Halloween Horror Nights 25 Discussion

[anihilnation]

What do you guys all mean by "got into Lucy"? Lucy what?

The area by what use to be Lucy (soon to be Hello Kitty) is a holding area for stay and scream.

 

[darkridelover]

These wait times tonight are making me question buying an Express Pass for next Thursday.

I was there last night, I got through 4 houses and they all were 45mins to over an hour waits. It was insanely crowded the whole night. Don't listen to the app it's way off!!!

Actual Wait Times

25th House- 1 hour wait at 6:30pm
Asylum 3D- 45 mins at 8pm
Purge- 1:15 at 9:15pm
Body Collectors- 45 mins at 11:15pm

 

[anihilnation]

I was in Lucy Friday & Saturday. I got into the holding area around 4:40pm on both days. They let us in around 6.

Thanks. Wish they'd let out at 17h45 like Duff, but of course this area is right at the front so they have to wait for the day time guests to leave. Ah well, I'll try and be one of the first for monsters, then head over to Freddy since people waiting at Finn's should be done with that one, then go to the back for Insidious. I loved Duff S&S last year because they had my two favorites (Dollhouse and Halloween).

 

[Cole]

I guess just wait till the wait times boards are fixed to see if the 9th house really effected anything. By the looks it though it's doing wonders on crowds

 

[Teebin]

The area by what use to be Lucy (soon to be Hello Kitty) is a holding area for stay and scream.

Aah.. thanks!

 

[sjago13]

Lucy let's out between 5.45 and 6. The house was ready at 5.45 but they were slow on the sweep Saturday. As soon as the line of security makes it to the front they let you in. Did M&M and was 4th into the house. After the first room I lost the people in front of me and there were no people behind us. Was great. Then waited 20 for FvJ and 20 for wolf. Then wait'd 5 for run and ate at Finn. Did 8 houses and that was eating for an hour and also left at 12.45 when we coulda gotten in line for 1 more but we're wiped. It was better than opening night for sure.

 

[anihilnation]

Lucy let's out between 5.45 and 6. The house was ready at 5.45 but they were slow on the sweep Saturday. As soon as the line of security makes it to the front they let you in. Did M&M and was 4th into the house. After the first room I lost the people in front of me and there were no people behind us. Was great. Then waited 20 for FvJ and 20 for wolf. Then wait'd 5 for run and ate at Finn. Did 8 houses and that was eating for an hour and also left at 12.45 when we coulda gotten in line for 1 more but we're wiped. It was better than opening night for sure.

Thanks Sjago!

 

[travislopes]

Thanks for all the feedback about the wait times! Looks like I'll be sticking with the express pass this time around.

Now that the first weekend has come and past, what seems to be the optimal order to run through the houses in?

 

[DmendozaMIA]

So that was a busy opening weekend, do we think next weekend is gonna be worse or better? I believe Next saturday will be slow mainly because most of the people that made up the opening day crowds were local and using frequent fear, also there are not that many tourists in september and prices are high for saturdays so even more locals will be turned off and tempted to go thursday or friday. So yes i believe this next saturday will be a bit slower, finally some breathing room.

 

[SamJay]

Thanks for all the feedback about the wait times! Looks like I'll be sticking with the express pass this time around.

Now that the first weekend has come and past, what seems to be the optimal order to run through the houses in?

Honestly, I'm beginning to think my old method of starting at the tents and working my way to the sound stage houses later in the evening isn't going to cut it this year. Insidious and TWD both had high wait times by the opening on Friday and Saturday. I got in early from the APH event on Friday and TWD still had a 45 minute wait around 6PM. I thought I'd have time to get into the line for Insidious after doing TWD and Purge but it was already at 70 minutes around 6:15.

As much as it pains me to say this, because I think express is part of the problem...get an express pass. Especially if you're only going for one night.

 

[SeventyOne]

As much as it pains me to say this, because I think express is part of the problem...get an express pass. Especially if you're only going for one night.

I agree with Express being an issue. RIP also huge--had two 20-person tours cut in front of me in maybe a 5-minute span; an extra 300/hour would test even a people-eater like Haunted Mansion on a busy night. Also, to be blunt, abuse and fraud with GAC is probably even more rampant than it was at WDW when the Mouse changed policies.

