Official 2018 HHN-28 Thread
- Thread starter keishashadow
- Start date
Better late than never, but here are my quick thoughts about HHN 28. I won't have a rank, I'll give a rating and comment about each.
Houses (from left to right around the park)...
Stranger Things - 9/10 - 3 visits: I'm a big fan of the show, and the level of detail here is great. In three trips through the house, we saw almost everything. We never had a perfect run, which is reflected in the 9/10 rating. I highly recommend going here first, since the lines get ridiculous. We even went against usual protocol and used express right away. The cast, costumes, and sets are amazing. Pro tip: press the elevator button in the first scene and look in the elevator.
Carnival Graveyard - 10/10 - 3 visits: The sets are great, and the scares are great. There are 2 very visible buttons to press. Do press them, but the results are variable. There's a lot of set pieces that will be known to Universal and HHN aficionados.
Scary Tales - 10/10 - 3 visits: Amazing sets and costumes. There are a couple of sights that are luck dependent, but we finally saw them all. Two of the scented rooms were potent, but the third scented room was muted (during our UtH tour, we learned that they toned it down since the scent from Exorcist stuck around for a very, very long time).
Poltergeist - 10/10 - 3 visits: Another home run. It's a bit abstract at times, but the house is great. I was disappointed that the steak did not crawl during our runs, and we now know that a clown scare was altered after the first week, but it was still there (in still form).
Blumhouse 2 - 5/10 - 1 visit: I think it is an ok house. Not spectacular, but the actors were into it during my run. If you are a big fan of either movie, then be sure to visit this house. If you need to skip a house due to time, this is the one to skip.
Slaughter Sinema - 7/10 - 2 visits: I really like the idea and the execution of this house... from what I saw. There were a couple of "movies" that I never saw any action. It's a fun, light romp through a bunch of fictional B movies. I'd gladly welcome a Slaughter Sinema 2 in the future.
Dead Extinction - 10/10 - 2 visits: This is a dark house house with a lot of strobe lighting. It might be the most intense house this year. My first run was good, not great; however, my second run was a perfect run and was phenomenal. Lots and lots of good scares in here. I recommend not doing this house in the daylight unless you wear sunglasses before entering, since the house is so dark.
Seeds of Extinction - 8/10 - 2 visits: This is another dark house, and the theme is pretty cool. Again, I recommend sunglasses before entering if going through before dark. The scares are very well hidden and effective.
Trick 'r Treat - 10/10 - 3 visits: Love the movie and love the house. Sam appears a lot in the house (background and foreground). The werewolf is sometimes easy to miss, so be on the lookout for it. When entering the house at the beginning, be sure to look up the stairs.
Halloween 4 - 6/10 - 2 visits: The movie is ok, and the house is ok. You'll notice the (very abundant) Michael Myers are of differing heights. During the UtH tour, I learned that usually they cast 6'4" + actors for Myers, but this year they needed the very tall actors for Demogorgons in Stranger Things. The ending of the movie was easy to miss when exiting the house too. If you need to skip a second house, this is the one I would recommend to miss.
Scare Zones...
The Harvest - 6/10: There's the promo materials for the houses, but those are out to view during the day. The actors are cool, but there's not a whole lot here.
Vamp '85 - 8/10: Loved the interaction with the actors roaming the area. The ball drop is fun too. I love 80's music, so that was a bonus as well.
Killer Klowns from Outer Space - 10/10: I'm a fan of the cheesy movie. This is basically a photo op area, but the actors are into it and it really is fun. It's small, but we spent a lot of time here watching and interacting. Not scary at all, but it's just plain fun.
Twisted Traditions - 7/10: It's a beautiful zone, much akin to the Trick 'r Treat zone here last year. Not a whole lot of actors, but it is a great sight.
Chucky - 6/10: The actors roaming the zone are interesting, and there are a few set pieces to look at. The main attraction though is an insult show by Chucky. The show is dependent on the people interacting with Chucky, but there are some regular show elements too.
AoV Show - 6/10: I'm glad I saw it, but it's not really my thing. The chance to sit a while was surely welcome, though.
Overall, this might be the best HHN I have been to. Attendance is up and lines are long. I'm sure we'll be hit with a big price increase next year. We didn't notice drunk behavior, but we did see some teens being jerks. The reports from scare actors being harassed and assaulted is very disturbing, so I hope that will be addressed. Everyone needs to heed the immortal words "Be excellent to each other."
