HHN 2024

[Andrew25]

House design continues to be impressive, the scares are the same... really dependent on your timing. It does appear that this year they are using more boo holes (but the same actor) so they can continually scare you multiple times... making the houses a bit scarier.

However, the event really needs a shakeup when it comes to entertainment, scare zones and most importantly operations. They still operate the event like they've always done... which is not great for the "world's greatest halloween event" in my opinion. I echo @MagicHappens1971 thoughts when it comes to operations, Universal will never reach WDW crowds not because of their quality, but because they operationally can't match that level due to poor management.

The event really needs to reconsider how they approach operating the event. There are some cosmetic changes this year that I appreciate (new shirts for TMs, barricade covers, etc.), but there's something fundamentally wrong.

The bulk of HHN's problems can be fixed with 2 additional entertainment offerings, in my opinion.

 

[Rob562]

With the lack of FFP Express this year, I'll let you know when I've gotten through all of them, I estimate about a month from now.

I may or may not be exaggerating.

This stunt has done nothing to relieve the stand-by lines, I can tell you that much with certainty.

I opened up the app late last night (Thursday) around 12:30 and was surprised to find 9/10 houses at 20 minutes or less. Six houses at 5 or 10 minutes. (AQP was at 35)

I know wait times drop in the final 90 minutes, but I don't recall ever seeing that dramatically low numbers across the board. If I'd been in the park i probably could have come close to powering through all of them in those 90 minutes.

-Rob

 

[JT3000]

I opened up the app late last night (Thursday) around 12:30 and was surprised to find 9/10 houses at 20 minutes or less. Six houses at 5 or 10 minutes. (AQP was at 35)

I know wait times drop in the final 90 minutes, but I don't recall ever seeing that dramatically low numbers across the board. If I'd been in the park i probably could have come close to powering through all of them in those 90 minutes.

-Rob

I was there but dipped around midnight. I didn't see waits quite that low, but it was slow nonetheless. It rained last night and was extra humid, which probably scared a number of people away. It's also the slowest part of the event still. Things will gradually pick back up to opening weekend numbers and then get even worse.

 

[Tom Morrow]

House design continues to be impressive, the scares are the same... really dependent on your timing. It does appear that this year they are using more boo holes (but the same actor) so they can continually scare you multiple times... making the houses a bit scarier.

However, the event really needs a shakeup when it comes to entertainment, scare zones and most importantly operations. They still operate the event like they've always done... which is not great for the "world's greatest halloween event" in my opinion. I echo @MagicHappens1971 thoughts when it comes to operations, Universal will never reach WDW crowds not because of their quality, but because they operationally can't match that level due to poor management.

The event really needs to reconsider how they approach operating the event. There are some cosmetic changes this year that I appreciate (new shirts for TMs, barricade covers, etc.), but there's something fundamentally wrong.

The bulk of HHN's problems can be fixed with 2 additional entertainment offerings, in my opinion.

One of the actual biggest issues is how much they oversell Express Passes for HHN nights. Technically the line should never stop moving as it essentially just continues through the house. Express Passes grind the standby lines to a halt.

Without Express Pass, you spent 90% of the event night in ugly barricade lines backstage with usually very little in the way of spooky atmosphere.

 

[My95cobras]

One of the actual biggest issues is how much they oversell Express Passes for HHN nights. Technically the line should never stop moving as it essentially just continues through the house. Express Passes grind the standby lines to a halt.

Without Express Pass, you spent 90% of the event night in ugly barricade lines backstage with usually very little in the way of spooky atmosphere.

yes…. But companies are not there to turn down money. If people are willing to pay it (clearly they are every year) they are going to sell it.