Duality of Fear (HHN 33)

[Lucky Planet]

When the candy factory in SF has more creative thought put into it, outside of all of the "cheap out" things and vibe going on this year, I just can't comprehend how the creatives/decision-makers thought it was acceptable. Just the last few years, going from the Pumpkin Lord stage and themed zone props together, to Oddfellows, to absolutely NOTHING is such an insult with the big price hike man :/ Brutal.

I could always understand budget cuts, very understandable, but I don't really understand when they don't reuse older stuff, unless it just literally can't be used. props or decorations or cars or stages or things from before, is old stuff just not really available ?
( I know that someone could tell me that it wouldn't fit the theme, or that they can't just add random stuff for the hell of it, but something is better than nothing )!

 

[Spider-Sonic]

I could always understand budget cuts, very understandable, but I don't really understand when they don't reuse older stuff, unless it just literally can't be used. props or decorations or cars or stages or things from before, is old stuff just not really available ?
( I know that someone could tell me that it wouldn't fit the theme, or that they can't just add random stuff for the hell of it, but something is better than nothing )!

I'm sorry but with the current price to get into this event, and how it goes up every year. Budget cuts is just not a good enough excuse.

 

[Brian G.]

The entrance has always suffered in the modern era simply because of the crowd levels. I think they were able to fix that last year since there was no parade to better results.

With that said, I wish they had put more effort into the truss decor if that was going to be the only thing they were gonna set up. It would have been great to see more banners, curtains, and high-pressure fog from the truss. Perhaps they could have even included a few of their victims to showcase their evil?

 

[Wesker69]

With that said, I wish they had put more effort into the truss decor if that was going to be the only thing they were gonna set up. It would have been great to see more banners, curtains, and high-pressure fog from the truss. Perhaps they could have even included a few of their victims to showcase their evil?

fog curtain effect with projections every so often + voiceovers (or synced up from their designated SZs) to fill a void when they aren't present.

 

[Lc.]

So this is essentially Hollywood's Chainsaw "Scarezone" they always have out front with the Fire Tower Brigade. RIP (not Tour)

 

[Lucky Planet]

if they were not going to put any decorations then why not just put more chainsaws by minions? I understand that minions street can't be used because of the props or decorations, ( they can't put anything over the streets and cover the minions stuff) but now they could have just put actors roaming that area

 

[Spider-Sonic]

if they were not going to put any decorations then why not just put more chainsaws by minions? I understand that minions street can't be used because of the props or decorations, ( they can't put anything over the streets and cover the minions stuff) but now they could have just put actors roaming that area

Has it ever actually been said that they can't put anything going thru Minions Land? I don't get this. It was okay to go thru Shrek, but not Minions?

 

[Lucky Planet]

Has it ever actually been said that they can't put anything going thru Minions Land? I don't get this. It was okay to go thru Shrek, but not Minions?

I'm sure someone will have a real answer, but for what was said last year, if I remember, because minions are a was so new, they didn't want to put stuff over it? because of daytime guests?
or because the area is so cute, it wouldn't work ( that last one might be completely wrong)

last year I remember lamenting the loss of that scarezone area and I think I was replied with the fact that the area was new and needed to shine.

we desperately need it back

 

[Casper Gutman]

I'm sure someone will have a real answer, but for what was said last year, if I remember, because minions are a was so new, they didn't want to put stuff over it? because of daytime guests?
or because the area is so cute, it wouldn't work ( that last one might be completely wrong)

last year I remember lamenting the loss of that scarezone area and I think I was replied with the fact that the area was new and needed to shine.

we desperately need it back

Yup. The zones need a significant rethink. The Minions scarezone needs to return - there are tons of zone concepts that can take advantage of the “cuteness,” or it can just be ignored. If no houses are entering or exiting in Kidzone, the San Fran zone should move there. Finally, the Hollywood zone needs to return to its former length and grandeur.

 

[johnathanm]

Yup. The zones need a significant rethink. The Minions scarezone needs to return - there are tons of zone concepts that can take advantage of the “cuteness,” or it can just be ignored. If no houses are entering or exiting in Kidzone, the San Fran zone should move there. Finally, the Hollywood zone needs to return to its former length and grandeur.

Not sure I agree on the kidzone location commentary, but to each their own. Feel like it would be awkward placement over there; easily bypassed and likely ignored as it’s not really on the way to anywhere, unless you mean by the entrance to Animal Actors, in which case that’s very close to Central Park zone. But maybe that zone can just be expanded out that way?

If nixing San Fran, I would rather they replace it with South Street.

Agreed on Hollywood - feel like it really reached its potential with Deadly Unrest. Suppose it may be hard to hit those highs with the parade.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

Blumhouse execution is horrid (from an aesthetic perspective), but they did an excellent job with placement of stages so it's not as much of a bottleneck (still some minor issues).

I understand it's hard to fit a zone here w/ a parade in the way, but I thought they found a decent solution last year w/ Oddfellow.

 

[Disneyson1]

Just listened to the podcast… I’m quite surprised there is no “underground” element. I would assume that there would at least be some “drains” that look as though “screams (smoke) are pouring out.

The podcast consistently mentions the tunnels and that black beating heart/chrysalis… I wish they’d have hung that chrysalis along the truss. I also think it would have been nice to move a “chunk of broken concrete” billowing smoke to the middle of the street to drive home the underground aspect.

At the least, I think it would have been effective to have “security guards” or “TMs” in the street telling you to avoid the area because of the underground activity/whatever, you’re gonna die, blah blah. There are small story beats here that I think would have done this a lot of good.

 

[Crypt Keeper]

This zone really needed:

• Specific lighting to indicate the two paths (orange for Sinist3r and blue for Surr3al)
• Some small props to help indicate the paths
• Less chainsaws and more creatures/servants of the icons (roaming in their respective path)
• Mini show (maybe summoning Otis?...)

I really really dig the "Choose A Path" concept, so seeing it not used in the slightest here suuuucks. And I get that Torture Faire and Demon Queens do play on some of these aspects, but Duality of Fear, the zone where you are literally supposed to choose a path, doesn't do anything remotely close to it.

 

[Eckert]

It seems like this scarezone suffered from the Wicked experience that's coming to the former UNIVRS/Hello Kitty store. They'll need all that extra space where Oddfellow's wagon was last year for construction, which could've been a great spot for the icons to hang out and familiarize themselves with guests.

They would have been better off not even calling this a scarezone, tbh

 

[GA-MBIT]

Not to continue to beat a dead horse, but I noticed something tonight. I tried to give the benefit of the doubt, and actively went sleuthing for theming in this zone.

The literal only bit of theming in the entire zone is a singular cloth slightly draped over a bit of the front truss structure, with nails and zipties visibly holding it up. The cloth on the left is colored red, for Sinister. The cloth on the right is colored blue, for Surreal. Uniquely terrible. Unquestionably the worst zone HHN has made in the eight years I have been going.