Looking forward to HHN 29!
Houses (from left to right around the park)...
Stranger Things - 9/10 - 3 visits: I'm a big fan of the show, and the level of detail here is great. In three trips through the house, we saw almost everything. We never had a perfect run, which is reflected in the 9/10 rating. I highly recommend going here first, since the lines get ridiculous. We even went against usual protocol and used express right away. The cast, costumes, and sets are amazing. Pro tip: press the elevator button in the first scene and look in the elevator.
Carnival Graveyard - 10/10 - 3 visits: The sets are great, and the scares are great. There are 2 very visible buttons to press. Do press them, but the results are variable. There's a lot of set pieces that will be known to Universal and HHN aficionados.
Scary Tales - 10/10 - 3 visits: Amazing sets and costumes. There are a couple of sights that are luck dependent, but we finally saw them all. Two of the scented rooms were potent, but the third scented room was muted (during our UtH tour, we learned that they toned it down since the scent from Exorcist stuck around for a very, very long time).
Poltergeist - 10/10 - 3 visits: Another home run. It's a bit abstract at times, but the house is great. I was disappointed that the steak did not crawl during our runs, and we now know that a clown scare was altered after the first week, but it was still there (in still form).
Blumhouse 2 - 5/10 - 1 visit: I think it is an ok house. Not spectacular, but the actors were into it during my run. If you are a big fan of either movie, then be sure to visit this house. If you need to skip a house due to time, this is the one to skip.
Slaughter Sinema - 7/10 - 2 visits: I really like the idea and the execution of this house... from what I saw. There were a couple of "movies" that I never saw any action. It's a fun, light romp through a bunch of fictional B movies. I'd gladly welcome a Slaughter Sinema 2 in the future.
Dead Extinction - 10/10 - 2 visits: This is a dark house house with a lot of strobe lighting. It might be the most intense house this year. My first run was good, not great; however, my second run was a perfect run and was phenomenal. Lots and lots of good scares in here. I recommend not doing this house in the daylight unless you wear sunglasses before entering, since the house is so dark.
Seeds of Extinction - 8/10 - 2 visits: This is another dark house, and the theme is pretty cool. Again, I recommend sunglasses before entering if going through before dark. The scares are very well hidden and effective.
Trick 'r Treat - 10/10 - 3 visits: Love the movie and love the house. Sam appears a lot in the house (background and foreground). The werewolf is sometimes easy to miss, so be on the lookout for it. When entering the house at the beginning, be sure to look up the stairs.
Halloween 4 - 6/10 - 2 visits: The movie is ok, and the house is ok. You'll notice the (very abundant) Michael Myers are of differing heights. During the UtH tour, I learned that usually they cast 6'4" + actors for Myers, but this year they needed the very tall actors for Demogorgons in Stranger Things. The ending of the movie was easy to miss when exiting the house too. If you need to skip a second house, this is the one I would recommend to miss.
Scare Zones...
The Harvest - 6/10: There's the promo materials for the houses, but those are out to view during the day. The actors are cool, but there's not a whole lot here.
Vamp '85 - 8/10: Loved the interaction with the actors roaming the area. The ball drop is fun too. I love 80's music, so that was a bonus as well.
Killer Klowns from Outer Space - 10/10: I'm a fan of the cheesy movie. This is basically a photo op area, but the actors are into it and it really is fun. It's small, but we spent a lot of time here watching and interacting. Not scary at all, but it's just plain fun.
Twisted Traditions - 7/10: It's a beautiful zone, much akin to the Trick 'r Treat zone here last year. Not a whole lot of actors, but it is a great sight.
Chucky - 6/10: The actors roaming the zone are interesting, and there are a few set pieces to look at. The main attraction though is an insult show by Chucky. The show is dependent on the people interacting with Chucky, but there are some regular show elements too.
AoV Show - 6/10: I'm glad I saw it, but it's not really my thing. The chance to sit a while was surely welcome, though.
Overall, this might be the best HHN I have been to. Attendance is up and lines are long. I'm sure we'll be hit with a big price increase next year. We didn't notice drunk behavior, but we did see some teens being jerks. The reports from scare actors being harassed and assaulted is very disturbing, so I hope that will be addressed. Everyone needs to heed the immortal words "Be excellent to each other."
