yaytezIOA
ioacentralveteran
- Joined
- Jan 7, 2006
- Messages
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Year after year it's the same routine, and I see the same questions over and over again regarding Halloween Horror Nights. So I thought maybe I could try and do a little FAQ about some of the things I've seen to make your decision on whether or not you want to go to this annual event.
Q.What is HHN?
A. Halloween Horror Nights, or HHN is Universal's annual Halloween Haunted attraction, currently voted #1 in the nation by Amusement Today. It is a separate ticket where all your nightmares come true. Haunted houses, scare zones and all new shows make up this nightmarish landscape. Not suitable for children.
Q.Does it cost extra?
A.YES!!!! It's a separate ticket, which means that you will have to buy an extra ticket for the event. They shut down the park for select nights in September and October and reopen it as HHN.
Q.We are taking a family trip to Disney and saw the ad for Universal's Halloween Event. What's it like? Should we try it?
A.NO!!! If you are on a family vacation, you should not try this event. It is not for you.Just because it's in Orlando, does not mean that it is family friendly. Universal during the day is fine, but do not take your family to Halloween Horror Nights...the second word in the name should give you the clue....HORROR!!!! HORROR IS SCARY! THIS EVENT IS SCARY! If you are looking for something to do at night that is halloween related, stay at Disney. They have tons of fun stuff.
Q.Should I take my kids? If they get scared there is a safe zone, right?
A.My ex wife wanted to take our kids, one was all about it, other was hesitant. We got to the park, and the one that was all about it was now scared to death. The scareactors in the park saw this and preyed on her, feeding off her fear. They do not let up. If you take a small child to this event, it will end in tears. I promise you this. There are no safe zones, there is nowhere to hide. They will find you, and they will get you.
Q.So I shouldn't take my smalls kids, what about my medium sized ones? It's not that scary is it?
A.It IS that scary. Here's how to judge. Try your kids out on some scary movies. If they like those then take them to a local haunt. They aren't too much money and it's an environment that you can get out of easy. If they like that, then try a smaller park event like Halloween Haunt at one of the Cedar Fair parks, or Six Flags. They aren't that scary, and it will get them used to crowds, and dark houses. Work your kids into it.Don't just throw them into HHN and expect them to love it. They need to work into it at their own pace. And be patient, if they go, don't be upset if they dont want to go into a house. Let them try things on their own. Eventually they will love it.
Q.Okay, so I'm not taking kids. I want to go. I have my tickets, I'm staying onsite. How long will the waits be? And I have my roomkey, I can use the express, right?
A.The waiting is the hardest part. You can expect to see at least an hour wait on peak nights, sometimes more. Thirty minutes on non peak nights, maybe more. No, you cannot use your room key as an express pass during HHN. You can however use these simple steps to pass the lines.
1.VIP Tours-Very expensive, but very worth it. These tours will take you past all the lines and put you right into the houses, and shows, plus give you a top of the line tour guide to give you the most fun out of all the houses.
2.Express passes-Also expensive, and can range in price depending on how busy a night you go. Gets you in front of the regular line and is good for one use only, and only one use. Rule of thumb, dont use them if the line is under 20 minutes. Later on in the night, you will wait about 20-40 minutes...but thats not bad because everyone else is waiting 1-3 hours.
3a.Stay and Scream-Free. All you have to do is be in the park during normal operating hours before 3p.m. and have your HHN ticket. They will kick everyone else out of the park, and put you in a special holding area. Once all is clear, they set up for the event, they let you out and you get an average of about two houses done before the gates are open.
3b.Stay and Scream-not free. If you do not have a ticket for the day and you dont want to buy one they give you an option to buy your way into stay and scream and they hold you in IOA next door. This gives you two hours of ride time, and they let you in just before the gate opens to the regular folks. It's good if you want to get some time in riding coasters at IOA, but not really good for anything else.
Q.When is the best time to go?
That is a good question. The park has two different types of nights, Peak and off-peak. Peak is your busy nights like Friday-Saturday. Everyone is off work the next day and kids are out of school. Crowds are insane. Off peak are supposed to be not so busy...but they are increasingly busier as the event is getting more and more popular.
If you want to make the most of your HHN, go multiple nights. The best way to do this is get a Frequent Fear Pass. For the price of a peak night ticket you can go on every single off-peak night. This way you can see four houses and a show one night, and four houses and a show the next and see everything in two nights.
