zombieman

I remember the forums of The Vault crashing when the 2008 site fully revealed. Something like 300 people all online counting down the minutes to the site reveal. Damn! 2005 was such an awesome year for website design. Newbies who never got to experience HHN during those glory years sure missed out on this. 2005 and 2008 had such wonderfully complex stories around the event

Major YIKES! That doesn't sound good at all. Dumb Q, but were they selling alcohol? I think I can guess the answer.

I purchased a ticket today. The event doesn't start until END of October and tickets are sold out through FEBRUARY. But I managed to get one Wednesday slot in mid November. I gotta say, I'm a bit skeptical there will really be an event to go to, and I know my $90 may be at risk. First off, this is Los Angeles, where the mayor has banned any Halloween events. I've heard the Haunted Hayride is still supposed to be happening, but they have moved it from Griffith Park to an undisclosed location. Stranger Things Experience is still sold as "Secret location in Los Angeles". Second, God help us if we are still locked down in February. I can understand November, but not Feb at this point. So in the event the city opens to any degree of normalcy, will this thing still go on? Sure, people desperately need the jobs, but I can see people wanting to put isolation behind them in a big way. Heck, some other states including Florida are having actual haunted houses with distancing. In California you can't go to any event unless you plan to burn buildings and terrorize citizens. We are locked down tremendously. This is going to be interesting either way.

I'm so looking forward to reading what people have to say about these! I think the biggest downside will be taking half the house for eyes to adjust..

It has been announced Two houses open for daytime guests - one weekend only....for now.

So many great links were shared throughout the day. I hope there's no issue with posting many of these here

We are all coping with the loss of HHN in our own way, and I'd like to share something that might help - the scent of Horror Nights. This is NOT a plug for either of these companies. I purchased from both and this is a mini review. While listening to podcasts, I've often heard of theme-park scented candles. This is usually the "ET forest" smell which everyone claims is dead-on and instantly reminds them of the queue. I seem to be one of the few who doesn't recall that smell. In the past few months I have heard of "Horror Nights" scents, and found two companies online that sell them. One place offers a LOT more than just candles, but their Horror Nights is pleasant and not something I associate with HHN. The other offers a more limited selection, but it's smell is intense and distinctly HHN. Magic Candle Company This place has seemingly endless scents, all named for various theme park attractions and memories (Banshee Flight, Autumn on Main Street, Pineapple Whip?!?) They also offer Horror Nights. Described as: "Featuring a blend of Ozonic notes, aquatic notes and musk notes that recreated the familiar smell of pyrotechnic fog to perfection." Magic candle Company sells candles, room spray, wax melts, fragrance oil, and car air fresheners. Horror Nights is available in all of these formats. $17 for an 8 oz candle, plus shipping. I seem to recall they give you a discount code if you sign up with Email. Reasonable shipping prices based on weight, not quantity. I purchased the wax melts and car fresheners. What I smell: Definitely not fog. No floral notes. Very powdery smell, like Febreze. Nothing musty or dirty, as I would expect from HHN. If I really strain my olfactory senses, I can smell a hint of smoke, but mostly it just smells like a candle. That was my daughter's thought after I proudly displayed the air freshener I paid a crapload for. Verdict: If anyone walked into the room they would say it smelled nice. Not scary, spooky, or haunted in any way. If the box didn't say Horror Nights, you'd probably say it smells like ocean mist. Park Scents A vastly smaller assortment of scents (Flume water, Wizard Beer, Banana Breath) They also offer Halloween Horror. Described as: "Evade danger as you enter this scare zone. Make your way through the screams and the fog, but be warned....the night lives on!" Although Park Scents also sells Oils, Room Sprays, and Wax Melts, Halloween Horror is only offered as a candle. And this candle is freaking EXPENSIVE. $25 for an 8 oz candle, but free shipping. I dislike it when they build shipping into the price; bad deal if you want to buy multiple items. I only purchased the candle, for which I used the code "PARKSTOP" to get (I think) a 15% discount (again, I have no connection with Orlando ParkStop or either scent company) What I smell: Very STRONG smells - Fog, Dirt, Musty. I purchased a bottle of scented oil to add to fog juice at a trade show years ago. It was called "Moldy Crypt". This is the exact same smell. Might even be the same company, for all I know. People say this is the same smell they have permeating the Tribute Store at Universal this year. I cannot attest to it, but it smells like Horror Nights. I recall this smell in Graveyard Games, Hive, and I think the Attic scene of Insidious (I may be wrong, but I'd bet on it). This one is the real deal. But there is a downside - while it may bring back instant memories of HHN, the smell is not something people would associate with a candle - certainly not an air freshener. That is why I say this smells like fog - fog you smell when you are in a graveyard or crypt scene. It is distinct, and I guarantee will instantly remind you of a haunted house or graveyard. This will be off-putting to those who don't love HHN. Verdict: If you want to relive HHN in your home, buy this. But beware: others may find this smell unpleasant, but admit it - that makes you want to buy it even more.

