Back from HHN & HOS!

[nerdboyrockstar]

Sorry I started another topic but I didn't see one that was HHN (Universal's Halloween Horror Nights) vs. HOS (Busch Garden's Howl-O-Scream) .

This was my... 4th HHN (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006) and my very first HOS.

It's impossible not to compare.. and who says we can't? But I definitely have to give it up to HOS. I thought it was so much fun. The houses were SCARY, extremely detailed, and a lot of fun. Also, the scare zones were GREAT! There was a lot of them. And honestly, even non-scare zones still had a few surprises. The whole atmosphere in the park was excellent.

This was my first full HHN in Universal Studios and it was much weaker than I expected. Few scarezones (and Deadtropolis was practically non-existant), a lackluster Bill & Ted's, and long waits on a Sunday night even WITH Express. From 7 - 12am, we JUST made it in time to do all the houses, watch Bill & Ted (which strangely this year had no Express), Men In Black, and Mummy.. but definitely felt pressed for time. The longest we waited, honestly, was about 20 minutes with Express.. but to HHN w/Express veterans, we heard a lot of "This is Express?"

I see a lot of people doing rankings so I'll try it but I'm not 100% sure on the names..

1. Trapped In The Walls
2. After Hours/Club Muse
3. Deathly Departed
4. The Hunted
5. Freaked!
6. 3rd Dimentia

We did the Fright Feast for HOS and we were able to hit 3 houses before the park even opened. I definitely recommend it and the food was NOT BAD at all! If you have any questions about it, let me know. But the park was bearable for a Saturday night.. we were also able to ride Sheikra, Kumba and Gwazi with little waits.. Montu, for some reason, had 75 minute wait so we skipped it.

For HHN, I'd say the houses best to last would be

1. Scream House: ResurrectION
2. All Nite Die-In: Take 2
3. Psychoscarepy
4. People Under The Stairs
5. Dungeon of Terror
6. Run
7. Psychopath

I think your experience definitely varies by a lot of things.. mostly the scareactors but that was it for me.

Will definitely be back to HOS! I loved it. It was a blast. Alright, now for some superlatives..

OVERALL BEST HOUSE: Trapped In The Walls (HOS)

OVERALL WORST HOUSE: 3rd Dimentia (HOS)

 

[Amity 3]

Montu's been having some problems lately, I was there Thursday and it was hung up all day.

trapped in the walls IS the best house at HOS this year. I'm glad you had a better experience with the fright feast than we did.

 

[Slacking]

Nice report nerdboy!

Glad you enjoyed HOS, and of course After Hours (if you went in the house during my cast, I was the one trying to get people to go into the police paddy wagon).

Yeah, what Amity said about Montu. I also saw it down throughout Thursday.

I was also at HHN last night. I could not believe how crowded it was. We also had Express and had to wait 15-10 min for both Dungeon and People under the stairs. (but they had lsited stand by times of 75-90 minutes!)

It's funny you listed Psycho Path as your weakest HHN house. It was my absolute favorite, with PUTS being my least favorite by far!

 

[yaytezIOA]

Were you doing the same on Friday Slacking? Butters my wife and I did that house at least 5 times on Friday. We did the Fright Feast, but we found that we wouldnt have needed it. We did every single house, Sheikra and Montu by the time the park opened. And when the park did open, there were no lines. Great for us......dont know if it was that great for the park.
Listen for an Invader Butters trip report this thursday on IOACentral Radio.
Myspace.com/ioacentralradio

 

[Slacking]

Yeah, if you went through while my cast was on set, I was out front of the truck the entire time.

Friday wasn't too bad. In my past experience as a guest, Friday's are usually a fairly good night to go. The only night I would avoid due to crowds is saturday (I don't think this past Sat. was horrendous though)

 

[nerdboyrockstar]

Nice report nerdboy!

Glad you enjoyed HOS, and of course After Hours (if you went in the house during my cast, I was the one trying to get people to go into the police paddy wagon).

Yeah, what Amity said about Montu. I also saw it down throughout Thursday.

I was also at HHN last night. I could not believe how crowded it was. We also had Express and had to wait 15-10 min for both Dungeon and People under the stairs. (but they had lsited stand by times of 75-90 minutes!)

It's funny you listed Psycho Path as your weakest HHN house. It was my absolute favorite, with PUTS being my least favorite by far!

When I went through PUTS, the cast was doing a great job. My friends got a few scares. Psycho was a pretty interesting house but still could have been much better. And I didn't find it scary at all.

Still, HHN's weakest house was still better than Freaked! or 3rd Dimentia at HOS. (Although there's this terrifying clown at the start of Freaked giving Jack a run for his money.. lol) I really hope 3rd Dimentia doesn't return next year..

Another little tidbit from my time in HOS: I somehow got lost in Deathly Departed and ended up in the employee break room. I was like.. "is this the exit?" But an employee helped me back into the house and was like "No, you go down that long scary hallway.."

 

[Slacking]

Another little tidbit from my time in HOS: I somehow got lost in Deathly Departed and ended up in the employee break room. I was like.. "is this the exit?" But an employee helped me back into the house and was like "No, you go down that long scary hallway.."

