Halloween Horror Nights 32 (UOR) - News & Info

[Casper Gutman]

This is what I was referring to earlier on when I went on my "increasing capacity" talk early on, Universal artificially congesting areas of the park.

I didn't mean to increase park capacity (they rarely even get close to the actual number) in terms of people who can physically be inside, I meant increasing actual attraction/show capacity. HHN is too congested in certain areas while underutilizing other areas. They need to rethink house locations to prevent massive crowds from forming (I can understand Kidzone disruptions this year, but NY needs a fix), they need to bring back queue stanchions for food booths, stop placing props/booths that bottleneck guests, etc.

There is no need to have that Chucky booth allow maybe 2 guests to walk by it at the same time. They keep having to stick a TM out at the Surfer Boy booth to keep the line from stretching into the street... why did they get rid of queue stanchions?


If you want that to be a draw/capacity improvement, the tribute store has to move locations to increase queue capacity. Queue right now is only able to accommodate 30ish minutes or so worth of queue (yes, Universal lies/exaggerates waits so they don't have the queue stretching out into the street)


Diagon is no longer the quiet rest stop for the event, just as busy as during the day, the event just got very crowded this year and it didn't appear to help, but it really did.

The Hollywood/Mels/Transformers area of the park is severely underutilized, getting rid of the queue in front of Music Plaza is a significant improvement just to allow people to rest on the turf (look at how many people are seated at the curb in front of Minion Cafe/Fallon).

Put a sideshow for the NY scare zone in the Blues Brothers show area to entice some crowds to move there or a stage with smaller acts that fit the theme. They often put a stage there during Rock the Universe, so they can try with HHN.

It’s questionable how relevant this will be to future events, but the fountain viewing area this year was a massive wasted space, neither eating guests nor providing a quiet spot (almost no seating). If the fountain show isn’t integral to future events, that space needs to be utilized - food stands? M&Gs? -somehow.

Honestly, the lack of M&Gs at the event is nuts. They push IPs, are cheap and mobile, and can eat crowds (witness MNSSHP).

How many spaces are set aside for the nighttime tours? The Make-Up Lobby? La Bamba? Is the New York Library soundstage used for anything? The daytime tours use the old Blue Man building - is that space used at all during the event?

 

[JungleSkip]

The amount of people that could fit into a M&G line is minimal.

Again, all of these things should happen, but I think people are desperate to find anything other than the actual solution to HHN being the crowded mess it has been for years: Lessening the amount of people in the park every night.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

It’s questionable how relevant this will be to future events, but the fountain viewing area this year was a massive wasted space, neither eating guests nor providing a quiet spot (almost no seating). If the fountain show isn’t integral to future events, that space needs to be utilized - food stands? M&Gs? -somehow.

Honestly, the lack of M&Gs at the event is nuts. They push IPs, are cheap and mobile, and can eat crowds (witness MNSSHP).

How many spaces are set aside for the nighttime tours? The Make-Up Lobby? La Bamba? Is the New York Library soundstage used for anything? The daytime tours use the old Blue Man building - is that space used at all during the event?

Not using Central Park this year for food tents (or any year tbh) is a waste of space. Could easily set up a bar back there over by the Delorean , put up some bar tables in the turf, and force some guests back there.

Don't even have to look for MNSSHP meet & greets when M3GAN draws a large crowd and a long line already. However, not really much of a crowd mover at all. Don't really look into M&Gs as a capacity enhancement.

Makeup, Lombards, La Bamba & Fallon are all used by RIP, including the VIP room at the front of the park. Kinda overkill, but they are paying a premium.

 

[Casper Gutman]

Not using Central Park this year for food tents (or any year tbh) is a waste of space. Could easily set up a bar back there over by the Delorean , put up some bar tables in the turf, and force some guests back there.

Don't even have to look for MNSSHP meet & greets when M3GAN draws a large crowd and a long line already. However, not really much of a crowd mover at all. Don't really look into M&Gs as a capacity enhancement.

Makeup, Lombards, La Bamba & Fallon are all used by RIP, including the VIP room at the front of the park. Kinda overkill, but they are paying a premium.

