OH The Horror! Scary Clowns, Haunted Houses, Scare Zones, Monsters, Pumpkins, Crooked Cats, Creepy Bears, Shopping, Dining and more….My HHN 34 Trip

[Robo56]

Welcome Friends to another one of my HHN Halloween trip reports. I’am so looking forward to this upcoming getaway to celebrate all things Halloween.

A little introduction for anyone who has not read one of my reports.

I used to vacation with my youngest Grandchildren M & P at Universal every year. It was a time where Nana and her sweet babies could enjoy the parks and each others company and have the best time. They are grown now and in their 20’s. I have the fondest memories as do they of our wonderful trips to Universal Orlando.

I’am a RN. I’am in my 60’s and retired. I will let you know I’am enjoying every minute of my retirement. Being a Nurse was one of most challenging jobs both mentally and physically and I loved every minute of it, but I was glad to pass the baton onto the younger generation.

I’am married to the most wonderful fella. He is the love of my life. He knows how much I love Halloween and Haunted Houses. He is such a sweetheart and goes along with my Halloween decorations every year and my love of Halloween in general. He no longer wants to travel anymore. Amusement Parks and crowds of people are not his thing. I understand that. He tells me to go and enjoy my favorite Halloween time at HHN. It is a time of no cooking, cleaning, grocery store runs etc….I don’t mind doing those things, But I like the change on vacation. It’s my time to enjoy the resort, some Haunted Houses, some sister time and just chill as the younger generation says.

This trip will also include hanging out with my sisters. My younger sister K is also a RN and is still working. She will be traveling with me again this year. She loves everything Halloween as much as I do. We have been known to do some serious damage shopping for new Halloween decorations.

My older sister D who is also a Retired RN lives in Harmony Florida about an hour from Orlando depending on traffic. She will usually come for a visit for a day or two. It is wonderful when the three of us get together for a day of visiting, Lunch and Shopping.

Enough of that……..Let’s get on to the Haunting details.

My sister K and I Fly out 11 days from today.



So until we fly lets talk about HHN 34.

Dates and times.

Although it says the start time is 6:30 pm they have been know to open the gates at 6:00 pm sometimes.


As you can see HHN is primarily held Wednesday through Sunday during the event, but I noticed they will be having the event on Tuesday, September 16th and not on Thursday, the 18th. I’am guessing there is an event on 9/18 which is a regular HHN night.

 

[Robo56]

THE HOUSES

 

[Robo56]

More to come

 

[DL1WDW2]

Excited for your trip report !
I think Cat Lady on Crooked Lane sounds like my favorite.
I didn’t renew my Pass this Year …but I did get to enjoy EPIC when they allowed us to buy tickets in advance.
Also this year they changed the free entry into HHN perk with the AP .
I wonder if it would have been difficult to find availability since they require a reservation to use that freebie
Anyway When is your trip.? I can hardly wait for another Robo56 trip report!

 

[Robo56]

Excited for your trip report !
I think Cat Lady on Crooked Lane sounds like my favorite.
I didn’t renew my Pass this Year …but I did get to enjoy EPIC when they allowed us to buy tickets in advance.
Also this year they changed the free entry into HHN perk with the AP .
I wonder if it would have been difficult to find availability since they require a reservation to use that freebie
Anyway When is your trip.? I can hardly wait for another Robo56 trip report!

Thank you, DL1WDW2 for your kind words. So glad you are going to be reading along.

I’am so glad you were able to see Epic. I went too during the Passholder time. Epic is a beautiful Park and is going to be the jewel in the Crown of Universal Orlando.

I see that they changed the free HHN Night with the Premier Pass to reservation. I think I might have used that perk once, but I don’t really worry about it as I have bought ROF for years now. I’am there multiple nights so getting multi-night pass is a better option for me.

I have had a peek already at the set up for Cat Lady of Crooked Lane Scare Zone and it is going to be the most beautiful of the Scare Zones. Just look up in the trees when walking through and enjoy.

I fly out next Sunday morning.

 

[Robo56]

Good morning everyone


First thing I will address is the merchandise. I have seen a number of folks ask if there is merch in CityWalk for sell even if you are not attending the event. YES.

The big Universal Store in CityWalk has lots of HHN merchandise as well as the Kiosks in CityWalk. So if you walk through CityWalk on your way to parks in the am or leaving in the evening stop and have a look. There is enough merch to pick from.

In the past they have included the big store in IOA Islands of Adventure Trading Company with HHN merch too. I will see if thats the case when I get there or some else can share if they want.