LOL! Having worked Deathly last year, I know exactly what exit you went out.

I have a bad feeling the 3D house will never leave HOS. It fills the beginner/not-as-scary house quota.

I'm back at HHN tomorrow night, we'll see if PUTS is any better.......

 

[Tony M]

Yeah I know that 3rd Dimentia is weak but I agree with "Slacking" that it's a good beginner's house. I took my 11 year old son who loves scares but has never seen them in person. So 3rd Dimentia was a good warm up to the Scare House experience. Also Freaked! is kinda of diluted but if they were able to compact it a bit more the experience would be better. I like the the of Freaked! and think that it should stay. There is just too much space between scares.
Also, to any of those 2005 HOS alums, what was the name of the house that was over by Gwazi. It had a funeral parlor theme and some interesting scares. But I can't remember it's name.
Anyone know?

 

[Slacking]

The Mortuary

 

[Amity 3]

Yeah I know that 3rd Dimentia is weak but I agree with "Slacking" that it's a good beginner's house. I took my 11 year old son who loves scares but has never seen them in person. So 3rd Dimentia was a good warm up to the Scare House experience. Also Freaked! is kinda of diluted but if they were able to compact it a bit more the experience would be better. I like the the of Freaked! and think that it should stay. There is just too much space between scares.
Also, to any of those 2005 HOS alums, what was the name of the house that was over by Gwazi. It had a funeral parlor theme and some interesting scares. But I can't remember it's name.
Anyone know?

the mortuary. I liked freaked better when it was darkheart's fear fair.

 

[Tony M]

Yeah, that's it!
Any chance of future use of that site so that next year there is seven houses?

 

[Slacking]

Yeah, that's it!
Any chance of future use of that site so that next year there is seven houses?

I doubt it. I read in a newspaper article that they wanted to steer towards having permamnent structures for all the houses. Hence a new building for Trapped and the Mortuary tent gone. I guess they don't want another repeat of what happened in '04 with Corporate Nightmare.

 

[BensMom]

I went to US HHN this past Sunday. First time, last time. Man, I thought I was just being a b....ch, but when my fiance and his 20-something daughter started having not such a good time as soon as we got through the gates of the park, I said, "maybe it isn't me." So, I thought US did a great job on the outside. I went through only one haunted house, my fiance and his daughter went through another. They thought it was all the same. The biggest gripe we had were obnoxious teens pushing and shoving and cutting in line, rude, rude. Then, I was just blown away and disgusted by PEOPLE SMOKING, like everywhere! Gross. So, not impressed. The syringe shots were cool, but that's about it. The smokers were truly out of hand, so I am back to the Pixie Dust, and that's where I shall stay. I'm a poop, and so be it. There is nothing like Disney.

 

[jpeppers]

We did our 1st HOS on Thursday and found it to be great. Because of hell week there was a ton of teens in there but over all they were well behaved and it was almost a completely positive experience (getting a taxi afterward sucked). We did the Fright Feast and were able to do 4 houses before the park opened and in 3 of the houses I never saw anyone else in the house except my friend unless you count the girl who looked lost until the scareactors grabbed her. It was awesome. You had actors coming out of the roof and from the tops of doorways or beds. It was very well done. We did all the houses twice and still left over an hour early. None of there shows compared to Bill and Ted but they are trying. I also got 10% off on Beer with my AP which I found shocking. I love HHN but HOS blew it away this year. Oh yeah, the scare zones were great too.

 

[Strawman]

Is the only way to get into HOS early via FrightFeast? If I'm already in the park, am I forced to leave and re-enter for HOS? How is the food? One more, I see that the FF is $21.95, is there a kid's price? Thanks

 

[Motherfletcher]

We'll be doing the Embalming Tour Saturday night. I'll look for you again in After Hours, Slacking.

 

[Slacking]

Is the only way to get into HOS early via FrightFeast? If I'm already in the park, am I forced to leave and re-enter for HOS? How is the food? One more, I see that the FF is $21.95, is there a kid's price? Thanks

You can hang out in the park (they will tell you where) w/o leaving, but I don't think you'll get early access to the houses (Feasters have wristbands)

Doubt there are child prices. I don't even think there are child prices for tickets since the event is advertised as being too intense for some children.


Motherfletcher- I'll keep my eye out. I'm located at the end of the house, in the outside area once you leave the club.

 

[nerdboyrockstar]

The price is $21.95 per person. It was totally worth it. The food was really good, the show was embarassingly bad (but we laughed a few times) but we saw it and did 3-4 houses before the park even opened. It was definitely worth it.

They also sell Express passes.. I'm not sure the actual name of it there but they do sell them in the park.

 

[Motherfletcher]

I'll keep my eye out. I'm located at the end of the house, in the outside area once you leave the club.

We went through 3 times and no Slacking! Was you slacking?

 

[yaytezIOA]

If anyone else has done both, I want to know what you thought....call the IOACentral Radio hotline at 772-905-2462 and let us know. Its easy, its painless, and we will put you on the next episode of IOACentral Radio
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