Halloween Horror Nights 28 General Discussion

[happy bunny rabbit]

Yeah, we hit up Blumhouse and HIVE both before the event opened then walked right through Evil Dead at like 6:02.

This was all after a very relaxing/delicious dinner, duff, and donuts at Fast Food Boulevard/Duff Gardens... The weather was perfect! Now I'm getting sad I'm not going back this year.

We also made great use of the app. It really helped us determine which houses to do when. The longest house line we waited in was Saw at 45 minutes, Like I said earlier the longest line was actually Gringots and the wait time was about 20 minutes longer than posted I think they were having tech difficulties.

Awe why can’t you make it?

 

[SeanPhilly]

We also made great use of the app. It really helped us determine which houses to do when. The longest house line we waited in was Saw at 45 minutes, Like I said earlier the longest line was actually Gringots and the wait time was about 20 minutes longer than posted I think they were having tech difficulties.

Hmmmm. I don’t think the app has ever been accurate for me. For anything.

 

[jrn14]

I live far away, me and my friends go every other year for financial reasons mostly. I'd like to go every year, but it's too costly and I'm trying to make a point to discover some other places beyond Orlando.

Yeah I don' t know it was perfect for us that night. The app said 45 for Saw and it was almost 45 to the second. It also said 10 for The Shining which I was certain had to be incorrect, but low and behold we were only in line for 10-15 minutes.

 

[happy bunny rabbit]

Hmmmm. I don’t think the app has ever been accurate for me. For anything.

Yeah generally the app screws me over and I feel like I can’t trust it for the rest of the night

 

[JungleSkip]

Stay and Scream is the best thing about HHN

 

[JoeCamel]

Stay and Scream is the best thing about HHN

Was but now that the nazis invaded Finn's......

 

[JungleSkip]

Was but now that the nazis invaded Finn's......

*shrug* I never really drink/didn't really drink during S&S when they weren't there so it never affected me. I just love getting into the houses early

 

[Captain Tragedy]

Stay and scream is an absolute must. @Felipe an myself went through AHS i think 3 times in a row after they opened it up to those waiting at Finns. Just kept walking back as the regular entrance hadn’t opened yet. It was wild.

 

[SeanPhilly]

*shrug* I never really drink/didn't really drink during S&S when they weren't there so it never affected me. I just love getting into the houses early

Since we go multiple days we alternate between Finn’s and Duff ... Plus access to different houses.

(Although it works well for my buddies and I since we drink A LOT during HHN.)

 

[orlandoiloveyou]

I've posted my strategy before but I think it's an okay one. As broke college students traveling across country, Express just wasn't an option, but since we were doing the parks already we took advantage of S&S at Finnegans and you can really hit all SS houses, Parade tents and MiB without a line. Then I go back to Shrek for usually a 30-45 minute wait and then just walk around the event.

The SS houses open first so you get those out of the way before opening and then by the time you get through the last SS the first one is filling up and Shrek House starts filling up. They're the big tonsils of the event though and they really help buffer the other houses for the first 2 hours of the event. And we go during the October 15(ish) dates so It's busy.

Last year we sprung for Express for the first time and did our normal route and then went back and did stuff a second time.

 

[HHNSK]

Well ... everyone has a different pace / what they want to accomplish / different budgets etc.

I don’t think there is a right or wrong way to do HHN. Obviously everyone has a preference. Not surprisingly Universal has a ticket for just about any way you want to do HHN. They recognize not all their customers are the same and have a good set of options to take all our money!

I’m not young anymore and prefer express. It’s hit and miss whether my wife comes so I would rather not stand in long lines. Won’t do HHN w/o express and the extra money isn’t a killer. Having said that, we’ve used a lot of different ticket options depending on the year and who is going. Somehow we find a way to spend more money every year!

 

[Brad]

Was pretty excited when I got the email today - not much in there but it's nice to see them "announcing" HHN28/2018.

In terms of Stay-and-Scream, my tried and true plan (works well on slammed nights as well as the "slower" nights):

S&S at Finnegans - be up and ready to go toward the front around 5:20-30 - hit whatever house opens first (last year was Shining), hit the next stage house that is open then haul to the back of the park. Literally walk-ins for 4-5 houses that way every single night we were there.

We had the benefit of Express too so we were able to do 13-14 houses each night (it was a lot - I know, but we make the most of it every year)!

 

[RevFreako]

Was but now that the nazis invaded Finn's......

Literal nazis?

 

[Frank Drackman]

Rush of Fear was 91 dollars last year for 10 nights (14 dollar difference from the BOGO deal)

Frequent Fear was 102 dollars last year for 19 nights (25 dollar difference from the BOGO deal)

Neither of those significantly more expensive than the BOGO deal.

