Halloween Horror Nights 29 General Discussion

[OhHaiInternet95]

AFAIK - WB Haunts is out for the foreseeable future.

Do you mean WB’s event isn’t happening for the time being, or IPs based off WB’s big properties aren’t coming to Uni for the time being? If the latter, my original point still stands.

 

[Brian G.]

Do you mean WB’s event isn’t happening for the time being, or IPs based off WB’s big properties aren’t coming to Uni for the time being? If the latter, my original point still stands.

WB Event.

 

[OhHaiInternet95]

WB Event.

So are WB’s big properties back on the table?

 

[WAJAS]

So are WB’s big properties back on the table?

If they aren’t using them, then I’d assume yes. They have no reason not to make money off them through licensing.

 

[ssirin88]

Crowded night tonight with most houses sticking around the 60 minute mark, but walking through the scare zones is just no fun when you're shoulder to shoulder with strangers. This is the worst at Hellbilly Deluxe.

That said, got some pretty good runs in on Blood Pit and Monsters.

 

[SeventyOne]

Crowded night tonight with most houses sticking around the 60 minute mark, but walking through the scare zones is just no fun when you're shoulder to shoulder with strangers. This is the worst at Hellbilly Deluxe.

Not sure it means anything, but MNSSHP up the street was noticeably more crowded tonight as well. Hear that had something to do with CM comps being blocked after tonight. but maybe there's some quirk in travel or school schedules somewhere.

With you on Hellbilly Deluxe. SF not built for mini-shows.

 

[Nick]

Damn this year is great! I honestly shouldn’t be surprised, but still am. There isn’t a single house I didn’t get a few scares in - yes even Ghostbusters. Scareactors are being aggressive. House design this year is incredible; no weakness there.

Best year for scarezones IMO; only weaker link is Zombieland (and still got two scares there). Hillbilly Deluxe is outrageously entertaining. And Marathon of Mayhem? Holy hell, amazing.

Think folks jumped the gun on opening weekend reviews because I’ve seen this event do a whole lot worse.

Besides Marathon of Mayhem, it's amazing the divide between your view of the event and mine. Everyone has their own experience and opinions on things though so glad you enjoyed everything.

 

[ultimateforce]

My group got into the line for Killer Klowns at 12:50 last night and by the time we go into the house it seemed like everyone was exhausted. Us, other guests, the Klowns. It was a really strange experience of everyone going through the motions of a scare and just moving on.

 

[JawsVictim]

Besides Marathon of Mayhem, it's amazing the divide between your view of the event and mine. Everyone has their own experience and opinions on things though so glad you enjoyed everything.

That divide seems strong within the fan base this year. I have criticisms, but they’re issues I’ve noticed in the past too.

Crowded night tonight with most houses sticking around the 60 minute mark, but walking through the scare zones is just no fun when you're shoulder to shoulder with strangers. This is the worst at Hellbilly Deluxe.
.

Hillbilly Deluxe is best saved for last. Been hanging around that zone at midnight and it’s been awesome.

 

[Lucky Planet]

That divide seems strong within the fan base this year. I have criticisms, but they’re issues I’ve noticed in the past too.



Hillbilly Deluxe is best saved for last. Been hanging around that zone at midnight and it’s been awesome.

Why is it awesome at midnight

 

[JawsVictim]

Why is it awesome at midnight

Not as crowded.

 

[SeventyOne]

Besides Marathon of Mayhem, it's amazing the divide between your view of the event and mine. Everyone has their own experience and opinions on things though so glad you enjoyed everything.

That divide seems strong within the fan base this year. I have criticisms, but they’re issues I’ve noticed in the past too.

Obviously opinions are subjective, but putting aside zones and Ghostbusters (which was destined to be polarizing), what do you guys see as the major flaws in Monsters, Yeti, Graveyard, HoTC and Klownz? For me, Monsters is up there with Halloween for modern-era GOAT, and I think the others I listed run from great to very solid.

 

[JawsVictim]

Obviously opinions are subjective, but putting aside zones and Ghostbusters (which was destined to be polarizing), what do you guys see as the major flaws in Monsters, Yeti, Graveyard, HoTC and Klownz? For me, Monsters is up there with Halloween for modern-era GOAT, and I think the others I listed run from great to very solid.

Agree with Monsters. I don’t have any issue with that house, HOTC, or Graveyard.

My gripe for GB and Klownz is a bit silly; both locations for the houses are missed opportunities. You have a GB house not entering by the GB facade in NY. And you have a KK house that’s not in a tent. They also have weak facades.

Yeti lacks character variety. That’s all I’ll say without getting into spoilers.

 

[SeventyOne]

My gripe for GB and Klownz is a bit silly; both locations for the houses are missed opportunities. You have a GB house not entering by the GB facade in NY. And you have a KK house that’s not in a tent. They also have weak facades.

Very fair. I think I mentioned the former in my otherwise glowing initial review, and the tent thing ... I'll admit I was today years old when that occurred to me, but agreed it would've been inspired.

Yeti lacks character variety. That’s all I say without getting into spoilers.

Also agreed, but I think that's Nightingales and Depths as well. Along with the number of non-actor-staffed scares throughout the houses this year, I do fear 10 houses is too many, however many they go for in XXX may break things.

 

[JawsVictim]

Also agreed, but I think that's Nightingales and Depths as well. Along with the number of non-actor-staffed scares throughout the houses this year, I do fear 10 houses is too many, however many they go for in XXX may break things.

It’s weird because last year they had 10 houses and none of them felt understaffed. All of the houses have really great set design though, so it’s kind of a trade off. Apparently there are 700 reserve scareactors this year; plenty of people willing to perform that got sidelined.

