JW's Possible Last Review of HHN26

[JDW]

OK OK I know the title is sensational and you either clicked this saying "Oh lord, what now?!?" or "Oh no what happened?!?". I'm sorry to say the answers to these questions will probably disappoint you. There is no juicy controversy to speak of, no horrible crowds to complain about, and no quality issues to nitpick. It is simply me. I'll explain. But first, Let me run down the houses in quick succession. Thar be mild spoilers ahead.

 

We arrive and I am barely molested by security. In fact the umbrella was no issue and they only mildly ask about my clothes. Apparently people can come in any manner of splatter punk attire to the event but, if you dress in a suit and a long coat, Something's about to go down. I jest of course but they did ask me. I told them it was rain attire (which it technically is now) and I was on my merry way. It did not rain a drop the entire evening. It was a bit hot and muggy but otherwise a perfect night weather wise.

 

I walk through the front gates for the first time I can remember in my limited memory (Always been an AP party person) and there was barely a pause.

We walked past AHS (already 110 min). This doesn't phase me thanks to my new "JW's zen approach to haunts" (book forthcoming) and decided Krampus is the one I have to see. I immediately noticed the loud banging techno music overlaid with Bart Simpson's voice. I think that really sets the... wait what? Oh Chance's voice!... gothca . I swear I was waiting for her to say something like "Don't have a cow man". Finding the entrance was a challenge, as I went into the event fairly blind, I couldn't remember all the houses, scare zones, or their locations. Walked all the way around the building till we got to the front and it was 55 min. It took an actual 27 min.

 

Krampus

9 out of 10

Krampus was a technical marvel. The snow falling on your head in between houses, the blasts of cold air, the authenticity and attention to details. It all worked. OK, the snow man was kind of lame and I was a little disappointed in the attic scene (no perchata I could see and der Klown was not how I would have thought he'd be executed) but that's a nit pick. Good scares, quality house true to the movie. Overall very pleased with this house.

 

From here, we wander through a fairly empty Chance scare zone (whatever it's called). Well, when I say "empty" here and henceforth I mean of scare actors. There is no time when the crowds let up. The sets are cool and the chandelier thing is pretty awesome. The scare actors are giving there all. I see some very questionable quality costumes (assuming they are supposed to be make shift looking?). This is the second time we have gone through but, the first time, I wasn't paying attention. I will reserve any judgement until night fall.

 

We decided to do all the originals and then whatever we have time for after that. So at this point we head over to the cluster that is the queue system at the concert venue and find Ghost Town.

 

Ghost Town

10 out of 10

55 min wait posted. We, again, wait 27 min. The house is everything I expected it to be and more. There are actual rain effects and, at one point, I looked up to see if we are still inside. The sets are really amazing. Whoever said their wouldn't be guns was a dirty liar... oh yeah that was me. Hey, not everything I hear is accurate. They level weapons right at you and let loose. The wind coming from them took me aback the first time. The final shootout may have been a little sparse in actual gunmen but the sound was everywhere... along with the flipping cannon. Really well done. Scares were there. Sets were there. I really enjoyed it.

 

We left and checked out the new store just outside the exit. Really nice. Great set pieces, great merchandise. Really happy with it. Bought a few chotchkies and we were on our merry way.

This lands you in Acid Assault 2.0

 

Acid Assault 2.0

8 of 10

I know that's not what it's called. But I'm rolling with it because I can't remember the name and I don't feel like looking it up. Plus, it might as well be. This is a larger version of Acid Assault complete with mapped projections, abandoned cars, and a dude on a high podium spewing some diatribe about... whatever the scare zone was about. Oh I can't forget the turf wars going on. What can I say? I like Acid Assault. This was a bigger version of it and the costumes were awesome. In fact this was better than acid assault. I just I feel I would have liked them to explore different scenarios in the area.

 

Anyway, we head down the (pretty much void) back streets towards San Francisco and  towards Dead Man's Warf:

Dead Man's Warf

8 of 10

I like the idea of this zone... a great deal. I think it fails my way too high expectations. It's just too small for me. I wanted this to be the big scare zone with more set pieces and more going on. But it is thematically great. I didn't get a good look at the costumes but their profiles were uber creepy. Just wish it was bigger and more going on.

 

We head over to Chance's house:

Chance's House

7 of 10

Posted 45 min wait time.

Real wait time: BAHAHAHAHA! not even close.

I have doth deemed this queue "You have no chance... of escaping this queue". It winds and weaves like a drunk snake across ever square inch in front of the facade. You get a good look at it. A really good look. You watch that queue video cycle at least 10 times.

"I said everyone get back!" the cop on the screen says to absolutely no one.

But still the video is pretty interesting. I had no idea Amanda was so important. In fact, I had know idea who Amanda was so I looked it up. So Chance only killed one person? Like ever at HHN? I'm slightly disappointed.

