Halloween Horror Nights 21: Your Luck Has Run Out

[Jakemeister]

If you want some proof that HHN is still a healthy and safe business go on a hell night and go wait in a 200minute long line. You might not agree with the quality of the house and think that might be regressing but HHN none the less is still as healthy as ever in the $$ sense.

 

[YETI PINTRADER]

I thought 20 was the best year yet. I got scared more at 20 than both 18 and 19 and the atmosphere and houses were amazing. 18 would be my second favorite, it was my first year, and that set the bar for what HHN could do in my mind with atmosphere and an immersive theme. 19 was the weakest, I was not scared as much as 18. 18 and 20 had loads of memorable moments to me, 19 only had about one or two. They cared more about scenery than scares and while some supported that I felt that it lost focus on what the event was about to me. 20 put it back on track.

 

[tiredoldspook]

People who have never been to anything but HHN sadly have no real ideas anyway of what is out there . Sadly to think that another park did something and HHN won't do it is INSANE. Let's think about a Vampire Club,,hmmm I think a park down the road did a club theme first and the HHN put a vampire twist on it. Clowns Knotts and most everyone has done clowns and that them for years(yes before JACK) Scary Tales had been done at other events and houses also. What about an Insane Asylum oh What Busch did Escape from Insanity(Still the greatest them park haunt EVER) before psychoscarepy was even done. Funeral Home style haunt done for years(Scream house anyone).

Universal does try for some unusual ideas and sometimes they work and some times they fail. But look at most of the houses that have been done numerous times there. Most have there roots in the normal haunted house formula that works. HHN uses Cary, Ohio as different scenarious because to find the best haunts and haunt lore you have to go to the middle of America.

Also if you have never been to anything but HHN do yourself a favor and try another sample on the horror buffet.

 

[Splatter]

People who have never been to anything but HHN sadly have no real ideas anyway of what is out there . Sadly to think that another park did something and HHN won't do it is INSANE. Let's think about a Vampire Club,,hmmm I think a park down the road did a club theme first and the HHN put a vampire twist on it. Clowns Knotts and most everyone has done clowns and that them for years(yes before JACK) Scary Tales had been done at other events and houses also. What about an Insane Asylum oh What Busch did Escape from Insanity(Still the greatest them park haunt EVER) before psychoscarepy was even done. Funeral Home style haunt done for years(Scream house anyone).

Universal does try for some unusual ideas and sometimes they work and some times they fail. But look at most of the houses that have been done numerous times there. Most have there roots in the normal haunted house formula that works. HHN uses Cary, Ohio as different scenarious because to find the best haunts and haunt lore you have to go to the middle of America.

Also if you have never been to anything but HHN do yourself a favor and try another sample on the horror buffet.

EVERYTHING has been done in a sense. It is not so much about how original your scary theme is. It is about how well executed it is. It is not about who does it first, but who does it better. I will agree with you that After Hours at Howl o Scream did it better...but then again for 3 plus years. All events have their strengths and weaknesses. Just something to keep in mind.

 

[tiredoldspook]

I talked to one of the owners of EREBUS during Hauntcon about that very thing about ideas being redone. He said there are piles of themes and on occasion people hit on new ones that work well. Some examples are IMO. After Hours new idea that worked, Hades to me worked great but I truly enjoy the old themes the classic haunts. Octobers Fade and I were talking to Scott Swenson who is the man over HOS during Cheetah Hunt opening. We talked about haunts and how middle America is so important in the Haunt game then we discussed Netherworld. He said Netherworld is like the Mecca of all people who know haunts and the reason is because they push the haunt envelope to a different level.

HHN did something at 20 that I hope they continued they tried to tie the old and the new HHN. The worst thing about HHN is the overkill of hype they try to make things sound just so insane it is hard to live up to any of it. Perfect example was RUN. I have heard people talk about the first RUN like it was the most amazing House ever done at HHN. Then I asked them if they did it and the answer is NO I had a friend who did. I did RUN they hype was amazing here was what RUN the house was. It was dark and had chainlink fence and people in black and sparking the chainlink fence and yelling at you. Now if HHN did that today the fans would rip them a new one. My point let the event be the excitement and the build up not a web page.

 

[Dr. Raymond Holmes]

I'm one of the BIGGEST HHN fanboys out there and some people on this board can back me up on that statement.. I do know my fair share of HHN and its actually scary how much I know.

However since I started my blog/fan page "Designing the Fear" I came to the conclusion that I would so love to save up the money and visit haunts during the month of October. Hell each time I go on youtube looking for stuff for my page I find new stuff each time.. There are thousands and thousands of haunts out there.. Some look like they suck but some actually looks awesome.

One haunt I want to see is "Dent Schoolhouse" and from what I've herd it blows are Schoolhouse SZ and Orphanage out of the water.

Each haunt talks to one another in some shape or form and they all help one another out. Their is only so much you can do to a halloween event when you think about it.

HHN is awesome but if you go on my fan page and watch some clips or look at the pictures you see some cool stuff.. hell there is a Steampunk haunt in NYC that doesnt use a drop of blood in their haunt.

