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Halloween Horror Nights 2018 (USH) General Discussion

I think that puts the nail in the coffin on a price drop, right? I feel like all signs are pointing to "nope." Dang Stranger Things ruining things for everyone...
Guess I won't be going again. Shame, I wanted to see how things developed.
 
How do you think it will be going on the last day? Busy? I was planning to go tonight, but won't be able to get off work in time to drive up there. For the last day, should I still get a FOL pass, or is that overkill?
 
With all those rained out guests being allowed to return, it's tough to say. I don't imagine it being too bad, but tough to say. I would imagine you could get the after 11pm Express pass if it were really bad.
 
In other news, Channel Zero just ended with its most hauntworthy season yet. No word on whether it's gonna be renewed for next year, but Shudder is pushing it hard and there's a chance it'll continue there.

Just so many characters in the new one, and they're not all children or dwarves like in season 1 or 3.

Pretzel Jack, Tall Boy, fake Tom and the crayon gang are all just itching to show up in a haunt. Plus, the weird baby and Pretzel Jack watching through the door crack would make such neat distraction scares, and the room full of doors could be a nice "multi-directional" scare. Ughhh, this show is so awesome.
 
Just got back from my first USH HHN. It was really fun and the longest waits were 20 minutes for Stranger Things and Universal Classic Monsters. Stranger Things was definitely a more claustrophobic version of Orlando, focusing on the smaller rooms featured on the show moreso than some of the bigger set pieces of Orlando, but still very evocative of the show.

I actually preferred USH's version of Poltergeist. I liked that it was a much more linear telling of the story than Orlando and followed the film more closely, whereas Orlando seemed to go more abstract for no reason. The First Purge had more scares than anytime The Purge has appeared in Orlando as well.

Universal Classic Monsters was definitely my favorite and it also had the best scares. Frankenstein got me GOOD when he jumped thru the screen in one part. Halloween 4 was also decent, and Trick R Treat was fun too. I like how your entrances look like standalone buildings you're walking into and not just facades like most of Orlando's HHNs.

The black walls though.. guys, we don't have those in Orlando so it's strange how often they're used here. Also, the black walls and light up boo hole scares are used in every house here. It's hilarious but always effective somehow. Obviously its a budgetary constraint so I hope you guys keep throwing money at it so your houses get better and better.

If not, definitely do yourself a favor and book a trip to Orlando's HHN sometime.
 
You perfectly stated what I think we actually do better than Orlando, as well as what we need to work on. Agreed on all points.

I went to Orlando HHN for my first time last year, and while I found the sets inside very impressive, I agree that their lack of facades and occasional abstractions are a downside. I also feel our scareactors are overall stronger.

We all agree about the black walls here on this board, but I do think we forget that part of the reason there are so many boo boxes is because, well, they are effective. Are they overused? Sure. But they do work, like it or not.
 
Thursday November 1
My final night out of 7 times I went this season. Stranger Things Opened late at 5:45. Not sure if this was due to the daytime opening of the maze or just a technical issue. Not a big deal as it was not crowded today. Had really great runs in all the houses. After not really liking the First Purge on my first run it has grown on me. Halloween 4 was fun since it was only my 2nd run of the event. I hit in on the first night with express but since then it has always been 40 - 50 min wait by the time I get there. Last night I waited 10 min. Longest wait was about that. I saw the Jaberwokee crew being escorted through some of the mazes without their masks of course.
Over all a good year in my opinion.

Final Rankings
1 - Universal Monsters
2 - Trick r Treat
3 - Poltergeist
4 - Stranger Things
5 - Halloween
6 - The Frist Purge
7 - Blumhouse

As the event went on the Black walls didn't bother me as much. Stockholm syndrome I guess.
 
Found my in to go again! The college I work at has discounts for Sunday that include 4PM Early Entry for $59! Not quite as low as I hoped, but good enough.
 
I'm going on the last night. I got a 2 PM early entry so I can enjoy the park for part of the day too. Should be intersting to be there for the last day of HHN
 
I'm still going two more times but I feel like I might as well finally post my rankings.
Mazes:
1.) Universal Monsters (20 walk throughs)
2.) Poltergeist (24 walk throughs)
3.) Trick r' Treat (25 walk throughs)
4.) Stranger Things (17 walk throughs)
5.) Terror Tram: Dreadtime Stories (13 walk throughs)
6.) Halloween 4 (12 walk throughs)
7.) First Purge (18 walk throughs)
8.) Blumhouse (16 walk throughs)

Scare Zones: (Though the first 2 might as well be tied for number one)
1.) Monster Masquerade
2.) Holidayz in Hell
3.) Trick r' Treat
4.) Hellz Harvest
5.) Toxxic Tunnel
 
Anyone know how the 4PM early entry line works? I know there's a day/night line and a 5PM early entry line. But what about 4PMers?
 
Anyone know how the 4PM early entry line works? I know there's a day/night line and a 5PM early entry line. But what about 4PMers?

They'll have people directing you when you get to the front of the park - they should have an entry for 4pmers. Basically same deal, just lets you get in a little earlier to queue up/eat/decompress before the fun begins.
 
One last question about early entry... so for today specifically, will Stranger Things itself open at 4, or we'll just be let in at 4? And if not 4, what time is it scheduled to open?
 
For clarification, there was a new group of chainsaw actors, maybe 4 or 5 of them, roaming the backlot from the entrance of Blumhouse to the entrance of the Purge, they were dressed kinda like biker, skeleton-y guys, kinda made me think of an update of 2011's Reaperz, didn't get to see them on the lower lot unfortunately, pretty sure they roamed similarly to Florida's
 
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