Teen Problem at HHN?

[TheCodeMan95]

Big post from Pinhead over on r/HHN regarding issues with teenagers at the event this year. Has it really been that much worse? I'm lucky to have never had these issues at all over the years - much less this year.

Also - wasn't sure where to put this, but continuing from previous discussions regarding Fright Fest... yeah. The Stranger Things house looks really bad.

 

[Jake S]

Big post from Pinhead over on r/HHN regarding issues with teenagers at the event this year. Has it really been that much worse?

I hardly even saw any teenagers at the event, let alone had any issues with them.

 

[Lucky Planet]

FEAR is an apt comparison. Sinister and Surreal seem likely to join him in the realm of the footnoted and forgotten icons.

The icons work when they fit into easily recognized social types and "borrow" from preexisting cultural products. This allows the casual guest to understand them without much effort and provides creative with a firm foundation on which to individualize and elaborate them with backstory for the more dedicated fans. Jack and Chance are clowns with a heavy debt to Joker and Harley. Oddfellow is a ringmaster and dark magician in the Facilier mode. The Usher, the Storyteller, the Caretaker, the Director - they're instantly understandable. Even Eddie (the slasher) and Cindy (the creepy little girl) work this way. Sinister and Surreal, like FEAR and the Terra Queen, don't.

one great thing dear had was that park intro video with the icons. like him or hate him, but fear had an iconic intro video. it was excellent.
and the second great thing he had was an amazing zone, the double XX decoration sign, and the mirror minions walking around with feat were excellent.
I loved that area so much.
these new icons have neither.

Big post from Pinhead over on r/HHN regarding issues with teenagers at the event this year. Has it really been that much worse? I'm lucky to have never had these issues at all over the years - much less this year.

Also - wasn't sure where to put this, but continuing from previous discussions regarding Fright Fest... yeah. The Stranger Things house looks really bad.

wow sad post on reddit. and the comments on it are pretty bad too. I haven't heard of any problems, but I wonder what's happening?

 

[TheCodeMan95]

I hardly even saw any teenagers at the event, let alone had any issues with them.

I said the same thing. I've never had a single problem with teens at the event EVER - let alone this year.

 

[amar831]

I said the same thing. I've never had a single problem with teens at the event EVER - let alone this year.

Went for a little solo trip on Friday for a few hours at opening. I didn’t see too many groups of them, but the 4 or 5 I did see were quite obnoxious. 1st was in security where they were just pushing each other around almost bumping into other people, the others were all getting in the scareactors face and trying to be intimidating and look cool.

 

[Brian G.]

 

[SeventyOne]

Big post from Pinhead over on r/HHN regarding issues with teenagers at the event this year. Has it really been that much worse? I'm lucky to have never had these issues at all over the years - much less this year.

This had been a recurring theme before Pinhead's post (which he alludes to, and the comments back up). Haven't noticed much myself, but I do Express.

I will say it's strange an event that promotes alcohol as heavily as HHN does doesn't at least have a chaperone policy. What's even stranger is that CityWalk--essentially a collection of restaurants at this point, the bar scene is virtually non-existent--does have a chaperone policy. I've seen Security card younger guests--they need either an ID or an HHN ticket! I'd be far more worried about teens getting out of pocket with booze inside the park than Cowfish or Margaritaville.

 

[TheCodeMan95]

This had been a recurring theme before Pinhead's post (which he alludes to, and the comments back up). Haven't noticed much myself, but I do Express.

I will say it's strange an event that promotes alcohol as heavily as HHN does doesn't at least have a chaperone policy. What's even stranger is that CityWalk--essentially a collection of restaurants at this point, the bar scene is virtually non-existent--does have a chaperone policy. I've seen Security card younger guests--they need either an ID or an HHN ticket! I'd be far more worried about teens getting out of pocket with booze inside the park than Cowfish or Margaritaville.

I always thought it was strange too. Citywalk is basically a giant outdoor food hall now.

 

[Legacy]

Regarding the screenz teenz issue, some people are telling me it’s specifically an issue on Fridays/Saturdays. Other nights, you’d never notice. But here’s what I was told:

I walked into Simpsons with my food booth food (which I’ve done many nights this season) and there was not a single other adult aside from employees… who were barely older than the teens who had the place packed

They’re threatening scareactors, they’re running in giant packs so they cause chaos in the overcrowded scarezones, they’re throwing things in line, they’re breaking things in houses, it’s insane. It’s not like just a few rowdy teens… it’s to the point where Friday the adults don’t go because they know it’s teen night, and the parents just drop off their heathens for Universal to baby sit.

 

[maxairmike]

While my time at the event so far this year is quite lower than years past, I have definitely noticed the uptick in crappy youth behavior, however it is definitely not isolated to this year. Last year was when I noticed it started becoming more than just the usual annoyingly loud and not-actually-scared screams along with other typical teen shenanigans. Last year there were younger teens that were regularly going around both in and outside of the scare zones trying to “scare“ other guests, and it happened to me several times. This year I’ve seen them do it to others but no attempts on me yet. In all previous years I had never observed or had that happen, they kept it to their own groups which is fine if a little annoying. They’re also getting more brazen in skipping and other stuff in the queues (I think I’d rather they just go back to AirDropping random vile/offensive crap like they used to, at least that’s easy to avoid when I remember to change a setting).

I think this is more typically among the 12-16 age group, although obviously the older teens aren’t all angels, either. I think a 16 and under chaperone requirement would help immensely (and make the chaperone 21+).

ETA: Yes, Fridays (and I assume Saturdays, although my pass doesn’t include those) are the worst. Wed/Thur/Sun are generally better to avoid the masses of youths and the associated bad behaviors.

 

[Mad Dog]

I don't go to HHN anymore, mostly due to staying away from traveling to Florida through states that have bad weather in Sept./Oct....But I do read these threads, and it seems last year there was a lot of posters complaining about large teen hangouts at HHN in 2023, also. Sounds like Universal/HHN is the weekend place to be in that demo now. Teen disruptions are a sure way to turn off adult attendance on those days....not just at Universal, but other parks that have haunt nights. Just a local example, Kennywood, which has a pretty large HHN (though not as professional or large as Universal) had to institute chaperone policies. It wasn't the typical teenagers causing disruptions there. It was the gangs that poured in together, confident and overzealous/obnoxious, within their large groups.

 

[PerceptiveCoot]

The more I get away from my teens, the more I realize how huge the gaps are in development between different groups of adolescents. Some 17 year olds speak and act as if they're running for public office while others are just 11 year olds in adult bodies.

 

[JunoSynth]

I haven't had any personal issues with them yet, but I can see how obnoxious they tend to get.
From my observation, the ridiculous increase started with the introduction of Stranger Things.

 

[Jake S]

I do think there’s a difference between obnoxious and disruptive behavior (line jumping, harassing scare actors) and Teens Being Teens (annoying as hell, incredibly stupid).

You’d like to think the former would be deterred by the copious amount of security and literal, honest-to-god cops that always seem to be stalking around. But that doesn’t seem to be the case.

The latter group is irritating, no doubt, but so are the people loudly playing heads up in line. And the dudes mansplaining the event to disinterested bystanders. And the people who name drop that their moms new boyfriends sister works in creative. People can be annoying and I wouldn’t want to see teens uniformly punished because theme parks aren’t interested in actively pursuing other options.