Regardless, after 5400 seconds that just FLEW by, I entered the house. I had already decided... several years ago, I would never wear those glasses again. I like to see what I paid for thank you very much. It was... cool? I guess? I mean it was well done and it had some cool effects. I saw what they were going for but I wanted something more. I would have loved for it to flit back and forth between dream and imaginary but it doesn't. It's no mystery I don't like 3D but, from what I saw, the 3D was well executed. I may have had a better opinion of this house if my daughter hadn't graduated college while I was in line... *shurgs*

 

We moved immediately over to Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Oh wait! Before we do, we buy the refillable cup and that sweet sweet coke zero quenches my very parched throat. The machine says unlimited refills for 3 hours. This is a dirty, bold faced, lie. Because I drink it down and go for another and it promptly tells me next refill in 20 min. So there is, actually, a very real limit to how many I can have. Talk about deceptive advertising.

 

Anyway, we head to TCM.

 

Texas Chainsaw Massacre

10 of 10

60 min posted wait time. We wait just about that.

This house is a flawless recreation of the movie. The facade, the rooms, the sets. It is perfection. I am miffed I missed the metal door scare but it is fantastic and goes on for quite some time after the house ends. Really just bravo.

 

Fill up the cup and pass a redneck chainsaw, a scarecrow chainsaw, and two cheerleader chainsaws... and we move on to "Crap hanging in my face: The House!"

 

Tomb of the ancients

10 of 10

Yes, if you like crap in your face then this house is your house! We got burlap, fabrics of all kinds, sisal rope, root thingies, and thin black tread to your hearts content! It got so bad my glasses got entangled in all this crap and I was kind of trapped for a second.

That being said, this house is bar none the jewel of the event. The mythology makes no sense, the crap hanging from the ceiling was so severe I couldn't see anything and I still loved it. Clever set, amazing effects, and the croc monster... dang that got me good.

 

Filled the cup...

 

On to awkward Celtic music over strange concept zone

 

Banshee something or other

5 of 10

What? No really what? I don't know what was going on and the music made me feel like I was in one of those new age herbal shops. Um OK. Some of the costumes looked cool I guess.

 

Which moves us right into...

 

The Vamp zone.

7 of 10

This is not my thing. But the floats are kind of cool/funny. I don't care for vampires so... there you go. I would like to have seen more set pieces but there were a lot of scare actors.

 

We are tired at this point. My old bones ache. But we decide to hit one more house, either Exorcist or AHS. Seeing that AHS is at 75 min and Exorcist is 60, we pick Exorcist. We have to pass through Chance's area... um that didn't come out right. Chance's zone? Yeah that works.

 

Chance's  ̶a̶r̶e̶a̶  Zone

9 of 10

This is pretty cool at night. The chandelier thing and the fog is really great.  There is a lot of fog. The stages are great, I wish they moved like marionettes but it's fine.

Chance is on one of the stages being... well Chance. I know it's not Erin but the girl doing it is doing a really good job. Same casts is there as before and they are just as good the second go round.

 

Back to the queue of doom for the Exorcist.

Exorcist

9 of 10

Well done again. Great likeness to the movie. Great facade. Interesting way they depict the scenes. We see a slightly edited Pazuzu statue in the desert (great effect). The room, and then Hell. Just a great job and nice way to visualize the Exorcist.

 

And that is it. We drag our tired carcasses to the car.

 

So with all that, what's this rubbish about this being my last review? Well, it's complicated. I figure if you read all this then you want to know. So here's the big answer:

 

Honestly, I don't really know. I have been going to this event for over a quarter of a century. I have so many memories in my life that tie to this event. Parts of my life are Frankensteined into unnatural ties to HHN. I've spent untold countless hours on forums like this and the vault. But there is a... ineffable quality that was lost a few years back. Maybe it's the prices, maybe it's the crowds, maybe it's how it's a corporate money making machine, or maybe it's simply that I've been going too long. I don't know. It is really hard to put my finger on but it's missing none the less.

 

Now, my "professional" review for my site will be completely different. It will be a highly praising piece applauding Halloween horror Nights for the technical wonder that it is (and rightly so). There truly is nothing as big and all encompassing in the way of Halloween events. The creative team, despite challenges with balancing creative with corporate, have done an amazing job in bringing to life a solid and on point event. But it just isn't my event anymore. Will I go again? Well, I have to go one more time this year. I paid for those ridiculous tickets so I better, at least, get my money's worth. As for subsequent years? IDK. I'm not worried and I'm not angry. We can have a clean breakup and still be friends can't we? I guess it remains to be seen. Perhaps I'll pine for it like a junkie or an obsessed lover but I'm not thinking so.

