DTH316's Most Excellent Nightmare Trip Report (10/28)

[DTH316]

Universal Studios Hollywood's Halloween Horror Nights 2010

October 28th, 2010, from 7 PM to 2 AM

My mind is still rocked from the epic proportions Universal Studios and Creative Director John Murdy served up this year. So rocked that it's hard for me to even put into words. I was very VERY iffy about this year after the string of announcements that hit as to what the mazes and what not would be. And to some extent, yes, it was tired to see some of these characters again. But in no regard were they suffering from exhaustion. To all the crap talking I did before on the event, I take every single word back... except for one little diddy (which we'll get to very quickly). And I'll say this right now, my review is probably VERY different then most reviews in terms of what I liked and the results may even shock you (wait till you see where Vampyre lands on the scale).

As always, the longest line you'll wait for in the night is... getting there. Got in LA at around 5:50 and stayed in traffic until 6:55ish. We parked in Curious George and made our way down accross the crowded City Walk (huge line of people lining up early for Saw 3D) and got to the famous rotating globe. Walked all the way down to the left and no line for security check. That went by smoothly. As my girlfriend stated before we entered, and it was exactly what I was thinking, "the music sounds like we're about to enter Hell." Yes... yes, indeed we were.

NIGHTMAREZ

We entered the park around 7:05ish. Aw, fog. How I've missed you. And Statue Freddy? Not necessarily on his game tonight. Wasn't scaring too many people, just taking pictures. Wasn't very statue like either. And the go-go on the left was missing. Some chainsaw wielding maniacs who got in our faces getting in got us for a quick few scares. Such a fun way to start the evening.

8.5 out of 10 'B'

KLOWNZ

These guys were high on energy and scaring everything in sight. Glad to see the flames back from last year from Welcome to Hell. Couldn't hear the announcer dude what so ever though but there was a crowd around him watching. My favorites were the Harlequins who were wobbling all over the place. As high on energy as all it was and as many scares present, the theme just doesn't sit well with me. It just seemed silly and not in a good way. My favorite thing is the clown choking somebody out in the backseat of a car. Reminded me very much of Halloween. An ode to the movie, perhaps? Didn't spend too much time in this area though as it was just a very transitional area. Walked passed Friday the 13th that had 0 wait BUT I had a game plan I wanted to stick to, so we will meet again later.

8.8 out of 10 'B'+

FREAKZ

This was my first time going through this scarezone since I didn't do it last year. This zone was AWESOME. I almost got a sledgehammer RIGHT in the face. That bad boy was a good 3 inches from my nose and it scared the crap out of me. Another slew of scares came from this area and I especially dug Chickenboy. I didn't see Lizardman anywhere though, which is disappointing. The area was also choked out nicely with fog and disables one from seeing very much of anything but from the little I did see of the sets, it looked very nice. I'd have to say this is probably my favorite scare zone of the night.

9.3 out of 10 'A'

ROB ZOMBIE'S HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES in ZOMBIEVISION 3D

Woo, that was a long title to type! Anyway, there was about a 10 minute line which is what I was anticipating. I very much enjoyed being able to go behind the Cyberdyne Institute. Never seen all that before. However, something just didn't sit well with this spot for me. Not much atmosphere before going into the maze. Barely any music, no gloomy lights, nothing. And the facade was much smaller than I thought it would be too. And the saddest thing was, this was the ONLY time I saw any 3D in this whole maze. Before I got in. Seriously.

We got in and got the tail end of a scare already, which got me a bit sad but that's okay. The front store area was way too small for my liking. But I do have to say those Captain Spaulding masks are awesome. The murder ride portion didn't have much going on. A few pop out things but nothing fundamentally mind shattering scare techniques. I want to give the benefit of the doubt that maybe a lot of scareactors were still getting to work but it shouldn't be an excuse. So it's easy for me to say the Murder ride portion wasn't all that great for me. And to be honest, it's kind of a waste of maze time considering it's only, what, 3 minutes of the movie? The recreation of this area didn't get pulled off all that well either. There was a lot of things that weren't identical to the movie which is understandable but there was also a lot of things missing from the Murder ride that wasn't there. Or possibly, I might just be forgetting about them...

