Official 2016 HHN-26 Thread

[Chumpieboy]

Interesting....did she seem to be focusing on the "bloggers" - the few videos I saw were pretty good...but maybe she is just focusing on the people that will get her exposure...thoughts? That is a bit disappointing - based on the videos i saw I was planning on doing it next year.
The food did not look even slightly interesting...I know your not there for the food..but they can do a better job..seems like they are getting more and more like Disney and just slopping stuff out.

Hard to tell who's a blogger and who's not since everyone was taking pictures and everyone seemed to be a HHN super fan. For the tables she visited, I'm sure it was a great experience that yielded great videos.

Re the food, that's also a shame. Last year the chef came out and asked how things were. He was proud of the fare.

 

[Chumpieboy]

Any reports from the VR Experience yet?

We did that last night. Mostly good review (I'm trying to write up my thoughts for a later post) but I'll keep it spoiler free.

Logistics and check-in were chaotic (I'll cut them some slack since it was the first night, and everywhere else in Universal they don't tie reservations together like they do "up the road") The preshow was fun. The sets were great - on par with the normal HHN houses. Scareactors were great. The VR was fun and disorientating.

I don't think they gave people enough clear instructions on how to actually solve the end puzzle. I don't mean in a sense of feeding us the answer but in the sense of "your goal is to do X". There were lots of instructions about looking for clues, looking for colored objects and/or specific symbols but nothing specific about what we would need to do with this information until the final puzzle, where there were no context clues about if you were on the right track. Even if you went through the event several times, and figured out all the clues and looked for all the rights things, there is still zero instructions about what to do with that knowledge once in the final puzzle room. No feedback given while you are solving the puzzle. Video games use sounds and other clues to tell you if you're doing something right or wrong. Nothing here.

So it was a fun time with some growing pains that I hope they work out. Don't be disappointed if you can't solve the puzzle.

 

[nj2ftl]

We did that last night. Mostly good review (I'm trying to write up my thoughts for a later post) but I'll keep it spoiler free.

Logistics and check-in were chaotic (I'll cut them some slack since it was the first night, and everywhere else in Universal they don't tie reservations together like they do "up the road") The preshow was fun. The sets were great - on par with the normal HHN houses. Scareactors were great. The VR was fun and disorientating.

I don't think they gave people enough clear instructions on how to actually solve the end puzzle. I don't mean in a sense of feeding us the answer but in the sense of "your goal is to do X". There were lots of instructions about looking for clues, looking for colored objects and/or specific symbols but nothing specific about what we would need to do with this information until the final puzzle, where there were no context clues about if you were on the right track. Even if you went through the event several times, and figured out all the clues and looked for all the rights things, there is still zero instructions about what to do with that knowledge once in the final puzzle room. No feedback given while you are solving the puzzle. Video games use sounds and other clues to tell you if you're doing something right or wrong. Nothing here.

So it was a fun time with some growing pains that I hope they work out. Don't be disappointed if you can't solve the puzzle.

Thanks, so it was worth the 50$? I've done escape rooms before but this seems like a much more fun experience.

 

[Chumpieboy]

Thanks, so it was worth the 50$? I've done escape rooms before but this seems like a much more fun experience.

I'd say so.

 

[Marquibiri]

So here's my two cents...

Sitting down near Monster's Cafe, having my 7th Curse drink wih one house left to go (9:33 pm), AHS and having used no EP yet.

My fav I think is Exorcist, but I do think they could have improved the ending of the house.
TWD ok, no biggie but since I love the show, enjoyed it.
Halloween, the music around the park kept playing the theme song. House was ok.
Ancient Tombs and Lunatics Playground probably my least favorite though I enjoyed certain rooms from the latter one.
Following those houses, I did Krampus and thought they could improve some rooms, especially the gingerbread men, Krampus himself, an missed the snowmen and snowplower (or whatever you call it).
Last house I've done is Ghost Towne.. liked the house setup and has big potential. Didn't really get it. Just saw folks shooting rhroughout the house. Wait time for AHS is insane... dont' think will do the regular stand-by and just skip to EP entrance, then redo all other 8 houses with EP...

Cheers

Marqui

 

[macraven]

Marco I know you and we usually get the same feel for the houses after we both have been through them

I'm reading a lot of "ok's"

Let me if you have a different viewpoint once you did the houses a second time

See you on the 2 nd

 

[Marquibiri]

Hey mac!!
Yeah... you know... I usually have an OK response after the first time through the Houses.... usually improves with the redos...
Today I had to share table at Finnegans with a couple and another fellow due to availability. No biggie, spoke and met ne folks.
I'm pretty sure I'll enjoy the Houses more... with all this booze in me..

See you the 2nd! Will be at Finnegans since 3ish pm.. Have ressies? Table for how many?

