Halloween Horror Nights 2023 (USH) - Tips, Tricks, & Planning
- Thread starter Brian G.
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I saw chat earlier about different colored wristbands for early entry, is that a thing and what does it mean (i.e. different privileges)?
With RIP (I'm doing one night express + early entry and one RIP) summing up what has been the experience with using the dedicated RIP line when you're not on the tour?
From videos I've seen the Chucky and Monsters have RIP lines, not sure about the rest? I recall Weeknd (now ST) and Killer Klownz (now HiH) also did last year.
With RIP (I'm doing one night express + early entry and one RIP) summing up what has been the experience with using the dedicated RIP line when you're not on the tour?
From videos I've seen the Chucky and Monsters have RIP lines, not sure about the rest? I recall Weeknd (now ST) and Killer Klownz (now HiH) also did last year.
- Oct 9, 2016
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I'm pretty sure they have separate colors daily for Early Entry, 2pm entry, General Entry, and RIP tours, just so operations call tell at a glance and know if someone is somewhere they arent supposed to be or something. Outside of indicating the time you're let in to the park the wristbands do absolutely nothing, besides distinguishing you from the day guests as theyre flushed out of the park.
As far as I can remember, every house has a separate RIP line from express and general, and I saw plenty of people using it without their tour guides, they just needed their RIP tickets ready like you would with express.
It varies depending on the night. I got it on opening night and it was $112. I believe other prices for other nights were quoted in this thread. As the season goes on I would expect it to get more expensive.
So from what I gather day night combos and Passholders/full day ticket holders who specifically buy the early 5pm early access can wait inside the park but all the other 5pm early access people have to wait at the gates? And then the rest of hhn crowd gets in at 6 or 630?. It seems like it would be a huge advantage to be on the lower lot already at 5 given how limited that crowd would be compared to Orlando where everyone can get into stay and scream with seemingly no real cap and Passholders don't have to pay extra.
Did anyone who bought early entry this weekend notice a ton of holes in the EA mazes this weekend as well or was it less noticeable? I know it was an issue last weekend, and I think it's ridiculous that it was as bad as it was considering you now have to pay for EA. I totally understand that sometimes you're not going to be able to cast all the gaps but you think it would be more of a priority for the mazes that open first, and then fill in the rest after Terror Tram closes. However, if it was a fluke then that's a good sign.
Originally I was firmly against paying for it as a boycott as silly as it seems. Unfortunately, EA is still vital to finishing all the houses in one night without breaking the bank, and it's not unreasonably priced. It's still somewhat frustrating having to pay for it, but it really saves you from how oversold the event is now. I recommend it, just need the houses to be open fully a bit more...
Originally I was firmly against paying for it as a boycott as silly as it seems. Unfortunately, EA is still vital to finishing all the houses in one night without breaking the bank, and it's not unreasonably priced. It's still somewhat frustrating having to pay for it, but it really saves you from how oversold the event is now. I recommend it, just need the houses to be open fully a bit more...
- Jun 27, 2017
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Stranger things had a few actors missing from my first go, the second time everyone was there. Last of Us had most actors my first go then my second go it had a few less people (no joel with the motive cocktail for one)
- May 26, 2010
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Sadly not a fluke. This will continue until Universal pays up and moves pool casting earlier so that performers can get to their assignments by early entry opening.
Off the top of my head, here's who I recall missing from the mazes during early entry on Saturday (9/16) -
- Stranger Things: Eleven, at least two Vecnas, hag character opposite the "your fault" girl
- Last of Us: Hunter hit by crossbow, at least two clickers (this one probably fared the best, by the way, these holes were not obvious)
- Exorcist: Too many to count, but many of these holes were not filled later in the night (particularly the little girl characters). Expect casting problems at this one throughout the run.
- Holidayz: Nightmare Nurse, New Year's Baby, at least one Cupid, at least one Leprechaun, Easter Bunny, Fireworks Kid, Uncle Sam, and at least one of the Christmas characters
- Jun 27, 2017
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Dear god
No wonder this was my least favorite year of Holiday in Hell.....all of those people were missing when I went on it both times
- May 26, 2010
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Holidayz was most improved when we did it later in the night with our RIP guide (around 10pm). Every spot was filled, I believe, and the cast was relentless.
