Halloween Horror Nights '19 General Discussion

[hhnlover]

so i just saw overlord, i think it can make a awesome maze imo. there are tons of scenes they can use.

Spoiler: overlord spoilers

head on the desk,the attic mutation, zombie wafner, etc etc

 

[Timberfellingrobot]

I stress again: as long as they don't up the house count this year, they should be fine. They didn't do that in 2015, and while that year wasn't legendary, it still featured some really good mazes like Halloween, Crimson Peak, and Insidious (Honestly, I think people hate on that year only for This is the End). I honestly think we're at a good maze count this year; the black walls weren't nearly as noticeable this time around, and it was obvious that there was some kind of budget injection this time around (If this was 2017, most of Poltergeist would've been black wallz, instead of just one hallway. Plus, all dat set-design in Classic Monsters)

I don't know about that one. It was really apparent throughout Trick r Treat, Blumhouse 2, First Purge and in the midsection of Poltergeist it really stretched out.

 

[hhnlover]

I don't know about that one. It was really apparent throughout Trick r Treat, Blumhouse 2, First Purge and in the midsection of Poltergeist it really stretched out.

there was literally a section in poltergeist after the face rip scene, where it was 15-20 seconds of black walls

 

[Timberfellingrobot]

there was literally a section in poltergeist after the face rip scene, where it was 15-20 seconds of black walls

...Okay?

 

[horrornights789]

I felt like Truth or Dare, Unfriended, Halloween 4, Stranger Things, and UCM had the least amount. The Girl, TrT, Poltergeist, & Purge all had very noticeable black wall sections.

 

[Freak]

We definitely have enough mazes. I think we're at a stellar count. However, getting rid of the tram would be silly -- it's a major people eater. Honestly, that's probably the only main reason they keep it anymore because it serves a very specific function to spread people in more places, as it has a 99% conversion rate of all people that attend HHN. Opening Potter wouldn't quite be the equivelant. And how much budget is it even eating up anyway with all the reused props and costumes? They upped the prices this year by a pretty large margin, sold a ton of alcohol, got rid of nearly all their merch aside from Uni Monsters... budget should be fine. It's the odd numbered year curse I worry about...

Money on the tour guides, fuel costs, upkeep for the trams...you'd be surprised how costly tram can be.

But I'm with you on the odd number curse. I'm really hoping they'll use the money from the alcohol and increased prices to up the quality of HHN. It desperately needs it.

I stress again: as long as they don't up the house count this year, they should be fine. They didn't do that in 2015, and while that year wasn't legendary, it still featured some really good mazes like Halloween, Crimson Peak, and Insidious (Honestly, I think people hate on that year only for This is the End). I honestly think we're at a good maze count this year; the black walls weren't nearly as noticeable this time around, and it was obvious that there was some kind of budget injection this time around (If this was 2017, most of Poltergeist would've been black wallz, instead of just one hallway. Plus, all dat set-design in Classic Monsters)

Agreed on the house count. Seven real houses and Tram are plenty to do. Crimson Peak and Insidious were awesome that year. I really wish all of the houses would be in that calibur of detail, scenic, and scares. That's the kind of quality I'm looking for in HHN. Upping the house count isn't going to help. Speaking of which, where would the extra house go anyway? They really don't have any more space so they can't anyway.

Black wallz weren't as bad this year, but they were still plenty noticeable. TrT, Purge, and Blumhouse had plenty of them. Blumhouse just reused a lot from La Llorona and AHS.

 

[HHNManics]

Agreed on the house count. Seven real houses and Tram are plenty to do. Crimson Peak and Insidious were awesome that year. I really wish all of the houses would be in that calibur of detail, scenic, and scares. That's the kind of quality I'm looking for in HHN. Upping the house count isn't going to help. Speaking of which, where would the extra house go anyway? They really don't have any more space so they can't anyway.

Black wallz weren't as bad this year, but they were still plenty noticeable. TrT, Purge, and Blumhouse had plenty of them. Blumhouse just reused a lot from La Llorona and AHS.

Poltergeist in the midsection additionally had very noticeably black walls for like a good almost minute but the maze did make up for it (Where as Purge did not).

Stranger Things, Monsters, and Halloween 4 had the least amount of black walls. Although a good chunk of Halloween 4 is very noticeably reused from previous mazes.

