until the RIP Tour starts? Or it would be better to park in the normal parking?
> 
> Thanks!



Someone? Thanks!


----------



## shh

Hi all: hoping a few kind souls can chime in if they have any tips. All psyched to be at HHN this week....and accidentally caught my foot on a table leg late last week. Klutz strikes again! Not broken, but badly bruised. Lots of walking ain't happening this trip.
Pinkie toe and foot in general, not feeling so good. Came close to canceling, but decided to push forward, although it may have to be from a wheelchair I rent at UO.

Any tips from someone who's done the event from a wheelchair? I have no idea how difficult it is. I know it's probably exhausting for someone to push the chair such long distances, given how spread out houses are, but looks like I don't have much choice. (And my DH is in very good shape...lol).

I can walk much better in open toed shoes, but definitely not wearing those with the crowds - too many careless people. I'd be way too nervous someone would rear back suddenly and ram into me, causing further damage. Didn't have much luck shoe shopping for something today and don't have time to special order.

So I'm thinking I'll cut a hole in normal sneaker and walk through houses but maybe rely on chair to reduce the walking between houses.

Any tips to make it a smoother process? We're still planning to do Stay and Scream and don't have express as of now. Going mid week. (We were thinking we'd buy the 1/2 price ones at 10pm if they're still in.)


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## macraven

FranDVCMadrid said:


> Someone? Thanks!



_Frank
If you are not staying onsite with a car, might as well pay for garage parking

I assume you plan to be in the park during the day you are doing the private tour

Should be cheaper to garage park than to move your car later for valet parking _


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## soniam

FranDVCMadrid said:


> Someone? Thanks!



I have heard that valet can take forever at the end of the night, but I don't have personal experience with it or know if it's the same valet type that people have mentioned.


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## patster734

I heard that last night was sold out.  Anyone go last night?


----------



## FranDVCMadrid

macraven said:


> _Frank
> If you are not staying onsite with a car, might as well pay for garage parking
> 
> I assume you plan to be in the park during the day you are doing the private tour
> 
> Should be cheaper to garage park than to move your car later for valet parking _



Thanks! I'm staying offsite, but I want to rest a little before HHN, it may be easy to have the car at General parking instead of Valet. 



soniam said:


> I have heard that valet can take forever at the end of the night, but I don't have personal experience with it or know if it's the same valet type that people have mentioned.



Yes, it's true! Last year I'd wait 15 minutes to bring the car for me.


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## Sehsun

patster734 said:


> I heard that last night was sold out.  Anyone go last night?



Last night was indeed sold out. DH and I went, and we did Stay and Scream. We hit up Slaughter Cinema (5 min posted wait), Seeds of Extinction (10 min posted wait), and Trick r Treat (10 min posted wait). Seeds was our best run through yet, as there was no one in front or behind us, so we got every single scare.  

Then took off (we were at VB all day). LOTS of cars coming in when we were leaving around 7:10ish. Backed up on Universal Blvd and the exit off of I-4.


----------



## schumigirl

Sehsun said:


> Last night was indeed sold out. DH and I went, and we did Stay and Scream. We hit up Slaughter Cinema (5 min posted wait), Seeds of Extinction (10 min posted wait), and Trick r Treat (10 min posted wait). Seeds was our best run through yet, as there was no one in front or behind us, so we got every single scare.
> 
> Then took off (we were at VB all day). LOTS of cars coming in when we were leaving around 7:10ish. Backed up on Universal Blvd and the exit off of I-4.



Wow!!! 

Glad to hear you had some nice non wait times and missed the crowds!!!


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## CAS239

patster734 said:


> I heard that last night was sold out.  Anyone go last night?



Yes last night was definitely sold out and it was packed. Website was sold out prior to getting my ticket so I had to go by Publix and get my ticket.

In line for one of the houses a team member was saying how last night was sold out, it was one of the busiest nights so far, and he's heard that when a night is sold out it's around 36,000-38,000 people.

