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Halloween Horror Nights 25 Discussion

I'm hoping they seriously try a lot harder scare-wise than they did this year. While 2012 was the worst year I've been to, this year felt like they were going through the motions in the house department.
Well if they auditioned correctly, maybe things like this wouldn't happen. They need to do auditions more like Howl-O-Scream, where they actually put you through the situations you'll be in, rather than typecasting and hoping you'll be able to portray the role convincingly and well enough.

Also: If it's a 2-park event, is B&T expected to go over to the Toon Lagoon amphitheater?
 
Thats a shame but thanks for clearing it up. Would it be possible to do it all in one night or would it be too busy?

With express probably, I hope we don't see a 2 park event just for the laziness on my end. But if they must for more houses than I'm fine. Personally for Jack I hope the carnival of carnage show comes back with a new plot (best HHN show ever) and Jack gets his own house but in a serious tone (NO 3D!!!!)
 
In terms of a event being held in both parks, to be honest I'm really not too sure about that.

Is it possible? Yes. BUT...this isn't 2004 where it was somewhat easy to go between the parks. There was no bus stop nearby Cat in The Hat backstage, there was no HRRR and the Hollywood Bowl blocking access to the breezeway. There was no Blue Man Group making it tricky for a pathway in front of it due to it going out of the park.

There's a lot of logistic nightmares here concerning going between the parks, and that's not even going into the sheer amount of walking you'll have to do, and the metric ton of dead space that'll be in the parks.
 
In terms of a event being held in both parks, to be honest I'm really not too sure about that.

Is it possible? Yes. BUT...this isn't 2004 where it was somewhat easy to go between the parks. There was no bus stop nearby Cat in The Hat backstage, there was no HRRR and the Hollywood Bowl blocking access to the breezeway. There was no Blue Man Group making it tricky for a pathway in front of it due to it going out of the park.

There's a lot of logistic nightmares here concerning going between the parks, and that's not even going into the sheer amount of walking you'll have to do, and the metric ton of dead space that'll be in the parks.
Dead Space, yes ther'd be a lot of it. But getting between parks? It shouldn't be a problem. It's rather simple actually.
 
Dead Space, yes ther'd be a lot of it. But getting between parks? It shouldn't be a problem. It's rather simple actually.

Don't people go between 2 parks now when the Grinch show starts? You enter from IOA but walk over to one of the USF soundstages. It's a pretty quick, simple walk.
 
Don't people go between 2 parks now when the Grinch show starts? You enter from IOA but walk over to one of the USF soundstages. It's a pretty quick, simple walk.

Put an HHN crowd in that walk and push them to USF between the soundstages, all the while managing queue lines for the Soundstage houses. It's a nightmare with the front by Blue Man and rear by Hogwarts closed off.
 
Don't people go between 2 parks now when the Grinch show starts? You enter from IOA but walk over to one of the USF soundstages. It's a pretty quick, simple walk.
Yeah, pretty much, since the Grinch show is held in a soundstage. That route is definitely the most direct and easiest way they'd have to access IOA from a guest standpoint. They could even do a scare zone along the path if they really wanted. I know they did something like that back in 2004.
 
It's not that hard, you run the crowds behind Stage 19, 18, and the Nickelodeon building. There is large walkway there. You can also run guests outback near the HWE. Not to mention, maybe even have the HWE open.
 
Put an HHN crowd in that walk and push them to USF between the soundstages, all the while managing queue lines for the Soundstage houses. It's a nightmare with the front by Blue Man and rear by Hogwarts closed off.

It was never crowded back when they first did it and, honestly, there's times the streets of HHN aren't that packed since everyone's in line for houses. Of course, there's bottleneck areas but they're the same every year (outside Bill & Ted, MIB, Simpsons, etc).
 
It was never crowded back when they first did it and, honestly, there's times the streets of HHN aren't that packed since everyone's in line for houses. Of course, there's bottleneck areas but they're the same every year (outside Bill & Ted, MIB, Simpsons, etc).

It was never crowded because they had the east (Nickelodeon) and west (Hogwarts Express) paths open, there was no travel between the actual soundstages. Those paths are closed now and crowds are insane compared to 10 years ago. A portion of the west path could be used, where the exit for AVP was this year. That's all.

