HHN 25 Discussion

[Legacy]

Jesus... This forum turned into a whole bunch of me and now it's just miserable.

This is the year of over-expectations. Everyone wanted a highly original, compelling, throw-back year. But that was NEVER in the cards. This is exactly what this year was going to be: IP heavy (with returning IPs), a couple of returning originals, a Best-of, and a new original. The most disappointing aspect of this year is its predictability, but that's what HHN is now. McHorror-Nights.

Now, that's by no means a dig and A&D, Marketing, Universal, or even Comcast itself. They've discovered accessibility sells. So that's what they sell. It's safe. It's fun. But it's also profitable. And this isn't a work of passion for Universal. It's business. And though I hate to admit it, business is good.

[Pandry]

It's business. And though I hate to admit it, business is good.

Yup.  To paraphrase Inglourious Basterds:

Universal isn't in the living in the past business, they're in the whatever sells the most tickets business.  And cousin, business is a boomin'!

[PeoriaBJJ]

Yup.  To paraphrase Inglourious Basterds:

Universal isn't in the living in the past business, they're in the whatever sells the most tickets business.  And cousin, business is a boomin'!

I was going to make a meme but I dont have the energy...

[Marco-S]

Jesus... This forum turned into a whole bunch of me and now it's just miserable.

Dammit legacy, why you gotta be like that.

In all seriousness, you are right though. 

Edited August 20, 2015 by Marco-S

[Dr. Jimmy]

A lot of people have asked about the pumpkins.

I don't know exactly, but I believe many of the pumpkins from the past were auctioned off a few years ago (although these may have only been the ones featuring the five Icons that were used for HHN XX in 2010). Also I would not be surprised if a lot of the ones used since 2008 have been broken over the years by drunken guests and other accidents.

So my guess is that there may be a few pumpkins that have been used before... but also a lot of new ones to fill in the void, so to speak. Just a guess.

Oh and Jeff, it is HIGHLY inappropriate to use such a phrase as McHorror Nights!!!

Everybody knows the corporate sponsor is Burger King!!!

[JDW]

yeah those funkins don't hold up too long. Especially how long they sit in the elements at HHN... and people are constantly smashing them in.

I found 3 Halloweens (one or two days a year out and mostly in storage) and they get really cruddy)

[Ras13]

I'm just praying that something happens and they change AWIL...not excited about that house one bit, and especially since we just had it two years ago. That is way too soon for a replay of any house. Plus that movie and house are both very linear in their designs, I mean there's really not much they could add/change to make that house seem different than the first time around >.<.

[StyrofoamCup]

I know the speculation map says Insidious is going in the tent over by Kidzone, but are we sure it's not in the tent by MIB? Because the facade for the tent by Kidzone does not look like a house whatsoever where the facade for the other looks like it could very well be the house from the first two Insidious films. 

[Arm3g3ddon]

I love these silly, childish decorations. Heck my wife and I are going to Universal for the week then going to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party for a childish romp through Halloween on Halloween night. I'll proudly admit that, despite being a horror fanatic, movies like HalloweenTown, Hocus Pocus, etc are some of my holiday favorites. Even though horror has always and will always be the most dominating feature of Halloween, the camp and the childish will always hold a special place in my Halloween. This holiday is not only about being able to make-believe the scary, it's also about soaking in the colors, the smells, and the feel of that perfect childhood time, pure nostalgia.

Edited August 20, 2015 by Arm3g3ddon

[ThNdIzNiR]

No offense to the specific people I'm referencing, but this is what I'm really hating about coming on here. People clamor for more information, for website updates, pictures, construction...practically begging and pleading and obsessing over it.

Then something happens and instead of there being some sort of payoff, it's just complaints about what we get not being good enough. People should be excited to see the event take form, but a couple days into actual street construction and it's all...oh great those pumpkins I wanted are back...but are they the same exact pumpkins? Oh good a classic Halloween themed area when we've been complaining the Halloween theming and atmosphere has been missing, but that gazebo...not up to snuff! 

Since when is asking if something is the same complaining?

In regards to the pumpkins I even said... "Either way, I'm glad to see them up there."

I'm glad to see all the Halloween stuff going up all over. However, the gazebo looks weird in the picture (not realistic). It's not my fault it looks that way. Hopefully with proper lighting and who knows what else they have planned for it maybe it will look better come next month.

 

 

Edited August 20, 2015 by ThNdIzNiR

[Mark M.]

There is an ignore function you can access under Settings if you choose to use it.

You can simply mouse over the username in a post and choose ignore user.

[Dead Inside]

I know the speculation map says Insidious is going in the tent over by Kidzone, but are we sure it's not in the tent by MIB? Because the facade for the tent by Kidzone does not look like a house whatsoever where the facade for the other looks like it could very well be the house from the first two Insidious films. 