Looking forward to HHN 29!
yulilin3
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Nov 1, 2007
My DDs teacher and a group from school went this past Sunday and it was ridiculously packed. Most of them got a one day only ticket for this event. By around 11pm they decided to call it a night since it was so crowded, went to Guest Relations to vent their frustrations and received one day park tickets good for a year. I think they might have too start considering some sort of cap on this event, I'm sure it's hard without knowing how many people with frequent fear passes will go on any specific night
My DD her BF and I are going tonight, we will be there early but no stay and scream since they don't have a day ticket. My DD last houses that she wants to do is Halloween and Slaughter Sinema so it should be easily done in an hour or two (fingers crossed)
My DD her BF and I are going tonight, we will be there early but no stay and scream since they don't have a day ticket. My DD last houses that she wants to do is Halloween and Slaughter Sinema so it should be easily done in an hour or two (fingers crossed)
schumigirl
It's a bit of a roodie doodie word for lady parts
- Joined
- May 15, 2007
Just a few random thoughts about this years event...……
Tickets...…..Rush of Fear with Express Pass.
Still a fabulous buy for the first 3 weeks of the event. We could have gone 12 nights this year.
Houses...……
Stranger Things...…….I was glad we had watched the show, as it was pretty honest towards the show. Many things were recognizable from the show and the SA were quite realistic to the characters. A few good jumps but not over the top. We timed it badly here on 3 occasions and missed a lot, but the visits we got it right it was good.
Poltergeist...…..one of the highlight houses this year...….we loved the freezing cold rain as you entered the swimming pol scene, but it was missing on later visits.....good scares, but the smell of the smoke effect choked me very time we went in. Thought some of the later scenes were a little unrealistic, but got a few good scares in here. It varied a lot from night to night and a few effects were missing on each night we went.
Dead Exposure......Didn't do this due to strobe lighting.
Carnival Graveyard...…..Loved this house. It was fun and I was scared a lot of times!! Definitely a house to pay attention in for remnants of past universal objects...….this house was the same every time we did it and was always a high standard.
Blumhouse……..Could do better. Nothing particularly special about either house in there, but the Purge was especially poor for us....not fans at all. SA could have been better in Happy Death Day too.
Seeds of Extinction...…...Hated this house...….genuinely hated it. Although I did like the angled floor but that was about it...….did not do it again. And a ridiculously long walk!!!
Trick r Treat...…...Loved this house!!! So true to the movie, and lots of good scares and as imprint has said above, look up the stairs just after you enter.....it`s fab if you time it right!! Plenty of Sams and plenty of scares...…..and plenty of scenery to take in.
Scary Tales...…..one of the best this year. I wasn't sure about this one before the event, but it was a classic. Not scary, but very beautifully done and again, plenty to take in from sights to smells. Wouldn't miss this one at all!!!
Slaughter Sinema……..we really enjoyed this one too. But, it wasn't as good as we imagined.....and it varied a lot over several nights...….but still, it was good......not the best review you`ll ever read here, but, not sure what to say really.
Halloween 4...…...this is my personal favourite…….but fully agree it`s not the best house......and I also said it`s not even the best Halloween house they have ever done. But, it works for me...…...it was interesting to read imprint say above they like Michaels to be tall......for me the original scary Michael wasn't very big at all.....he was quite slight actually...….so he doesn't need to be tall for me. Later ones were larger all over of course. But, the house itself we were incredibly lucky with......we seemed to time it spectacularly well to get almost every Michael there was...…..it was recognizable from the movie in parts, but you didn't need to have seen this one.
Scare Zones.
The Harvest...…. Relatively poor...….the stilt characters were the best thing about this zone.
Vamp85...….one of the best zones they have had for years!!! So much fun!!!! Loved the theme and the characters were fabulous posing for pictures and engaging with you....in and out of character which I love!!!
Killer Klowns……..This grew on me...….wasn't sure at first, but it was just pure fun.
Twisted Tradition...…...Not enough character interaction this year. Pretty zone but lacked a lot of scares, or any scares. Last year when it was Trick r Treat it was amazing, so while we enjoyed it as visually it is lovely, could do better.
