HHN Scariness Level

[Matt7187]

I am going to Universal for the first time in October, and I am very excited! I realized that HHN will be going on when I am there, but here is the thing. I'm not that big of a scary thing guy. I really want to see it because of the well themed houses, but I don't want to $#!@ my pants being scared. So how scary is it on a scale of 1 to 10. If you were to compare it to a horror movie in its level of scariness, what movie would you compare it to? I just don't want to pay and end up hating it. Thanks!

 

[tirian]

I refuse to go through it again. It's not terrifying so much as disgusting...

I am going to Universal for the first time in October, and I am very excited! I realized that HHN will be going on when I am there, but here is the thing. I'm not that big of a scary thing guy. I really want to see it because of the well themed houses, but I don't want to $#!@ my pants being scared. So how scary is it on a scale of 1 to 10. If you were to compare it to a horror movie in its level of scariness, what movie would you compare it to? I just don't want to pay and end up hating it. Thanks!

 

[Disneyhead'71]

HHN isn't really scary as much as creepy/cool.
The bumper to bumper conga line through the houses makes a good scare almost impossible.

 

[BryceM]

Yeah, while you're going through the houses it is basically a long line. Though, it still can get scary... But not frightening like it would be if it was just you or a small group of friends going through the houses.

Some of the street scares are really good! I remember one got me pretty badly for HHN 2012, while I was peering into one of the New York window displays!

 

[Skip]

It's a 3 to 5 out of 10, depending on the quality of the house, the actor, the scare, and your time. Overall, it'll fall into that average. HHN is (these days) a very good "beginner haunt" as it's already essentially become "horror-lite."

 

[MickeyPeace]

I went for the first time last year. I watched pretty much all of the Orlando bloggers videos on YouTube and I thought it looked scary.

Let me tell you in all honesty that it was a 1 on the scary scale. Not scary at all. Everyone is ushered through the houses in one continuous line. There is security plainly visible inside and outside of the houses. The houses are not too dark inside and not very scary. The scares mainly come from someone trying to catch you off guard. There are many teenage girls hanging on to each other and screaming even before there is a reason to scream.

The scare zones were so not scary that eventually I just walked through them while texting. But hey, I live in New York. I've seen scarier on the streets.

If you are looking for psychological scares or a lot of gore, you won't find it. If you are scared by the idea that maybe someone may jump out at you and catch you off guard then you may find it scary.

 

[Matt7187]

Thank you all for the feedback! I think I will go depending on if there are some good looking houses.

 

[Milla4Prez66]

I went for the first time last year. I watched pretty much all of the Orlando bloggers videos on YouTube and I thought it looked scary.

Let me tell you in all honesty that it was a 1 on the scary scale. Not scary at all. Everyone is ushered through the houses in one continuous line. There is security plainly visible inside and outside of the houses. The houses are not too dark inside and not very scary. The scares mainly come from someone trying to catch you off guard. There are many teenage girls hanging on to each other and screaming even before there is a reason to scream.

The scare zones were so not scary that eventually I just walked through them while texting. But hey, I live in New York. I've seen scarier on the streets.

If you are looking for psychological scares or a lot of gore, you won't find it. If you are scared by the idea that maybe someone may jump out at you and catch you off guard then you may find it scary.

To be fair, last year's event was one of the worst in recent memory. Especially the god awful Walking Dead scare zones. My ex bumped into a walker and apologized to the actor without even knowing who it was lol.

 

[MickeyPeace]

To be fair, last year's event was one of the worst in recent memory. Especially the god awful Walking Dead scare zones. My ex bumped into a walker and apologized to the actor without even knowing who it was lol.

Lol wish I could have seen that. Excuse me zombie, didn't mean to bump into you. Good to know because it was a huge disappointment overall.

 

[fugawe09]

I didn't find it "scary". Most of what they go for is just startling people rather than scaring them. Of course, as others have mentioned they keep you bumper to bumper in the houses. If you are paying any sort of attention you will see the actor attempt to startle the people in front of you and then there is no surprise when you pass that point. Some people use copious amounts of alcohol to cloud that attention for themselves. In terms of the "scaracters" roaming the streets, they were mainly wandering like zombies or even stopping for photo ops and not being very aggressive in scaring people last time I was there. I think the scariest element is the clientele it brings out. It's not without good reason that they have airport style metal detectors and a full body cavity search at the front gate for this event.

 

[Matt7187]

Also, does anyone know what the house themes are for this year? I know one of them is walking dead, but what are the others? Have they announced it?

 

[Skip]

Also, does anyone know what the house themes are for this year? I know one of them is walking dead, but what are the others? Have they announced it?

