Halloween Horror Nights 30 (UOR) - News & Info (2021) | Page 28 | Inside Universal Forums

Halloween Horror Nights 30 (UOR) - News & Info (2021)

  • Signing up for a Premium Membership is a donation to help Inside Universal maintain costs and offers an ad-free experience on the forum. Learn more about it here.
Yeah, the park is flooding in spots already lol. Puppet is currently closed due to it. Did Scarey and Wicked, but had to bail on Puppet for now. In line for Icons for now.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Clive
We just need HHN to accurately predict storms. Its uncanny, this is the first time in probably 15 years I haven't been on opening night.... and also probably the 5th opening night I've stayed dry.
 
I am *really* impressed with how they're incorporating face masks into character looks. Some are a bit obvious - I wish more could be done for The Usher, The Director, and The Caretaker - but others are pretty stunning. I couldn't believe at first that Chop Top and the Dracula Brides had face masks. Some of the full face masks - especially Jack and the Terra Queen - are also Hollywood-level quality.
 
FYI: I’m only 4 houses deep, but the SIF was really overblown by those on preview night. Every single curtain in Icons and Brides were held open without needing to touch it and there was no additional SIF. Don’t recall if there was any in my first two houses.
Circling back to this now that I'm home, LT ended up being the only house where I actually noticed any SIF.

I know someone also asked about music in Seek & Destroy and I did notice some instrumental music playing in my last walk-through of the zone tonight. Maybe I was completely oblivious all night, but music did feel a bit sparse throughout the park this year in general. I noticed a few of the same instrumental tracks playing in Production Central and not much else honestly. Just a note.
 
Circling back to this now that I'm home, LT ended up being the only house where I actually noticed any SIF.

I know someone also asked about music in Seek & Destroy and I did notice some instrumental music playing in my last walk-through of the zone tonight. Maybe I was completely oblivious all night, but music did feel a bit sparse throughout the park this year in general. I noticed a few of the same instrumental tracks playing in Production Central and not much else honestly. Just a note.
That would be me, and thank you for your musical analysis of the event.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Tbad556
Well hello there 2am closing every night almost, weird though just went to the site now and it still shows the weekend of the 17th and 24th as 1am closing

It's showing up as 2am for me, (both desktop and mobile). I've noticed some updates can take a lil while to show up for folks, since I remember when Icon: Captured was announced, it took a while for it to show up on the haunted houses page for me.

Either way, I'm perfectly fine with the 24th and 25th now a 2am close, gives my parents and I more time to enjoy our trip!
 
  • Like
Reactions: HHNObsession
So first impressions look like the Simpsons SS area was 3x more packed than the NY one. If thats the case when I'm there, I may just go to NYC.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre line started all the way up at where the old bus station used to be in the New York Area as seen here:
E-Y92WTXMAYwS7o

and stretched all the way back down the streeted with Blues Brothers
E-Y91vDXEAsfR0k

and then around in a loop almost to the arcade:
E-ZBVTBXsAI-YvD

Photos by BioReconstruct
------
New York has a lot more open space and benches/seating than Simpsons S&S as well, so it's a solid S&S. However, all of the houses in the back of the park are new (i'll include BJ as it was only open for like a day last year) whereas only two of the four SS houses are new.
 
