Halloween Horror Nights 25 Discussion

[Panagiota]

I will be going Oct 11, a Sunday. The express passes were $99. If you have a premier AP that night is one of the nights that is free for us. How do we claim the free pass? Do we just show up the night of?

 

[UNIrd]

I will be going Oct 11, a Sunday. The express passes were $99. If you have a premier AP that night is one of the nights that is free for us. How do we claim the free pass? Do we just show up the night of?

Take your Premier Pass and the HHN ticket from the Passholder sleeve to a Guest Services window.

 

[Nick]

Take your Premier Pass and the HHN ticket from the Passholder sleeve to a Guest Services window.

And beyond this, you need an ID for those you whose pass you are using for the ticket. They basically just check so you aren't using a free ticket to get someone who doesn't own an AP in (or to sell it... I saw people doing that this past Saturday at the AP Event).

 

[ThreePack Shagur]

Universal is very happy with the current ticketing structures. They aren't changing - no matter how much "loss" comes with the FFP and ROF passes, most of those ticket holders aren't buying Express. Express is the money maker here, and its primary users are single-night admissions. It more than makes up for any "loss" associated with the multi-day passes.

 

[OrlandoGuy]

Universal is very happy with the current ticketing structures. They aren't changing - no matter how much "loss" comes with the FFP and ROF passes, most of those ticket holders aren't buying Express. Express is the money maker here, and its primary users are single-night admissions. It more than makes up for any "loss" associated with the multi-day passes.

That's such a greedy way to run an upcharge event. I would rather pay double the amount if it meant a less crowded experience--at least then the price would be justified. They're already charging extra admission, do they really feel the need to pack it to the brim to squeeze even more money out?

HHN is slowly turning to the Disney way of doing things...less effort for more money while getting bigger than they can handle. I get it, its a business, but for an event that already costs extra money, it seems extra ridiculous that you can only enjoy the $100+ you spend by spending an additional $100. At least at Disney's upcharge events, they cap the ticket sales at a reasonable level to where the park is actually moderately enjoyable.

 

[Nick]

Universal is very happy with the current ticketing structures. They aren't changing - no matter how much "loss" comes with the FFP and ROF passes, most of those ticket holders aren't buying Express. Express is the money maker here, and its primary users are single-night admissions. It more than makes up for any "loss" associated with the multi-day passes.

That's not quite the point. Or maybe it is actually. Those ticket holders aren't buying add-ons or much else besides the tickets and coming frequently and filling up space. If they cut down on the ways that those people could do that, would it really be a loss then? You just said yourself that there is loss that comes with it... and the parks are pretty damn full. Why not try to pair that down a bit?

 

[Clive]

That's such a greedy way to run an upcharge event. I would rather pay double the amount if it meant a less crowded experience--at least then the price would be justified. They're already charging extra admission, do they really feel the need to pack it to the brim to squeeze even more money out?

HHN is slowly turning to the Disney way of doing things...less effort for more money while getting bigger than they can handle. I get it, its a business, but for an event that already costs extra money, it seems extra ridiculous that you can only enjoy the $100+ you spend by spending an additional $100. At least at Disney's upcharge events, they cap the ticket sales at a reasonable level to where the park is actually moderately enjoyable.

I've been saying this for literally years, and everyone shot me down and said I was a "hater."

Clearly the team is capable of producing amazing content based on what we're seeing here. It's a shame that the people around them aren't letting the event be all it can be.

 

[OrlandoGuy]

That's not quite the point. Or maybe it is actually. Those ticket holders aren't buying add-ons or much else besides the tickets and coming frequently and filling up space. If they cut down on the ways that those people could do that, would it really be a loss then? You just said yourself that there is loss that comes with it... and the parks are pretty damn full. Why not try to pair that down a bit?

He's saying because Express is what sells, therefore the more crowded the park is/the more desparate people get, the more money in their pocket===> cheaper admission to keep the park packed.

 

[Nick]

He's saying because Express is what sells, therefore the more crowded the park is/the more desparate people get, the more money in their pocket===> cheaper admission to keep the park packed.

I see now. Agreed... extremely greedy way to run an event. Smart from a business sense no doubt, but i'd love to see some of the people making these decisions come to this event as a regular guest - without express - and actually try and get everything done without uber planning everything in advance.

 

[s8film40]

I get it, its a business, but for an event that already costs extra money

How does it cost extra? You do not need to buy admission to Universal for the day, you can buy just an HHN ticket. In fact most HHN tickets cost less than a regular day ticket and are actually the cheapest way you can experience some of the attractions in the park.

 

[s8film40]

That's not quite the point. Or maybe it is actually. Those ticket holders aren't buying add-ons or much else besides the tickets and coming frequently and filling up space. If they cut down on the ways that those people could do that, would it really be a loss then? You just said yourself that there is loss that comes with it... and the parks are pretty damn full. Why not try to pair that down a bit?