Cheers

Marqui

Marco I know you and we usually get the same feel for the houses after we both have been through them

I'm reading a lot of "ok's"

Let me if you have a different viewpoint once you did the houses a second time

See you on the 2 nd

 

[Marquibiri]

Just redid TWD, Ghost Town, The Exorcist and Krampus... loved them all! I knew that was gonna happen!

Few SPOILERS AHEAD so don't read if you hate spoilers:

TWD: First time around I was upset a room wasn't dedicated to the final scene of last season (those who watch the series know what I mean)... However, when exiting the house, to the left you can see Neegan's bat.

The Exorcist: The scene where Linda Blair does the spider walk down the stairs could have been made much better. Perhaps a sideways staircase and use of animatronics?
The ending scene could have been a bit better if they actually put the long staircase... probably using the mirror effect or something (used in Ghost Town) and in previous years for Gothic, etc.. and have the Father lying in blood or something.

Krampus: Enjoyed it much more. Spotted Krampus on the roof of an open snowing area and was quite creepy. Also spotted him right before the exit and looked well done and creepy.
The gingerbread men didn't move but the room smell and effects made up for it...

So I'm done with the West side of park (very very crowded)... headig to East.

Cheers!

Marqui

 

[Metro West]

I went tonight for a while...took pictures and had dinner...didn't do any houses. For the first time in years I didn't come right after work. It's been too hot and I just can't stand the sauna type heat...Carole and Tom can testify to that. I got there around 7:45PM and had a leisurely night...that's the joy of living close by and having the FFP with Express.

It was busy again...not as bad as last week but still pretty crowded. The longest wait time I saw was for AHS around 9:30...90 minutes...there's no telling what the Express wait was but I expect it was better than 30 minutes.

I might go Sunday but probably Thursday and Friday again.

 

[Marquibiri]

Just got back to the resort from park. Redid the remaining houses on the East side of the park. Used the express for all though the wait times were good on those. Halloween had a 20 minutes standby, Ancient had 10 min, Texas had 15 min, and Lunatics had 5 min... Used my express on all and exited Lunatics and 1:26am. Just on time for the last Bill & Ted Show... did that (miss the old Ted).

Here are some express pass queue times compared to regular entrance:
TWD: Regular 75 min
EP 10 min
Exorcist: Reg 45 min
EP 10 min
AHS: Reg 90 min
EP 20 min
Ghost Town: Reg 45 min
EP 10 min

West side of park always busy.. East side not at all.

Didn't know you were gonna be there 2night Todd! Would've said hi!

Cheers!

Marqui

 

[macraven]

Marco.... They have a new Ted this year???

I live for that show


Still remember how you received the special dance by the actor when we were sitting in the audience right side to the stage ........

 

[tony67]

Have seen reports on Twitter, that Diagon Alley is no longer a holding area for HHN 26. Apparently they are closing Diagon Alley at 5pm and reopening it when HHN starts. Can any one who is there now confirm this. Thank you

https://twitter.com/Orlando_United/status/781595173792911360

Any updates on this?

 

[chikita]

Found this on twitter, https://twitter.com/UniversalORL/status/781590757215985665 so it looks like there is only three holding areas now. Waiting to hear more from people that were there to confirm.

 

[Metro West]

Didn't know you were gonna be there 2night Todd! Would've said hi!

I doubt you would have seen me for the crowds...thanks for the thought though.

 

[schumigirl]

I doubt you would have seen me for the crowds...thanks for the thought though.

I don't know..........you are very tall..........

Looked for you last night too...........didn't see ya.........we'lol be in early on Sunday, meeting up with Keisha, Mac and Marco...........won't be staying late as we leave Monday morning.......... We'll make plans for next year???

AHS and Exorcist were around 80-90 minutes when we went in both last night.......with EP we walked straight on each of them........maybe we were lucky but we've found that most houses on most nights.........the odd on we've had to wait a bit longer, but 10-15 minutes tops.

Gotta love EP..........

 

[Marquibiri]

Just got back from the park. Rain really poured down from 5:45 on..... used my poncho but really made little difference. Puddles everywhere so really got soaked. Ghost Town was closed down a while since I heard that the queue was standing knee deep in water.
I was able to everything without EP with the exception of AHS. Regular queue was at 120 minutes at 8pm and was to drenched to try the EP lane which seem packed.

Cheers!

Marqui

 

[Metro West]

Yeah...I feel sorry for anyone at the park on Saturday. It was an absolute monsoon all over the West side of Orlando...it rained from around 4PM to well after 10PM at the house.

 

[agame2323]

What happens if it rains during the night of the event, and you only have tickets for that night?

 

[macraven]

What happens if it rains during the night of the event, and you only have tickets for that night?

If it rains you get wet

Being a poncho

 

[tony67]

If it rains you get wet

Being a poncho

That did make me laugh...

I was complaining about the 95 degree heat last week - but the rain would be far worse.

I was wondering how this affects the scareactors in the scare zones- have not seen any pictures yet on Flikr - but it seems like it would wash off the makeup and such - I assume they don't close that down.