There are no rainchecks, so if it rains, you either trudge on wet, or you go home. A lot of folks go home. So trudge on wet. Make some lines shorter.
Q.So what happens if I have an emergency, or I take my kid and they don't like it? I can come back another day right?
A.Again, THERE ARE NO RAINCHECKS. If you take your kid, and they don't like it, guess what you're out of money. You knew this before you came into it. Someone died while you were on the way? Universal may be understanding,if you have proof, but don't count on it. If you buy a ticket for a certain date, you have to go on that date. If you miss it, or you go then have to leave...too bad for your luck, there are no exchanges, substitutions of refunds. Make your plans before you go...and again, leave your kids at home. This is for you.
Q.So, what's it like? Is it safe? Do they touch you?
A.Every year is completely different. The atmosphere is definitely a party, and very creepy. Expect to see fire, fog, and lots of alcohol. The crowds are insane, and there are people creeping around every corner. It is completely safe as they are not aloud to touch you, but they will get in your face and yell things at you, make eye contact with you, and even smell you...yes....they will sniff you...whatever it takes to get that scare without touching you.But this is why you go, you want that interaction, you want to get scared. But again, it is intense, but it is safe.
Q.We dont get to go to the parks very often, are the rides open during HHN?
A.Yes the rides are open. But are you stupid? You go to the parks at other points in the year, ride the rides then. These houses are here for only a few select nights in October, and you're going to miss them because you want to ride ET? DONT DO THAT! Do the houses, do the shows, do the scare zones FIRST. Then if you have time to do some rides, try them then.
Q.I went last year. It was good. Why should I go this year? Isn't always the same?
A.This aint knots. This aint Mickey's little thing. Every year it changes. Last year it was Bloody Mary, this year it's the Usher, next year it will be someone else. They all bring something different with them. Last year houses were based on fears,this year houses are based on movies. Next year the houses will be based on the stuff you find between your toes, and the next year after that houses will be based on what you find in your dads sock drawer. Go every year, and try new experiences.
Q.What about the shows? Those are good for kids, right?
A.Sure they are good for shows, if you are the type of parent that lets your kids watch transvestites in their underwear, sexually provocative dancing, swearing, fighting, sexual innuendos,explosives and sluts named Janet. Again, nothing in this event is for families. There are scantily clad women everywhere, hard bodied half naked men, all kinds of loud music, bumping grinding and all kinds of decadence, and that's just the crowd! If you go in expecting anything that you've seen at any other park, you're going to be disappointed and probably offended. This event is gory, scary, and very grown up.
Q.Why do they allow drinking? I hear there are a lot of drunk people.
A.This is the question that ticks me off the most. Every single park serves alcohol, except for Magic Kingdom. Even your other precious disney parks serve alcohol. They don't limit someone unless they are visually drunk i.e. stumbling over themselves, slurring speech,etc. The same is true with Universal. They do serve alcohol in line, but only when the line is over 30 minutes from that point. Alcohol is a money maker. These people are in the business to make money. When you have that many people (sometimes as many as 40,000) in one event, and a 1/4 of them are drinking you're going to see some unruly behavior. The best thing to do is ignore them, report them, and mind your own business! Universal does not put up with anyone breaking laws, causing disturbances, or anything else, and I've personally seen many people escorted off property in handcuffs for fighting, arguing and under aged drinking...so no worries, you may be inconvenienced, but your experience will not be ruined.
Q.What brings you back year after year?
A.Great question. For me, it's the event. It always changes. The houses are always new. I had someone ask if it was like a wax museum, and the answer is yes and at the same time no. I have seen years where they recreate movies and they actually make the movie sets. You are in the movie. You are there with Freddy in the boiler room, you are on the deck of a spaceship, you are in a redneck honky tonk with aliens coming after you. The sets they use are amazing. I love how you walk into a soundstage (a huge warehouse) and you are outside in a suburban neighborhood, walking through people's houses. To compare it to a wax museum is a bit of an understatement. It's all your nightmares, the bad scenes you see in a movie, and every scary thing come to life. It's chainsaws, and leather, and hot pulsating half naked people. It's monsters, and aliens, and demented fairy tales. Sick sadistic clowns, death obsessed caretakers, and mirror ladies who want nothing more than to drag you in. It's something different every year, but it's always terrifying, and always fun. And that's what brings a lot of people back, they know it's scary, and they can be scared....but it is safe.
