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Halloween Horror Nights 29 Speculation


Mark M.
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My review from employee preview: 

house ranks (top being the best):

classic monsters

nightingales

Us

yeti

graveyard games

stranger things

house of 1000 corpses 

ghostbusters

depths of fear

killer klowns

 

scarezones (prior to full scale)

vanity ball (wow)

vikings 

rob zombie (very sexual zone)

zombieland

anarch-cade 

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1 minute ago, HaunterG said:

My review from employee preview: 

house ranks (top being the best):

classic monsters

nightingales

Us

yeti

graveyard games

stranger things

house of 1000 corpses 

ghostbusters

depths of fear

killer klowns

 

scarezones (prior to full scale)

vanity ball (wow)

vikings 

rob zombie (very sexual zone)

zombieland

anarcade 

Can you explain the Rob Zombie sexual zone? I’ve already been put off because I know of a creep that got cast for that street, and if it’s, like, overtly physical, I don’t know if I’d need to avoid it.

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23 minutes ago, itsabee said:

Can you explain the Rob Zombie sexual zone? I’ve already been put off because I know of a creep that got cast for that street, and if it’s, like, overtly physical, I don’t know if I’d need to avoid it.

Yeah lots of gogo dancers. Similar to a horror nights Hollywood zone. Loud music, lots of lights, adult energy. Definitely don’t skip it! 

 

Another thing I found oddly strange was a couple killer klowns did photos in front of the house entrance last night in street, right in front of vanity ball. I don’t know if it’s just for preview, but I sure hope so. Caused lots of crowd congestion.

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2 minutes ago, HaunterG said:

Yeah lots of gogo dancers. Similar to a horror nights Hollywood zone. Loud music, lots of lights, adult energy. Definitely don’t skip it! 

Oh okay cool !! The guy was a vamp last year and he was very close to me because of the vibe of that zone, going to the extent of growling in my ear. I’m kind of just like...yikes about that. I love adult energy in general, just not around him because I know his history, I guess.

 

I know next to nothing about Rob Zombie’s music because metal isn’t really my thing. Do you know of specific songs I should check out as a little bit of HHN prep so I can understand elements of the zone?

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4 minutes ago, itsabee said:

Oh okay cool !! The guy was a vamp last year and he was very close to me because of the vibe of that zone, going to the extent of growling in my ear. I’m kind of just like...yikes about that. I love adult energy in general, just not around him because I know his history, I guess.

 

I know next to nothing about Rob Zombie’s music because metal isn’t really my thing. Do you know of specific songs I should check out as a little bit of HHN prep so I can understand elements of the zone?

DRAGULA and living dead girl for sure. My personal favorite is demonoid phenomenon! Honestly I would just give the album hellbilly delux a listen takes like 40 min start to finish!

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18 minutes ago, BenjaminNicholas said:

I really hope that HHN doesn't mirror current societal trends of toning it down because everyone is offended by everything.

 

If I could tell Aiello one thing for this year, I'd say GO WAY OVER THE TOP. 

I am hoping and going with that since the right holders of Ghostbusters had issues with some gore content, or the very least Us and 1000 Corpses, I am assuming they are responsible for the more "family friendly" vibe of this year and hopefully will return to more standard tone next year.

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54 minutes ago, BenjaminNicholas said:

I really hope that HHN doesn't mirror current societal trends of toning it down because everyone is offended by everything.

 

If I could tell Aiello one thing for this year, I'd say GO WAY OVER THE TOP. 

 

I wonder if the rob zombie zone will have the go go dancers removed eventually 

 

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Sadly what you are joking about is what we have in Hollywood.  For real.

 

We had go-go dancers since they restarted in 2006.  It was really cool, too, as they usually had demon prosthetics on their faces.  This was a video I made at the time.  Then around the time they cut Bill & Ted, the dancers were gone - but their dance platforms remained.  All season long.   A platform with guard rails around it that served no purpose other than to create an obstacle.

 

Then in all subsequent years the same platforms appeared, but with static skeletons standing on them.  I guess they are supposed to pay some sort of homage to the go go dancers?  