I’m curious - what are all this spaces used for during the tour? And the Blue Man Group building is only used for the daytime tours?

 

[UniversalRBLX]

Again, all of these things should happen, but I think people are desperate to find anything other than the actual solution to HHN being the crowded mess it has been for years: Lessening the amount of people in the park every night.

It's busy, but Blood Moon & Darkest Deal (along with Yeti & Dueling in October) actual waits (posted waits are being exaggerated) haven't hit more than 45-60 minutes this year. The event is just congested in certain sections of the park due to scare zone designs and placement of booths, and house entrances/exits.

Yes, the event is busy, but it's really just artificially congested areas that exaggerate it and the lack of an additional stage show.

I’m curious - what are all this spaces used for during the tour? And the Blue Man Group building is only used for the daytime tours?

Bars, bars and more bars!

 

[JungleSkip]

It's busy, but Blood Moon & Darkest Deal (along with Yeti & Dueling in October) actual waits (posted waits are being exaggerated) haven't hit more than 45-60 minutes this year. The event is just congested in certain sections of the park due to scare zone designs and placement of booths, and house entrances/exits.

Yes, the event is busy, but it's really just artificially congested areas that exaggerate it and the lack of an additional stage show.

45-60 minutes is still a long time though! Especially when the big IP houses are regularly 90+. Add in the crowded walkways and I just don’t think it’s possible to say that HHN isn’t overcrowded.

 

[Heisenberg]

I thought KidZone was much less congested than usual with the new exit route, bars moved and only one entrance.

I think they can make Expo less of a cluster by moving one sprung tent to the Suess expansion plot while utilizing BMG for for more stuff including two entrances

 

[UniversalRBLX]

45-60 minutes is still a long time though! Especially when the big IP houses are regularly 90+. Add in the crowded walkways and I just don’t think it’s possible to say that HHN isn’t overcrowded.

It's overcrowded, but there are things Universal could do before they start to penalize people ala WDW with pricing and reservation systems.

The event just has operating holes they need to address before they just pass on to guests ridiculous price increases. More efficient food service, better training, etc.

Crowded pinch-points/issues in the event:

• New York/Fallon Entrance (3 house entrances + 2 house exits + Tribute Store + Food Stands
• Chucky Food Booth (just terrible placement, added with that other bar down the street and M3GAN)
• SF (terrible prop placement)
• MIB Restrooms & Sprung Tents (2 house entrances, 2 exits - hopefully temporary)
• Parade Exit (way too small of an exit space - hopefully temporary)
• Reduced quick service capacity due to refurb of Mel's
• 1 Stage Show... at one point HHN had 3 stage shows

Meanwhile, there are current areas in the park either underutilized or could be used as something else:

• Get rid of the queue in front of Music Plaza, add some tables, and allow people to sit/be there instead of over by Minion Cafe
• Add a themed bar at the Animal Actors awnings with more seating/bar tables, etc.
• Blue Man Group plaza
• Delancey St in NY

I thought KidZone was much less congested than usual with the new exit route, bars moved and only one entrance.

I think they can make Expo less of a cluster by moving one sprung tent to the Suess expansion plot while utilizing BMG for for more stuff including two entrances

Yes, they finally figured out that having 2 food booths across from each other was terrible for guest flow.

 

[JungleSkip]

It's overcrowded, but there are things Universal could do before they start to penalize people ala WDW with pricing and reservation systems.

The event just has operating holes they need to address before they just pass on to guests ridiculous price increases. More efficient food service, better training, etc.

Crowded pinch-points/issues in the event:

• New York/Fallon Entrance (3 house entrances + 2 house exits + Tribute Store + Food Stands
• Chucky Food Booth (just terrible placement, added with that other bar down the street and M3GAN)
• SF (terrible prop placement)
• MIB Restrooms & Sprung Tents (2 house entrances, 2 exits - hopefully temporary)
• Parade Exit (way too small of an exit space - hopefully temporary)
• Reduced quick service capacity due to refurb of Mel's
• 1 Stage Show... at one point HHN had 3 stage shows

I think some of these (New York, SF) are just not fixable, and others are specific to this year while the overcrowding issue has been a 4-5 year+ issue. Those houses just need to be there, and SF is tiny. Prop placement isn't going to fix that. I could see maybe moving the SF zone to where Killer Klowns was...but from my memory Killer Klowns zone didn't really draw many people back to that area to begin with.