Interesting take. I believe the BOGO reaches further into the season than RoF, but can't go on a SAT w/ BOGO...if we go this year, we still like four nights and prefer the SEPT hotel rates anyway. Kills me that they send the hotel packages out now w/ the BOGO offer, but us AP'ers have no need for park tickets ;-)

I think I shall go back to sleep and forget about it for a few months...

 

[SeanPhilly]

Literal nazis?

I *think* they mean the people who check to make sure you have an HHN ticket and a wrist-band. The tended to bark orders at us last year and pissed off Finn staff. Unless I missed the literal Nazis of course.

 

[RevFreako]

I *think* they mean the people who check to make sure you have an HHN ticket and a wrist-band. The tended to bark orders at us last year and pissed off Finn staff. Unless I missed the literal Nazis of course.

Ah.

 

[Frank Drackman]

I mean, I'm not gonna judge you if you get express, but I've never found it to be necessary.

You do you but I have attended enough to know what my threshold of pain is. Last night of 25 me an a very hard core attendee had express so we did all nine then tried to hit the last CoC show. While waiting for the show to begin I just couldn't stand any longer and had to go sit at Mel's. My back wouldn't let me stay standing. I don't have a bad back but I am 63 and cannot stand that long. The guy I was with made it but he is superman and 2 months younger than me.

There’s no wrong way to do it, I totally get why you do it your way. I certainly enjoyed it my way and express would have made very little difference. On a typical night I show up early hang out at either Finnegans or Duff for S&S then run through multiple houses with no wait at all. Then I go watch B&T. After that go through some scare zones maybe something else. Makes for a very nice relaxing night, and I enjoy spreading it out over nearly two months.

yeahhh was gonna make a comment about how express is seriously unnecessary but I realized the age gap and I understand

People arguing if they'd attend without express...

My wife and I agree we won't go without the RIP Tour...

We did many w/o Express, but now I think the family always wants it. I'm the oldest and I think we do not need it. BUT, we go multiple nights, if we can get RoF and do four consecutive, we really only have to try for four houses a night, adjust based on what we liked. I always find myself blind during S&S and feel I miss out on a lot of detail in the mazes (I know this based on what I can see later in the night...this is because my eyes do not unjust quick enough...need to remember the shades.

Anyway, we we've had Express, I do not think we get any more houses done...my family just ain't the commando type I guess...but yes, RIP on a Sunday would be a way if we only went one night (which would save plenty off the hotel stay)...hmmm...wonder if the BOGO let's you use the first night on a SAT and then a SUN for the free one ;-)

But it always seems hard as heck to get a room for under three or four nights during HHN season...man, this is starting to feel like thinking/planning....sux being a fan these days ;-)

 

[JoeCamel]

We did many w/o Express, but now I think the family always wants it. I'm the oldest and I think we do not need it. BUT, we go multiple nights, if we can get RoF and do four consecutive, we really only have to try for four houses a night, adjust based on what we liked. I always find myself blind during S&S and feel I miss out on a lot of detail in the mazes (I know this based on what I can see later in the night...this is because my eyes do not unjust quick enough...need to remember the shades.

Anyway, we we've had Express, I do not think we get any more houses done...my family just ain't the commando type I guess...but yes, RIP on a Sunday would be a way if we only went one night (which would save plenty off the hotel stay)...hmmm...wonder if the BOGO let's you use the first night on a SAT and then a SUN for the free one ;-)

But it always seems hard as heck to get a room for under three or four nights during HHN season...man, this is starting to feel like thinking/planning....sux being a fan these days ;-)

Damn, now you got me thinkin' I can save a bunch! I loved hanging with people in Finn's but that is gone so maybe just maybe this is the solution.
Thanks Frank!

Don't want to bust your bubble but I think Saturdays are excluded. I do think I can work this in though.

 

[JoeCamel]

Literal nazis?

Totalitarian arseholes imposing what they think will help them maintain order while sucking all the character out of the wait.
I confess we may have been responsible for the changes when we rolled in with 35 people and commandeered the north section of the dining area. We bought food and drank in excess of what they would have sold there but it was evident they thought we were squatting. Did the same thing later at Leakey (fire shots in front of the cauldron) without a problem but Finn's took exception no matter how much we goosed the bottom line.
Oh well gone now and the RIP tour is sounding like the way to go here. Couple of nights, couple of tours might just work.

 

[Ridgepole]

I wish I could do that but I like to drink so I have to stay onsite. This limits me to RoF dates and I won't stand in line. Rather be in a house or in the bar so the money is worth it to me. You can do it if you are young but I choose not to along with so many others that there were many complaints about how many express were sold last year.

Drink.......sounds like a program I can get behind.