HHN Question

[brad813]

While I can tolerate scares easily, my 67 year old mother will be traveling with me to Orlando with me. However she does have a heart condition and high blood pressure, so I am wondering if Halloween Horror Nights would be suitable for her. Also, what can I expect out of the event, being that I would be a first timer?

Brad

 

[macraven]

You can look at some of the YouTube videos to get an idea of what will be seen at hhn

No videos of inside the houses but many of the street atmospheres and outdoor shows and activities

Well, it is possible there could be some pirate videos of the houses but none I can direct you to
Haven't seen any lately in the past years

You would know your mom the best
On what she could handle

There is a lot of drinking and large crowds during hhn but do not know if that will be an issue for your mom

Read some threads of past hhn years to find more info of guests opinions

The search button should help you find them

 

[brad813]

You can look at some of the YouTube videos to get an idea of what will be seen at hhn

No videos of inside the houses but many of the street atmospheres and outdoor shows and activities

Well, it is possible there could be some pirate videos of the houses but none I can direct you to
Haven't seen any lately in the past years

You would know your mom the best
On what she could handle

There is a lot of drinking and large crowds during hhn but do not know if that will be an issue for your mom

Read some threads of past hhn years to find more info of guests opinions

The search button should help you find them

The problem really comes down to being left to do all the planning, but I was unaware of any videos and fairly new to the boards. It's near impossible to plan for anything when you can't even get someone to commit to something, or give any input. I do thank you for your help. This will be our first trip to Orlando.

 

[macraven]

Do you mean no input from your mom or possible posters here on the Dis?

When others see your thread, think they will offer suggestions to help you

I do see quite a few peeps that are older at hhn
And I have seen families with kids under 13

If your mom can handle horror movies, quite possible she could do ok at hhn for the scare factor that is involved
Has she ever watched Elm street or any tv shows like walking dead?

The event is loud and that does bother some guests

 

[brad813]

Do you mean no input from your mom or possible posters here on the Dis?

When others see your thread, think they will offer suggestions to help you

I do see quite a few peeps that are older at hhn
And I have seen families with kids under 13

If your mom can handle horror movies, quite possible she could do ok at hhn for the scare factor that is involved
Has she ever watched Elm street or any tv shows like walking dead?

The event is loud and that does bother some guests

From her actually. Sorry if I wasn't clear. She watches Walking Dead, and we both loved Elm Street(I grew up in the 80s, so my favorites are those and the classics), but we aren't into a lot of the modern gory stuff like Saw and whatnot. I am trying to give her as much freedom to choose as I can by being well informed and, of course, understanding all the risks involved medically. Since my job is pretty much freelance/independent contractor style work(namely writing and the performing arts), I have the freedom to go back on my own as well later. We mainly travel Thursday-Sunday about 3 or 4 times a year, usually closer by, but this trip will see us leaving Tuesday night/Wednesday morning because of it being a full day's drive down. Short period of time, so really trying to make choices that keep us both happy.

 

[cschaaf]

You can look at some of the YouTube videos to get an idea of what will be seen at hhn

No videos of inside the houses but many of the street atmospheres and outdoor shows and activities

Well, it is possible there could be some pirate videos of the houses but none I can direct you to
Haven't seen any lately in the past years

<snip>

I know that last year, the park media was allowed to film in houses for one day. If you search Google for "HHN 2016 Orlando house walkthrough" you'll find a few. It's hard to tell what is going on most of the time, but it should give you some idea.

Also, Universal Hollywood allows people to film in the houses, so you can also take a look for those videos.

 

[janicept]

If the walking around is not an issue she could be fine. As a physical therapist I would mainly be concerned about the smoke effects. They're in the streets and houses and can be an issue for anyone that may have breathing difficulty. Obviously if she doesn't want people jumping out at her don't go in the houses and stay on the edge of the scare zones.

She could always do something else the night you go like go to the movies, have a nice dinner, and go to other things at CityWalk.

 

[macraven]

Op you got some great posts here from others!

Hopefully more will join in.


Usually around June, I create a temporary sticky called ,

"HHN, when are you going"

Peeps will list their dates they plan to be at hhn

You will be able to contact others by pm or by posting to them in the sticky
And ask to hook up with them to do houses or walk around the park that night

That is how i have meet others on the dates I go solo
I aim to do 8 nights during my stay

Just a possibility in case mom takes a pass on hhn and you can find others to hang with others for a bit of the evening

 

[brad813]

Op you got some great posts here from others!

Hopefully more will join in.


Usually around June, I create a temporary sticky called ,

"HHN, when are you going"

Peeps will list their dates they plan to be at hhn

You will be able to contact others by pm or by posting to them in the sticky
And ask to hook up with them to do houses or walk around the park that night

That is how i have meet others on the dates I go solo
I aim to do 8 nights during my stay

Just a possibility in case mom takes a pass on hhn and you can find others to hang with others for a bit of the evening

Just a matter of waiting to see the themes and prices now. I had her watch one of the walkthroughs, which she chose AHS. I am letting her choose whether to go or not, and if she doesn't want to, I will decide what I want to do from there. The Halloween events in Orlando just happened to be a bonus for us since we were already planning to be there then. Didn't even think about the timing really.

