HHN 2024: Tips, Tricks & Planning Thread

[Jake S]

I don’t know about last year, but opening night has had limited capacity in the past. We’re also looking at sold out express the first weekend, so I’m not sure how much there is to learn about the reduced FFP price.

We’ll find out soon!

 

[DTH]

Opening night also mainly has to deal with press going through the mazes and imo, that's the most annoying thing. Opening Saturday is also insane and since 2021, my second trips at the end of the month more towards Halloween (usually the most insane time to go) have oddly been more successful. I've debated waiting a weekend, but my hype always gets the best of me.

From what I can tell, more die hard fans go opening weeks, and so they know all the tips and tricks. Early Access is usually filled to the brim. Then, casual fans start to flock and they're the ones who show up at like 8-9pm, and Early Access is way more easygoing. So if you're a diehard who knows what they're doing, you've got most of the stuff done by that time.

 

[Lc.]

Went Opening Night last year and it was probably one of the best and smoothest nights I did. A few scareactors I knew did say it was at limited capactity as it took a page from 2021's Fan Preview Night, and it definetly felt like limited capacity, Chucky wasn't bombarded in the first 10 mins of opening! The only kerfuffle was that some of the wait times were overbloated, Last of Us being the extreme almost throwing a wrench in tye plan being almost 140mins when we got their but in reality it was only 30 XD.
You defintely do got have a plan tho cuz I got every house done just alittle after 10am so we did some repeats after but it was a smoother night than later ones, especially the Sundays.
Hopefully it is similar to that this year, main gripe would be it closing at 1am again, hopefully its 2am this time cuz that was a out left feilder.

 

[DTH]

In my experience, Opening Night is a bit of a "luck of the draw" situation. I've gone and not run into any media or press going into a maze at any point through the night -- smooth sailing. Then there'd be a year where my night would be going super smoothly until I do run into it happening even on one maze and it throws off my entire night as now I am insanely behind because my 30 minute advertised wait just jumped up to 70. Then thered be a time I'd go and deal with it back to back, ruining things from the start. After that, I just decided I wouldn't be going Opening Night anymore lol (this was 2011-2013) but then they moved Opening Night to Thursdays, Saturdays just worked better for all my friends schedules, and in general, I just found Opening Nights to be underwhelming in terms of quality. Plus I love watching the wait times on Thursday and Friday to calculate what they'll be like when I finally go. And in general, let scareactors get into the groove a biiiit more. Don't think I'll be going back to an Opening Night lol and depending how things this year go, we'll see if I do Opening Weekend anymore. I have a feeling it'll be fine, but just prepping myself mentally.

 

[Max]

If we have a frequent fear pass is there a way to get an express pass for a certain night we want to go?

 

[Clive]

If we have a frequent fear pass is there a way to get an express pass for a certain night we want to go?

If you only want/need Express for one particular night, you can just buy the individual express pass for that night. It is separate from event admission!

 

[Jerroddragon]

If you only want/need Express for one particular night, you can just buy the individual express pass for that night. It is separate from event admission!

You can upgrade at the park as well? Right?

 

[Jake S]

You can upgrade at the park as well? Right?

Usually, yes. I wouldn’t count on it but I’ve also never seen it not available at the park.

 

[Michael S]

Usually, yes. I wouldn’t count on it but I’ve also never seen it not available at the park.

If I remember correctly, when express says sold out, they mean online. There’s a large grouping of tickets they leave for upgrades at the gate. And even if that somehow happens to sell out (like you, never seen it) you can still go for the after 11pm express.

 

[Casper Gutman]

When is “hell week” this year and is it as significant as it once was?

 

[gbird]

If we have a frequent fear pass is there a way to get an express pass for a certain night we want to go?

I have just brought express pass for three nights (as with friends who in town for certain days) and added to FFP was really simple to buy and add to app.

 

[Max]

I have just brought express pass for three nights (as with friends who in town for certain days) and added to FFP was really simple to buy and add to app.

I don’t see the option to just buy an express pass. I’m only seeing what it would be for the ticket + express