HHN 30: Tips, Tricks, & Questions

[ssirin88]

I don’t find Stay and Scream to be essential this year unless you really care about Beetlejuice. Sure, it helps, but it’s not like previous years, especially in NY. I would focus on eating, hydrating, and boozing and jump in line as they open.

Eta, don’t forsake the above to kill yourself to be #first for *checks notes* SCarey Ohio…

That's probably how im gonna play it next week.

 

[SeventyOne]

Your way off there lol :grin:

Lines have not been ridiculous yet this year--but it's still not even October.

It's a crapshoot. From our experience over 5 nights with Express, the lines are a bit unpredictable. Like welcome to SCarey regularly had longer POSTED wait times than Hill House and Beetlejuice. Beetlejuice Express was ridiculous, seemed like they let more standby line people through than Express. Easily waited over 30min each time. Then other houses had posted 70min wait times and express didn't wait more than 5min. I doubt anybody can accurately predict if you can do everything in one night.

Agreed Express has been a mixed bag this year. Convinced over-selling it is why opening weekend was capped so low. A lot of Express lines were reworked after opening weekend, to make them much. much longer. Wicked Growth the worst, Scarey also bad but at least easier to cut off. There has to be a reason they added so much capacity,.

Icons and Wicked Growth have been the worst, 20 - 25 minutes on posted 45 - 60 minute waits. Puppet Theater and Case Files almost always a breeze, 5 minutes tops (helps I can't recall seeing latter over 30). That's still a significant time savings--and will only improve as crowds go up--but I'm not sure how Express will be at the problematic houses once waits start flirting with 2 hours. Also Express has a lot more walking than it used to (even when queues half=empty), which may affect your morale as to seeing everything in one night.

 

[Kichkinet85]

Lines have not been ridiculous yet this year--but it's still not even October.

But as of now he was way off. :grin:

 

[georgemoe]

Wife and I going tonight. Are you still allowed inside the bar at Finns for S&S or is it just lines outside? Have not been since 26. Have done both Finns and Duffs and prefer Finns.
Is there more than one line for NY that feeds the early houses?

Based on tips I've seen, my intended plan would be Bride or TCM, the other if open, then move to Kidz Zone or MIB. Which one first?
After the back of park is complete will grab a show or continue to the rest of the houses at the front based on times. No express (yet).

Depending on who much I enjoy the event may do another night tomorrow solo. Have never done HOS so that is a night 2 option as well.

Thanks!

 

[Parkscope Joe]

Wife and I going tonight. Are you still allowed inside the bar at Finns for S&S or is it just lines outside? Have not been since 26. Have done both Finns and Duffs and prefer Finns.
Is there more than one line for NY that feeds the early houses?

Based on tips I've seen, my intended plan would be Bride or TCM, the other if open, then move to Kidz Zone or MIB. Which one first?
After the back of park is complete will grab a show or continue to the rest of the houses at the front based on times. No express (yet).

Depending on who much I enjoy the event may do another night tomorrow solo. Have never done HOS so that is a night 2 option as well.

Thanks!

Bride and Tooth have had the shortest liens this year, I’d say do the tents or parade buildings. If you are set on doing the front of the park do Icons.

 

[Beeble]

Wife and I going tonight. Are you still allowed inside the bar at Finns for S&S or is it just lines outside? Have not been since 26. Have done both Finns and Duffs and prefer Finns.
Is there more than one line for NY that feeds the early houses?

Based on tips I've seen, my intended plan would be Bride or TCM, the other if open, then move to Kidz Zone or MIB. Which one first?
After the back of park is complete will grab a show or continue to the rest of the houses at the front based on times. No express (yet).

Depending on who much I enjoy the event may do another night tomorrow solo. Have never done HOS so that is a night 2 option as well.

Thanks!

You can get a table and dine in at Finnegan's for S&S. It was just a ten minute wait at about 4:00. The bar is open to buy drinks, but you have to leave after buying your drink. Also, the HHN food tents are open in NY S&S, so that is the best time to try the food with no waits.

You have to choose which line for which house in S&S, Bride or TCM. They didn't let you leave NY to go to the other houses until 6:30, so you might be able to get in two houses before then. I did Bride and Icons. Then definitely head over to KidsZone because those houses are just going to get bigger lines all night. Also, at this point in the night, they lie about the wait times for BJ and Hill House, so don't be scared by longer wait times. That was my experience two nights last week.

