Halloween Horror Nights 28 General Discussion

[TDBLMT]

100k a year? That’s like a weekend for HHN

In one house? One house does not get 100,000 visitors a weekend.

 

[TDBLMT]

We’re calling kids who work for minimum wage in a job they’re likely to get punched in the face by drunken morons “entitled”? Really?

Man, sometimes the people here really need to look in the mirror

minimum wage is $8.25

 

[Legacy]

In one house? One house does not get 100,000 visitors a weekend.

Admission at HHN tends to fluctuate between 30-45k a night. In three nights, that's 90-130k guest. The average guest will do 6 houses a night. So, HHN will have about 3 houses that push 100k though in a weekend.

EDIT - Stranger Things and Poltergeist will likely get 100k this weekend alone.

 

[NuteGunrayWasFramed]

Netherworld is one of America’s most visited haunted houses. Open every in October and weekends in September and October. 6pm-12 most nights. And that’s box office closing.
Line will still get put through.

When the season starts it is pulsed - correct - small groups go in - you may have a 1min-5 min break Btwn groups - but you’re stuck in your boo-hole - in costume. In mask. Etc. You will get 1 10 min break a night. More if you ask and a lead walks by.

By middle October? Conga. Every night. Weekends? Forget about it. There’s a 7 hour wait for the main house (hour walkthrough give or take.)
Conga from 6pm-3am. 2 10 min breaks.

ZERO overtime (seasonal job.)
Minimum wage.
Zero E-Prompts to help your voice
Zero attendants for security.

It’s a farfanooging zoo. And the actors LOVE IT. They are HERE FOR IT.

They are out there. But universal hires spoiled entertainment kids (my roommates are two of em).

Yes, Netherworld is one of the busiest haunts in the nation (100,000k a year) and an exception and difficult to compare. But these scare actors (in the houses at least) have it MADE IN THE SHADE.

Gonna second this. Work with volunteer actors and that would go all night without a proper break if asked. We're not talking about boo-holes either, our scares are interactive, exhausting, but unique. We're not anywhere near the size Netherworld but our haunt gets sizable crowds. I'm not gonna say that they're spoiled entertainment kids, a lot do it for the hell of it, but HHN actors do have way easier working conditions than most pro haunts.

 

[JawsVictim]

In my cast of about 20 performers last year, there was only one pre-madonna. Everyone else, even the Disney Entertainment CMs who also work HHN, were fantastic.

 

[TDBLMT]

Gonna second this. Work with volunteer actors and that would go all night without a proper break if asked. We're not talking about boo-holes either, our scares are interactive, exhausting, but unique. We're not anywhere near the size Netherworld but our haunt gets sizable crowds. I'm not gonna say that they're spoiled entertainment kids, a lot do it for the hell of it, but HHN actors do have way easier working conditions than most pro haunts.

I think it’s disingenous to make it sound like these kids SLAVE and are punching bags.

5 45 minute sets.
4 PAID 45 minute breaks.
It’s a cute gig.

But of course there’s bullllll.
There’s ways to not get hit but it’s just enevitable. It’s inexcusable. And frustrating and spirit killing. But sadly sadly sadly it IS just part of the job and always will be. You learn to
Keep distance and lead w your handszzzz

 

[TDBLMT]

In my cast of about 20 performers last year, there was only one pre-madonna. Everyone else, even the Disney Entertainment CMs who also work HHN, were fantastic.

I love hearing that. Most folks who haunt want to HAUNT. And they are BLOOD THIRSTY. But a lot don’t even get a chance in the door because of internal auditions etc etc.

My roommate was performance coordinator at 3 locations last year and he was NOT so lucky. multiple problem children in multiple locations.

 

[Octobers Fade]

I get all this and I 100% agree that UoR tends to learn and adjust, that they tend to respect and react to guest feedback. There are reasons the place gets $$ from my family.

BUT, it seems like there are some things they should know/understand. I have not been to HHN yet. I think 25 is the only time I went opening weekend.

1)
Anyway, I seem to recall the first year of AHS, the first time we went they were scanning Express right at the merger point. Easy to tell that does not work, to have the conga flow, you need to stage it and that includes giving the Express queue time for scanning, you need additional queue space after the scan to build up guest to merge with the regular queue.

I saw comments around straight numbers...30 from this queue, 10 from that one along with comments that it slowed things down as people didn’t have their Express passes out.

To me, this sounds like ‘stuff’ that OPs should understand. I get it is a tough balance. Heck, I had Express one year and it took us longer to get into the Halloween house (the year it was in the parade building) then it would have if we went in the standby queue...there was this guy ahead of us and he went off on the employee at the merger point. I did not like the guest’s attitude and thing people often expect too much from Express, but the guest was not wrong in the fact that for that one house, having Express was not what was paid for.

I’ve joked for a few years now that capacity for the event is being added via exit queues. Last year I had a rare time when I was at the event while my family had already gone back to the hotel. I’ve read how folks can get stuff done in the last hour....I found myself stuck in an exit queue....it was either the tents or the parade building last year)....I could not pass the folks that were walking sooooo slow at the end of a long day....felt like I lost 20 minutes...then to read this year they made the exit single file...that is just comical!

I know I have not been, I know they adjust often, but it does feel like there are some lessons they never carry over from year to year!

Absolutely!

 

[Nick]

We’re calling kids who work for minimum wage in a job they’re likely to get punched in the face by drunken morons “entitled”? Really?