Wife and I did 4 houses and watched academy of villains. Didn't feel like waiting in another 60+ min line so we'll be heading back Thursday night in hopes of lower crowds


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## Jtinsc

I just got through with 2 nights (Wed 10/24 & Thur 10/25).  I don't have time to give a full recap right now but I had a great time as usual.  The crowds seemed to be heavier on Wednesday than Thursday.  I will try to write a report in the next few days.


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## imprint

Tonight was the bonus night of HHN.  I saw on Twitter that crowds were awesome, so I checked the Universal app for house wait times.  Stranger Things was only 35 minutes at 9:00.  Perfect night for those people that could go tonight!


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## macraven

_Besides the short waits, read houses are pulsing the lines 

Many having great scares !_


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## CAS239

I'll be going tonight. Since it's Wednesday, even though it is Halloween, I'm hoping lines are lower than the weekend


----------



## nkereina

Just back from a great WDW trip, with a night for HHN mixed in to break it up! We attended HHN for the first time two years ago, and this was our second trip back. We LOVED it! Might be our favorite day of the trip! We got in line around 5:20 and were backed up to the ticket window building, so not too far back. The gates opened right around 6pm, and then the line dispersed among all the gates. We were in by 6:15, and not even all the houses were open yet. We went straight to the Chucky area and were only one of a few people walking through at that time so it was a great time to interact with Chucky without the crowds.

We did all the houses and scare zones as well as most of the rides. We made it a point to try pizza fries, waffle on a stick, and waffle sundae. Pizza fries were great but the waffle dishes were meh.

Our favorite scare zone was Chucky, but we may be bias because we are big Chucky fans anyway! Also loved Killer Klowns.

Our favorite house was Poltergeist. I love that movie and was so excited to see this house, and it did not disappoint. We had EP but it was also the longest house we waited for, around 30 minutes.  We ranked Carnival and Halloween towards the bottom of our list, but honestly enjoyed all of them.

We left around 12:30am and walked over to HRH to catch an uber, hoping to avoid the craziness outside City Walk. Worked out well. I do think EP is a must if you only have one night like us and want to do as much as possible. We got in early and left near the end, and were beat. We only stopped for maybe 15-20 minutes to eat our snacks, but the rest of the time was spent going between the rides, houses, and scare zones. Took us almost the whole evening. 

No real complaints, but thought some of the queues for EP were excessively long. I get that their hands are tied with the house placement, but I agree with PP that it would be great if there was a way for EP holders to hop over to the next house when some of them are adjacent to each other. Took us almost as long to walk in and out of the queues as it did the house sometimes!

I know it’s almost the end of HHN season, but if you have the chance to go this week – DO IT! And if you are already planning to go, have a great time!


----------



## glamdring269

Hope everyone has had a blast thus far this year.  We were at Universal a few years ago and opted to bypass because my wife was not going to do this. We're heading back in Oct 2019 and no matter what I'm going this time.  As of now we've strategically planned for Thurs/Fri night stay as I'm hoping this year's calendar is typical.  And as of now I'm planning to go both nights.  It's too bad I have to wait a year!  Happy Halloween!


----------



## patster734

glamdring269 said:


> Hope everyone has had a blast thus far this year.  We were at Universal a few years ago and opted to bypass because my wife was not going to do this. We're heading back in Oct 2019 and no matter what I'm going this time.  As of now we've strategically planned for Thurs/Fri night stay as I'm hoping this year's calendar is typical.  And as of now I'm planning to go both nights.  It's too bad I have to wait a year!  Happy Halloween!



My wife doesn’t do HHNs, so I’ve done HHNs with other family members, with DIS friends on RIP tours, and solo like this year’s visit.  She still goes to UO with me, but will return to the room when HHNs starts.


----------



## imprint

Wow, this is really cool!

"On Tuesday, Nov. 6, the day that Will disappeared, from 11 a.m. – 7 p.m., guests at Universal Studios Florida will have the chance to walk through the Stranger Things house from Halloween Horror Nights one last time to celebrate the occasion. This will be the first time ever that guests will get to experience an HHN house outside of the event.

The full house experience, as well as select specialty food and beverage offerings at Benny’s Burger Tent, San Fran Pastry and Boulangerie will be available to guests. As an added perk, Passholders will get exclusive access to the Express queue line for the house."