For those that are into collecting popcorn buckets they will have the Megan buckets that have the removable face and Art The Clown bucket from Terrifer this year.

If you are in CityWalk there is another thing that folks who are not attending the HHN Event in the park can do. You can enjoy the Koven.

The Coconut Club turns turns into the Dead Coconut Club during HHN. The theme for this years event is Koven. As you can see it opens at 5 pm on HHN EVENT NIGHTS ONLY and there is no age limit and Admission is free. There are cocktails for sale to those 21 and over.

The creators do a wonderful job with the decorations in the Club. I’am looking forward to seeing the interior this year.

Here are a few photos from Last years Club.


Couldn't help myself this is funny.





Some Frequently asked questions clarified.

HHN is a separately ticketed event. Meaning that you have to purchase a ticket to this event to attend. Your regular day park ticket or AP will not allow you entrance to the event. You have to buy a HHN ticket or a Multi-night event ticket to attend.

Express Passes- If you purchased a day time Express Pass or you have Unlimited Express which is included with your stay at RPR, HRH or PBR these do not work for HHN. If you want Express for HHN you need to buy a HHN Express pass for the night you attend or have a Multi-night ticket with Express included to enjoy Express during the event.

The Express passes for the event are optional you do not have to purchase them, but they do make your experience much better on the nights when the event is slammed, which is most of time now.

HHN has grown over the years and the last couple of years there has been a massive turn out. The Express passes can cut your wait time in the Haunted House lines exponentially. The HHN Express Passes do sell out on some nights


FUN FREE THINGS TO DO DURING THE HHN EVENT NIGHTS that are included in the price of your ticket.

Visit the TRIBUTE STORE. It has moved this year from the typical location do to the de-construction of RRR roller-coaster. It’s new location this year is the Palace Arcade in the New York area of the Park. The HHN Creators and designers always do such a nice job with the Tribute Store. Some years it is better than others.

The DEATH EATERS will be roaming in DIAGON ALLEY again this year. If you have not had the chance to see them and you enjoy the WWOHP go and have a look.

They roam through the whole of Diagon Alley.

My sister and I enjoyed popping into Diagon Alley on a number of occasions last year during the event to see the DEATH EATERS.

Visiting Diagon Alley was a hidden secret a number of years ago as no one attending the event would usually spend time there. It was a time to see it almost deserted compared to during the day. NOT ANYMORE.

ESCAPE FROM GRINGOTTS ride is one of the rides that is open during the event.

The shops, Escape from Gringotts and leaky Cauldron are open, but they do close Diagon Alley about 10 or 11 pm usually. Will see on the times this year.





I’am not one to sit still long enough for the Nightmare Fuel show. It is not for me, but I know a lot of folks who really enjoy it. I hear the performers give their all and are wonderful. The performers do wear some clothing that may a bit risqué for some, but overall if you love it you love it.

The times for the show on event nights are 8 pm, 9:30 pm, 11:00 pm and 12:30 pm.





The show over the Lagoon is nice to see. The show times for this year are 9:00 pm, 10:00 pm, 11:00 pm and Midnight on the nights of the event.



I have heard there is a FEEL THE FEAR MEDALLION QUEST INTERACTIVE GAME included in the event this year. The game appears to be a scavenger hunt to collect medallions on the app to win. The locations to collect your medallions are supposed to be on the app. It will be interesting to get the feed back on this game.





Those who usually attend HHN know that during the event they black out the r and v on the regular sign to say Mel’s Die-In. This year they will have ZOMBIE CARHOPS. I’am looking forward to seeing this.





CLUB HORROR is going to be located over by Fast and Furious and it is located in an area that is usually where a scare Zone is. It will include according to what I have seen characters from Blume House dancing.



There are FOUR RIDES that are open during the event

 

[Robo56]

I went digging for an event map and found this last night.


I always like to have a map to look at. This map is accurate with the exception of the house entrances at the front of the park which differ some with what a Influencer posted on youtube. He said the front of the park house entrances could change during the event as the de-construction progresses on RRR.

The Universal App will have map and house information too.

As of Tuesday the entrances to Grave of Flesh, Five Nights at Freddy’s, The Horror of Wyatt Sicks and Terrifier (this house has a dry and wet option to expericence). Word is that the wet experience option is going to be one of the wettest houses Universal has ever done.

The entrance to these houses is going to be in the walkway by Minions of Mayhem.

The sign is in place for this entrance now. I thought it odd and it was guessed that the exit for the houses will be by Jimmy Fallon. Will see if this pans out. Or if it is actually the way the map says it is above.

The rest of the houses seem to be in the appropriate location according to the map.

