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An every other week schedule would be perfect. 9 houses (with one being the Icon + plus house) and then scarezones/shows gives them 20 weeks of media coverage. It keeps fans happy, it keeps the social media channels and hashtags active and it lets people start planning far enough in advance. The reveals should end a month before the event start. So, we ideally should start getting announcements in April and they can just keep them coming every other week.

The fact that they are doing these teases and giving us a website update that increased the number of lit candles makes it seem like they are slowly getting back to the old way of doing the website! A few more years (maybe for 30) and we might have a fully interactive website again!

Pay attention to the rates though...they might not be cheaper!!! For example, I am staying 18 nights. The APH rate for Cabana Bay Poolside Room (the cheapest room type left) is $2781. The NON-APH rate is $2356. I would be saving $425 NOT using the APH rate! So, just check all your options. If your staying for 7 or more nights, it might be cheaper to do without the APH rate and use the standard "Stay More, Save More" rate.

This is SO true! I mean, I am sure A&D LOVES working on some of the IP's.... just look at Halloween! However, some of them you can easily tell were forced on them and the quality of the maze really shows. When it comes to originals though, they tend to knock them out of the park...except for Chances house...I think we can all just forget about that one.

As much as I want this to be true because you only hear great things about Castle Vampyr, I can't see them remembering this detail or honestly caring enough about this detail to bring a new version of the house back. Maybe they wanted to but Marketing got in the way with the Conjuring IP but since that feel through, they decided to stay true to the lore of the house and bring it back but I doubt it.

I think it totally is!! Remember, they brought them out not to long ago for the youtube convention thing that rented out the park. Maybe with all the prop work being down, it is simply being held there so it doesn't get in the way of moving out props that need to get used this year. I can't see them reusing it so soon as a big part of a house facade.

I can't believe we are in the same boat we were in just 2 years ago. I wonder if somebody had to put their foot down and say "We are not spending the money to buy a new IP's rights just so we can spray paint the walls and call it done" like they did with Scream/Purge. Instead, they wanted to use that money to turn the house into an original and since they had money, they could do more than change a few props and call it a different house. I'm also hoping that it does really well. The fact we are getting 4 original mazes is already amazing. Now, lets just hope they do really well so maybe we can start getting more and more originals. Without needing to drop a ton of money for rights, they could go crazy with the detail inside them.

Oh that's easy. Marketing hasn't gotten put in control yet. The event is still a baby for them. They let the awesome creative people have free reign to create awesome things. Not only does this attract locals, but it really attracts hard core HHN fans who want to experience a more themed event...like the golden days of HHN Orlando. Give it a few more years. Marketing will be put in control and then not only will Orlando and Hollywood be sharing IP's, but USS will also have the same IP's.

I will agree with you on something! The level of detail in USS is on another level. It's crazy to think how big they build stuff considering this is only going to be year 7 for them. +

I hope not! The last movie was decent and had some good costumes but I don't want to see it return again. We are getting another Purge movie next summer, save it for next year!

But everything else not related to the "hero" is labeled correctly as 27 or 2017. The only place that mentions HHN17 is where it deals with the Icon.

So, totally random thought but I did some searching through the website code and something kinda major stuck out... The main .gif that is running where we see the roses floating in some water with the skull behind has a strange name. It found at "img/hero/HHN17-Teaser-Desktop.gif" Either that was a random slip up and we went back 10 years or it was very intentional. Looking at HHN 17 stuff, another name stuck out from a well regarded IP house: Mary Shaw. She was a demonic ventriloquist that had 101 dolls. The tag line "All our times will come" could be her dolls saying they are all coming out to play in a sense. The use of "All" has been throwing me off all night. All implies more than 2. If it was just Cindy and Caretaker, it should have been "Our time will come". 101 dolls would make more sense to use the word "All" for.

It's going to be interesting to see how the Icons play out the next few years that's for sure. While the "Big Five" will always be a focal point, I can see them wanting more Icons to join their ranks. If we do in fact get a Caretaker/Cindy combo, that would make Cindy more well known so come 30, they would have another new Icon (along with Chance) to join the ranks of big name Icon status. It's going to come down to how much they promote and use the new Icon, whomever it may be. I thought we were not going to get an HHN announcement until tomorrow (I thought something was scheduled?) so maybe we will be learning more soon!

There are a total of 9 candles, not 6. Under the graphic there are three that are not lit. There are also 5 roses. One is a little hidden behind a bone. Granted, I still think they mean something. We have 6 "bright" candles on the shelves. One is not lit. I feel like they were all going to be lit but one was left out because of the rumors that an IP feel through. We would have had 6 lit candles (for 6 IP's) but now it is just 5. The four unlit candles would be for the original houses. The 5 roses are for the zones.

When the scaremony finally starts around the 20 minute mark, what do we see? Oh yeah, a projection of skulls that look very much like the Orlando background with a bunch of red roses on top. Toss in some fire, an evil looking skull "center piece" where the DJ is, and would you look at that, Arch's where all the monsters appeared out of! I'm going to be pretty surprised if the Day of the Dead is not part of the event some how. There are just way to many elements that connect to the Day of the Dead and not nearly enough elements related to Cindy or the Caretakers. Since when do they like fancy skulls, candles and roses?

