HHN 28: Tips

[IHateJumpScares]

What time do rides close on a 2am closing night?

Just checked at 11:07 EST and gringott's and transformers are both closed. Everything else open. Looks like they start closing some of them at 11 and will close more and more as the night progresses. That's what it looked like yesterday too.

 

[Brad]

I wanted to see if I could get an answer on a potential plan-of-attack for our first night at HHN28.

We are planning to do Stay-and-Scream at Finns, but NOT run to Stranger Things first. Does Poltergeist open around the same time as well? If so, does it make sense to be in the pen area, or should we hang out in the Blues Brothers area in the shade?

Our plan is to hit Poltergeist, ScaryTales and then book it to the back of the park to hit the tent / parade houses to maximize our night (we'll have Express to hit the first few houses twice and Stranger Things later in the night).

 

[anihilnation]

I wanted to see if I could get an answer on a potential plan-of-attack for our first night at HHN28.

We are planning to do Stay-and-Scream at Finns, but NOT run to Stranger Things first. Does Poltergeist open around the same time as well? If so, does it make sense to be in the pen area, or should we hang out in the Blues Brothers area in the shade?

Our plan is to hit Poltergeist, ScaryTales and then book it to the back of the park to hit the tent / parade houses to maximize our night (we'll have Express to hit the first few houses twice and Stranger Things later in the night).

Yes, Poltergeist opens at the same time, and since almost everyone goes to Stranger Things, Poltergeist will have about no wait.

 

[WelcomeHome]

I wanted to see if I could get an answer on a potential plan-of-attack for our first night at HHN28.

We are planning to do Stay-and-Scream at Finns, but NOT run to Stranger Things first. Does Poltergeist open around the same time as well? If so, does it make sense to be in the pen area, or should we hang out in the Blues Brothers area in the shade?

Our plan is to hit Poltergeist, ScaryTales and then book it to the back of the park to hit the tent / parade houses to maximize our night (we'll have Express to hit the first few houses twice and Stranger Things later in the night).

I think that sounds solid. I'm planning to do something similar on my first night in a few weeks, and it seems to align well with crowd volumes I've seen in the past due to house location as well as most reports on the busiest houses of this year.

 

[Brad]

Yes, Poltergeist opens at the same time, and since almost everyone goes to Stranger Things, Poltergeist will have about no wait.

OK awesome. Is there a "best location" to be inside Finns to avoid the masses going to Stranger Things and be one of the first by Poltergeist?

 

[anihilnation]

OK awesome. Is there a "best location" to be inside Finns to avoid the masses going to Stranger Things and be one of the first by Poltergeist?

I think for Poltergeist it does not matter that much, so no need to wait in the busy right pen, since about every one there will go to Stranger Things. The second pen really just gets a line closer to letting out time. When I went the first Wednesday I waited by Monster Cafe, when they let out the first wave, I got up and got let out with the second wave. Did Poltergeist two times with little wait, followed by Scary Tales, also with little wait.

 

[RJ MacReady]

Curious what the the pros around here that went last night would categorize the busyness of the park.

I did 7 houses a few rides and spent time in scare zones but the st and poltergeist lines seemed to stay strong as soon as the gates opened. Plan is to do sns today at finns ( hope it’s not too bad) and knock out the final 3.

 

[DestinationDoug]

Last night was a bit less crowded than the night before. Tonight will most likely be much more crowded.

Be warned. The Finns S&S filled up very quickly Wednesday night. The right side (first side to enter) was full by 4:45ish. I would expect the same or worse tonight. If you want to be one of the first on Stranger Things you should arrive at 4, 4:15 at the latest.

 

[IHateJumpScares]

Curious what the the pros around here that went last night would categorize the busyness of the park.

I did 7 houses a few rides and spent time in scare zones but the st and poltergeist lines seemed to stay strong as soon as the gates opened. Plan is to do sns today at finns ( hope it’s not too bad) and knock out the final 3.

I'm not even an amateur, since I don't go until next week, but I have been watching wait times for the past week or two, and it felt to me that last night the first half was a little busier than expected for a week night, but the second half it looked like the park was emptying out more than I had seen in the past week as well. So maybe busier than expected in the beginning, lighter than expected on the back half? Curious, did people who were actually there have that same impression?

 

[IHateJumpScares]

Last night was a bit less crowded than the night before. Tonight will most likely be much more crowded.

Be warned. The Finns S&S filled up very quickly Wednesday night. The right side (first side to enter) was full by 4:45ish. I would expect the same or worse tonight. If you want to be one of the first on Stranger Things you should arrive at 4, 4:15 at the latest.

Good to know. That's our plan next week. We're bringing a deck of cards to pass the extra time and plan to enter the holding area with water and snacks.

If you see the morons on Wednesday sitting on the ground playing cards, that will be us!

 

[RJ MacReady]

Last night was a bit less crowded than the night before. Tonight will most likely be much more crowded.

Be warned. The Finns S&S filled up very quickly Wednesday night. The right side (first side to enter) was full by 4:45ish. I would expect the same or worse tonight. If you want to be one of the first on Stranger Things you should arrive at 4, 4:15 at the latest.