HHN back then wasn't nearly as crowded as it is now, and 2004 has the lowest attendance since 1998, much of that due to the hurricanes that year destroying the outdoor scarezones and houses and forcing Universal to scale back the number of days. Attendance was so bad that they had a costume contest every night the final week to bring people in. Think about that and realize that 2004 is not a good year to use as a barometer for crowds, moreso comparing it to the current HHN.

If they do it as a 2 park event, I fully expect no connectivity between the parks with separate entry at each park. Hogwarts would be a great pass through, but let's be realistic and say it won't be running.
 
Attendance was so bad that they had a costume contest every night the final week to bring people in.

Sorry to drift off topic, but I remember this Halloween night. The 70s track team doing calisthenics during the Terra Queen show. If looks could kill... Rivals the foam party under Kong for most surreal moment at HHN--God I'm old, but the event will never be that weird again.


Think about that and realize that 2004 is not a good year to use as a barometer for crowds, moreso comparing it to the current HHN.

If they do it as a 2 park event, I fully expect no connectivity between the parks with separate entry at each park. Hogwarts would be a great pass through, but let's be realistic and say it won't be running.

I completely agree. Two separate events, each using the main entrance. Staff each gate at 2/3, total staffing goes up only 1/3 over current level. Similarly, could "trade" restaurants--say, Richters for Thunder Falls--and again keep staff levels fairly consistent. Staffing costs and the fear of closing both parks at 5 seem the only downsides to this. On the plus side, increases capacity, hypothetically doubles the number of single-night tickets sold (the event's real bread and butter I imagine, besides booze), generates huge buzz and gives them a great excuse to double the price of multi-day tickets by making them hoppers.
 
Sorry to drift off topic, but I remember this Halloween night. The 70s track team doing calisthenics during the Terra Queen show. If looks could kill... Rivals the foam party under Kong for most surreal moment at HHN--God I'm old, but the event will never be that weird again.




I completely agree. Two separate events, each using the main entrance. Staff each gate at 2/3, total staffing goes up only 1/3 over current level. Similarly, could "trade" restaurants--say, Richters for Thunder Falls--and again keep staff levels fairly consistent. Staffing costs and the fear of closing both parks at 5 seem the only downsides to this. On the plus side, increases capacity, hypothetically doubles the number of single-night tickets sold (the event's real bread and butter I imagine, besides booze), generates huge buzz and gives them a great excuse to double the price of multi-day tickets by making them hoppers.

My favorite part of the Kong foam party was walking to the side to try to get out quick, and then hitting the barriers placed on the sides that were obscured with foam. That was 2001, right? I remember going in 1999 or 2000 and the Nightmare Creatures maze in that spot. I feel old too, but then I realize that I've been going to Horror Nights for half my life, starting when I was a teen and I'm only 29.
I really do miss how it used to be. I'd say 2003 was the last year that felt like old Horror Nights, for me at least. 2004 is kind of a write-off, and 2005 was fun and I loved the theme but Terra Queen was robbed off her icon status making the whole thing feel off to me. Maybe all of the Orcs, Nightmare, and the Frost Queen will come back for the 25th like they did for the 20th. That period was when I first started working at the parks so it feels special to me.

Anyways, back to topic...

I hadn't thought about them having to close both of the parks at 5. Don't they normally close at 6 in the off-season anyway? I was thinking a single ticket for both, and not needing a 2-park ticket. They could close off both Potter areas, and sell the ticket under the assumption that it won't be possible for someone to see everything in one night, thus requiring a second full priced day to see it all. Also price increase with less days on the Frequent Fear Pass.

The clientele has changed a lot too - much younger people, less drinking overall - so they'll need to rely on ticket sales. One of my former co-workers was telling me that last year was the first year that alcohol + merchandise sales during HHN didn't make more money than alcohol + merchandise sales during the day, and admission costs barely covered the cost of the event itself. Word was that Comcast overlords were questioning the worth of putting on the event vs keeping the park open additional hours and making the same revenue. I haven't heard anything on this year's numbers though.

Knowing that, it wouldn't surprise me at all if HHN moved to something more like the Halloween Party down the road in a few years. Less houses, more meet and greets, less R&D costs, and bring in more families. I know we all like to think that this event will always be around, but for those of us who have been going to HHN for a long time there has already been a huge change in the way the event was vs. currently.
 
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