The house portion was a little better. Otis was very talkative, pointing his knife at everybody. Baby also did a very good job too. I loved the bunnies hanging but didn't see any bunny scareactors. I enjoyed some of the victims in this house as well, they seemed to be very into it. There was a particular moment that got me pretty good towards the end where someone came out of a platform and swung their axe at us. Yikes!

Now my favorite portion of the maze: Dr. Satan's lair. I didn't get the same claustrophobic feeling I got from the movie as things were a bit too bright in here. The scareactors here were on their game, popping out of 2 places at once from both sides in about 3 different areas. We then met Dr. Satan himself but no scares associated with him that I can remember. Which reminds me, how many flipping scalpings are in this maze? Then the maze ended and it all seemed very... disappointing. I'm going to have to go back and watch videos of it on youtube because to this point, I still don't remember much of it, at all. Literally, 20 minutes later, my brain still couldn't recapture many moments of it. I remember getting 4 or 5 good scares and I started to get worried: if this was supposed to be the best maze of the year then the standard was set low. I wish I could've seen what everyone was talking about as to how this is the best maze since HHN restarted but I don't find that anywhere near true. Oh, and bogus 3D.

Set Design: 7 (some scenes were just too small and 0% 3D)

Scares: 5 (not much scaring going on in here to be honest)

Sound Design: 8 (Alot of soundbites straight from the movie that made me very happy)

Fun: 9 (I don't think I need to explain this one, do I? lol)

Length: 10 (great length for a maze and to have 3 different sections of a maze is pretty amazing)

Overall: 8.4 out of 10 'B'

LUNATICZ

A couple of scares here and there and I LOVED the strobe light mixed with the fog. For a split moment you see them approaching you and then they are gone and then it lights up again, BAM! Right in front of you. With a bit more set design and more aggressive scares, this could've easily triumphed Freakz but alas, not much was there to look at (or that I could see anyway).

9.0 out of 10 'A'-

LA LLORONA

Let's just say I got pissed on in the face by a baby. And that is the most awesome thing ever. Very good energy and lots of fun for it's small space.

9.0 out of 10 'A'-

THE STAIRWAY

Woohoo, an amazing ride in itself! Lots to listen to and a beautiful view to look at! And yes, I did laugh at the "Please, shut the hell up." Everything that followed after that was pure genius. Got to the bottom of the lot and it was about 8 already but King Kong still had no wait.

PIGZ

These little piggiez were on their GAME. They were scaring the hell out of everyone. And if there were only 4 of them, they seemed to have multiplied because it seemed like they were everywhere and chasing people into the night. Two of them were menacingly just waiting for us at the bottom of the escalator. Creepy little bastards. Would've liked to see some sliders around but that's okay. Very on point scare zone and they did a lot with the little they had.

9.0 out of 10 'A'-

JURASSIC COVE

Was tempted to get the Panda Express but I decided to get some chicken strips and call it safe. There was a friendly guy at the counter who should get a raise or something. He looks awfully like a skinnier version of Nick Frost. Got my collectible cup here too. At this point, my traditional route had been altered completely. But this year, I was okay with it since Terror Tram wouldn't be apart of the story this year anyway and I sure as hell didn't feel like waiting 70+ minutes for HOTC. And I usually get my collectible cup at the end of the night before Bill and Ted but screw it, it was eats time and I hadn't eaten all day. We grubbed down pretty quickly and watched some of the pigs scare. A bunch of annoying girls came running in while the pig waited outside for 'em. But this is Halloween and annoying little girls, as long as they're not pushing into you, get a pass so their shrieks bothered me none while dipping my seasoned fries into the barbecue sauce.