Man, sometimes the people here really need to look in the mirror

Most have many other things they are doing in life than just this too. Some are in college, for many this is their second job and some are in very serious professions.

No need to throw accusations around. Universal has very specific policies regarding HHN/Entertainment, it's not an entitlement problem. If they have the resources (as they do) to hire more actors in order to give others consistent breaks throughout the night, then why not? Just because other places only give their employees two 10 minute breaks isn't Universals problem and it also would be illegal in Florida and by Universal COMPANY policy.

 

[Nick]

100k a year? That’s like a weekend for HHN

Yup.

The park has seen projections totaling to 70K just in the first two days. It will (likely) pass 100K attendance tonight.

 

[Octobers Fade]

Yup.

The park has seen projections totaling to 70K just in the first two days. It will pass 100K attendance tonight.

Well it was Aholes and elbows in the streets, I think the elbows were outnumbered (jk). Saturdays didn't seem as bad as Friday.

 

[Alouette]

I think overall we need to drop all these things being thrown out about scareactors and these generalizations. I’m sorry but while there’s a lot of issues being stated here about ST specifically, there’s not a lot of discussion about what is going on to fix said problems which honestly tells me that people posting about it are just hearing the rumors but are not associated with this specific venue first hand and hearing what’s actually going on. ST is going to be fine. There is more than you can imagine going on behind the scenes to fix issues that have arisen and it’s only been two days guys. Also no, most of the cast isn’t new... if they are they have previous performing experience elsewhere. They’re handling it ridiculously well. Also also, it wasn’t three hours :thud:

Can we please stop speculating and throwing rumors around? Drop it and move on

 

[OrlandoVillian]

Let me reiterate we are currently working on fixes for week 2. This event changes week to week, day by day, minute by minute. We have casting changes, we have set time changes, we have a lot. If the biggest issue from a 60-70k opening two nights is that Stranger Things is a big time hassle, overall we have fewer problems as opposed to more.

I am sorry to those of you who expect more from our cast because "so and so" over there is doing it. This isn't elementary school, you can't complain that Johnny's parents let him eat pizza for breakfast and expect your parents to follow suit. Horror Nights is what it is based on our previous success and, our now, continued success.

Do not point blame on people just doing their jobs in the zones and houses, there are plenty of people off set who are "new" in places of influences that are trying to work it out. We will fix it. It's a shame we have already had cast quit and rolls cut, but I can assure you we are making live changes.

 

[KengKun]

Hi!

I have not attended any HHNs in the past. Though this year looks super fun. I am thinking about going this year with my sister (who has taunted me about going) The only problem is that I am easily scared. I also don't like being scared. I hate any kind of jumpscare basically. Can someone tell me how intense this is compared to a local event or compared to the Kong booholes? Thank you.

 

[Nick]

I think overall we need to drop all these things being thrown out about scareactors and these generalizations. I’m sorry but while there’s a lot of issues being stated here about ST specifically, there’s not a lot of discussion about what is going on to fix said problems which honestly tells me that people posting about it are just hearing the rumors but are not associated with this specific venue first hand and hearing what’s actually going on. ST is going to be fine. There is more than you can imagine going on behind the scenes to fix issues that have arisen and it’s only been two days guys. Also no, most of the cast isn’t new... if they are they have previous performing experience elsewhere. They’re handling it ridiculously well. Also also, it wasn’t three hours :thud:

Can we please stop speculating and throwing rumors around? Drop it and move on

Fully agreed.

STOP generalizing and placing blame. These casts work very hard for not all that much money at all. Most do it simply because it's something they love.

 

[Legacy]

Hi!

I have not attended any HHNs in the past. Though this year looks super fun. I am thinking about going this year with my sister (who has taunted me about going) The only problem is that I am easily scared. I also don't like being scared. I hate any kind of jumpscare basically. Can someone tell me how intense this is compared to a local event or compared to the Kong booholes? Thank you.

It's really hit and miss, honestly. I think local haunts can be far scarier than HHN because they have more flexibility in the type of stuff they can do. Universal basically is limited to distractions and jumpscares. Which doesn't help you. HHN is also unbearably loud, which makes their jumpscares feel more intense than they may actually be.

That said, most HHN are telegraphed because of the Congo line aspect of the event.

 

[JungleSkip]

I feel like, generally, if you can get through a house or two, you understand what the gist is and the houses get less scary

 

[Kichkinet85]

Theres nothing on the map or the website about the late parking.
Nothing in social media either,
I only found out because people were very angry about the parking on the fb groups.
So, no, most people dont know. And judging by the giant crowds i think people just paid. (In fact, there were even some uni workers that didnt know judging from comments)
2 hours might not feel like much but i heard people on the lines already discussing how getting to the park at 10 wont allow for much on one day
But that with ffp, they can do one house each day and then relax and hang out. ( if people were planning to just visit one day instead)



Not everyone got freebies, some people in fb were furious about not getting anything and making a fuzz about it lol

That’s kinda the whole point of it. Uni. dosent want people coming to the event to get a lot done with free parking. If you get free parking you should have a less amount of time and it was advertised at the parking toll which is where it should be.

 

[TheGentTrent]

And there’s always options like Diagon Alley, Men in Black, Academy of Villains, etc. if you need a break from the scary stuff.

 

[sjago13]

Chilling in Simpson and they said they will release into Slaughter Sinema and Seeds of Extinction with Trick R treat opening at 6 and Dead Exposire at 6.30