Revenge of Chucky...…...total waste of time.
Chainsaw people...…..time to get rid of these.
AOV...…...watched it once, that was enough. It was decent, but a shadow of the first year.
This was a good year overall. Much better than last year. But, it still lacked something.
Scare Zones and houses didn`t seem very scary...….and scare zones actually weren't scary at all. Past years we have been scared from one side of the park to the other...…..Killer Klowns and an insulting Chucky just doesn't cut it...…..
Crowds were awful most nights apart from the first Wednesday, but with EP that wasn't an issue. I thanked the people that didn't buy EP every night we were there. We had very little in the way of waits for any houses and with the heat that was a blessing.
Didn't see any drunken behavior at all, but so many children of varying ages, and so many that were very young, weeks old in some cases. Strollers and toddlers were more abundant than any year I can remember. Universal needs to do something about this and enforce an age limit.
Was this the best year ever for us? Sadly no. We enjoyed it, but it needs to go back to actually scaring us again......our favourite years are still 2007/2008......it was fun but so many scares at the same time.
I should add we were as always struck by the quality of SA again...….whether or not you like the house or zone, they put so much effort and love into their roles every night......they do an tremendous job and I admire every one of them. It was horrifying to read some of them being attacked, whether it be verbally or physically...….
It may sound as though we didn't enjoy it, we really did, it was a huge amount of fun...….and already looking forward to next year!!!
Tickets...…..Rush of Fear with Express Pass.
Still a fabulous buy for the first 3 weeks of the event. We could have gone 12 nights this year.
Houses...……
Stranger Things...…….I was glad we had watched the show, as it was pretty honest towards the show. Many things were recognizable from the show and the SA were quite realistic to the characters. A few good jumps but not over the top. We timed it badly here on 3 occasions and missed a lot, but the visits we got it right it was good.
Poltergeist...…..one of the highlight houses this year...….we loved the freezing cold rain as you entered the swimming pol scene, but it was missing on later visits.....good scares, but the smell of the smoke effect choked me very time we went in. Thought some of the later scenes were a little unrealistic, but got a few good scares in here. It varied a lot from night to night and a few effects were missing on each night we went.
Dead Exposure......Didn't do this due to strobe lighting.
Carnival Graveyard...…..Loved this house. It was fun and I was scared a lot of times!! Definitely a house to pay attention in for remnants of past universal objects...….this house was the same every time we did it and was always a high standard.
Blumhouse……..Could do better. Nothing particularly special about either house in there, but the Purge was especially poor for us....not fans at all. SA could have been better in Happy Death Day too.
Seeds of Extinction...…...Hated this house...….genuinely hated it. Although I did like the angled floor but that was about it...….did not do it again. And a ridiculously long walk!!!
Trick r Treat...…...Loved this house!!! So true to the movie, and lots of good scares and as imprint has said above, look up the stairs just after you enter.....it`s fab if you time it right!! Plenty of Sams and plenty of scares...…..and plenty of scenery to take in.
Scary Tales...…..one of the best this year. I wasn't sure about this one before the event, but it was a classic. Not scary, but very beautifully done and again, plenty to take in from sights to smells. Wouldn't miss this one at all!!!
Slaughter Sinema……..we really enjoyed this one too. But, it wasn't as good as we imagined.....and it varied a lot over several nights...….but still, it was good......not the best review you`ll ever read here, but, not sure what to say really.
Halloween 4...…...this is my personal favourite…….but fully agree it`s not the best house......and I also said it`s not even the best Halloween house they have ever done. But, it works for me...…...it was interesting to read imprint say above they like Michaels to be tall......for me the original scary Michael wasn't very big at all.....he was quite slight actually...….so he doesn't need to be tall for me. Later ones were larger all over of course. But, the house itself we were incredibly lucky with......we seemed to time it spectacularly well to get almost every Michael there was...…..it was recognizable from the movie in parts, but you didn't need to have seen this one.
Scare Zones.
The Harvest...…. Relatively poor...….the stilt characters were the best thing about this zone.
Vamp85...….one of the best zones they have had for years!!! So much fun!!!! Loved the theme and the characters were fabulous posing for pictures and engaging with you....in and out of character which I love!!!
Killer Klowns……..This grew on me...….wasn't sure at first, but it was just pure fun.
