My thoughts on HHN's 2009

[Metallicat]

Just returned back from my Orlando trip and my 10th year in a row attending HHN's. we went last Friday night with express passes in hand. we were able to just walk right in without waiting over 5 minutes. I was very happy about that.

What can I say? the houses were lame this year. I would rate this years event about a 4 on a scale of 10. nothing stands out as being scary. maybe I'm just too use to it all, but to me, it was a bit of a let down. I took my 15 yr old niece with me and she seemed to enjoy it. but it was her first year attending and after all, she is a teenager.

The scare zones? meh. I expected to see elaborate costumes and scenery, but not this year. the scare actors weren't even scary. the ones I saw looked like they were wearing el-cheapo masks that I could have bought at any wal-mart.
the chainsaw guys? well. they just looked like greasy sweaty guys after a hard days work of cutting down trees.

I wanted to be scared, didn't feel it. at. all.

The t-shirts were pretty good this year.. bought a couple of different ones. wish they would make them in sweat shirts like they did back in 2001. also, I wish they would make some coffee mugs (like they use to) instead of all the shot glasses and plastic glasses.

anyways, those are my thoughts. I hope next year it is better. this years HHN's was a let down IMO.

 

[Metallicat]

Just wanted to add, that I still had a fantastic time, and seeing my niece have the time of her life was priceless. I'll be back next year again for sure!

 

[inkkognito]

I like the houses this year (not LOVE, but like), but I agree that the scare zones are not up to previous years. Last year the two best ones (the mirror guys and the Zombie Drill Team) weren't even listed on the map, but they were great! This year, the war zone, the die-in and Hacktion are decent, but the other two are like "meh." The war zone seems to be hit or miss, but I do have to say that I got my first real scare ever at HHN in Hacktion. I'm a jumper and a screamer, but I'm not really "scared." But this time I was totally distracted as I was on my way to Guest Services and forgot where I was. A scareactor nearly gave me a heart attack with the clapboard...it was epic! But other than that, I totally miss the scarezones from last year.

 

[Metallicat]

They need to get back to the crazy off the wall scare zones they used to have.. for instance like the year they had the Freaks and Foons (sp?) the clown like people that burped and gassed and giggled and the bubbles in the street. Oh, and the scary looking Oarks (from Lord of the Rings) those were the good ole days. sigh. wish they would get creative again. this year with all the rubber masks, well, was nothing to write home about.

I did notice more security this year.

 

[inkkognito]

The problem is, there may be more security but they are doing less. We have seen this firsthand and read similar reports on other sites. They need to take a lesson from Howl-O-Scream; we had a little problem with a group of drunks there, and those Tampa cops do not play around! They got one warning, then they were out of the park (and possibly to the police station...not sure about that). Contrast that with HHN, where they turn a blind eye pretty badly this year.

 

[goofysully]

I couldnt disagree more about the houses this year we went on Thurs 15th and for the first time after going for many years (our first was HHN 3) we thought that there wasnt one weak house. We enjoyed the scenery in several, the themes in others and the scares in most. We thought the actors were great with scares on the 15th and have gone previous years when some houses were just walk thru's. I do agree about the scare zones though war zone by Shrek and the other one by New York by the school bus were the only ones we enjoyed. The liqoured up crowd was not bad our night until after 10 and we left by 11 so not much issue with that.

 

[the Dark Marauder]

I'm in disagreement. I thought all the houses, except Saw, were incredible. I've received many scares in all the houses & love the design. The scare zones are not as great this year.

My fave houses this year are Silver Screams & Cleaver.

 

[macraven]

I'm in disagreement. I thought all the houses, except Saw, were incredible. I've received many scares in all the houses & love the design. The scare zones are not as great this year.

My fave houses this year are Silver Screams & Cleaver.

ditto !

loved the same houses.

and like you, Saw did nothing for me.

 

[inkkognito]

I think Silver Screams is the most underrated house this year. It rarely has much of a line except on the busiest days. It's a pity; the detail is amazing although more and more props are stolen each time we go through.

