Halloween Horror Nights 25 Discussion

[MrRoamer]

Lady Luck was my least liked Icon out of all of them. Jack was overplayed years ago but with all the changes HHN has undergone in the past year, I am very excited for his return and what it means for the event as a whole.

 

[shiekra38]

Lady Luck was my least liked Icon out of all of them. Jack was overplayed years ago but with all the changes HHN has undergone in the past year, I am very excited for his return and what it means for the event as a whole.

Unfortunately I think it will last about a year and then we're back to regularly scheduled programming...

 

[Zombie-C]

I really do wonder how do you top what WD has done already. A disaster house-all streets and parade house- Longest SS house done- ?

O I know an Extreme house (sorry...hahaha. We know it comes up every year) would be very cool if somewhere in the middle of the house. The lights went out. Only to be in a section of Dead Exposure. Just to have a throw back. Come to think of it. Would be a great mix of the past is mixing with the present to a overall theme for this year.

 

[kingcooger]

The Icon issue is that, the GP only really cares about Jack, the other Icons never took hold the way he did. Having him at the event does not mean we will automatically be getting a backstory or have everything connected, it just means we have a psycho clown present and the GP will be happy.

Look at the progression of 2008-2012: 2008 had an icon very much tied into the event but it her backstory and house were too overly complex for those not paying attention, 2009 had an icon very much tied into the event whose backstory was simple to grasp and had an IP dominated Icon house, 2010 returned to overly complex Icon backstories (that never ended up being resolved) and moved the Icons to the streets, 2011 kept the Icon in the streets and had such a paper thin backstory it did not really even matter, and 2012 dumped Icons entirely.

I am hoping they prove my cynicism wrong, but Jack's own backstory contradicts itself so building an event with a backstory around him does not scream of cohesion to me. Now if they had announced The Director, The Caretaker, or The Usher I would be singing a very different tune.

 

[shiekra38]

The Icon issue is that, the GP only really cares about Jack, the other Icons never took hold the way he did. Having him at the event does not mean we will automatically be getting a backstory or have everything connected, it just means we have a psycho clown present and the GP will be happy.

Look at the progression of 2008-2012: 2008 had an icon very much tied into the event but it her backstory and house were too overly complex for those not paying attention, 2009 had an icon very much tied into the event whose backstory was simple to grasp and had an IP dominated Icon house, 2010 returned to overly complex Icon backstories (that never ended up being resolved) and moved the Icons to the streets, 2011 kept the Icon in the streets and had such a paper thin backstory it did not really even matter, and 2012 dumped Icons entirely.

I am hoping they prove my cynicism wrong, but Jack's own backstory contradicts itself so building an event with a backstory around him does not scream of cohesion to me. Now if they had announced The Director, The Caretaker, or The Usher I would be singing a very different tune.

The problem with some of those years was consistency for sure...You can make the argument that 2012 was the worst year at HHN ever..but you can also argue that the event is getting consistently better...The whole Icon thing was a go to when IPs weren't an option...now that HHN is a massive juggernaut of an event icons aren't really needed...to quote Aiello himself "HHN is the icon"...so I think Jack will return as part of this year, but we will continue with our IPs stealing the show for now...perhaps a reinvention is approaching quicker than it appears though

 

[kingcooger]

perhaps a reinvention is approaching quicker than it appears though

At this point, I am wondering what would even signal a reinvention? The last three years they have been so dead set on putting a lot of IPs into the event and, unless this year proves us wrong, I do not see that as changing. The HOTY award is not determined by guest feedback but so many factors that it is hard to say definitively what house is going to be given the title. Finally, you would think the main changing factor would be the return on investment of the IP, but how can you fairly judge that when the event could just be selling out for the originals, of which there is no merchandise?

 

[shiekra38]

At this point, I am wondering what would even signal a reinvention? The last three years they have been so dead set on putting a lot of IPs into the event and, unless this year proves us wrong, I do not see that as changing. The HOTY award is not determined by guest feedback but so many factors that it is hard to say definitively what house is going to be given the title. Finally, you would think the main changing factor would be the return on investment of the IP, but how can you fairly judge that when the event could just be selling out for the originals, of which there is no merchandise?

Oh they can tell...there is a whole lot that gives the "winner" away in terms of success..