KING KONG 360 3D

We walked through the entire queue, up and over and walked straight on at about 8:20ish. Funny guy at the 3D glasses dispensary thingy ("they're not clean, we just spit on 'em"). They were doing some CSI filming so we had to be silent for a portion of the way. Now, there's been a lot of complaints about this not being very Halloween-esque but we got The Thing trailer before we reached our destination and Saw 3D on our way out. The clips before didn't bug me none since it was just a rules guideline anyway. We then entered Skull Island and WOW. I was expecting to be a bit disappointed but this was probably one of the most amazing experiences ever. Does it need the 3D though? Not really. There wasn't much depth and there wasn't much popping out but it was still awesome. We were in the second car in the back and it felt like we were right in the thick of it. The tram bounced way down and way back up. That was very surprising. The whole thing felt like we were smack dab in the middle of this fight and it was just perfect. I was blown-the-eff-away. Too much damn dinospit though but what can ya do. I can't stress enough how flippin' cool this was. I know a lot of people don't like it but I just can't figure out why. It was beyond my expectations and I recommend with a little wait to go ahead and do it. It's about a 15 minute round trip, which isn't bad at all. So if you can spare some time, I'd highly suggest checking it out.

9.7 out of 10 'A'+

SAW: GAME ON

Went in with about a 5 minute wait and the moment I walked in, things didn't seem as familiar as last year as everyone was saying. In the barb wire room, there was water just spilling down, which needs to be fixed. However, I can't stress this enough, this maze is STILL rocking. I was expecting to go through deja vu but it felt very much like a different experience to me. Only downside was it was missing my favorite room of the operating area. There were PLENTY of scares in here, as much as I was expecting. Many of them caught me off guard and I loved it. I don't love it as much as last year but this maze still has it going on. The dude in the bathroom scared the crap out of me and went on with his "help me" rant for a very long time. That guy was very into his role. Oh and the flesh trap was awesome. It was kinda small and the guy ripping off his stomach didn't seem all that into it but it was still cool to see that moment recreated. Dude stuck in the furnace was awesome also with burnt Obi spraying way too much damn water at people once again. With all the complaints about this being a repeat, there were only 3 rooms that seemed identical to last year to me: the bathroom, the furnace and the frozen lady. Everything else felt very different. Also, I didn't smell anything until the pig trap room so I guess the harsh smells have been toned down. Still a very awesome maze and I didn't mind it's return one bit.

Set Design: 10 (there is so much detail in this maze and that's an undeniable fact)

Scares: 8 (scares in almost every room)

Sound Design: 10 (sounds put us smack dab in the movies)

Fun: 10 (the scareactors on their game, this made this a super fun experience)

Length: 10 (About as long as I would want a maze about people being stuck in traps as I would want it to be)

9.5 out of 10

REVENGE OF THE MUMMY

10 minute wait and we zoomed through. I got to sit in the back, off to the side, and it seemed more thrilling back there for some reason. This is such a smooth coaster still but you can't help but want more from this ride. I'm hoping they change something up next year for Halloween. I think something can be done to some extent. Different lighting and different music? Still a fun coaster and worth a short wait.

8.5 out of 10 'B'

JURASSIC PARK IN THE DARK

I actually prefer this ride at night. You can't see all the flaws in the animatronics. Plus the raptor area with all the lights really stands out. "Welcome to the Jungle" was booming at the top and the added raptors adds a nice touch. Next year though, I mean, c'mon. I saw areas left and right where a scareactor could go. You don't even need to change anything up that'll affect it's day time operations. Scareactors with chainsaws in a few areas would make this ride even more worth it. I'm tired of hearing excuses about nothing being done with this ride when I can come up with a good enough overlay in my head while going through it just once. Anywho, I was pleased to see the hydro dinosaur was working and the drop is the best part. Sit in the back to only get misted.

