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Popularity and greed ruining HHN (and other events)?


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Of course it always seems to be that when things are going YOUR way then they are doing it right.. and I guess that's natural.

I think you misunderstood me. If I had to pick, I prefer the original houses to the IPs. My 5 favorite houses happen to be originals.

I was trying to come from the other side of the argument. Just trying to shed some logical light to the "HOW COULD THEY DO THIS!?" reactions.

Edited by Coast
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Legacy, my reaction to your post:

icDAk.gif

Holy crap did you hit the nail on the head. Well done.

The biggest irony I’m finding though, is that the zones we are getting are EXACTLY the types of zone people have been clamoring for for years. Everyone has screamed for the Skool to return to Central Park and Mel’s, and you are now getting the spiritual successor in Herschel’s Barn! You want big, complex set-pieces in New York, and you are now getting a tank (and likely a bunch of other vehicles) in New York. I mean, they’re turning Hollywood into Woodbury! I can’t even imagine the type of set-pieces they’re going to need to build to make that work. Isn’t this exactly what everyone wanted last year; unique sets? That’s what you’re getting.

This is why I am so excited. At 6'1 and 20 years old, the actors in the streets never even look at me, so all I really want out of scarezones is some pretty sets to look at. While I am a huge fan of cemeteries and crypts, it just wasnt enough to do it for me last year. The least I expect for New York is a tank, some barricades and debris, and lots f fog.. I cant wait, its going to look awesome.

Edited by Coast
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As a teenager I do not find HHN appealing at all this year...Its too expensive first of all. Im not going to pay a butt load of money just to walk through a bunch of horror movies and TV shows with only one or two original houses. last year was my 3rd time going to the event and I brought my friends for their first time. I remember explaining to them how scary it was going to be and that they would love the event. At the end of the night we all agreed that Howloscream was wayyyyyy scarier. I was very dissapointed with the event last year and my friends werent that impressed. This year I have totally lost faith with the event and have decided that I will not be attending. Im not taking a chance and spending all my money on a bunch of IP houses and streets that only pay attention to the detail and not the scare. At the end of the night Ive realized its not about how much money you put into the event or what big name franchise is the headline on all your advertisements. Its about the actors and their scaring techniques. All the actors at HHN have to do is push a button or pull a trigger and bam they dont have to do much work. The only things scary about last year were Gothic, Dead End, and House of Horrors. And what happened to the themes and icons? Sure HHN has had heavy IP years in the past like 2007 & 2009 but the difference between them and 2012 & 2013 is that 2007 & 2009 still managed to have a theme and icon though the event had a lot of IPS they still managed to make the event unique and fresh. Now HHN Orlando just looks like they copied and pasted HHN Hollywoods event..Even the frikin website and commercials are the exact same style as Hollywoods now. But you know what Universal is a movie company so maybe a bunch of random IP crap fits in at HHN. Marketing can do whatever they want with the event. I dont care anymore. I just know it wont draw me in. I will not be one of the many (you know the event is gonna be crowded this year) people who spends ton of money to see a bunch of high tech IP houses with no scares. Im going to continue sticking with Howloscream Ive been going since 2008 and it only gets better each year. Plus HOS is like half the frikin price HHN is. The deals can not be beat. And no offense to HHN but HOS is now how HHN use to be.

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Well, it seems like you either agree or disagree. I'm not the only one who feels this way on the subject, which was the reason I posted and made this thread in the first place. I want to make it clear that I'm not trying to attack anyone. Lets be real, the people here are the only people who will understand or even care about what I have to say, and forums are basically for posting your opinions. I'm glad at least the people here (a majority, anyways) can have a civilized argument.

With that said, disabling me from posting in the Walking Dead street experiences thread is a little lame. I'm allowed to have an opinion, we all are. If we didn't these forums wouldn't be what they are. But, people do get bitter when strong opposing opinions arise, so it's understandable (to a degree, it's not like I'm spamming the forums. I made this thread and used this thread for exactly what I made it for).

Anyways, happy haunting.

Edited by Goo
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Its about the actors and their scaring techniques. All the actors at HHN have to do is push a button or pull a trigger and bam they don't have to do much work.

