Halloween Horror Nights 29 (UO): Reviews & Photos

[JoeCamel]

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That is some impressive work

 

[RogueAntilles]

HHN 29 Review

1. Universal Monsters
Universal did themselves proud with this one. Each character is represented beautifully and has their moment to shine. I love the modern looks they gave each Monster, especially The Bride. All 3 of my runs were filled with ping-pong scares from the Wolfman section on. Set design has a nice variety of winding claustrophobic halls and set pieces. It has the best finale of all the houses this year. I will miss this when it’s gone. Easily
*House of the Year*
Favorite Scene: Dracula and his brides.
10/10

2. Ghostbusters
Like most, I grew up on Ghostbusters but didn’t realize how long it’s been since I’ve watched it last. After my first run, I was legit in the GB spirit all over again. Such a fun house from start to finish. Wasn’t expecting the level of scares, respectfully. Slimer got me good and I loved the puppetry/look of him. The scale of the sets and variety of actors/moments make this more special. The best comedy house Universal has ever done (Holidays of Horror is close).
Favorite Scene: Slimer capture/hall.
9/10

3. Yeti: Terror of the Yukon
Woah! Of all the houses this year this one I felt a sense of foreboding walking up to the facade. Set design is top-notch with good use of dimension. The Yeti actors are hulking and invade your space quickly. This could be said about any house, but the timing really matters for this one. Some scenes take a bit to reset and can kill your run. My first 2 runs were fantastic, 3rd I barely saw anyone. It’s still a really unique, memorable house with some of the best scares at the event this year.
Favorite Scene: Log swipe/Yeti on peak.
9/10

4. Graveyard Games
Great original story and house with a terrible name. This reminds of a better version of Winter’s Night from 2011, grim and beautiful. The cast is great. Good use of ping-pong/distraction scares. Probably the best lighting package of the event, eerie and effective. I’m not sold on the blue woman flying towards you scene, looks chincy and is hard to catch. The finale of this could be really cool but falls flat and feels awkward.
Favorite scene: OP standing in front of scare, wait…
Ghoul trapped in coffin scare.
8/10

5. House of a 1000 Corpses
Best use of this venue yet. Follows the movie fluidly, with tons of nuances. I’m curious to know if any of the props from the film made it into the house (or if their at Hollywood). The cast is on-point and lively. Captain Spaulding in the first room should get an award (RIP Sid Haig). Dr. Satin looks intimidating as all hell. Some dead spots/halls make it feel off but overall great house.
Favorite scene: Finale
8/10

6. Depths of Fear
Easily the most underrated house this year. This and Yeti get the most unique award for me. Cool concept and story. The mouthbrooders are such refreshing character design from some of the repetition of years past. Love the variety of crewmen trying to help or kill, with a mixture of them fighting off mouthbrooders. The counting down to implosion gives a sense of urgency throughout. Scares can be off depending on the cast. Wish it was a little darker and has some dead spots.
Favorite scene: Hallway fight between crewman and mouthbrooder.
7.5/10

7. Nightingales: Blood Pit
One of my favorite facades this year. Great expansion to the Nightingales story. The original Nightingales sets were cool but the actors were very tame and their design was weak. This time around they look more like twisted bird-harpies and it pays off. Another cool unique setting for a house. The cast was brutal and going after multiple people. Some of the smells are a little much for me but they’re effective. Some scares can get a bit repetitive. Bring on more Nightingales houses or scarezones.
Favorite scene: Lion
7/10

8. Killer Klowns From Outer Space
Better than I was expecting, another fun comedy house this year. The cast looks like they’re having a good time and making use of those great costumes (when they’re actually in them). A big downfall of this house, and others this year is TOO many lifeless characters. Even clown-zilla, while a cool moment…. it’s a parade balloon. Some fun moments, love the house entrance scene. Much better than the scarezone and good use of IP.
Favorite scene: Opening area.
6.5/10

9. Us
When this was announced I was stoked, big fan of the film. Definitely follows the movie perfectly and the use of I Got Five On It Remix is sublime. While the actors are solid the house feels very static. There wasn’t much happening for both of my runs. Again the use of mannequins this year is a bummer, however this house utilizes them the best. Especially for the Hands Across America finale. Has a lot of potential.
Favorite scene: Hands across America Finale
5.5/10