----------



## PatriciaH

We went to HHN last night and had a lot of fun, but man 10 houses was a lot! The walking back and forth to SOE and Trick or Treat was longgggggg. And we hike a lot- I think I would rather 7/8 houses done really well than 10 with 2 really good ones. Lines were 60 minutes-2 hours without express.

We have been going to HHN since 2004. I really liked Poltergeist and Stranger Things was good. The props in Carnival of Carnage were great, but the characters were Meh. Dead Waters was better last year. Trick or Treat and Slaughter Cinema were pretty good. I like when they do real movies like All Night Die In (still one of my favorites to date!) instead of the campy fake ones. Cute though.

The crowd was a lot of families. Past  crowds were much rowdier and drunker. Houses used to be much more violent and gross too. Only Scary Tales was a bit gorey (Hansel ang Gretel.) I like this crowd better though. It was always sad to see people puking in garbage cans and falling down drunk!

Stayed at Sapphire Falls-really nice!


----------



## PatriciaH

alanisrox69 said:


> We made the mistake of doing both parks AND HHN on the same day on Sunday the 21st. I did not realize how far the walks to and from the houses would be! #newbiemistake
> 
> Upon entering HHN and seeing the wait times at 140min for Stranger Things, we decided to just buy the express pass. $170 per person. Holy smokes! Total ripoff price wise, BUT also totally worth it. I did check other nights and the pass was cheaper, but we were already scanned into the park, and pretty much you’re forced to buy the express pass at that point. I’m not going to wait 140min to get into a haunted house lol.
> 
> I think they need to re-do the lines, especially if you have an express pass, most of the houses are in groups, so when you exit one, there should be an express line entrance right to the next house right there. You shouldn’t have to walk 1 mile back to the entrance that runs along the entrance to the next house. Just my 2 cents.
> 
> Overall, we got 9 of the 10 houses done on this night. After Seeds of Extinction (which took about 20mins to get into even with Express!) and then another 10-15min to exit because it was SO FAR back there, coupled with how horrible this house was, we skipped Trick R Treat to save another mile round trip of walking since our feet were completely destroyed. Our fitbits clocked almost 17miles of walking this day
> 
> We headed to Halloween 4 and ended our night there.
> 
> We returned Thursday evening just for HHN, got there right at 7, and headed right to Trick R Treat since that’s the house we missed. Sign said 15min wait but we were in the house within 5 mins. After that we just rode the rides, Gringotts and Mummy a few times each. The rides had little to no wait times up until about 10pm when people started finishing houses. It was weird walking around an almost empty Diagon Alley, but cool at the same time! (Again, Diagon starting filling up closer to 10pm). We also enjoyed walking around thru the scare zones. We also watched the Cyberpunk show which was neat.
> 
> Overall HHN was super fun for us first timers.
> 
> Things I would want Universal to improve on and/or change:
> -cheaper express pass ($170 pp is extreme!)
> -quicker entry/exit system to/from houses, especially if you have a express pass. There should be an express pass entry from one house exit to another house entry - since most of the houses are in groups and next to each other
> 
> Things I won’t do again:
> -go on a weekend night. Thursday night was much calmer than Sunday!!
> -try to do both parks during the day + HHN at night. Nope!


 

Not sure if you noticed ahead of your visit, but the Express Pass is $79-$99 many nights if you buy it when tickets go on sale. One thing I did not like is it went up online this year as time got closer to the event. We were waiting for our work schedule and the night we wanted went up by the time we bought tickets. So I went with a cheaper night!


----------



## PatriciaH

The little kids in strollers did seem reallyyyyyy out of place -


----------



## imprint

I personally would like to see an enforced minimum age of 7 years to attend HHN.  I think the general recommendation of 13+ is fine, but I know there are some kids under 13 ( mine included) that enjoy the event.  It's just sad to see a terrified young child.


