SeventyOne

Great post overall, but I do wonder when people say that if they're only remembering--or perhaps only read about--the top one or two houses every year, forgetting the three or four that just never quite did it. Your Cold Blind Terror, or Fear Factor, or Run, or (much as I have a soft spot for it) People Under the Stairs. I think even the weakest houses in the last 3 years still beat out any of those, and many more.

Short answer? Because the #1 show on television is going to generate a lot more interest in the general public than a character created specifically for the event. When we lack a strong IP, we'll probably see a return to icons to drum up interest.

While I agree there's not much to do in the way of sets, I think the siren from the movie alone can be very effective.

A group of five mini-SZs, each themed to an original character. This sounds perfect.

Two things that jumped out at me about the list: nothing in the back of the park. I can understand keeping London Halloween-free, but nothing in Kid Zone (under construction?) or Simpsons/MiB area? Also, none of the listed SZs seem to lend themselves to chainsaws. The saws are to HHN what mouse ears are to MK. I think they have to show up somewhere.

You want to know the funny part? 5 years ago, the guy who went through all that effort used to mock me for going to HHN so much. Fun challenge, tho, and shows how dedicated the fans are.

Not sure you're clear on the word "speculation." If you don't want to know anything, probably shouldn't be in this thread.

My Poor Judgment Crew brother is playing around with the image in photoshop--second to last house is almost certainly a Universal film coming out in October. I believe we have our 4th IP. Codename Synergy now makes total sense--synergy with the studio.

Chupacabra is apparently an Argentinian legend, as well as Mexican. Eva Peron was Argentinian. That would also tie into that first Dr Jimmy clue, where he randomly drank a glass of red, viscous liquid (which led many of us to speculate vampire house, but el chupacabra literally means " goat sucker," so also a blood drinker).

Agreed, it's one thing to put all your marketing--but ultimately only one house--in a once-a-generation pop culture phenom. It's another to base half your houses on a cable show that gets decent ratings, as cable goes, but is far from iconic. Especially when the the last season of that show became a laughingstock even among its fanbase. I also don't see them giving up TWD this early. Another clear disconnect between the online fans who are sick of it and the thousands of general public guests wearing TWD t-shirts. It's still the #1 water cooler show, I see them milking another year out of it.

Voted Evil Dead and Survivors Camp based on the casts. Evil Dead girls took an average house and made it incredible, really worked for the scares.

#1 show in the (fairly large) target demographic. Not #1 genre show, not #1 cable show, #1 most-watched show. You run a theme park and you pass up a chance to exploit your existing rights to the IP? That's what gets you fired in the real world. You don't have to like the show--it's extremely uneven for me--but you do have to recognize the general public eats it up with a spoon. To the vast majority of Americans right now, TWD is "horror." HHN isn't a horror con like Spooky Empire--it can't limit its appeal to a tiny subset of hard core fans. And if all the tickets sold to TWD fans mean extra money for the designers to make their pet AWiL house they've dreamed of for years, all the better. (Maybe even some of those TWD fans will discover AWiL the movie now.) But you don't build any event the size of HHN without catering to the masses.

Haven't seen anybody too out of control yet this year--but it's been largely super fans so far, not general public (see also 10 minute wait at Transformers).

If you have basic tastes--vodka, Bacardi or Captain as I recall, maybe tequila--very good service with minimal lines at Duff Gardens.