I thought it was in the MIB tent?

[Mrevio]

Also I would not be surprised if a lot of the ones used since 2008 have been broken over the years by drunken guests and other accidents.

Speaking of...

Already got some damaged ones in NY

[darkdelusions]

The most disappointing aspect of this year is its predictability, but that's what HHN is now. McHorror-Nights.

 

I will just leave this here  

 

Please excuse my poor photoshop skills 

[ampt808]

I rarely post and just simply read. However, I do have a suggestion... a new thread should be created and reserved for members who do not wish to attend HHN (which a few members have stated) and choose to continue ranting over how things are going down the "commercialized" tubes.

I for one enjoy HHN and what it brings each year and am willing to pay the ticket prices offered. I must say that I started late in terms of beginning my attendance at HHN (2008 to present) and regret not going to earlier years. My wife and I are happy making this our yearly getaway and give many thanks to UO for putting this on. /endrant

[darkdelusions]

I rarely post and just simply read. However, I do have a suggestion... a new thread should be created and reserved for members who do not wish to attend HHN (which a few members have stated) and choose to continue ranting over how things are going down the "commercialized" tubes.

I for one enjoy HHN and what it brings each year and am willing to pay the ticket prices offered. I must say that I started late in terms of beginning my attendance at HHN (2008 to present) and regret not going to earlier years. My wife and I are happy making this our yearly getaway and give many thanks to UO for putting this on. /endrant

I wont lie I miss the golden years but I still take my vacation in October and fly home from Texas to attend the event every year and I still manage to enjoy myself even if it is an expensive night(s) drinking with close friends

Like I said a couple of pages back "The event is what you make it." Sure you might not like the IP's from one year to another but you can still go an enjoy yourself. Hell my favorite thing from last year was standing in the purge scare zone and watching the scare actors blend in with the crowd and watching them scare the hell out of someone. 

The event to me is the Atmosphere that Park has when the show lights are on and the fog is running. The event has never been scary to me but I enjoy watching other people get the crap scared of them. 

Am I disappointed this year is not a retro year like Sweet 16 sure but I am still going to go and make the most out of it

Edited August 21, 2015 by darkdelusions

[ampt808]

^^agreed.

The atmosphere is what gets my goat. The sound, the lights, and scareactors roaming the streets; it's all good.

[Heart of Stone]

I don't attend the events, per say (being a seventeen-year-old in Ohio whose family only goes to Disney World will do that to you). But heck, I enjoy what I can get out of stuff online (and what I have been getting out of it since 2009). I like seeing the construction pics, the speculation, the lore, what IPs/originals might be brought to the table, the behind the scenes stuff...even reviews, videos, descriptions of the houses/scare zones, etc. It's the atmosphere of the very event, even through a computer screen, that gets me going all the time.

That being said, I totally love all the hokey, nostalgic decorations put up. Brings me back to being a really little kid, haha.

[Pandry]

Speaking of...

Already got some damaged ones in NY

I wonder if that's intentional?  Given the Shady inmates wreaking havoc in the area?  Or maybe a true throwback to the days of the time honored tradition of pumpkin smashing.  Or maybe the damn thing really did just fall apart.  I grew up in New England and the fall season didn't officially start until you saw the first smashed pumpkin.  Did anyone else partake in this tradition during those days of youth when your frontal lobes were still developing?

 The event to me is the Atmosphere that Park has when the show lights are on and the fog is running. The event has never been scary to me but I enjoy watching other people get the crap scared of them. 

I share the sentiment.  I'm looking forward to the fall festival atmosphere.  Has anyone heard anything recent regarding a possible go or definitive no-go for Sting Alley usage?  Even if it's not a true zone?  With how well that area could hold the fog, I've always enjoyed walking though it many times a night.  But it has always puzzled me why it hasn't been used anymore since 2011.

[Badge]

My big thing is why do people feel the need to complain about the lineup or the way a zone looks? 

Be happy your getting another year of HHN in the first place! Would you rather they not put on the biggest event in the history of HHN simply because a zone looks to "cartoon" like or because a few of the houses you don't like? They can't please every single person. If A &D contacted you and said "What 9 houses and 5 scarezones do YOU want"  and they designed the event the way you wanted, not everybody is going to be happy with all the choices you made. No amount of complaining can change that. The only thing you can do, is not attend the event. Vote with your wallet. However, the event is so big now that one person missing is not going to matter. So, go and have fun and don't be negative about it rather than complain.

Personally, the house lineup is what I expected this year. IP's are something that will never go away now. I am just happy we are getting some of the older original concepts back and I am also happy that none of the scarezones this year are IP based! Last year was my first year attending but I have followed the event for years! I am so excited I finally get to see Jack, The Storyteller, The Usher and all the other Icon's for the first time and to check out all the houses. AWIL looked amazing and was VERY well received so being able to see it for the first time is a huge plus to me.