So hope this little guide helps you all a bit. As the event gets closer and I see more questions I'll post a full guide to the event, including things I've missed to my site.
Happy Halloween Everyone!
updated 9-7-09
Q.What is HHN?
A. Halloween Horror Nights, or HHN is Universal's annual Halloween Haunted attraction, currently voted #1 in the nation by Amusement Today. It is a separate ticket where all your nightmares come true. Haunted houses, scare zones and all new shows make up this nightmarish landscape. Not suitable for children.
Q.Does it cost extra?
A.YES!!!! It's a separate ticket, which means that you will have to buy an extra ticket for the event. They shut down the park for select nights in September and October and reopen it as HHN.
Q.We are taking a family trip to Disney and saw the ad for Universal's Halloween Event. What's it like? Should we try it?
A.NO!!! If you are on a family vacation, you should not try this event. It is not for you.Just because it's in Orlando, does not mean that it is family friendly. Universal during the day is fine, but do not take your family to Halloween Horror Nights...the second word in the name should give you the clue....HORROR!!!! HORROR IS SCARY! THIS EVENT IS SCARY! If you are looking for something to do at night that is halloween related, stay at Disney. They have tons of fun stuff.
Q.Should I take my kids? If they get scared there is a safe zone, right?
A.My ex wife wanted to take our kids, one was all about it, other was hesitant. We got to the park, and the one that was all about it was now scared to death. The scareactors in the park saw this and preyed on her, feeding off her fear. They do not let up. If you take a small child to this event, it will end in tears. I promise you this. There are no safe zones, there is nowhere to hide. They will find you, and they will get you.
Q.So I shouldn't take my smalls kids, what about my medium sized ones? It's not that scary is it?
A.It IS that scary. Here's how to judge. Try your kids out on some scary movies. If they like those then take them to a local haunt. They aren't too much money and it's an environment that you can get out of easy. If they like that, then try a smaller park event like Halloween Haunt at one of the Cedar Fair parks, or Six Flags. They aren't that scary, and it will get them used to crowds, and dark houses. Work your kids into it.Don't just throw them into HHN and expect them to love it. They need to work into it at their own pace. And be patient, if they go, don't be upset if they dont want to go into a house. Let them try things on their own. Eventually they will love it.
Q.Okay, so I'm not taking kids. I want to go. I have my tickets, I'm staying onsite. How long will the waits be? And I have my roomkey, I can use the express, right?
A.The waiting is the hardest part. You can expect to see at least an hour wait on peak nights, sometimes more. Thirty minutes on non peak nights, maybe more. No, you cannot use your room key as an express pass during HHN. You can however use these simple steps to pass the lines.
1.VIP Tours-Very expensive, but very worth it. These tours will take you past all the lines and put you right into the houses, and shows, plus give you a top of the line tour guide to give you the most fun out of all the houses.
2.Express passes-Also expensive, and can range in price depending on how busy a night you go. Gets you in front of the regular line and is good for one use only, and only one use. Rule of thumb, dont use them if the line is under 20 minutes. Later on in the night, you will wait about 20-40 minutes...but thats not bad because everyone else is waiting 1-3 hours.
3a.Stay and Scream-Free. All you have to do is be in the park during normal operating hours before 3p.m. and have your HHN ticket. They will kick everyone else out of the park, and put you in a special holding area. Once all is clear, they set up for the event, they let you out and you get an average of about two houses done before the gates are open.
3b.Stay and Scream-not free. If you do not have a ticket for the day and you dont want to buy one they give you an option to buy your way into stay and scream and they hold you in IOA next door. This gives you two hours of ride time, and they let you in just before the gate opens to the regular folks. It's good if you want to get some time in riding coasters at IOA, but not really good for anything else.
Q.When is the best time to go?
That is a good question. The park has two different types of nights, Peak and off-peak. Peak is your busy nights like Friday-Saturday. Everyone is off work the next day and kids are out of school. Crowds are insane. Off peak are supposed to be not so busy...but they are increasingly busier as the event is getting more and more popular.
If you want to make the most of your HHN, go multiple nights. The best way to do this is get a Frequent Fear Pass. For the price of a peak night ticket you can go on every single off-peak night. This way you can see four houses and a show one night, and four houses and a show the next and see everything in two nights.
There are no rainchecks, so if it rains, you either trudge on wet, or you go home. A lot of folks go home. So trudge on wet. Make some lines shorter.
