HHN and Alcohol

[Grime]

I'm 20, so I voted no just because if I voted yes I would have been lying because I have never had an alcoholic beverage at the event before.

And you can't have a poll with two separate questions. If I was 21, my answer would be yes to the first part, and no to the second part.

[Onca]

It should have been:

"Yes, I drink but I do not drink to have fun/better enjoy the event."

"Yes, I drink at the event to better enjoy it."

"No, I do not drink and do not believe it is necessary to enjoy the event."

"No, I don't drink at the event. But if I could I would to enjoy myself."

"I can't/I'm Underage."

[BabyFirefly]

^^ I second that.

[AaronPaHHNFan]

I always drink at HHN. Not to get drunk but to get buzzed. It enhances the event because I am not as zoned into my surroundings. When it comes to alcohol moderation is the key as with anything in life. The people who get totally hammered are annoying. Last year I watched some guy puke his guts out near a trashcan. Not in the trashcan but about 5 feet from one. That was not cool but I just laughed because the booze are not cheap there so he was just puking up money as far as I was concerned. Then in 2008 outside of finnegan's my wife was smoking a cigarette while I was inside watching the Phillies win the world series some girl was straight up passed out beside her as the girls friends told my wife it's ok she is just drunk. Getting that drunk anywhere is dumb. It is up to the individual person and their friends to notice when they have had too much. I also think the bartenders could cut people off more. If you don't know when enough is enough and get so drunk you create a problem you should be escorted out to the taxi pickup area no question.

[Hush]

I notice that although most of the posts seem to support responsible drinking, the non drinkers are winning the poll. Thus I would like to point out that although FDR and Winston Churchill both drank, Hitler was a fanatical teetotaler.

That's simply because the non-drinkers haven't had a drink with us yet! They'd change their minds after that experience...or become sober as church mice, one of the two.

[LV-426]

LoL you guys are funny Dr. Jimmy really made me laugh

I vote no, and I am old enough to drink, But the more I read your comments the more i'm beginning to understand those who say yes, I guess it does help you have a good time, and well, someone else pointed out before on the Vault that if they didn't sell alcohol they would lose a lot of money and ticket and merchandise prices could go up, Because alcohol is such a Huge money maker, I guess people drinking doesn't bother me, but the problem is that I have seen people just completely lose it, and act really bad, attacking other people or actors, taking pictures inside the houses, making the lines stop inside the houses, and I always see glass bottles or glass on the ground sometimes,

[Dr. Phibes]

I notice that although most of the posts seem to support responsible drinking, the non drinkers are winning the poll. Thus I would like to point out that although FDR and Winston Churchill both drank, Hitler was a fanatical teetotaler.

However, Winston Churchill was also certifiably insane. He tried to start WWIII before WWII was even over.

More to the point, I'm pretty sure alcohol sales are where a good sized chunck of HHN's profit margin come from. Beers are something like $3, and cocktails are between $4 and $6, and the lines for some of the stands are almost as long as the houses. Constantly. That's a tidy profit right there. In fact, I'm sure if there were no booze, ticket prices would be even higher than they already are.

[HORRORLANDO]

I understand everyones responses about just having a few drinks to better enjoy themselves at HHN. To me that's all well and good. It's just the ones who go above and beyond their normal means and get absolutey trashed at the event is what I can't quite yet fathom. I mean why spend the money on a ticket to go to HHN if all your going to do is get drunk...

[Dr. Jimmy]

However, Winston Churchill was also certifiably insane. He tried to start WWIII before WWII was even over.

I know this is off-topic but my family honor is at stake here, Winston was my cousin.

Would you feel better if I pointed out that Winston loved cats? He took his black cat Nelson into the Cabinet War Rooms with him and wouldn't let meetings start unless the cat was there. Then he made sure that his ginger cat Jock would always be allowed to live at his house at Chartwell by stipulating that a ginger cat named Jock must always and forever live there. The National Trust has had to go through three cats or so already.

OK he was a bit daft, but c'mon, compared to Hitler? (the Führer hated cats, you know)

[Lizz]

When I was in college, I typically attended HHN twice a year - once with my fiance and perhaps a few friends, completely sober, and a second time with the co-ed Honor Fraternity Phi Sigma Pi, of which I am now an alum. My fiance doesn't drink due to a history of alcoholism in his family, so I never drink around him. However, during that second trip with college friends I would definitely go nuts on the drinking. I have some HILARIOUS stories from visiting HHN drunk - I rarely drink, so they are some of the best drunken stories in my arsenal. Really, I think the event is enjoyable both ways, with separate perks.

While sober, the scares are that much more real. Plus, you remember every little detail of the houses. Downside: You are annoyed with all of the drunks and teenagers in line with you.

