Tich0las

Houses: 1) Alien vs. Predator - - After AWiL, I'm all about the puppets. 2) Halloween 3) FDTD - - Wish it was based off the original though. 4) Giggles & Gore Inc 5) Roanoke 6) Walking Dead - - Happy to see they're trying it in a sound stage this year. Still, it needs to stop. 7) Dollhouse 8) Dracula - - I truly dislike it when an IP that hasn't even come out makes its way to HHN. Scare Zones: 1) Bayou of Blood - - Voodoo lady, shakin that stick ya drivin me crazy, ya eyes are red and haaazaay 2) Maskerade - - Sounds creepy enough. 3) Purge - - I don't care for this IP. Hopefully this scare zone is loud with lots of smoke. 4) Face Off - - Another idea I very much dislike: a scarezone based on a competition reality show involving make up effects...meaning no story & no characters.

I am going the first two nights of the event this year. Should I go for RoF or RoF Express? Would love to save the money, but want to make sure I can do the rides as well.

In response to your responses... 1. I had no idea Harry Potter was off limits for HHN. What a shame! I always thought Death Eaters would make for a fun scare zone/house. Same with Azkaban. I wonder how they're going to handle HHN when London opens. 2. Maybe we'll see a return to scarezones once Transformers is open. I really hope hordes are not a consistent part of the event from now on. It hasn't worked at any haunt I've visited. 3. I only had Howl O Scream Williamsburg to compare to. Their houses are much, much darker. While it cloaks some detail, it really adds to the scares and disorientation within the houses. The additional lighting threw me off inside HHN's houses. 4. While I realize every haunt has a budget, I can't help but feel cheated by the lack of detail within the queue. I'm not referring to queue videos; there could be banners, posters, props, audio, lighting, art work, riddles...anything to add to the house's story while waiting in line. This was the contributing factor as to why I didn't understand Dead End's story. Again, compared to HoS VA, four of their six houses had exterior queue theming. Deadline had a video, Fear Fair had banners, Bitten had props and 13 had posters describing the superstitions you were bound to encounter. HoS VA has a much smaller budget than HHN and they were able to contribute something unique to the wait experience. HHN only had two queue videos. 5. The Simpsons idea was wishful thinking. Although, Treehouse of Horror could be the comedy house next year.

After years of waiting, I finally experienced my first HHN! Having read reviews for years, it's my pleasure to post one. General Overview My lovely girlfriend and I decided to go on Sunday Oct. 21 in order to avoid crowds. Ha!...looking back on the event, that statement is an oxymoron. Lucky for us, we experienced heavy crowds at the parks the day before and decided to purchase HHN Express. I 100% recommend doing this. We were first in line to get into the event and were redirected towards Hollywood Blvd. due to the already huge Stay and Scream crowds. By the time we swung back around to the sound stages, we were only able to hit Gothic before every house had a 45 minute wait. To summarize this overview: IT WAS PACKED! Houses Gothic - - This was clearly the best house. I'm really happy we walked through twice; there's SO much detail! From the facade to the illusion of elevation, there's a lot to take in. The gargoyles did a good job of scaring the crap out of us too. Dead End - - We hit this during a cast change, so I feel like we didn't get the full effect. It's a shame I couldn't give it another shot. The scareactors we did encounter were well hidden. I have a question, though: what the hell is the conclusion to the house's story? Is it the children took over the house? Ghosts with a spooky tunnel? Our walk through left us with more questions than answers. Silent Hill - - This house is packed with pros and cons. The former includes a real maze feel and creepy costumes. The latter is a lack of real scares and way too much lighting. I really liked the entrance to the house where the cop popped out to shoot the creature. Thought it was a nice touch. The Walking Dead - - Everyone seems to hate this one. Personally, I loved every second of it. The zombies-eating-squirting-intestines gag was one of the most grotesque things I saw/felt all night. At the end, about 30 zombies were all lined up trying to grab us. I could tell this doesn't happen all night since they quickly spread out soon after we exited. When I think of TWD, I think of hordes of zombies. The way we experienced the ending made it perfect. House of Horrors - - This was one hell of a concept, which, I thought, was well executed. There were times I was face to face with a scareactor and had no idea due to their quickness in the dark. Their costumes blended in well with the black and white lighting. Alice Cooper - - Everyone has said this, and I'll say it too: Turn the music UP! I could barely hear it in most of the scenes. Although I'm not sure it would have made this house any better. There were a couple good scares--mostly at the end--but I felt like this one was thrown together hastily. Penn & Teller - - Someone described this one to me as a funhouse. I thought of it more like a acid trip gone horribly wrong. Loved the 3-D, scare actor costumes, and buttons. It was nice having some commentary to the house by P&T; it gave a unique feel to the concept. Streets I can't help but feel disappointed over my street experience. At first, there were lots of characters roaming near the gates waiting for the crowds to be let in. Then, it became a mission to spot a scareactor in the enormous crowds. There were tons of scareactors, but patrons still vastly outnumbered them. The theming also seemed lacking. I loved the tombstones on the grave yard props (Jaws, Xena, ect.), but hated the idea the whole park had them. I really think I missed out on not having themed scare zones for my first HHN experience. On a positive note, the lighting effects were superb. Same with the lagoon show. Shows Bill & Ted had me crying from laughter. It also had a few sentimental (to me) parts including tributes to Jaws and MCA. I've never enjoyed an amusement park show so much. The actor playing Lincoln had the best facial expressions. If you get the chance, watch him closely. 20 Penny Circus was definitely questionable. While entertaining, the dialogue sounded like it was written by a horny 8th grader. Didn't quite like this show, but it wasn't that bad either. Critiques To conclude, here's a list of things I would change/add. More haunted houses to handle crowds and/or move back to IOA until construction is finished. Return to themed scarezones. Less light in the haunted houses. More theming/story in the queues. Treehouse of Horror Simpsons Ride. More scareactors in the houses.