Q.So what happens if I have an emergency, or I take my kid and they don't like it? I can come back another day right?
A.Again, THERE ARE NO RAINCHECKS. If you take your kid, and they don't like it, guess what you're out of money. You knew this before you came into it. Someone died while you were on the way? Universal may be understanding,if you have proof, but don't count on it. If you buy a ticket for a certain date, you have to go on that date. If you miss it, or you go then have to leave...too bad for your luck, there are no exchanges, substitutions of refunds. Make your plans before you go...and again, leave your kids at home. This is for you.
Q.So, what's it like? Is it safe? Do they touch you?
A.Every year is completely different. The atmosphere is definitely a party, and very creepy. Expect to see fire, fog, and lots of alcohol. The crowds are insane, and there are people creeping around every corner. It is completely safe as they are not aloud to touch you, but they will get in your face and yell things at you, make eye contact with you, and even smell you...yes....they will sniff you...whatever it takes to get that scare without touching you.But this is why you go, you want that interaction, you want to get scared. But again, it is intense, but it is safe.
Q.We dont get to go to the parks very often, are the rides open during HHN?
A.Yes the rides are open. But are you stupid? You go to the parks at other points in the year, ride the rides then. These houses are here for only a few select nights in October, and you're going to miss them because you want to ride ET? DONT DO THAT! Do the houses, do the shows, do the scare zones FIRST. Then if you have time to do some rides, try them then.
Q.I went last year. It was good. Why should I go this year? Isn't always the same?
A.This aint knots. This aint Mickey's little thing. Every year it changes. Last year it was Bloody Mary, this year it's the Usher, next year it will be someone else. They all bring something different with them. Last year houses were based on fears,this year houses are based on movies. Next year the houses will be based on the stuff you find between your toes, and the next year after that houses will be based on what you find in your dads sock drawer. Go every year, and try new experiences.
Q.What about the shows? Those are good for kids, right?
A.Sure they are good for shows, if you are the type of parent that lets your kids watch transvestites in their underwear, sexually provocative dancing, swearing, fighting, sexual innuendos,explosives and sluts named Janet. Again, nothing in this event is for families. There are scantily clad women everywhere, hard bodied half naked men, all kinds of loud music, bumping grinding and all kinds of decadence, and that's just the crowd! If you go in expecting anything that you've seen at any other park, you're going to be disappointed and probably offended. This event is gory, scary, and very grown up.
Q.Why do they allow drinking? I hear there are a lot of drunk people.
A.This is the question that ticks me off the most. Every single park serves alcohol, except for Magic Kingdom. Even your other precious disney parks serve alcohol. They don't limit someone unless they are visually drunk i.e. stumbling over themselves, slurring speech,etc. The same is true with Universal. They do serve alcohol in line, but only when the line is over 30 minutes from that point. Alcohol is a money maker. These people are in the business to make money. When you have that many people (sometimes as many as 40,000) in one event, and a 1/4 of them are drinking you're going to see some unruly behavior. The best thing to do is ignore them, report them, and mind your own business! Universal does not put up with anyone breaking laws, causing disturbances, or anything else, and I've personally seen many people escorted off property in handcuffs for fighting, arguing and under aged drinking...so no worries, you may be inconvenienced, but your experience will not be ruined.
Q.What brings you back year after year?
A.Great question. For me, it's the event. It always changes. The houses are always new. I had someone ask if it was like a wax museum, and the answer is yes and at the same time no. I have seen years where they recreate movies and they actually make the movie sets. You are in the movie. You are there with Freddy in the boiler room, you are on the deck of a spaceship, you are in a redneck honky tonk with aliens coming after you. The sets they use are amazing. I love how you walk into a soundstage (a huge warehouse) and you are outside in a suburban neighborhood, walking through people's houses. To compare it to a wax museum is a bit of an understatement. It's all your nightmares, the bad scenes you see in a movie, and every scary thing come to life. It's chainsaws, and leather, and hot pulsating half naked people. It's monsters, and aliens, and demented fairy tales. Sick sadistic clowns, death obsessed caretakers, and mirror ladies who want nothing more than to drag you in. It's something different every year, but it's always terrifying, and always fun. And that's what brings a lot of people back, they know it's scary, and they can be scared....but it is safe.
So hope this little guide helps you all a bit. As the event gets closer and I see more questions I'll post a full guide to the event, including things I've missed to my site.
Happy Halloween Everyone!
updated 9-7-09