----------



## schumigirl

PatriciaH said:


> The little kids in strollers did seem reallyyyyyy out of place -



It is horrible to see kids so young there......we saw strollers and babies being carried, some only months old.....and loads of toddlers...….most not having any fun at all!!



imprint said:


> I personally would like to see an enforced minimum age of 7 years to attend HHN.  I think the general recommendation of 13+ is fine, but I know there are some kids under 13 ( mine included) that enjoy the event.  It's just sad to see a terrified young child.



They should enforce an age. 

I`d opt for age 10 at least if they won`t enforce 13......but doubt it will ever happen. 

Although we did see an awful lot of children and babies, I can`t see not selling tickets to that age group would affect Universal that much....so it`s not money. 

I personally enjoy an event that is child free now and again.....


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## shh

Just back ourselves - went Wed and Thurs night on the BOGO tic. Great time! We didn't have express, but managed to do all houses except Halloween - and most of them 2x. 

We did Stay and Scream both nights - and thanks to that, waited just 15 min for Poltergeist first thing Wed, just 20 min for Stranger Things when we got in line 5 min before the 1am closing that night. Then did Stranger Things again on Thurs - just a 30 min wait (got to 1st Finnegan's corral by 4pm to swing that one!) (I did wish we could have seen Poltergeist a 2nd time, but the waits were too long.)

Loved the energy and fun of Vamp85 - kept looking for Freddy there, as I love Queen, but no luck. He seemed MIA both nights. 

Loved Killer Clowns...we grabbed beer for me and coffee for DH and sat near the Starbucks for about an hour and just relaxed/people watched there - hilarious!

Only house we didn't see was Halloween - just couldn't get the timing right on that one...it was always a long wait and we just didn't feel like spending that much time in line. But everything else was a 10-30 min wait max both nights for us. 

Best thing we did was to hit the headliner from Finnegan's corral, then head straight to the back of park - those houses were all 5-15 min wait times, then working around to the ET area houses. Then people watched and relaxed from 8pm onward to near closing.

My one complaint - everytime we found a place to sit and relax, people would come up near us and start smoking - which always seemed to blow our way. Each time, we tried to find a TM that could ask them to move to a smoking area, as we didn't really want to confront people directly but never could find anyone. Unfortunately, my DH is highly allergic, as he has asthma, so he really suffers around cigarette smoke, so that was very frustrating.

Did anyone else think Stranger Things could have been a bit longer/bigger house, given it's huge popularity? Felt a bit short, compared to some of the others. 

But such a great event this year! Amazing time!!!


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## frank808

imprint said:


> I personally would like to see an enforced minimum age of 7 years to attend HHN.  I think the general recommendation of 13+ is fine, but I know there are some kids under 13 ( mine included) that enjoy the event.  It's just sad to see a terrified young child.


My son was 7 when he went to his first hhn. He loved it so much that this year was his fifth year attending.

I saw multiple women with children that were under 1 at this years hhn.  Granted the babies dont understand what is happening, but the sound level in the houses are to loud for a developing child ears.


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## keishashadow

PatriciaH said:


> We went to HHN last night and had a lot of fun, but man 10 houses was a lot! The walking back and forth to SOE and Trick or Treat was longgggggg. And we hike a lot- I think I would rather 7/8 houses done really well than 10 with 2 really good ones. Lines were 60 minutes-2 hours without express.
> 
> We have been going to HHN since 2004. I really liked Poltergeist and Stranger Things was good. The props in Carnival of Carnage were great, but the characters were Meh. Dead Waters was better last year. Trick or Treat and Slaughter Cinema were pretty good. I like when they do real movies like All Night Die In (still one of my favorites to date!) instead of the campy fake ones. Cute though.
> 
> The crowd was a lot of families. Past  crowds were much rowdier and drunker. Houses used to be much more violent and gross too. Only Scary Tales was a bit gorey (Hansel ang Gretel.) I like this crowd better though. It was always sad to see people puking in garbage cans and falling down drunk!
> 
> Stayed at Sapphire Falls-really nice!



There were some death marches in the tenthouse area for sure!

Can’t say I’ve seen any hurling at U in general but will give them props of sort for a least seeking out a garbage can 



imprint said:


> I personally would like to see an enforced minimum age of 7 years to attend HHN.  I think the general recommendation of 13+ is fine, but I know there are some kids under 13 ( mine included) that enjoy the event.  It's just sad to see a terrified young child.