No haunt this year. But they are doing something, at least. For those on the East Coast, the West Coast parks have been closed since March. No rides at all. Universal Hollywood can only be experienced via Citywalk, which has some restaurants open (some with limited menus). Like Orlando, our Citywalk is immediately outside the park. Disneyland has Downtown Disney open (but neither park). Our Downtown Disney is like Orlando's Citywalk, right outside the parks. Sea World San Diego is open for exhibits and outdoor shows only. You can actually go into the park for these. Knotts is open for dining only. You can buy a "tasting card" to visit booths in the park to eat foods with a boysenberry flair. They do this every year, but this is the ONLY thing you can do in 2020. So Knotts is adding a bit to the experience for Halloween, with a Halloween-themed food event on Fridays thru Sundays. They will also present trick or treat trails. Here's the odd thing, though: The promo pictures show a few daytime scareactors and kids in their costumes - but no masks worn by anyone. These may be old pictures, or may be related to the massive confusion over an announcement two days ago by Los Angeles effectively cancelling Halloween - no Halloween events, no trick or treating, no Halloween parties. Not even a Festivus pole. Well, yesterday officials 'walked back' the closure due to most of California losing their shit over this latest brick in the wall: Still no Halloween parties or gatherings even if they are outdoors (I hate L.A.) Still no carnivals, festivals, live entertainment, or haunted houses allowed (I really hate L.A.) The "walk back" part is that you are now allowed to go trick or treating* - but the city does "not recommend it". Your kids can do it, but the city will wag their collective finger and scold you. * Also allowed (but not recommended by the city) is "trunk or treating" (I am NOT making this up...), where children go from car to car instead of door to door to receive treats. That doesn't sound dangerous at all. But, hey, this is the same state that is allowing alcoholic drinks TO GO at many restaurants during the pandemic. Apologies for the extra helping of snark, but I have been officially over 2020 for the past few months. Oh, yeah, and half of California is currently on fire. Have they made a sleep-aid that lasts 3 months yet? I would gladly take Sleepwell at this point. I'm ready, Freddy...

More on the event. They even cut a promo video showing what to expect. 10 Scarezones: Lycan Landing (NEW) - Werewolves The Shortcut (NEW) - Sure sounds like a scarezone version of Graveyard Games The Junkyard (NEW) The Escape (NEW) First Fear (Icons) Little Nightmares Maniac Midway Deadly Toys Hell on Wheels Dia de los Muertos 1 Show (outdoors) Fiends I would NOT travel halfway across the country for this. Wait for the full thing. And do HHN on the same trip. But if you are dead set on going, make sure you go to Scream-A-Geddon as it is not far from Busch, and they are advertising haunted houses this year.

That sounds awesome! Meanwhile, my asshat of a governor has cancelled Halloween. The one day a year when you are encouraged to wear a mask.

I read today they were all sold out... But quite a few on Ebay. Bids are around $150 on most, but some nearing end of auction are $300+ Universal should really have put one per customer limits on the highly collectible items. That they didn't is really a disservice to the fans. They knew they would sell out either way. But I don't doubt for a moment that they will eventually sell CDs of this.