Where do you get this information, what makes you think FFP holders aren't spending money? I would not be surprised at all and in fact if I had to guess I would say the ratio from amount spent on food, drink and merchandise vs. tickets was far higher for FFP than that of guests purchasing one night tickets.

 

[dangeresque490]

How does it cost extra? You do not need to buy admission to Universal for the day, you can buy just an HHN ticket. In fact most HHN tickets cost less than a regular day ticket and are actually the cheapest way you can experience some of the attractions in the park.

I guess you are technically right, but considering there is no season pass that includes more than 1 day at HHN apart from the extra fear pass, I would definitely think of this event this event extra. A lot of people buying tickets to HHN as an add on to their vaction package would consider it extra as well I'm sure. Anytime any park closes down during the same day and requires a different ticket to get back in I would consider extra.

That's such a greedy way to run an upcharge event. I would rather pay double the amount if it meant a less crowded experience--at least then the price would be justified. They're already charging extra admission, do they really feel the need to pack it to the brim to squeeze even more money out?

HHN is slowly turning to the Disney way of doing things...less effort for more money while getting bigger than they can handle. I get it, its a business, but for an event that already costs extra money, it seems extra ridiculous that you can only enjoy the $100+ you spend by spending an additional $100. At least at Disney's upcharge events, they cap the ticket sales at a reasonable level to where the park is actually moderately enjoyable.

If Disney were doing this the universal way they would get rid of fast pass and charge 100 bucks for the new "express pass". Can you imagine the outcry? It's real surprising how many people seem ok with the idea that you "have to" buy express to do HHN in one night. The amount of content should only take one night to get through everything at least once. Just because a park gets crowded doesn't mean it has multiple nights of content. I get that some nights are peak nights, but if I cant go on what used to be a less crowded night and easily do everything without express, there should be more nights or some restructuring of regular ticket sales.

 

[s8film40]

I guess you are technically right, but considering there is no season pass that includes more than 1 day at HHN apart from the extra fear pass, I would definitely think of this event this event extra. A lot of people buying tickets to HHN as an add on to their vaction package would consider it extra as well I'm sure. Anytime any park closes down during the same day and requires a different ticket to get back in I would consider extra.

In that context I agree that it can be viewed as an extra. However there are a very very large number of guests if not the majority attending HHN who are local and make one trip to HHN. In many cases it's the only time they step foot into Universal. This is the reason Friday's and Saturday's are so busy and why the local school schedule has such a huge impact (hell week) on the event.

 

[dangeresque490]

In that context I agree that it can be viewed as an extra. However there are a very very large number of guests if not the majority attending HHN who are local and make one trip to HHN. In many cases it's the only time they step foot into Universal. This is the reason Friday's and Saturday's are so busy and why the local school schedule has such a huge impact (hell week) on the event.

Yea from the mindset of a local I know what you mean. Halloween events seem to be successful at getting people to come every year who look at the event as something new to see or value the scares for repeat visits more than rides. Add to that that local visits would be much more spread out for the normal park vs HHN.

 

[sjago13]

Just got an emial for the post HHN survey and gave them a piece of my mind. (get rid of walking dead, find a happy medium between express and regular guests, sting alley, ect.) At the end it asked my if I wanted to join their survey panel and spit out this link Universal Orlando Research Panel I remember people saying they wanted to get the surveys that some of you get so I assume this is what that is.

 

[s8film40]

get rid of walking dead, find a happy medium between express and regular guests

Well if they get rid of Walking Dead the drop in attendance could solve the express problem.

 

[Hockeyman55]

Well if they get rid of Walking Dead the drop in attendance could solve the express problem.

Drop in attendance could lead to a drop in the allocated budget HHN gets each year.

 

[MrRoamer]

Just got an emial for the post HHN survey and gave them a piece of my mind. (get rid of walking dead, find a happy medium between express and regular guests, sting alley, ect.) At the end it asked my if I wanted to join their survey panel and spit out this link Universal Orlando Research Panel I remember people saying they wanted to get the surveys that some of you get so I assume this is what that is.

I just got the same survey and link to join the Panel. For a second there I thought maybe I was special

 

[s8film40]

Drop in attendance could lead to a drop in the allocated budget HHN gets each year.

Yep, we all say we hate Walking Dead but I'm not sure we would be as happy with HHN if it hadn't been a part of it for the past few years.

 

[MrRoamer]

Yep, we all say we hate Walking Dead but I'm not sure we would be as happy with HHN if it hadn't been a part of it for the past few years.

Honestly I really haven't minded TWD all that much except for the overkill year, and this year. Mainly just because the house isn't very good and feels like it was forced and there was nothing left to do with it. If it was a really good house I would be fine with it. Next year they should definitely replace it with TRD (The Raving Dead) because that room is DA BOMB YO!!!!