Halloween Horror Nights 24 Discussion

[anihilnation]

Yeah, I was just knocking around what creeps me out, and the idea of visiting NK really unnerves me. I am not sure if Universal could ever attempt such a house, but the regional ones could, and any bad press would be good. Yeah, fictional unless one considers a few of the big movies that get away with some of it. Argo terrified me in a few scenes.

Heard about Argo, have to watch it one of these days.

Technically using NK wouldn't really be that much of a problem, after all, there are no NK tourists who'll be outraged

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Lol yep most of us knew about the Diagon stay and scream. Just wondering if they've fixed the let out time for that. As before they wouldn't let you go until the park opened(fireworks atr not went off) weird that it's in Duff gardens area. Less of a area to have to close off.

I guess the extended hours is a sign of them attempting to fix the waits/crowds. I feel sorry for the actors but it's great for us.

I think the major reason they are using Duff Gardens is because it is a bar. What will most people do when they have to wait an hour? They'll have a drink, damn clever from uni

If anyone knows how the London stay and scream is working out, let me know.

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So there is a chance that the last saturday regular FF pass will allowed admittance?

 

[Zombie-C]

I'm sure I speak for my colleagues and say the idea of making us pay for it. Is very terrible! Not only for my department but what about the scare-actors who work all month and only have 1-2 nights off. They should pay for it? Employees only get into the event free. We don't get discounts on tours or express. We weren't a problem in the past so....time to look else where.

Believe it or not the main question I got from guest. Were about where they could get some Food, one would think it would be drinks. One can only hope about FF on final day. Wouldn't be right otherwise.

 

[SeventyOne]

I'm watching the wait times from home right now via the hhn mobile website and some gps trickery. As of currently is says walking dead is 60, halloween is 45, Giggles is 20, and everything else is 10 or 5. Doesn't seem so bad. Maybe they just sold a **** load of rush passes. I may be tempted to go sunday if this weekend seems slower.

I see you posted around 7:45. Leading theory from the the Finns bartenders: crowds don't materialize until after 8, when parking gets cheaper. Thursday bore that out, went from busy to unmanagable from like 8:25 to 8:45. (And Friday 10/3, I hit horrific traffic around 8:30.)

Then again, for a while now Fridays have not been that bad--almost always better than Sundays.

I know Seth stops by here, I'd really love for Touring Plans to apply their algorithms and what-not to the HHN crowd, come up with a definitive ranking of busy v. non-busy nights. A lot of times their results for WDW are counter-intuitive, I imagine HHN much the same.

 

[Mad Dog]

I think it is a great concept that Universal gives special perks to their employees. Perks like free admission to the parks, HHN, hotel discounts, etc. create an atmosphere of good employee morale, which translates into a good guest experience bottom line. People working in theme parks don't make much money. They deserve that little extra consideration.

 

[SeventyOne]

[Great informative post, redacted for space]

Although I'd love to see dual park again because I think it did a great job with the crowds, I'm not sure there's a good way to get guests between the two parks without causing a huge traffic mess. For those of you who never went to HHN at Islands, the crowding was worse than it is currently at the Studios. The width of the paths was a real detriment to having a good time. Shoulder to shoulder throughout most of the park on peak nights.

Good points, and as someone else said, why use two half-parks instead of one whole park.

But what if they were two separate admissions? Split crowd roughly 50/50, with no cross-over, other than FFPs--which you could know charge double for, as it now includes two parks. (Yes, they could double the price anyway, but this would give them a PR fig leaf to hide behind.) Dueling events with dueling icons would re-energize the fan community and garner a lot of media-attention. It's a radical approach, but I think it could work.

 

[SeventyOne]

If anyone knows how the London stay and scream is working out, let me know.

Done it twice. Have to have a multi-park ticket (or AP) to get in. They will tell you that you have to exit via train unless you specifically ask about HHN. Once inside, pretty much a normal day in D.A. Both times have been the least crowded I've seen the area. With a 6pm closing, Gringotts usually closes by 5:20, and most of the shops seem to close by 5:45. Still, if you're there by 5, time for a couple beers or an ice cream, or dinner at Leaky if you head straight there.

Around 5:45, they begin scanning tickets at the far end, allow you to hang out on the sidewalks around the Amity bathrooms. Rope drop slightly later than the front of the park, has to be communicated back to the "handlers." Maybe 2 minutes behind the other holding areas. Still, friend and I made it to Roanoke Thursday and walked right in, followed by a straight walk into Dollhouse. Most of the crowd makes a beeline for Halloween even tho it won't open for another half hour.

Far more spacious than Finns area, with much shorter beer lines, and frankly more to do for most of the hour plus you're held there.

Anyone done Duff Gardens? Busy? I ask because I saw half the bartenders walking up there around 6, can't imagine it was fully staffed.

So there is a chance that the last saturday regular FF pass will allowed admittance?

I'm hard-pressed to think of the last time a FFP didn't work on the final Saturday--especially when it fell after Halloween.

 

[anihilnation]

SeventyOne, I did the Duff Gardens Thursday, not too many people out there, I think it was right on the dot of 17h45 that they let us out and by the time it was 18h30 I had done both Roanoke and Dollhouse twice.

 

[sjago13]

I'm going Sunday night and will stay aND scream by myself then meet up with people that should be front of the line at the gate. Since anihilnation she'd light of the kid zone particulars does ny s&s get out at 5.45 as well? I wanna be able to do a house or two then meet up my friends at Ronoake. Idk if I should try to do avp then head over to Ronoake or just do kid zone and hit up Ronoake and Dollhouse then run it again with my friends.