If they were really smart they would cut Tram and divide the money between the mazes to up the quality and keep the same amount of mazes (7) with possibly no black walls and possibly also put those Scare actors that aren't gonna be in Tram anymore into Zones or possibly something like Roaming Hordes at HHN Orlando.

Extra house I would say possibly expanding the backlot to more areas similar to WB's Horror Made Here and have it similar to that but in the backlot could work. You could have a Roaming horde and the Gauntlet and the 3 mazes as per usual and possibly expand to a New Location.

Matter of fact why not just use the Purge as a Roaming horde for Hollywood? Like no one wants the Purge at the event anyway so why not just throw it instead of a Zone, Tram, or maze slot just have a group of good scare actors going around in Purge costumes scaring people?

 

[DTH]

I think one thing everyone is forgetting is the black walls are used because there are a big group of people who do like them. And they get scares, like 95% of the time. It's not necessarily a budget constraint, but a creative choice. And even if it is a budget constraint, they see it as a win-win because it's effective anyway. They found a way to be cheap and stay true to their mission of scaring. The first time they saw how effective it was, they probably slapped themselves in the heads for wondering why they tried so hard to be creative and wasting budget on fancy rooms when they could just do something simple. Even with $10m per house, they'll probably still do it.

 

[Spookies n' Stuff]

I think one thing everyone is forgetting is the black walls are used because there are a big group of people who do like them. And they get scares, like 95% of the time. It's not necessarily a budget constraint, but a creative choice. And even if it is a budget constraint, they see it as a win-win because it's effective anyway. They found a way to be cheap and stay true to their mission of scaring. The first time they saw how effective it was, they probably slapped themselves in the heads for wondering why they tried so hard to be creative and wasting budget on fancy rooms when they could just do something simple. Even with $10m per house, they'll probably still do it.

I feel like there is some truth to this, as black room scares do tend to be effective with the general public, and HHN has a nasty habit of taking what works one year and using it a lot the next few years (examples being the charging zombie horde, or projection screen scares) but in terms of the sections of black walls that don't have actors, Murdy usually states as being a result of cutting rooms due to budget (The Shining, AvED, Poltergeist), so I have a feeling the scares in black rooms are conscious decisions, but the long empty stretches of them are not.

 

[MacMillian Crew]

Most likely I missed this somewhere on 2018's forum, but I hope someone can verify. I remember before the event started there was talk about the maze location behind the Mummy ride going away next year and now on here I barely found out about Parisian Courtyard going away. Add that with the fact that most likely we're not gonna be able to use the area where Jurassic World is going, does that mean maze locations are gonna be added in the backlot, since I doubt they'll let the maze count drop next year like it did in 2015? (considering if we're able to secure this year's sound stage to reuse next year for Stranger Things 2)

 

[Freak]

Most likely I missed this somewhere on 2018's forum, but I hope someone can verify. I remember before the event started there was talk about the maze location behind the Mummy ride going away next year and now on here I barely found out about Parisian Courtyard going away. Add that with the fact that most likely we're not gonna be able to use the area where Jurassic World is going, does that mean maze locations are gonna be added in the backlot, since I doubt they'll let the maze count drop next year like it did in 2015? (considering if we're able to secure this year's sound stage to reuse next year for Stranger Things 2)

They can still use Universal Plaza. Queue space may be a little more cramped but they can still use it.

Hopefully stage 29 will be back. Time will tell. If it’s still up they’ll probably keep it.

 

[HHNManics]

Hopefully stage 29 will be back. Time will tell. If it’s still up they’ll probably keep it.

It was mentioned on the Super Nintendo World Thread by @Dkdiaz

"Interesting enough, I had the opportunity to tour Horror Nights during the day with the creative and production team and one of the interesting things they stated was while in stranger things was that the sound stage wasn’t being torn down (only refurbished) and that there is a high likely hood they get to use it for next years eventbecause it is being turned into a space for entertainment/ special events for the Park."

So it sounds like we will still have SS29 next year. Along with everything else (Waterworld, Mummy, 3 backlot mazes, and Parisian Square). So 7 mazes and their choice whether or not to add a 8th.

 

[Viator]

I wouldn't necessarily guarantee Parisian, at-least; until we see any of what happens to the courtyard after either the maze get's taken down from that area, or after the holiday's.

 

[DTH]

Making that sound stage a special event space makes a lot of sense. Does anyone know if they've struck the Stranger Things set? Probably refurbishing it while they ready to announce a TWDA closure as we speak and for ST to open Jan-May haha. Hopefully this means they'll feel more liberal with using the whole space, vertically especially. If they're wise, they'll install some environmental aspects to the venue, like snow or cold air [they did a Grinch maze back in 2000 -- non scary kind -- with an entire snow play area out front and it was freakin' great].

