Universal Halloween Nights OCTOBER 2009

[myjourney]

We are going to be in Orlando in October and I have been reading about Halloween nights at Universal. Can anyone tell me when they usually post the dates and times and what it usually cost per ticket for the event? It looks great anyone been there and care to share their thoughts on it?

 

[Metro West]

We are going to be in Orlando in October and I have been reading about Halloween nights at Universal. Can anyone tell me when they usually post the dates and times and what it usually cost per ticket for the event? It looks great anyone been there and care to share their thoughts on it?

HHN is the main reason I still live in Orlando!

Seriously...the details won't be out until sometime this summer...dates, prices, etc. Macraven always comes down from the windy city for HHN and we usually have a DIS meet while she's here.

It's a lot of fun and if you've never been, you'll really enjoy it. This will be my sixth HHN and I don't miss it for the world. AND...the new coaster will be open by then and I'm sure it will be open at night.

Do you have any specific questions or just gathering general info?

 

[myjourney]

Is this similar to Disney in that it is open from around 4 till midnight?
This is a separate ticket event than the day ticket?
I am also wondering, what happens with all these haunted houses and areas during the day?
I am guessing it is less crowded on week day nights?

I have a 12 year old grandson who loves to create sculpture monsters and customize plastic figures. Looking at the video online I would say he will love this.

 

[Metro West]

Is this similar to Disney in that it is open from around 4 till midnight?
This is a separate ticket event than the day ticket?
I am also wondering, what happens with all these haunted houses and areas during the day?
I am guessing it is less crowded on week day nights?

I have a 12 year old grandson who loves to create sculpture monsters and customize plastic figures. Looking at the video online I would say he will love this.

HHN usually starts around 7pm until midnight or 1am depending on the night and it is a hard ticket event. Universal Studios will close at 5pm on those nights and reopen at 7pm. You can't see much of anything during the day except for some props in the scarezones...no houses are visible during the day. Normally...it's less busy on Sunday and Thursday nights as opposed to Friday and Saturday nights. HHN is only staged on Thursday through Sunday nights.

I don't know if your grandson would really enjoy it as it's a very intense event...nothing like MNSSHP at all! The scareactors are in your face both inside and outside the houses and unless your grandson is a huge horror film addict and doesn't mind being scared or seeing gore, you might want to rethink taking him...at least for now.

Universal makes it perfectly clear that HHN is not for children but does not have a cut off age. They leave it up to the parent's best judgement.

 

[macraven]

check out youtube for some videos.

i would not recommend children attending HHN.


check out last years website for hhn.
you can see what prices were last year.

peak nights: open to 2 am
non peak nights: open to midnight.




man.........i feel like yaking about HHN now......

 

[donaldduck352]

My fav time of year!!!Once you do it you will be hooked!!

 

[inkkognito]

I have a 12 year old grandson who loves to create sculpture monsters and customize plastic figures. Looking at the video online I would say he will love this.

How would he feel about chainsaw wielding maniacs literally getting in his face? HHN is highly intense...dark, scary, with really gory scenes (the spine removal of last year stands out in my mind), and some of the entertainment is quite adult (Rocky Horror Tribute for one). But some kids can handle it at 12...you just have to be sure your grandson is one of them. I was bringing my nieces to intense haunted houses in Chicago at that age and they loved it, so I know they would have loved HHN but it's a really individual thing.

 

[DOOM1001]

BEST Halloween event EVER!! I would suggest going early in the month on a non peak night as the later in the month you go the busier it'll get.Go on a Friday or Saturday right before Halloween expect to see wait times over an hour for their 7-8 haunted houses,combine that with the 3 shows or so and it'll be pretty hard to see everything in one night unless you get the express passes.I've been going for 17 years( only missed the first year ever held) and look forward to it all year.

 

[the Dark Marauder]

Normally...it's less busy on Sunday and Thursday nights as opposed to Friday and Saturday nights.

Over the past few years, Sundays have been almost as busy as Fridays. 120 mins waits for Bloody Mary were common on SUNDAY nights.

Bloody Mary was also the worst house of the year, but at least the Marys were gorgeous...

Wednesday & Thursday nights are usually the slowest nights, but those are only available toward the end of the event.

Gah, now I can't wait for HHN 2009!

 

[macraven]

Over the past few years, Sundays have been almost as busy as Fridays. 120 mins waits for Bloody Mary were common on SUNDAY nights.

Bloody Mary was also the worst house of the year, but at least the Marys were gorgeous...

Wednesday & Thursday nights are usually the slowest nights, but those are only available toward the end of the event.