While tipsy, the houses become a little funnier, mainly because you're laughing at your friends for getting scared in front of you. Or your friend goes through Caste Vampyr creating her own blinking cup rave completely oblivious to vampires trying to suck her blood, to the point where even the scareactors laugh. Or you make friends with an employee working E.T. who helps you cut the line because you're three cute college girls and you have to chug your drink (again) and actually get scared on E.T. Seriously, that ride is terrifying when not sober. I actually still have that employee's phone number in my contact list as "Awesome Andrew." Plus we made a ton of friends in line, instead of being annoyed with the drunks - they became our new best friends! Downside: Having a drunken friend chase after a zombie in a scarezone thus separating your group, so that it takes 15 minutes to find everyone again while dodging other zombies. This eliminates your buzz, but does make the scarezone that much more real!

I definitely had some of the times of my life while drinking at HHN, but I would only attend that way if I knew I'd have another chance to attend while sober so I could appreciate all of the houses.

[Dr. Phibes]

I know this is off-topic but my family honor is at stake here, Winston was my cousin.

Would you feel better if I pointed out that Winston loved cats? He took his black cat Nelson into the Cabinet War Rooms with him and wouldn't let meetings start unless the cat was there. Then he made sure that his ginger cat Jock would always be allowed to live at his house at Chartwell by stipulating that a ginger cat named Jock must always and forever live there. The National Trust has had to go through three cats or so already.

OK he was a bit daft, but c'mon, compared to Hitler? (the Führer hated cats, you know)

Hey, I'm not saying Winston was as bad as Hitler, just that he was undeniably mad. In fact, you could argue that his determination to win the war was fueled by his madness.

But returning to the topic of drinking, I can understand why some people would get plastered at HHN. Some people can't be scared by the event, but go anyways because it feels like one big, mad Halloween party. The only thing I don;t understand about getting drunk at HHN are the prices. Some of the drunks I've seen there are pretty big guys, who I imagine would have to throw back more than one or two beers to get anywhere. So right there, they ran through more than $10 just to get their buzz on, while they're paying something like $70 to get into the park in the first place.

[Mae]

I never had any desire to drink at HHN. I've had a total of 7 drinks in my entire HHN history, and I could name them if you wanted me to.

I grew up with teetotalers for grandparents and a mom who doesn't like to lose control of herself. There was never any sort of liquor around, which of course means that I would drink anything and everything I could get my hands on by the time I was seventeen. I used to have a great tolerence for liquor (not beer..blech) and wine. All that was before kids, however. These days I'm a sober lady who occasionally has a specialty drink.

With all that being said, I have absolutely NO patience with drunkeness. Even amongst my friends. I've been known to separate from my group and wander around alone in order to get away from such behavior. I personally believe that it is a ridiculous waste of time and money to stop every half-hour or so for another beer/drink. As hot as it is down here, even in October, alchohol is the frosty beverage farthest from my mind!

Mae

Edited July 20, 2010 by Mae

[shadytires]

How much were beers last year? I've heard in the past they were cheap?

[traveller]

How much were beers last year? I've heard in the past they were cheap?

I belive they were around $6.00 for beer & $9.00 for the strong stuff.

They have refillable deals , never got one though.

[Havoc]

There is no reason to get drunk or buzzed before attending Horror Nights. The haunts are designed as a deep sensory experience. Good haunters attempt to involve as much of your senses as possible. They use lighting, sound, smell, texture, and detail. I have even used sub-audibles (sound below the range of hearing) in my haunts to induce a sense of unease. Alcohol and most other controlled substances either deaden or alter your sensory perception, meaning that you miss out on something that the designer intended. Of course if the haunt sucks I suppose you can get wasted... but you can do that at home watching and old DVD.

From another perspective. I have worked several haunts including my company (Phobia Productions) Knotts and HHN. Knotts encourages drinking with its growing amount of alcohol for sale and every year the attacks get worse. Drunk people tend to be violent. Buzzed people tend to laugh all the way through so you don't really bother with a good scare, they wont notice anyway. People who have just had a drink or two tend to be belligerent ...trying to scare the monster, yelling I seeee yooooou, demanding that you didnt scare them or that you did scare them, and just generally ruining the experience for others. I have even had friends that didn't remember the event at all. These things happen much less often at HHN Hollywood where there is a zero tolerance policy. Scareactors feel much safer and go for bigger scares knowing that they are less likely to be attacked by some drunk.

Now I don't have anything against alcohol or drinking but if you really need it to have a good time, especially at HHN how boring are you? Don't even get me started on people who text in the maze.

[MommyDearest]

I don't drink at HHN. I do like an occasional drink when I am out with friends but not always. I'm not anti drinking, well I am for the idiots, I just don't really drink that much.

[Jakemeister]

These things happen much less often at HHN Hollywood where there is a zero tolerance policy. Scareactors feel much safer and go for bigger scares knowing that they are less likely to be attacked by some drunk.

From my understanding they run into a different issues at HHN:H due to "medicinal" marijuana. Instead of the drunks they have large amounts of people smoking pot.

I'm an actor as well and sure, I do think there are a lot of really unsafe drunk people, but I there are those people any ways. I don't really mind the drunks as long as they aren't violent. If they are happy and having a good time then so what. I scare them and if they get a good laugh out of it then I did my job, considering I'm an actor hired to entertain.