I support the right to share thoughts and feelings in open forums, but I do feel the need to stand up for our scareactor performers. I, for one, am grateful that so many do have access to the e-proms (sp?) in the houses, mostly so they don't blow out their vocal cords on the first night of a 6-7 week run. But these men and women most assuredly do work - hard. They continue to be creative and inventive in their interactions with the guests, especially when new rules and restrictions seem to come up every week to make it harder and harder to do the job for which they were hired. They sport fresh injuries every night just from doing what they do, not to mention having to deal with and dodge the all too numerous asshat guests that decide they want to show how "tough" they really are. And they keep coming back to do it year after year - for the love of it and not for the shrinking dollar. I respect the hell out of that.

I do get your point about HOS being more raw and HHN more slick (albeit I still haven't had the opportunity to experience HOS for myself). However, it is anticipation of interacting with these folks, and seeing how they come up with ways to scare and thrill through whatever impediments are placed before them, that helps me to put whatever disappointment I may have initially felt behind me. As Jeramy said elsewhere, it has happened and is happening; I'm now moving forward with the anticipation that I've got less than two months before I get to spend 6 weeks witnessing some hella sick interactions from some pretty flippin' awesome professionals. That, and I wanna get cornered inna barn, which sounds wikkid kewl to me.

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All the actors at HHN have to do is push a button or pull a trigger and bam they dont have to do much work. The only things scary about last year were Gothic, Dead End, and House of Horrors. And what happened to the themes and icons? Sure HHN has had heavy IP years in the past like 2007 & 2009 but the difference between them and 2012 & 2013 is that 2007 & 2009 still managed to have a theme and icon though the event had a lot of IPS they still managed to make the event unique and fresh. Now HHN Orlando just looks like they copied and pasted HHN Hollywoods event..Even the frikin website and commercials are the exact same style as Hollywoods now.

Definitely cannot argue with any of these points.

HOS is simply much better than HHN right now. Every house is so much more intense.

Edited by agalloch
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Maybe I am in the minority, but I don't go to HHN to be scared. I am a 25 year old male so people getting in my face isn't scary. I go because of the sets and the work the guys do on them. I want to walk into the Walking Dead and Resident Evil. I like being starteled while I do it, but the sets are the big draw for me. No where else in Florida can pull this off and I have no problem with the IPs. My favorite houses last year were Gothic and the old school monsters, but it had everything to do with the set pieces and the scares. I mean the frakenstein scare was awesome and the zip lines in Gotchic the same. I am looking forward to Evil Dead, but Cabin in the woods can be awesome on both fronts.

Lastly, to say the scare actors don't work is just down right stupid. These men and women spend hours in heavy costumes and make up in the heat and deal with morons constantly. To say they are lazy is ignorant. On that front I hope you enjoy HOS because I am glad the work Universal does isnt wasted any more on you,.

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Definitely cannot argue with any of these points.

HOS is simply much better than HHN right now. Every house is so much more intense.

Ah right, comparing the houses that aren't even built yet at either park!

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Maybe I am in the minority, but I don't go to HHN to be scared. I am a 25 year old male so people getting in my face isn't scary. I go because of the sets and the work the guys do on them. I want to walk into the Walking Dead and Resident Evil. I like being starteled while I do it, but the sets are the big draw for me. No where else in Florida can pull this off and I have no problem with the IPs.

This.

Long time lurker here and this is pretty much exactly how I feel. Halloween Horror Nights does not scare me, and really never has. I go to see the detail in the sets and to get the experience of walking through a horror movie. I don't think the way the event is shifting towards IP's is a bad thing, but then again I find a lot of the original ideas and houses pretty forgettable. So I guess I'm biased.

The first HHN I attended was V with the introduction of the Cryptkeeper as a kid. I was 10 at the time and got lost in that Carnival so that was pretty wild..but anyways I've attended a lot of years where it's been just originals but never really got anything out of it. I always enjoy the IP houses the most because I'm a huge horror movie fan. A lot of people raved about Gothic and Dead End last year, and I just didn't see it. I thought the sets were well constructed but far from anything I haven't seen before there and elsewhere. In Gothic I thought the "up high" effect was done way better in Dead Silence and thought the flying Gargoyle was cheesy. And I can't remember a thing about Dead End right now unless I go back and watch the maze walk throughs on youtube. I thought the Christmas Lights scene in Penn & Taylor was the coolest effect I saw at the event last year.

