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Halloween Horror Nights 2023
- Thread starter wdwmagic
- Start date
Animaniac93-98
Well-Known Member
Our first speculation map
Rob562
Well-Known Member
Single-night HHN tickets are now on sale, as well as Express Passes, RIP Tours and Unmasking the Horror tours.
Multi-night tickets don't typically go on sale for another few months.
Event dates are also much more simplified this year. It's every Wednesday through Sunday, Sept 1 through Oct 29, plus Halloween Tuesday Oct 31. (Some years they skip a random Wednesday or two, or add the Tuesday before Halloween)
-Rob
Multi-night tickets don't typically go on sale for another few months.
Event dates are also much more simplified this year. It's every Wednesday through Sunday, Sept 1 through Oct 29, plus Halloween Tuesday Oct 31. (Some years they skip a random Wednesday or two, or add the Tuesday before Halloween)
-Rob
Animaniac93-98
Well-Known Member
Will Universal one day take the plunge and start their Halloween event in August like WDW?
Rob562
Well-Known Member
Today Universal Orlando extended HHN through Nov 4, released multi-night tickets (with some not-insignificant price bumps), and confirmed Stranger Things Season 4.
One interesting item is that for multi-night tickets they ask you to select the first night you'll be using it. It then won't be valid for dates before then. Might be using that data as a way to lit or increase ticket sales for certain dates.
-Rob
One interesting item is that for multi-night tickets they ask you to select the first night you'll be using it. It then won't be valid for dates before then. Might be using that data as a way to lit or increase ticket sales for certain dates.
-Rob
SSH
Well-Known Member
Pondering Nov vs beginning of Oct for cooler weather, but do you think the event will be winding down/lean staffed at that point after a long HHN season? Last year's added makeup day was pretty bad - bare bones crew and lots of empty scare zones.
That was different. They were pulling in people who weren't expecting to work that night. If the date is already set as an event night long before the event begins, you can expect it to be staffed sufficiently. It may not be staffed optimally (you'd have to go on a busy night early in the event for that), but they won't be working with a skeleton crew.
Animaniac93-98
Well-Known Member
Is Universal allowing costumes now during HHN? Saw this link on the official site. Looks more like the guidelines for MNSSHP:
"Costume Guidelines
Please see the following Costume Guidelines:
"Costume Guidelines
Please see the following Costume Guidelines:
- No costume masks, veils, long trains, live animals, swords or weaponry are permitted. Face coverings worn for medical or health reasons are permitted. Any home-crafted wands must be rounded on either end and must be appropriate in nature.
- Costumes cannot exceed 28” (inches) wide x 80” (inches) high to meet Universal Orlando’s metal detection regulations. Costumes are subject to secondary x-ray screening. Universal Orlando will have sole discretion to decide whether an item is permissible. Any item deemed inappropriate will be turned over by the owner and may be retrieved at the end of the day at the Universal CityWalk hub.
- If a guest is spotted in a costume that is not deemed permissible, he or she will be asked to either remove the costume and change into something more appropriate, or exit the park.
- Costumed guests may not give the impression that they are Universal Orlando Team Members.
- To ensure guests' safety, some costumes may not be permitted on certain attractions."
The official site has been updated with full information on all of this year's attractions.
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Tom Morrow
Well-Known Member
A Dueling Dragons house is completely badass!
Animaniac93-98
Well-Known Member
Out of all this year's houses, this is the one I'm interested to see the most.
I liked the Monsters house idea better when it was rumored to just be Paris (would love a Phantom house in 2025 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Universal silent film). Now its more of a Monsterllaneous thing and the 4 they picked don't really make sense grouped together.
Looks like no fountain show this year. Or Scareactor Dinner.
Animaniac93-98
Well-Known Member
Looks like they kind of did this year. There's a "taste of" food event during select nights in August.
Maybe a trial balloon for HHN during that month?
Well the Phantom & the Hunchback make perfect sense just on account of the Parisian setting. The other two are more of a stretch, but what I'm taking from this is they wanted to group together all of the B-list monsters from Europe. Hey, it beats throwing Dracula & the Wolfman into Egypt! What worries me about this house is the idea that we'll just be in the catacombs the entire time and never get to see Paris itself, which is ripe for impressive set design.
Tom Morrow
Well-Known Member
Initial house rankings:
1. Blood Moon - this year's "Dead Man's Pier". Almost as good as that. It seems like there's always one soundstage house where they really go all out on epic sets and this year, it's this one. The cult stuff is also unique and intense.
2. The Last of Us - usually I think the most hyped house is a letdown that feels restrained by stipulations by the IP source, but not this time. Very well done. Naughty Dog/Sony understood the assignment.
3. Exorcist - surprisingly good and intense, although a little familiar considering they've done the Exorcist a few times as well as hospital settings. I know this one is based on a new movie but not many have seen it.
4. Stranger Things - The third and scariest Stranger Things house so far. Season 4 had SO much material that this felt a little bit undercooked. There is one thing that really makes this house feel incomplete though, and that is the lack of
. At least
made it in.
edit: apparently it is there? But its lower and mixed in to other audio. I didn't hear it though.
5. Yeti - felt almost exactly the same as the yeti house a few years ago, but that was good and so was this.
6. Darkest Deal - An interesting concept for a house (a blues singer makes a deal with the devil) but nothing interesting is done with it. He makes the deal, evil things jump out at you while he sings. Meh.
7. Dueling Dragons - HUGE letdown for me. I think they should have gone very meta for this. Like, make it look like you're back in the actual old queue. People would love it. Instead, it just comes off like a generic medieval theme. You don't actually see either dragon, just people transforming into a dragon and a statue I think? Also
8. Chucky - just abysmal. Chucky does not work in a serious attempt at a scary house, and is not fun or funny enough to make this a good comedy house either.
