Sorry to drift off topic, but I remember this Halloween night. The 70s track team doing calisthenics during the Terra Queen show. If looks could kill... Rivals the foam party under Kong for most surreal moment at HHN--God I'm old, but the event will never be that weird again.
I completely agree. Two separate events, each using the main entrance. Staff each gate at 2/3, total staffing goes up only 1/3 over current level. Similarly, could "trade" restaurants--say, Richters for Thunder Falls--and again keep staff levels fairly consistent. Staffing costs and the fear of closing both parks at 5 seem the only downsides to this. On the plus side, increases capacity, hypothetically doubles the number of single-night tickets sold (the event's real bread and butter I imagine, besides booze), generates huge buzz and gives them a great excuse to double the price of multi-day tickets by making them hoppers.
My favorite part of the Kong foam party was walking to the side to try to get out quick, and then hitting the barriers placed on the sides that were obscured with foam. That was 2001, right? I remember going in 1999 or 2000 and the Nightmare Creatures maze in that spot. I feel old too, but then I realize that I've been going to Horror Nights for half my life, starting when I was a teen and I'm only 29.
I really do miss how it used to be. I'd say 2003 was the last year that felt like old Horror Nights, for me at least. 2004 is kind of a write-off, and 2005 was fun and I loved the theme but Terra Queen was robbed off her icon status making the whole thing feel off to me. Maybe all of the Orcs, Nightmare, and the Frost Queen will come back for the 25th like they did for the 20th. That period was when I first started working at the parks so it feels special to me.
Anyways, back to topic...
I hadn't thought about them having to close both of the parks at 5. Don't they normally close at 6 in the off-season anyway? I was thinking a single ticket for both, and not needing a 2-park ticket. They could close off both Potter areas, and sell the ticket under the assumption that it won't be possible for someone to see everything in one night, thus requiring a second full priced day to see it all. Also price increase with less days on the Frequent Fear Pass.
The clientele has changed a lot too - much younger people, less drinking overall - so they'll need to rely on ticket sales. One of my former co-workers was telling me that last year was the first year that alcohol + merchandise sales during HHN didn't make more money than alcohol + merchandise sales during the day, and admission costs barely covered the cost of the event itself. Word was that Comcast overlords were questioning the worth of putting on the event vs keeping the park open additional hours and making the same revenue. I haven't heard anything on this year's numbers though.
Knowing that, it wouldn't surprise me at all if HHN moved to something more like the Halloween Party down the road in a few years. Less houses, more meet and greets, less R&D costs, and bring in more families. I know we all like to think that this event will always be around, but for those of us who have been going to HHN for a long time there has already been a huge change in the way the event was vs. currently.