Alien vs. Predator
Halloween
Walking Dead
Dracula: Untold (based on Uni's new film coming out in October)

The other four themes are said to be original (with one possible exception, which is in flux). If one becomes an IP, expect "From Dusk Til Dawn." If not... well, we have a clown factory, a "boogeyman" type thing, a "thankskilling" type scenario (if From Dusk Til Dawn doesn't happen), and something involving dolls.

All of these are rumors but come from pretty consistently accurate sources.

 

[Matt7187]

Alien vs. Predator
Halloween
Walking Dead
Dracula: Untold (based on Uni's new film coming out in October)

The other four themes are said to be original (with one possible exception, which is in flux). If one becomes an IP, expect "From Dusk Til Dawn." If not... well, we have a clown factory, a "boogeyman" type thing, a "thankskilling" type scenario (if From Dusk Til Dawn doesn't happen), and something involving dolls.

All of these are rumors but come from pretty consistently accurate sources.

Those IP ones sound great! And that thanks killing one too. But clowns, ugh. Haha

 

[HTF]

Thank you all for the feedback! I think I will go depending on if there are some good looking houses.

LOL you might as well plan on going if your expecting to see good houses . BTW it also depends on the houses sometimes as well in terms of scare level. This will be my 14th straight year at HHN Orlando plus I've been to HHN Hollywood a few times as well. One thing I've learned is that some houses regardless of what anyone says can and will be scarier than others to you. The Dracula house a few years ago to this day is still one of the scariest houses I've ever been in. Some may think that it wasn't scary at all but were terrified of Walking Dead. So it all depends.

 

[HakunaMatata89]

here's a tip i use when i would go with my girlfriend. make someone you go with walk slightly ahead of you and when you see a actor approaching point at them. they will take the hint that the person scares easily and will most likely leave you be.

i don't scare easily so it wasn't a fear thing, but she does so it was more sneaky entertainment for me.

and if you are going in the houses. be aware of upcoming turns, you can usually see the little side doorways where the actors will most likely pop out of so if you can undectably move to the opposite side of your pary then you will again not take the upfront scare.

look online for a video that Ellen DeGenerate put out from last few years of her sending her scared staff through houses last year.. it was one of the funnier videos ive seen.

 

[Disneydreamer23]

Another hint my husband walks in front and hold my hands if an actor is coming up he would squeeze my hand but I am naturally scared at everything I was not scared

 

[Timekeeper]

Whenever I get asked that question (OP), I start by differentiating between "scary" and "startling." Yes, I know these terms can be synonymous. But, for example, some movies are "scary" in a more traditional sense (like The Ring and the Paranormal Activity), some movies are suspenseful/startling (like The Village or Signs), and some movies are just gory (like the Hostel series). I wouldn't necessarily consider HHN to be "scary" for anyone that can differentiate fantasy from reality, which is why it's not good for children), but it can obviously be frightening.

Having attended HHN since its inception, it seems to me that for most adults the event is fun with both startling and gory elements. Unless a guest has a particular aversion to specific things like the sight of blood, clowns, and chainsaws, (i.e. phobias), there shouldn't be anything psychologically terrifying (scary) about the event. You will, of course, be startled countless times throughout the event. A clown standing in a well lit room probably wouldn't scare most adults, but a clown jumping out from behind a curtain in a dark room ought to at least startle most adults.

We have the benefit of YouTube, and there are countless videos available from the various HHN events. Take a look at them. That should give any potential guest a pretty good idea of the scary-ness level of the event. For the most part, what you see is what you get.

Or maybe I should say, what you don't see...

 

[Skip]

The Dracula house a few years ago to this day is still one of the scariest houses I've ever been in.

Agreed. Dracula: Legacy of Blood (2009) is right in my top 3 houses of all time - gorgeous, gory, immersive, detailed, immaculately designed in terms of form and function... and scary as all hell. The feral bride strobe scare is forever burned into my mind.

Other favorites include Dead Exposure (2008), Scary Tales III: Once Upon a Nightmare (2008), Frankenstein: Creation of the Damned (2009), a good majority of the 2011 lineup, and Dead End (2012) - that last one is so severely underrated in the HHN fan community (all the love went to Gothic) that it hurts.

 

[Timekeeper]

Other favorites include Dead Exposure (2008), Scary Tales III: Once Upon a Nightmare (2008), Frankenstein: Creation of the Damned (2009), a good majority of the 2011 lineup, and Dead End (2012) - that last one is so severely underrated in the HHN fan community (all the love went to Gothic) that it hurts.

I liked Dead End as well, because it was more of a classical "haunted house" (literally a house environment). It seemed a bit like The Haunted Mansion for adults

http://www./wp-content/uploads/2012/09/IMG_4785.jpg