The lines i’ve Seen at gate are so long, wouldn’t want to be in one & have even longer wait while someone’s kid was ‘carded’.  Maybe if they set up a separate line or directed people to GS but don’t think U would want to get into verifying birth certificates or passports.



frank808 said:


> My son was 7 when he went to his first hhn. He loved it so much that this year was his fifth year attending.
> 
> I saw multiple women with children that were under 1 at this years hhn.  Granted the babies dont understand what is happening, but the sound level in the houses are to loud for a developing child ears.



Babies startle easily, lights & sound.  It’s not the place for them.  You could make a case that a parent carrying an infant in a darkened house with jump scares galore (not to mention propensity for some guests to grab onto other’s backs or push in line) is dangerous.  I did observe an adult being told to set his young daughter ? Down out of his arms before he entered house.  She was not amused but was still drug into the house...not cool.


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## emmabelle

we're thinking of going next year after our Disney cruise.  Is the last weekend of it still super crowded even if it's after Halloween?


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## cynditech

emmabelle said:


> we're thinking of going next year after our Disney cruise.  Is the last weekend of it still super crowded even if it's after Halloween?


 
We just got back from our trip - going from the 30th to Nov 6th, so the last weekend of HHN.  We thought both Friday and Saturday were pretty crowded.  We did stay & scream and then the RIP tour, so we've managed to see all of the houses.  The waits were pretty long the whole time we were there.  I would say that by the time Saturday hit - the last party we went to - I was done lol!  I had never been knocked into so much in my whole life.  On Saturday, I got hit in the head in the Stranger Things house (by a group behind me) and knocked into twice (by teens running from chainsaws) - the second time I was hit, it knocked the wind out of me.

I took my son to this event (and we went last year).  He's 12, almost 13.  I wish that there was an age limit or it would be required for a parent or guardian to be with kids/teens at the event.


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## emmabelle

well that doesn't sound fun... @cynditech


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## heidijanesmith

I might be in the minority here, but after thinking about this years event compared to the last 6 we have gone to. I want more scariness. I feel that the 1st several years we attended delivered on the scariness.

I want to be scared. I would like scarier houses; more blood and guts. More scarier scare zones; most of this years zones were not scary. I got some good scares in the pumpkin area, but that was it.  Not all the houses and scare zone have to be terrifying, bloody and nasty. Just more of them.

I like the more adult vibe, more PG-13. I love Stranger Things, I thought the house was very good. It was just not scary.  I do not care if they go back to fewer houses, just more scare. We saw so many young children this year, it made the whole vibe seem less scary.   Again not all the houses need to be gory but I like the scare.

Bill and Ted's show was more of a rated R feel. I wish they would bring back a show like that. I really enjoyed Academy of Villains, but to me it was not Villainous. There was superb dancing, acrobatics and a great story.

I understand that by bringing in Stranger Things IP that US is broadening their audience and therefore bringing in more ticket sales. This season seemed much more crowded on Wed and Thurs nights than previous years. 

I expressed my thoughts with a CM and she was super nice. She listed to my concerns and said she would pass them on. I participated in the e-mail survey's after the event. 

I am sure that there are HHN participants that are happy with this years tamer version and some that are not. The good thing is that the event is so well done that it keeps us coming back year after year.


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## keishashadow

heidijanesmith said:


> I might be in the minority here, but after thinking about this years event compared to the last 6 we have gone to. I want more scariness. I feel that the 1st several years we attended delivered on the scariness.
> 
> I want to be scared. I would like scarier houses; more blood and guts. More scarier scare zones; most of this years zones were not scary. I got some good scares in the pumpkin area, but that was it.  Not all the houses and scare zone have to be terrifying, bloody and nasty. Just more of them.
> 
> I like the more adult vibe, more PG-13. I love Stranger Things, I thought the house was very good. It was just not scary.  I do not care if they go back to fewer houses, just more scare. We saw so many young children this year, it made the whole vibe seem less scary.   Again not all the houses need to be gory but I like the scare.
> 
> Bill and Ted's show was more of a rated R feel. I wish they would bring back a show like that. I really enjoyed Academy of Villains, but to me it was not Villainous. There was superb dancing, acrobatics and a great story.
> 
> I understand that by bringing in Stranger Things IP that US is broadening their audience and therefore bringing in more ticket sales. This season seemed much more crowded on Wed and Thurs nights than previous years.
> 
> I expressed my thoughts with a CM and she was super nice. She listed to my concerns and said she would pass them on. I participated in the e-mail survey's after the event.
> 
> I am sure that there are HHN participants that are happy with this years tamer version and some that are not. The good thing is that the event is so well done that it keeps us coming back year after year.