And the stage show thing, while I again agree there should be more offerings at the event, I was there when there were multiple stage shows in theaters, and B&T was still the only one to draw any amount of people to it. Not saying they shouldn't try, but historically not a draw.

Meanwhile, there are current areas in the park either underutilized or could be used as something else:

• Get rid of the queue in front of Music Plaza, add some tables, and allow people to sit/be there instead of over by Minion Cafe

Okay...where in the world would that queue go then?

 

[GA-MBIT]

I think it's also worth pointing as we did earlier in the run that the posted wait times have been pretty flexible, and in my personal experience, usually shorter than the posted time. I've seen some 45's for TLoU that were legitimately walk-ons.

 

[TheCodeMan95]

I get that NY is congested, but really, where else would they put the portals for the soundstages? And the Music Plaza would be great open space, but again - where would that queue go?

Also, I do like the idea of a "tourists only" weeklong pass. However, there would have to be a way to get it without booking a package. We are not locals but we're passholders, so all we need to book is our hotel.

If there was a way to buy the pass online by entering a UO hotel confirmation code, then we're getting somewhere.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

I think some of these (New York, SF) are just not fixable, and others are specific to this year while the overcrowding issue has been a 4-5 year+ issue. Those houses just need to be there, and SF is tiny. Prop placement isn't going to fix that. I could see maybe moving the SF zone to where Killer Klowns was...but from my memory Killer Klowns zone didn't really draw many people back to that area to begin with.

And the stage show thing, while I again agree there should be more offerings at the event, I was there when there were multiple stage shows in theaters, and B&T was still the only one to draw any amount of people to it. Not saying they shouldn't try, but historically not a draw.

NY's congestion is the New Orleans Square of the event, too much cramped into the same area. If they can figure out a way to move some house portals (whether it's creating a "festival center" in that back area where the Yeti/DD queue currently sits) or something else, they should try it.

I can understand how Rocky Picture wasn't a draw for some, but there's demand for stage shows if HNF is filling up to capacity for every single showtime. They also used to run B&T for 5 shows (sometimes 6), increasing the capacity as well, while HNF (understandably) runs only 4 a night.

Okay...where in the world would that queue go then?

Not using the BMG area - use the same entrance portals, Blood Moon can wrap around SS21 while Exorcist can use the same entrance but go around the plaza stage and then use Bloodmoon's current indoor queue. Heck, in the past 2 years, those houses haven't reached the demand to fill that soundstage indoor queue. Need to move a few BOH/Makeup tents, but that's doable.

In a different world using BMG, put a giant sign with 2 house entrances over Bloodmoon's current entrance. Put 1 house entrance over closer to the BMG theater entrance and use Blood Moon's current queue. Another house can go by the BMG/Hard Rock gate to wrap around SS 19 before using the space between Stages 17/18 as the extended queue for the other house (like how AHS did it when they used SS 19).

 

[Casper Gutman]

NY's congestion is the New Orleans Square of the event, too much cramped into the same area. If they can figure out a way to move some house portals (whether it's creating a "festival center" in that back area where the Yeti/DD queue currently sits) or something else, they should try it.

I can understand how Rocky Picture wasn't a draw for some, but there's demand for stage shows if HNF is filling up to capacity for every single showtime. They also used to run B&T for 5 shows (sometimes 6), increasing the capacity as well, while HNF (understandably) runs only 4 a night.


Not using the BMG area - use the same entrance portals, Blood Moon can wrap around SS21 while Exorcist can use the same entrance but go around the plaza stage and then use Bloodmoon's current indoor queue. Heck, in the past 2 years, those houses haven't reached the demand to fill that soundstage indoor queue. Need to move a few BOH/Makeup tents, but that's doable.