Did you know you can do escape rooms online? Not some cheesy version, but the real version you could otherwise do in real life? Here is a full escape room played by Chris Ramsey and his cohorts. If you don't regularly watch Chris Ramsey's YouTube channel, you are not doing this isolation thing right. He is a magician and a puzzle solver. His videos are so much fun. I did The Heist in Orlando a few years ago. This is the SAME ROOM, just done virtually. Nothing was left out. They did a great job turning this into an online experience. I also just got an Email that "Prison Break" is available online from The Escape Game. I did this one in Orlando also and it was extremely difficult, but an excellent game. We did not escape....we did terribly. Really surprised they got this working virtually as it it starts by breaking up the team into two separate prison cells. Very complex even in real life. Not everyone is doing it this way. Some places have create other virtual rooms. Here is a horror-related experience you can do: https://thebasementla.com/mnij/ It is put on by the people who do The Basement in California. I've been to one of their room IRL and it was highly horror based. I have not tried the virtual room.

https://losangeleshauntedhayride.com/hours_pre.html <This event takes place in Los Angeles> Okay, this is going to be different. LA Haunted Hayride is normally just like Hayrides throughout the country. You sit on haybales on a wagon and are driven by show scenes. This is part "Drive Thru" in that you drive your CAR by the sets from the traditional LA Hayride. It is doubtful anything will happen here other than just music and lights. But it culminates with a haunted show. Apparently they have a large parking area where vehicles will be directed to park - picture a Drive-in Movie. But instead of a movie, you watch a show from your car (multimedia and live actors). Ticket price tiering is based on where you get to park, and how many people are in your vehicle. There is a "Platinum Experience" where your group gets to watch the show from a private hay wagon in Row 1. But you still drive your car... I don't quite understand how that will work... Apparently, they use radio transmitters to send the show music to your FM radio. I do a Christmas light show at my house that does the same thing. This tends to work great. Some thoughts - No taking Uber to this event, as you need to drive your car through it no matter what. No convertibles with the top down. No sticking your head through the sunroof to see better. No rolling down your windows. You and ALL occupants must wear their seatbelt during the entire time. Up to 8 occupants in the vehicle. Other than a minivan, who has a vehicle with 8 seatbelts... No coming as a group of cars and ganging up into a single vehicle. That needs to be done before you enter the event. Essentially, no unoccupied vehicles allowed. Headlights....Let me tell you, at my Christmas Light Show, about 10% of people have NO IDEA how to turn off their headlights while running their radio in accessory mode. Sounds crazy, but it's an afterthought on most new vehicles, and there are models that won't allow it, forcing running lights on at a minimum. With computers running vehicles, there are no standard procedures anymore. Don't believe me? Go to your car and try it. Some of you won't have any idea how to do it. So what do people do when someone behind them won't turn off their lights? They hold down their horn and scream. I often have to help people figure out how to turn off their lights. Now add Coronavirus. This one is going to be a problem, because it plagues me every December.

<This event takes place in Los Angeles> What happens when 2020 decides to cancel Halloween? This happens: https://strangerthingsdriveinto.com/ I'll buy a ticket and will let you know. Some thoughts: FAQ says you will drive past scenes and end up in a show area. Sounds exactly like what LA Haunted Hayride is doing this year. The "Show Location" appears to be the Starcourt Mall. Not really clear, but there may be other shows along the way. Ticket tiers will probably be based on how close you get to park to the show. No doubt there will be additional perks to encourage upcharging. No taking Uber to this event, as you need to drive your car through it no matter what. No convertibles with the top down. No sticking your head through the sunroof to see better. No rolling down your windows. You and ALL occupants must wear their seatbelt during the entire time. Up to 8 occupants in the vehicle. Other than a minivan, who has a vehicle with 8 seatbelts... No coming as a group of cars and ganging up into a single vehicle. That needs to be done before you enter the event. Essentially, no unoccupied vehicles allowed. Headlights....Let me tell you, at my Christmas Light Show, about 10% of people have NO IDEA how to turn off their headlights while running their radio in accessory mode. Sounds crazy, but it's an afterthought on most new vehicles, and there are models that won't allow it, forcing running lights on at a minimum. With computers running vehicles, there are no standard procedures anymore. Don't believe me? Go to your car and try it. Some of you won't have any idea how to do it. So what do people do when someone behind them won't turn off their lights? They hold down their horn and scream. I often have to help people figure out how to turn off their lights. Now add Coronavirus. This one is going to be a problem, because it plagues me every December.

No love from universal.... Just got another survey. Survey: Are you a Universal Season Passholder? Me: Yes Survey: Bye!