 

The event has changed, definitely towards their benefit. I am truly proud of them. I wish them well and maybe we'll talk again. But this bird has changed as well and I must be traveling on now. So that is the best I can muster for an explanation. It may sound irrational or it may sound stupid but it's how I feel. I'll still be around here because there are people I like to talk to and friends on the forum. Plus I have to shamelessly plug my show right? But I don't think I'll be attending in subsequent years. At least not anytime soon. Time to really cut the cord and branch out.

 

Edit: Forgive the initial errors. My process is to hammer maniacally on the keyboard and post it. Then I go back through 400 times and edit the mistakes. If they are still there then FOR SHAME!

[OrangeRyan]

I think you're just a little HHN burnt out. We all get burnt out of something we've been doing for a long time!! You need a break and I totally get that!!! Just as long as you hang out because your input is important!

 

Also taking a break is important as well!

Edited September 17, 2016 by OrangeRyan

[criticalanalysis]

I had my girlfriend read your review to understand what you wrote. She summarized, "Besides operational stuff he liked the quality a lot, gave very good reviews, but feel it's an old coin and he wants to see what else is out there," but added you'll be back seemingly lol. 

 

Will read yours in detail after my trip.

[JDW]

I can't say with certainty one way or the other honestly.

 

I've been burnt out before. This is different. Perspective shift I guess. The reason I think it's final is I just don't feel one way or the other. I'm not mad or upset. I think I've been riding on nostalgia for some time now. Like I said, It's a great event. It's just not my event anymore.

 

If it's thrown at me free... sure. If my daughter in 10 years just has to go... OK. If a wormhole opens up and I, myself, pop out and say it is imperative I keep going lest time itself unravel... fine I guess but do you have to be so overbearing? 

 

Only time will tell. Even for all it's frustration the community BUILT around HHN is like family. A very strange screwed up family that likes to each one another but Ohana means family. Family means nobody gets left b... Yeah whatever I just like this screwed up community and the speculation season.

 

But only time will tell what the future holds.

[clash]

the stuff  hanging on  Tomb of the ancients  poked me in the face constantly.... not good. 

 

About the event changing. I think last year and this year it just feels like a big dance party now, like the park was taken over by a night club instead of a horror event. to me It does kind of feel like if HHN was mixed with Mardi Gras or something. I think the music plays a bigger part of it than most people think. When you would go into HHN and you would hear some horror soundtrack playing on the speakers, it would put you in a specific mood. even before entering you would be in a "horror" mood for lack of a better word and then you would see the zones and then go into the house. it was a whole experience that started at the gate. Now it just feels like Uni was taken over by a nightclub that just happens to have some zones around. I really hope is not a trend. 
I think they used to lit the park differently because i remember pathways in the past being red or orange, I dont think they did that now except for the scarezones. i think little things like the lighting and the music add up to make it feel like its missing that "horror" element. the houses are great and the zones are great but the rest of everything barely feels like hhn was taking place.  ( for example, just look at how minimalistic the gate is, they barely just hanged the house signs at the entrance. It's the little details that add up) I feel a little bit of concern that this is the new way they will handle the atmosphere of hhn. just a big party. 

Edited September 18, 2016 by clash

[Pandry]

On ‎9‎/‎17‎/‎2016 at 2:33 PM, JDW said:

 

Yes, if you like crap in your face then this house is your house! We got burlap, fabrics of all kinds, sisal rope, root thingies, and thin black tread to your hearts content! It got so bad my glasses got entangled in all this crap and I was kind of trapped for a second.

 

Honestly, I don't really know. I have been going to this event for over a quarter of a century. I have so many memories in my life that tie to this event. Parts of my life are Frankensteined into unnatural ties to HHN. I've spent untold countless hours on forums like this and the vault. But there is a... ineffable quality that was lost a few years back. Maybe it's the prices, maybe it's the crowds, maybe it's how it's a corporate money making machine, or maybe it's simply that I've been going too long. I don't know. It is really hard to put my finger on but it's missing none the less.

 

LOL on the first part.  We went Fri and Sat and one of our friends on Sat says "I'll skip that house with all the stuff hanging in my face."

The second part of your je ne sais quoi - I've felt that going into this year.  Can't really explain it.  Had fun last year but left with a blah feeling.  I didn't even visit this board once after last year until the end of this past July.  Had no interest in what the houses would be in advance.