Now for us it is fairly judged on the basics like detail or scares

 

[kingcooger]

Oh they can tell...there is a whole lot that gives the "winner" away in terms of success..

Now for us it is fairly judged on the basics like detail or scares

Exactly my point, I know that they can tell but the average guest cannot. When you can assign HOTY to any house you like and pretty much ignore the feedback, that is a lot of power. I am curious as to what, if any, effect the HOTY winners have on any years going forward. For instance, if originals keep prevailing as HOTY, does that mean management will want more originals? Theoretically, this would be the case, but since HOTY is not just judged based on feedback it ends up being hard to tell if the award means anything going forward.

 

[Dr. Raymond Holmes]

HOTY is decided by a lot of factors... One being attendance (Do the SA's call out a lot), safety (Has Health Service been called out a lot), ect...

We have hit a new era in HHN after 2010, and partly was due to how much success Murdy did with IPs in Hollywood BUT you also gotta remember we have always shared something with Hollywood over the yrs. It's just recently its more and more and more in our face.

HHN - Orlando used to be marketed as a local event, now there trying to market throughout the world (Hens why UK gets first dibs on Ticket sales) but that's coming with a cost (Not going to rant on that subject).

 

[Parkscope Joe]

What would everyone think about a daytime Halloween experience? No extra admission? Just a thought.

 

[Zombie-C]

Something like House of Horrors? (was located in Universal Studios Hollywood)

Mike Aiello was asked in a video last year about maybe a year round haunt. His answer was a standard "we're exploring all options" No madder how much we want it. Universal would never do that nore anything scarier other than Mummy and Horror Make-Up Show.

 

[shiekra38]

What would everyone think about a daytime Halloween experience? No extra admission? Just a thought.

I thought it would be fun to have a family halloween event in IOA that went to about 7pm (included with admission)..with HHN starting at its normal time at the Studios

 

[Zombie-C]

I thought it would be fun to have a family halloween event in IOA that went to about 7pm (included with admission)..with HHN starting at its normal time at the Studios

Now that would be cool but thinking in Universal's mind. Would it be profitable? Now MNSS is a different story.

 

[Dr. Raymond Holmes]

Its been rumor for years that TJ wants a kid friendly event at IOA, Roddy even told me they approach the Suess Family about this (There was an actually a Halloween Special featuring the Grinch)

 

[SeventyOne]

What would everyone think about a daytime Halloween experience? No extra admission? Just a thought.

Would like to see a Sea World-style event in IoA. Seems a natural fit with Potter--whenever Potter slows enough that it needs the seasonal bump. Could work in the Grinch too, Marvel villains, etc.

- - - Updated - - -

Its been rumor for years that TJ wants a kid friendly event at IOA, Roddy even told me they approach the Suess Family about this (There was an actually a Halloween Special featuring the Grinch)

Why let the competition keep that market? Make it a day event, no danger of confusion between this and HHN. Plus it sounds fun.

 

[ThemeParks4Life]

What would everyone think about a daytime Halloween experience? No extra admission? Just a thought.

Something similar to MNSSHP during the day would be neat, only problem is the heat if you wanted to dress up.

 

[MillenniumDragons]

In terms of IP houses, we could see a house based off of Insidious 3 or Sinister 2 and maybe a Frankenstein house, just by looking at what the past 3 events have featured.

 

[Zombie-C]

potter slowing down. Now that's a thought. How would a Halloween friendly event take place. If they have to get permission from the properties.

A rumor like the extreme house huh. That's been about what 9 years? At this point Inisidous should be a go. Halloween opened up doors. So whatever we think from the past might come a reality. I'd love a John Carpenter house.

 

[Octobers Fade]

potter slowing down. Now that's a thought. How would a Halloween friendly event take place. If they have to get permission from the properties.

A rumor like the extreme house huh. That's been about what 9 years? At this point Inisidous should be a go. Halloween opened up doors. So whatever we think from the past might come a reality. I'd love a John Carpenter house.

They have already done The Thing, Halloween, and The Fog... almost with Forsaken.

 

[Zombie-C]

That's true now add all those with They Live and Prince of Darkness. One killer house. If zombies weren't over done. I've always thought a George Romero house would kill.

Then again they said back when they did the Poe house. That it opened doors. Still waiting on that H.P. Lovecraft house.