To me, a Fall Festival at this point would be decorations, specialty food, merch, and perhaps some themed music. Unless it could bring in much needed cash I don't see it happening. And other than food or merch, I don't see a Fall Festival bringing in extra cash. For the 3rd Tribute room, I'm guessing they did NOT pull the trigger on IP merch (Legacy?). If they did, I'm certain it wouldn't have included any mention of 2020, so they could retain the ability postpone the IP and sell it in 2021. I'd like to imagine they would be selling DVDs of what we see in queue lines during HHN. "Relive HHN every night while in lockdown". I doubt they will do this but I'd love to see it. I'd also love to see that coffee table book we've all dreamed about, complete with backstories and blueprints.

2020 has been a year unlike any in my 50+ year lifetime. And the damned thing is only half over. I think Universal made the only choice they could, and I hope they are able to survive what is ahead. So many good things were in progress. I hope I'm wrong, but I predict that there will be some local haunts attempting to operate this year, and that they will end up on the news as hotspots, and subsequently shut down. For the sake of all, we need an effective vaccine. Never before have so many companies been focused on one goal. I'm thinking something will begin to be widely available around March, and then summer will tell the tale. But until then I'm not optimistic things will be much different than they are right now. I do look forward to all the creative scares and effects that will come from this whole crisis. With the constant threat of something re-emerging for the next few years, there are going to be some interesting concepts to be presented in the haunt and theme park industries. Stay safe, and be excellent to each other (but at a six foot distance).

Some potential bad news regarding HHN Hollywood. To date, only four houses had been visibly under construction (2 tents on backlot, Waterworld queue, and Mummy overflow). Drone footage last week showed backlot houses that included facades (unable to tell what themes these were supposed to have been for). Drone footage a few days ago showed facades removed from those houses and packed into portable storage. It appears (to me at least) that interior of one of the houses is also being dismantled. Drone Footage yesterday shows the storage container empty again. Assuming facade was hauled to storage. The facades were in the plywood stage and not painted. Not an insignificant amount of work being undone. Mummy facade still up (and it looks 100% to be a facade for TCM) Whether this indicates the event is being scrubbed is not clear, but considering no parks in California have any plans to open even in August, I personally feel HHN Hollywood has a slim to zero chance of happening. Unlike HHN Orlando, where HHN could theoretically happen any time of year and not impact day to day operation, a good deal of HHN Hollywood takes place in the backlot, which is scheduled for production throughout the year. So it's not as if Hollywood can keep backlot houses up for a mid-year HHN run. Same goes for Parisian courtyard house (what has not started construction). In other CA haunts, Queen Mary Dark Harbor has been officially scrubbed. No word on Knott's Haunt yet, but drone footage shows construction has not progressed in the slightest. Although most of their mazes are in permanent structures, no facades are up.

They must have concluded that because I am old I am rich. Little do they know I would have said "No! I want the tickets to be 10x the price. If I can't go, NO ONE CAN!" Or something.

My 17 year old daughter seems to believe I am....

Well this sucks. I just got an Orlando survey. UO: Which type of OUAP do you have? Me: Seasonal UO: In what year were you born? Me: 1967 UO: Thanks for your time, Boomer! I wonder which answer disqualified me... <full disclosure: they didn't actually say "Boomer">

You got me before my edit I was getting those confused with the UK tickets that were being sold.

I, too, am confused about the BOGO extension. In lieu of a decision, I imagine marketing is just proceeding as planned. I don't see them selling any of these unless they allow refunds for a cancelled event. The idea of a Fall Festival doesn't surprise me, but I won't believe it until they announce it. I have never seen any logistical way HHN could happen this year. Social distancing is the antitheses of everything related to a haunted house. Get the already-budgeted construction out of the way this year and put on the show next year. Makes sense to me. It would still be the 30th no matter when they presented it. I think things will be fully back to normal in 2021 in terms of crowds. Assuming there is still a theme park and hospitality industry. This notion of a Fall Festival would let Universal test the waters for some ideas I'm sure have been on the burner: Can they present a family friendly competitor to MNSSHP? Maybe something that would fit into IOA or the new park? They had a no-actor version of Stranger Things open last year following HHN. Maybe open one house early in the year - i.e. testing how a year-round haunt might work in Orlando. Personally, I could see them doing that with Shrek.