Hey Guys. Quick update: I saw how ridiculous the crowds were last night and purchased express for tonight. I'm still going o get there around 5:30 to get in quickly. Which houses are worth hitting twice? Gothic, Dead End, TWD, P&T?

Justman: Can you provide me with a link to this information? If possible, I'm definitely going to do this.

What were the rest of the house waits like?

I'm going on the 21st and am on the fence about Express as well. My original justification was to save money, show up early, and have a plan (which I do). However, I only have one night for HHN--without Stay and Scream--and want to see everything and some. I'd hate to spend $150 for express, only to realize it's unnecessary.

Hey Scareactors! Keep an eye out for us on Sunday 10/21...it's our first HHN. My girlfriend loves a good scare so don't hold back.

This is very helpful. Much appreciated. I found the lagoon show time schedule in another thread and added it to my trip itinerary. I'll be sure to do the same with the Bill & Ted show times. Folding and unfolding maps cuts back on haunt time. I'll be sure to post a review of my experience next week. 5 days and counting...can't wait!

Thanks for your response. Regarding the park hours: the closing time listed on UO's official site states IOA closes 8:00 PM on Saturday October 20. I'll be sure to keep an ear out for thunder while I'm there. I've read the other edition of the lagoon show (and, in one reviewer's opinion, the coolest) is a Hitchcock tribute ending with Psycho. I realize this year is worst with lines due to construction and the absence of an eighth house. Although it is not as big of an event, I was able to hit all six houses at Howl O Scream VA within two and a half hours of the event with careful planning. We avoided hour+ lines by getting there early and having a definite strategy from the start. My goal is to use a similar tactic here and save my money when it comes to express. I have seen an "express add on" price of $35 for Sundays. However, when I look at the site, it states $69.99 for our specific night. If I could get two express passes for $35 each, I'd definitely go for it.

I really appreciate the input guys. So, I should plan on getting there early--I'm going to aim for 5:30--and hit the sound stage houses, followed by The Walking Dead, and then House of Horrors>Alice Cooper>Penn & Teller. I was thinking about buying express, but it's $69.99+tax each. I can't justify scoring "free tickets" than spending $140+ on express. Thanks for the heads up on the discount Dave. I'll be sure to take advantage of the deal if we're having trouble knocking out the houses by 10. Another question: Does anyone have a rough idea on show times? I hear there's a "secret" lagoon show this year too; can someone elaborate? Also, where's the best seating area for each of the shows?

Although I would like to do the Stay and Scream option, I simply cannot. I am meeting family at the parks on Saturday and they're too yellow for HHN. Also, I get an extra 3 hours for IOA versus cutting my park day short. This is why I'm doing the parks Saturday and HHN Sunday. Another reason for splitting it up is exhaustion. I will have my girlfriend with me, and I doubt she can handle a 17 hour day at the parks. I'd like to make it through the entire night for HHN. So, how do you recommend hitting all the houses if I am arriving from outside the gates?

Greetings, Recently, I won a pair of tickets to HHN and Universal Orlando. Having been a long time fan of UO, I have always wanted to attend the event ever since reading about HHXII: Island of Fear. Needless to say, I am beyond thrilled I finally get to experience the event...and for free! The tickets I won grant admission for any event night, and does not require my day time passes for admission. Since I'm coming down from Raleigh, NC, I plan on using my park pass Saturday and my HHN pass Sunday night in hopes to avoid the peak night crowd. Here's where I need help: I haven't been able to find much information regarding the Sunday night crowds. I would like to see all seven houses without the use of an express pass. My plan is to arrive to the event an hour before gates open, and hit all the houses before seeing any shows or riding any rides. I've seen various plans regarding the order of houses to do first. What would you guys recommend for a Sunday night? Thanks for your advice! -Ticholas