Going to do polt and scary first. Then just except a long wait for stranger. Since I heard it’s the last of those three to open.

 

[DestinationDoug]

I'm not even an amateur, since I don't go until next week, but I have been watching wait times for the past week or two, and it felt to me that last night the first half was a little busier than expected for a week night, but the second half it looked like the park was emptying out more than I had seen in the past week as well. So maybe busier than expected in the beginning, lighter than expected on the back half? Curious, did people who were actually there have that same impression?

Wait times late Thursday night were considerably lower than late Wednesday night, so I think you’re right. Exiting the park at close on Thursday was also much less congested than Wednesday.

Going to do polt and scary first. Then just except a long wait for stranger. Since I heard it’s the last of those three to open.

Poltergeist and Stranger Things have opened at the same time all three times I’ve done the Finns S&S. If you’re near the front it would save you a lot more time to do Stranger Things first. Poltergeist will probably have a long-ish wait by the time you exit Stranger Things (Unless it’s a light night, on the first Wednesday Poltergeist was a walk-on after Stranger Things), but Scary Tales should be only 15 minutes or so, unless it’s a crazy busy night.

If you aren’t fairly close to the front of the right pen, then starting with Poltergeist may be your best bet.

 

[RJ MacReady]

Wait times late Thursday night were considerably lower than late Wednesday night, so I think you’re right. Exiting the park at close on Thursday was also much less congested than Wednesday.


Poltergeist and Stranger Things have opened at the same time all three times I’ve done the Finns S&S. If you’re near the front it would save you a lot more time to do Stranger Things first. Poltergeist will probably have a long-ish wait by the time you exit Stranger Things (Unless it’s a light night, on the first Wednesday Poltergeist was a walk-on after Stranger Things), but Scary Tales should be only 15 minutes or so, unless it’s a crazy busy night.

If you aren’t fairly close to the front of the right pen, then starting with Poltergeist may be your best bet.

Thanks for that. I’ll try for stranger things then and if it looks bleek I’ll just go polter.

Not sure why I thought st opened later. Do the guys in orange let you know if you are in the right area for the first holding pen?

 

[happy bunny rabbit]

Y’all, I’m in front of Finnegan’s right now.

Where should I go to be the first person in S&S for StrTh? I have no idea where to wait.

 

[happy bunny rabbit]

After asking a few TMs, I’m now waiting between the New York park and the themed NY building which TMs go in and out of. Still thoroughly confused.

EDIT: now waiting by the entrance to Transformers in order to have my pass scanned at 4.

 

[happy bunny rabbit]

Waiting to the right of Transformers in front of the dividers is the way, y’all. I’m at the very front of the pen.

 

[Imagineer83]

I'm not familiar with the Finiggans stay and scream (always did Springfield last time we went in HHN25) and can't seem to get a visual of the park based on the tricks in this thread. It sounds like its easy to get out of position in that area. Does anyone have a quick map they can post on where to stand in order to try and be towards the front of the crowd? Thanks in advance you awesome map wizards!

 

[Cschaaf]

I'm not familiar with the Finiggans stay and scream (always did Springfield last time we went in HHN25) and can't seem to get a visual of the park based on the tricks in this thread. It sounds like its easy to get out of position in that area. Does anyone have a quick map they can post on where to stand in order to try and be towards the front of the crowd? Thanks in advance you awesome map wizards!

I haven't tried it yet, but post 178 of this thread has a map.

 

[Imagineer83]

I haven't tried it yet, but post 178 of this thread has a map.

Thanks! I had always envisioned the 'good' pen was on the Blues Brothers street and in front of the Mummy area and the second 'bad' pen was in the alley by Transformers. Looks like I was completely wrong! It seems counter intuitive to stay to the right since the house is towards the left but really good to know. I guess just follow the crowd...

Glad I am going three nights in a row so if I screw up the first night I can try again another night. And if I do screw up my placement in the pen I will just go to Poltergeist first and catch Stranger Things much later in the night. Although, my fear of going the last weekend is everyone will know what to do by then and all these tips won't work as well.

 

[bob albert]

So I can chime in as I was at the event last week for those still planning.

Even though stranger things is going to be packed right away you need to get there first or it will suck up a ton of valuable time later in the night. The general plan first finns zone to let out to stranger things, poltergeist (do not believe the wait time being high early as everyone goes to ST if you are out of ST fast) 2 Kidd zone houses in order and three back of park houses in order. Getting in the front of stranger things is crucial because it is so crowded that people in the S&S zone actually use express on it immediately which in years past would have been insanity. Because of this being in the first 50 people in ST meant 7 houses by 7:45. 250 people back was 7 houses by 9. Saturday was the least crowded early but most crowded late out of the 3 days I was there. Sunday was least crowded late. As to the rides if you want to do them I suggest sticking to the early plan to the back of house and then immediately doing rides as they crowd up later as well and the closing early thing is a cheap bullshit tactic by universal to push day sales by bait and switch. Also as lines outside stranger things have been super lengthy for a while according to the wait times, you should probably get in them. Every line that was initially long was a much lower around at 9-10. I do feel like the late express passes bumped wait times after that though.