Halloween Horror Nights 25 Discussion

[Legolas813]

I can't believe they are asking in the survey how you would feel about The Walking Dead again in 2016! Enough already.

 

[bob albert]

I can't believe they are asking in the survey how you would feel about The Walking Dead again in 2016! Enough already.

Fine then how's fear the walking dead? How about Znation or iZombie? Maybe we can just do an all zombie HHN 2016?

 

[Frank Drackman]

You must have just joined this conversation. That was our (or at least my) original point of contention... they're charging too little and RoF is way too much of a steal.

I'm still not understanding why you seem to keep pointing to RoF as being too much of a bargain or as being part of the problem, but you don't seem (maybe I am reading it wrong) feel that FF with the same weight.

As a pass holder, it looks like frequent fear is about $11 more, FF plus Friday's looks to be about $26 more than RoF. In my opinion from going the 2nd week last year, SAT was the least crowded night of the four that week and that was on a night that RoF could be used while Frequent Fear could not be used.

If I lived a lot closer Than i do, I imagine I would get the FF with Fridays and I would go every Friday, I assume many of those Fridays would be at times when UNI could sell plenty of one night, full price tickets.

Living where I do, I prefer to drive up and stay for four nights as a way to attend four event nights at a time when UNI probably wouldn't be able to sell as many room nights if HHN was not happening and if folks like me didn't find value in a pass that allowed me in those four nights...hey, my family is eaten all our meals on site for those five days...

I don't know, I just do not see what is is about RoF that hurts when FFP covers more event nights that are going to be more crowded than any of the nights of during the 1st 10 days of the event. I just see RoF as a good way to get more people in during slower nights (save open night that sounds like it draws real well these days.

 

[Nick]

I'm still not understanding why you seem to keep pointing to RoF as being too much of a bargain or as being part of the problem, but you don't seem (maybe I am reading it wrong) feel that FF with the same weight.

Frequent Fear is, I meant to include it. All FF Passes should go up. FF starts at a measly $95 and FF+ at $111. The prices for the tickets that include Express are still a pretty great deal (being in the $200's) too. It's essentially where I think the FF Pass pricing should start, except not only do you get the FF Pass, you get Express as well.

Losing a few people here and there (FF Pass holders) wouldn't be the worst thing in the world if they were charging more and making the same if not more money based on those sales. The problem, as someone (I forget who) outlined, is that less locals coming in after work and essentially filling the streets and lines means less Express they will sell.

Although at this point i'd argue the stigma with the event has been "you need Express for HHN" over the past few years that it wouldn't matter, people will buy it anyway. Same goes with Frequent fear. Some may drop out, but it's priced far too low for an event of this quality. The people who love HHN will buy no matter what.

 

[Nick]

Just a general thought... Obviously next year USF is going to have to find alternate routes to get people to the parade building and the other tent once Kidzone closes. Any ideas as to where they may try to get around this? And beyond that, do you guys think Nintendo will be strict about no HHN in the land (meaning not allowing entrances to the houses to be back there)?

 

[WAJAS]

Just a general thought... Obviously next year USF is going to have to find alternate routes to get people to the parade building and the other tent once Kidzone closes. Any ideas as to where they may try to get around this? And beyond that, do you guys think Nintendo will be strict about no HHN in the land (meaning not allowing entrances to the houses to be back there)?

For Tent 1 (or is it 3 1/2, idk), they could reroute it to go through the backstage gate in Springfield. Maybe have the other one go around the E.T. show building for the parade building houses.

 

[sjago13]

You could easily have both houses enter in Springfeild and go behind the simpsons ride and route the parade exit back to Springfield or have it enter in Hollywood.

 

[Nick]

For Tent 1 (or is it 3, idk), they could reroute it to go through the backstage gate in Springfield. Maybe have the other one go around the E.T. show building for the parade building houses.

Simpsons gate seems likely. They could start the Parade house in Hollywood at the parade gate if they really wanted, but that might not work logistically with hoardes coming in and out through there. It's be an easy route though. ET building is on the left, go all the way down, left turn and the parade building is just straight down that road. Put switchbacks in the road and they'd be good to go.

 

[Nick]

You could easily have both houses enter in Springfeild and go behind the simpsons ride and route the parade exit back to Springfield or have it enter in Hollywood.

lol, I basically just typed out the same thing. I think Simpsons and Hollywood is most likely. It'll actually spread crowds out better (imo) if they do that.

 

[sjago13]

looking at the map... depending on exactly what land gets taken up they could put another tent where the blob of trees are on the northeast side of the ET building down the road.

 

[bob albert]

Cant they make a wario scare house?

 

[LikeMike]

Looking to make my first night this Thursday, should it be busy then?

 

[bob albert]

Looking to make my first night this Thursday, should it be busy then?

It's looking like a toss up this year.

 

[LikeMike]

Cool thank you, I guess there's never an exact science, let's just hope it's not manic.

