Halloween Horror Nights event announced.

[Slipknot]

They are zombies, just not the "get the fresh meat and eat" zombies. The ones that didn't seem like they were wearing masks didn't seem to have anything to them that made them seem like zombies. Then again, it could be the "first night with guests" jitters... They just didn't seem into it.

On the flip side, Silver Screams was a good house. You start out in a theater and pop into different horror movies (i.e. Shaun of The Dead, The Strangers, My Bloody Valentine, The Thing, etc.) and back into the theater between each.

Either way, it can only get better.

 

[SleepingMonk]

Sounds good, we'll be there next Thursday.

 

[Deleted member 53830]

I'm going September 25th, September 26, October 1st, October 15th & October 22nd.
Than any other night m friends go or if they add Fridays to Fear Pass again like last year.


I'll be the only kid with either a neon green headband or a Marty McFly hat you can't miss me trust me.

 

[sknydave]

I would have guessed the Saw house would be the best since this movie's premise fits perfectly with a haunted house type of thing

 

[JT3000]

I haven't been, but Silver Screams and Frankenstein are getting the most positive feedback so far.

 

[sknydave]

Is it usually packed on opening night?

 

[Slipknot]

Yes.

 

[JT3000]

Compared to later in the month, no.

 

[sknydave]

Well which one is it?!

Do you guys think an express pass is a must?

 

[Skip]

Opening Night wasn't packed. Longest line was 90 for SAW. Everything else was 60 minutes or less.

If you're going on a peak night, Express is a must. Even on a non-peak night... it's a real time saver and allows you to do many houses multiple times. It's your call really.

Went to the event both nights this weekend - excellent stuff. Only disappointing house was Cleaver. Highly recommend the event.

 

[sknydave]

I understand, but $60 for one express pass is insane..

 

[Skip]

I understand, but $60 for one express pass is insane..

It's definitely overpriced, but I suppose it is a premium product. If you don't want to get an Express pass, just proceed roughly in this order (based on the crowd patterns I saw on Friday&Saturday):

1) Dracula
2) Frankenstein
3) SAW
4) Spawning
5) Chucky
6) Silver Screams
7) The Wolfman
8) Leave it to Cleaver

If the SAW line is too long by the time you show up, skip it and go straight to Spawning. Hit it last (right before the park closes) - like all rides/houses, you can hop in line 5 minutes before the park closes and just wait it out until you enter. Wolfman and Silver Screams typically have wait times below 20 minutes by mid-evening since they're typically the houses everyone hits first.

 

[NemoRocks78]

Express is ridiculous nowadays, I used to swear by 'em but hell it's $75 for the last four Friday and Saturday nights! We're just going on the 16th and 17th instead. Did two nights last year as well and got everything done, and it's nice to take it easy and experience things instead of rushing through each house to get 'em all done in a night.

 

[JT3000]

It's definitely overpriced, but I suppose it is a premium product. If you don't want to get an Express pass, just proceed roughly in this order (based on the crowd patterns I saw on Friday&Saturday):

1) Dracula
2) Frankenstein
3) SAW
4) Spawning
5) Chucky
6) Silver Screams
7) The Wolfman
8) Leave it to Cleaver

Doing one and a half loops around the park shouldn't be necessary. You'd actually waste a lot of time that way. I'd just start at the back of the park and do each house as you get to them. Try to do Saw in the middle of Bill & Ted if you don't do it first thing.

 

[dandaman]

Total HHN n00b here, but I might be going Sunday for the first time so I have to ask a possibly stupid question: The park hours indicate that it closes at 7:00 that day. The actual HHN extends much farther beyond that, right? Wouldn't make much sense to have the entire event in October's broad daylight. :lol:

 

[JT3000]

The park actually closes at 5:00 on event nights. It reopens at 6:30 and the event goes 'til 12:00 on non-peak nights.

 

[Skip]

Doing one and a half loops around the park shouldn't be necessary. You'd actually waste a lot of time that way. I'd just start at the back of the park and do each house as you get to them. Try to do Saw in the middle of Bill & Ted if you don't do it first thing.

If you just move through clockwise you'll hit horrendous waits by the time you reach Frankenstein, SAW, and Chucky - I recommend skipping Wolfman at first since it usually ends up a 10 minute wait for the last 2 hours of the event. Ditto with Cleaver and Silver Screams. Hit the heavy hitters first, guys.

 

[JT3000]

I go counter-clockwise, starting at the back, and it works out fine. Saw needs to be done first, or it'll have a horrendous wait regardless. The soundstage houses often have their shortest waits towards the end of the night, so I do them last.

My route:

Silver Screams
Chucky
The Spawning
Saw (If I have Express, otherwise it's first)
Leave it to Cleaver
Frankenstein
Dracula
The Wolfman

Doing this, you might run into trouble with Cleaver, but that's about it. And I'd rather just wait than have to come back for it at the end.

 

[dandaman]

Good touring plan recommendations here, folks. Thanks in advance. Will report back the wait times if I go this Sunday.

 

[Skip]

I go counter-clockwise, starting at the back, and it works out fine. Saw needs to be done first, or it'll have a horrendous wait regardless. The soundstage houses often have their shortest waits towards the end of the night, so I do them last.

My route:

Silver Screams
Chucky
The Spawning
Saw (If I have Express, otherwise it's first)
Leave it to Cleaver
Frankenstein
Dracula
The Wolfman

Doing this, you might run into trouble with Cleaver, but that's about it. And I'd rather just wait than have to come back for it at the end.

This strategy would also seem effective if not for the timed openings of the houses - that is, Wolfman, Chucky, and Screams open first, followed by Dracula & Spawning, followed by Frankenstein, followed by Cleaver, and finally SAW. If you run to SAW at opening, you're just going to be waiting for it to open.

Otherwise, it seems like a pretty good strategy. Try to time your visits to SAW and Cleaver to go on during - and not directly before or after - a Bill&Ted/Rocky Horror Picture Show respectively, otherwise the houses will get mobbed.

If this helps anyone, the wait times for last Saturday in the last hour of the park's operation:

Wolfman: 10 Minutes
Dracula: 60 Minutes
Frankenstein: 30 Minutes
Leave it to Cleaver: 5 Minutes
SAW: 45 Minutes
Spawning: 30 Minutes
Chucky: 45 Minutes
Silver Screams: 10 Minutes

It seems Cleaver, Wolfman, and Silver Screams are the houses to hit at the end of the night.

One last note on my strategy - crossing the park one and a half times over might seem like a hassle at first, but keep in mind that in doing so you'll get to see all of the scare zones in their most effective, nighttime status as you move from house to house, rather than having to backtrack later to see them.