Twisted Tradition...…...Not enough character interaction this year. Pretty zone but lacked a lot of scares, or any scares. Last year when it was Trick r Treat it was amazing, so while we enjoyed it as visually it is lovely, could do better.
Revenge of Chucky...…...total waste of time.
Chainsaw people...…..time to get rid of these.
AOV...…...watched it once, that was enough. It was decent, but a shadow of the first year.
This was a good year overall. Much better than last year. But, it still lacked something.
Scare Zones and houses didn`t seem very scary...….and scare zones actually weren't scary at all. Past years we have been scared from one side of the park to the other...…..Killer Klowns and an insulting Chucky just doesn't cut it...…..
Crowds were awful most nights apart from the first Wednesday, but with EP that wasn't an issue. I thanked the people that didn't buy EP every night we were there. We had very little in the way of waits for any houses and with the heat that was a blessing.
Didn't see any drunken behavior at all, but so many children of varying ages, and so many that were very young, weeks old in some cases. Strollers and toddlers were more abundant than any year I can remember. Universal needs to do something about this and enforce an age limit.
Was this the best year ever for us? Sadly no. We enjoyed it, but it needs to go back to actually scaring us again......our favourite years are still 2007/2008......it was fun but so many scares at the same time.
I should add we were as always struck by the quality of SA again...….whether or not you like the house or zone, they put so much effort and love into their roles every night......they do an tremendous job and I admire every one of them. It was horrifying to read some of them being attacked, whether it be verbally or physically...….
It may sound as though we didn't enjoy it, we really did, it was a huge amount of fun...….and already looking forward to next year!!!
casperthegm
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 27, 2010
I have a question, if anybody has any insight to offer.
We'll be attending next Thursday and Friday, hitting the parks during the day and waiting in the pens for early admission (stay and scream), no express passes. Both days will be busy, but we figure Thursday will be a bit better, so we plan on hitting the houses toward the front of the park that evening, starting with Stranger Things. Someone mentioned the holding pen behind or next to Finnegan's. It sounds like this is where we'd want to be in order to get to Stranger Things quickly. We have stayed and the Hello Kitty pen before and that seems to be just as close, if not closer to Stranger things. Can someone provide some details on the Finnegan's pen and confirm that this one is preferable to the Hello Kitty waiting area, as far as getting to Stranger Things quickly?
We'll be attending next Thursday and Friday, hitting the parks during the day and waiting in the pens for early admission (stay and scream), no express passes. Both days will be busy, but we figure Thursday will be a bit better, so we plan on hitting the houses toward the front of the park that evening, starting with Stranger Things. Someone mentioned the holding pen behind or next to Finnegan's. It sounds like this is where we'd want to be in order to get to Stranger Things quickly. We have stayed and the Hello Kitty pen before and that seems to be just as close, if not closer to Stranger things. Can someone provide some details on the Finnegan's pen and confirm that this one is preferable to the Hello Kitty waiting area, as far as getting to Stranger Things quickly?
tony67
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 22, 2003
Totally agree - I sure hope they dont get rid of this next year - but with how busy it was this year, most likely season 2 of Stranger Things and possibly starting earlier I am concerned
I did the behind the scenes day tour and I guess netflix was very involved in picking the pope and they had to look like the characters - they may have only had one of each of some of them - so you did not always see all the boys on the same walk through
This was made even tougher since they have to be 18 or over - women ended up playing a few of the boys
Also for eleven they had a real hard time finding some who looked like her, was over 18 and would shave their head
When this one was on it was great - but most of the times I did this people were missing or did not "perform" (dont want to give any spoilers)
Texan
<font color=red>No extra charge for the Tag Fairy
- Joined
- Sep 29, 2002
If it wasn't for the awesome posters here I would not have known where to go at Finnegan's SS; there is a side street behind it that has the metal gates all around it; you line up on this side street; we got there at 4:00 and there already people there; I confirmed with a worker near the area this was for ST; he said yes, left for ST, right for Potergeist. So, look for the side street behind Finnegans, you will be facing The Mummy. They will release your metal gate around 5:30 and it is a mad house; beware; people were acting so dumb and trying to run by you.