You make some interesting points.  Good idea to pass your thoughts on via the various surveys.

It’s obvious that U increased their customer base acquiring ST.  However, i don’t really feel the other houses were less scary than prior years.  Being ‘scared’ is a subjective experience. 

I agree the scarezones were a bit off, other than the 80’s Vamp area & the Killer Klowns who were stellar with their interaction if you hit it right.  Always nice to meet interesting people with chainsaws 

Not sure how many nights you attended.  Have found over the years that you discover more details (scary and otherwise) as you do repeat visits through the houses.  Timing is everything.  If you miss the jump scares, a stellar room can ‘just’ be average.  Same goes for what team of scareactors and how well they have their timing down.

Guts & blood with chainsaws tossed heavily into the mix are important components but I appreciate the houses that are a bit more subtle, yet still terrifying.  I certainly don’t expect U to switch streams & dumb down the event to cater to children.  

This year was leaps & bounds above last year’s offering in my opinion.  I hope they manage to up their game again next year!


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## tony67

heidijanesmith said:


> I might be in the minority here, but after thinking about this years event compared to the last 6 we have gone to. I want more scariness. I feel that the 1st several years we attended delivered on the scariness.
> 
> I want to be scared. I would like scarier houses; more blood and guts. More scarier scare zones; most of this years zones were not scary. I got some good scares in the pumpkin area, but that was it.  Not all the houses and scare zone have to be terrifying, bloody and nasty. Just more of them.
> 
> I like the more adult vibe, more PG-13. I love Stranger Things, I thought the house was very good. It was just not scary.  I do not care if they go back to fewer houses, just more scare. We saw so many young children this year, it made the whole vibe seem less scary.   Again not all the houses need to be gory but I like the scare.
> 
> Bill and Ted's show was more of a rated R feel. I wish they would bring back a show like that. I really enjoyed Academy of Villains, but to me it was not Villainous. There was superb dancing, acrobatics and a great story.
> 
> I understand that by bringing in Stranger Things IP that US is broadening their audience and therefore bringing in more ticket sales. This season seemed much more crowded on Wed and Thurs nights than previous years.
> 
> I expressed my thoughts with a CM and she was super nice. She listed to my concerns and said she would pass them on. I participated in the e-mail survey's after the event.
> 
> I am sure that there are HHN participants that are happy with this years tamer version and some that are not. The good thing is that the event is so well done that it keeps us coming back year after year.


Totally agree - unfortunately I think this was the most successful HHN and I would guess they wont mess with that.   In the end if you want scary you need to go to the local non-corporate houses - it seems to be HHN is more about the details and less about the scare - but it is hard to enjoy the details (or be scared) when it is a conga line.

Also all though fun I cant say there were many scares at all at the scare zones - unlike previous years where you constantly saw people loosing their cool - that was just not the same this year.

I'll still go back next year - but it does seem to be changing


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## heidijanesmith

keishashadow said:


> You make some interesting points.  Good idea to pass your thoughts on via the various surveys.
> 
> It’s obvious that U increased their customer base acquiring ST.  However, i don’t really feel the other houses were less scary than prior years.  Being ‘scared’ is a subjective experience.
> 
> I agree the scarezones were a bit off, other than the 80’s Vamp area & the Killer Klowns who were stellar with their interaction if you hit it right.  Always nice to meet interesting people with chainsaws
> 
> Not sure how many nights you attended.  Have found over the years that you discover more details (scary and otherwise) as you do repeat visits through the houses.  Timing is everything.  If you miss the jump scares, a stellar room can ‘just’ be average.  Same goes for what team of scareactors and how well they have their timing down.
> 
> Guts & blood with chainsaws tossed heavily into the mix are important components but I appreciate the houses that are a bit more subtle, yet still terrifying.  I certainly don’t expect U to switch streams & dumb down the event to cater to children.
> 
> This year was leaps & bounds above last year’s offering in my opinion.  I hope they manage to up their game again next year!