To the Walking Dead returning, I could have guessed it was coming back in January. Universal would have been crazy not to bring it back. Last year I went on a Thursday Night in early October in the pouring rain and people were still running to the park. Even with the weather, lines were still 2-3 hours long. I have mixed feelings about the actual TWD house though. The first time I went in, I didn't enjoy it due to the lack of walkers and atmosphere (and this was at night). The second time I went through it, there were way more walkers in the store scene and it felt a lot more immersive except for the end which I found a huge dissapointment both times until you walked outside into the horde. Leading up to that it felt like you were walking in a que line and completely took you out of the experience. Judging by videos from Hollywood, their house was better all around from the facade, the scenes chosen, and the makeup.

I hope that's not the case this year, but from what I'm hearing it kind of sounds like Hollywood is going to do it better. I will leave what I hope is in the new house in the "Houses" section but I think all the criticism will make this one a lot better at least.

But back to the event "selling out" and not giving "true fans" what they want...I disagree. I don't think "true fans" can distinguish what every person wants to get out of Halloween Horror Nights. Ever since I started going, I always imagined with it being a Universal event that there would be movie tie in's. The original stuff is cool, but there really are very few actual houses I can remember in all of my years of attending without an IP attatched. One was the Storyteller house "Where Evil Hides" because of how amazing the set design was . I think that was the one time I remember actually climbing stairs in a haunted house. I loved how they snuck Michael Myers in one of the opening hallway scenes too. The Skool was good that year, but the facade was way better then the actual house. The Body Collectors house was definitely great and did actually get me. Can't remember the others..other then the night we went, there was a tropical storm going on and we were half way in line for I think Cold Blooded Terror and it started pouring. We had already waited an hour and a half and were not getting out of line lol.

The year that a lot of people claim to have some of the best houses ever (XX) I once again can't remember a single one except for Horror Nights: The Hallow'd Past. Legendary Truth had an extremely cool facade but once again thought Nightmare On Elm St. did it way better. I loved the custom video made outside of that house and thought they nailed it all around. Dreamwalkers might be my favorite house ever at HHN right down to the entrance and how they incorporated all the different movies into it.

Anyway my point is not everyone enjoys the original stuff as much as you guys (and apparently the posters at orlandounted) do. I do miss how Universal used to make the video presentations outside of those houses though and know that a few houses still have them (Blood N Gutz) and this years Cabin In The Woods but back then it felt like every house had them in the actual studios. It doesn't really make sense, since it seems like the budget has just increased through the years. I'm sure the new TWD house will have a video showing a mash up of Season 3 like last years had a recap of Season 1 and 2.

The icon also doesn't make a difference to me. I live 20 minutes away from Howl O Scream and pretty much force myself to go if I'm going to... it's just the same houses recycled over and over again with maybe a new one thrown in. The variations on the actual houses really doesn't change much from year to year. And even the new house doesn't really have elements that haven't been done before. It was great to see those ideas when they first started but then they just stayed around for years and years. You could walk through Nightshade Toy Factory and expect the same layout as the year before. I don't care how cheap the event is (and it's really not), that's really lame. The most memorable thing I remember from the last time I atteneded Howl O Scream was some dude leaving a house, being messed up on something and trying to do a flip. He faceplanted right on the pavement in front of Gwazi. It was absolutely hillarious and I nearly fell down laughing. It was dead that night too, so it's not like there were "conga lines" in any house. Still didn't do anything for me to make me want to rush back, and I went into every one multiple times. So yes Howl O Scream has some cool icons, and a commercial that makes the event out a lot better then it actually is if you have attended it before (and I've attended many years). But that's just my opinion.

The level of detail that you see along with the IP's you can only see at Universal. Being a huge fan of EDM & a regular attendee at Ultra, I don't think that comparison is fair either. The difference between this and Ultra, is you can't see those producers/DJs playing the same set everywhere they go. And it definitely is way more expensive (as you said especially this year). This comes around once a year and only here. You can go to most festivals in the US, and get the same experience you'll get at Ultra elsewhere. That can't be said for Halloween Horror Nights.

I can't wait to experience the event this year. I fucking loved Cabin In The Woods and think there is so much potential for Walking Dead, Evil Dead, and Resident Evil too. I'm extremely excited and think all of the houses will be great if licensing will give A&D the freedom it needs.

And with that, hello and thanks for reading this rant haha (if you read it).

Edited by somebody85
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Definitely cannot argue with any of these points.