RAPstar
Proud Redhead
- Joined
- Feb 1, 2008
We just finished our HHN tonight. Busy but not crazy. Some rowdiness but didn’t really see young kids. We did Stay and Scream in Springfield. Did Slaughter cinema, Blumhouse, Seeds, Dead Exposure and MIB in less than 2 hours. Then started using our Express Pass. We were able to do all the other houses, scare zones and academy of villains. No other rides. Left about 11pm. Pro tip: consider the Springfield stay and scream area. Felt like we had HHN to ourselves for the first hour or so.
crostorfer
Gryffindor Gal
- Joined
- Mar 29, 2008
I just checked the app to see what the wait time are tonight, (Saturday, sold out event).
Wow.
The longest wait at 9pm EST is Stranger Things at 2 and a half hours. The shortest is Seeds at 55 minutes. It's 65 minutes for Fast and Furious, 60 for the Rip Ride Rocket, 40 for Gringotts.
Wow.
The longest wait at 9pm EST is Stranger Things at 2 and a half hours. The shortest is Seeds at 55 minutes. It's 65 minutes for Fast and Furious, 60 for the Rip Ride Rocket, 40 for Gringotts.
Wow. Longest wait we saw for ST last night (Friday the 19th) was 105 minutes. Avoid Saturday I guess.
justcin711
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Jan 10, 2012
We did not have express but we got through 6 houses and all the scare zones. We left around 10 when it started getting busy. Going back tomorrow.
yulilin3
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Nov 1, 2007
This past Friday's experience:
Got to UO parking lot around 4:30pm avoided all the crazy traffic. Quick stop at Moe's for chips and queso and another stop at the bar in front of voodoo for a drink while we waited.
Got in line at around 5pm, not bad at all
They let us in at 6:10 and we went straight for Halloween since it was one of our priorities, was informed the house wouldn't open until 6:30 which was fine with us.
After went to Poltergeist walt time posted was 45 actual wait was 30.
Slaughter Sinema next, posted wait was 40 actual was 20
Seeds of extinction posted wait was 55 actual was 25.
We called it a night and were back in the car by 10pm
Call that a successful night. We're going back on the 30th to do some of our favorites, plans are to stay until the end and be there Halloween morning
Got to UO parking lot around 4:30pm avoided all the crazy traffic. Quick stop at Moe's for chips and queso and another stop at the bar in front of voodoo for a drink while we waited.
Got in line at around 5pm, not bad at all
They let us in at 6:10 and we went straight for Halloween since it was one of our priorities, was informed the house wouldn't open until 6:30 which was fine with us.
After went to Poltergeist walt time posted was 45 actual wait was 30.
Slaughter Sinema next, posted wait was 40 actual was 20
Seeds of extinction posted wait was 55 actual was 25.
We called it a night and were back in the car by 10pm
Call that a successful night. We're going back on the 30th to do some of our favorites, plans are to stay until the end and be there Halloween morning
PrincessTiannaLove
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 18, 2013
I have a few things to add & a bit about Scare Actor dining THIS year, as info for that was quite limited in my opinion, plus my opinions as a first timer who took kids (yes, I was the jerk!)! ;-)
We had 5:15pm ressies for Scare Actors Wednesday the 17th. My kids have done Haunted Houses in Denver & loved them, and second being so far away, I'm not sure when our next vacation will include USO, and I always want to experience everything that we can. If we only made it through 1 or 2 houses, and the kids had some interaction w the Scare Actors at dinner, then I would call it a successful evening.
We arrived at USO about 330pm, about 1.5hour later than I would have liked. However, lines to get in were minimal, which I was very worried about. We got in and went towards Simpson Land, as we missed most of it the evening before. We immediately ran into Beetlejuice, and I was more than excited. No line for pictures, he was great. Very funny.
Did Simpsons w 20min wait, had my Flaming Moe sat for a bit bc it was screaming hot & then walked back around towards Monsters about 445pm.