Stranger Things also improved - all those spots were filled with the exception of the hag, which I haven't personally seen since opening night.
Last of Us had the aforementioned holes filled but were down an "this is awkward" Ellie, though I imagine that was due to a momentary issue and not a broader problem.
Exorcist was about the same, with maybe an extra demon or two. They are having serious casting issues unrelated to opening early.
I’ll echo what someone else said and say it’s going to depend on the night, but the price I got this past Saturday was $142 to upgrade to single use express and $192 to upgrade to unlimited
- Jun 27, 2017
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I did 5 mazes twice.
So for me it was about 10 bucks a Maze to go on them a second time with express.
I'd advise people with EA with one express to maybe hit Holidays in Hell General then start using express
That’s interesting. When does pool come in this year? I remember when I was pool back in the day we were there at 3:30PM. Seems like plenty of time to get people in costume and down to the LL.
I’ve heard there are issues with the masks of the girls in Exorcist, and I don’t expect those to change from what I’ve been told…
- Sep 5, 2018
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Plus the event goes to 5 days a week soon. All of these issues are about to increase
I went this past Saturday, too -- hoo boy. I'm glad I went Sunday on opening weekend and got everything done in a matter of hours, because this Saturday was insane. Fortunately, the group I was with wasn't too concerned with getting everything done, more just all of us being together and having fun, but even then...
We didn't do early entry, but got in that HUGE line to get through security at around 6:30. Good LORD. We didn't even get IN to the park until almost 7:30 because of how slow it was moving, and then once we were through security, the line to get through ticket checks was a nightmare because the employee scanning tickets for the line we were in kept chatting away with Every. Single. Guest. It was insane. People would come through, then she'd just spin in her chair and be talking with them and pointing them in the direction of where mazes were and what they should do, all while -- in the next line over -- people are just breezing through because the girl scanning tickets for them is focused on her job.
We trucked it over to Chucky, waited about an hour, and right at the front watched Express just go in... and in... and in... and in, then three back to back RIP tour groups, then Express again... and again. I was having PTSD flashbacks to '21 and '22. We weren't done until after 9:00. Between then and 2am, the only things we got done were Terror Tram, Jurassic World*, and Stranger Things, with two breaks for drinks/food that totaled an hour-plus with how slow those lines were, too.
I had gone in assuming the worst anyway, thankfully, and this was the first Saturday I've ever gone to the event in years because I always prefer Thursdays and Sundays, but even then, yeah, the crowd sizes were wild. And as Jerrod pointed out, there was a point where ST4, TLOU, Chucky, and I think even Exorcist had 180-minute waits posted all at the same time.
My advice to anyone trying to go on a Saturday, too: Try and be at the front gates as early as possible if you're not doing early entry. I'm not joking. The security line had an entire gated queue running up to and adjacent to the parking lot, THAT is how many people are all vying to get in. So glad I went the first Sunday and had a great time, because if this Saturday had been my first and only night going, I'd have been pissed and feeling scammed, hah.
* -- and not to mention, for Jurassic World, almost the entire ride wasn't even working right! Obviously the adult Stegosaurus being worked on wasn't operational, and that's fine, but the Mosasaurus screens were ALL frozen, the first Indominus rex head was stationary, the raptor with the wires didn't even drop, and the T-rex burst out early and was already back in its retreated position as we were going under it.
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- Jun 27, 2017
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There are water refill stations near SlOP and Jurassic worlds bathrooms
- Oct 9, 2016
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unless something changed they do, ive been bringing my empty travel bottle every time, and the freestyle machines let me get water and ice with no issue. Theres also bottle refilling stations at almost every water fountain, one outside the main gates next to the bathrooms, the one near the monstruos line, at the simpsons bathrooms outside of terror tram, and down by the jurassic world bathrooms, very useful if the freestyle line is long or broken.
I hope it's just the machine I was at earlier. Also universal seems to be grouping people instead of the usual congo line at least to start. I hope that's not an actual thing this year. They need to keep capacity up. That would be an insane decision.
