- May 26, 2010
- 5,841
- 16,352
I’ll write up my full review tomorrow, but you’re circling something I picked up on. You aren’t alone in thinking this, I suspect.
Halloween Horror Nights 2023 (USH) - Reviews, Photos and Video
- Thread starter Michael S
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I’ll write up my full review tomorrow, but you’re circling something I picked up on. You aren’t alone in thinking this, I suspect.
- May 26, 2010
- 5,841
- 16,352
Okay, review time! These thoughts are based on my attending opening night with general admission as well as an RIP tour I took on Saturday, 9/16. I will mostly reference my experience with the RIP tour, as I feel that may be more helpful to those who are preparing to take one/are considering booking one for later in the run.
I'm not going to rank the houses right now because, frankly, doing so would be difficult. I don't think there's a runaway top hit this year, but there are quite a few excellent offerings. There also aren't really any weak mazes. So, instead, I will do tiers.
Tier 1 - Superior
Chucky: Ultimate Kill Count
Evil Dead Rise
Monstruous: The Monsters of Latin America
Tier 2 - Excellent
The Exorcist: Believer
The Last of Us
Holidayz in Hell
Universal Monsters Unmasked
Tier 3 - Very Good
Terror Tram: Exterminatorz
Stranger Things 4
Tier 4 would be "okay," and Tier 5 would be "poor." Examples of past mazes I'd rank as "okay" include Trick r Treat and The Curse of Pandora's Box (either iteration). Examples of mazes I'd rank as "poor" include The First Purge and Stranger Things 2.
Now, for more detailed observations...
Chucky: Ultimate Kill Count (Superior)
At the end of the day, this maze isn't especially "scary" in the traditional sense unless you are specifically scared of dolls. However, its vignettes are so amusing - and its puppetry so sophisticated for the setting - that it manages to overcome what should be an insurmountable feat. It's a dark humor house that delivers exactly what it promises: Chucky causing amusing mayhem. Again, for hte most part, the dolls aren't particularly frightening or even startling, but they're so mean-spirited - and so well-animated - that you don't really care, you just gotta take it all in. The new lines from Brad Dourif are terrific: They're true to the character while tailoring his strengths to a tongue-in-cheek haunted attraction. I loved the commitment to not only honoring the original movies that Universal controls (with Child's Play 2, Bride, and Seed scenes, kills, and characters) as well as the television series, all while doing so in a way that is roughly coherent to someone with little to no understanding of the character and his increasingly convoluted mythology. I also felt the performer victims were doing a stellar job selling their suffering while also landing some great scares, particularly the eyeball kill near the beginning and pair in the hospital scene. The ladies chainsawing Chucky also did a great job selling what could be a hacky, underwhelming moment but instead evolves into a scene of genuine catharsis as the house careens into its legitimately overwhelming finale. Seriously, this thing features puppetry on par with (if not superior to) some of what Delusion accomplishes. I couldn't believe the number of motions the final "bomb" Chucky has. With such a great facade and broad appeal, I can see why this is garnering some of the highest waits of the event.
Evil Dead Rise (Superior)
I'm a little puzzled at how soft the reception seems to be to this outstanding maze. I suppose the movie did well enough to justify is pivot to theatrical but wasn't exactly a runaway success, so maybe people just aren't enthusiastic about the movie. No matter. This house has the goods. Yes, it's got the bones of Hotel Horror, but these are good bones, and you can tell this is what these gorgeously realized sets were originally intended for. Add in the deliciously disturbed sound design, upsetting makeups, and sheer volume of performers make for a real winner. Too many modern Horror Nights mazes fall into the trap of placing only one performer in a scene, while Evil Dead Rise seems to have double the cast of some of the other houses. The elevator room, in particular, is exponentially more effective than a similar scene in Orlando's 2013 Cabin in the Woods house. The family deadite at the end is a prime distraction that worked like gangbusters on my first run, and I was continuously impressed with just how chaotic everything looked and felt. I didn't even particularly care for the movie itself, but this house arguably transcends its source material. Here's hoping more people warm up to it over the course of the run - and that they can keep the demanding positions staffed.
Monstruous: The Monsters of Latin America (Superior)
While this house feels very familiar to fans of La Llorona, it's still undeniably beautiful and packed with a strong combination of claustrophobic and showy scares. It's not without its problems: Tiahulepuchi feels like an afterthought, and we seem to move on from the character before we have a chance to fully understand its deal. La Lecuza gets that stunning animated figure and some tight tunnel scares, but it seems the maze is most interested in El Silbon, who gets the most emphasis in terms of sheer real estate. I can see why, as while the character isn't necessarily as grotesque as his bird-like compatriots, he has more scenic opportunities between the ravaged bar, butcher shop, and even his own sack. Unlike La Llorona's poorly staged puppet from last year, the El Silbon puppet is placed perfectly and nailed me on my first and second runs. In fact, when the maze is fully staffed, the whole thing is a gauntlet of unending scares until you hit the larger El Silbon rooms that sadly slow down the pacing a bit. Still, another standout effort in this location.
Probably approaching the character limit, so more to come.
I'm not going to rank the houses right now because, frankly, doing so would be difficult. I don't think there's a runaway top hit this year, but there are quite a few excellent offerings. There also aren't really any weak mazes. So, instead, I will do tiers.