They did not give anyone wristbands, but they were scanning tickets to get into the holding areas. We walked past Bennys, the holding pen to the right of that was already mostly full, had to get someone to open the gate to let us through to the entrance of Monsters Cafe. We got there, gave them our tickets & they put us to the left of the waiting area outside, the 5pm group was to the right, already lined up. Igor came blazing by, gave everyone a laugh & 5pm went in about 455pm. They then let our "group" go to line up. As we were one of the last families to check in for our time, we were in front of the "group" as everyone else had stood back in the shade & sat down to wait. We had one older couple who pushed past us to get in front of us to be front in line. And then a family behind us in line was obviously annoyed with us too. To be fair, I didn't know that is how it would work, and we checked in closer to our originally time. But I could tell then that this was going to be feast or famine! Hahah
We waited in line for out turn to go in, FOR. EVER. In the direct sun. My husband was dripping sweat, I was melting (and I rarely complain about the heat) it was brutal. We got past 515pm & at 520pm a CM came over and said at 530pm they would start taking us over to ST OR Poltergeist when we were finished eating. I wasn't quite sure what that meant, but it sent me into a small panic. We hadn't even started eating, 530pm was pretty early to start lining up, when would they open the pens, ahhhhhh. Right about then they opened the doors and we went in. Game plan was to load up the trays & plates with as much as we wanted to eat or try, so we didn't have to wait in line for 2nds or waste time. We got sat towards the left side in a half round booth, which was good as the SA seemed to be coming from the left. We sat & started shoveling in food. Sam was playing a lot w my kids, peeking over the wall, super cute. The Purge lady came and sat down & did some fun stuff to my daughter (huge Purge fan here so I was thrilled!) & my son stood to take a picture.
Igor then jumped onto the booth bench, behind my son & next to me. BEST thing ever. He sat w us for almost 4 or 5mins & just talked to us & played with the kids. Super funny & he def made me jump (almost never happens). We had kids go to the bathroom, in case we were in line for 2hours, which worked well-there was no lines inside the cafe.
We got a little interaction w the Witch from ST, Sam took pictures w us, and the Vampire never stopped for us, but did make my kids jump a few times. At that time the CM came back around to tell us the line was open for "us" over at ST when we were finished. We asked her what that meant exactly, and she said that they would take us over to the line. I asked about the regular gates opening and she said oh no, that is still 6pm. And then I asked about the holding pens & she said something about we would get in line with the first holding pen. Whatever, it seemed like we wouldn't be just let loose & that it was actually in our favor that we did the dining. But-I wasn't taking any chances. So we finished shoveling food in our mouths, grabbed a couple cookies & a full drink each (hindsight, was a terrible idea), threw a $20 on the table & ran out. We walked out towards the left & the line of people in front from the pens walking into the queue was long, but moving. No running, people were lined up orderly.
We asked a CM about the "line" for SA dining, and a CM w a headset (nicely dressed, not just a kid or whatever) walked us over to the entrance of the line, and let us right in, basically merging into the line. BRILLIANT. Best guess were, we walked out of Monsters right about 550pm, and when we stopped for the first time in the line & I looked at my phone it was 552pm. Husband had seen the board that said wait was at 70mins as we got in line.
So, after I had time to reflect, I think it ended up being a good option. Food was buffet food, but I thought it was pretty good. They had several choices, mostly fresh & plenty seasoned. When I went back to grab cookies, there was no line at all for 2nds. The CM was like yes yes yes take a drink, take some more cookies, very nice.
I probably would have slowed down just a smidge when it came to eating, or tried to get the 500pm time, so that we had a full 30mins at least to eat & see the SA.
And to me, it was def worth it to sit inside with AC to wait & have a quick bite, plus bathrooms to use before we jumped in line.
From time we entered Cafe to time we jumped in line, I would say it was about 30mins total.
We had 5:15pm ressies for Scare Actors Wednesday the 17th. My kids have done Haunted Houses in Denver & loved them, and second being so far away, I'm not sure when our next vacation will include USO, and I always want to experience everything that we can. If we only made it through 1 or 2 houses, and the kids had some interaction w the Scare Actors at dinner, then I would call it a successful evening.
We arrived at USO about 330pm, about 1.5hour later than I would have liked. However, lines to get in were minimal, which I was very worried about. We got in and went towards Simpson Land, as we missed most of it the evening before. We immediately ran into Beetlejuice, and I was more than excited. No line for pictures, he was great. Very funny.
Did Simpsons w 20min wait, had my Flaming Moe sat for a bit bc it was screaming hot & then walked back around towards Monsters about 445pm.