(Edit: Now that I think of it, Scary Tales did feel understaffed last year.)

Definitely agree with the non-actor-staffed scares in Nightingales. There seems to be extra booholes designed for that house that are missing scareactors.

 

[Sprung1]

Has anyone mentioned the universal employee working right by the entrance to Depths? He’s been there every night this week so far. He is high fiving guests, dancing and getting everyone pumped up and excited as you walk in. I’ve never seen any employee in the park more enthusiastic than him.

 

[Legacy]

My gripe for GB and Klownz is a bit silly; both locations for the houses are missed opportunities. You have a GB house not entering by the GB facade in NY. And you have a KK house that’s not in a tent. They also have weak facades.

House locations don't consider entrances/exits or locations within the park. They're selected based on requirements for the design. SS25 was used for Stranger Things because it had to be--it uses nearly every inch of the bigger "one house" soundstage. That left Ghostbusters to SS22 and ONLY SS22. The building was on complete lockdown during construction to attempt keeping it secret.

Klowns was put into Shrek because it didn't need soundstage-level verticality, but DID need enough space to install (and rig) Klownzilla. It wouldn't have fit in a tent because they don't have the same flexibility to hang stuff in them.

So, while I understand your criticisms, there are practical reasons those criticisms aren't considered.

Definitely agree with the non-actor-staffed scares in Nightingales. There seems to be extra booholes designed for that house that are missing scareactors.

That's not uncommon, actually. They'll plan for/design scares that -

1) They decide just don't work (due to pacing, direction, or design), or

2) They don't fill because they run out of costumes (more common with their custom monster houses).

There are some wrinkles, though. Some of those "booholes" also aren't actual booholes, but rather access doors for Ops. There's also some areas designed to give one performer two (or more) booholes, which obviously means one is empty while the other is occupied. Depending on your timing, it's possible to get bit by neither.

 

[SeventyOne]

AFAIK - WB Haunts is out for the foreseeable future.

Sort of off-topic, but the failure of other "major" haunt events shows impressive HHN Orlando really is, going stronger than ever 3 decades in. WB had a dream IP line-up and obviously the money to invest in it, apparently it didn't pay off. This Queen Mary haunt in Orlando comes from a team with a record of success and apparently some investment capital to get this far, but weeks out starting to feel like one of those things over before it begins (knock on wood I'm wrong, it had me hyped). According to Sea World friends, Howl-O-Scream Tampa is perpetually on the cutting block, and the fact they barely update it and never cloned it over by Shamu seems to back that up. That first decade, UOR caught lighting in a bottle, have been smart about growing it ever since.

 

[rageofthegods]

Sort of off-topic, but the failure of other "major" haunt events shows impressive HHN Orlando really is, going stronger than ever 3 decades in. WB had a dream IP line-up and obviously the money to invest in it, apparently it didn't pay off. This Queen Mary haunt in Orlando comes from a team with a record of success and apparently some investment capital to get this far, but weeks out starting to feel like one of those things over before it begins (knock on wood I'm wrong, it had me hyped). According to Sea World friends, Howl-O-Scream Tampa is perpetually on the cutting block, and the fact they barely update it and never cloned it over by Shamu seems to back that up. That first decade, UOR caught lighting in a bottle, have been smart about growing it ever since.

Without going too in-depth, I think there were some very basic bread and butter issues with WB's haunt last year, especially considering the fact that they did do a couple successful small events with haunted houses based on the Conjuring and Nightmare on Elm Street in 2017. The biggest issue is that the 2017 haunt was a small affair that cost something like $20-ish, while the 2018 haunt had nights that went for $80. Mixed reception didn't help. It wasn't so much of an issue in 2017 when the IT experience was free, but when a similar quality haunt was going for HHN prices, people revolted. You could tell they panicked because halfway through, they slashed prices by almost $20 for some nights, but it was too little, too late :/

There was definitely room, I think, for an HHN competitor, but WB ramped up wayyyyy too quickly.

EDIT: It's a moot point anyway, if those rumors of WB divesting DC and NLC have any currency.

 

[Legacy]

Sort of off-topic, but the failure of other "major" haunt events shows impressive HHN Orlando really is, going stronger than ever 3 decades in. WB had a dream IP line-up and obviously the money to invest in it, apparently it didn't pay off. This Queen Mary haunt in Orlando comes from a team with a record of success and apparently some investment capital to get this far, but weeks out starting to feel like one of those things over before it begins (knock on wood I'm wrong, it had me hyped). According to Sea World friends, Howl-O-Scream Tampa is perpetually on the cutting block, and the fact they barely update it and never cloned it over by Shamu seems to back that up. That first decade, UOR caught lighting in a bottle, have been smart about growing it ever since.

To play Devil's Advocate, Universal has had no real competition in Orlando for a scary event. Even Howl-O-Scream is two hours away, and most Orlando residents won't travel that far for a haunt. Universal's "lightning in a bottle" exists because it's the only bottle in a Faraday cage. Especially across the first 15 years of the event.

Any other haunt that tries to come into Orlando is now attempting to go against a giant that drops three times more money on a single house than the competitors have for their whole event.

The WB event can't compare to Orlando, because Orlando can't compare to SoCal. LA has a wealth of quality Halloween events. Hollywood's HHN is large-ish fish in a large-ish pond. Knott's has been going for 40+ years now. WB had far more competition and a far more discerning audience.

The failures of Howl-O-Scream are really more representative of the failures of the Busch/SeaWorld brand as a whole.