The *OFFICIAL* HHN Review Thread

[Andrea from PA]

DH & DS go to HHN on 10/12.

I am NOT going -- I am a big baby , but my "excuse" is to stay with my other kids.

It is a Sunday Night but Columbus Day is the next day.
Got Stay & Scream.
Got Express.
DS can hang later than DH.

I need to help on a plan of attack -- What to do first, what to avoid...

DH can handle PG 13 with DS, but if we get into sexual references or vulgarity that are R rated, um, DH turns beat red -- He's rather like to avoid that -- Anything he should steer away from?

Oh course, gross violence he is fine with...

 

[Metro West]

DH & DS go to HHN on 10/12.

I am NOT going -- I am a big baby , but my "excuse" is to stay with my other kids.

It is a Sunday Night but Columbus Day is the next day.
Got Stay & Scream.
Got Express.
DS can hang later than DH.

I need to help on a plan of attack -- What to do first, what to avoid...

DH can handle PG 13 with DS, but if we get into sexual references or vulgarity that are R rated, um, DH turns beat red -- He's rather like to avoid that -- Anything he should steer away from?

Oh course, gross violence he is fine with...

If you're doing S & S, you will be lead to Creatures first and then you could do Body Collectors and Interstellar Terror since they're all together.

You might want to avoid Rocky Horror Tribute Show if you don't know what it's about and Bill & Ted's can be pretty bad.

 

[inkkognito]

DH can handle PG 13 with DS, but if we get into sexual references or vulgarity that are R rated, um, DH turns beat red -- He's rather like to avoid that -- Anything he should steer away from?

Definitely warn him away from Rocky Horror.

 

[Purseval]

DH can handle PG 13 with DS, but if we get into sexual references or vulgarity that are R rated, um, DH turns beat red -- He's rather like to avoid that -- Anything he should steer away from?

Who is going to see if he turns red in the dark?

 

[PatriciaH]

We went last night too and had a great time. We stayed over at Portofino Bay Resort and it was very nice. Sat by the pool for a while and ate and then took a shower and headed over around 6:15pm. Last year we stayed over at HHR and went to Finnigans for dinner then did Stay and Scream. This year worked just as well since it wa not corwded until about 10pm and even then the soundstage houses had 5-10 minute waits. I guess word got out the houses towards the back of the park are MUCH better!

All the scarezones were good. This is how I would rate the houses:

1. Scary Tales-Most creative and detailed, several good scenes
2. The Hallow-great makeup and sets, smells are awesome (smelled like earth)
3. Dead Exposure-Great lighting effects, many scareactors (overwhelming at times and scary) Creative!
4. Body Collectors-only good soundstage house Good scenes, very short! (There are usually 5-6 good scenes in a stoundstage house this year they all had like 3. It was mostly twisting tunnels!) Like the PP said one group interacted much better.
5. Doomsday-I like the movie houses. It is smart marketing. I also liked the movie though
6. Reflections of Fear-pretty good scares, hot
7. Creatures-boring and there were what-2 creatures at the end??
8. Intersteller Terror-Where was the freaking artifact? I thought I would like it but it was pointless.

Also, these were not really urban legends. That whole theme was lost on me. Aren't urban legends alligators in the sewers, drugging you and cutting out your kidneys, "welcome to the world of "AIDS", spider eggs in envelope glue, flashing your headlights gets you killed by rival gangs, people hiding under cars at gas stations to cut your tendons and take your car, etc., etc.. Basically all the stories my in-laws swear are true because it happened to "someone at work..." LOL

In all we had a great time. DH was asked to do a computer survey at the end.

Some pictures!

Body Collector after DH

Jack be Nimble

My blood bag!

 

[Metro West]

We went on opening night (Sept 26th) and we did the first few houses with Schumigirl and her family, and we were honoured to do 6 of the houses with the one and only Metro!

3. The Hallow - Again, absolutely brilliant house. I'm not 100% sure exactly what the theme is for this one but the house looked great and provided some great scares - I would laugh about the fact that Metro got lost in this one and started walking off behind the set but seeing as I got the worst scare of the night in this house right in front of him my mouth is shut........

Hey hey...glad you made it home safely! Great review!

 

[donaldduck352]

Unless i missed it somewere,has anyone seen the Brian Brushwood show??

 

[A Mickeyfan]

Who is going to see if he turns red in the dark?

If he is sitting at the Rocky Horror Show or Bill and Ted, he will not be in the "dark" to were he will not be seen.

 

[danimal921]

First let me introduce myself. My name is Dan...I've been a lurker here for about a year and have finally registered. Onto the question.

Unless i missed it somewere,has anyone seen the Brian Brushwood show??

I haven't seen the Brain Brushwood show this year, but I did see it last year. It's a magic/freak out show.

He'll eat glass, put pins in his eyelid. It's really gross, but he's very funny. I haven't seen any reviews on his show this year, but I do recommend seeing it if you have a chance. Last year was great and I can't wait to see the show tomorrow.

 

[Metro West]

First let me introduce myself. My name is Dan...I've been a lurker here for about a year and have finally registered.

 

[chataro]

Unless i missed it somewere,has anyone seen the Brian Brushwood show??

We saw it on the first night and it was a pretty cool show. He is a really good performer with really good interaction with the crowd.

He does a really weird thing at the end of the show that involves anyone with a cell phone. You even get to go up front for this and it's a really freaky thing. I won't say anymore.

If you get the chance, go to the show. It was worth the time.

 

[hack2112]

This is really off-topic, but Jack-Be-Nimble is not in Fractured Tales. He's actually Wee Willie Winkie.

 

[Jenna319]

I'm kinda mad I spent $80 for 2 EP for Sunday night.... it seems no one is having much of a wait time.....