Great idea for a topic ... ANTICIPATED 1) American Werewolf in London 2) La Llorona 3) After Life 4) Cabin in the Woods 5) Havoc 2 (hoping to be surprised by this one tho) 6) Evil Dead 7) Resident Evil (never even having played the game) 8) Walking Dead (tho the jail looks promising) AFTER 5 NIGHTS (AND 1 DAY) 1) American Werewolf in London (exceeds all expectations) 2) Cabin in the Woods/Evil Dead (Evil Dead has grown on me, to the point it's in my trifecta of top houses) 4) La Llorona (a fine house, just overshadowed this year) 5) The Walking Dead (better than expected, incorporates actual show elements!) 6) Havoc 2 (underrated) 7) Resident Evil (not a bad house at all, I enjoy it, just a strong year) 8) Afterlife (the only clunker this year)

A couple dozen fans who are incredibly into the show, who know all the call-backs, and who jump up to do The Time Warp. Many more people looking at them strangely and not sure what they've walked into. Also, more walk-outs than I've seen in any other theme park show. Oh, you meant the show itself. Essentially a 30 or 40-minute heavily abridged version of what you'd see in a theater. Time Warp is in there. "There's A Light" is in there. Meat Loaf's character (and the best song, IMO) is not. No audience props.

9/21--morning and afternoon. At least 5 of us.

1) American Werewolf in London 2) La Llorona 3) After Life 4) Cabin in the Woods 5) Havoc 2 (hoping to be surprised by this one tho) 6) Evil Dead 7) Resident Evil (never even having played the game) 8) Walking Dead (tho the jail looks promising)

It is an assumption, but we've had one, what, 5 or 6 years in a row now? I think it will be CitW, not AWiL, tho. Honestly, I don't see how you showcase mermen and a killer unicorn without making it dark comedy. A bloodied, viscous killer ... unicorn.

I actually could see this working. But I don't know how easy it is to write/cast a new show--or return to an old show. Also, TWD skews more adult than the current HMUS.

The key words there are "cult following." TWD is the #1 show on TV--not the #1 genre/scifi show, not the #1 cable show, THE #1 show. It's a cultural phenomenon that's peaking--the season finale was the highest-rated ever. Universal locked up the rights before anyone knew it was going to be this big, they'd be crazy not to continue to exploit the IP. Fall 2014 is a long way off, pop culture-wise. Good chance TWD fever dies down by then--nothing stays hot forever. But I don't think we'll see another TV show or even a movie that captures the zeitgeist in the same way that can be used as the primary focus of marketing. As I said, this is a once-a-generation thing. And to echo JDW, while I'm a begrudging TWD fan, I'm still excited for AWiL, CitW, Evil Dead, La Llorna, Bill & Ted ... if even just 4 of those 5 click, I think it will be a solid event.

No offense, but I'm afraid you probably are underestimating the popularity of the show--it's a ratings juggernaut. Among 18-49 year-olds (the HHN demographic), it's the highest rated scripted show on television, including the broadcast networks. It's basically the biggest hit show on TV right now, second only to football. In that sense, I understand why Universal is trying to milk this cash cow. This is the equivalent of being able to open an American Idol attraction in 2005 (not years later like DHS did) or a Star Wars ride in 1979--it's a mainstream IP, far more mainstream than any horror movie in years, at the height of its popularity. It's probably a once-a-generation thing. I don't see another HHN-friendly IP being this embraced like this by the general public for a decade or two. The last time I can think of something like this happening would probably be The Exorcist, or maybe Nightmare on Elm Street. You get a chance to exploit something like this, I think you take it.

Having seen 2001-2012, I agree. Everything a Bill & Ted show should be ideally.

Pure speculation on my part, but after thinking the same thing, what if CitW ends up being the "comedy" house with the emphasis being on the third act of the movie? First room, or even just the facade, is the cabin, everything else takes place downstairs. [being vague to avoid moive spoilers] The only other potential dark comedy house I could see would be the prison--and that setting seems better suited to "scary" than "funny."

I don't know about the Harlem Shake, by April it already felt as dated as a poodle skirt. Things I think are a lock: Katniss/Hunger Games (actress nailed it last year, and 2nd movie should blow up this year) Johnny Depp/"Tonto" (yeah, it's a Disney property, but whether The Lone Ranger bombs or is a hit, I think the image of Depp with a bird on his head is just too rich) A softball Transformers reference Superman (because WB seems less litigious than Disney) Even more internet memes, most of which probably haven't even been created yet