Tier 1 - Superior
Chucky: Ultimate Kill Count
Evil Dead Rise
Monstruous: The Monsters of Latin America
Tier 2 - Excellent
The Exorcist: Believer
The Last of Us
Holidayz in Hell
Universal Monsters Unmasked
Tier 3 - Very Good
Terror Tram: Exterminatorz
Stranger Things 4
Tier 4 would be "okay," and Tier 5 would be "poor." Examples of past mazes I'd rank as "okay" include Trick r Treat and The Curse of Pandora's Box (either iteration). Examples of mazes I'd rank as "poor" include The First Purge and Stranger Things 2.
Now, for more detailed observations...
Chucky: Ultimate Kill Count (Superior)
At the end of the day, this maze isn't especially "scary" in the traditional sense unless you are specifically scared of dolls. However, its vignettes are so amusing - and its puppetry so sophisticated for the setting - that it manages to overcome what should be an insurmountable feat. It's a dark humor house that delivers exactly what it promises: Chucky causing amusing mayhem. Again, for hte most part, the dolls aren't particularly frightening or even startling, but they're so mean-spirited - and so well-animated - that you don't really care, you just gotta take it all in. The new lines from Brad Dourif are terrific: They're true to the character while tailoring his strengths to a tongue-in-cheek haunted attraction. I loved the commitment to not only honoring the original movies that Universal controls (with Child's Play 2, Bride, and Seed scenes, kills, and characters) as well as the television series, all while doing so in a way that is roughly coherent to someone with little to no understanding of the character and his increasingly convoluted mythology. I also felt the performer victims were doing a stellar job selling their suffering while also landing some great scares, particularly the eyeball kill near the beginning and pair in the hospital scene. The ladies chainsawing Chucky also did a great job selling what could be a hacky, underwhelming moment but instead evolves into a scene of genuine catharsis as the house careens into its legitimately overwhelming finale. Seriously, this thing features puppetry on par with (if not superior to) some of what Delusion accomplishes. I couldn't believe the number of motions the final "bomb" Chucky has. With such a great facade and broad appeal, I can see why this is garnering some of the highest waits of the event.
Evil Dead Rise (Superior)
I'm a little puzzled at how soft the reception seems to be to this outstanding maze. I suppose the movie did well enough to justify is pivot to theatrical but wasn't exactly a runaway success, so maybe people just aren't enthusiastic about the movie. No matter. This house has the goods. Yes, it's got the bones of Hotel Horror, but these are good bones, and you can tell this is what these gorgeously realized sets were originally intended for. Add in the deliciously disturbed sound design, upsetting makeups, and sheer volume of performers make for a real winner. Too many modern Horror Nights mazes fall into the trap of placing only one performer in a scene, while Evil Dead Rise seems to have double the cast of some of the other houses. The elevator room, in particular, is exponentially more effective than a similar scene in Orlando's 2013 Cabin in the Woods house. The family deadite at the end is a prime distraction that worked like gangbusters on my first run, and I was continuously impressed with just how chaotic everything looked and felt. I didn't even particularly care for the movie itself, but this house arguably transcends its source material. Here's hoping more people warm up to it over the course of the run - and that they can keep the demanding positions staffed.
Monstruous: The Monsters of Latin America (Superior)
While this house feels very familiar to fans of La Llorona, it's still undeniably beautiful and packed with a strong combination of claustrophobic and showy scares. It's not without its problems: Tiahulepuchi feels like an afterthought, and we seem to move on from the character before we have a chance to fully understand its deal. La Lecuza gets that stunning animated figure and some tight tunnel scares, but it seems the maze is most interested in El Silbon, who gets the most emphasis in terms of sheer real estate. I can see why, as while the character isn't necessarily as grotesque as his bird-like compatriots, he has more scenic opportunities between the ravaged bar, butcher shop, and even his own sack. Unlike La Llorona's poorly staged puppet from last year, the El Silbon puppet is placed perfectly and nailed me on my first and second runs. In fact, when the maze is fully staffed, the whole thing is a gauntlet of unending scares until you hit the larger El Silbon rooms that sadly slow down the pacing a bit. Still, another standout effort in this location.
Probably approaching the character limit, so more to come.
- May 26, 2010
- 5,841
- 16,352
Continuing my review...
The Exorcist: Believer (Excellent)
I'm not sure why folks are claiming this doesn't have a facade, because under the loose definition that includes atmospheric opening/establishing settings with no characters, it certainly does, and it is quite effective. If the goal of this maze is to get people curious and excited about the new movie, I'll admit it is very successful. I was not particularly interested in another Exorcist timeline of films, but when this maze works, it really works. Much of its success is owed to the fantastic design of the demon as well as the ferocious performances from the character's many performers - hats off to them, they are killing it and are not letting anyone get out unscathed. I do not mind the "red vine" walls as some do, as they tend to be fairly brief and a perfectly fine transition that keeps you immersed in the visual language the maze establishes. You've also got some terrific sets, effects, and scares - I wonder how many people are missing the creature that's pushing through the wall above the fireplace, for example. It looks much better than a similar effect used for Stranger Things a few years back. This house could easily reach the Superior tier if not for its casting issues. Put simply - and I am drawing on some behind-the-scenes insights here - there are not many petite women who can pass as young girls who are willing to wear the apparently suffocating masks AND deal with the house's unpleasant smells. I was already seeing some questionable casting choices as well as a distressing number of holes, and, unfortunately, I suspect that problem will continue. A pity, because this maze could easily be fighting to be the best of the event if it had its (many) spots filled.