 

On ‎9‎/‎18‎/‎2016 at 2:58 AM, clash said:

About the event changing. I think last year and this year it just feels like a big dance party now, like the park was taken over by a night club instead of a horror event. to me It does kind of feel like if HHN was mixed with Mardi Gras or something. I think the music plays a bigger part of it than most people think. When you would go into HHN and you would hear some horror soundtrack playing on the speakers, it would put you in a specific mood. even before entering you would be in a "horror" mood for lack of a better word and then you would see the zones and then go into the house. it was a whole experience that started at the gate. Now it just feels like Uni was taken over by a nightclub that just happens to have some zones around. I really hope is not a trend. 
I think they used to lit the park differently because i remember pathways in the past being red or orange, I dont think they did that now except for the scarezones. i think little things like the lighting and the music add up to make it feel like its missing that "horror" element. the houses are great and the zones are great but the rest of everything barely feels like hhn was taking place.  ( for example, just look at how minimalistic the gate is, they barely just hanged the house signs at the entrance. It's the little details that add up) I feel a little bit of concern that this is the new way they will handle the atmosphere of hhn. just a big party. 

 

Couldn't have said any of this better myself.  When I first enter HHN, literally enter, and have Nine Inch Nails and Marilyn Manson blaring with Chance's voice mixed in (which I, too, thought was Bart Simpson at first), the mood is altered.  Maybe it's the new generation of attendees that like it.  It must be popular enough where they keep doing it.  But now I can't even find a scare zone that gives just some semblance of a classic scare zone.  This is what's killing me.  I've read Aiello say may times how the original Fright Nights and HHN's were like a big party.  I don't know if they just decided to go back to that?  But there's plenty of room to accommodate everyone.  There wasn't anywhere in the whole street experience that I'd consider "eerie."  Some of the zones looked very good.  But a little dark ambient music with scary sound effects and lighting makes all the difference.

[clash]

the park doesn't feel eerie anymore (Perfect way to put it)

 I understand kids now like dubstep and pop music but they are already coming because of Walking Dead and now AHS... we had to endure 5+ years of walking dead "For the kids" and the regular people coming, I dont understand why they dont just use soundtracks from films that came out this year or recent years. If they used the music from movies like sinister,Annabelle,  thats something the teens will recognize. I dont know. Why not use the music from the movies that teens are watching now? Why not use music used in American Horror story around the park (Like the intro music) why not appeal to the youngsters using soundtracks like that lol. i hope it is not a trend that stays 

Edited September 20, 2016 by clash

[JDW]

For what it's worth, here is my site review.

I truly mean both. Even if they sound like opposing opinions to some.

I don't understand the hate I've gotten from this review (not here but elsewhere). I'm just being honest with how I feel.

It's the only thing I really know how to do.

[ForeverEvil1]

20 minutes ago, JDW said:

For what it's worth, here is my site review.

I truly mean both. Even if they sound like opposing opinions to some.

I don't understand the hate I've gotten from this review (not here but elsewhere). I'm just being honest with how I feel.

It's the only thing I really know how to do.

 

People are hating? Shit, I'd say you were way more positive than some people I've seen on Twitter. And you didn't really even say the event was bad or anything when you mentioned why this may be your last review. 

[JDW]

38 minutes ago, ForeverEvil1 said:

 

People are hating? Shit, I'd say you were way more positive than some people I've seen on Twitter. And you didn't really even say the event was bad or anything when you mentioned why this may be your last review. 

 

Yeah I dunno. *Shrugs*

I mean sure I had a really bad time last year. I could understand last year's review even though I tried to make it sound as positive as I could.

But you are right, not even remotely the worst review. I've had a few people tell me my scores are too high this year. But I really thought they were all top-notch houses.

 

Ah well whatcha gonna do?

[clash]

wait is the hate from ranking stuff too high? 

 

Edited September 22, 2016 by clash

[JDW]

12 hours ago, clash said:

wait is the hate from ranking stuff too high? 

 

 

No but I'm saying some people, who have given worse reviews, have complained I was too lenient. the rest is from die-hards who hate that I would dare to besmirch the name of HHN

[AbeLinkedIn]

On 9/18/2016 at 2:58 AM, clash said:

the stuff  hanging on  Tomb of the ancients  poked me in the face constantly.... not good. 

 

About the event changing. I think last year and this year it just feels like a big dance party now, like the park was taken over by a night club instead of a horror event. to me It does kind of feel like if HHN was mixed with Mardi Gras or something. I think the music plays a bigger part of it than most people think. When you would go into HHN and you would hear some horror soundtrack playing on the speakers, it would put you in a specific mood. even before entering you would be in a "horror" mood for lack of a better word and then you would see the zones and then go into the house. it was a whole experience that started at the gate. Now it just feels like Uni was taken over by a nightclub that just happens to have some zones around. I really hope is not a trend. 
I think they used to lit the park differently because i remember pathways in the past being red or orange, I dont think they did that now except for the scarezones. i think little things like the lighting and the music add up to make it feel like its missing that "horror" element. the houses are great and the zones are great but the rest of everything barely feels like hhn was taking place.  ( for example, just look at how minimalistic the gate is, they barely just hanged the house signs at the entrance. It's the little details that add up) I feel a little bit of concern that this is the new way they will handle the atmosphere of hhn. just a big party. 