10. Stranger Things
Ouch. While the longest house this year,it feels the most phoned in. A lot of mannequins, stiff puppetry/animatronics. Some of the Demogorgons look rough. I honestly couldn’t believe both times leaving that THIS is the premiere house this year. It follows season 2 & 3 well when you’re not being RUSHED through each scene at break-neck pace. The giant Mindflayer at the end is impressive when you see it moving. Total crowd eater.
Favorite scene: Mindflayer finale.
3.5/10

Scarezones
1. Vikings Undead - Not one of the best Central Park zones but not the worst. Cool idea and decent actors. Great lighting package.
2. Anarch-ade - Looks fantastic and has a great soundtrack. One of the better uses of the Hollywood entrance zone.
3. Rob Zombie’s Traffic Jam Deluxe - It’s cool if you can walk through it. I love when they put awkward stage shows on the side of a scarezone so people just create a giant barrier you can’t walk passed. This and Vanity Ball will be scary-crowded on peak nights.
4. Vanity Ball - A weaker version of 7 from HHN 2011. The actors are definitely in it but not remotely scary or creepy.
5. Zombieland: Double Tap - Another ouch. Love Zombieland but it’s time to retire zombies from HHN for 5 years. The set pieces look great and feels like Zombieland but it’s the most barren New York zone. MVP goes to Charlie Chaplin Zombie.

Pros
+ Solid houses with a lot of variety.
+ Great shows.
+ The scale of the houses and facades is stellar.
+ Opening early and using the month of September.
+ 80’s theme is cool...

Cons
- ….but feels a half baked.
- Too many mannequins/static creatures. Some of the puppets are a step down from previous years.
- Weak, almost forgettable scare zones.
- Stranger Things
- OPs this year are the roughest I’ve ever seen.


Mid-range Horror Nights year. Better than the dark ages (20-23) but doesn’t hit to top due to lackluster scarezones. Has a great party vibe but could use more horror/scares. Like most, I do miss having a interactive website or backstory. Hopefully for the 30th we will see something of a return. For A&D to bang out 10 houses and almost all are solid and worth visiting is a testament to itself. Universal Monsters is a masterpiece and lives in the pantheon of great Horror Nights houses of old. Bring on the 30th Anniversary, hopefully better than the 20th. Happy Haunt season!

 

[OhHaiInternet95]

HHN 29 Review

1. Universal Monsters
Universal did themselves proud with this one. Each character is represented beautifully and has their moment to shine. I do love the modern looks they gave each Monster, especially The Bride. All 3 of my runs were filled with ping-pong scares from the Wolfman section on. Set design has a nice variety of winding claustrophobic halls and set pieces. It has the best finale of all the houses this year. I will miss this when it’s gone. Easily
*House of the Year*
Favorite Scene: Dracula and his brides.
10/10

2. Ghostbusters
Like most, I grew up on Ghostbusters but didn’t realize how long it’s been since I’ve watched it last. After my first run, I was legit in the GB spirit all over again. Such a fun house from start to finish. Wasn’t expecting the level of scares, respectfully. Slimer got me good and I loved the puppetry/look of him. The scale of the sets and variety of actors/moments make this more special. The best comedy house Universal has ever done (Holidays of Horror is close).
Favorite Scene: Slimer capture/hall.
9/10

3. Yeti: Terror of the Yukon
Woah! Of all the houses this year this one I felt a sense of foreboding walking up to the facade. Set design is top-notch with good use of dimension. The Yeti actors are hulking and invade your space quickly. This could be said about any house, but the timing really matters for this one. Some scenes take a bit to reset and can kill your run. My first 2 runs were fantastic, 3rd I barely saw anyone. It’s still a really unique, memorable house with some of the best scares at the event this year.
Favorite Scene: Log swipe/Yeti on peak.
9/10

4. Graveyard Games
Great original story and house with a terrible name. This reminds of a better version of Winter’s Night from 2011, grim and beautiful. The cast is great. Good use of ping-pong/distraction scares. Probably the best lighting package of the event, eerie and effective. I’m not sold on the blue woman flying towards you scene, looks chincy and is hard to catch. The finale of this could be really cool but falls flat and feels awkward.
Favorite scene: OP standing in front of scare, wait…
Ghoul trapped in coffin scare.
8/10

5. House of a 1000 Corpses
Best use of this venue yet. Follows the movie fluidly, with tons of nuances. I’m curious to know if any of the props from the film made it into the house (or if their at Hollywood). The cast is on-point and lively. Captain Spaulding in the first room should get an award (RIP Sid Haig). Dr. Satin looks intimidating as all hell. Some dead spots/halls make it feel off but overall great house.
Favorite scene: Finale
8/10