HOS is simply much better than HHN right now. Every house is so much more intense.

Sorry I strongly disagree. The first few years they were and then they started to reuse the same concept over and over again. Example: The Vampire House in the bumper cars area had the exact same layout as the year before but was just blacked out The house with the flying prisoners (Death Row?) never really changed. The best house ever there was the Doctor one (where the monorail station is) which eventually became Nightshade Toy Factory which didn't go away for years later. Even the new houses hardly feel like there are new elements incorporated. The houses are definitely longer at Howl O Scream but most feel the same. Been there, done that. I don't like paying a lot of money to only see 1 or 2 new things...which is why every year, I roll my eyes at the Howl O Scream lineup after this extremely well done commercial is put out.

Even the Lady Luck year at HHN had more inventive ideas. The set design for The Thing house that year was sick too.

Edited by somebody85
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I agree with a lot of what "somebody8"5 and "imperius" said. I used to be in the original ideas are better" camp for the longest time but now that I think about it some of my most memorable and favorite houses are IP houses.The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: Flesh Wounds and A Nightmare on Elm Street: Dreamwalkers are two examples I can think of on the top of my head.

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I agree with a lot of what "somebody8"5 and "imperius" said. I used to be in the original ideas are better" camp for the longest time but now that I think about it some of my most memorable and favorite houses are IP houses.The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: Flesh Wounds and A Nightmare on Elm Street: Dreamwalkers are two examples I can think of on the top of my head.

Dead Silence was also awesome that year with a custom video. The Thing house that year also had animatronics and people battling them throughout. I thought it was really cool. The one IP that let me down a lot was Friday The 13th though. It was just way too dark and short. It was the opposite of Dreamwalkers and just looked cheap. That line was so long too.

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Dead Silence was also awesome that year with a custom video. The Thing house that year also had animatronics and people battling them throughout. I thought it was really cool. The one IP that let me down a lot was Friday The 13th though. It was just way too dark and short. It was the opposite of Dreamwalkers and just looked cheap. That line was so long too.

I loved the Friday the 13th house. It was everything it needed to be. (It was the best house the Jaws queue has ever had)

It was awesome .

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Dead Silence was also awesome that year with a custom video. The Thing house that year also had animatronics and people battling them throughout. I thought it was really cool. The one IP that let me down a lot was Friday The 13th though. It was just way too dark and short. It was the opposite of Dreamwalkers and just looked cheap. That line was so long too.

I'm like some of you guys in that I don't really get scared and really just like going for the sets/design. So that part in "Friday the 13th" where he's all up in that barn/rafter and throws the barrel at you really caught me by surprise because I didn't expect to get scared at all. Same thing with "Freddy". There was a scene where it was pitch black and then all of sudden he's all in your face. Man that really got me spooked! And man that facade and music at the beginning was so good I was really immersed and felt like I was really part of the Freddy universe. And Leatterface. Wow... That was such a spooky and good house. Especially when you see him running through that hallway towards you.

The Thing is my favorite movie of all time so I had really high and unrealistic expectations of it so I don't think anything would have satisfied me unless I was on the real set of the original movie. lol

But back on topic and to my point. That was a heavy IP year and when I first heard about it I was really disappointed because I was in the mindset that only original houses can be good. Also those movies and characters weren't even scary IMO and a house based on them just seemed laughable. Honestly I think I was really bitter every day leading up to the event. Anyway for reasons above those 3 houses really gave me a new perspective on HHN having IP houses. Maybe I just had such low expectations that anything decent would've seem good. haha. Well regardless today I'm a changed man now and will always reserve my judgment til after I attend.

Now Video game houses I'm still not sure of yet. haha

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I'm like some of you guys in that I don't really get scared and really just like going for the sets/design. So that part in "Friday the 13th" where he's all up in that barn/rafter and throws the barrel at you really caught me by surprise because I didn't expect to get scared at all. Same thing with "Freddy". There was a scene where it was pitch black and then all of sudden he's all in your face. Man that really got me spooked! And man that facade and music at the beginning was so good I was really immersed and felt like I was really part of the Freddy universe. And Leatterface. Wow... That was such a spooky and good house. Especially when you see him running through that hallway towards you.