We attended 4 nights this year with an RIP tour one night. Wed-Sat with RIP on Thurs.

I agree that going into the houses more than once can change your experience. We went through all the houses 3-4 times each. Your totally right about scareactors and timing. 

Scariness is subjective, I totally get that. What scares me could be different from what scares others. 

I appreciate your thoughts and perspective. I am still looking forward to many HHN's to come.


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## heidijanesmith

tony67 said:


> Totally agree - unfortunately I think this was the most successful HHN and I would guess they wont mess with that.   In the end if you want scary you need to go to the local non-corporate houses - it seems to be HHN is more about the details and less about the scare - but it is hard to enjoy the details (or be scared) when it is a conga line.
> 
> Also all though fun I cant say there were many scares at all at the scare zones - unlike previous years where you constantly saw people loosing their cool - that was just not the same this year.
> 
> I'll still go back next year - but it does seem to be changing



Thanks for your response and thoughts!

I loved the 1st few years of HHN's scariness. It was a great blend of details and being scared in the houses and all around the park. 

I like the conga line, the security and no-crawling in super tight spaces. The set up of HHN houses is just perfect for me.

I think your right about the popularity of this years HHN. We do love it and will keep coming, I am just hoping for more "scariness".


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## shh

keishashadow said:


> This year was leaps & bounds above last year’s offering in my opinion. I hope they manage to up their game again next year!



Definitely. DH and I often recalled as we toured each house this year how much more rudimentary the houses were back in the mid/late '90s and even early 00s. Don't get me wrong...the events were great back then with plenty of bloody, gory (and sometimes horribly smelly!) haunts. But there were lots of black walls, curtains and reliance on jump scares...NOTHING like the intricate and elegant set detail UO pulls off now. Even little things like detailed sconces for lighting and period furnishings I saw in the houses blew me away. Incredible set dressing effort for a temporary 2-3 month event.


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## shh

Did anyone go to Howl 'O Scream in Tampa this year? If so, could you share your opinions? I know it's nothing compared to HHN, but just curious if you felt it was more "R" rated vs more kid friendly. Did they have scare zones? Were the houses themed well? I've never been and was curious. I can check what the FB crowd says, but I prefer the opinions of the folks on DIS much more!


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## CAS239

shh said:


> Did anyone go to Howl 'O Scream in Tampa this year? If so, could you share your opinions? I know it's nothing compared to HHN, but just curious if you felt it was more "R" rated vs more kid friendly. Did they have scare zones? Were the houses themed well? I've never been and was curious. I can check what the FB crowd says, but I prefer the opinions of the folks on DIS much more!



I didn't go this year but I have been to Howl O Scream. It's a joke. You'll only want to go there if you want to ride the coasters at night, not to do the scarezones and houses. None of the houses have any ounce of scare to them, neither do the scarezones. I find Howl O Scream to be MUCH more kid friendly compared to HHN.

Howl O Scream also doesn't get any of the cool IP's. So they do all original houses which is another thing they lack compared to HHN. I want to walk through the Stranger Things set or feel like I'm in a house with Michael Myers. The Howl O Scream houses feel such low budget and thrown together in a day or two vs HHN.

Once you've done HHN, Howl O Scream will seem like a waste of money. Unless, like I said, you're going for the rides. Which in that case, I would just go to Busch Gardens during a regular park day and ride. I don't go to HHN for the rides, I go for the houses and scarezone..So it's the same at Busch Gardens.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy their coasters and Busch Gardens is a perfectly fine amusement park, but their Halloween event is laughable


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## verleniahall

We were at hhn for the first time and we were not impressed - it was also our first u oversaw trip and was not impressed at all - it was a one and done for us


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## shh

Thanks CAS239: very helpful review - appreciate it. I was debating trying it next year. Don't think I'll bother.