 

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2 hours ago, zombieman said:

Sadly what you are joking about is what we have in Hollywood.  For real.

 

We had go-go dancers since they restarted in 2006.  It was really cool, too, as they usually had demon prosthetics on their faces.  This was a video I made at the time.  Then around the time they cut Bill & Ted, the dancers were gone - but their dance platforms remained.  All season long.   A platform with guard rails around it that served no purpose other than to create an obstacle.

 

Then in all subsequent years the same platforms appeared, but with static skeletons standing on them.  I guess they are supposed to pay some sort of homage to the go go dancers?  

 

 

I wonder why orlando risk it. Im sure Rib Zombie might have asked but im surprised they have them. 

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To be honest, I don’t have a massive problem with lighter content being featured. Trust me, I love the intense stuff, but I think that, as said before in this thread, it’s important to introduce a new audience of teenagers and young adults to HHN. I know that ST coming to the event ultimately serves as a means for Universal to make massive bank, but it does that by drawing in a population that might never have been interested in the park before.

 

With the event coming close to 30 years old, we have to consider the generational differences between the diehard fans and the newcomers. Horror Nights wasn’t incredibly dark in its first few years, as they mostly revolved around the classic monsters (which are back again), and it sort of amped up in terror-factor over time. I don’t think that the older audience is “growing out” of the HHN fandom - we definitely have many middle-aged site members - but not everyone from the older days has still been frequenting the event. Passion and dedication towards theme parks in general is kind of niche as an older person with a career and a family.

 

I also don’t think that we’re being patronized by “softer” content. Compared to, say, the Carnival of Carnage, the event has steered away from a lot of the intensity it once had, but that may be to welcome those who are just getting into horror. I don’t know about you guys, but HHN was NOT my first horror attraction, and I think I had to be exposed to other things first to not be terrified. I think that, even with “soft” content, it’s undeniably a blast to just sit in a street and witness what’s going on with areas like Vamp ‘85 and such, and being fun is harmless and what can pull people back.

 

Also, I think it’s important to consider the toll that gun violence and internal terrorism has had on the United States and the world at large in the last decade, just as we did with 9/11; from dozens of school shootings to the Ariana Grande bombing to the horrific events of Pulse only eight miles away from Universal, it’s sort of difficult to tackle gore in a way that doesn’t drive people away.

 

I don’t know how much of that side of things actually influences the HHN team, but I think it’s important to consider that the audience isn’t necessarily the stereotype of otherwise stable adults that can’t handle the slightest offense, but younger people who are invested in ST and likely the rest of the houses once exposed to them, as well as the possibility of a community heavily affected by Pulse.

 

None of this talk really means anything anyway, because the team is going to choose the IPs that they choose and base it on profit in the end, but I think we should be more welcoming of younger people and their lack of exposure.

 

Of course, I say all of this as a twenty-year-old who was first exposed to Horror Nights content at twelve but has only gone for 28 and soon to be 29. Personally, I had a blast last year, to the point where I not only bought more individual tickets, but ended up upgrading to an Ultimate Frequent Fear pass, contributing hundreds as just one individual. I was prepared for the gore and violence that comes with HHN (the first house video I ever saw was that of La Llorona, and damn, was that dark), but I left with a smile on my face every night. The scareactors put so much energy and joy into their zones, and the concepts were expressed so creatively that it didn’t matter whether they were “dark” or not, at least for me. Did anyone here particularly hate Vamp ‘85? To me, it was so unique and entertaining compared to other ‘traditional’ haunts, and that’s what kept me coming back.

 

Anyway, yeah, if HHN30 isn’t a celebration of everything that the event has been, brutalization and all (including a Jack show, please god), I’ll be bothered. But for 29, it looks like, if nothing else, the HHN team wants us to have fun. Based on how much enjoyment the event brought last year, I went ahead and got myself a UFF+ pass as well as the six-house tour, and I’m anticipating so many nights of excitement. If you got this far, thanks for reading, and I hope you have a great time, guys!