The entrance to Galkins Monsters of the North and Fallout are located to the right of Nightmare Fuel show. Those of you from last year remember this will be the hike back to the those two backlot tent houses that Goblins and Monsters Eternal Bloodlines was in last year.

I will admit that it was a hike to get back to these houses and on tired legs it was a challenge. I would say, do these two houses early on as it will be a march.

If you ever see the lines to these two houses backed up to the entrance “Run Forest Run” is all I can say. I could not imagine what the wait time would be.

There were toilet facility trailers set up last year for the hike back to these houses.

I saw many a young one sitting down for a rest on the way back from those houses last year.


I think you get my drift.


More to come

 

[Robo56]

HHN officially opens tomorrow Friday, September the 29th, but………….There is a separately special ticketed event tonight called PREMIUM SCREAM NIGHT.





AS YOU CAN SEE THE EVENT IS SOLD OUT THIS EVENING.



This was the last price I had seen, but I thought I saw the prices in the 350.00 range when they were first posted. So it does pay to buy early.

If I remember correctly there was a $25.00 discount for this event ticket for AP holders.

Premium Scream night was started last year and went over well according to those who attended.

If you are wondering if this is a good price or not. It is, considering that Public RIP Tours now are going for well over $400.00 dollars.

The event does cap attendance. So it will be interesting to see how things go with the houses and food this year since the event is sold out.

I believe if the reviews are good this will become a great opportunity for those who have limited time and are wanting to attend the event just once.

There are a lot of perks noted above for this event that makes it very attractive.

This event will possibly be on my radar for next year if they still have it.

To all those who are attending the event this evening have a wonderful time.



TICKETS….TICKETS WHAT DO I CHOOSE…THAT WORKS FOR ME…

I think for alot of newcomers to the event and even for some of the old timers like me that is the question.

Finding a ticket option that works for you without spending money on options you don’t need is a worthy cause to figure out.

Remember any money saved is money that can be spent somewhere else…nice dinner, fun HHN merch, cocktail….etc…..


LET’S LOOK AT THE OPTIONS

A single night ticket during the course of the event can range from $85.00 to $135.00 per event night. This is before tax. Looking at the calendar which is available on the Universal Website it looks like September has the cheapest overall options.

There were four levels of Multi-night ticket options. Universal has done a great job on the website of allowing you to compare these side by side to pick the one that is the best for you.

All the Multi-night tickets have a specific date range that they cover so make sure to look at that.


Here are the Multi-night Pass Options

Rush of Fear

Frequent Fear






Frequent Fear Plus

Ultimate Fear




As you can see all the Multi-night pass options no longer have the Express available with these passes as they are sold out now.

You can still buy the multi-night pass for each of these options without Express.

You can see the above prices for all four passes in the above info.

The ROF with Express would have been $689.00 plus tax…all prices showing will be without taxes.

Frequent Fear with Express would have been $829.00.

Frequent Fear Plus with Express would have been $949.00

Ultimate Frequent Fear Pass with Express would have been $1,199.00.



HHN ADD ON EXTRAS FOR THE EVENT.


EXPRESS PASS FOR HHN EVENT


The prices for the EXPRESS PASS for the event ranges in price from $180.00 to $300.00. The dates with the prices for those dates are available on Universal website.

 

[Robo56]

PUBLIC RIP TOUR

The Public Rip Tour is ranging in price now from $440.00 to $520.00.

A few of the differences between the Public RIP Tour and the Private RIP Tour are as follows.

In the Public Tour you are in a group of up to 12 people and your asigned Tour Guide takes you to the front door of all the houses ONCE during your tour. The Tour Guide gives a backstory to all the houses. Your Tour Guide sets the pace for the evening.

You are given a Tour credential for the evening.

You have access to the Snacks, desserts, soda, water, lemonade, tea and a for pay bar at Cafe La Bamba before the Tour and during the tour.

You will be taken to two air conditioned lounges during your Tour so you can take a break and purchase a cocktail if you choose to.

You will be taken to your assigned seats during the Tour to see the Nightmare Fuel show.

You can use your lanyard credential after the Tour for Express Pass on the Four rides that are open at the end of the tour.



PRIVATE RIP TOUR


The Private Tour is purchased by someone and that person can then invite others to join their Tour. The person who typically purchases the Tour can divide up the cost of Tour among the number of guests invited. So if the Tour cost them $3000.00 and they have 10 people in their tour then it would be $300.00 person for the Tour.

The person who purchases the Private Tour is the one who decides how they would like the evening to progress of course with the input of their fellow guests.