The Thing is my favorite movie of all time so I had really high and unrealistic expectations of it so I don't think anything would have satisfied me unless I was on the real set of the original movie. lol

But back on topic and to my point. That was a heavy IP year and when I first heard about it I was really disappointed because I was in the mindset that only original houses can be good. Also those movies and characters weren't even scary IMO and a house based on them just seemed laughable. Honestly I think I was really bitter every day leading up to the event. Anyway for reasons above those 3 houses really gave me a new perspective on HHN having IP houses. Maybe I just had such low expectations that anything decent would've seem good. haha. Well regardless today I'm a changed man now and will always reserve my judgment til after I attend.

Now Video game houses I'm still not sure of yet. haha

The thing I didn't like about the Friday The 13th house is it seemed to have a sense of overkill or maybe I just wasn't impressed after waiting for more then 2 hours in line for it that night. The cabin seemed cheaply built, and the house was short, dark and every room featured Jason. I didn't feel like I was walking through the movie rather...the best of Jason Vorhees kills collections (which still wasn't as good as Hollywood). I wanted to enjoy the scenes but it just seemed like the same thing over and over again. I can't remember it that well, but I think it concluded with more then one Jason coming at you.

Being where it was placed in the Jaws que, man all I could think of was the possibilities. Like if they had set it on the actual island of the Jaws attraction where all the houses used to be built on the water (one can dream).

But onto Nightmare On Elm St: Dreamwalkers, yeah man A&D killed it. I loved how unique that que video concept was. I remember it being like a commercial for a program or pill and also featured a newscaster. I wish someone had recorded it. I also love how it coincided with the entrance outside of the house before you walked in. It felt like you were about to get on a ride. Then came the facade which was just amazing. I just sat there and looked at how awesome it looked in real life for like 2 minutes. The usher had to rush me a long lol. They hit it so spot on down to the red tricycle out front.

Edit: Someone did record about a minute of the que video! Sleep Well thats what it was called, and the whole thing was way longer then this. Still brings back so many memories.

There was a lot of other great scenes in the actual house like the boiler room too which looked very authentic.

Texas Chainsaw was also extremely well done. The scene where Leatherface is cutting the car in half was as good as it gets.

When I saw that Hollywood was getting all 3 of the houses again the next year, I was sad when I saw our lineup. I would have liked to see them again, especially with different scenes considering how much more material those movies have.

I really hope we get a que video like they did for Elm St with Cabin In The Woods this year. I heard they were doing one, and I hope they get Hadley & Sitterson to do some scenes for it. The potential is massive for something really unique and cool.

I also wish we would have gotten Halloween. From all the videos I've seen from Hollywood they got it so right. It definitely seemed more like the original than the Rob Zombie remake. I hope one year that eventually comes to Orlando.

Edited by somebody85
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For anyone who think that an IP can not be done properly or as good as an original idea..check out Hollywoods version of "Halloween" (and ignore the blonde chick). They seriously hit it so right from the actual house, the different uses of the music (I love how the main theme comes on when you leave the Judith laundry room scene), the layout/progression and the scares. They had the rights to use the characters and reinacted a lot of scenes, which is really awesome.

If Orlando ever attempts to do this, I don't think they could have hit it this well. They recreated nearly every iconic set and scene. I really wish I could have gone. If Orlando has this freedom with all the IP's this year, I can't wait to see how they are treated.

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Dreamwalkers was one of the best houses ever. The way they utilized the films was creative and spot on. I also think it was probably one of the scariest houses I've been through in my years of attending. But the Freddy movies are good and have a lot to use (locations, scenes, etc). I thought Dead Silence was well done as well but that was more along the lines of "walk through the movie" type deals. I also thought the Thing from that year was brilliant.

Those houses were good because of how they've used them. It wasn't "walk through the movie" (excluding dead silence) it was the movie presented in a different light. Same thing with Dracula, and Frankenstein. They had their own twists. I highly doubt we'll be seeing that at all this year. Cabin in the Woods, Evil Dead, and The Walking Dead will probably be more along the lines of Friday the 13th, Chainsaw and Dead Silence. AWiL and Resident Evil could possibly be the Dreamwalkers and The Thing of this year though.. Out of all of them I think those have the most potential to be, anyways.

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I should have included that the price is also now 90 bucks. It's almost 200 bucks to go on a friday night with an express pass. I honestly can't justify going anymore. There's a point where it just isn't worth it. I'll probably be attending HOS this year. At the end of the night, I wanna feel like my money was well spent... I do agree though. Cabin in the Woods and American Werewolf are very cool houses. But beyond that, I'm not very happy with anything they've revealed this year.