I agree Express the only way to go. Even with express, 20 - 30 minute lines standard for the popular houses.

I think it's fair to say at this point, the system is broken. 9 houses and Diagon (which seems popular) and it doesn't make a dent.

 

[Clive]

I agree with Express being an issue. RIP also huge--had two 20-person tours cut in front of me in maybe a 5-minute span; an extra 300/hour would test even a people-eater like Haunted Mansion on a busy night. Also, to be blunt, abuse and fraud with GAC is probably even more rampant than it was at WDW when the Mouse changed policies.

I agree Express the only way to go. Even with express, 20 - 30 minute lines standard for the popular houses.

I think it's fair to say at this point, the system is broken. 9 houses and Diagon (which seems popular) and it doesn't make a dent.

Once again, great analysis. The capacity of these houses just aren't enough when you factor in Express, RIP tours and GAC.

I'm going to be traveling next weekend with someone who needs a GAC (messed up feet), but it isn't overwhelmingly obvious that she needs it. I'm a bit concerned people are going to be giving me/us dirty looks... but I agree, the GAC abuse is just as much of a problem as Express saturation in general.

 

[ThemeParks4Life]

I'm curious what a tenth house would've done for capacity.

 

[MrRoamer]

Last night was still way better crowd wise than Friday night.

I know I asked this question earlier but think it is worth asking again. Does diagon increase the event capacity? From what I've heard gringots has been posting low waits, I've seen the London waterfront more difficult to the entrance to diagon but haven't looked inside.

If it increased capacity by 5000 (random number) and 4500 don't care then the houses are already over capacity

 

[DmendozaMIA]

Last night was still way better crowd wise than Friday night.

I know I asked this question earlier but think it is worth asking again. Does diagon increase the event capacity? From what I've heard gringots has been posting low waits, I've seen the London waterfront more difficult to the entrance to diagon but haven't looked inside.

If it increased capacity by 5000 (random number) and 4500 don't care then the houses are already over capacity

Opening day diagon was a ghost town, saturday night it was more packed and gringotts reached 20 min, still nothing lol, but there was more of the gp saturday and the house lines were lower so i still believe diagon will help later down the line.

 

[DmendozaMIA]

Opening day diagon was a ghost town, saturday night it was more packed and gringotts reached 20 min, still nothing lol. But there was more of the gp saturday and the house lines were lower so i still believe diagon will help later down the line.

Also rip ride rocket had a long line saturday, people where rushing the rockit at the end of the night instead of the houses. The GP will fall for the rides soon enough.

 

[SamJay]

I agree with Express being an issue. RIP also huge--had two 20-person tours cut in front of me in maybe a 5-minute span; an extra 300/hour would test even a people-eater like Haunted Mansion on a busy night. Also, to be blunt, abuse and fraud with GAC is probably even more rampant than it was at WDW when the Mouse changed policies.

I agree Express the only way to go. Even with express, 20 - 30 minute lines standard for the popular houses.

I walked into the line for Run last night around 7:30 and the sign estimated a 20 minute wait. With the express line building up and then moving consistently with short bursts of the standby line getting let in, my wait got stretched into 40 minutes. So I think the problem with express is that it's both a systemic issue on Universal's part in addition to people using express passes unwisely for shorter waits when they otherwise could have come back and used it at a time when the wait time was closer to an hour. It just made it more frustrating for everyone.

I know Saturdays are usually pretty bad in the first place but last night was a disaster for anyone without express.

 

[neoshinok]

Anyone know the purpose of the little tear-off tickets being handed out in lines this year? Is it to prevent line jumping, estimate wait times or something else?

 

[s8film40]

They've done the tickets in the past as well. I think it's to discourage line jumping.

 

[Milla4Prez66]

Anyone know the purpose of the little tear-off tickets being handed out in lines this year? Is it to prevent line jumping, estimate wait times or something else?

I'm pretty sure it's to make sure people don't cut out of line for a house and into another. They aren't handing them out at houses that are separated from others like RUN.