The bold part I completely agree with, the music plays a big part in immersing you in whatever scene they have set up for you. Krampus had a lot of the music from the film in it, Vamp '55 had some doowap and appropriately 50s rock, TCM had none (But the original film had no real soundtrack so it works) but I think in the areas that aren't scare zones instead of blaring techno or whatever, have some music that is thematically tied to the event, maybe choose a leitmotif for Chance since other Icons have their own (You Oughta be in Pictures for The Director, Let's All Go to the Lobby for The Usher, Luck be a Lady Tonight for Lady Luck, etc.)  but I digress.

 

Great review OP. I understand being burnt out over something over a period, happens to all of us from time to time, but taking a break always helps you refresh. For instance I barely think about HHN until around July when more news starts coming out of the woodwork so I'm in full force by the time the event rolls around. If nothing really interests you next year, maybe sit one out and you'll be ready to come back in full swing by the next one. 

[clash]

i heard some Nox Arcana playing in the park today, around the front store. i wonder was that song always planned or was it added ? i wonder how the music  works at hhn, can they add stuff after it has opened? I dont recall nox arcana in the park opening weekend at all (I dont think Ive ever heard nox arcana in the park in the past, only midnight syndicate) that was a nice change

Ever since you guys mentioned hearing Bart Simpson, that's all i can think of lol..... 

[matthhn]

I agree with the OP and some others. The event has lost its appeal for me. I noticed this a few years ago and stopped going but decided to take a trip with my girlfriend on Sunday night. Mostly because of the Krampus house (I loved the movie).

 

To clash, who said it feels more like a "night club/dance party" - I think that's 100% accurate. The core atmosphere no longer feels like a horror event to me. It's hard to describe but it just feels like something was lost over the years.

 

Some perspective: I've been going since 1997 way back when I was a kid. Back then the event wasn't well known and they limited crowds to a small amount of people. Ever since then I went every single year up until 2013. 

 

Back in the early years the event seemed special. I can't put my finger on it. It's as if the quality was on another level. It was also far more intense. You would actually get a feeling of impending doom walking into the park with Midnight Syndicate playing in the background. The entire park would be lit up in different lighting. The environment felt very creepy. The sound effects they would play while walking through the park would send a chill up your spine. Crowds were sparse so you could really take in the atmosphere and get a lot of interaction from the scare actors walking around.  At times you felt really alone. It was very eerie. 

 

The lines would be no longer than 45 minutes at the most (peak times). They would only let small groups through the houses at a time (no slow moving conga line effect). Often you had to navigate the houses on your own since no one was in front of you. I remember getting freaked out before some intense houses, hoping they wouldn't cut the line off in front of me as I didn't want to go through on my own, lol.

 

Back to Sunday night....

 

We get there early and the crowds are out of control. I'm not exaggerating. I expected it to be pretty crowded since it was a Sunday night but not like this. I'd describe my entire night more as a cattle simulator. I actually felt like livestock being herded around. 

 

Walking in I hear pop & hip hop music blaring with Chance talking in the background. As we walk toward the back of the park I notice there's a lot of people taking selfies with the scare actors on the streets.

 

At one point through the Dead Mans Wharf scare zone it became a bottle neck and the crowd was at a stand still. Think of one giant mass of people not moving (I have no idea what was going on). People squished up against each other. I heard a few girls panicking because they were claustrophobic. We got stuck like this and couldn't move for 20 minutes. We couldn't even go back since the crowd piled up behind us, trapping us in the middle. People were starting to shove through other people and yelling was ensuing. This felt like a HUGE safety hazard. 

 

We got about half of the houses in. I had no complaints about the houses, they were really well done and the actors did a great job. I especially liked Krampus. 

 

Bill & Ted's was a huge disappointment. No surprise there. I checked the review thread for it and everyone seems to agree. It was horrid. People were even leaving early. Apparently in 2012 they got a new writer. It's become even worse since then. A complete incoherent mess. There is no longer any discernible plot. I think I only chuckled once or twice during the whole show.

 

After that we left.

 

I don't see myself coming back anytime soon. The feel is different, the crowds are different (I'm in my early 30s along with my girlfriend and we felt old there. I couldn't believe how young the crowd was. At one point I commented to my girlfriend that this feels like a "Grad Night" type event), the music is different. Maybe the event just isn't targeted for people like me. 

 

What would I like to see different? I would like to see them going back to limiting crowds to a smaller amount of people. I'd love them to partition the crowds going through the houses. I'd love for Bill & Ted's to go back to its roots. I'd love them to bring back the creepy atmosphere instead of the dance party vibe. 

 

However, it seems like corporate sees it as a money making machine and are milking it for all it's worth. Those changes would hit their bottom line.

 

As I mentioned, something happened in 2012 that really changed the event. Maybe new management? Trying to pinpoint it (using HHNCrypt) matches to around 2012 when they started to push the IP stuff.

