I haven't been to HHN since at least 2014 so there was a lot to take in and compare between now and then. It was interesting to have such a large gap between years to compare against.
I was only there for a day and I took a risk by not getting Express. I'd been keeping an eye on talk about the lines here while checking the app for posted wait times leading up to my trip. My game plan started off with putting Stranger Things, Chucky, and Exorcist on the bottom of my list and to start with The Last of Us. Before heading there I was only expecting to get through maybe 4 houses but I managed to do 7.
My ranking:
- Dueling Dragons - saw posts before mention that there should have been more dragon than warlock and I agree. I had a good time looking at the sets during multiple runs. I loved the scene with the dragons midway through and kept slowing down to look at it but I so wish they had recreated the original DD coaster entrance to walk though. It did feel like you needed to go through it a few times to see all the other creatures besides the warlocks. Kudos to the scareactors who teamed up on my final run and made me jump back! I wasn't expecting that. lol
- Darkest Deal - This would be in first place honestly if it wasn't for nostalgia. I liked the overal flow for the story in this one. The scene near the end when Pinestraw's soul gets taken was cool and having the house turn into a firey bit at the end was great.
- The Last of Us - fantastic zombie house. It was a nice touch they got the voice actors to for audio and the costumes were fantastic. Great translation from the game!
- Bloodmoon - More startling than scary. I really liked the scene when you first enter and see the moon above, it's a really great setup that felt cinemetic. This house was more movie set than haunted house.
- Yeti - fun camping chaos! This a great house that doesn't require any backstory to get, it's literally just yetis in the woods.
- Dr. Oddfellow - It's nice to have a haunted house with a circus theme that wasn't clown-heavy. I think the middle gets purposefully disorienting and overwhelming with the circus look. There were some good scares in this one and the beheading scene was unexpected. I only saw it from the side as I was leaving the room but it still very effective.
- Monsters: Unmasked - Some beautiful sets and some nice visual moments. It was a nice house for seeing these characters but otherwise was alright. There were also fewer scareactors than I've seen on video during my run so perhaps I was going through a cast change.
If I didn't take time out to enjoy some rides (and a few runs through DD) I could have likely gotten 1-2 more houses, maybe even all 10. I almost did Exorcist as I was leaving but it was nearly 2am and I wanted to beat the closing crowds out of the park. Generally I never waited more than 45(?) minutes in any one line and some dipped down to 20 minutes over the course of the night. Maybe I was lucky and that Friday wasn't as busy? (I will say the Last of Us waiting area is ridiculous when you're waiting in the sun. Really wish they could put some temporary shade over there.)
The only two scarezones that left an impression were Jungle of Doom and Vamp '69:
- Jungle of Doom: I suggest checking this area out before it gets dark to get a good look at the costumes. Don't be like me and walk along the sides. lol
- Vamp '69: really fun area and felt most dynamic with the roaming crowds and random vamps moving between the crowd.
I didn't realize I was in Shipyard 32 my first time walk through because I swear area looks like it usually does but with the lights off. This area also seemed to be the most crowded which meant there weren't many actors to fill the space and looking at the map it doesn't look very big to begin with.
One general thing: I found there was almost no reason to go through Dark zodiac or by the oddfellow stage throughout the night (like on your way to a house), unless you make a plan to go there, since the shrek house is gone....I found myself crossing by transformers sooooo many times throughout the night and was wondering why they don't just put a zone there?
It wasn't until telling someone about my trip that I realized the same thing and never went through Dark Zodiac the entire evening. I felt bad about missing it since it wasn't like a house where there were long lines but looking at the event map again there really wasn't any reason to go through there. Cutting by Transformers felt faster. I wonder how many people did the same thing?
Nightmare Fuel Revenge Dream - Amazing show and great performances! It definitely helps keep the energy high for the night and it's a nice break from the lines.
I caught the end of the Death Eaters show and saw them roaming around Diagon Alley. They move through the crowd really well and get in your face with their wands but only for a moment before moving on to someone else. Costumes and masks were perfect.
I did notice the lack of chainsaw gang and it felt strange not hearing those revving engines and seeing people scramble to get away. Doesn't really take away anything from the event but it still felt like something was missing after seeing them for so long during previous years when I attended.
It's also great that even if ET isn't open Universal still runs the house exits through the queue so you can still get your pine forest fix. *sniff* lol
It was fun attending HHN after so long away! I'll certainly be going for atle ast two days as there were some smaller things I wanted to check out particularly in the food and drink department. Either way I'm looking forward to next year!