6. Depths of Fear
Easily the most underrated house this year. This and Yeti get the most unique award for me. Cool concept and story. The mouthbrooders are such refreshing character design from some of the repetition of years past. Love the variety of crewmen trying to help or kill, with a mixture of them fighting off mouthbrooders. The counting down to implosion gives a sense of urgency throughout. Scares can be off depending on the cast. Wish it was a little darker and has some dead spots.
Favorite scene: Hallway fight between crewman and mouthbrooder.
7.5/10

7. Nightingales: Blood Pit
One of my favorite facades this year. Great expansion to the Nightingales story. The original Nightingales sets were cool but the actors were very tame and their design was weak. This time around they look more like twisted bird-harpies and it pays off. Another cool unique setting for a house. The cast was brutal and going after multiple people. Some of the smells are a little much for me but they’re effective. Some scares can get a bit repetitive. Bring on more Nightingales houses or scarezones.
Favorite scene: Lion
7/10

8. Killer Klowns From Outer Space
Better than I was expecting, another fun comedy house this year. The cast looks like they’re having a good time and making use of those great costumes (when they’re actually in them). A big downfall of this house, and others this year is TOO many lifeless characters. Even clown-zilla, while a cool moment…. it’s a parade balloon. Some fun moments, love the house entrance scene. Much better than the scarezone and good use of IP.
Favorite scene: Opening area.
6.5/10

9. Us
When this was announced I was stoked, big fan of the film. Definitely follows the movie perfectly and the use of I Got Five On It Remix is sublime. While the actors are solid the house feels very static. There wasn’t much happening for both of my runs. Again the use of mannequins this year is a bummer, however this house utilizes them the best. Especially for the Hands Across America finale. Has a lot of potential.
Favorite scene: Hands across America Finale
6/10

10. Stranger Things
Ouch. While the longest house this year it feels the phoned in. A lot of mannequins, stiff puppetry/animatronics. Some of the Demogorgons look rough. I honestly couldn’t believe both times leaving that THIS is the premiere house this year. It follows season 2 & 3 well when you’re not being RUSHED through each scene at break-neck pace. The giant Mindflayer at the end is impressive when you see it moving. Total crowd eater.
Favorite scene: Mindflayer finale.
3/10

Scarezones
1. Vikings Undead - Not one of the best Central Park zones but not the worst. Cool idea and decent actors. Great lighting package.
2. Anarch-ade - Looks fantastic and has a great soundtrack. One of the better uses of the Hollywood entrance zone.
3. Rob Zombie’s Traffic Jam Deluxe - It’s cool if you can walk through it. I love when they put awkward stage shows on the side of a scarezone so people just create a giant barrier you can’t walk passed. This and Vanity Ball will be scary-crowded on peak nights.
4. Vanity Ball - A weaker version of 7 from HHN 2011. The actors are definitely in it but not remotely scary or creepy.
5. Zombieland: Double Tap - Another ouch. Love Zombieland but it’s time to retire zombies from HHN for 5 years. The set pieces look great and feels like Zombieland but it’s the most barren New York zone. MVP goes to Charlie Chaplin Zombie.

Pros
+ Solid houses with a lot of variety.
+ Great shows.
+ The scale of the houses and facades is stellar.
+ Opening early and using the month of September.
+ 80’s theme is cool...

Cons
- ….but feels a half baked.
- Too many mannequins/static creatures. Some of the puppets are a step down from previous years.
- Weak, almost forgettable scare zones.
- Stranger Things
- OPs this year are the roughest I’ve ever seen.


Mid-range Horror Nights year. Better than the dark ages (20-23) but doesn’t hit to top due to lackluster scarezones. Has a great party vibe but could use more horror/scares. Like most, I do miss having a interactive website or backstory. Hopefully for the 30th we will see something of a return. For A&D to bang out 10 houses and almost all are solid and worth visiting is a testament to itself. Universal Monsters is a masterpiece and lives in the pantheon of great Horror Nights houses of old. Bring on the 30th Anniversary, hopefully better than the 20th. Happy Haunt season!

Weird that you didn't like 21. There's plenty I agree and disagree with, but I always enjoy your reviews (missed ya the last two years)!

Quick visit tonight, did Us and Monsters. About 80 percent of Us is pretty forgettable, but the entrance playing "I Got Five On It" gave me chills and the finale is quite scary. Probably my best run through Monsters, but I still don't love it the way others do. Plenty to like--

Spoiler

the projections out front, the statues, Wolfman, Hunchback, Dracula, seeing the Phantom without his mask, and a definitive finale. But the Creature, Mummy and Frankenstein scenes fell flat for me.