The Last of Us (Excellent)
Truth be told, I want to like this more! The incorporation of Joel and Ellie is really bold and a treat for fans of the game. It also has its downsides: These characters never acknowledge us, making us invisible observers, which has the side effect of reducing urgency, immersion, and investment. This might be fine if their appearances were limited, but a good third of the maze's real estate is devoted to them, at least. I think even a single scene of them encouraging us to keep moving would have been helpful. (Think about how Stranger Things 1 handled many of its lookalike characters: Brenner spoke directly to us, the guests, while Hopper tried to help us evacuate.) Anyway, once you get past the Joel/Ellie prologue, the maze eventually kicks it into high gear and starts to sing. The hunters sadly don't really do it for me as pop scares - they're just folks showing themselves for half a second before disappearing. The infected, clickers, and bloaters fare much better, of course. Still, I couldn't help but notice many missed opportunities. Why not stick a clicker or infected in scenes where Joel and Ellie are just talking? Why isn't there a clicker in the room with the (kind of weak) Bloater face split effect, which also takes way too long to reset? The strength of what's here is what keeps Last of Us in the excellent tier, but I think a few tweaks could've taken this to all-timer status.
Holidayz in Hell (Excellent)
If not for our last run on Saturday, this would have landed firmly in the "very good" territory. This house seems to have the most frequent issues with staffing during the early entry period, but when we hit it in the middle of the night, the cast was on fire and absolutely relentless. Some smart tweaks that eliminate black walls while adding some surprising scares. Valentine's Day in particular was teeming with Cupids to the point where I genuinely couldn't track where they'd be coming from. There's still a lot of dead air in the spacious but bare Easter and 4th of July rooms, and I never seemed to get the timing right for the Christmas Tree Lot. Still, it's a basic premise executed very, very well. If the cast keeps up that energy - and they can avoid too many holes - this will overcome the repeat curse in my book.
Universal Monsters: Unmasked (Excellent)
With reports that this house was a casualty of an overbudget event, I was prepared for the worst and was *very* pleasantly surprised. Yes, there are black walls, but I had a bit of an epiphany as I reflected on why I enjoyed the house so much in spite of them. The answer involves three elements: One, this is the *only maze* this year that features any extended moments of black walls, and it uses this as a design choice, not a bug. Two, the audio design further takes advantage of this budgetary reality by amping up the unease in the darkened rooms, particularly the "Hyde and Seek" sequence. Three, the aggressiveness of the actors - coupled with how dark these hallways get - deliver some of the most in-your-face pop scares of the night. It certainly helps that the rooms that *are* here are spectacularly rendered and reflect the design team's deep love for the characters. The Quasimodo room in particular is packed with macabre gags and flourishes, and I loved the inclusion of the Rat Lady to warn us about the Phantom. Sure, not everything works - I have no idea why we didn't negotiate leaving The Invisible Man out, and the video effects probably made more sense on paper than in execution. Ultimately, though, the close-quarters scare design coupled with big, grand moments worked for me.
Terror Tram: Exterminatorz (Very Good)
It's tram! It's tram. We know what's here, and it's pretty good. Larry Larva is a memorable character with a fun script that ties into the backlot. The bits here are broad but entertaining, and quite a few of the bugs are really going for it and landing solid scares. The Itsy Bitsy spider tunnel is sort of just there, and War of the Worlds feels emptier than it should, but I did appreciate the indoor "colony" section that also mixes up the mask and character variety. The Jordan Peele section makes a welcome return, even if it has nothing to do with anything (not that it really did last year, either). I observed some great performances from the Tethered, one of whom gave me one of my biggest scares of the night. With that said, I think they need to cut the Jupiter's Claim employees. They aren't really doing anything to add to the atmosphere, and the Tethered largely ignore them. I really hate to say it because I know how demanding this job is, but some of the victims' performances in this area were also less than impressive. The biggest obstacle of the tram really comes down to not having enough performers to sufficiently fill the massive amount of space, and I'm not sure the event really has a sustainable answer for overcoming that. Again, for this year, I think the solution is cutting the victims and allocating more performers to be bugs or Tethered. It also would've been nice if there was any sort of sign-off or "resolution" from Larry Larva - as it stands, the Exterminatorz portion abruptly ends after the colony bit.
Stranger Things 4
Is it better than Stranger Things 2? Undoubtedly, though that's not a high bar to clear. Is it as effective as Stranger Things 1? No, and I think I realized why. One of ST1's under-discussed strengths was its soundscape, which perfectly captured both the synth of the show as well as key lines that orient you and embody what the characters are experiencing at any given moment. Here, we really only get a handful of lines from Brenner, Max, Lucas, and Vecna. There's none of the propulsion or panic or youthful determination that made the first adaptation as successful as it was. Instead, we sort of just drift from scene to scene in a manner that would only be halfway coherent to someone who closely studied the most recent season. Say what you will about Murdy sometimes overthinking house designs, but he had it right with focusing the first maze on Will's journey. With all that said, it's already been put perfectly by @SeventyOne - this house lives or dies by how they do Master of Puppets and Running Up That Hill, and they whiff both, badly. I'm not sure Master of Puppets is even present in Hollywood's iteration - if it is, it's mixed very low. I never heard Running Up That Hill, and the final scene is just sort of confusing instead of impressive. Hollywood has always struggled to capture the scope of the show's biggest environments, and that trend sadly continues (though the Creel house looks perfectly good despite early rumors). This review reads very negative, but it's important to emphasize that I'm describing missed potential. Judging what's there and taking it on its own terms, it's an entertaining house with plenty of strong scenic and performances, disjointed as it is. I wish Vecna was a little more immediately threatening here - he doesn't have the same instant repulsion offered by the Demagorgon and its ilk - but the actors are doing a good job moving in what's almost assuredly a difficult costume. Fans of the show will likely be underwhelmed, but I had a very good time on my final run-through when the maze was better staffed.