Another thing to remember, is the more popular this event gets, the more money they can throw at it. Last year was insanely busy but it brought in a lot of money. That's why we are getting an extra house, DOUBLE the amount of scareactors in the streets, longer hours and even more days! 

EDIT: Just to be clear, "You" doesn't imply a single person, just a generalization of a bunch of people that have been complaining. Not calling any single person out. 

Edited August 21, 2015 by Badge

[Pandry]

My big thing is why do people feel the need to complain about the lineup or the way a zone looks? 

Be happy your getting another year of HHN in the first place! Would you rather they not put on the biggest event in the history of HHN simply because a zone looks to "cartoon" like or because a few of the houses you don't like? They can't please every single person. If A &D contacted you and said "What 9 houses and 5 scarezones do YOU want"  and they designed the event the way you wanted, not everybody is going to be happy with all the choices you made. No amount of complaining can change that. The only thing you can do, is not attend the event. Vote with your wallet. However, the event is so big now that one person missing is not going to matter. So, go and have fun and don't be negative about it rather than complain.

Personally, the house lineup is what I expected this year. IP's are something that will never go away now. I am just happy we are getting some of the older original concepts back and I am also happy that none of the scarezones this year are IP based! Last year was my first year attending but I have followed the event for years! I am so excited I finally get to see Jack, The Storyteller, The Usher and all the other Icon's for the first time and to check out all the houses. AWIL looked amazing and was VERY well received so being able to see it for the first time is a huge plus to me.

Another thing to remember, is the more popular this event gets, the more money they can throw at it. Last year was insanely busy but it brought in a lot of money. That's why we are getting an extra house, DOUBLE the amount of scareactors in the streets, longer hours and even more days! 

EDIT: Just to be clear, "You" doesn't imply a single person, just a generalization of a bunch of people that have been complaining. Not calling any single person out. 

I get where you're coming from, but you would be doing yourself and everyone else a disservice by simply being happy they put on the event.  All of us that attend pay a loooot of money to do so. Therefore I'll never just settle for being happy they threw sometime together.  And sure, more actors, one extra house, but still not as many zones as there used to be.  And...they increased ticket prices to offset that. With the amount of money this event makes, we should have 12+ houses and many more scare zones and shows.  Those of us that have been attending for 10+ years have seen them do A LOT more with less budget.  What's actually going to happen is they'll hit their peak in the next few years and then people will say enough is enough (already happening).  The cost/benefit ratio is getting out of hand for many.  Attendance will start to plunge like any cyclical trend.  Then they'll start doing up charge houses which will open another revenue stream.  Once those open, they don't typically close.

TL:DR - I've said it a lot this week; I'll bitch about parts of the event, I know what the current M.O. Is, but I'll have fun regardless.

[darkdelusions]

I get where you're coming from, but you would be doing yourself and everyone else a disservice by simply being happy they put on the event.  All of us that attend pay a loooot of money to do so. Therefore I'll never just settle for being happy they threw sometime together.  And sure, more actors, one extra house, but still not as many zones as there used to be.  And...they increased ticket prices to offset that. With the amount of money this event makes, we should have 12+ houses and many more scare zones and shows.  Those of us that have been attending for 10+ years have seen them do A LOT more with less budget.  What's actually going to happen is they'll hit their peak in the next few years and then people will say enough is enough (already happening).  The cost/benefit ratio is getting out of hand for many.  Attendance will start to plunge like any cyclical trend.  Then they'll start doing up charge houses which will open another revenue stream.  Once those open, they don't typically close.

TL:DR - I've said it a lot this week; I'll bitch about parts of the event, I know what the current M.O. Is, but I'll have fun regardless.

I disagree with the attendance plunging because as 1 generation of fans gives up on the event for what ever reason a new generation will take its place.

 

[mystiquephreeq]

I love the tacky Halloween decorations. It is very fall festival/neighborhood decor. And that's what it's suppose to be. 

I remember in 2008 how much we fawned over those tacky childish decorations. 

As for the gazebo, hard to say what it will look like with lighting and effects. 

I do have a question/theory about it:

Is the coloring/paint good for projections? It's just something that stood out to me, and I feel that may be the reason for the coloring. 

 

[Chef]

I was thinking it might be a fire effect, like the gazebo is burning down...

[Mrevio]

Something on the site that's been bothering me: when I go to horrornightnightmares.com it plays the first part of the pop goes the weasel, but when I hit the FORUM button it takes me to horrornightnightmares.com/forums and it plays the same soundbyte. can anyone with the power look into replacing the forum sound with the second part of pop goes the weasel?