8.5 out of 10 'B'

THE SIMPSONS RIDE

Finished with the lower lot and it was about 10. How 2 hours went by that quickly is beyond me. Back up the stairway we go and there was a 40 minute wait for The Simpsons. I figured we had time so we did it. Sure enough, the wait time was correct and we were off around 10:40. The queue is still fun and I'm glad they have the show clips before the ride during the areas where you're completely stopped for 3 minutes at a time. We went to the bottom area and it feels very... basement like down there. Also not much air conditioning. My only request is next year they should play Treehouse of Horror clips. This is a frequent request so I'm not sure why this hasn't been implemented yet.

8.5 out of 10 'B'

KROQ

So we sat down, had a rest for awhile in the Dodgers area while listening to KROQ do their broadcast while waiting to meet up with some friends. There were a lot of Chucky minions in the area, scaring people taking pictures with Jaws. One of them got my girlfriend good, twice in a row while she was on her phone. After about 30 minutes, we met up and went down the escalators...

TERROR TRAM: CHUCKY'S REVENGE

I get so excited for the Terror Tram. It's one of my favorite parts of Halloween Horror Nights... does this year change that? Nope, not a single bit. Although, the storyline with the rest of the maniacs at the event wasn't used, this was still a fun venture. I'm just trying to figure out the point of it all. Sure, Chucky is fun but for him to exact his revenge on us all just didn't seem very interesting. And I think we missed a part of the video because I didn't see the part about him burning down the lot. I also didn't mind hip hop dancing. It was funny and it fit with his character. If anything, once again contrary to what everyone has been saying, the video was my least favorite part.

The chainsaw brigade at the beginning was awesome. Glad they made it like that, it makes a bit scary. However, since chainsaws don't start right away, this technique is a bit failed. Is it me or is Whoville getting more closed in every year?

Major jam up at Bates Motel, which is annoying. Saw ALOT of Mrs. Bates running around, which was cool. This area seems to have been toned down to its usual flare from its previous years though. Not enough mayhem.

La Llorona was pretty cool. This might've been my favorite part of the Terror Tram this year. The bushmen were on FIRE last night. They were scaring people everywhere all the way up the hill. The burning cabin didn't have a scare in it when we went through. I loved the dead baby skeletons hanging from the tree. That was pretty awesome. I also saw a bunch of La Lloronas everywhere. Maybe at least 4 or 5. Didn't get peed on though.

The part that was basically a dud was Camp Chucky. I didn't see any half doll hybrids. One girl was being operated on, who was very into her roll but that was it. No sheet maze, which is just sacreligious. Moving into the Psycho House, another on slaught of Mrs. Bates. I don't think I saw one regular Norman.

Went to the mutant outbreak, and I don't think the fire had much of a point. It was a good distraction while the monsters scared from the other side though. We get VERY close to the plane, which I loved. You really see how massive that thing is. Not many mutants around though. Maybe about 2 or 3, plus the stilt mutant between the two trams was fun.

At this point, I don't see why people want the Terror Tram to be much more extended. It's already pretty damn lengthy as it is. I just want the return of the sheet maze and I'll be happy as a clam. And I have to disagree with all the claims that it's tired. It's still awesome, always will be awesome and they don't need to change the route at all. Will I complain if they suddenly moved to another location? No but I think this is a very classic route and the only way for us to enjoy it again is if they take it to the epic proportions that 08 was. It's not Whoville, Bates Motel or War of the Worlds that's getting old, it's just them not sprucing things up enough. These sets are just backdrops but what they put in them is key. If it feels tired, it's just the set/theme isn't up to par as to what it usually is. You have to remember, these aren't the sets but merely things to add on to it and the creators also have to realize this as well so they don't rely to much on them to think "well we have the sets so all we have to do is add monsters and nobody will care how it looks."

Overall, I think this was a very strong Terror Tram but still the weakest out of the bunch. Next year, I think they'll know what to do with it. Especially when Scream comes to town. *evil grin*

9.0 out of 10 'A'-

NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET: NEVER SLEEP AGAIN

The music in this area got me so amped for this maze. I was excited and the queue was moving along very quickly. We got in line at 12:02, right after the Terror Tram closed and got in at 12:50. The queue in itself is a labyrinth on it's own. To pass the time, I played the games on the 874874 number. It really does make time go by quicker. Now to preface this, I talked SO much crap about this maze being used and the Freddy character returning. What's the result?