 

I felt bad for my girlfriend because it was her first time going. She didn't enjoy it. I wish I could take her back to experience the past days of HHN.

 

Guess it's just different times for different people. Maybe I'm just getting old (and cranky) haha. Based off last night it felt like they are primarily targeting younger Millennials. And the crowd reflected that. Like the OP said, not bad, not good, I appreciate all the work that went into the event and the job done by the scare actors...but it just isn't for me anymore...time to branch out and try new things.

Edited October 3, 2016 by matthhn

[criticalanalysis]

Very good review and good discussion throughout. I'll be posting an extensive review of the event this year.

 

But this isn't Halloween Horror Nights anymore. I might not go next year, and two others I was with are definitely not going again.

[Tich0las]

4 hours ago, matthhn said:

I agree with the OP and some others. The event has lost its appeal for me. I noticed this a few years ago and stopped going but decided to take a trip with my girlfriend on Sunday night. Mostly because of the Krampus house (I loved the movie).

 

To clash, who said it feels more like a "night club/dance party" - I think that's 100% accurate. The core atmosphere no longer feels like a horror event to me. It's hard to describe but it just feels like something was lost over the years.

 

Some perspective: I've been going since 1997 way back when I was a kid. Back then the event wasn't well known and they limited crowds to a small amount of people. Ever since then I went every single year up until 2013. 

 

Back in the early years the event seemed special. I can't put my finger on it. It's as if the quality was on another level. It was also far more intense. You would actually get a feeling of impending doom walking into the park with Midnight Syndicate playing in the background. The entire park would be lit up in different lighting. The environment felt very creepy. The sound effects they would play while walking through the park would send a chill up your spine. Crowds were sparse so you could really take in the atmosphere and get a lot of interaction from the scare actors walking around.  At times you felt really alone. It was very eerie. 

 

The lines would be no longer than 45 minutes at the most (peak times). They would only let small groups through the houses at a time (no slow moving conga line effect). Often you had to navigate the houses on your own since no one was in front of you. I remember getting freaked out before some intense houses, hoping they wouldn't cut the line off in front of me as I didn't want to go through on my own, lol.

 

Back to Sunday night....

 

We get there early and the crowds are out of control. I'm not exaggerating. I expected it to be pretty crowded since it was a Sunday night but not like this. I'd describe my entire night more as a cattle simulator. I actually felt like livestock being herded around. 

 

Walking in I hear pop & hip hop music blaring with Chance talking in the background. As we walk toward the back of the park I notice there's a lot of people taking selfies with the scare actors on the streets.

 

At one point through the Dead Mans Wharf scare zone it became a bottle neck and the crowd was at a stand still. Think of one giant mass of people not moving (I have no idea what was going on). People squished up against each other. I heard a few girls panicking because they were claustrophobic. We got stuck like this and couldn't move for 20 minutes. We couldn't even go back since the crowd piled up behind us, trapping us in the middle. People were starting to shove through other people and yelling was ensuing. This felt like a HUGE safety hazard. 

 

We got about half of the houses in. I had no complaints about the houses, they were really well done and the actors did a great job. I especially liked Krampus. 

 

Bill & Ted's was a huge disappointment. No surprise there. I checked the review thread for it and everyone seems to agree. It was horrid. People were even leaving early. Apparently in 2012 they got a new writer. It's become even worse since then. A complete incoherent mess. There is no longer any discernible plot. I think I only chuckled once or twice during the whole show.

 

After that we left.

 

I don't see myself coming back anytime soon. The feel is different, the crowds are different (I'm in my early 30s along with my girlfriend and we felt old there. I couldn't believe how young the crowd was. At one point I commented to my girlfriend that this feels like a "Grad Night" type event), the music is different. Maybe the event just isn't targeted for people like me. 

 

What would I like to see different? I would like to see them going back to limiting crowds to a smaller amount of people. I'd love them to partition the crowds going through the houses. I'd love for Bill & Ted's to go back to its roots. I'd love them to bring back the creepy atmosphere instead of the dance party vibe. 

 

However, it seems like corporate sees it as a money making machine and are milking it for all it's worth. Those changes would hit their bottom line.

 

As I mentioned, something happened in 2012 that really changed the event. Maybe new management? Trying to pinpoint it (using HHNCrypt) matches to around 2012 when they started to push the IP stuff.

 

I felt bad for my girlfriend because it was her first time going. She didn't enjoy it. I wish I could take her back to experience the past days of HHN.

 

Guess it's just different times for different people. Maybe I'm just getting old (and cranky) haha. Based off last night it felt like they are primarily targeting younger Millennials. And the crowd reflected that. Like the OP said, not bad, not good, I appreciate all the work that went into the event and the job done by the scare actors...but it just isn't for me anymore...time to branch out and try new things.