 

[donaldduck352]

I agree about Silver Scream house.I liked SAw,but I'm a huge fan of the franchise.I think all the houses were good this year.Not great,but good.I guess you gotta see them more then once to get A feel for them.Yes last years event was better.So lets hope next year for thier 20'th anniversary they go allout.
Oh as far as the scarezones this year,a total waste.No scares at all..
imo

 

[the Dark Marauder]

I think Silver Screams is the most underrated house this year. It rarely has much of a line except on the busiest days. It's a pity; the detail is amazing although more and more props are stolen each time we go through.

I'd also list Cleaver as underrated. Both Silver Screams and Cleaver have great capacity & incredible design. I also know scareactors in both houses and have been attacked (literally) by said scareactors. We then laugh about it on Facebook.

 

[tinkerdorabelle]

Just returned back from my Orlando trip and my 10th year in a row attending HHN's. we went last Friday night with express passes in hand. we were able to just walk right in without waiting over 5 minutes. I was very happy about that.

What can I say? the houses were lame this year. I would rate this years event about a 4 on a scale of 10. nothing stands out as being scary. maybe I'm just too use to it all, but to me, it was a bit of a let down. I took my 15 yr old niece with me and she seemed to enjoy it. but it was her first year attending and after all, she is a teenager.

The scare zones? meh. I expected to see elaborate costumes and scenery, but not this year. the scare actors weren't even scary. the ones I saw looked like they were wearing el-cheapo masks that I could have bought at any wal-mart.
the chainsaw guys? well. they just looked like greasy sweaty guys after a hard days work of cutting down trees.

I wanted to be scared, didn't feel it. at. all.

The t-shirts were pretty good this year.. bought a couple of different ones. wish they would make them in sweat shirts like they did back in 2001. also, I wish they would make some coffee mugs (like they use to) instead of all the shot glasses and plastic glasses.

anyways, those are my thoughts. I hope next year it is better. this years HHN's was a let down IMO.

I have to say that we went for the first time last year and that's how I felt in 2008. Sorry to hear it's not any better for 2009. I was hoping they would get more high end props. It wasn't scary, and I scare fairly easily, and everything was too cheap looking. They did have a few chainsaw guys around tho and that was cool. But ow if I didn't have fast pass and had to wait on those lines for those houses I would have been really disappointed. It's still a good time but we have small places by me that are much scarier and more realistic. For the price you pay they should have top notch sets.

 

[inkkognito]

I'd also list Cleaver as underrated.

I agree, although ironically I hated Cleaver the first time we went through it. It has grown on me now, and I love the quips the scareactors come up with. Then we always have to chat with Sam Meetz on the way out. It's not really a 'scary' house. You have to be able to appreciate dark humor. I started to like it once I changed my expectations.

 

[macraven]

on the last time thru the cleaver house, one of the "kids" said to a passing lady, ..........look at what pork loins we could get out of her.......

they say lots of things but if you are not by them when they chatter, you can miss it.


i still stand firm that Universal is the master of horror.....
the houses were done up in great fashion.
time and money went into some of those houses.

if you took the day, unmask the horror tour, you could see all the little details that were put into those houses.

 

[Purseval]

There are also a lot of little details that can easily be missed, like the tourist getting snatched at Saw. We never would have known about that if we didn't take the tour Macraven just mentioned.

 

[Coach81]

Several people have expressed some sort of disapointment about HHN this year. Chalk it up to an off year?

 

[Metro West]

Several people have expressed some sort of disapointment about HHN this year. Chalk it up to an off year?

Could be...I've only been twice this year and I usually go at least five times. I'm just not as thrilled this year as I've been in the past.

 

[Purseval]

Could be...I've only been twice this year and I usually go at least five times. I'm just not as thrilled this year as I've been in the past.

Yes, I'm kinda surprised I didn't run into either you or Inkognito one time this week.

 

[inkkognito]

We've been there every off-peak night but we don't stay really late. It's fun this year, but it's definitely not 2007 and they dropped the ball with the scarezones this year. I love Die-In/Hacktion and the army one is good, but nowhere close to 2008. The only thing better than last year is this year's Bill & Ted.

 

[Cdn Friends of Pooh]

Could be...I've only been twice this year and I usually go at least five times. I'm just not as thrilled this year as I've been in the past.

Same here ... we went our first Thursday night in Orlando, then with our RIP tour on Friday, and only decided to go back the following Thursday so we could get our money from our FFP