Entering the maze, I could already tell it was going to be good. Walking through a hundred of those hanging thread things, a Freddy got me good right in the beginning followed by another Freddy in a similar spot. Damn you! (excuse me if the chronology of the maze is messed up, my brain doesn't remember the entire string of events)

We then venture to the school with the cold room which had a good scare. I think this was also one of the first scrims but the Freddy's don't do much in there expect look at you, which is kinda lame but a lot of the times, I didn't even notice the scrims were there. So to some extent, the effect worked. The classroom didn't make sense to me to have the Freddy behind the chalkboard with body bag Kris just doing nothing.

Venturing outside, I got a good scare from Freddy and Statue Lady is awesome.

I liked the house portion but I don't think the squishly floor effect worked all that well. I liked the bathroom scene, that was pretty cool.

We then entered the dreaded boiler room. Lots of good scares in here and one that's a little too close for comfort. The body bag room with the soundbites was very cool. I didn't see the hand pop out of the body though, hm. I enjoyed the length of it and plus, it looked nothing like the boiler room in the previous Freddy mazes. I didn't see much reason for Stilt Freddy though at the end. Exiting the maze, there was no Freddy behind the curtain. Oh well but still a VERY, VERY strong maze. And I didn't think I would say that since I usually have bad luck with the Shrek venue in always getting the tail end of scares but that wasn't the issue here, luckily. Also, since I'm not scared by Freddy but this maze changed things a bit for that. I suppose he CAN be scary. I enjoyed the maze more than the movie, for what it's worth.

Set Design: 10 (I have to say a lot of the sets were pretty good, especially in the day care and the school)

Scares: 10 (Freddy got me good a LOT of times)

Sound Design: 10 (Alot of Freddy talking and it didn't bug me one bit. I really felt like he was taunting me and I was his victim)

Fun: 9 (I drop this down a notch because I only wanted more)

Length: 8 (The downside of this maze is that it feels a bit short. Luckily, we walked slow through it.)

9.5 out of 10 'A'

FRIDAY THE 13TH: KILL, JASON, KILL!

I think I understand the reason for the subtitle of this maze now: because it has nothing to do with the maze really other than Jason killing people. I don't think I recognized any kills from the movie other than the front camp scene (which was awesome by the way). This maze was definitely the most aggressive. The scareactors were so on point and the scares were so effective. Jason got me good multiple times and I really felt smack dab in a horror movie. My only problem is that this didn't feel too much like the movie at all aside from the campground and Jason's cabin (no floor attack like I wanted!!!). This maze was mean spirited, brutal and unrelenting at all sides. Jason is definitely America's favorite retard and it was good to see him back on action. I gotta give credit to the head guy who gets his head chopped off. I just figured it was a dummy Jason was slicing down on but then he moved and it scared the crap out of me. I liked the final tunnel scene but I really felt like something was missing from this maze and I think it's the house location the teenagers are in for about 75% of the movie. Maybe we went through it and I just didn't realize but this really felt like an original maze for the most part and I kinda dug it and I kinda didn't but that doesn't set aside the fact that this is indeed the best maze of the year. But really, I couldn't get the firepoker through the eye on the cop? I guess I'll make do with Jason bursting through a room and chopping someone clean in half. Oh, and yes, the grindstone kill is probably the sickest thing I've ever seen.

Set Design: 10 (Very amazing sets that felt like real locations. Even outside worked)

Scares: 10 (Jason got me at every turn. You go boy!)