Didn't do yet: Oddfellow and Universal Monsters
Scare zones: the only one that stood out to me is Vamp '69 because I love when cheerful fun music is mixed with dark things.
Tribute store: I didn't' really care for the theme, but at least it's in the better normal tribute store location.
Random thoughts:
It bothers me that they do create all this background lore for the houses and scare zones these days, but you really have to go out of your way to read up on it. I can't fathom why they don't put QR codes in the queues so you read up more about what you're in line for. They tried it one year. It can't be that hard to implement. There's so much detail and effort that goes into the houses that is lost because they keep it somewhat obscure.
Last year I loved the background music as it was more of an upbeat party atmosphere soundtrack that matched what the event has morphed into. This year it's back to "generic Nine Inch Nails" stuff because that is Definitely Sp00ky. A letdown for me.
I miss when each year had a host, when the event as a whole had an overarching theme (that was clear - this year has one, but you would never know if you don't read up on the lore), and when the nurses and chainsaw gangs were roaming. Without elements like this, it doesn't feel complete.
I say this every year, but I would pay double for a night with a fraction of the crowds where you are guaranteed to be sent through the houses by party and not conga line.
Finally, and although I am pretty jaded to the HHN experience at this point so a newcomer probably won't feel the same way, I would love for them to attempt a few houses every year that are more just like really interesting walkthroughs without the intention to jump scare you every five feet. Last year they showed some intent toward this with Dead Man's Pier, but sadly no house this year has that feel. To me it feels like the creative team is torn between going in this direction but others still demanding a jump scare every five feet.
1. Blood Moon - this year's "Dead Man's Pier". Almost as good as that. It seems like there's always one soundstage house where they really go all out on epic sets and this year, it's this one. The cult stuff is also unique and intense.
2. The Last of Us - usually I think the most hyped house is a letdown that feels restrained by stipulations by the IP source, but not this time. Very well done. Naughty Dog/Sony understood the assignment.
3. Exorcist - surprisingly good and intense, although a little familiar considering they've done the Exorcist a few times as well as hospital settings. I know this one is based on a new movie but not many have seen it.
4. Stranger Things - The third and scariest Stranger Things house so far. Season 4 had SO much material that this felt a little bit undercooked. There is one thing that really makes this house feel incomplete though, and that is the lack of
Running Up That Hill
Master of Puppets
edit: apparently it is there? But its lower and mixed in to other audio. I didn't hear it though.
5. Yeti - felt almost exactly the same as the yeti house a few years ago, but that was good and so was this.
6. Darkest Deal - An interesting concept for a house (a blues singer makes a deal with the devil) but nothing interesting is done with it. He makes the deal, evil things jump out at you while he sings. Meh.
7. Dueling Dragons - HUGE letdown for me. I think they should have gone very meta for this. Like, make it look like you're back in the actual old queue. People would love it. Instead, it just comes off like a generic medieval theme. You don't actually see either dragon, just people transforming into a dragon and a statue I think? Also
there's a "choose thy fate" split near the end, where you choose Fire or Ice, but nothing interesting happens in your choice and it's over after about 10 feet.
8. Chucky - just abysmal. Chucky does not work in a serious attempt at a scary house, and is not fun or funny enough to make this a good comedy house either.
Didn't do yet: Oddfellow and Universal Monsters
Scare zones: the only one that stood out to me is Vamp '69 because I love when cheerful fun music is mixed with dark things.
Tribute store: I didn't' really care for the theme, but at least it's in the better normal tribute store location.
Random thoughts:
It bothers me that they do create all this background lore for the houses and scare zones these days, but you really have to go out of your way to read up on it. I can't fathom why they don't put QR codes in the queues so you read up more about what you're in line for. They tried it one year. It can't be that hard to implement. There's so much detail and effort that goes into the houses that is lost because they keep it somewhat obscure.
Last year I loved the background music as it was more of an upbeat party atmosphere soundtrack that matched what the event has morphed into. This year it's back to "generic Nine Inch Nails" stuff because that is Definitely Sp00ky. A letdown for me.
I miss when each year had a host, when the event as a whole had an overarching theme (that was clear - this year has one, but you would never know if you don't read up on the lore), and when the nurses and chainsaw gangs were roaming. Without elements like this, it doesn't feel complete.
I say this every year, but I would pay double for a night with a fraction of the crowds where you are guaranteed to be sent through the houses by party and not conga line.
Finally, and although I am pretty jaded to the HHN experience at this point so a newcomer probably won't feel the same way, I would love for them to attempt a few houses every year that are more just like really interesting walkthroughs without the intention to jump scare you every five feet. Last year they showed some intent toward this with Dead Man's Pier, but sadly no house this year has that feel. To me it feels like the creative team is torn between going in this direction but others still demanding a jump scare every five feet.
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monykalyn
Well-Known Member
Be sure to mention this on the survey they send. With such long lines this would be a great idea!
Isn’t this the RIP tour? We went with our party and line was paused a bit but I think you are talking more of “pulsing” with slightly larger gaps between parties? There’s was one year where the TMs were super aggressive about waving you through-like I couldn’t just walk thru the backs of people in front of me. Even said something to them and on survey as it was a bad experience. Hasn’t seemed as bad since so I suspect they had a lot complaining
Yeah that’s the daytime UTH tour
Animaniac93-98
Well-Known Member
Saw a video and heard it, so yes it is in there.
The two dragons are just before you pick a side, above you. They spit out smoke. Basically mini versions of the one in Diagon Alley.
I'd be fine with this as well. Let the houses speak more for themselves.