In this Tour your guide will take you to the front of all the houses
AS MANY TIMES AS THE GROUP WANTS.


Your Guide can also take you to Express Access the rides during the Tour and you can use your credentials to Express the rides after your tour if time permits.

There is also free parking for the one who purchased the Tour.

There is free photo pass for the purchaser of the Tour. This is nice as they can share the photos taken with their fellow guests for the evening.

Everything else is the same as noted above on the Public RIP Tour.

The cost of this Tour can be given to you when you call the VIP line.

You can purchase all your event extras by calling this line.

I have done both the RIP Public Tour and have been invited to be a guest on a Private VIP Tour and both tours were wonderful.

It is nice to tip your Tour Guide if you feel they have done a great job. I can tell you they usually are fantastic.

Universal has done a great job on the website of helping you comparing the Tours.

You do get an AP discounts on the RIP Tours.


UNMASKING THE HORROR (LIGHTS ON TOUR OF THE HOUSES).





You can compare the Tours and choose the one you want to attend. There is a 3 house Tour and a 6 house Tour.

In the past you did not know the houses that were going to be on either of the Tours, but last year they posted them ahead of time.

This year, unless there have been any changes the Tours are as follows.

Here are the Tours Houses for the daylight Tour



The big change this year is that there is a buffet style lunch provided for the 6 house Tour.

I have done the 6 house Tour for years and I really enjoy the Tour. It gives you a chance to enjoy the design of the houses and appreciate the details that are missed in the dark.

The Tour Guides are wonderful and full of background information on the houses.

You are given a headset to wear with disposable ear plugs so you can hear the guide clearly on the Tour.

As with the other Tours if your guide has been really good bless them with a tip.

I know for sure the cost of these Tours has gone up since I bought mine in July. So it does pay to buy early if you can.

The 3 House Tour ranges in price from
$120 and $170.00

The 6 house Tour ranges in price form
$200.00 and $270.00


LAST IS THE SCREAM EARLY TICKET.


This is a variation of what used to be called a Stay and Scream Ticket. What is it and how is it different from the old Stay and Scream ticket.

This ticket allows you to enter the park by 3 pm. It costs
$60.00 during the entire HHN event season.

You still need to have a HHN event ticket for the evening you purshcase your Scream Early ticket.

In the past with the old Stay and Scream tickets you were able to get into the park before it closed to regular Park guests who were not attending HHN. They are supposed to leave the park at 5:00 pm. So you would have to be in the park before 5:00 pm.

You could then choose between holding areas in the parks that were located near the various house entrances. Your HHN ticket and your Stay and Scream ticket were scanned and you waited in the holding areas to be released to the houses closest to the holding areas you chose to be in.

Why was this advantages. Well…..while everyone else was waiting at the gates to be scanned into the event at 6:30 pm you would be already hitting a couple of houses before the regular guest at the gates got in.

How quickly you were loosed to the houses was predicated on how quickly they could herd the day guest out of the park by 5:00 pm and all the houses being ready quickly for the start of the evening.

I only did this once over the years and I was slightly amused at the slow march the day guests would do when leaving the park.

The difference with this years option. Is there is no standing in holding areas.

You can enter the park early by at least 3 pm. Walk around and enjoy some rides, dining and shopping. You need to get a WRIST BAND put on at one the locations listed below.

Then you can get in line for your chosen house as early at 4 pm if you want, but remember you will be in that line until that house opens??? 6pm.

We will see how this pans out. I can see this working if you are able to do a few houses before the gates open to the guests on the outside waiting to get in at 6:30 pm and you don’t collapse waiting in line.

That being said it does give you the option of getting a couple houses done early if they open the houses early enough before the crowds arrive.

I could see this being a benefit for the two houses that are involved with the long march to the farthest houses Galkin and Fallout. They are very close by each other. You can just walk over to the entrance line for the next house when you are done with the first one.

It is nice that you are not stuck in the holding areas with this option and you can enjoy the park early before the event starts.

To be clear you do need a HHN Event ticket for the same evening you purchase this Scream Early ticket.

Also noted below there will be a special entrance for onsite Resort guests until 7:30 pm. You will need your room key as proof to enter here.

I’am waiting to see where the Resort Guest entrance will be this year. It has been over the years in the past by the old Blue Man Group walkway. Since they are doing the deconstruction of RRR which is overhead of this walkway I’am wondering if they will have the entrance to the far right of guest services open again for this. We will see.







You can purchase all your tickets, Passes and Extra Add ons on the website or by calling the VIP line 1-407-817-7738.

