HHN 28: Tips

[bob albert]

I made (a pretty ugly) map of the Finn's Stay N' Scream layout. You'll enter at the yellow box, by Transformers. Take a right at the last street (the small park should be on your left). There's going to be a divider down the middle of that street, stay to the right (basically where the rest of the crowd will be). You want to get to the front of that pen. Once they open the pen up, just follow the hoards to the Music Plaza where ST entrance is. There's plenty of team members along the way to point you in the right direction

So after enough people fill in the side closer to mummy they block off that section?

 

[happy bunny rabbit]

If you want to be one of the first through the house you'll have to spend most of S&S standing in the sun, so hydrate, bring water/umbrellas/cooling towels. There's very little shade on that street.

It's alright, I waited in the AP line on 9/15 for around 2 hours. I asked the OP to let us in HoB first as we has skipped both DE and SS to get a first-through-the-house run. The OP nodded, and 10 minutes later let the Express people in first.





I'm adamantly against violence against SAs, but I was this close to slapping that OP.

 

[RJ MacReady]

Fins stay and scream almost isn’t worth it unless you know exactly where they’re gonna let you out and you’re the first in line at that spot

The group im going with is not as gunho as me and will not be ok with standing in the sun at the Finns SnS pen. Waiting inside sure, but it seems as if that is a no go if you want to stay ahead of the mob.

If we get the Express pass (Full or Half) do you think it would be better to just relax at Simpsons (seems like there are areas to sit and drink there) and do the back of the park first and leave ST, poltergeist etc...for the 2nd half of the night? going on oct 4th a Thursday.

 

[Miketheboss]

My tip is to work an extra shift or two to buy express. Every year I ask myself why I continue to go to this event without it. The mile long switch backs, the heat/humidity are overwhelming.

 

[jseal777]

The group im going with is not as gunho as me and will not be ok with standing in the sun at the Finns SnS pen. Waiting inside sure, but it seems as if that is a no go if you want to stay ahead of the mob.

If we get the Express pass (Full or Half) do you think it would be better to just relax at Simpsons (seems like there are areas to sit and drink there) and do the back of the park first and leave ST, poltergeist etc...for the 2nd half of the night? going on oct 4th a Thursday.

Thursday nights are easy. I did everything but ST and poltergeist this past Thursday without doing stay and scream and we lollygagged a lot because we knew we had Friday and Saturday too.
(I was with a group of 4 and the others didn’t have park passes to do stay and scream until Saturday)
I would personally recommend Simpsons stay and scream because it’s a lot more fun than sitting on a curb around fins if you didn’t get a table soon enough. Knock out that back half in a flash and prepare for your hour or so wait in stranger things. Poltergeist was never more than 45 minutes for me. We didn’t have express any of the nights either. I would imagine even just the after 10 express would help a great deal in seeing the front of park houses though.

 

[Bort]

So after enough people fill in the side closer to mummy they block off that section?

Correct. They'll fence off that first section entirely, and then fill up the next pen (the side of the street closer to the park).

 

[Fabrii]

Correct. They'll fence off that first section entirely, and then fill up the next pen (the side of the street closer to the park).

So you need to be in the first pen in order to be in a good position to hit ST first thing ?

 

[Parkscope Joe]

Alright, I'll simplify my past question:

Which are less crowded: Fridays or Saturdays?

Friday’s but only slightly.

 

[Bort]

So you need to be in the first pen in order to be in a good position to hit ST first thing ?

Yes. Still doable if you're in the front part of the second pen, but if you're further back in the second pen, I'd suggest hitting other houses and coming back to ST at the end of the night.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

On our first night without Express (Friday) we hit, in order: Poltergeist, Scary Tales, Trick r' Treat, Seeds, Dead Exposure, Slaughter, Halloween, Carnival, and then Stranger Things 5 minutes before park close (it was posted 120 but really 45 minutes). Wait times are highly unreliable this year. Scary Tales for some reason was posted a 45-minute wait when it was a walk-on. It seems as if there is a 20-30 minute -/+ actual difference in wait times.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

On our first night without Express (Friday) we hit, in order: Poltergeist, Scary Tales, Trick r' Treat, Seeds, Dead Exposure, Slaughter, Halloween, Carnival, and then Stranger Things 5 minutes before park close (it was posted 120 but really 45 minutes). Wait times are highly unreliable this year. Scary Tales for some reason was posted a 45-minute wait when it was a walk-on. It seems as if there is a 20-30 minute -/+ actual difference in wait times.