 

[Octobers Fade]

I'm one of the BIGGEST HHN fanboys out there and some people on this board can back me up on that statement.. I do know my fair share of HHN and its actually scary how much I know.

However since I started my blog/fan page "Designing the Fear" I came to the conclusion that I would so love to save up the money and visit haunts during the month of October. Hell each time I go on youtube looking for stuff for my page I find new stuff each time.. There are thousands and thousands of haunts out there.. Some look like they suck but some actually looks awesome.

One haunt I want to see is "Dent Schoolhouse" and from what I've herd it blows are Schoolhouse SZ and Orphanage out of the water.

Each haunt talks to one another in some shape or form and they all help one another out. Their is only so much you can do to a halloween event when you think about it.

HHN is awesome but if you go on my fan page and watch some clips or look at the pictures you see some cool stuff.. hell there is a Steampunk haunt in NYC that doesnt use a drop of blood in their haunt.

Dent was awesome, nothing at all like HHNs. They send small groups in and then wait several minutes to let the next victims in and the characters interact with you. If you think your into haunts venture out and see, feel, and smell some. You won't look at HHNs the same again.

 

[Splatter]

There are so many great haunts out there. The way I view an event like HHN is just that, an event.

It offers eight all new houses from ground up (with the exception of a few shortcuts) and scare zones inbetween that makes it a fun atmosphere. Then you have the shows for just some good fun and then you know it is going to be pretty darn different the following year.

There is no comparison to something like Netherworld, who builds upon that and reopens each year without having to worry about theme park operations in between.

 

[tiredoldspook]

Splatter I agree I look at HHN and HOS as an Event more then a Haunt. That is something I have tried to explain to people for years. Theme Park haunts are what they are and They are lots of fun but they are still limited to what they can and can't do. I truly just get annoyed with people that think there is no other world but HHN. Sadly Florida has no serious Haunt contenders to compare anything to. A city the size of Orlando and Tampa should have 2-3 haunts but sadly there is no other game except them park haunts.

 

[The Madman]

There are a fair number of annual haunts in the area, I just have little knowledge regarding them. As far as a year round haunt, however, it's Old Town or nothing. It's strange because logistically one would think that, with the tourist market what it is, there'd be a place for one but all previous attempts have proven otherwise.

 

[tiredoldspook]

I have looked into local haunts in the Orlando and Tampa market for years and can never find one. A number of years ago someone did a couple in the Mercado but they didn't peak enough interest t come back. For anyone who lives in the local areas try and find out if there is anything that is open more then a yard haunt on Halloween.

 

[Rock'nRoller]

Splatter I agree I look at HHN and HOS as an Event more then a Haunt. That is something I have tried to explain to people for years. Theme Park haunts are what they are and They are lots of fun but they are still limited to what they can and can't do. I truly just get annoyed with people that think there is no other world but HHN. Sadly Florida has no serious Haunt contenders to compare anything to. A city the size of Orlando and Tampa should have 2-3 haunts but sadly there is no other game except them park haunts.

I understand where you are coming from...and I agree. Sure HHN is awesome!, but I do like the local hants to. I want to SO BADDLY go to Netherworld, Dent, and the legendary 13th Gate. :sneaky: (Plus some other top 10 houses).

 

[tiredoldspook]

The thing about the big haunts is they are open EVERY day in October. I do Netherworld 3 times a year and it is roughly an hour and half from my front door. The Pretour on hauntcon was 270 dollars not counting hotel and gas and food. I love this stuff and my vacations are spent doing these things. I hope to add a few new haunts this year so i can keep seeing what is out there.

 

[tiredoldspook]

Let me go ahead and put what HHN copy will say. This will be the most Terrifying Halloween Horror Nights of All times.

 

[Rock'nRoller]

Let me go ahead and put what HHN copy will say. This will be the most Terrifying Halloween Horror Nights of All times.

That is what they always say for every year. ound:

Anyway, glad to see some contruction pics! This will bring more speculation. :happy:

 

[tiredoldspook]

Speculation is easy They will have 2 houses more then they need that will not be good. I would like to see them drop the Jaws Que House and do 3 maybe 4 really long good scare zones.

 

[Rock'nRoller]

Speculation is easy They will have 2 houses more then they need that will not be good. I would like to see them drop the Jaws Que House and do 3 maybe 4 really long good scare zones.

I agree. I don't know why Universal doesn't just turn each zone (New York, Hollywood, est...) into a huge themed scarezone. It would work out much better. :thumbs:

 

[tiredoldspook]

I would like to see a long scare zone from the beginning of Terminator through Central Park.

 

[Jakemeister]

i would like to see a long scare zone from the beginning of terminator through central park.

this

 

[Skater121]

I've just read through this thread and I have to say, it is getting me really excited!

One idea I've always had for XXI was seeing as that's the legal drinking age in the US that there could be something related to alcohol in a house or scarezone; perhaps a haunted brewery? Has anyone got any thoughts on this or is it something that has restrictions on it meaning it can't be done?