You do have to call the VIP line for the cost of the Private Tour.




Looking at some HHN food.

Comparing apples to apples on the tickets and extras and How to survive HHN 101 coming up.

 

[Robo56]

Let’s talk about the apples to apples prices on some of the options for making your HHN trip as affordable as possible.

First on the


SCREAM EARLY TICKET

You do not need to purshcase this ticket to take advantage of the perk of getting in the park by 3 pm with all the other things included with this ticket if you have a DAY PARK TICKET ALREADY OR A ANNUAL PASS. YOU WILL NEED TO HAVE YOUR MULTI-NIGHT HHN TICKET OR YOUR SINGLE NIGHT TICKET FOR HHN with you. Just be in the park by 3 pm.

This ticket is geared to help those that do not have a day park ticket. It will allow you to get into the park early by 3 pm and enjoy some rides, food and shopping before the event starts. You still need to have a HHN ticket though.

MAKE SURE IF YOU DO BUY THIS TICKET THAT YOUR HHN EVENT TICKET DATE AND YOUR SCREAM EARLY TICKET ARE ON THE SAME DAY.


MULTI-NIGHT HHN PASSES

As noted already you do have the chance to buy one of 4 Multi-night Passes without the Express now. Remember all the Express options with those passes have been sold out.

Without a doubt buying a Multi-night Pass is the way to go if you will be attending HHN on multiple nights during your vacation or you are a local. Make sure to check the dates covered for each of the listed Passes to make sure it covers the dates you are interested in.

For example if your travel dates are during the first three weeks in September and you plan on attending HHN on multiple nights the Rush of Fear Pass would be the Pass that would work for you.

This pass without EP is $200.00 plus taxes and a single night ticket ranges between $86.00 and $135.00 per night. Hands down buying a ROF is a cost savings for your multi-night attendance.

If you had the option to have bought THE ROF with EXPRESS PASS it would have been $689.00 before taxes and you were wanting to attend the event multiple nights during the the first 3 weeks of the event it would have also been a great cost saving.

The cost for EXPRESS PASS can range between $180.00 to $300.00 per night.

So for example if you wanted to attend the event on 4 nights and wanted to have Express Pass for each of those nights. We will take the mid range of the range of prices. The single night ticket for each night $110.00 x 4 = 440.00 and Express Pass for each evening $220.00 x 4 =$880.00 = $1,320.00. So you can see having the ROF with Express was a great value at $689.00 plus tax. It covers 18 nights of HHN plus express each night. That is a no brainer…….you are really coming out ahead and getting great value for your money.

This works with all the passes when figuring the cost with Express.


NOW THE QUESTION IS DO I REALLY NEED EXPRESS

No you don’t if you don’t mind waiting in the long lines for long wait times to get in the houses.

I have read how some folks claim to be able to plan out their night without the Express Pass and get through all the houses and it has worked for them. It would not be an easy task.

I will tell you this it will be harder to do as HHN has grown very very very popular over the years with the last 3 years really seeing a massive attendance growth.

Add to that the heat and possible rain (it is rainy season in Florida now) and you can have a long night standing in the regular lines to get in the houses and that is not fun.

Is there away to get around this issue……..without Express…..There are some options.

If you are attending the event multiple nights and you have a mutli-night HHN ticket and and day ticket to Universal Studios. You can take advantage of the Scream Early option. Remember if you have the above tickets you do not have to pay extra for the Scream Early ticket to do that.

This will give you the ability to get to some of the houses before the other ticket holders that are waiting outside the gate to get in.

You also have the option of purchasing a single night ticket and the express for the evening you attend. This could run in the range of about $110.00 for event ticket and $220.00 for Express Pass so would be $330.00. Remember I’am estimating the range in cost. Refer to the website for your date and exact cost on the date you have chosen.

They do sell Express tickets in the park on the event nights, but these can sell out.

If you are staying at any of the Resorts the guest services in the resorts can also sell tickets and the Express Pass.

If you have a Multi-night ticket without Express you can choose to buy Express for one or two nights if you want. You need to decide what works for you and if Express is an option you want. If you have ROF Pass and you buy one Express night your could be looking at over $400.00 for the cost of enjoying multiple nights of HHN with one night of Express included.

Another option is if you are only going to attend the event one night and you want to have a good time with everything taken care of for you including, food and getting taken to the front of the line by a guide with no waiting at all

Then consider a Public RIP TOUR. I do believe you still have to have an event ticket for the night with this also. So event ticket $110.00 and RIP TOUR TICKET $440.00 = $550.00.