More and more digging into the Day of the Dead history just has me leaning more towards it. First off, lets talk about the Alter which is a big part of the tradition: -- It has multiple levels (with the candles) which follows tradition. --It has flowers, which it is believed the scent of the flowers will make the returning soul feel welcome --It has water (with the ripple of water in the graphic), which is believed to calm the souls thirst after a long journey back to the living world --It has candles, which is believed to show the soul the way to the living world and back to the dead. We also can't ignore the very detailed design work of the skull on the border. It has markings (like the web on the forehead) that are prominently featured in Day of the Dead celebrations. Another big part of the traditional Alter is an Arch which is believed to be the "gateway" to the living world and back into the dead world. While no arch is in the graphic, they sure do have a massive arch at the entrance to the event. They could do some minor decor outside the Arch to give it more of a traditional Alter feel. Finally, a little bit of text from the wiki on the Day of the Dead "...narrating a dream of a cemetery in the future, "and all of us were dead"..." The line "and all of us were dead" sounds pretty close to "all our times will come" that they are using as the tagline. The tagline could be directed at us, the guest, saying that all of us will eventually cross over to the dead world at some point, but here is just a little peak into that world just like the dead are believed to get one day back in the normal world on the Day of the Dead. What if instead of the dead crossing over into our world, we are going through the gateway (the arch) into the dead world? The Icon (most likely the "Lady of the Dead" to stick with tradition) is putting on a "Day of the Living" celebration to show us living souls what the dead world is all about.

I'm glad you found this! Like I said a few posts ago, it has a very "Day of the Dead" feel. Would be a little surprised if the overall theme is not connected to it in some form.

Also, I am so glad they dropped the number!! HHN 26 just didn't need the number. Save the numbers for the big milestone years.

Totally this. The roses are floating in a "pool" of water and the skull is under the water looking at you.

The use of roses is also very interesting to me. They are around the frame and in the graphic. Either we are getting a female Icon (maybe Cindy but roses don't seem to be her style) or roses are this person's signature thing. Like after they kill, they leave a rose with the body sort of deal. Either way i'm glad to see a little more effort put into the website this year! While it will never be like it once was, at least it's not a total copy of the 25 like they did for 26. Now to just try and figure out what I want to do as far as tickets go. EDIT: Another thought based on the look of the skull at the top and it's interesting design, it really has a "Day of the Dead" feel to it. Roses are a big part of that event as are candles.

As someone who didn't start attending until 24, I don't get the same feeling from that video you posted. There is always a guest right in front of the person filming. Heck, even now it's very possible to go into a house with nobody in front or behind you. I did it multiple times at 25 and a few times during 26. Even when they start you off single file, most of the time halfway through the house, your not right on top of other people. Also, it seems just as loud throughout the whole video as it does for most of the newer houses. Ghost town had quite a few areas of quite that stand out, but nearly every house had it's quite areas. I feel like you look back on the event, back when you were younger and things like crowds and loud noises didn't really bother you or even notice to much. Not calling you old by any means, but i'm sure every year had it's flaws. There will never, and can never be, a perfect HHN event.

Here's the thing with AoV. They are something you don't see all the time. ALL major cities (heck most small cities too) have haunted houses to attend during Halloween. While HHN stands apart because of the level of detail and sheer size, a house is a house. Sure it has a different theme, but it's sole purpose is to scare you. I go to HHN to see things I can't see locally. A high energy, high intensity show with incredible performers and great music is not something I am going to get at my local haunt. Are their certain IP''s and original concepts I would like to see get announced? Sure! But at the end of the day, we are bound to get house announcements. AoV is still up in the air and I would personally be pretty disappointed if they didn't return. It wouldn't ruin the whole event for me, but I liked being able to watch their show when I wanted a break from the houses.

The thing that makes HHN so good is that is has something for everybody. It would be impossible to create an HHN event that every single guest loved every single element of. Everybody is entitled to their opinion. Some people you can't seem to please at all and want to make everybody know just how bad the event is going to be because THEIR wants are not happening. What it all boils down to is pretty simple. If you don't like it, don't do it! In order for HHN to work, they need to offer a wide assortment of things to see and do. If every house was themed around the same concept or location, it would get real old. You need your different settings (bayou, hotel, house in the middle of nowhere, forest, temples, etc) and even different times of year (Winter with the Shinning, Fall with the AHS series) to make each house stand apart. Same thing goes with out in the streets. You have very different zones and things happening in them. A big stand out is AoV. While some people have been very vocal about how much they don't think it belongs at HHN, a ton of people disagree. I personally am most looking forward to an announcement of AoV coming back. It was the breakout hit for a lot of people. Most people were concerned about a dance show coming to HHN (myself included), but they stepped up and proved they belong and the crowds they drew as the event went on proved that. I know for some vloggers and locals I follow on Twitter, AoV was the best thing to happen to HHN in a long time. Long story short: Be happy that we even still have an HHN event to attend! Instead of bashing an idea you don't like, be happy for the people that want to see it. Not every comment needs to be a "This is an awful idea, HHN is ruined" type of post. Now I just wish they would hurry up and announce some stuff and most importantly, tickets!! Come on Universal, take my money!

I try to avoid you, but she was amazing so I have to disagree with your negative comment. The actress that played her played the part so well! When she was out in the streets interacting with guests, her banter was so good! Plus, a whole voodoo/bayou themed house would be awesome and something different.

Ok that last tweet is 100% about the voodoo queen! She was silenced a day or two after the event began because people cried to guest services about how evil the fake voodoo ritual was. I loved her as a character and would be 100% ok with them bringing her back!