I find it to be a very uneven, disjointed house--and yeah, I can't help but feel they should've saved the Monsters for 30. Definitely improved, though.

Basically, there's at least something I like in every house this year. Completely makes up for the subpar scare zones (though even then I like the gore in Vikings and the..um...sights in RZ...also Anarch-ade is a small step in the right direction for that area).

 

[SeventyOne]

Mid-event update (weird that beginning of October is mid-event but here we are):
1) Universal Monsters--when all effects working, gives Halloween a run for greatest of the modern era
2) Graveyard Games
3) Yeti
4) Ghostbusters--nostalgia factor wearing off, and Rule #1 of HHN: actor-driven houses get better (as actors learn scare tricks), effects-driven houses get worse (as effects inevitably break down). Already less of a house than it was opening night.
5) Nightingales--see Rule #1. Cast is great.
6) HoTC
7) KKfOS
8) Depths of Fear
9) Stranger Things
10) Us (basically a DNF, only done once)

And the scare-zones, finally:

1) Hellbilly Deluxe--cramped and crowded, kind of a low-energy cast, but the most visually interesting.
2) Vikings--what cast there is are good, but feels understaffed. Recycled orc masks just feel off. And yeah, I miss the pumpkins.
3) Anarch-ade--visually stunning with the giant games, laser ceiling, and stilt-walker. But sparse cast, few scares.
4) Springfield Chainsaw Team--this one hurts. But the costumes are stupid, especially removed from the arcade vibes up front, and much of the cast just doesn't seem that into scaring. Used to go out of their way to get someone, now just sort of go thru the motions. I really think the clown make-up gave actors a manic energy that is missing this year.
5) Vanity Ball--botched plastic surgery was always a "huh?" choice to me. Decision to mix in Paris is Burning elicited another "huh?" opening night. But that is an under-represented aspect of the 80s that ties into this year's theme, maybe it could've worked with a better cast. But these actors don't seem interested in scaring.
6) Zombieland--zombies are played out. Cast is low-energy, many with make-up you could recreate with a trip to Spirit. There's a photo op ad for the sequel in the middle of the zone. The most obvious "Marketing made us do it" thing since Dracula Untold--and even that came out better.

 

[Returning-The-Reaction]

4) Ghostbusters--nostalgia factor wearing off, and Rule #1 of HHN: actor-driven houses get better (as actors learn scare tricks), effects-driven houses get worse (as effects inevitably break down). Already less of a house than it was opening night.

This is an excellent observation and so true! Though, some of the best houses are the ones that blend both aspects at their highest levels.

 

[Legacy]

6) Zombieland--zombies are played out. Cast is low-energy, many with make-up you could recreate with a trip to Spirit. There's a photo op ad for the sequel in the middle of the zone. The most obvious "Marketing made us do it" thing since Dracula Untold--and even that came out better.

This is incorrect.

New York was supposed to be Ghostbusters, but A&D was struggling to get their ideas for that zone under budget. Because of that, Sony offered up Zombieland as a cheaper alternative and Universal took it.

 

[itsabee]

This is incorrect.

New York was supposed to be Ghostbusters, but A&D was struggling to get their ideas for that zone under budget. Because of that, Sony offered up Zombieland as a cheaper alternative and Universal took it.

Any insight on what those expensive ideas might have been...?

 

[Legacy]

Any insight on what those expensive ideas might have been...?

Long-term rental fees and custom inflatables can cost a lot...

 

[OhHaiInternet95]

This is incorrect.

New York was supposed to be Ghostbusters, but A&D was struggling to get their ideas for that zone under budget. Because of that, Sony offered up Zombieland as a cheaper alternative and Universal took it.

Long-term rental fees and custom inflatables can cost a lot...

Were they planning that in addition to or instead of the house? It would’ve been well-suited for the TrT route.

 

[Brian G.]

AHEM. Review thread. Please take the discussion to the General.

 

[Contravarient]

Just went Thursday night with express and hit up all 10 houses (plus Monsters and Graveyard Games on repeat at the end of the night). Top six houses were just perfectly timed runs, so not sure if they’d stay this way over multiple nights. Nevertheless, here’s my assessment based on how I felt immediately after leaving each house.