1. The best options I see for comfort and the ease of enjoying the event are the single night HHN ticket with Express. This savings is predicated on the fact that you are only attending the event one night.
2. The multi-night Pass with one or two nights of Express
3. The single day park ticket or AP with multi-night HHN Pass or single night event ticket with Scream Early plan (remember you do not need to pay the extra for the Scream Early ticket if you have a day ticket or AP).
4. If you are a local and have an AP and a multi-night HHN Pass and you utilize the Scream Early option over the course of your multi-night Pass dates.

Look at your options and decide which ticket or tickets work for you and what your needs and pocket book will allow.

What really pushed me to talk about he ticketing and options was reading about newcomers who had purchased extra tickets that they did not need.

Hope this helps someone who is deciding on which tickets will work for them.

My all means go and enjoy HHN and have a wonderful time. IF you are a big Haunted House Fan and love Halloween you will have a great time.

Universal has really done a wonderful job of including a lot of fun things to do and see during the event.

If anyone has anything to share on the event please do.

There is a sticky on the boards about HHN 34 that has been set up by the lovely Keishashadow go and have a look. There is information there that will also help with your planning.

More to come on Food and surviving HHN 101

 

[Robo56]

I forgot to mention on the free things to do for HHN that there is a very nice Halloween option to look at that is not in the Studios and that is the “All Hallows Eve Boutique” at Islands of Adventure.

It is located in the Lost Continent area of the park and is really worth a visit if you like Halloween decorations and they also sell HHN merch.

I always make sure to stop in and have a look around. They change the Halloween decorations every season and have also found a way to incorporate some other events durning the year.

Here are a few pics from years past.

 

[Robo56]

I saw online for the first time this year that Universal is offering a light up necklace you can buy for $20.00 to wear in the Scare Zones if you do not want the Scare Actors to come up to you to scare you. It says “Deathly Afraid” on it.

I read that Sea World already has had something similar for their Halloween event.

My take on the necklace is this……You can kinda plan on being a little scared when you attend HHN. I realize that some folks are a little more sensitive to the experience then others so if you feel you need the necklace my all means buy one.

The Scare Actors usually are in the street so if you are on the sidewalk you can typically avoid them if you want….LOL….now some Scare Actor that might read this will be haunting the side walks this year.

The Scare Actors can approach you, but they do not TOUCH YOU in anyway.

Also the necklaces do not work for you not to be scared in the Haunted Houses from what I have seen online.


Now onto the food.


This is not all the food on offer just some that were posted online with description of ingredients.

Yum Yum deviled eggs from Fallout Food Booth. These are Coconut panna cotta eggs stuffed with pineapple whipped ganache and sprinkled with Tahin.


Clown Cafe Bloody Popcorn from the Terrifier Booth. Crunchy popcorn chicken, pepperoni and marinara blood sauce topped with Parmesan cheese.


Elotes grilled corn from the Jason Universe booth. Grilled Corn on the husk with choice of garnish. Cotija cheese or Flaming Hot Cheetos.



Huskas Muscle Man Slop from WWE Presents the Horrors of Wyatt Sicks booth. It is a Sloppy Joe with jalapeño bacon, dill pickle chips and cheese on it.


Artist Palate sugar coated churros with three dipping sauces. Dulce de Leche, Raspberry jam and Bavarian Cream. These area located at the El Artista booth.



Death by Cheese Stick From the Cursed Carnival Booth. This is a big cheese stick with spices and marinara sauce.



Lyla’s Temper Tantrum Tendies From Dolls at play booth. Chicken Tenders with choice of sauces. Garlic Parmesan, Spicey Marinara and Mesquite Barbecue Sauce.


Birria Beef Walking Tacos. These area located at the Cat Lady of Crooked Lane Booth. Birria Beef, Tostitos Consume, Red Onions Scallions and Salsa Verde.



Fast NIght At Freddy’s Cupcake. This is available at Louie’s which has been turned into a Fast Night At Freddy’s mock up. This is a Chocolate Cupcake filled with Cannoli Cream and Raspberry, Topped with Mascarpone, Milk and White Chocolate Eyes, White Chocolate Teeth and Topped with a Chocolate Candle.

 

[Robo56]

Pizza Fries have been a mainstay staple at HHN for years. These are Crinkle cut fries with Pepperoni, Marinar and Mozzarella cheese.



A change up on the Twisted Tator that is usually offered at HHN every year. This year they have the new Twisted Tator Chips. You have a choice of Spicey Cheese or Ranch and Vinegar Sauce.



Now onto some of the drinks.