 

Good read. I've mentioned this several times on the forum, but I had been dying to experience HHN since Islands of Fear. Never attended until 2012. Now I really wish I had gone as a kid. 

 

One thing I'd like to point out: I went 3rd weekend last year and thought the crowds were out of control. Second weekend has given me the best experience; it honestly didn't feel too crowded as you guys are describing.

[clash]

5 hours ago, matthhn said:

I agree with the OP and some others. The event has lost its appeal for me. I noticed this a few years ago and stopped going but decided to take a trip with my girlfriend on Sunday night. Mostly because of the Krampus house (I loved the movie).

 

To clash, who said it feels more like a "night club/dance party" - I think that's 100% accurate. The core atmosphere no longer feels like a horror event to me. It's hard to describe but it just feels like something was lost over the years.

 

Some perspective: I've been going since 1997 way back when I was a kid. Back then the event wasn't well known and they limited crowds to a small amount of people. Ever since then I went every single year up until 2013. 

 

Back in the early years the event seemed special. I can't put my finger on it. It's as if the quality was on another level. It was also far more intense. You would actually get a feeling of impending doom walking into the park with Midnight Syndicate playing in the background. The entire park would be lit up in different lighting. The environment felt very creepy. The sound effects they would play while walking through the park would send a chill up your spine. Crowds were sparse so you could really take in the atmosphere and get a lot of interaction from the scare actors walking around.  At times you felt really alone. It was very eerie. 

 

The lines would be no longer than 45 minutes at the most (peak times). They would only let small groups through the houses at a time (no slow moving conga line effect). Often you had to navigate the houses on your own since no one was in front of you. I remember getting freaked out before some intense houses, hoping they wouldn't cut the line off in front of me as I didn't want to go through on my own, lol.

 

Back to Sunday night....

 

We get there early and the crowds are out of control. I'm not exaggerating. I expected it to be pretty crowded since it was a Sunday night but not like this. I'd describe my entire night more as a cattle simulator. I actually felt like livestock being herded around. 

 

Walking in I hear pop & hip hop music blaring with Chance talking in the background. As we walk toward the back of the park I notice there's a lot of people taking selfies with the scare actors on the streets.

 

At one point through the Dead Mans Wharf scare zone it became a bottle neck and the crowd was at a stand still. Think of one giant mass of people not moving (I have no idea what was going on). People squished up against each other. I heard a few girls panicking because they were claustrophobic. We got stuck like this and couldn't move for 20 minutes. We couldn't even go back since the crowd piled up behind us, trapping us in the middle. People were starting to shove through other people and yelling was ensuing. This felt like a HUGE safety hazard. 

 

We got about half of the houses in. I had no complaints about the houses, they were really well done and the actors did a great job. I especially liked Krampus. 

 

Bill & Ted's was a huge disappointment. No surprise there. I checked the review thread for it and everyone seems to agree. It was horrid. People were even leaving early. Apparently in 2012 they got a new writer. It's become even worse since then. A complete incoherent mess. There is no longer any discernible plot. I think I only chuckled once or twice during the whole show.

 

After that we left.

 

I don't see myself coming back anytime soon. The feel is different, the crowds are different (I'm in my early 30s along with my girlfriend and we felt old there. I couldn't believe how young the crowd was. At one point I commented to my girlfriend that this feels like a "Grad Night" type event), the music is different. Maybe the event just isn't targeted for people like me. 

 

What would I like to see different? I would like to see them going back to limiting crowds to a smaller amount of people. I'd love them to partition the crowds going through the houses. I'd love for Bill & Ted's to go back to its roots. I'd love them to bring back the creepy atmosphere instead of the dance party vibe. 

 

However, it seems like corporate sees it as a money making machine and are milking it for all it's worth. Those changes would hit their bottom line.

 

As I mentioned, something happened in 2012 that really changed the event. Maybe new management? Trying to pinpoint it (using HHNCrypt) matches to around 2012 when they started to push the IP stuff.

 

I felt bad for my girlfriend because it was her first time going. She didn't enjoy it. I wish I could take her back to experience the past days of HHN.

 

Guess it's just different times for different people. Maybe I'm just getting old (and cranky) haha. Based off last night it felt like they are primarily targeting younger Millennials. And the crowd reflected that. Like the OP said, not bad, not good, I appreciate all the work that went into the event and the job done by the scare actors...but it just isn't for me anymore...time to branch out and try new things.

 

If I remember well, 2012 was when management decided to combine the event more with Hollywood instead of letting Orlando do their thing. (I think I remember someone mentioned that some new people came from over there to work in this event to unite them more. 

[JDW]

I might as well finish this off.

 

To get the value out of our ticket, we went back Sunday.