Wait time predictions will improve over time. But they will err on the side of caution.

 

[bob albert]

The general rule I have found in the past is that if you see a wait time on the app or even signage in another area of the park looking low, you are already too late to get to that house before the wait is long again.

 

[WelcomeHome]

I made (a pretty ugly) map of the Finn's Stay N' Scream layout. You'll enter at the yellow box, by Transformers. Take a right at the last street (the small park should be on your left). There's going to be a divider down the middle of that street, stay to the right (basically where the rest of the crowd will be). You want to get to the front of that pen. Once they open the pen up, just follow the hoards to the Music Plaza where ST entrance is. There's plenty of team members along the way to point you in the right direction

Thanks for the map! I've done the Finn's S&S before but it sounds like they have added another small layer of complexity to accommodate the Stranger Things crowds. Am I correct in assuming that, based on the map, both Polter and ST crowds can stop and get a drink at Finn's prior to committing to either house's specific pen? Clearly I have my priorities in order...

 

[JawsVictim]

The general rule I have found in the past is that if you see a wait time on the app or even signage in another area of the park looking low, you are already too late to get to that house before the wait is long again.

Not entirely true. This past Saturday Scary Tales had a 55 min wait posted, so we hopped in the express line. Got in line and realized the standby queue was empty. Went under the rope, saved our express, and came back an hour later to use our express. By then, the app and entrance had a 15 min wait posted, but the standby queue honestly looked like an hour.

 

[Bort]

Thanks for the map! I've done the Finn's S&S before but it sounds like they have added another small layer of complexity to accommodate the Stranger Things crowds. Am I correct in assuming that, based on the map, both Polter and ST crowds can stop and get a drink at Finn's prior to committing to either house's specific pen? Clearly I have my priorities in order...

Yes, the street Finn's is on is still open (and actually provides pretty decent shade for those looking to stay out of the sun). I was in there very briefly and the stools are gone (applicable to Duff Gardens as well FWIW), probably to prevent guests from lingering around after they've received their drink so it doesn't get too backed up.

 

[IHateJumpScares]

Yes, the street Finn's is on is still open (and actually provides pretty decent shade for those looking to stay out of the sun). I was in there very briefly and the stools are gone (applicable to Duff Gardens as well FWIW), probably to prevent guests from lingering around after they've received their drink so it doesn't get too backed up.

Bort,

Thanks so much for the map! Makes perfect sense now. Stranger Things MUST be our first house so your intel was critical.

Please report back if you notice they are changing the patterns.

 

[bob albert]

Not entirely true. This past Saturday Scary Tales had a 55 min wait posted, so we hopped in the express line. Got in line and realized the standby queue was empty. Went under the rope, saved our express, and came back an hour later to use our express. By then, the app and entrance had a 15 min wait posted, but the standby queue honestly looked like an hour.

That's what I mean. You happened to be there before they changed the time. Then when they did it immediately crowded up by the time a lot of people saw the change.

 

[JawsVictim]

That's what I mean. You happened to be there before they changed the time. Then when they did it immediately crowded up by the time a lot of people saw the change.

Ah, gotcha. Sorry, misunderstood the post.

 

[Brian G.]

Alright, I'll simplify my past question:

Which are less crowded: Fridays or Saturdays?

Friday’s but only slightly.

Only during the RoF timeframe. Once that ticket ends, Saturdays are pretty manageable.

 

[RJ MacReady]

Thursday nights are easy. I did everything but ST and poltergeist this past Thursday without doing stay and scream and we lollygagged a lot because we knew we had Friday and Saturday too.
(I was with a group of 4 and the others didn’t have park passes to do stay and scream until Saturday)
I would personally recommend Simpsons stay and scream because it’s a lot more fun than sitting on a curb around fins if you didn’t get a table soon enough. Knock out that back half in a flash and prepare for your hour or so wait in stranger things. Poltergeist was never more than 45 minutes for me. We didn’t have express any of the nights either. I would imagine even just the after 10 express would help a great deal in seeing the front of park houses though.

Thanks, this might be my game plan for my group. DO the Simpsons SnS and then try and get TrT, SoE, DE, SS and BH all in the first few hours. then take a break and use the half night express for the front of the park.