RIP tour, ops, zone, and show thoughts in the next post!
The Exorcist: Believer (Excellent)
I'm not sure why folks are claiming this doesn't have a facade, because under the loose definition that includes atmospheric opening/establishing settings with no characters, it certainly does, and it is quite effective. If the goal of this maze is to get people curious and excited about the new movie, I'll admit it is very successful. I was not particularly interested in another Exorcist timeline of films, but when this maze works, it really works. Much of its success is owed to the fantastic design of the demon as well as the ferocious performances from the character's many performers - hats off to them, they are killing it and are not letting anyone get out unscathed. I do not mind the "red vine" walls as some do, as they tend to be fairly brief and a perfectly fine transition that keeps you immersed in the visual language the maze establishes. You've also got some terrific sets, effects, and scares - I wonder how many people are missing the creature that's pushing through the wall above the fireplace, for example. It looks much better than a similar effect used for Stranger Things a few years back. This house could easily reach the Superior tier if not for its casting issues. Put simply - and I am drawing on some behind-the-scenes insights here - there are not many petite women who can pass as young girls who are willing to wear the apparently suffocating masks AND deal with the house's unpleasant smells. I was already seeing some questionable casting choices as well as a distressing number of holes, and, unfortunately, I suspect that problem will continue. A pity, because this maze could easily be fighting to be the best of the event if it had its (many) spots filled.
The Last of Us (Excellent)
Truth be told, I want to like this more! The incorporation of Joel and Ellie is really bold and a treat for fans of the game. It also has its downsides: These characters never acknowledge us, making us invisible observers, which has the side effect of reducing urgency, immersion, and investment. This might be fine if their appearances were limited, but a good third of the maze's real estate is devoted to them, at least. I think even a single scene of them encouraging us to keep moving would have been helpful. (Think about how Stranger Things 1 handled many of its lookalike characters: Brenner spoke directly to us, the guests, while Hopper tried to help us evacuate.) Anyway, once you get past the Joel/Ellie prologue, the maze eventually kicks it into high gear and starts to sing. The hunters sadly don't really do it for me as pop scares - they're just folks showing themselves for half a second before disappearing. The infected, clickers, and bloaters fare much better, of course. Still, I couldn't help but notice many missed opportunities. Why not stick a clicker or infected in scenes where Joel and Ellie are just talking? Why isn't there a clicker in the room with the (kind of weak) Bloater face split effect, which also takes way too long to reset? The strength of what's here is what keeps Last of Us in the excellent tier, but I think a few tweaks could've taken this to all-timer status.
Holidayz in Hell (Excellent)
If not for our last run on Saturday, this would have landed firmly in the "very good" territory. This house seems to have the most frequent issues with staffing during the early entry period, but when we hit it in the middle of the night, the cast was on fire and absolutely relentless. Some smart tweaks that eliminate black walls while adding some surprising scares. Valentine's Day in particular was teeming with Cupids to the point where I genuinely couldn't track where they'd be coming from. There's still a lot of dead air in the spacious but bare Easter and 4th of July rooms, and I never seemed to get the timing right for the Christmas Tree Lot. Still, it's a basic premise executed very, very well. If the cast keeps up that energy - and they can avoid too many holes - this will overcome the repeat curse in my book.
Universal Monsters: Unmasked (Excellent)
With reports that this house was a casualty of an overbudget event, I was prepared for the worst and was *very* pleasantly surprised. Yes, there are black walls, but I had a bit of an epiphany as I reflected on why I enjoyed the house so much in spite of them. The answer involves three elements: One, this is the *only maze* this year that features any extended moments of black walls, and it uses this as a design choice, not a bug. Two, the audio design further takes advantage of this budgetary reality by amping up the unease in the darkened rooms, particularly the "Hyde and Seek" sequence. Three, the aggressiveness of the actors - coupled with how dark these hallways get - deliver some of the most in-your-face pop scares of the night. It certainly helps that the rooms that *are* here are spectacularly rendered and reflect the design team's deep love for the characters. The Quasimodo room in particular is packed with macabre gags and flourishes, and I loved the inclusion of the Rat Lady to warn us about the Phantom. Sure, not everything works - I have no idea why we didn't negotiate leaving The Invisible Man out, and the video effects probably made more sense on paper than in execution. Ultimately, though, the close-quarters scare design coupled with big, grand moments worked for me.
Terror Tram: Exterminatorz (Very Good)
It's tram! It's tram. We know what's here, and it's pretty good. Larry Larva is a memorable character with a fun script that ties into the backlot. The bits here are broad but entertaining, and quite a few of the bugs are really going for it and landing solid scares. The Itsy Bitsy spider tunnel is sort of just there, and War of the Worlds feels emptier than it should, but I did appreciate the indoor "colony" section that also mixes up the mask and character variety. The Jordan Peele section makes a welcome return, even if it has nothing to do with anything (not that it really did last year, either). I observed some great performances from the Tethered, one of whom gave me one of my biggest scares of the night. With that said, I think they need to cut the Jupiter's Claim employees. They aren't really doing anything to add to the atmosphere, and the Tethered largely ignore them. I really hate to say it because I know how demanding this job is, but some of the victims' performances in this area were also less than impressive. The biggest obstacle of the tram really comes down to not having enough performers to sufficiently fill the massive amount of space, and I'm not sure the event really has a sustainable answer for overcoming that. Again, for this year, I think the solution is cutting the victims and allocating more performers to be bugs or Tethered. It also would've been nice if there was any sort of sign-off or "resolution" from Larry Larva - as it stands, the Exterminatorz portion abruptly ends after the colony bit.