There's no denying that Horror Nights has become something else. It's no longer what it used to be. Sure the idea is still there but it's not the same. I used to be OBSESSED with this event and I followed it religiously. But it's not like that anymore. Sad to say, but that's the truth. You can say reserve your judgement, but these passed years have been disappointing to me and to a lot of other people too. I'm pretty done with reserving my judgement because I know there's a good chance it's gonna be just like last year and the year before that. I'll come back when they go back to the roots of HHN, which was scaring the shit out of people and originality, not recreating movies and tv shows.

And no, I'm not asking them to cater to the fans. That's dumb. But expanding the walking dead really doesn't do a thing. I honestly doubt that it will boost their attendance that much more. Having the house already does that. Like I said, it's overkill. Not every watches the show and not everyone likes it. It also goes

against what horror nights was. They can cater to both the fans and the general public and still make a lot of money and maintain the kickto have. If you think otherwise, you're just a sucker who will say, "well, it's because they're trying to make money." They could easily do both. It's what a smart business who cares

about their customers, and their fans, would do. It's what good business would do. You can say it's silly of me to argue with it, but I'm gonna say you're silly

for not. Fans are equally as important as the general public.

Good, that means you won't be going back anytime soon. BTW, name calling won't get you nowhere.

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Anyone who regularly reads my posts knows Im one of the biggest HHN cynics in the community. I stopped attending after 2011 for a few reasons, but predominately because the event as it was stopped appealing to me. My first three years attending were the IoA years, so my mindset on what the event is and is supposed to be is very different from the Studio years. That said, I still follow the event for two reasons: the artistry of the event as a whole and the game of speculation.

Now, this post will deal strictly with my perception of the artistry of the event. Most importantly, however, this post is going to directly address the reaction to TWD and the zones. For what its worth, I feel my opinion matters because I never had plans on going this year. There is no impact on my expectations for the event, and so this is really a truly disimpassioned perception.

While I agree that a majority of the active community wants the original content A&D is recognized for, the argument that this is a lazy idea is so off-base its like a homerun at the Citrus Bowl. Designing streets for TWD requires just as much artistic ability and creativity as an original content. Its arguable that it requires more creativity, because you have to make something popular different enough to matter while still being true to the source materia

I could argue all day long that last years Legions were just as lazy a concept as all-zombies. Its not Esquilito Morte, true, but even the most creative zones from recent years only had two or three different types of characters (Grown Evil only had three types of costumes). Or, if they had multiple characters, they were pulled from an assortment of costumes and masks they already had available (Morphans, Strengoits). If youre going to hate on the lack of creativity, at least be consistent.

The biggest irony Im finding though, is that the zones we are getting are EXACTLY the types of zone people have been clamoring for for years. Everyone has screamed for the Skool to return to Central Park and Mels, and you are now getting the spiritual successor in Herschels Barn! You want big, complex set-pieces in New York, and you are now getting a tank (and likely a bunch of other vehicles) in New York. I mean, theyre turning Hollywood into Woodbury! I cant even imagine the type of set-pieces theyre going to need to build to make that work. Isnt this exactly what everyone wanted last year; unique sets? Thats what youre getting.

What is, really, the difference between a hobo in rags from Acid Assault and a zombie in distressed clothing? If it was a zone of any zombies other than TWD zombies, people would be excited (Unless you flat dont like zombies, like me. But the point remains valid). The concerns about the inability to scare is understandable, sure. But how often do you really get scared at the event, and is that legitimately why you go? The event started losing the potential to be really scary years ago, especially compared to other haunts.

We are a drop in the bucket compared to how many people go each year. If Marketing and Corporate feels its beneficial from a business perspective to say, Were doing this, awesome. Its their job to make those decisions. If you disagree, either shrug it off and attend the event or dont go. The rants here and on other HHN forums arent going to do much good considering Marketing and Corporate doesnt care unless it affects their bottom line. All the ranting does is insult the creatives who are still creating a hell of a product for the masses.

Right on the money brother. There's nothing else to say since this sums it up really nice for everyone.