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6 hours ago, itsabee said:

To be honest, I don’t have a massive problem with lighter content being featured. Trust me, I love the intense stuff, but I think that, as said before in this thread, it’s important to introduce a new audience of teenagers and young adults to HHN. I know that ST coming to the event ultimately serves as a means for Universal to make massive bank, but it does that by drawing in a population that might never have been interested in the park before.

 

With the event coming close to 30 years old, we have to consider the generational differences between the diehard fans and the newcomers. Horror Nights wasn’t incredibly dark in its first few years, as they mostly revolved around the classic monsters (which are back again), and it sort of amped up in terror-factor over time. I don’t think that the older audience is “growing out” of the HHN fandom - we definitely have many middle-aged site members - but not everyone from the older days has still been frequenting the event. Passion and dedication towards theme parks in general is kind of niche as an older person with a career and a family.

 

I also don’t think that we’re being patronized by “softer” content. Compared to, say, the Carnival of Carnage, the event has steered away from a lot of the intensity it once had, but that may be to welcome those who are just getting into horror. I don’t know about you guys, but HHN was NOT my first horror attraction, and I think I had to be exposed to other things first to not be terrified. I think that, even with “soft” content, it’s undeniably a blast to just sit in a street and witness what’s going on with areas like Vamp ‘85 and such, and being fun is harmless and what can pull people back.

 

Also, I think it’s important to consider the toll that gun violence and internal terrorism has had on the United States and the world at large in the last decade, just as we did with 9/11; from dozens of school shootings to the Ariana Grande bombing to the horrific events of Pulse only eight miles away from Universal, it’s sort of difficult to tackle gore in a way that doesn’t drive people away.

 

I don’t know how much of that side of things actually influences the HHN team, but I think it’s important to consider that the audience isn’t necessarily the stereotype of otherwise stable adults that can’t handle the slightest offense, but younger people who are invested in ST and likely the rest of the houses once exposed to them, as well as the possibility of a community heavily affected by Pulse.

 

None of this talk really means anything anyway, because the team is going to choose the IPs that they choose and base it on profit in the end, but I think we should be more welcoming of younger people and their lack of exposure.

 

Of course, I say all of this as a twenty-year-old who was first exposed to Horror Nights content at twelve but has only gone for 28 and soon to be 29. Personally, I had a blast last year, to the point where I not only bought more individual tickets, but ended up upgrading to an Ultimate Frequent Fear pass, contributing hundreds as just one individual. I was prepared for the gore and violence that comes with HHN (the first house video I ever saw was that of La Llorona, and damn, was that dark), but I left with a smile on my face every night. The scareactors put so much energy and joy into their zones, and the concepts were expressed so creatively that it didn’t matter whether they were “dark” or not, at least for me. Did anyone here particularly hate Vamp ‘85? To me, it was so unique and entertaining compared to other ‘traditional’ haunts, and that’s what kept me coming back.

 

Anyway, yeah, if HHN30 isn’t a celebration of everything that the event has been, brutalization and all (including a Jack show, please god), I’ll be bothered. But for 29, it looks like, if nothing else, the HHN team wants us to have fun. Based on how much enjoyment the event brought last year, I went ahead and got myself a UFF+ pass as well as the six-house tour, and I’m anticipating so many nights of excitement. If you got this far, thanks for reading, and I hope you have a great time, guys!

Damn, I honestly have been thinking about this same thing since November of last year so I could make this years speculation list. 

I feel like next year is going to reflect HHN as a whole like you said.

It's going to represent classic horror and modern horror.

Different Medias and different Era's.

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33 minutes ago, Rikku said:

Any updates on main entrance arch?

They seem to have actually been creative this year.  

 

I hear projection mapping (pixelated green blocks, very '80s) and bright red projected lines on the sidewalks.

9 hours ago, itsabee said:

To be honest, I don’t have a massive problem with lighter content being featured. Trust me, I love the intense stuff, but I think that, as said before in this thread, it’s important to introduce a new audience of teenagers and young adults to HHN. I know that ST coming to the event ultimately serves as a means for Universal to make massive bank, but it does that by drawing in a population that might never have been interested in the park before.