The Rad Away. Have to admit the IV Bag is kinda cool. Some or you regulars remember a few years ago the had Blooded Nurses walking with IV poles with drinks in IV bags for sale. Those went over really good.

This is a Mocktail and you can purchase it at the Fallout booth. It is Lemonade, Chipotle Pineapple Mix with Brown Sugar Syrup.


The Starry Night Spritz from the Terrifier Booth. It is Gran Gala Orange Liqueur, Cranberry Juice, Cava Cavicchioli 1928 Presecco With Rosemary Sprig on top.



Crystal Lake Coffee from the Jason Universe Booth. Cold Brew concentrate with Seagram Seven Whiskey, Dekuyper Crème de Cocoa Liqueur and Toasted Marshmallow Syrup.



The Light Way from WWE Presents the Horrors of Wyatt Sicks. Blue Curacao Syrup mixed with Firefly White Lightening Moonshine, Firefly Peach Moonshine, Sour, Syrup, Simple Syrup and Seagrams Tonic Water.




Pack Mule made with Cuervo Traditional Blanc Tequila, Dekuyper Crème de Cassis Liqueur and Ginger Beer.


The Witches Brew with Foggy French 75 recipe with Prosecco, Elder Flower Syrup and Dry Ice.



The following drinks are at the Lobby Bar at Cabana Bay Resort that is usually decorated for Halloween. My guess is it will be again this year.

The Bloody Sour. Which is a Whiskey Sour topped with Pinot Noir.



The Spicey Jack-O-RIta with Pumpkin Purée, Tequila, Chili Liqueur, Lime Juice with a Tahin Seasoned Rim.

 

[Robo56]

Those were just a few food offerings as there is so much more food and drink offered at the various locations noted below.










More to come

 

[Robo56]

Good Evening




Now onto How to survive HHN 101

Having been to HHN a number of times over the years I wanted to try and share some helpful information that will hopefully make your experience much bettter at the event.

1. Let’s talk about weather……..in Orlando this time of year. If you are coming from an area of cooler climates get ready for some very warm rainy weather. It is rainy season right now in Florida. Which means it will be raining everyday. It usually rains in the morning or evening or occasionally all day. That being said. Pack a rain poncho because you will get wet.

My husband always had a positive outlook on rainy weather on vacation. He always says “A rainy day on vacation is better then a sunny day at work” I agree with that totally.

All that being said, I have known it to be fairly pleasant on occasion at times later in the evening.

2. Let’s talk about hand fans and neck fans. I will tell you I have never been a fan of carrying a backpack or any extra unnecessary items while hiking around at HHN.

Last year my younger sister K who will be with me again this year brought her hand fan. I will tell you that her hand fan was a life saver.

It can be pretty hot in the back lots where the entries to the houses are.

It was pretty hot and humid last year and having the fan was a big help.

I did invest in a couple neck fans for us this year and I will see how these work.

Make sure to set aside time for rest breaks in the airconditioning. This will help a lot.

The Nurse in me will share this……If you stop sweating in the heat and begin to feel sick get into the airconditioning and ask for help. Heat exhaustion and Heat Stroke are very real medical issues. There is a medic team in the park and all you have to do is ask one of the many Team Members or the Security Folks to call for help.

That being said, if you see a fellow park goer in trouble ask if they need help and let a Team Member know to call for help.

3. Backpacks…..Since I addressed the backpack situation above let’s talk more about them. I have seen a number of people walking around with big backpacks crammed full things. I know there folks that medically need to carry some things to take care of themselves, but if you do not need to carry any extra things don’t if you can help it. You will be asking your body to handle walking in hot, humid weather for a long time and standing in long lines. The least amount excessive of baggage you are carrying the better. Your back will be better off for sure.

4. Shoes and clothes………..Wear comfortable shoes that you have broken in. Make sure if you have areas on your feet that are sensitive to excessive walking to tape those areas or apply a light bandage to add extra protection.

I have seen many youngsters standing with their shoes off halfway through the evening with angry blisters on their heels and toes.

On the clothes…….wear something light weight that will be comfortable walking in the heat.

After saying that….. I have seen some folks over the years that have had to few clothes covering the necessary areas that one should not be showing.,,,.LOL

5. Hydration…..Make sure to try and stay hydrated. All the extra walking in the humid heat does take its toll over the evening. They do give out free ice water at any areas that sell soft drinks. From what I understand you can fill your water bottle at the drink refill stations with water.

6. Energy conservation…….. is the key to having an enjoyable experience on your HHN evening. If you try to commando the parks during the day. Then stay in the park for Scream Early and try and make it through the evening at HHN you will be exhausted.