 

[schumigirl]

Sounds like your mother would actually enjoy it.......it is a lot of fun and has a fabulous atmosphere.

But, as mac says if she decides to maybe not take part, there are plenty of people on here who go solo and are happy to meet up.

We have always found the queues to be the friendliest of places too.....we end up talking to everyone around us in every queue....you would still have fun on your own.

It is an amazing event.......you will love it.

 

[brad813]

Sounds like your mother would actually enjoy it.......it is a lot of fun and has a fabulous atmosphere.

But, as mac says if she decides to maybe not take part, there are plenty of people on here who go solo and are happy to meet up.

We have always found the queues to be the friendliest of places too.....we end up talking to everyone around us in every queue....you would still have fun on your own.

It is an amazing event.......you will love it.

We just happened to have fortunate timing. The trip was for SeaWorld before our passes(we have platinum passes for Busch Gardens Williamsburg) run out, so we are building plans around that. Four day trip total.

 

[Disxuni]

If she takes medication for high blood pressure I would say she should be fine, as that's personally one of my conditions and I've done not only the theme park as well as HHN, but her age as well as heart condition is a completely new concept to me and could be a little more risky, as I do not know her full description of her condition and not an expert. I always feel sick after going in haunted houses due to their intense aromas due to machines. I do not know if that would be an issue for her.

Also, their are scare actors on every nook and cranny. And while you say she's a fan of certain shows, a show is a little more different than constant jump scares as well as these places can have some gore to them. Also, I feel as if video doesn't truly capture how things would feel in real time, as I've felt some pretty intense jumps in person, but never jump, or rarely feel anything when watching a filmed walk through. However, it can depend on the person.

If you want to enjoy the scare zones and regular park rides that would be not as intense. As if you make it aware that you know your surroundings, move with a purpose, and do not appear as easily frightened (trust me they smell fear) usually scare actors tend to leave you alone and you'll get to enjoy the feel of the area rather than getting constant jump scares every second.

My best advice is to keep researching, looking up various clips, as well as possible trying to read (although might be difficult to find) experiences of certain people at your mother's age as well perhaps conditions to see if it is suitable for her? Or even ask a doctor's opinion?

 

[brad813]

If she takes medication for high blood pressure I would say she should be fine, as that's personally one of my conditions and I've done not only the theme park as well as HHN, but her age as well as heart condition is a completely new concept to me and could be a little more risky, as I do not know her full description of her condition and not an expert. I always feel sick after going in haunted houses due to their intense aromas due to machines. I do not know if that would be an issue for her.

Also, their are scare actors on every nook and cranny. And while you say she's a fan of certain shows, a show is a little more different than constant jump scares as well as these places can have some gore to them. Also, I feel as if video doesn't truly capture how things would feel in real time, as I've felt some pretty intense jumps in person, but never jump, or rarely feel anything when watching a filmed walk through. However, it can depend on the person.

If you want to enjoy the scare zones and regular park rides that would be not as intense. As if you make it aware that you know your surroundings, move with a purpose, and do not appear as easily frightened (trust me they smell fear) usually scare actors tend to leave you alone and you'll get to enjoy the feel of the area rather than getting constant jump scares every second.

My best advice is to keep researching, looking up various clips, as well as possible trying to read (although might be difficult to find) experiences of certain people at your mother's age as well perhaps conditions to see if it is suitable for her? Or even ask a doctor's opinion?

Ironically, smells would be more difficult for me, since strong smells can nauseate me. One of those people who is sensitive. She had a heart attack in 2000 due to a blood clot, and has ongoing high blood pressure. She is on meds though, as you mentioned. Thank you for the advice.

 

[Disxuni]

Ironically, smells would be more difficult for me, since strong smells can nauseate me. One of those people who is sensitive. She had a heart attack in 2000 due to a blood clot, and has ongoing high blood pressure. She is on meds though, as you mentioned. Thank you for the advice.

You're welcome. It has happened more than one occasion where I've made the decision to stick to just rides and scare zones after one house making me ill. So, I thought I would mention it. It took me a few times to realize what had been happening after seeing a pattern.

If anything I've found it a more pleasurable experience to just enjoy the theme of it all, enjoy the low wait time on the rides (as most of them are open), and the shows. So, if you go down that path, it isn't as if you're getting less of an experience. Besides, if you really need a "scare" it doesn't take much to get one on the streets, as there are scare zones everywhere and are heavily active. However, if you want to avoid not getting scared as much it doesn't take much to avoid it too.

Also, something I just remembered, the wait times for the houses can be quite long. I've seen it where the houses will be up to two hour waits. You never mentioned it being an issue, but I do not know how she handles, or wants to do standing for long periods of time. Normally, I wouldn't say anything, but I am since their lines are usually far longer than the average wait times for park rides during the day.

 

[Metro West]

I take blood pressure meds too and have never had a problem. I hate getting old.

 

[schumigirl]

I take blood pressure meds too and have never had a problem. I hate getting old.

You're not old! Well, you can't be.........cos I'm not far behind you......

 

[macraven]

Schumi stole my thunder .....

Metro you are not old
Life has just begun !