Stranger Things 4
Is it better than Stranger Things 2? Undoubtedly, though that's not a high bar to clear. Is it as effective as Stranger Things 1? No, and I think I realized why. One of ST1's under-discussed strengths was its soundscape, which perfectly captured both the synth of the show as well as key lines that orient you and embody what the characters are experiencing at any given moment. Here, we really only get a handful of lines from Brenner, Max, Lucas, and Vecna. There's none of the propulsion or panic or youthful determination that made the first adaptation as successful as it was. Instead, we sort of just drift from scene to scene in a manner that would only be halfway coherent to someone who closely studied the most recent season. Say what you will about Murdy sometimes overthinking house designs, but he had it right with focusing the first maze on Will's journey. With all that said, it's already been put perfectly by @SeventyOne - this house lives or dies by how they do Master of Puppets and Running Up That Hill, and they whiff both, badly. I'm not sure Master of Puppets is even present in Hollywood's iteration - if it is, it's mixed very low. I never heard Running Up That Hill, and the final scene is just sort of confusing instead of impressive. Hollywood has always struggled to capture the scope of the show's biggest environments, and that trend sadly continues (though the Creel house looks perfectly good despite early rumors). This review reads very negative, but it's important to emphasize that I'm describing missed potential. Judging what's there and taking it on its own terms, it's an entertaining house with plenty of strong scenic and performances, disjointed as it is. I wish Vecna was a little more immediately threatening here - he doesn't have the same instant repulsion offered by the Demagorgon and its ilk - but the actors are doing a good job moving in what's almost assuredly a difficult costume. Fans of the show will likely be underwhelmed, but I had a very good time on my final run-through when the maze was better staffed.
RIP tour, ops, zone, and show thoughts in the next post!
Last edited:
- May 26, 2010
- 5,841
- 16,352
Okay, RIP Tour/ops/zone observations, in no particular order.
- Many, many people at the RIP tour checkin who were *very* (and justifiably) upset that their $400+ ticket did not include early entry, which was sold out by the time they got there. I saw several people get turned away, and they looked justifiably pissed. Bad first impression.
- We, however, *did* have early entry, which... unfortunately, was a bit of a mess in terms of how VIP handled it. Upon checking in at the overburdened VIP building, we were given wristbands and walked over to a ticketing station near the Plaza tower where we were told we'd scan our early entry tickets and sent into the park. However, the folks at the ticketing station were confused, explaining our wristbands *were* the early entry ones and that nothing else needed to be scanned. Something felt weird, and I should've doubled back to the VIP room, but crowds were nuts and we were assured that we'd be fine to head downstairs.
- It's of course a madhouse on the lower lot, quickly approaching dangerous. We navigated around the general Stranger Things queue, which was already snaked down to Panda. For those wondering, the RIP-exclusive queues *are* back at all haunted houses, so we were let inside without issue.
- The trouble started when we hit Last of Us. Upon reaching the scan checkpoint, we were told we would not be admitted unless we had a physical ticket, which we did not have. We were told to head to the ticketing counter near Mummy and did so. They were told the only way to get what we needed - our RIP lanyards, which we were for some reason not issued at check-in - was to go back upstairs to the VIP building. If we had done that, we would have lost all our early entry time. Realizing this, someone at the ticketing counter offered to walk us into the RIP line for Last of Us, and we gratefully accepted. On the walk over, she explained that 90% of the problems guest services and ticketing have been dealing with are early entry-related, and she was happy to take a break by escorting us. The representative spoke to a lead at Last of Us, who explained she radioed to the other mazes to allow folks with RIP tickets to come through even without lanyards.
- Unfortunately, not everyone appeared to get this message, as we were turned away at the merge point for Exorcist (quite rudely, I'll add - the impression I got was that the person felt we had fake tickets or something). We were told to go get tickets printed from Isla Nubar (???). I instead fortunately ran into the same lead who helped us earlier, who walked us into Exorcist. Also ran into trouble at Holidayz, but the ops lead let us in on the condition that we go get our lanyards afterward. Fortunately, it was time for our 7pm tour by the time we wrapped up, so it worked out... but woof, not a great start.
- Love the upstairs VIP lounge. Greeted with premium bottled water and a profuse apology for the lanyard snafu. Our guide, Wendy, was knowledgable, accommodating, efficient, and all-around awesome.
- The spread at Moulin Rouge was very good. Lots of great offerings and a dedicated bar that actually serves decent beers and mixed drinks. There is a photo op at the entrance, but no performer or scare this year. I think this was the right call, as the Candyman bit caused significant backups last year. This year, entry was painless. The Moulin Rouge remains open to RIP guests until 1am, though only desert, coffee, and drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) are served past 9:30 or so. This was a great benefit that saved us a lot of money and time, as we were easily able to restock on water, enjoy the included (and plentiful) deserts, and get drinks without waiting in long lines. There are also dedicated RIP lines and bartenders at the plaza bar and the Stellar Bar.
- Note that you are given one hour for dinner before your tour regroups, and you are welcome to visit mazes during that time. I went and got a run in on Monstruous and watched the zone for a while.
