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Halloween Horror Nights 15: Tales of Terror
- Thread starter NemoRocks78
- Start date
JROK
Member
Legacy said:
Please, Please, Please keep in mind that this was opening weekend... most of the scare-actors (atleast 1/2) are all new... meaning they have only got an Employee Preview under the belt... a total of about 3 hours trying to find out ways to scare and make things work... not only that but the houses have the same issues... I hope everyone gives it another shot and goes back the 3rd or 4th weekend... I always tell my friends that are going to never go the first weekend, or on a peak night... and to get the express pass...
Legacy
Well-Known Member
Trust me... I understand how the event evolves. I've worked it, my fiance' is working it... HHN is now a vice of mine. But something just doesn't "feel" right about the production this year. It feels too much like Creative said, "Let's do something different" rather than, "Let's do something terrifying." I don't blame scareactors at all (and neither does Rob or Dan, I'm sure)... however if Creative wants to be "unique" rather than scary than they are forgetting what HHN is suppose to be all about.JROK said:
This just makes me want to develop my "Grip of Fear" concept even further...
Michael72688
New Member
I dont know why so many of you guys insist on going opening weekend. There are still too many problems to work out. As for the early close, yes it was a very bad idea and I dont think they will do it again, but they did it because the park is generally, and really wasnt crowded either of those nights compared to what it will be in a week or two.
they shouldn't open if the problems have worked out. Rehearsals are to get the problems kinked out. Yes, problems will occur after opening, but the point of preparation is to make sure they don't happen once people are paying to get in.
So universal was unprepared
So universal was unprepared
Michael72688
New Member
All parks are "unprepared" at the beginning of events. Its just the way it is, it takes time to get stuff worked out, all these people had was some rehersals and one employee night, before actual paying customers come in.
crazydaveh
Active Member
JROK said:
I am tired of hearing that excuse! If you're open to the public, you better be at 100% for something like HHN. I was there Friday night for the fun and my wife and I both looked at each other after the first three houses and said, "it can't get any worse!"
The bad thing, it got worse! I got in for free, and I feel that Universal owes me money for gas or something! I enjoy HHN. I have been going for many years. I understand that there's no way they can make everyone happy all the time, but it just seems like they didn't try this year!
The "Scare Zones" were empty of characters. They're promoting that you're not safe anywhere this year, I felt the safest I have in many years all over the place this year! There were a few in the typical areas in JP, and that's it. Yes, they had the guys in Marvel too, but not like in years past.
The story they're trying to tell... It's been a few days and I still can't figure out what the story is!
The houses didn't seem to have much detail this year. They all have the same or a similar layout as those in the same places last year. I like the ideas of the characters, but the houses just didn't deliver. They had the normal people coming from corners and dark areas, but nothing else. Nothing to really catch you off guard.
The one bright spot... Bill and Teds. The best it's been in years. Hot women barely dressed also helps!
I also went to Howl-o-Scream on Saturday and it was 1000 times better!
lifeguard1020
Active Member
Just a few thoughts...
Okay...I have always heard the idea that one should probably not attend HHN on opening weekend for the reasons that "all the kinks aren't worked out yet" or "everything just isn't quite right yet" Well, that just doesn't seem fair now does it. It's like the first weekend is version 0.5 and the next weekend is finally version 1.0. People don't like paying for version 1.0 (As it is being advertised) and only receiving 0.5. It really seems like they should have a whole OTHER week of rehearsels before hand to make sure opening weekend is right. Even just two more days of rehearsels would make a HUGE difference. I know what I am talking about. I'm stage manager at a fairly high profile Haunt here in Illinois, and we are always ready opening weekend. The show doesn't "evolve" over the weeks. We know the show that we are plannign to give, and we give it to the customers. We have out clinics and rehearsels plenty ahead of time. Sure there are going to be little things, but come on, to tell people not to even come on opening weekend??? That's just crazy!
And just to make it clear, I know my Haunt is nowhere near scale of HHN, we still have hundreds of actors that scare in our houses. We have two houses on our property, and we still manage to put on the show we promise to our loyal customers.
Those are just a few of my thoughts.
Dan
Okay...I have always heard the idea that one should probably not attend HHN on opening weekend for the reasons that "all the kinks aren't worked out yet" or "everything just isn't quite right yet" Well, that just doesn't seem fair now does it. It's like the first weekend is version 0.5 and the next weekend is finally version 1.0. People don't like paying for version 1.0 (As it is being advertised) and only receiving 0.5. It really seems like they should have a whole OTHER week of rehearsels before hand to make sure opening weekend is right. Even just two more days of rehearsels would make a HUGE difference. I know what I am talking about. I'm stage manager at a fairly high profile Haunt here in Illinois, and we are always ready opening weekend. The show doesn't "evolve" over the weeks. We know the show that we are plannign to give, and we give it to the customers. We have out clinics and rehearsels plenty ahead of time. Sure there are going to be little things, but come on, to tell people not to even come on opening weekend??? That's just crazy!
And just to make it clear, I know my Haunt is nowhere near scale of HHN, we still have hundreds of actors that scare in our houses. We have two houses on our property, and we still manage to put on the show we promise to our loyal customers.
Those are just a few of my thoughts.
Dan
JROK
Member
The reason the kinks aren't worked out is because we only have 2 four hour rehearsals... we spend a lot of the first rehearsal going through standard operating procedures and costuming... we also tour the house, find our locations and all and that's basically it... the second rehearsal we have both casts in the house and are in full costume each spending about an hour and a half in the house... but even then, they just don't have the bodies to put through the houses to let us get used to scaring or figure out techniques... usually our other castmates will walk through, and since they know where everything is, they don't get scared, so we don't know what works and what doesn't... on employee preview we learn A LOT about the houses and make changes for Friday and sometimes the changes don't work, sometimes they do, and sometimes you need to make even more changes... For instance in Terror Mines, most of the cast is getting handheld flashlights to light up our faces really quick for the guests that don't have the hats... The first weekend is like a soft-opening lol... you know how a ride will open on it's openning day and then gets swarmed with guests and usually ends up breaking down or closing early... it just takes time... I'm sorry you guys didn't enjoy the event...
Michael72688
New Member
I believe maybe this is why Universal offered this as part of the frequent fear pass, so you can come back later if you were happy the first time for free. I'm sorry you had a bad time but stuff happens, come back next week and I bet things will have drastically imporoved. As for having more rehersals, it is going to do it, you need guests to see if what your doing works. This is one reason I refuse to go opening weekend, I would rather wait in 2 or 3 hour lines and get scared.
I went this past weekend, and to be honest I was very impressed. I was able to do six out of the seven houses and the bill and ted show. The most I waited was 45 minutes for Blind Terror (i think that is what its called) I did not have an express pass, I arrived at 6:30 and went to the I believe is 8:30 show for bill and ted and already had gone through 5 houses. my favorite was terror mines and skool (little kids freak me out) 
The only thing I can say is that the scare zones were kind of blah, usually they are really scary.
The only thing I can say is that the scare zones were kind of blah, usually they are really scary.
DisneyMom63
Account Suspended
What did you guys expect? This is Universal we are talking about kiddies. They don't know how to get ANYTHING right!
Michael72688
New Member
DisneyMom63 said:
I know Disney is perfect too.
I'll have to agree with Jeff here --- we are thankful for your contribution to this thread.
:lol:
Michael72688 said:
That is not a good enough answer. If Universal has the audacity to charge $60 for admission, then they should have made sure everything would have started without a hitch.
Disney is NOT unprepared for the Halloween Party or the Christmas Party, Busch Gardens is not unprepared for Howl-o-Screeam. How come Universal is?