Edited August 20, 2010 by Jakemeister

[Fallow]

I have a bit of an unpopular opinion on this subject, and let me just preface this by saying I don't mean to offend anyone.

I am underage, yes, and one of the few in my area (or my age group, really) who chooses not to drink. I understand the appeal but feel it isn't really worth it. I lose respect for people who do so underage, but if you're legal and handle yourself well after a few drinks, have a ball, I don't mind. My issue is when the drinking begins to conflict with my (and many others) enjoyment of the event. As you know, every year, the houses slowly get torn apart by drunks. Scare actors and guests are often abused either via fisticuffs or ass/boob grabs or otherwise. I've seen it happen, and it makes me angry. In a place like HHN it's impossible to make sure everyone drinks responsibly and as a result (in my eyes) the event suffers. If it were up to me, I'd eliminate the alcohol so everyone is guaranteed a good, safer experience with less damage being wrought to the expertly crafted sets. But, it's a huge moneymaker, and many actually do handle themselves well after a few drinks, so that'll never be a reality.

[HORRORLANDO]

I have a bit of an unpopular opinion on this subject, and let me just preface this by saying I don't mean to offend anyone.

I am underage, yes, and one of the few in my area (or my age group, really) who chooses not to drink. I understand the appeal but feel it isn't really worth it. I lose respect for people who do so underage, but if you're legal and handle yourself well after a few drinks, have a ball, I don't mind. My issue is when the drinking begins to conflict with my (and many others) enjoyment of the event. As you know, every year, the houses slowly get torn apart by drunks. Scare actors and guests are often abused either via fisticuffs or ass/boob grabs or otherwise. I've seen it happen, and it makes me angry. In a place like HHN it's impossible to make sure everyone drinks responsibly and as a result (in my eyes) the event suffers. If it were up to me, I'd eliminate the alcohol so everyone is guaranteed a good, safer experience with less damage being wrought to the expertly crafted sets. But, it's a huge moneymaker, and many actually do handle themselves well after a few drinks, so that'll never be a reality.

Very well said. I for one get really upset when I start to go through a house(maze) and it's all torn up on the outside. We pay good money to go to HHN and the detail they put into the houses really makes the event that much more incredible. Me personally detail is one of the things I look forward to before as well as inside a house(maze) and to see it get abused really makes me sick...

[Dr. Phibes]

I have a bit of an unpopular opinion on this subject, and let me just preface this by saying I don't mean to offend anyone.

If it were up to me, I'd eliminate the alcohol so everyone is guaranteed a good, safer experience with less damage being wrought to the expertly crafted sets. But, it's a huge moneymaker, and many actually do handle themselves well after a few drinks, so that'll never be a reality.

Without alcohol sales, HHN would be massively less profitable, to the point where it would likely not be good business for Universal to stage it every year. Therefore, I accept the sale of alcohol as without it, there very well may not be an HHN to enjoy.

As for me, I've never had a drink at HHN, but if I had to guess, a few drinks would probably make the mazes significantly scarier for me. I'm one of those people who can't help but try to anticipate where the actors are going to come from. It's like some weird game I play with Universal, to see if I can outwit their designers and actors, and for some reason I can't just stop. So, I reason that being buzzed would reduce my ability to foresee where actors are going to come from, and make it easier to get scared.

[Dr. Phibes]

One time I thought mudslides were chocolate shakes so I had 5 just snuk them and oh man what a he'll of a time that was... Not bad just a little woosy the day after !

Sounds like good times.

[Dick]

I used to drink a lot at HHN, but was diagnosed with a rare blood illness a few years ago and will never be able to drink again. I've actually found the event to be more enjoyable since NOT drinking. But, as long as people can handle their alcohol and do not act like total jerks, I see no problem with it.

[Dr. Jimmy]

From my understanding they run into a different issues at HHN:H due to "medicinal" marijuana. Instead of the drunks they have large amounts of people smoking pot.

So when the scareactor pops out of the boo-hole instead of some drunken asshole taking a shot at him, you have a wasted dude going " what? wait, like you were totally not there before... oh wow. That's awesome, it's like being there and not being there at the same time. whoa." and holds up the conga-line for an additional 15 minutes.

Then there's the ones who will just giggle.

And the ones who will try to eat any prop food in the scene.

[Dr. Phibes]

So when the scareactor pops out of the boo-hole instead of some drunken asshole taking a shot at him, you have a wasted dude going " what? wait, like you were totally not there before... oh wow. That's awesome, it's like being there and not being there at the same time. whoa." and holds up the conga-line for an additional 15 minutes.

Then there's the ones who will just giggle.

And the ones who will try to eat any prop food in the scene.

That actually doesn't sound as bad. now if only Universal could open up a stand to capitalize on it.

[ThreeCircles]

I'm just really curious. What, or perhaps more importantly, where is Chez Alcatraz?

I think some of the arguments being presented are without base. Are the "drunks" really the ones tearing up the houses? Or is that action just being attributed to the group without reason? I've been buzzed, drunk, whatever you wish to call it, a couple of times at HHN and HOS and I've never even thought of damaging a house or anything else.