This is every year. And it's been pretty much the same going back to IoA Adventure days, just more of it now because there are more fans. Discussion dies even more come October, when the general public is just discovering the event, other then two or three posters being shot down by the mods from trying to jump-start next year's speculation.
The hypothetical event in everyone's head -- with a potential anime house, and an obscure death metal band house, and a loving re-creation of every set from Creature from the Black Lagoon including water, or whatever else they happen to be into -- will never match up to the real thing, which, every year, is 90% a new coat of paint over the same old chassis of beautiful façades, funhouse gags and jump scares. Plus the general desire to prove one's fandom by knowing more than everyone else. (This pre-dates the internet, I remember friends scouring Bantha Tracks so they could brag they had the inside scoop on Star Wars II.) This is the nature of fandom. HHN just makes it easier by giving us a new event with 10 new E-tickets every single year.