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## imprint

verleniahall said:


> We were at hhn for the first time and we were not impressed - it was also our first u oversaw trip and was not impressed at all - it was a one and done for us



Would you mind elaborating on what you did not like?  It might help other people considering a first trip to HHN and/or Universal.


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## heidijanesmith

shh said:


> Did anyone go to Howl 'O Scream in Tampa this year? If so, could you share your opinions? I know it's nothing compared to HHN, but just curious if you felt it was more "R" rated vs more kid friendly. Did they have scare zones? Were the houses themed well? I've never been and was curious. I can check what the FB crowd says, but I prefer the opinions of the folks on DIS much more!


+

DD now 21 did Howl 'O Scream at Williamsburg this year. She has been to HHN x5. She knew to lower her expectations from HHN. She expected it to be similar to local Haunted Houses but with awesome scare zones.

She was very disappointed. The houses were not scary and the scare zones were not even really themed zones. She said there was very few scareactors in the houses or zones.  She said it was extremely crowded and not worth the time. It is included in the your ticket price, so she said it was crowded very early on.


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## Sehsun

shh said:


> Did anyone go to Howl 'O Scream in Tampa this year? If so, could you share your opinions? I know it's nothing compared to HHN, but just curious if you felt it was more "R" rated vs more kid friendly. Did they have scare zones? Were the houses themed well? I've never been and was curious. I can check what the FB crowd says, but I prefer the opinions of the folks on DIS much more!



DH and I have been to Howl-O-Scream twice. We enjoy it for the lower crowds, and he likes the line pulsing (they send in groups at a time rather than the conga lines). I personally do not like the jump scares because the scareactors (I don't know what they call them there) all verbally yell when they jump out, and that gets my heart racing more than just silent jump scares, if that makes sense.

We like that the scareactors are spread out more throughout the park and not just confined to their scare zone. For example, often you will see them roaming before you even get in the park or after you exit the turnstiles.

If you decide to try it out, we recommend Fright Feast. It gets you the special buffet dinner (at Dragonfire Grill in Pantopia), plus 1.5 hours of front of the line access. If you finish dinner soon enough, you can have exclusive front of the line access before the event even starts.

As far as R-rated vs kid friendly, we didn't really see a difference. There was one house and scare zone (leading up to it) this past year that was recommended for ages 17 and older, and that was due to gore.

They did have scare zones. The scareactors have good hiding places.  I felt that the houses were themed fine, but I personally like HHN's theming better.


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## shh

Thanks for sharing your experience, Sehsun. Sounds like it was a great time for you both.  I could see the line pulsing as an improvement over the conga line for better immersion once you're in the house and love the idea of the scare actors spread throughout the park. 

It must be tough for BG to compete with HHN on theming and set design on the houses though, given UO's massive budget and pro-level studio resources. I'd imagine BG is more fairly compared to a local/regional haunted event. HHN's theming this year really blew me away.


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## mamapenguin

PatriciaH said:


> Not sure if you noticed ahead of your visit, but the Express Pass is $79-$99 many nights if you buy it when tickets go on sale. One thing I did not like is it went up online this year as time got closer to the event. We were waiting for our work schedule and the night we wanted went up by the time we bought tickets. So I went with a cheaper night!


I guess we got lucky then 10/11 express was $99 pp day of. If it's the same next year, I will do it again. It made things so much more enjoyable, we are not long line people.


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## mamapenguin

tony67 said:


> People are willing to pay it - so I dont see that changing - if you wait till 10 it might be half price IF they did not sell out
> At that price people might be better off with a RIP tour - but you really need to plan that in advance
> 
> I like the second idea - as it is a ridiculous walk back and forth to some of those houses - they could probably make that work for express



You can buy the after 10 pass earlier, you just can’t use it until 10. I was offered that option the afternoon that I bought our passes. I declined, because I could envision the look on my daughter’s face if I told her that we had express but had to wait in the lines until 10.


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