 

[bob albert]

Cool thank you, I guess there's never an exact science, let's just hope it's not manic.

Lets hope opening was an anomaly for 25. We won't really know until Thursday happens.

 

[Nick]

Looking to make my first night this Thursday, should it be busy then?

Get there at opening (actually show up before opening so you're one of the first in), go straight to FvJ, then just go on from there.You never know what crowds will be like.

I'd personally suggest trying to get all the houses at the front of the park done early, maybe take a break and eat or see a show, and then go back to Purge, TWD and Insidious late (since they're all in the back). If you can get 5/6 houses done before taking a break/seeing a show, then you're good.

 

[s8film40]

Frequent Fear is, I meant to include it. All FF Passes should go up. FF starts at a measly $95 and FF+ at $111. The prices for the tickets that include Express are still a pretty great deal (being in the $200's) too. It's essentially where I think the FF Pass pricing should start, except not only do you get the FF Pass, you get Express as well.

Losing a few people here and there (FF Pass holders) wouldn't be the worst thing in the world if they were charging more and making the same if not more money based on those sales. The problem, as someone (I forget who) outlined, is that less locals coming in after work and essentially filling the streets and lines means less Express they will sell.

Although at this point i'd argue the stigma with the event has been "you need Express for HHN" over the past few years that it wouldn't matter, people will buy it anyway. Same goes with Frequent fear. Some may drop out, but it's priced far too low for an event of this quality. The people who love HHN will buy no matter what.

I agree that FFP is underpriced, I think it's clear that Universal wants it that way. If you look at the pricing anyone who is thinking of going more than one day will discover that some version of FFP is the cheapest option. I think they would rather give that person going more than one day multiple other opportunities to go basically for free. Like you said they could raise prices and would lose a few people but end up making the same with the increase, but this doesn't account for food, drink and merchandise purchases. Ticket sales are only one part of HHN revenue and quite possibly not even the largest.

Personally I don't expect any changes other than the usual price bumps. Right now Universal is making more money from HHN than they ever have, and the event is the resorts most profitable event. Whoever comes up with and implements any changes to the pricing structure will be out of a job if it upsets the current situation. Right now there is no problem to be fixed, the occasional sell out isn't enough to warrant rethinking the current FFP system, in fact I'm pretty sure last years sell out was celebrated amongst the Universal management.

 

[sjago13]

Friday I am going with some people that are going only once. This is my ideal plan and will adjust on the fly as the event unfolds. Stay and Scream in Lucy. M&M then FvJ then Body Collectors then Asylum. Throw in wolf if there is no wait. I hoping that takes me from 5.45 to 7. Next we will head to kidzone and attempt to do both houses but if we can only fit in one then fine. The goal at this point is to make it to the 8.45 Carnage show. After that we will do another house or if the lines look to long take in the scare zones and catch the 9.45 bill and ted. By this point we should have 5 to 7 houses done. After bill and ted unless run is a short line we suck it up and wait for insidious. Assuming that it is around 90mins it is close to midnight. We should have time for 2 more houses. So we then would finish the houses we didn't complete earlier or do some repeats if we got lucky earlier in the night. Also we may skip Bill and Ted if things are really bad .

 

[Nick]

I agree that FFP is underpriced, I think it's clear that Universal wants it that way. If you look at the pricing anyone who is thinking of going more than one day will discover that some version of FFP is the cheapest option. I think they would rather give that person going more than one day multiple other opportunities to go basically for free. Like you said they could raise prices and would lose a few people but end up making the same with the increase, but this doesn't account for food, drink and merchandise purchases. Ticket sales are only one part of HHN revenue and quite possibly not even the largest.

Personally I don't expect any changes other than the usual price bumps. Right now Universal is making more money from HHN than they ever have, and the event is the resorts most profitable event. Whoever comes up with and implements any changes to the pricing structure will be out of a job if it upsets the current situation. Right now there is no problem to be fixed, the occasional sell out isn't enough to warrant rethinking the current FFP system, in fact I'm pretty sure last years sell out was celebrated amongst the Universal management.

That's why, if I was Universal, I would up the FF Pass cost and introduce a weekly pass for out-of-towners, which would be about the cost of FF, maybe slightly more depending on the week.

 

[s8film40]

That's why, if I was Universal, I would up the FF Pass cost and introduce a weekly pass for out-of-towners, which would be about the cost of FF, maybe slightly more depending on the week.

Yeah I agree a weekly pass would be great. I think their stance is if your willing to go more than one day they want to make it as easy as possible for you to go as much as you can. I guess once you've been through the houses once they're not really selling the event over and over again they're just giving you the opportunity to come back in and spend more money.

Another aspect of this is City Walk from what I've gathered from surveys I've done there is a big focus on the impact HHN has on the restaurants and clubs. After all the crowd that HHN draws is a perfect fit for that. Again the more people at the event the better it is for those businesses as well.