- Nov 7, 2016
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If one positive thing can come out of this, I hope we eliminate Early Access tix.
HHN 2024: News & Info
- Thread starter Brian G.
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- May 26, 2010
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Yeah, that secured if not padded someone’s bonus, but it’s hell for team members and guests. Can’t be eliminated soon enough.
- Sep 7, 2022
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I think the economy could be one more thing adding to the pile this year. It's not so bad that people can't go to any haunts, but it is in a place where people will be more selective. When you add in a lackluster IP lineup, overcrowding and ops that mandated you get express or RIP if you wanted to see everything the last few years, middling reviews from preview night, and plenty of other options in the area, I can see why attendance would be down. But we won't really know for sure until next weekend. Still might just be the heat.
- Jun 27, 2017
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We will see this weekend
If this weekend is not packed with sale tickets, 80 degree and under weather, and people saying the event is great because no lines....then its other factors.
I think we on this site for the most part all budget or go to these parks because we are the biggest fans..but I will bring up again I see economy reports are many can't do much more then pay rent and eat at home. Its a factor for sure, the more money people have the dumber they can spend it but if your in debt already and can barley get back in CA on your 20ish dollar hourly job then going to an event like this is out of the picture for many people
- Jun 27, 2017
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Yeah, the crash was bad for many people
But Covid has also changed a lot
Until we get two more weekends of data this is mostly speculation
And I'll be going those two weeks and will report back what I see but USH thought they would have more people, for example in the Insidious line people had to cross many ropes to get to the merch stands/drink......and it was 5 rope rows away from where we were standing...people had to cross over a lot to even buy things because of the placement of merch in lines
- Feb 23, 2023
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We're seeing softening demand on every aspect of domestic travel, including airline purchases and hotel bookings. People with money are continuing to travel, especially internationally, but others are dramatically cutting back on discretionary spending — especially compared to 2021 and 2022 when many people had money to burn in a way that they never did before (and likely never will again).
It's too early to do anything but confirm your priors. Let's see how the rest of the event goes before drawing any major conclusions.
It's too early to do anything but confirm your priors. Let's see how the rest of the event goes before drawing any major conclusions.
I've only gone to Orlando's event so this is me on the outside looking in, but aren't 100+ minute waits uncommon for Hollywood? Last year my TikTok and Twitter feeds from the event were showcasing more of the crowds and lines with all the comments agreeing, and judging by that alone I can see why the general public may be seeking other options
- Sep 5, 2018
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starting since like 2016, there was a major boom with HHN here and wait times got crazy. I remember seein the exorcist be 3 hour wait.
- Sep 6, 2024
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Anecdotally, my friends who are always down to go to HHN are citing debt and spending less as reasons they probably can't go this year. Things are ROUGH.
- Apr 16, 2020
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- Jun 27, 2017
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I expect crowds to be bigger
But also....first weekend of Scary Farm (this is not true its next week) and Six Flags is having a media event.....so in theory could be another amazing weekend
I'm going Thursday and hoping to check out the chucky show and see if they are making changes per rumors and hopefully the wolfman area is open on the terror tram
(also I can't go on the weekend will be at Oggie Boogie and Disneyland)
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Wrong. Knott’s starts next weekend (Sept 19th). Also they aren't even done decorating the entrance/SZs yet.
(Queen Mary & LAHH also start next weekend - Sept 20th)
- Jun 27, 2017
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lol
My bad, I forgot they start to late....I assumed they HAD to be starting now....Six Flags, Disney and USH are all weeks ahead making money on the holiday.
Anyway, I'm be excited to see the lines waits updated when I get back from Disneyland on Monday and see what the crowds are like because I assume Thursday will be pretty light even with the discounts because its a weekday but we will see
So this is just anecdotal, but I've talked with a few friends the past few days who have been to the event the past few years, and interestingly, most of them have said they don't want to go this year because of their experience(s) last year/the year before -- that is, it was "way too crowded," the wait times for things like ST4 or Last of Us were too long, etc. One of them pointed out last year how they went on a Saturday (which is the only day they can go due to work/life) and was there the entire length of the event and managed to get only a few things done, which is why they don't want to "waste money" this year just to not get anything done again.