They did not give anyone wristbands, but they were scanning tickets to get into the holding areas. We walked past Bennys, the holding pen to the right of that was already mostly full, had to get someone to open the gate to let us through to the entrance of Monsters Cafe. We got there, gave them our tickets & they put us to the left of the waiting area outside, the 5pm group was to the right, already lined up. Igor came blazing by, gave everyone a laugh & 5pm went in about 455pm. They then let our "group" go to line up. As we were one of the last families to check in for our time, we were in front of the "group" as everyone else had stood back in the shade & sat down to wait. We had one older couple who pushed past us to get in front of us to be front in line. And then a family behind us in line was obviously annoyed with us too. To be fair, I didn't know that is how it would work, and we checked in closer to our originally time. But I could tell then that this was going to be feast or famine! Hahah
We waited in line for out turn to go in, FOR. EVER. In the direct sun. My husband was dripping sweat, I was melting (and I rarely complain about the heat) it was brutal. We got past 515pm & at 520pm a CM came over and said at 530pm they would start taking us over to ST OR Poltergeist when we were finished eating. I wasn't quite sure what that meant, but it sent me into a small panic. We hadn't even started eating, 530pm was pretty early to start lining up, when would they open the pens, ahhhhhh. Right about then they opened the doors and we went in. Game plan was to load up the trays & plates with as much as we wanted to eat or try, so we didn't have to wait in line for 2nds or waste time. We got sat towards the left side in a half round booth, which was good as the SA seemed to be coming from the left. We sat & started shoveling in food. Sam was playing a lot w my kids, peeking over the wall, super cute. The Purge lady came and sat down & did some fun stuff to my daughter (huge Purge fan here so I was thrilled!) & my son stood to take a picture.
Igor then jumped onto the booth bench, behind my son & next to me. BEST thing ever. He sat w us for almost 4 or 5mins & just talked to us & played with the kids. Super funny & he def made me jump (almost never happens). We had kids go to the bathroom, in case we were in line for 2hours, which worked well-there was no lines inside the cafe.
We got a little interaction w the Witch from ST, Sam took pictures w us, and the Vampire never stopped for us, but did make my kids jump a few times. At that time the CM came back around to tell us the line was open for "us" over at ST when we were finished. We asked her what that meant exactly, and she said that they would take us over to the line. I asked about the regular gates opening and she said oh no, that is still 6pm. And then I asked about the holding pens & she said something about we would get in line with the first holding pen. Whatever, it seemed like we wouldn't be just let loose & that it was actually in our favor that we did the dining. But-I wasn't taking any chances. So we finished shoveling food in our mouths, grabbed a couple cookies & a full drink each (hindsight, was a terrible idea), threw a $20 on the table & ran out. We walked out towards the left & the line of people in front from the pens walking into the queue was long, but moving. No running, people were lined up orderly.
We asked a CM about the "line" for SA dining, and a CM w a headset (nicely dressed, not just a kid or whatever) walked us over to the entrance of the line, and let us right in, basically merging into the line. BRILLIANT. Best guess were, we walked out of Monsters right about 550pm, and when we stopped for the first time in the line & I looked at my phone it was 552pm. Husband had seen the board that said wait was at 70mins as we got in line.
So, after I had time to reflect, I think it ended up being a good option. Food was buffet food, but I thought it was pretty good. They had several choices, mostly fresh & plenty seasoned. When I went back to grab cookies, there was no line at all for 2nds. The CM was like yes yes yes take a drink, take some more cookies, very nice.
I probably would have slowed down just a smidge when it came to eating, or tried to get the 500pm time, so that we had a full 30mins at least to eat & see the SA.
And to me, it was def worth it to sit inside with AC to wait & have a quick bite, plus bathrooms to use before we jumped in line.
From time we entered Cafe to time we jumped in line, I would say it was about 30mins total.
motown21
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Oct 18, 2012
Has anyone gone to HHN the Saturday before Halloween? How are the crowds?
I know when I worked at Howl O Scream at Busch Gardens the crowds the weekend before Halloween were lighter because of events and parties happeneing in Downtown Tampa, but I haven’t experienced HHN at that time.
I know when I worked at Howl O Scream at Busch Gardens the crowds the weekend before Halloween were lighter because of events and parties happeneing in Downtown Tampa, but I haven’t experienced HHN at that time.
Share this page
GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE
Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.
Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!
Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.
Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!