 

[HHNManics]

If they're wise, they'll install some environmental aspects to the venue, like snow or cold air [they did a Grinch maze back in 2000 -- non scary kind -- with an entire snow play area out front and it was freakin' great].

If they are wise they will have snow falling down like ash falling down in the Upside Down (Like Orlando did) for next year's Stranger Things maze instead of small cotton balls for the Upside Down.

I honestly would have really liked a Snow machine putting snow out in like Holidayz in Hell. Intrepid at Queen Mary had a Outside Graveyard scene with snow falling down and it was gorgeous.

 

[Freak]

If they are wise they will have snow falling down like ash falling down in the Upside Down (Like Orlando did) for next year's Stranger Things maze instead of small cotton balls for the Upside Down.

I honestly would have really liked a Snow machine putting snow out in like Holidayz in Hell. Intrepid at Queen Mary had a Outside Graveyard scene with snow falling down and it was gorgeous.

Have you forgotten dude?

 

[HHNManics]

Have you forgotten dude?

View attachment 8346

Sorry I forgot that's too smart for Hollywood to do and wouldn't cost that much. Even though a Event like Queen Mary probably makes a lot less than a Multi-Million Dollar movie making company and has 4 studio Parks to make money off of.

But Queen Mary still has the money to do a Snow machine where as the Multi-Million Dollar movie making company can't.

 

[Freak]

Sorry I forgot that's too smart for Hollywood to do and wouldn't cost that much. Even though a Event like Queen Mary probably makes a lot less than a Multi-Million Dollar movie making company and has 4 studio Parks to make money off of.

But Queen Mary still has the money to do a Snow machine where as the Multi-Million Dollar movie making company can't.

Agreed. It's so baffling that they would rather go for the less fantastic looking and probably more costly move of doing fiber optics over a snow machine with proper lighting.

IF Hill House is in the cards next year, I really hope they give that IP over to the sound stage. Stranger Things could totally move to the backlot while Hill House would suffer from being anywhere other than a sound stage.

so i just saw overlord, i think it can make a awesome maze imo. there are tons of scenes they can use.

IDK, I just don't see Overlord happening next year or even the next. If it gets enough requests, I could see it in the cards for 2020 (That's a big IF, though). I think they're already certain at this point what they want to do.

I also don't see it happening because Nazis and guns play a big role in that movie. Those two are big no-nos at HHN. Too much room for people to complain.

 

[hhnlover]

IDK, I just don't see Overlord happening next year or even the next. If it gets enough requests, I could see it in the cards for 2020 (That's a big IF, though). I think they're already certain at this point what they want to do.

I also don't see it happening because Nazis and guns play a big role in that movie. Those two are big no-nos at HHN. Too much room for people to complain.

yeah good point.

 

[rageofthegods]

Agreed. It's so baffling that they would rather go for the less fantastic looking and probably more costly move of doing fiber optics over a snow machine with proper lighting.

IF Hill House is in the cards next year, I really hope they give that IP over to the sound stage. Stranger Things could totally move to the backlot while Hill House would suffer from being anywhere other than a sound stage.


IDK, I just don't see Overlord happening next year or even the next. If it gets enough requests, I could see it in the cards for 2020 (That's a big IF, though). I think they're already certain at this point what they want to do.

I also don't see it happening because Nazis and guns play a big role in that movie. Those two are big no-nos at HHN. Too much room for people to complain.

I try not to give Murdy and co too much of a hard time for the upside down (just like I don't give them too hard a time over TiTE). They thought of the snow machine, they wanted to try something different with the cotton balls, it didn't work out. It be like that sometimes.

WRT Overlord, yeah there are nazis and guns, but they could always go with the Wolfenstein-in-Germany solution of just removing all the insignia and not explicitly calling them Nazis (I think that's what they did with American Werewolf?). I haven't seen the movie yet, but I'm sure there are ways of painting around the gun problem (maybe just don't have actors using them, have them only be a lighting effect, like muzzle flashes and smoke, without actually *showing* them being fired, just straight up not have any guns, etc.)

Biggest problem I can see is whether anyone will remember Overlord in a year or two. Krampus and Dracula Untold got away with it by being an advertisement house; 2020 feels about right.