Setting aside the fact some of us have flexibility others don't, like being able to go on a Thursday night or a Sunday night or something without having to worry about school the next day, or dealing with kids, work, or other factors, or having to wrangle a group of people together in a way that works with everyone's schedules, it was interesting seeing this common thread amongst my discussions. It isn't due to the heat or even necessarily the pricing (though that is still a concern, especially now that the post-pandemic "I just want to get out of the house!" wave seems to have passed), but rather just how nightmarishly overwhelming the experience can be for people who aren't chronically online and have a game plan and just want to have a fun night out, where they get there only to find out they have hours and hours of waiting ahead of them.
Again, this is just from a very small sample size of people, and obviously this weekend or next weekend or the weekend after that could do a complete 180 and start delivering two-hour long wait times, but I do have to wonder if the ever-increasing crowd sizes of the last few years has finally had an impact on perception of the event's worth for some people. Then throw in other factors being discussed -- heat, lack of heavy hitter IPs, cost of living vs. cost of entertainment, etc. -- and it all comes together to justify skipping this year. I think crowds are definitely going to go up, no doubt about it, especially once October comes, as always, but it's still weird to see opening weekend be so light and interesting to at least theorize what the factors were and whether it's a one-off fluke or something that will continue to resonate through these next few weeks.
(That said, it's crazy seeing so many people can't go because of budgetary reasons, which is completely understandable, only to go to the event and see tons and tons of people throwing hundreds, if not thousands of dollars into Express; again, they're paying to avoid lines they're creating by paying to avoid them, yet so many people have the money to just toss into a single night while so many others can't even get by enough to get a general ticket. It's wild. Even if all these factors have had an effect on general admission, it sure hasn't hit Express one bit.)
Setting aside the fact some of us have flexibility others don't, like being able to go on a Thursday night or a Sunday night or something without having to worry about school the next day, or dealing with kids, work, or other factors, or having to wrangle a group of people together in a way that works with everyone's schedules, it was interesting seeing this common thread amongst my discussions. It isn't due to the heat or even necessarily the pricing (though that is still a concern, especially now that the post-pandemic "I just want to get out of the house!" wave seems to have passed), but rather just how nightmarishly overwhelming the experience can be for people who aren't chronically online and have a game plan and just want to have a fun night out, where they get there only to find out they have hours and hours of waiting ahead of them.
Again, this is just from a very small sample size of people, and obviously this weekend or next weekend or the weekend after that could do a complete 180 and start delivering two-hour long wait times, but I do have to wonder if the ever-increasing crowd sizes of the last few years has finally had an impact on perception of the event's worth for some people. Then throw in other factors being discussed -- heat, lack of heavy hitter IPs, cost of living vs. cost of entertainment, etc. -- and it all comes together to justify skipping this year. I think crowds are definitely going to go up, no doubt about it, especially once October comes, as always, but it's still weird to see opening weekend be so light and interesting to at least theorize what the factors were and whether it's a one-off fluke or something that will continue to resonate through these next few weeks.
(That said, it's crazy seeing so many people can't go because of budgetary reasons, which is completely understandable, only to go to the event and see tons and tons of people throwing hundreds, if not thousands of dollars into Express; again, they're paying to avoid lines they're creating by paying to avoid them, yet so many people have the money to just toss into a single night while so many others can't even get by enough to get a general ticket. It's wild. Even if all these factors have had an effect on general admission, it sure hasn't hit Express one bit.)
- Jun 27, 2017
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While we won't know the full story until the event is done and we more rums on what the houses being ranked to Universal by guests
I think we can see it seems like more then one reason.
Also like so many things in the world....the people with money have no problem throwing it around. Also it depends on the house but some of the lines are jokes at times. Quiet place when I went Friday when it opened didn't move the line once the first 5 mins of it opening...this really affects the general line
I have ZERO issues with them putting more express then normal people but when crowds are this low, there is zero reason to be stopping lines for mins to let in express the ticket says lines are shorter not a walk on. Anyway, in 29 hours we will have some more data on the event
I also know not everyone can but....if you can call in sick to work or a half day or anything Thursday and Sundays are the way to go just night and day from the Saturday's I used to go to the event with friends