Random opening night thoughts:
  • Moderately busy at best, nowhere near Hell Week, let alone what I'd expect of a sell-out. Rain probably the main factor there. That said, expect to be jammed with 100s of your new closest friends multiple times throughout the night, majority of whom are unmasked. There were no attempts at social distancing anywhere.
  • Standby wait times seemed grossly inflated. E.g. BJ posted 75, timed it at 31. At the same time, Express lines seemed overwhelmed, Entered Puppet with a posted 40 minute wait, were at merge in 20; met friends who had entered Express at the same time coming out of the bathroom post-house as we were walking in. So Express saved maybe 2 or 3 minutes there.
  • Plastic/vinyl didn't really faze me in Bride/Wicked Growth, was only an occasional issue in LT/Puppet, yet absolutely ruined BJ for me. Hides the actors in that house, not sure why different. Other than the first Bride (like last year), masks were only an issue in LT -- but there they were largely unthemed and took me out of the 40s noire feel multiple times.
  • Attrition is going to be the biggest issue this year. Already some F&B was overwhelmed. And BJ still had noticeable holes. Can't really afford to lose people this year, but seems inevitable given the 8-week schedule.
  • I still have houses to get to tonight, but consensus is Wicked Growth is the one to beat this year. Bride was as good as last year. Hill House seems to be a sleeper.
  • Hard to fully judge zones given rain, but Eddie shaping up to be the one to beat. Gorewood Forest is a Hades/Carnival Graveyard level disappointment.
  • Nightmare Fuel was intense. I liked it, but it's overwhelming. As someone mentioned in the employee preview thread, could use a couple breaks in the action just to let the audience catch its breath. Only a handful of magic tricks but really well done. Also, when they say "adult," they aren't kidding. This isn't (just) sexy people dancing, this is sexy people miming BDSM on stage. Not sure how this got past the theme park equivalent of Standards & Practices.
 
It continues.



Pumpkin has quite a bit of SIF, Tooth had some added, and Icons had a little from what I can remember.

Chainsaw roamers are sorely missed. Leaves a very noticable hole in Simpsons.
Definitely didn't pay attention for SIF in Pumpkin, but that would check out from what I recall. Missed Tooth last night, but really don't recall any SIF in Icons. Either way, definitely less than I expected when I was seeing tweets saying it was back in full force :lol:.
 
Random opening night thoughts:
  • Moderately busy at best, nowhere near Hell Week, let alone what I'd expect of a sell-out. Rain probably the main factor there. That said, expect to be jammed with 100s of your new closest friends multiple times throughout the night, majority of whom are unmasked. There were no attempts at social distancing anywhere.
  • Standby wait times seemed grossly inflated. E.g. BJ posted 75, timed it at 31. At the same time, Express lines seemed overwhelmed, Entered Puppet with a posted 40 minute wait, were at merge in 20; met friends who had entered Express at the same time coming out of the bathroom post-house as we were walking in. So Express saved maybe 2 or 3 minutes there.
  • Plastic/vinyl didn't really faze me in Bride/Wicked Growth, was only an occasional issue in LT/Puppet, yet absolutely ruined BJ for me. Hides the actors in that house, not sure why different. Other than the first Bride (like last year), masks were only an issue in LT -- but there they were largely unthemed and took me out of the 40s noire feel multiple times.
  • Attrition is going to be the biggest issue this year. Already some F&B was overwhelmed. And BJ still had noticeable holes. Can't really afford to lose people this year, but seems inevitable given the 8-week schedule.
  • I still have houses to get to tonight, but consensus is Wicked Growth is the one to beat this year. Bride was as good as last year. Hill House seems to be a sleeper.
  • Hard to fully judge zones given rain, but Eddie shaping up to be the one to beat. Gorewood Forest is a Hades/Carnival Graveyard level disappointment.
  • Nightmare Fuel was intense. I liked it, but it's overwhelming. As someone mentioned in the employee preview thread, could use a couple breaks in the action just to let the audience catch its breath. Only a handful of magic tricks but really well done. Also, when they say "adult," they aren't kidding. This isn't (just) sexy people dancing, this is sexy people miming BDSM on stage. Not sure how this got past the theme park equivalent of Standards & Practices.
I think the vinyl sticks out more in BJ as it's a brighter house, so you're more prone to noticing that shiny vinyl if there's lights bouncing off of it (backlighting as well). Also, I know some people recently cast for BJ so there's help on the way there.

It continues.


There's just no way they are filling to 100%. I know it's been two years, but there's no international visitors and the only time this event has ever reached capacity before was during hell week.
 
I think the vinyl sticks out more in BJ as it's a brighter house, so you're more prone to noticing that shiny vinyl if there's lights bouncing off of it (backlighting as well). Also, I know some people recently cast for BJ so there's help on the way there.


There's just no way they are filling to 100%. I know it's been two years, but there's no international visitors and the only time this event has ever reached capacity before was during hell week.
Perhaps they’ve allocated everyone who has FFP/RoF is in their numbers and they’re using that to cap the numbers assuming they all appear. Definitely seems odd.