- I did not realize that the VIP trolley not only takes you to the tram area but also the lower lot and Curious George lot. This was a great perk that saved us a lot of walking and, again, time.
- The RIP exclusives on the tram tour were entertaining and nice add-ons. The Larry Larva photo op is well done, and the little bonus gauntlet of performers is nifty (though it's mostly black walls). I was more impressed by the Black Phone performer - not only did they have the picture van from the film, but the actor they got was a dead ringer for Ethan Hawke. He had all the mannerisms and affected voice down pat. Really cool!
- The Purge show is... there. We got great seats in the center with a dedicated exit path. The action is a bit difficult to follow at times, and there aren't really enough water-based stunts to justify the use of the facility. The blood and guts were great, and I did admire the boldness of the script to go down the road it ultimately does. This show had significant development and rehearsal issues that resulted in the compromised/rushed production we are seeing this year, but this idea clearly has juice, so I hope they take another crack at it next year instead of just settling for "good enough."
- The post-show Purge audience exit situation is extremely dangerous. On a normal day, exiting Waterworld can be uncomfortable, but this was a nightmare scenario where thousands of guests are getting dumped into an already crowded scare zone that regularly gets cordoned off to do the scaremony. I hate to say it, but they either need to retime the scaremony so that it doesn't coincide with the end of the Purge show or cut it entirely.
- I actually really enjoyed the Blumhouse show, but I guess I had a clear idea of what to expect going in. The extra Grabbers at the entrance and queue are great little "going the extra mile" things I love to see the event do. The M3GANs are extremely talented and nail the climax. I noticed three things that have changed since opening: One, the speaking performer now encourages you to explore the preshow area to see the props and photo ops. Not everyone does so since they want prime seats for M3GAN, but, it was a noticeable change. Two, they've added M3GAN saying "You should probably run now" when the lights come up after her dance. This helps signal the show is over and it's time to leave. Three, and most significantly, there is now a M3GAN who is available for photo ops in the exit courtyard. She appears to be out there continuously and will pose with one of the swords. Great addition - guests were excited to meet her!
- I don't have a lot to say about the zones. The performers are great, but what they're given is characteristically underwhelming. The opening scaremony blocking is *very* good (operational issues aside), but beyond that, I can't help but feel like we're going through the motions. French Street is less interesting this year due to the lacking variety in character designs, and there's only one stilt in Zone 1 (excluding the crows, who appear every now and again).
- Fun thing: Despite the language on the website, RIP tours are now getting access to Super Nintendo World. Someone in our group who was not familiar with the policy asked early on, and instead of the straight denial I expected, our guide said she would check. We got to the Lower Lot around 9:20, and she explained that the ride was up for another 30 minutes, so we could go while we were with her. There was only one other RIP tour group in there with a handful of After 2PM combo ticketholders. The characters were standing around greeting no one, but I did get a chance to meet Toad, who was delightful! We walked onto the ride, no preshows.
- I didn't directly deal with the disastrous ops, but I think the After 11PM Express tickets are compounding the problem. Upon making our way back to H-Lot after the guided tour concluded, we found the Chucky express queue was spilling into the street. We heard someone say they'd been waiting almost an hour... and they were still selling these tickets. Not good. This had the side effect of none of the houses ever really calming down at the end of the night.
- They're not going to do it and they don't want to hear it, but there are two solutions for dealing with the historic crowds we're seeing. One: eliminate paid early entry. Yeah, it's another revenue source, but it's crippling operations and preventing people from entering the park as they arrive - which is why you are seeing these ridiculous security queues. The system grinds to a halt as they prepare for the 7pm opening - since no one can be let inside - and then it never recovers. The other solution is to just open Super Nintendo World, at least to Express guests. There are too many people without anywhere to go, and it makes no sense to be wasting all the resources devoted to staffing the land with so few people able to actually access any of it.
- My main takeaway is that the event is kind of broken at the moment, even if you have Express. I am now an RIP convert and probably won't do it any other way on this coast unless major operational changes are enacted, so I guess I'm part of the problem.
- Jun 27, 2017
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The event was still poping at Midnight when I left so makes since the lines were still insane.
I think another option is to sell less tickets but the event cost more.
As for SNW, I think it needs to be open until 11/midnight for anyone because we need another distraction, SLOP would also not hurt because it's a people eater and doubt the line would get insane but would be something that could distract people.
But from here to Facebook reviews, while we are all positive on the substance and content in the event the Ops have issues everywhere from Early Entry people getting mazes that are basically half staffed depending on the maze, not having enough Q for some mazes leading to huge traffic jams at Chucky and Last of Us (which is really bad since that is also the Exit for two other mazes)
Also I loved the Blumhouse show but I do wish they go people to move more, it was hard to get pictures of everything I wanted without staying back and then they went from take as many pictures as you want...to rushing you.
I also think it's insane hat week 2 is this bad, I've been going to this event for basically 13 years and normally go this weekend and it's never like this. I can't imagine what next month looks like.
- Jun 27, 2017
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Not against that but doubt that would solve all issues.
They are just letting in too many people, I'm sure there are a few people with FFP but doubt it's enough to case 3 hour waits at 4 Houses at the same time
Look at Early Entry having to close the Last of Us Maze, EA is a ticket and they can control that. Yet it's too bust at those times so it's not just people coming more then one night on FFP
I was talking to my friend about all this and he was basically like, "I'd be fine if they reduced capacity and raised the ticket prices to account for the revenue decrease, better to have less people."
