Official 2023 Halloween Horror Nights 32 (Orlando)

[djmeredith]

I’m here know as well. Agree it was a disorganized mess at open. We lined up on the hotel guest queue with about 100 others, and waited until it was clear no one was at the entry. I went to the main gates to ask and no one seemed to know if they were going to use that, despite there being a big sign directing people there.

But a bigger concern is what seems to be a massive oversell of EPs. I’m in that line for the Oddfellow house with what appears to be over 1000 others - just for this one. The posted standby wait is 75 minutes and we’re at 25 already in Express, nowhere near the merge, barely moving.

On a more positive note the houses so far have all been great.

We have EP as well and the Last of Us was about 30 minutes when standby was 90. There do seem to be more people in EP line this year. We have been through 4 houses so far. We stopped to eat and rest now, but about to rally and push through the rest.

I have been taking screen shots of wait times throughout the night. The data is slow here tonight so I’ll try to post those later so people can get an idea of how wait times jumped and tended throughout the night.

 

[spewey]

Ok we bailed on that house after 45 minutes in the so-called express line. 100s followed us ; I asked a TM if there was an issue and she said not that she knew of. I suggested to staff at the entrance to check to see if why they stopped letting people in and she just stared blankly at me. Oh well off to Last of Us, fingers crossed.

 

[macraven]

I will be waiting up to see what pictures you will post! djmere..etc

 

[spewey]

We have EP as well and the Last of Us was about 30 minutes when standby was 90. There do seem to be more people in EP line this year. We have been through 4 houses so far. We stopped to eat and rest now, but about to rally and push through the rest.

I have been taking screen shots of wait times throughout the night. The data is slow here tonight so I’ll try to post those later so people can get an idea of how wait times jumped and tended throughout the night.

30 I’ll take. But still seems like at least 1000 people in this EP queue, which has to mean UO sells, what, close to 10000 EPS a night? That can’t be right …

 

[Skippyboo]

I am sort of glad I am not going until 2 weeks from now. Let them work out the kinks of line operations.

 

[Lynne G]

Very crowded and oh so muggy after the rain left. And the chainsaws are back. Some pictures from tonight:





If you did not have express, saw most of the houses were over an hour wait, with stranger things the worse, at over a 2 hour wait for stand by, regular line. Did notice they were still advertising public tours when I first got there around 8:30. So if you are hoping to joining last minute, still possible.

They asked for surveys on way out. I did one. All about your enjoyment of your time at HHN.

And so, now back at my hotel and ready to pack up, as we leave tomorrow night.

Hope to see some of you in the fog at the last 2 weeks of this month.

 

[macraven]

Lynne
Did you see any of the shows?
Or were the lines too packed?

 

[Skywalker3]

Looking forward to hearing about all of the houses and scare zones. Last year I tracked wait times the best I could before our trip, but they were even longer than expected. This will be our first year with express. People can add express to their multi-night , rush of fear passes, so not not sure how Universal really plans for that. I wouldn’t think they’d ever have any idea ahead of time how many people will show up / be using express.
Can’t wait ti read everyone’s experiences!!! Hope everyone has a great time tonight.

 

[Lynne G]

Mac, waiting for shows when little one comes with he one time when we are there in 2 weeks.

Sky, some wait times around 9:30 tonight:
Stranger things was at 115 minutes,
Exorcist 75 minutes
Dueling Dragons, 50 minutes
Odd Fellow. 75 minutes
Chucky 85 minutes

 

[Lynne G]

Oh and they had a photo op across from train station, just me:


And some more of the night:

 

[spewey]

Looking forward to hearing about all of the houses and scare zones. Last year I tracked wait times the best I could before our trip, but they were even longer than expected. This will be our first year with express. People can add express to their multi-night , rush of fear passes, so not not sure how Universal really plans for that. I wouldn’t think they’d ever have any idea ahead of time how many people will show up / be using express.
Can’t wait ti read everyone’s experiences!!! Hope everyone has a great time tonight.

Ok that makes sense about not being able to control how many EPs show up any given night.

Given the chaos we’ve done alright tonight. Knew going in what we’d face as it is the opening; we’re about to call it, and in about 5 hours we managed 7 houses (and bailed on one) plus all the scare zones with a nice sit down dinner at Finnegans. No need to kill ourselves as we do have a non private RIP tour tomorrow.

 

[spewey]

Other thoughts from two adults and two teenage girls:

- most pleasant surprise - Yeti.
- best use of theme - Chucky
- lived up to the hype - Exorcist
- did not live up to the hype - Last of Us
- best casting - Stranger Things (otherwise just ok IMHO)

Scare zones were all a blast. Honourable mention goes to getting a table at Finnegans with no wait at all.

 

[tony67]

Here now for opening night and it is a CLUSTER! We were told 4 or 5 different things here at the NY star and scream by Fallon. There was a line to get into the stay and scream line. They then made us get out of that line and told us to go to the other waiting areas. The way they sent us was blocked so everybody had to turn around. It was starting to storm. So we decided to duck into Fallon where there is ac and let that stay and scream mess play out. Then we will head to the back of the park first. What a mess! I haven’t been to opening night before. Maybe it’s always this way. But I was here nights 2 and 3 last year and it was already a well oiled machine in the Central Park star and scream.