Gah, now I can't wait for HHN 2009!

darkie, i agree totally about the bloody mary house....
i was so disappointed in it ......after all the hype, i was so looking forward to that house.


about the mary's looking hot, well, i look more at the dudes than the dudettes....


i have been attending the 3rd weekend time period the last 3 years.
when HHN starts on the last weekend of september, my columbus day outing is the 3rd week of it...

last year, thursday was not a slow night....

i always buy the epp for each night and it was really needed on that thursday....and sunday.

i go for 4 nights in a row. based on reports over the years, i avoid the end of the month and hell week.
columbus day weekend usually works for me for crowds.

this will be my 9th year of HHN.


i am totally and completely addicted to HHN..

i ask myself, why didn't i go in the 1990's for them??


to the OP with the grandson:
many beer carts throughout the parks.
even when i went, some of the houses wait times reached 90 minutes last year.
the sky cap girls were the nurses last year for the speciality booze.
even though they were more covered up in the front, you still saw a lot..

you do hear profanity in the parks.

you mix booze, crowds, scary houses and streets.
that's a lot for a kid to be exposed to all at one time.

if you have made up your mind you are taking the 12 year old, i'm sure no one would be able to talk you out of it.

i just think it's not an environment for youngsters.

 

[Metro West]

man.........i feel like yaking about HHN now......

 

[Quacktatty]

I'm going to be visiting US for the first time this October and I want to AVOID HHN all together. Should I plan on seeing the parks M, Tu, or W only?

 

[karatepamy]

I'm going to be visiting US for the first time this October and I want to AVOID HHN all together. Should I plan on seeing the parks M, Tu, or W only?

hhn is usually extended to wednesdays for the last two weeks of october. if you're going earlier in the month, monday, tuesday or wednesday are your best bet.

however, you won't avoid it altogether. you will still see the scarezones during the daytime. they don't put everything away. the decorations will be up and all of the advertising.

 

[caryrae]

I have heard it is a good idea to get an express pass too for HHN because the lines for the Haunted House can be really long. I heard from one person, when they went the lines were 2-3 hours long. What do you guys think?

 

[Metro West]

I have heard it is a good idea to get and express pass too for HHN because the lines for the Haunted House can be really long. I heard from one person, when they went the lines were 2-3 hours long. What do you guys think?

Usually yes...the lines can and do reach 2-3 hours long. However...if you take advantage of Stay & Scream, you can miss a lot of the lines and get a jump on the crowds. I always go on opening night and last year I spent the $75.00 for the EP and didn't need it! The later in the month you go, the worse the wait times can be.

 

[caryrae]

Usually yes...the lines can and do reach 2-3 hours long. However...if you take advantage of Stay & Scream, you can miss a lot of the lines and get a jump on the crowds. I always go on opening night and last year I spent the $75.00 for the EP and didn't need it! The later in the month you go, the worse the wait times can be.

We will be there from Sept 25th - Oct 3rd 2009 so we will be there pretty early. Is there better days to go, less busy days?

 

[Metro West]

We will be there from Sept 25th - Oct 3rd 2009 so we will be there pretty early. Is there better days to go, less busy days?

Well opening weekend is only Friday and Saturday nights. Last year, opening night wasn't too terribly busy but I understand Saturday was. You could wait and go on 10/1 which is the next Thursday night if you wanted to stay away from the opening weekend crowds.

 

[karatepamy]

Well opening weekend is only Friday and Saturday nights. Last year, opening night wasn't too terribly busy but I understand Saturday was. You could wait and go on 10/1 which is the next Thursday night if you wanted to stay away from the opening weekend crowds.

I agree with Metro on this one. Thursdays really are the slowest nights. And the earlier you go, the better off you are. Opening night was reasonable compared to the rest of the event.

The Stay and Scream is the best offer. I know that if you're in the holding area, they generally let you out before they open the front gates open. If I remember correctly, there were at least two or three of the houses open to the guest's in the holding areas.

 

[macraven]

I have heard it is a good idea to get an express pass too for HHN because the lines for the Haunted House can be really long. I heard from one person, when they went the lines were 2-3 hours long. What do you guys think?

i wouldn't dare to go to HHN with out buying the express pass!!

after all the money i drop for the 4 day hard ticket event, i want to make it worthwhile and not spend my time in long lines.......

there are more crowds after the columbus day weekend passes for HHN.

that is why i keep going the third weekend it is happening.
(columbus day time period)

 

[pixeegrl]

so staying onsite doesn't get you FOTL during HHN evenings? Just during the day?