But the thing that's wild to me about that is the tickets are already expensive, and will only get more expensive next month. There are already sold out dates in October. I don't think raising prices would deter anyone. The popularity is just beyond huge.
But the thing that's wild to me about that is the tickets are already expensive, and will only get more expensive next month. There are already sold out dates in October. I don't think raising prices would deter anyone. The popularity is just beyond huge.
- Jun 27, 2017
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Sure but raise the prices so you can cap the event.
The event right now, especially Early Access is too much. I mean if all houses opened at :30 could be fine but when I was there only 2 mazes opened at 5:30 and the other two opened 15+ mins after that as well.
The Ops are the biggest issue but there are other ways to fix it if they want all these people in, like having more things open, more shows/houses or having the event start earlier.
my concern is that this isn't how large businesses operate. I think it's more likely that they raise the prices and keep the current guest count. unless they feel the crowds/poor event operation are hurting their bottom line (and there's not much evidence to suggest it is), why throw away "free" money?
obviously I think that's very short sighted, but it wouldn't surprise me if that's the way they see it.
- Jun 27, 2017
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I agree
I'm just pointing out there are ways to do it, will they do it? I doubt it but just saying it can happen
I'm surprised Orlando has such a large capacity advantage simply because they are getting the houses open earlier and more reliably. You would figure this would be more important given the limited physical space in Hollywood.
- Jun 27, 2017
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From every article I read, and seeing how Ops at these parks are right now and working at just a job and seeing behind the scenes. Everyone right now cares about money, nothing else.
- Nov 7, 2016
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The best option is to cater to the mega fans and create more opportunities for them. Special ticket nights, special exclusive discounts, different ticket options, and exclusive access areas. Yes, there's RIP, but I'm talking about the GA megafan. Even if it's weird, like when KSF did Scion Nights. Just stuff you'd only find out about from the Twitter, or dug deep into the website, or word of mouth. Something cool like Murdy giving out 1 free Express voucher for a maze to utilize sometime in your night after he gives out a link Twitter. An exclusive Purge/Blumhouse show. Having a maze only be open to megafans at a certain time, obviously either early or at the end of the night. AP exclusive nights. A 50% of merch voucher. Just make it so the megafan doesn't feel ripped off. And if you're a regular, general fan who happens to find out that info for the night you're going? Cool, good for you. But create the opportunity to plus up the event in unique ways. Like, what happened to having a secret password maze where you'd get a gift? More stuff like that.
The pandemic. And then Murdy taking a less hands-on approach to day-to-day operations (which coincided with him relocating permanently to Ireland).
I won free tickets for Halloween night in 2010 from Murdy on Twitter — really fun time for the event and SoCal Haunts in general. The competition Knott's faced for, frankly, the first time absolutely raised the level in the area. But even I, as a definite mega fan, would just prefer they make the event better for everyone.
To me, this is key. Yeah, doing special catering to megafans would be interesting, but especially these last few years, it's feeling more and more like people who can afford Express and/or RIP are the ones who really seem to get fulfilling experiences at the event anymore. In my opinion, that's not fair -- people who buy general, one-day tickets should be able to still get everything (or at least almost everything) done, not be lucky to get three or four mazes done and maybe a ride and also be stuck in line for 30, 40, 50 minutes waiting for food and drinks once or twice, too, all in the span of six or seven hours.
I think it's getting too easy for superfans of the event willing to splurge on Express to forget why they're getting Express in the first place, to avoid the generally miserable experience it's become (or can be) to be a peasant general ticketholder. Some people simply can't afford to drop hundreds of dollars on a single night, especially when you factor in that it could easily breach a thousand if you're paying for two, three, four or more people, and I don't think it's fair for Universal to leave so many people high and dry with an unspoken "Oh well, should've paid more." Just because people who are willing to pay more for deserve a "better" experience doesn't also mean that those who can't deserve to be left to fend for scraps, yet that's where it feels like we are now.
Like I said in the other thread when describing my experience this past Saturday, where we spent an hour stuck in that behemoth line just to get into the park and - from 7:30 to 2am - only succeeded in getting four things done, one of which was a ride that was barely working, and a huge chunk of time chipped away because of ridiculously long food and drink lines, I felt scammed on behalf of my friends, all of whom dropped time and money to go and barely saw a third of what was on offer despite being there the entire length of the event. To me, that's just not... right.
I feel like the popularity of the event has finally overwhelmed the limitations of the park itself post-lockdown, and Universal leaning more and more into catering to those willing and able to splurge isn't the way to go, because it just screws over those who can't -- going to Orlando's event last year, where I never once felt like Express was ruining the general lines and where it was easy to get a lot, if not everything, done without Express, really underscored how radically Hollywood's event has changed since even four, five years ago, and not for the better. When scare zones might as well not be a thing anymore, you feel like you need an Express pass just to get a drink, and you're still getting understaffed mazes despite paying for early entry now (whereas when it was "free," it was forgivable), among other things, it feels like the event needs something to change on a fundamental level so that having a great time and a fair shot at experiencing most of the event is possible for everyone and not an exclusive premium for the minority.
something that has changed dramatically in the 15 years I've been going to the event: I used to regularly evangelize about how great Horror Nights is and why it's absolutely worth checking out if you've been going to Knott's Scary Farm for years. I don't do that anymore, not because the mazes aren't great (they are!) but because I can't in good conscience recommend people just drop in for a night with a GA ticket and expect to have a good time.