Universal Monsters 9/10:
Two great, and more importantly, consistent, runs led to this house being my overall fave. Great scares, incredible sets, and high energy.

Graveyard Games 8.5/10:
I had read good things about it, but expectations were not very high. However, the scares were inventive and one of the actors was very interactive both times going through.

Yeti 8.5/10:
An over-reliance on the same creature, but had a great atmosphere and a nice balance of dread and gore. Got me good in many different parts.

Killer Klowns 7.5/10:
Sure, the costumes made it incredibly difficult to hide actors. But the overall set was a ton of fun, the buttons added a layer of interactivity, and the creepiness was high. Enjoyed it much more than expected.

Nightingales 7/10:
To me, a great use of the space and a good balance of actor/creature scares. Amazing facade for a tent house and walked away pleased with everything overall.

Depths of Fear 7/10:
After reading reviews for this house over the last couple weeks, I didn’t expect much. But, the set design was amazing for the limited space and we had some good scares here. Timing definitely helped, but it was a solid house for me.

House of 1000 Corpses 6.5/10:
Really good facade and definitely best MiB tent over been to over the last few years. Costume design and gore were both A+ but had a couple of long stretches without any kind of scare/activity.

Ghostbusters 6/10:
Went into this house with really high expectations which may have led to its downfall. The set was beautiful and totally immersive, but it essentially devolved into a Ghostbusters backstage walkthrough. I don’t remember any jump scares or general unease whatsoever.

Stranger Things 5/10:
I love ST and last year’s house was a nice surprise, but this was a pretty forgettable experience. I loved the final scene and felt like I’d stepped into the show, but the decision to combine seasons really hindered the house’s execution.

Us 4/10:
I had high hopes after watching the movie... even had a stare down from the actor at the facade and thought that was a good omen! However, the house really, really needs some scarier stuff. It just seemed like a lot of missed opportunity. Sense of creepiness and unease 10/10; actual jump scares 1/10. That being said, I think Candyman next year has a lot more potential than Us assuming Jordan Peele wants to continue the HHN partnership.

Academy of Villains 10/10:
Great music, amazing acts, pure fun. Such a good show and one of the highlights of the night.

 

[rastuso]

Easily my favorite Scare Zone happening, the attack on Waylon's Pacific Treasures Gift Stand, right out of the movie. AND with that "#*%#ing Clown".

 

[ThemeParks4Life]

I'll probably write a more fleshed out review when I'm done with the event, but here are my brief thoughts and rankings from my one night a week ago along with how many times I've been through each house:

Houses:

1. Nightingales: Blood Pit (x1) - One of the most intense houses I've been in at the event. Although some scenes have some obvious scares, this is up there with houses like Scarecrow in intensity. Several scenes including the finale left me screaming very loudly and wanting to escape the house. I avoided doing this again both to avoid walking to the back of the park but also because its intensity is enough for one walkthrough per night. 9.5/10

2. Universal Monsters (x1): The right balance between fun and scary. I love seeing all the monsters while simultaneously screaming. Once again, the Phantom continues to be one of the event's most underrated characters. He provided my most memorable scare in HHN 25 for M&M, and my scare from him in this house might be my favorite of this year's event so far. The Wolf Man, Mummy, and Dracula rooms were also pretty scary. I feel the Creature's room is weaker than the rest but still fun to walk through. I wanted to go through this again, but the house was down for a bit when I wanted to go through it. This is definitely one I want to try hitting twice my next visit. 9/10

3. Graveyard Games (x1): I wasn't really paying attention to what this house was about, so my expectations were non-exsistent. This ended up being one of the most creative houses from a storytelling standpoint along with providing a wide variety of character designs and scares. The very first scare from the teen boy shocked me by how in-your-face the mask gets. I had pretty good timing in the house, and I think a pitch perfect run could put this in contention for HOTY. 9/10

4. Us (x3): Going through this house 3 times in one night was pretty wild, but my opinion improved each time. The first time I thought it was a really awesome recreation of the film with no scares. My second run immediately afterwards was better timed with a strong double-tag scare at the return to Shaman's. My third run with Cast B really tied everything together as both casts behave very differently from each other. This is just a really interesting house to go through, and as someone who really likes the film, it's fun every time. That said, I don't see my rating rising any higher. This house has its limitations from what is expected of the casts. 8.5/10