Started off good. Walk on to Halloween. Nice sets, decent scare. I'm just not a Halloween fan. 6 of 10

 

We passed through Layer of the Banshee twice during the back and forth. The new aginess was toned down and this really added to the vibe of the area. I still felt it was kind of weak but the costumes are pretty cool. I imagine when it is dark it probably works even better. 7 of 10 now.

 

In fact the ambience has been changed. I didn't hear all the 90's angst rock anymore. Much more effective.

 

I wanted to find the Dominion in Survive or Die and pledge Dreaded Dominions' allegiance to the faction (hey they have my name and my color!)

But:

a.) I didn't come as JW and was just in my civvies

b.) I have a very strict timeframe to do everything

 

So we headed straight to The Walking Dead. It said 15 minutes... 45 minutes later we entered the house. I hate TWD. However, bias aside, this was a decent and well-constructed house. It isn't as empty and massive as two years ago and, well, anything would have been an improvement over last year. 6 of 10

 

Then we headed to our last house AHS. I 'm not a fan of the show. I watched murder house and thought it was OK but a bit to vulgar for my tastes. However, I wanted to see the "most biggestes house Evar!" waded through now bursting crowds and... 150 min wait. Sorry, I'm just not that hardcore. Even if it was off  by... say an hour in my favor, that's still and hour and 1/2 wait time. So, with much chagrin, we closed our misadventure's on a down note.

 

Honestly I didn't even want to go back. But what I did see was good. I just don't like crowds and the crowds were unbearable. I thought Sundays were good. But I was quickly informed on FB that "Sunday is the new Saturday" well gee, sorry I didn't know that. Not that my schedule permits, either way, to change that.

 

That's it. Overall: Great houses, atmosphere was lacking but improved. Scare zones were decent but crowded, crowds are just too much for me period.

[criticalanalysis]

12 minutes ago, JDW said:

Honestly I didn't even want to go back. But what I did see was good. I just don't like crowds and the crowds were unbearable. I thought Sundays were good. But I was quickly informed on FB that "Sunday is the new Saturday" well gee, sorry I didn't know that. Not that my schedule permits, either way, to change that.

 

That's it. Overall: Great houses, atmosphere was lacking but improved. Scare zones were decent but crowded, crowds are just too much for me period.

 

I went on Friday and Sunday. Sunday was disgusting, killed everything for me. 

 

Overall I agree with you.

[YourPallbearer]

On 10/3/2016 at 6:16 PM, matthhn said:

1. Some perspective: I've been going since 1997 way back when I was a kid. Back then the event wasn't well known and they limited crowds to a small amount of people. Ever since then I went every single year up until 2013. 

 

Back in the early years the event seemed special. I can't put my finger on it. It's as if the quality was on another level. It was also far more intense. You would actually get a feeling of impending doom walking into the park with Midnight Syndicate playing in the background. The entire park would be lit up in different lighting. The environment felt very creepy. The sound effects they would play while walking through the park would send a chill up your spine. Crowds were sparse so you could really take in the atmosphere and get a lot of interaction from the scare actors walking around.  At times you felt really alone. It was very eerie. 

 

The lines would be no longer than 45 minutes at the most (peak times). They would only let small groups through the houses at a time (no slow moving conga line effect). Often you had to navigate the houses on your own since no one was in front of you. I remember getting freaked out before some intense houses, hoping they wouldn't cut the line off in front of me as I didn't want to go through on my own, lol.

 

 

 

2.What would I like to see different? I would like to see them going back to limiting crowds to a smaller amount of people. I'd love them to partition the crowds going through the houses. I'd love for Bill & Ted's to go back to its roots. I'd love them to bring back the creepy atmosphere instead of the dance party vibe. 

 

 

1. I first went the same year as you but skipped out on the event for some years after (didn't return until 2004). But I have to say I do remember longer lines in 1997 than 45 minutes. I recall the line for Hotel Hell, which zig zagged throughout the expanse of a NYC street, being a very loooooooong wait. But I was ten, I perceived time differently then so maybe it was indeed no more than 45 minutes. Everything else you said about that year I can attest to. Scareactors would get more personal too. I've said this before but I once had a sickle violently wrung around my neck by an actor in Midway Of The Bizarre. Not for a photo opportunity or anything like that. I was playing with a fog machine and out of nowhere this tool (plastic of course) obscures my vision for a second and the next thing I know I have it touching my neck. Unthinkable today. 

 

2. That's more than likely never going to happen. As you stated it is all about the bottom line now. I mean, it always was ...but they were definitely more interested in putting on a good show than they are now. Halloween (the holiday) went mainstream about the time millennials decided they were never going to grow up (so about 5 to 10 years ago) and, until the foreseeable future, Uni is going to take advantage of that fact until the bubble bursts. I think it will continue to expand until it is not possible to pay the prices anymore; like when the only lines we'll be waiting in are bread lines.