I think you’re conflating two very different groups. One is the folks who like to attend theme parks (or themed bars) in a relaxed, spontaneous manner, either alone or with friends and family, usually because that’s the specific type of recreation they enjoy, just as some enjoy beaches or casinos or what have you. They buy merch and hotel rooms and are more likely to be repeat visitors with a deep loyalty to the brand (something Uni needs to build), but apparently the metrics say they’re not lucrative enough - Disney has been at war with those folks for a decade or more, with awful results for guests AND for Disney.
The second group are show-offs, many of them influencers, who want to be the center of attention - the exact opposite of the above group, which is focused on their surroundings. I really haven’t encountered this group to any significant degree, certainly nothing beyond one or two meaningless twerps a year. There’s a bit more of the “talking along” thing at Disneyland, but that struck me as being part of the resorts peculiar charm, the fact that it was actually part of a vibrant community (something Disney is trying to eliminate). I remain unconvinced this second group is an overwhelming contributor to crowding.
As a member of that first group, I’m not shortchanging Uni. I buy a ton of junk. I stay on property for long stretches. I eat all my meals there. I’m not wild about the idea that I’m doing Universal “wrong.” My interests are those of a consumer, not a Comcast shareholder - beyond an academic interest and a desire that it convinces Universal to keep maintaining the parks and building high-quality new attractions, I do not care about Universal’s financial situation.
In terms of HHN, my best case scenario is that Uni tries innovative ideas of the type Brian suggested to increase capacity and move the event forward. My second choice is that they just leave it the way it is - the way I tour, the crowds aren’t a huge issue. What I don’t want to see are skyrocketing prices, limited ticket options, reservations, or any other heavy-handed attempts to force guests to vacation “correctly.” I’ve already lost one theme resort to that nonsense.
PS: Legacy’s point is spot on. Uni needs to get better at moving crowds where they want them, at filling up empty corners and emptying full ones. The Studios weren’t designed for an event of this magnitude, and it’s going to require creative thinking to make it continue to fit. When Epic opens and some of the backstage areas at the Studios are freed up, they need to reconfigure space to smooth guest flow. They also need more timed events to push guests where they want them and (as Brian said) some appealing but mobile draws like costumed meet and greets to fill empty spots. And, again, the San Fran and CP scarezones need a big rethink.
110% agree.
I'm local to Orlando. I've been to HHN32 about 13 times so far this year. I own a FF+ Pass. I'm fortunate enough to be in a position to splurge on around $275 worth of merchandise from the event, a usual $20 on food each night (Thanks Minion Cafe for bringing the median price down there from Louies lol), and a couple nights worth of hotel stays. Universal is not losing money on my 13 nights. I spend this money because Universal does good work. I largely don't do the same for Seaworld, Disney, or Busch.
I love watching the event grow over the course of the two month run, through the actor's continuing grasp on their roles, to the differences between A and B casts, to little quirks like the mask debacle and seeing how the performers work with the cards they've been dealt. I love catching little details, the setpieces and gags in the margins of houses that A&D design knowing that they'll get overlooked by 98% of the GP, the real hard work put into costuming or brand integrity by the designers and employees behind the scenes. I love going with people who've never been, and watching their reactions to the incredible houses, zones, and scares that HHN can offer for the first time. I love getting as much of a taste as I can of these attractions, because I know that at the end of these two months these will all close, the performers will scatter in the wind, and the entire attraction will be gutted and trashed as if it had never even been there.
We have an attraction based on The Last of Us this year, with a Universal Studios-level budget and production design, so much love and care, an entire team of people making sure it is as good as it possibly can be, and this attraction will be torn to shreds after its second month of operation, and there is a non-zero chance that we'll never see a TLOU theme park attraction ever again. Nor a Weeknd, Stranger Things, Trick R Treat, Billie Eilish, Killer Klowns from Outer Space, House of 1000 Corpses, Freaky attraction. Big IP or Niche, theme park attractions are incredibly difficult to make. If you're a fan of a niche property, you'd be hardpressed to ever get any kind of representation through the medium of themed attractions. The Last of Us isn't gonna get the expansion plot in Epic Universe, HHN is as much as that IP is ever gonna get, and that attraction is on a ticking clock to extinction.
So I'll be honest, I don't really want much to change in terms of ticketing. I certainly hope Universal can find a way to spread crowds out in a better way, I hope September 2024 is better than this years', but I would really hate a forced "Maximum amount of Days" type system. Cause it means that I wouldn't be able to enjoy HHN nearly as fully as I can and have been able to for years. I don't go for clout, obsess over scare actors (who are real people at their workplace and should not be harassed, check your parasocial bonds!), and I'm pretty sure I've bumped into a few of you in conversation and kept my mouth shut (respectfully haha!). I wait in the same amount of 55min lines as everyone else. I just love this event and the good work they do, and I'd really rather not be forced into setting reservations for a limited 10 nights across what ends up being the most hectic and consistently the most up-in-the-air two months of every year for me, if I can help it yknow! HHN is really special, it's no wonder it's so popular. But I think there have been quite a few solutions outside of the nuclear reservation or pick-a-day type systems that would work just as well, if not better than the latter.