 

[inkkognito]

Literally just got home...it was DEAD DEAD DEAD for a Friday night! Good thing they extended FF or they would have had even less people. We were only going to go for the AP party, then leave when it got crowded. Well, it never got crowded...5 to 10 minute wait times on almost all of the houses (Bloody Mary was it's usual 50-60). We did every house...most two or three times...plus Bill & Ted and Rocky Horror, and we were out of the park and having a late dinner at Bubba Gumps by 9:30.

There was lots of confusion at the AP party. We did the two houses that were open from the start twice each (Hallow and Scary Tales), then asked if we would be released at the same time as the Finnegans S&S area and if only the sound stage houses would be open. We got various stories from whoever we asked...one insisted to me that the Finnegans area never releases people till 6:30, and I pointed out that I'd been there twice already and it was much earlier both times. I was told we would not be released on the side to go to the soundstage houses but that all of the houses in the direction of the Simpsons would be open when they let us out.

Of course, we were let out early and of course they weren't open. We tried Dead Exposure first...bummer, 'cause it's my fave. Then we went to Bloody Mary, which wasn't open initially but they got on the radio and opened it shortly thereafter. After a couple times through we headed back to Dead Exposure and waited with the others who had queued up till it opened a little past 6:30. Did it three times, then hustled off to do the rest of the park and the shows.

The people right behind us in one of the lines lit up a cig (in a 10 minute line!) but were very polite about it when I asked them to put it out. No other smokers and no exciting drunken antics although you could tell that many people had been imbibing pretty good.

I hate to say it, but I was really disappointed in Bill & Ted this year. Definitely an off-year...NO big laughs at all. Just fell kinda flat. We saw Rocky again and as always it was great although there don't seem to be as many people participating in the audience.

I was amazed at how much quality house time we got. If our feet weren't killing us from the power touring we did yesterday, we would have stayed even later. But with no lines, walking those queues was killer so we had to throw in the towel. I think that will be enough of a dose to hold us over all next week.

 

[Purseval]

Literally just got home...it was DEAD DEAD DEAD for a Friday night! Good thing they extended FF or they would have had even less people. We were only going to go for the AP party, then leave when it got crowded. Well, it never got crowded...5 to 10 minute wait times on almost all of the houses (Bloody Mary was it's usual 50-60). We did every house...most two or three times...plus Bill & Ted and Rocky Horror, and we were out of the park and having a late dinner at Bubba Gumps by 9:30.

Double good news as far as we're concerned. First, we won't have to waste any money on EPs and 2nd, every slow night increases the chance of more FF extensions. 9 days and we'll be there

 

[Metro West]

I'm kinda mad I spent $80 for 2 EP for Sunday night.... it seems no one is having much of a wait time.....

I'm with ya there. I was one of the idiots who paid $69.99 for the EP opening night but won't spend the money again this year on an EP. Once was enough for me this year.

 

[the Dark Marauder]

I got off at 1am last night, so myself and two other coworkers--one male, one female--took the opportunity to walk through a few houses.

Creatures (I had not done this one yet). Very well done, loved the redneck bar setup and the whole story. Got some good scares---Mr Tarantula got me. And the creature at the end.....AWESOME!

Interstellar Terror. Still phenomenally designed. Better scares. And I saw Chainsawwolf! He was scaring people, but he doesn't need makeup for that, Kidding, kidding.

Body Collectors. Still gory. The other guy in my group got several scares because he reacted to one scare early. Still fun.

The Hallow. I had not done this one either, so I led, then the girl, then the guy. INTENSE. Very detailed, great scares. One scare was so intense all 3 of us got scared, but the girl did the OMZSUPERSQUEEZE on me. Not that I'm complaining But that did catch me off guard. We also stopped for a minute to see the Bloody Mary hologram, which was quite awesome. This house could top Scary Tale for best house.

 

[Andrea from PA]

I LOVE this thread!

I'm getting so excited & I'm not even going to HHN (DH & DS are)

If their experience is as great as I expect then maybe I'll go on Thursday 10/16...hmmm...

 

[the Dark Marauder]

He does a really weird thing at the end of the show that involves anyone with a cell phone. You even get to go up front for this and it's a really freaky thing. I won't say anymore.

Truth. I should have expected what happened to happen, but it was so worth it.

 

[BigTiggerGuy]

Got back last night. Went Thursday, October 2nd so here is my quick summary:

Went to Finnegan's around 5pm. It was empty! The bartenders said it was going to be a quiet night. We were let out around 6pm and began the houses. I rate them as follows(best to worst):

Dead Exposure- Awesome. The "flash" effect is very cool. Great scares.
Scary Tales- Very cool scenes. Cornfield area was great. The Tin Man blasted me pretty good.
The Hallow- Nice theming. Good scares.
Body Collectors- Nice setup but so dark. Didn't realize scareactors were jumping out at us since it was too dark to even see them!
Bloody Mary- Some neat mirror effects but where was Mary? Lots of "goth girls" in black dresses but I was looking for the Mary from the ads...all scarred and creepy!
Doomsday- Lousy movie, okay house. A couple of good scares.
Interstellar Terror- Good theming but not sure what was supposed to be scary.
Creatures- Just a bunch of Redneck Zombies cracking jokes. Very silly.

Don't get me wrong, I liked the houses and got a few scares in each house. I LOVED the scarezones, especially The Skoolhouse. The creepy kids trick or treating were great. Bill and Ted had it's moments but wasn't as good as last year.

On a final note, it was dead! The longest line for any house was 30 minutes. We bought EPs but only used them for the last two houses even though the wait time was only 20 minutes...we just felt we should at least use them.

If anyone has any specific questions I'd be happy to answer.

Thanks