Sound Design: 7 (Maybe the downfall of the maze. I don't remember hearing much, especially anything from the movie other than the queue)

Fun: 10 (Very fun maze. I enjoyed the hell out of it)

Length: 10 (I think this is the perfect maze venue as this feels the longest out of the bunch)

9.7 out of 10 'A'+

VAMPYRE: CASTLE OF THE UNDEAD

It was 1:50 and we had time for one more thing before the park closed and I wasn't sure if we should do this in risk of missing Bill and Ted. It said 10 minute wait so we chanced it. And it was so worth it! It's amazing how this is such an awesome maze even when it's year round. The vamps were so aggressive at every turn. They were frequent and very well hidden. Sure, the maze wasn't dressed up very well but I have to say: who cares? With scares this AWESOME and their make up work so amazing, this thing really pulled off being the most fun maze of the night. Only complaint, it's too damn long. But hey, not much we can do with that there. Is it really a shame that this beats HOTC? It was fun, scary and all out. House of Horrors still has a mean left hook and the inclusion of vampires was a good idea to this location. I even liked it better than last year's Chucky's Playground, which I had so much fun with. I have to be true and honest and give this a really high rating.

9.4 out of 10 'A'

BILL AND TED

Thank you, Jesus for this wonderful gift to earth. This show is hilarious and I don't understand all the complaints about too much dancing. There was two dance sequences. One at the beginning and the end and it was perfect that way. And most of all, it was better than last year. This was a really good show this year but there wasn't that many pop culture references because they spent too much time making fun of Jersey Shore. There was a lot to choose from but they stuck with Glee, which is a bummer but... oh well. Still a rocking show and still very funny and still the perfect way to end off the night on a high note. Love the pyro.

9.5 out of 10 'A'

So that was the end of the night and in commentary, this year's mazes felt WAY too damn similar. There was a formula I noticed going on here... 3 or 4 separate locations, way too much hanging threads, the cobweb strings and ending with a body bag room. Other than Saw, that was every maze and yes, it's only something you remember from when looking back but this needs to be fixed next year. And I still want some roaming scares instead of all set scares. This really would help the people enjoy things more for those who get the tail end.

All in all, a VERY strong year and I have to say, probably my favorite year. Every maze was equally strong and that doesn't happen often. None of them were perfect like last year's Halloween maze but none of them were utterly disappointing like... well, last year's My Bloody Valentine maze. All the negativity I had before on this year is gone. I underestimated it and was proven wrong. Now I know better that no matter who is headlining HHN, it's still going to be an awesome event. Although, YES, these were characters I was already too familiar with BUT the houses were indeed very different from their previous incarnations. Very strong year overall and I can't wait to see what's in store next year when (hopefully) SCREAM takes over. Don't let me down!!!

From top to bottom --

Scare Zones:

Freakz

Lunaticz

Klownz

Pigz

La Llorona

Nightmarez

Mazes:

Friday the 13th

Nightmare on Elm Street

Saw

Vampyre

House of 1000 Corpses

10 out of 10 'A'+

[Freak]

Great review man. I personally kinda liked last year's event better since it was my first year and everything to me felt fresh and new. Hopefully next year will be all-new and there won't be any returning mazes or characters. Notice a lot of space in the JP extended queue?

As much as I loved HoTC, I hope they don't bring it back next year; I really do hope not.

I also hope they change up the Terror Tram next year so it won't feel too familiar. Maybe they could replace the sheet maze with a cornfield or something like that.

[Anu]

DTH316, I didn't know you went this Thursday! Aww, I wish I saw you. Well I don't even know how you look like, haha~

Great review, I enjoyed reading your thoughts. Although I wish I had the same experience as you did in the Saw maze. It's fun, but it felt the same to me as last year's maze with little difference.

But Thursday, all the scareactors were on their game and I loved it. You chose a great night for a review. ;D

[DTH316]

Scareactors were doing an awesome job on Thursday. I always go the last Thursday of the event and from my experience, they always do an amazing job. Plus crowds are never that bad either. I love it, it's the perfect time to go if you're only gonna go once.

If Scream rolls around next year, I'll be either getting the FFP or a FOL for sure because that'll be something I wanna check out multiple times so we'll most likely bump into eachother in 11!

Edited October 31, 2010 by DTH316