Maybe if I get drunk at Finnegans the predators will look like little people. On a serious note, some didn't seem 6'6" but they were all over 6 feet (my height) and one of the predators that comes out from behind the hanging body must have been at least 6'8" he was huge and jumped out at me and just looked down. I wasn't paying attention and it got me good.

 

[Lucky Planet]

I'm sure I speak for my colleagues and say the idea of making us pay for it. Is very terrible! Not only for my department but what about the scare-actors who work all month and only have 1-2 nights off. They should pay for it? Employees only get into the event free. We don't get discounts on tours or express. We weren't a problem in the past so....time to look else where.

Believe it or not the main question I got from guest. Were about where they could get some Food, one would think it would be drinks. One can only hope about FF on final day. Wouldn't be right otherwise.

I think it is a great concept that Universal gives special perks to their employees. Perks like free admission to the parks, HHN, hotel discounts, etc. create an atmosphere of good employee morale, which translates into a good guest experience bottom line. People working in theme parks don't make much money. They deserve that little extra consideration.

Yeah My question is not something I suggest or something I would want to see happen, I don't work there but I could imagine how it would suck.
I use FFP-plus and I also wondered if they could get rid of the Plus tickets. (that would affect me personally)

But, I guess I am just thinking out loud and wonder what possible ways they could fix the crowd problems we are having recently. I know the couple of ideas I was wondering about are not great. But Universal is going to end up having to do something if it keeps growing. You cannot have as many people in the park as now and not have problems. I'm actually surprised the event has not had any big problems or big fights between people or anything.

I guess charging the workers could be the worst thing they could ever do... My first and pretty much favorite option is that they just opened Potter and let everyone get into Diagon Alley. That's what I would vote for the most. But like it has been talked about so many times, they won't open it no matter what.

 

[Lucky Planet]

Maybe if I get drunk at Finnegans the predators will look like little people. On a serious note, some didn't seem 6'6" but they were all over 6 feet (my height) and one of the predators that comes out from behind the hanging body must have been at least 6'8" he was huge and jumped out at me and just looked down. I wasn't paying attention and it got me good.

I guess this is one of the few times that being 5'7 works for me Usually being 5'7 is not really great but in the house the predators look huge to me which makes the house that much more amazing haha!

 

[SeventyOne]

SeventyOne, I did the Duff Gardens Thursday, not too many people out there, I think it was right on the dot of 17h45 that they let us out and by the time it was 18h30 I had done both Roanoke and Dollhouse twice.

Nice, may try that tomorrow

 

[Parkscope Joe]

I know Seth stops by here, I'd really love for Touring Plans to apply their algorithms and what-not to the HHN crowd, come up with a definitive ranking of busy v. non-busy nights. A lot of times their results for WDW are counter-intuitive, I imagine HHN much the same.

He did a post on the TP Blog recently...

http://blog.touringplans.com/2014/1...en-horror-nights-updated-hhn24-touring-plans/

 

[romo]

Any horror/haunted house fan check out my review/experience of NETHERWORLD in atlanta! Some spoilers!!

http://www.orlandounited.com/forums...d-house-fans-read-this!!!?p=388536#post388536

 

[sjago13]

They just told me they are going to try and open halloween at 5.45 today for stay and scream.

 

[sjago13]

It was packed tonight. 60 to 120 min waits from 8 to 12 for almost eveverything. Halloween and walking dead got up to 2 and a half briefly. We somehow did all the houses, bill and ted and did all the rides except Simpson and despicable me though. I honestly don't know how we did it all.

 

[SeventyOne]

They just told me they are going to try and open halloween at 5.45 today for stay and scream.

That seems about right, 5:50 at the latest. Duff Gardens got about a 60-second head start on Diagon Alley. Managers forced to scream at people not to run. Roanoke and Doll House were open, as well, but I saw no one headed there initially.

 

[sjago13]

I was second in and it was so good. The Diagon people coming over the bridge looked like a mob. I heard some people yelling and griping as they came over the bridge because duff was ahead.

 

[romo]

Ok guys have to go on a peak night the 24th.. been HHN for many year but this is the first year I'm forced to go on a peak night so really dont know the best plan of action.. usually i start at finnigans early entry but there is so many this year? what you guys think best plan is??any advice greatly appreciated!!!

 

[SeventyOne]

Ok guys have to go on a peak night the 24th.. been HHN for many year but this is the first year I'm forced to go on a peak night so really dont know the best plan of action.. usually i start at finnigans early entry but there is so many this year? what you guys think best plan is??any advice greatly appreciated!!!

Comes down to how important TWD is to you, I think. If it matters, Finns/Lucys, and head straight there. If you're not a fan, I say Duff Gardens, beeline for Halloween, then double back for KidZone, then probably Giggles & Gore, then soundstage houses as you can (might get lucky and catch AvP under an hour still) It's a Friday so you'll have 2 hours before it gets insane.

 

[Lucky Planet]

so... This year, The Modern IPs are not drawing a big crowd and they are getting mixed results(Dracula and FDTD)
Meanwhile the classic IPs (halloween and AVP) are getting 2 hour lines almost every week. (AVP itself might Not be a classic franchise or even that old, But Alien and Predator sure are) And last year the house that most people loved was American Werewolf

So why doesn't Marketing learn that people really want houses based on classic movies and not whatever came out recently? I understand they needed to promote dracula, but why did they need to add From Dusk? specially the show? why couldn't they try to do a house on the movie?

it is proven year after year, specially in 07, that people will come in droves to see the classic IP houses, but why don't they keep making more like that? there is a bunch of movies that would bring the crowds in