Edited by dolphan77
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Dreamwalkers was one of the best houses ever. The way they utilized the films was creative and spot on. I also think it was probably one of the scariest houses I've been through in my years of attending. But the Freddy movies are good and have a lot to use (locations, scenes, etc). I thought Dead Silence was well done as well but that was more along the lines of "walk through the movie" type deals. I also thought the Thing from that year was brilliant.

Those houses were good because of how they've used them. It wasn't "walk through the movie" (excluding dead silence) it was the movie presented in a different light. Same thing with Dracula, and Frankenstein. They had their own twists. I highly doubt we'll be seeing that at all this year. Cabin in the Woods, Evil Dead, and The Walking Dead will probably be more along the lines of Friday the 13th, Chainsaw and Dead Silence. AWiL and Resident Evil could possibly be the Dreamwalkers and The Thing of this year though.. Out of all of them I think those have the most potential to be, anyways.

From Inside the Magic:

"The maze will mirror the story and events of the film, but from an entirely different viewpoint. Instead of guests following the main characters, they are joining the movies secret facility as new hires in an orientation of sorts."

http://www.insidethemagic.net/2013/06/the-cabin-in-the-woods-haunted-house-to-bring-over-the-top-gore-to-halloween-horror-nights-2013-at-universal-orlando/

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Dreamwalkers was one of the best houses ever. The way they utilized the films was creative and spot on. I also think it was probably one of the scariest houses I've been through in my years of attending. But the Freddy movies are good and have a lot to use (locations, scenes, etc). I thought Dead Silence was well done as well but that was more along the lines of "walk through the movie" type deals. I also thought the Thing from that year was brilliant.

Those houses were good because of how they've used them. It wasn't "walk through the movie" (excluding dead silence) it was the movie presented in a different light. Same thing with Dracula, and Frankenstein. They had their own twists. I highly doubt we'll be seeing that at all this year. Cabin in the Woods, Evil Dead, and The Walking Dead will probably be more along the lines of Friday the 13th, Chainsaw and Dead Silence. AWiL and Resident Evil could possibly be the Dreamwalkers and The Thing of this year though.. Out of all of them I think those have the most potential to be, anyways.

I definitely agree about Dreamwalkers & The Thing (especially since it took place in a tent) but Dead Silence was much more then walking through the movie too. Go back and watch a walk through video of the house. There was a lot there that was not featured in the movie, like the changing pictures for example. Of course iconic scenes from it showed up (the dolls heads turning), but it was far from just a set walk on...and it also had it's own custom video que with that creepy theme playing.

Totally agree with mystique, I think Cabin In The Woods by far has the potential to be this years Dreamwalkers. The options seriously are endless and I'm very stoked to see what A&D comes up with while staying true to the movie. I think there's a reason they announced this first.

Overall man, I would have faith with what A&D does with these properties this year. I don't know why you would highly doubt what they are going to do, considering they have expanded them before. And even if they don't expand them, I'm looking forward to how they bring these visions to life. On top of that, there's less construction this year and Universal should also have a higher budget. So that has to mean something right? :)

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Maybe I am in the minority, but I don't go to HHN to be scared. I am a 25 year old male so people getting in my face isn't scary. I go because of the sets and the work the guys do on them. I want to walk into the Walking Dead and Resident Evil. I like being starteled while I do it, but the sets are the big draw for me. No where else in Florida can pull this off and I have no problem with the IPs. My favorite houses last year were Gothic and the old school monsters, but it had everything to do with the set pieces and the scares. I mean the frakenstein scare was awesome and the zip lines in Gotchic the same. I am looking forward to Evil Dead, but Cabin in the woods can be awesome on both fronts.

Lastly, to say the scare actors don't work is just down right stupid. These men and women spend hours in heavy costumes and make up in the heat and deal with morons constantly. To say they are lazy is ignorant. On that front I hope you enjoy HOS because I am glad the work Universal does isnt wasted any more on you,.

Believe me, you're not in the minority, very well said. Oh and last i checked, HOS repeats all except maybe two houses, and the last time i went left a lot to be desired. Great post.

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Believe me, you're not in the minority, very well said. Oh and last i checked, HOS repeats all except maybe two houses, and the last time i went left a lot to be desired. Great post.

That's the funny thing about it really..they always have this extremely well thought out, elaborate commercial and then you see the house lineup and can't think to wonder what went wrong. And this coming from someone in the area, who's gone to it since it started.

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