5. Ghostbusters (x2): This was my first house of the night, and like Us, I was slightly underwhelmed. However, I got a fantastic scare in the black room and appreciated the energy of the house. Revisiting it later in the night with a different cast after Killer Klowns made me really appreciate Ghostbusters more. I had better timing and vibed with the cast. When I come back to the event, I can see it rising to 4th or potentially third. 8.5/10

6. House of 1,000 Corpses (x1): I did not expect this to be as good as it was. Although it isn't a house full of screams, I was hit by the majority of scares and flinched a lot in the house. The sets are great and allow for tight scares. My only complaint with the house is a lot of it blends together with no one scene in particular standing out. Going through the house again may make it flow more cohesively. 8/10

7. Yeti: Terror of the Yukon (x2): The first time I went through this house, I had a lot of fun with it. It was the last soundstage house I hit and my first "scary" house of the night. The costumes and sets are great, and there's even a bit of humor in it. I thought it had potential to rise on my second walkthrough. Unfortunately, that was not the case. I had a different cast in my second run, and half of the actors were missing. The actors that were in the house didn't affect me as much as my first run, particularly in the finale. Everything just seemed kind of deflated. My opinion may improve on a third run, but I'm not eager to revisit it after my last experience. 7.5/10

8. Killer Klowns from Outer Space (x1): This is Ghostbusters-lite. It has one room that made me flinch a bit, but otherwise, it's a pretty fun house with some impressive rooms! I don't have much more to say and look forward to going through it again. 7.5/10

9. Depths of Fear (x1): Now that creatures are getting replaced with more crew members, my opinion may change drastically. I found the screw to be fairly intense while the creatures were very ineffective scares. The sets looked fantastic at least. 7/10

10. Stranger Things (x1): Cool sets don't fully make up for a very lazy cast. I went through this after Ghostbusters when the houses were opening and was immediately greeted by a Demogorgan barely attempting to scare. That set the mood for the rest of the house. The middle stretch of the house relies too much on barebones sets and ineffective Demodog puppets, which is disappointing as I expected them to be much scarier. The Season 3 scenes are better, and I actually flinched at one of the puppets. The Mindflayer is awesome as well. I'd be willing to go through this again with the other cast, but I'm not losing sleep if I can't revisit it. 7/10

Scarezones: All of them outside of Anarchade were fun! Zombieland and Vanity Ball were my two favorites, and I spent a fair amount of time in them. Hellbilly Deluxe was also strong from the two minutes I was in it. Vikings felt like a standard Central Park zone, and Anarchade was essentially a cool display.

Marathon of Mayhem: This was a perfect break from the houses. I still haven't seen the regular nighttime show, but I loved how projection mapping was utilized here. I probably won't see it again, but for what it is, it's a good break. 8.5/10

I'll see AOV my next visit.

 

[Tobias]

So after a bit of reminiscing and watching videos to catch what I missed, here's my finalized house rankings for the year. To be honest this was really tough for me, as I honestly enjoyed every house this year. When something like that happens, I have to look into the nitty gritty and one of the things that helped my rankings was consistency. It certainly made for some surprises, and unfortunately for one house it hindered it. Anyways, here it is!

1. *TIE* Graveyard Games & Universal Monsters
Let's start with a bang, shall we? As I've said in their respective threads, GG and UM were "total package" houses. They have great set's, great scares and variety of creatures, and they also had consistently awesome casts who brought those houses to life. Both houses had some serious personal bonuses too, with GG giving me the hardest hitting scare I've ever gotten and UM giving me a wonderfully sweet final run with a whole bunch of heart signs given to the cast. The more I thought about it, the more I just couldn't put one over the other, so I'm placing them in a very solid tie. Not only that, both were personal GOAT's of mine. This really was the year of the parade warehouses!

3. Ghostbusters
A downright iconic IP brought to life with a whole lot of special effects and care that I hoped it would be given. From the set's to the look-a-likes, to the plethora of references and call outs. This house was just plain fun, and I'm elated I was able to experience it in person.

4. Nightingales: Blood Pit
This house was probably the biggest surprise for me. Before the event, all I really knew was this house was gory and smelly...and that's about it. What I ended up experiencing was a tense, claustrophobic journey with the constant stench of death and a aggressive cast who took advantage of the setting for some wonderful scares which I happily returned to. This is a house that really relies on it's scareactors, and they brought it each time I went through! Also, is it odd that I kinda' miss the smell? It had a pleasant smoky tinge to it.