 

[Mr_Sparkle]

From what I saw Hill House and BJ always had a 35 min+ posted wait time, while Tooth Fairy, Brides, and Puppet Theatre usually were low. I did S&S for HH and found it not worth it. They let us in at 5:45 and by the time we were exiting, there was a steady stream of guests heading into BJ from the gates being opened at 6.

 

[georgemoe]

Bride and Tooth have had the shortest liens this year, I’d say do the tents or parade buildings. If you are set on doing the front of the park do Icons.

Thanks. If we can hang at Finn's without being booted back into the street, will do Icons then Tooth if it's close to the exit. Then HH and Beetle.

 

[SeventyOne]

Thanks. If we can hang at Finn's without being booted back into the street, will do Icons then Tooth if it's close to the exit. Then HH and Beetle.

Icons and Tooth tend to open later than Bride/TCM. Can still get a jump on it, but worth hitting one of the other houses first. (But if skipping long lines and air conditioning are your priority, Springfield the better option.)

 

[Kichkinet85]

Highly recommend S&S! Did 4 houses before rope drop!!

 

[WAJAS]

Highly recommend S&S! Did 4 houses before rope drop!!

What was your route, like what S&S and houses did you do?

 

[Moistowlette11]

How bad is the light bleed for S&S at duff’s - in the tent houses?

 

[Kichkinet85]

What was your route, like what S&S and houses did you do?

Did Simpsons S&S, didn’t get in line for HoHH or BJ and did SCarey so could go to the front by Duff and Kwike Mart. Did Scarey, then Puppet, then Wicked, and then HoHH.

How bad is the light bleed for S&S at duff’s - in the tent houses?

sorry for the double post mods but wanted to answer.

Last night it was really dead there but my friend said it is usually busier, just by some though. So not that bad.

 

[ghostsarejerks]

How bad is the light bleed for S&S at duff’s - in the tent houses?

It's pretty much non-existent beyond the first scene in those houses.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

How bad is the light bleed for S&S at duff’s - in the tent houses?

I noticed light bleed during the end of Puppet.

 

[DannyPowers]

Did Simpsons S&S, didn’t get in line for HoHH or BJ and did SCarey so could go to the front by Duff and Kwike Mart

If you get in line for either HOHH or Beet, you'll still be able to temporarily exit to go grab some food or drinks in Springfield. Just leave behind a party member to hold your spot. Alternately, you can eat/drink in Springfield and still get in line for HOHH/Beet, as long as you're there before they release to the main lines.

Of course, you'll be further back in the line if you take the second option.

 

[Lucky Planet]

every night from now on ends at 2 am,
but last Sunday was very very light on crowds... by 12:30-1 am, every house was basically 20 minutes or less.
you could have done all houses from 12 to 2am. it was a very very light night. maybe it gets more crowded as October goes on, sure, but it feels like it's gonna be smooth.
I don't know, last Sunday was a breeze. the 2 am wasn't needed.

 

[Brian G.]

every night from now on ends at 2 am,
but last Sunday was very very light on crowds... by 12:30-1 am, every house was basically 20 minutes or less.
you could have done all houses from 12 to 2am. it was a very very light night. maybe it gets more crowded as October goes on, sure, but it feels like it's gonna be smooth.
I don't know, last Sunday was a breeze. the 2 am wasn't needed.

Rush of Fear ending probably helped.

 

[Kichkinet85]

every night from now on ends at 2 am,
but last Sunday was very very light on crowds... by 12:30-1 am, every house was basically 20 minutes or less.
you could have done all houses from 12 to 2am. it was a very very light night. maybe it gets more crowded as October goes on, sure, but it feels like it's gonna be smooth.
I don't know, last Sunday was a breeze. the 2 am wasn't needed.

I was there that night. Finished Icons(last house before I did them all) around 12-12:05. Easily did 8 houses from then still 2. Could have done a 9th if we felt like walking more but after 18 houses we didn’t. That was all with no rush at all. If we did rush it can you imagine what we could have done?

 

[dxwwf3]

My big theory on Sunday night was that crowds were impacted by the Bucs-Patriots game. I could be wrong, but I know a lot of people were talking about it in the parks during the day. But that was by far the least crowded night of HHN that I’ve ever attended.

I’m not going to go into specifics on the houses or scare zones, but man you can really feel the staffing issues. Big time. I think the vinyl in the houses is a bigger issue, but the houses all feel understaffed from my runs on Sunday. Hopefully it will be better on my dedicated HHN trip in 3 weeks.