In a different world using BMG, put a giant sign with 2 house entrances over Bloodmoon's current entrance. Put 1 house entrance over closer to the BMG theater entrance and use Blood Moon's current queue. Another house can go by the BMG/Hard Rock gate to wrap around SS 19 before using the space between Stages 17/18 as the extended queue for the other house (like how AHS did it when they used SS 19).

I’m no expert, but this all makes sense. One point you bring up that occurred to me is that the Bloodmoon queue used less than half of a soundstage - you have more than enough room for another queue in that building. There would also seem to be more room in the alley between the sound stages if you slightly relocated the makeup tents and other infrastructure (while still leaving the necessary clearance to move through the alley). And while it might not serve as space for a queue, it seems silly to leave the BMG soundstage unused during the actual event.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

I’m no expert, but this all makes sense. One point you bring up that occurred to me is that the Bloodmoon queue used less than half of a soundstage - you have more than enough room for another queue in that building. There would also seem to be more room in the alley between the sound stages if you slightly relocated the makeup tents and other infrastructure (while still leaving the necessary clearance to move through the alley). And while it might not serve as space for a queue, it seems silly to leave the BMG soundstage unused during the actual event.

Yup back when AHS was back there, the queue utilized all of the walkway areas between BMG and SS21, so yeah it is doable. SS21 currently only uses half the building for a queue and the other half as a break area.

BMG goes unused since Grinchmas takes over, but IMO you could probably move Grinchmas over to the Toon Lagoon theater if they really wanted to use BMG for a HHN show.

 

[OhHaiInternet95]

Please tell me more about your conspiracy and accusations they’re making the event worse.

It's ok by me, I already went and the lines were fine. Whatever they have to do! I'm just glad the crowds are there.

 

[HandsomePete]

It is really a congestion issue versus overall attendance. When Magic Kingdom is busy people can’t go on the 10 busiest rides in eight hours without FastPass assistance, so it shouldn’t be a given that buying a ticket entitles someone to doing all 10 houses without Express or rope dropping + following a good plan.

The ace in the hole for congestion in the back half of the park would be bringing back the MIB tent and letting the south Sprung tent sit empty. A positive of the MIB tent was that its entrance and exit was self contained - in/out at one point and no queues snaking across backstage areas and fire lanes. Thinking in next year terms… could put Darkest Deal in MIB tent, have the entrance/exit for Oddfellow next to MIB the ride (in and out the same path), enter TLoU where it is and exit through the old Barney area, and Monsters would be the only entrance/exit by ET/down on Backlot Drive. No double house exits down single file lines like there are two of this year and no walking around the MIB building.

 

[JungleSkip]

It is really a congestion issue versus overall attendance. When Magic Kingdom is busy people can’t go on the 10 busiest rides in eight hours without FastPass assistance, so it shouldn’t be a given that buying a ticket entitles someone to doing all 10 houses without Express or rope dropping + following a good plan.

The ace in the hole for congestion in the back half of the park would be bringing back the MIB tent and letting the south Sprung tent sit empty. A positive of the MIB tent was that its entrance and exit was self contained - in/out at one point and no queues snaking across backstage areas and fire lanes. Thinking in next year terms… could put Darkest Deal in MIB tent, have the entrance/exit for Oddfellow next to MIB the ride (in and out the same path), enter TLoU where it is and exit through the old Barney area, and Monsters would be the only entrance/exit by ET/down on Backlot Drive. No double house exits down single file lines like there are two of this year and no walking around the MIB building.

The MIB tent will not be coming back due to OSHA regulations

 

[TheCodeMan95]

The MIB tent will not be coming back due to OSHA regulations

Wait - I had no clue about this?

 

[JungleSkip]

Wait - I had no clue about this?

The location is out of the question barring ripping up the entire concrete pad and surrounding area and rerouting utilities that run right under there.

 

[TheCodeMan95]

The location is out of the question barring ripping up the entire concrete pad and surrounding area and rerouting utilities that run right under there.

Wait so what changed with it? Is this actually why they stopped using it rather than the plan for Fear Factor?