5. Killer Klowns from Outer Space
Like with GB, this house was just plain fun! I personally enjoy the movie, and this house delivered in many ways that I hoped it would. The interactions I had with the Klowns were great (Big shout out to the first Klown in the cotton candy cocoon room finale who head bobbed along with me every time to the theme song.), and that Klownzilla puppet is one of the best puppets I've seen in a long while. Without a doubt, this was the best Shrek house I've been through!

6. House of 1000 Corpses
This seems to be the year of good houses in venues that have been hit or miss, as Ho1C was the best house in the MIB by far! From a great façade, to a aggressive cast who could deliver pretty nicely on the scares (especially in the tunnels!), this house was plenty satisfying. Also, a big RIP to Sig Haig, a downright awesome dude I got to meet, and the Captain Spaulding's in this house are doing him proud. Also once again, huge props to the first scare in this house.

7. Us
Without a doubt, this house had the best look-a-likes. My jaw hit the floor many a times seeing this cast face to face. An the house carried a wonderfully creepy tone which was a nice change of pace compared to others, which led to some chilling scares that were a treat to experience. I was expecting much worse from a house that came in late in the game, so it was a great surprise to see how enjoyable it was for me.

8. Stranger Things
It may not be the smash surprise hit of last year's, but I can admire how much they crammed into SS 25. This house was big, with multiple big set's. It honestly hit a lot of beats that I was hoping it would hit, and the puppets for the S3 segments were awesome!

9. Yeti: Terror of the Yukon
Now this is where consistency can damper things, as my runs were consistently off in timing. It's a shame since I can totally see why a lot of people really love this house. When the scares hit, they HIT. But when they don't, you got a real nice looking set...but something's obviously missing. Now this house isn't bad by any means, I just wish I got more solid run throughs of it. But that's the nature of the beast, for ya'.

10. Depths of Fear
Now to preface, just because this is at my #10 spot doesn't mean this house was bad for me. Far from it. (I was actually close to putting this over Yeti.) The set's are gorgeous and I totally admire the creature feature kind of look n' vibe this house goes for. The reason why it's down here boils down to the ending. It's one that relies on a particular effect to hide the last scare, but that effect just hasn't worked since...well I don't think it's worked once during the event yet. So the ending comes off on the awkward side. (Plus, it felt like some water effects still haven't been working yet, which would really add to the house.) An when you got a stacked line up with solid endings that work, this is the only one which falters. An when it comes down to that, that's a good testament to how solid this year's lineup is!

 

[BlueHorizon]

I was able to attend for 5 nights this year so I figured I would post my house rankings and overall thoughts.

1) US: I know most people won't agree with me on this one and that's fine. The reason I have this house as my favorite is because of all the IP houses I have done this one does the best job of literally plunging you into the events unfolding in the movie. I do feel like this is one of those houses where if you are a fan of the film, you will love the house a lot more than if you weren't. It felt super atmospheric (love the hallway with the creepy music playing) and overall really creepy. Plus, I had consistent run-throughs.

2) Graveyard Games: Beautiful sets and atmosphere, felt the most like a "Halloween" house and I loved that. Definitely got the most scares from this house, and I loved the dark hallway ending.

3) Ghostbusters: Super immersive house, thought it had great pacing and everything I wanted to see was included. Really liked the whole set piece with Gozer and Ray.

4) Universal Monsters: The projection facade really built the anticipation as I was waiting in line, and the house did not disappoint. Awesome costumes, detailed sets. My favorite parts were the Dracula section and the Mummy section.

5) Killer Klowns from Outer Space: Really bright, colorful house that is a ton of fun, especially if you have seen the movie. Really liked the smells too. The klownzilla puppet is awesome and I loved how many klowns there were.

6) House of 1000 Corpses: This house was really movie-accurate which I appreciated and it was a ton of fun to walk through. The actors are pretty spot-on both in character and appearance, and I loved the part in the tunnels.

7) Stranger Things: Not as good as it could have been but definitely not as bad as people have been saying it is. The sets are obviously great, but I feel like with this one it really depends on timing. The first and second times I went through it felt like there were scenes I missed, plus the people in front and behind us were super loud and annoying. The third time I went through, I got separated for whatever reason and was pretty much walking through alone. This allowed me to take everything in more. I thought the house was scarier than last year.

8) Yeti- Terror of the Yukon: Another house with great atmosphere, it really felt like it was winter. The yetis were really fun, but I didn't have the best timing in this house. It just wasn't a standout for me.

9) Depths of Fear: I loved the tight, narrow hallways and sound effects, but I wasn't a huge fan of the costumes and it just wasn't that scary.