 

With the event coming close to 30 years old, we have to consider the generational differences between the diehard fans and the newcomers. Horror Nights wasn’t incredibly dark in its first few years, as they mostly revolved around the classic monsters (which are back again), and it sort of amped up in terror-factor over time. I don’t think that the older audience is “growing out” of the HHN fandom - we definitely have many middle-aged site members - but not everyone from the older days has still been frequenting the event. Passion and dedication towards theme parks in general is kind of niche as an older person with a career and a family.

 

I also don’t think that we’re being patronized by “softer” content. Compared to, say, the Carnival of Carnage, the event has steered away from a lot of the intensity it once had, but that may be to welcome those who are just getting into horror. I don’t know about you guys, but HHN was NOT my first horror attraction, and I think I had to be exposed to other things first to not be terrified. I think that, even with “soft” content, it’s undeniably a blast to just sit in a street and witness what’s going on with areas like Vamp ‘85 and such, and being fun is harmless and what can pull people back.

 

Also, I think it’s important to consider the toll that gun violence and internal terrorism has had on the United States and the world at large in the last decade, just as we did with 9/11; from dozens of school shootings to the Ariana Grande bombing to the horrific events of Pulse only eight miles away from Universal, it’s sort of difficult to tackle gore in a way that doesn’t drive people away.

 

I don’t know how much of that side of things actually influences the HHN team, but I think it’s important to consider that the audience isn’t necessarily the stereotype of otherwise stable adults that can’t handle the slightest offense, but younger people who are invested in ST and likely the rest of the houses once exposed to them, as well as the possibility of a community heavily affected by Pulse.

 

None of this talk really means anything anyway, because the team is going to choose the IPs that they choose and base it on profit in the end, but I think we should be more welcoming of younger people and their lack of exposure.

 

Of course, I say all of this as a twenty-year-old who was first exposed to Horror Nights content at twelve but has only gone for 28 and soon to be 29. Personally, I had a blast last year, to the point where I not only bought more individual tickets, but ended up upgrading to an Ultimate Frequent Fear pass, contributing hundreds as just one individual. I was prepared for the gore and violence that comes with HHN (the first house video I ever saw was that of La Llorona, and damn, was that dark), but I left with a smile on my face every night. The scareactors put so much energy and joy into their zones, and the concepts were expressed so creatively that it didn’t matter whether they were “dark” or not, at least for me. Did anyone here particularly hate Vamp ‘85? To me, it was so unique and entertaining compared to other ‘traditional’ haunts, and that’s what kept me coming back.

 

Anyway, yeah, if HHN30 isn’t a celebration of everything that the event has been, brutalization and all (including a Jack show, please god), I’ll be bothered. But for 29, it looks like, if nothing else, the HHN team wants us to have fun. Based on how much enjoyment the event brought last year, I went ahead and got myself a UFF+ pass as well as the six-house tour, and I’m anticipating so many nights of excitement. If you got this far, thanks for reading, and I hope you have a great time, guys!

 

I agree with a lot of what you're saying, but draw my own line at softening the event due to the outside world.

 

Horror is escape. Horror is also frightening.  While I know this isn't Blackout level scare, I don't need HHN to turn into just another money pit that only cares about getting a 15 year old Instagrammer through the gate.  As long as a balance remains, I'll be happy to keep going.

 

And I'm sure they'll continue being happy with the money I spend  :)

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6 hours ago, itsabee said:

Also, I think it’s important to consider the toll that gun violence and internal terrorism has had on the United States and the world at large in the last decade, just as we did with 9/11; from dozens of school shootings to the Ariana Grande bombing to the horrific events of Pulse only eight miles away from Universal, it’s sort of difficult to tackle gore in a way that doesn’t drive people away.

Your post is really good.  What a few of us want the event to be vs what works for the masses is not always the same thing.  I do hope the highlighted statement is not influencing creative at HHN.  We go to USF for HHN to escape the news and the influence of (politics, media, whatever you want to call it) and enjoy focus on the two of us and I want at least a couple of the houses to keep the extreme levels of gruesomeness.  

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