I know that there are folks that have limited time on some of their vacations and have to make every minute count, but if that is not the case.

Staying onsite at one of the resorts and relaxing by the pool during the day and having a rest if possible before the start of your HHN evening helps a lot.

The haunted Houses are on the back lots of the park and although you enter the lines from the regular park areas you will have a hike to get to the Haunted Houses.

You will be standing in line to get in the houses for awhile that is why a lot of people do pay extra for the Express Pass so they can cut down on the wait times to enter the houses.

7. Entering the park for HHN……..You have some of options. You can stay in the park if you have a day park ticket or AP and a HHN ticket or HHN Multi-night Pass for the evening and enjoy the Scream Early option this year.

Or if you have a day ticket or AP a HHN Ticket or one of the HHN Passes you can enter the park by 3 pm and get your bracelet and enjoy the Scream Early option.

Or you can enter the park after 6pm through the Resort guest entrance until 7:30 with your HHN ticket of pass. You do have to show your room key to take advantage of this option.

Another option is if you do not have a day park ticket you can pay for the Scream Early ticket that costs $60.00 and be in the park by 3pm get your bracelet and enjoy some rides food and shopping and be in the lines for your favorite house by 4 pm if you want. You do need to have a HHN ticket along with your Scream Early ticket. Make sure your HHN ticket and your Scream Early ticket are for the same evening.

I found this on FB from someone who did the Scream Early option. They posted house opening times. Hopefully these stay the same.

 

[Robo56]

The last option is to enter the gate with all the other HHN ticket holders at 6:30 pm. There could be a long line to get in with this option. I have seen on FB that they have opened the gates early at about 6 pm.

8. When is the best night to go to HHN……..in the past years going during the week on Wednesday or Thursday was a better bet, but the last 3 years all bets are off. Even on what was considered slow nights no longer exist.

Even the thought of people leaving the event if it is raining so the lines will be shorter went out the window too.

HHN has been busy pretty much every night the last 3 years. I don’t see this year being any different.

Weekends without a doubt will be busier.

Locals with HHN passes will be wanting to make sure they get the best use out of their passes so will be attending during the week.

So I guess with that being said, If you are coming for the event I would still put my money on week day attempts and hope for lower crowds.

Look at the park map and plan your strategy for the houses that are most important to you and go for those first.

9. Drink Responsibly……..There is alcohol served at HHN. Those fun drinks in the flashing glasses can take their toll and ruin your evening or someone else’s if your not careful.

Excessive drinking and heat don’t mix well and can dehydrate you quicker and make you sick.

10. Security……..There is Park Security and Orlando Police at the event. They are there for your protection and the protection of the Scareactors.

Sadly over the past few years some folks have become aggressive with the Scareactors and increased security has been needed. It is sad and can ruin the event for everyone.

11, The ScareActors,,,,,,,,Are there because they love what they do…..without them there would be no HHN.

There are roaming ScareActors in the Scare Zones and of course ScareActors in the houses.

Some of the ScareActors wear stilts as park of their costumes so be aware that. If they are pushed they can fall from the height of their stilts and be injured.

Enjoy HHN and let the ScareActors Scare you and enjoy.

12, Should I bring my children to HHN……Universal has had this warning for may years. Some parents do say that there children under the age of 13 do not have issues with scary things and do bring their children.


I have seen on a number of occasions there have been children really screaming and scared walking through the Scare Zones….I felt so sorry for them.

The ScareActor try to be sensitive to the little ones if they see them, but in the crowds of people that is hard to do.

Also there is alcohol being served at the event and that means there will be some adults who are not on their best behavior.

12. Thought I might touch on this…….I do see this on every trip to Universal and Disney Springs. I’am sure a lot of you have seen it on peoples legs or experienced it yourselves.

I have seen this rash on folks that are in their 20’s and on up. If you are prone to get it you get it and it can make your vacation a tad miserable because you are going to be walking a lot at the parks.



I have been prone to this over the years and I have come up with a pre-treatment of applying small amount of over the counter extra-strength Benedryl cream and Extra-strength Cortisone cream to my lower legs and it has worked so far.

If you have an allergy to the above creams do not use them.

13. Have a walk…..into Daigon Alley and enjoy the Death Eaters roaming around and have a ButterBeer or a meal at The Leaky Cauldron.

Hope this information helps to anyone planning to go to HHN.

Above all enjoy one of the most incredible Halloween Celebrations in the World with movie quality Haunted Houses.

HHN has grown over the years and is truly fantastic event.

See you in fog at HHN 34.




More to come