10) Nightingales Blood Pit: This house wasn't too memorable. It just felt like bare hallways with a lot of blood. I did really like the lion puppet though.

Overall this year was awesome. It was my second year going after 28. A couple of differences I noticed between the 2 years:
-Last year felt more traditional Halloween, most likely because of the scare zone in central park and houses like Trick r Treat
-The scare zones last year were much better than this year's, especially Chucky
-The houses this year were overall better, I thought

 

[Brian G.]

Mid-Event rankings:

1. Monsters
2. Yeti
3. Graveyard Games
4. Ghostbusters
5. Corpses
6. Nightingales
7. Klowns
8. Stranger Things
9. Depths
10. Us

 

[Spaulding]

Had my second, and final visit last night. I really love so much about this year. Houses and scarezones. Got to take my time and savour more of it this time.

Final house rankings:

1. Monsters
2. Graveyard
3. Killer Klowns
4. Ho1C
5. Ghostbusters
6. Us
7. Stranger Things

Rob Zombie takes the scarezone prize. The rest all bring something to the table, with exception of Z.Land. That one is just bad.

My wife gave the event 10/10 because she got Diagon Alley literally all to herself at one point. Not a soul around for a good 10 minutes or so. She was very excited!

 

[Brian G.]

Had my second, and final visit last night. I really love so much about this year. Houses and scarezones. Got to take my time and savour more of it this time.

Final house rankings:

1. Monsters
2. Graveyard
3. Killer Klowns
4. Ho1C
5. Ghostbusters
6. Us
7. Stranger Things

Rob Zombie takes the scarezone prize. The rest all bring something to the table, with exception of Z.Land. That one is just bad.

My wife gave the event 10/10 because she got Diagon Alley literally all to herself at one point. Not a soul around for a good 10 minutes or so. She was very excited!

why didn’t you finish the other 3 houses?

 

[Spaulding]

why didn’t you finish the other 3 houses?

Lack of time really. Plus I don't really much care for original houses. *Ducks for cover*

I will say, after doing Graveyard completely by accident and really enjoying it, I would make time for original houses in future

 

[rhino4evr]

ok..here is my list...but it's hard because so many were equal.

1. Graveyard Games - This house had so much action, I literally felt surrounded by scare actors throughout. Best Scares, and a really cool setting.
2. Universal Monsters - Bravo...this made really excited for a possible Monsters land in EPIC. Going from "movie to movie set" was great fun, and the costumes were on point.
3. Killer Klowns - this is pure bias, because I love the movie so much. They did a fantastic job bringing it to life.
4. Ghostbusters - likewise...just a great use of actors, and a lot of fun, even if scares were minimal.
5. House 0f 1k Corpses - The Facade/Sets sold this one to me. Captain Spaulding was also spot on. The house captured the pure insanity of the movie well.
6. US - I enjoyed this movie, and they did a great job of recreating the creep factor.
7. Depths - Set design was fantastic, and had some really memorable scenes. Even if the Monster was kind of goofy, he got me really good, at one point.
8. Yeti - Fun, but slightly forgettable compared to the rest.
9. Stranger Things - like most said, a lot of empty spaces. The Demi Dogs aren't all that frightening. Some of the special effects were cool. Not worth the wait..I'd be pissed if I didn't have fast pass.
10. Nightengales - I didn't find the creatures scary at all, and I didn't understand the story. The smells were just terrible. the only house I can say I flat out disliked.

Scare zones
1. Vanity Fair - Everytime we walked through this zone we had fun. The actors were all way into their rolls, and it showed. It was always really active when we passed by.
2. Hellbilly Deluxe - Loved all the tributes to Rob Zombie...really fun zone.
3. Vikings - a bit of the usual here...but at least it was rather gross with the cannibal scene and noises.
4. Zombieland - This was a tricky zone because the scareactors were dressed very casually. Had a couple good scares at night when you couldn't tell who was who. The toilets were also a nice touch.
5. Arcade - I give it props for looking really cool, the hot blond chicks on stilts didn't hurt either, but what were those weird glowing people?

Other comments....
It's been a few years since I've gone, but the amount of alcohol choices available seemed to be much less than I remember. Finnigans had a long line all night, so I was mostly stuck with beer and wine most of the night. The "Slushy" they were selling was terrible.
This is the first time I've been to Diagon Alley at night, and with so few people. Was really cool to be there that late at night.
Our stay at Cabana Bay was great, and the Stranger Things Photo Op was a nice touch.