I’m here know as well. Agree it was a disorganized mess at open. We lined up on the hotel guest queue with about 100 others, and waited until it was clear no one was at the entry. I went to the main gates to ask and no one seemed to know if they were going to use that, despite there being a big sign directing people there.

But a bigger concern is what seems to be a massive oversell of EPs. I’m in that line for the Oddfellow house with what appears to be over 1000 others - just for this one. The posted standby wait is 75 minutes and we’re at 25 already in Express, nowhere near the merge, barely moving.

On a more positive note the houses so far have all been great.

Yeah its seems like the weather was a big factor.

I've been to opening night before and never had issues.
Seems like the folks at today cafe were held for a very long time and the folks at ny were already through houses.

If I had paid for stay and scream id be pretty unhappy based on what I saw.

 

[keishashadow]

I’m here know as well. Agree it was a disorganized mess at open. We lined up on the hotel guest queue with about 100 others, and waited until it was clear no one was at the entry. I went to the main gates to ask and no one seemed to know if they were going to use that, despite there being a big sign directing people there.

Oy

We have EP as well and the Last of Us was about 30 minutes when standby was 90. There do seem to be more people in EP line this year.

So, u got thru standby in 30 min vs EP stated wait of 90? Double oy

I am sort of glad I am not going until 2 weeks from now. Let them work out the kinks of line operations.

We r up next Thursday.

Hope they get a bit more organized by then

I had paid for stay and scream id be pretty unhappy based on what I saw.

110%. I imagine the complaint line at GS was huge

 

[spewey]

Our experience with EP was a bit all over the map. At Exorcist there was a posted 30 minute standby line and we basically walked on with Express (albeit near open): Bloodmoon was similar with 45 standby/5 EP.

The other express lines seemed to be a consistent one third of the posted wait- ie the 90 for Last of Us (definitely not worth that) was about 35 with EP. As I noted above we were in Oddfellow for 45 at a dead stop before bailing so no idea what that would have worked out to - although I have to assume there was some kind of issue with the house to cause that, not that any of the TMs seemed to know anything about that.

The weather was probably the reason they didn’t have the resort gate staffed. Fine - I get that - but then please DO NOT set up a sign directing guests there, and when multiple people tell you about all the folk patiently waiting in the pouring rain to use that entrance, you gotta send someone over there to tell them it won’t be used - which as far as I can tell they never did.

If indeed you can have EP attached for multiple undated nights then it does become impossible for UO to cap them at a given number. I would think that is good news for those going later, as most likely a disproportionate number of people with that would have attended opening night because of the dreaded FOMO, meaning the EP benefit should be better going forward.

 

[keishashadow]

Thot I posted this already

House entrances & exits

 

[shh]

I would think that is good news for those going later, as most likely a disproportionate number of people with that would have attended opening night because of the dreaded FOMO, meaning the EP benefit should be better going forward.

This is also why I vastly prefer Oct to Sept, despite the bigger Oct crowds. The Rush of Fear With Express guests can't use them in Oct and the only other ongoing EP is the MUCH more expensive Frequent Fear With Express. Likely fewer buyers for that, I think?

jmho, but EP is a much better value in Oct. (Slightly lower humidity and rain chances don't hurt either!)

 

[keishashadow]

The weather was probably the reason they didn’t have the resort gate staffed. Fine - I get that - but then please DO NOT set up a sign directing guests there, and when multiple people tell you about all the folk patiently waiting in the pouring rain to use that entrance, you gotta send someone over there to tell them it won’t be used - which as far as I can tell they never did.

I don’t get that, not at all

IMO one of the more important support staff functions of the event

At the very least a sign should’ve been posted the entrance was not open

 

[spewey]

I don’t get that, not at all

IMO one of the more important support staff functions of the event

At the very least a sign should’ve been posted the entrance was not open

From what I heard from the (very nice) TMs over at the main gate was that they pulled staff from the resort gate because of lightning. Totally get that - but no one (even the supervisor they pulled over) could answer whether or not the staff would ever go back.

So I called my family to come join me at the main gate, rather than risk waiting around for nothing. I also heard there was some kind of mix up or something with the holding areas, with one opening early (someone said “by mistake”, letting out some guests but then closing again a few minutes early) with all the others holding until 6:30. If true, the lucky ones that were released had the whole park to themselves for a nice chunk of time. Wonder how much of that is accurate …

 

[soniam]

Yeah its seems like the weather was a big factor.

I've been to opening night before and never had issues.
Seems like the folks at today cafe were held for a very long time and the folks at ny were already through houses.

If I had paid for stay and scream id be pretty unhappy based on what I saw.

That’s what happened some nights last year too, especially opening night. NY is usually let out first. TC isn’t really meant to be an early release area, just a spot to stay inside the park if you couldn’t make it to the other areas before the park sweep. They let us out of NY so early last year, that we couldn’t leave the area yet; they hadn’t opened the park, just the S&S areas.