I'll miss it this year :(

[Zombabe]

This is the first year in 13 years I won't be at HHN. It really sucks to because of course the year we don't go they have the big guns coming out. Last year was a nightmare and not the good kind. It wa sso crowded that you couldn't even walk 3 hour waits for houses. Now I am used to the waiting but this was crazy we left after an hour. My Best freind and I have gone every year. But as long as they keep in just at universal in a park to smal for the crowds we wont be going. It just makes me sad because it is tradition.

 

[yaytezIOA]

I think you're kind of cutting your nose off to spite your face on that one. It was in just USF for the inception of the event, and it was fine then. Last year was just mega popular. There are ways to survive it, and ways to get more than just one house out of everything.......sure you might have to spend a little more money, but trust me its worth it.
Last year was the first year I had used a form of "express" for hhn, but I was glad that I did.
The biggest thing is that you need to go early in the event, and try for a non peak night....they call it non peak for a reason. You also need to do Stay and Scream, and GET THERE EARLY. Why is it that people think they can get to the park an hour or two after the event opens and do everything, then get mad when they cant?
The other thing, and a lot of people disagree with me on this one, DONT RIDE THE FRIGGIN RIDES. I know "I only get there once a year, blah blah blah...." The fact of the matter is that HHN is only around for a month or so.....the rides are there ALL YEAR LONG.
Trust me, you dont want to miss it this year.

 

[Zombabe]

We did go on an off night last year as we do every year. Never have i had the issues like i had last year and we did the stay and scream. I worked at Disney and IOA so I familar with how things work. I heard about 10 other "regulars" had the same issues as we did and that was just in the hour we were there so I know it wasn't just us. I wasn't bashing the event I was just saying I am sad I will miss it. It's okay though this year I will be with Mickey instaed.

 

[Metro West]

This is the first year in 13 years I won't be at HHN. It really sucks to because of course the year we don't go they have the big guns coming out. Last year was a nightmare and not the good kind. It wa sso crowded that you couldn't even walk 3 hour waits for houses. Now I am used to the waiting but this was crazy we left after an hour. My Best freind and I have gone every year. But as long as they keep in just at universal in a park to smal for the crowds we wont be going. It just makes me sad because it is tradition.

I can see where you're coming from with the crowds. I thought last year was insane and was disappointed to hear they were just doing the Studios this year. In 2004 and 2005, I thought the crowd flow was better when they used both parks..at least it seemed that way to me. I won't miss HHN for any reason and the FF Passes and Express Passes are the way to go. Sorry you won't be there this year but I'm sure you'll have fun at MNSSHP.

 

[Zombabe]

Oh yeah 2005 was the best year so far we had a blast.. I would love for them to do both parks it just disperses the crowds well. I normally wouldn't miss it and breaks my heart that we aren't going but I don't want to spend the money just to have a miserable time again.

 

[DOOM1001]

I agree with everything yaytezIOA says,I went last year on a sunday late in October,stayed inside the park in the Stay and Scream area and as soon as they let us go we did like 2 houses right away before the event was even officially open.Doing as many houses as early as possible keeps you from stressing out later on when waits are long.However I have no clue when you went cause I've never seen 3 hour waits,maybe on Friday or Saturday which are days I would never go to HHN, but you say you went on a non-peak night.Once the event got crowded we had 30-90 minute waits on the houses,did the Bill and Ted's show and we left about 15 minutes before the midnight closing time.HHN is always packed any night after 8pm and if I was in your position and the night I went the waits really were 3 hours I would have had to shell out the extra $$ for express,I normally wouldn't do that but I wouldn't be waiting 3 hours either.

 

[Motherfletcher]

I went on the RIP Tour 2 years ago with a group of Busch Gardens' employees and they said they had a reciprecal agreement to keep the costs down. If I was you I'd consider a non-exclusive RIP tour with that group of 10 regulars. Thirteen years is a tradition that you don't want to break.

 

[yaytezIOA]

And if you go later in the month, like around "Hell week" which is the week when kids have out of school that monday in some areas, and fridays in others......its really really busy ALL WEEK LONG. We did that last year, and if we hadnt of had the RIP express tickets that we did, we wouldnt have made it through one single house.
The first two to three weeks in the event are the best to go....after that everyone and their mothers brothers uncle go.