Tich0las

I was entering Roanoke on Friday night when I noticed the cast change. Decided to stop and let others pass by for the next 5 minutes. Ended up with a decent amount of scares. Saturday I went through without a cast change and was on the receiving end of even more scares.

On Friday night before the tombstone scene, a girl was having a massive panic attack next to the attendant. The staff member and girl's boyfriend were both trying to help her use the chicken exit, but she was trembling and crying so hard she couldn't move. I felt extremely bad for her. Yeah, it is suppose to be terrifying but in a fun way. This girl was clearly not having fun.

My first run through Friday at night was better than Saturday during the day. The first and final scenes differ greatly depending on daylight.

I'm a huge fan of the original film, and this house did every second of it justice. The entire experience starts off strong and never lets up.

Gotta disagree on Roanoke. Thought it was one of the many highlights this year. You also gave Halloween a 9/10 because of the projection screen being broken? Oh, and about the Boogeyman house...isn't Halloween technically a house based on the boogeyman?

Yes lots of long lines again tonight. Perfect weather, though. Make sure you have express.

Lines were crazy last night. So glad I bought express. We walked into AvP first thing and by the time we got out it was at 30 minutes. Walking Dead was at 60 minutes by that point. Tried to go to Halloween right after AP event and faced another 45 minute wait.

This house was nothing short of amazing! The aliens look really good and the predators are huge! Two things I thought were in the house, but didn't notice: a chest buster and the alien queen. Weren't these suppose to be here, or am I missing something? Can't wait to hit this one again tonight!!

Bayou stayed out most of the time. We walked through the zone at 9 and again around 11. Both times the cast was out. Didn't see a sacrifice, but did see the voodoo witch searching for a victim. She looked at my girlfriend, who smiled at her, and got in her face with an evil grin and said, "Looks like someone is having too much fun!"

Thought each house was very well done with Halloween taking the crown. Looking forward to doing it all again tomorrow.

Ended up get RoF with Express. Figured what the hell, it's for my birthday.

Here's a question I haven't seen yet: how does rain effect the event? If it's rainy, does this mean lines are longer for indoor/covered attractions? Or, if it's raining, does it mean crowd levels end up being lower than expected?

I guess my hesitation stems from going on opening weekend. No one knows what to expect crowd or quality wise. Reading reviews last year, it seems the heaviest wait times are from 8-10. Closing at midnight shortens the experience as well. If i were going in the middle of October, there would be no debate; express would be a must. If I get to skip 3-4 45 min+ waits each night, I think the extra $50 per night is work it. Since I've only been one night in the past, I'm looking forward to two nights. I just don't want those two nights to be rushing around getting everything done quickly. Perhaps I'm over thinking this, but I don't know what to expect this time around.

I still can't decide if I want RoF with or without express for opening weekend. I've been told one way or the other by various HHN experts. Some say it's a waste of money, other's say it's worth it. I would love to get away with not spending the extra money. However, I hate waiting longer than 20 minutes in line for any attraction. Maybe I should go without on Friday, and decide if I want one for Saturday night?

I'm leaving in a week! Man, this year sounds extraordinary!

Based on everything I've read, before 8 PM, the lines are 30 minutes tops. Between 8 and 10 PM, they get to 45-60 min. Then, around 11, they dip back down to 20 min max. HHN opening night vets: feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

Correct. Based on foREVer56's comment, S&S will allow me to do the SS houses, then move over to the tent houses by 6:30 on Sept. 19th. On the 20th, I will be entering through the on-site hotel entrance around 6 (having dinner with family at City Walk before hand). That'll allow me to scoot right on over to the Tent Houses. If I show up earlier, I bet I could hit one or two of the SS houses that open at 6. BTW, do we have a firm schedule of house opening times, including the schedule for S&S and the AP event?

So my strategy for Sept 19th (S&S) and Sept 20th (non S&S) should be... 19th: SS Houses > Tent Houses > Giggles > Show > Rides > Second House Runs 20th: Tent Houses > Show > Giggles > Rides > Scare Zones > SS Houses Goal is to hit each house at least twice, see both shows, ride each ride, and spend a decent amount of time exploring scare zones.

How does AP nights effect crowd flow and wait times?

I looked into VIP last year for the very last weekend and found availability. However, the 18th may be one of the busiest nights. If you get shut out, you can still do Express.

This might not be it, but one "surprise" I think they should have been doing for years is having scare actors blended in with people in the queue. At a certain point, the scare actor who appears to be a guest is attacked and turned into a victim.

It just dawned on me we do not have a 3D house this year.

Since wait times are being brought up...how bad will opening weekend be?

Does anyone have a map of the house locations?

Thanks for the reply. This is my third year in a row (been following the event since 2001), but first year with multiple nights. Here's the itinerary: Sept 19 (my birthday!); Early entry into Diagon Alley > IOA. Nap. Finnegan's at 3:30 PM...although I am trying to push it back. I'm hoping I can show up late and they'll still have a spot for us. Sept 20 is a chill day. We will be entering without Stay and Scream. Would anyone recommend using the onsite hotel entrance for HHN, or getting there early to utilize the center gate?