I don't have a problem with people who spend more getting an easier/more comfortable night (I mean, I do! but you know, we live in a society etc.) but once you get to the point where express is necessary to have a pleasant experience... you have a problem. premium tickets should make a good day at a park phenomenal, not a poor experience bearable.
If everyone has express no one has express. seems to be a big problem in Orlando and getting worse here. The only solution is to sell less tickets. Universal doesn't care about the experience but the bottom liine.
- Nov 7, 2016
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Here is the best solution of all, guys.
Get rid of Express.
This is what Disneyland did when they reopened during pandemic. Y'all remember how swift and easy it was WITHOUT Fastpass? EVERY crazy line there was suddenly easily manageable. You'd be hard-pressed to find any ride over a 40 minute wait, even if it was packed to the brim/overflowing. Fastpass/Express causes too many standstills, too many operational switches between GA and Premium, extra questions to be asked at the front of the line and before entry of a ride.
The crazy thing is those are ofcourse rides where capacity is limited by how many can be loaded -- mazes are a walk through with capacity at 100 or so people inside at any given time. With 3 minutes to walk through a maze, that's roughly 2,000 or more people that can be pulsed through a maze in an hour, and that's a low estimation considering most of the mazes are much more than 100 capacity. I'm no mathematician, but with 8.5 hour nights (including early entry), that's 17,000 people a night. This is where capacity should be capped for the ENTIRE EVENT, give or take a thousand.
It's the dumbest conundrum. Express exists because Express exists. However, without it, you wouldn't need Express. If all 8 mazes were a 40 minute wait, that's 5.5 hours of waiting time total your entire night, with .5 hours of actually going through an attraction. If you arrived at general opening of 7pm, that's 1 hour of the event given back to you for dinner, shopping, rides -- etc.. With early entry tacked on? Man, 2.5 extra hours to do whatever you want. That's for EVERYONE going through EVERY attraction -- not the 2-3 measily mazes they are forced to suffer with now. At this point, if you don't do everything, it is by CHOICE, not FORCE of the crowds.
You know how fast the lines move at 2am when Express is no longer entering a maze? I've had lines that look like at least a 30 minute wait turn into 5 minutes -- WITHOUT any conga lines holding up the maze either. This is also why a majority of the lines in general from 1am onward are pretty smooth too -- all the Express people have already used their one-time entry for the attraction.
Just get rid of it. Raise the price a little. I can't remember what thread it was, but we estimated the event was making on average, on the low side, $2M a night with event capacity at 22,000. The price increase to match that, with the new suggested 17,000 cap, is just to $118 per ticket, on the low end.
Let those who want to spend more buy extra merch and/or give them an exclusive area away from GA that doesn't hold things up: a buffet, an exclusive photo op, an exclusive backlot tour, heck, even an exclusive maze -- I DON'T CARE, just don't let it interrupt daily GA operations. RIP reserved for media and celebrities only -- REAL celebrities, not influencers.
We don't even need to look that far back for an example of how easy it could be for everyone, that's the real shame. The answer is right there.
Get rid of Express.
This is what Disneyland did when they reopened during pandemic. Y'all remember how swift and easy it was WITHOUT Fastpass? EVERY crazy line there was suddenly easily manageable. You'd be hard-pressed to find any ride over a 40 minute wait, even if it was packed to the brim/overflowing. Fastpass/Express causes too many standstills, too many operational switches between GA and Premium, extra questions to be asked at the front of the line and before entry of a ride.
The crazy thing is those are ofcourse rides where capacity is limited by how many can be loaded -- mazes are a walk through with capacity at 100 or so people inside at any given time. With 3 minutes to walk through a maze, that's roughly 2,000 or more people that can be pulsed through a maze in an hour, and that's a low estimation considering most of the mazes are much more than 100 capacity. I'm no mathematician, but with 8.5 hour nights (including early entry), that's 17,000 people a night. This is where capacity should be capped for the ENTIRE EVENT, give or take a thousand.
It's the dumbest conundrum. Express exists because Express exists. However, without it, you wouldn't need Express. If all 8 mazes were a 40 minute wait, that's 5.5 hours of waiting time total your entire night, with .5 hours of actually going through an attraction. If you arrived at general opening of 7pm, that's 1 hour of the event given back to you for dinner, shopping, rides -- etc.. With early entry tacked on? Man, 2.5 extra hours to do whatever you want. That's for EVERYONE going through EVERY attraction -- not the 2-3 measily mazes they are forced to suffer with now. At this point, if you don't do everything, it is by CHOICE, not FORCE of the crowds.
You know how fast the lines move at 2am when Express is no longer entering a maze? I've had lines that look like at least a 30 minute wait turn into 5 minutes -- WITHOUT any conga lines holding up the maze either. This is also why a majority of the lines in general from 1am onward are pretty smooth too -- all the Express people have already used their one-time entry for the attraction.
Just get rid of it. Raise the price a little. I can't remember what thread it was, but we estimated the event was making on average, on the low side, $2M a night with event capacity at 22,000. The price increase to match that, with the new suggested 17,000 cap, is just to $118 per ticket, on the low end.
Let those who want to spend more buy extra merch and/or give them an exclusive area away from GA that doesn't hold things up: a buffet, an exclusive photo op, an exclusive backlot tour, heck, even an exclusive maze -- I DON'T CARE, just don't let it interrupt daily GA operations. RIP reserved for media and celebrities only -- REAL celebrities, not influencers.
We don't even need to look that far back for an example of how easy it could be for everyone, that's the real shame. The answer is right there.
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